Tillouman 0 Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 OK now reached 54 and i have this 10 year plan to reach my goal and that it to spend 6 months of the year sailing in and around New Zealand and Austraila. Basically i am working from a blank sheet...... no boat , no expereince (to boast about) but a willing wife that has given me permission to do it. So where do i start, learn to sail properly would be the first place..got that sorted, the next issue and i need some advice on this one....my target is to have a boat around the 35-40ft mark to carry out this plan but do i buy this size straight away or go for something samaller and work up to the 40ft'r. If not buying i suppose i need to crew for a while....... I would welcome any words of wisdom, advice or offers of crewing....... so no need to rush i have 10 years to do this!!! Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 My advise would be to buy the big boat now. That way any money you spend on her you don't loose when you sell. Also, it will take you a few years to get settled in to the boat and make it the way you want it. The longer you have a boat the less stressful it will be. There are a ton of boats on Trade me that fit your requirements to the T Good luck and sounds like an awesome idea. I would try and do it in 5 years instead of 10 Link to post Share on other sites
Jon 362 Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 Just do it, start now as the only things you will regret are the things that you didn't try. You will make mistakes along the way but think of them as a learning opertunity. Only be restricted by your dreams Link to post Share on other sites
ab1974 1 Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 Agree with both the above. Do it sooner rather than later. Pros and cons, but either buy exactly what you think you want so you spend the money improving it only once or buy lots smaller and much cheaper(say 28-30') while you learn and indentify what features are important to you. Link to post Share on other sites
Fogg 427 Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 You've come to the right place for advice on this adventure! And don't let other people who have given up on their dreams talk you out of yours. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 You've come to the right place for advice on this adventure! And don't let other people who have given up on their dreams talk you out of yours. Very good advice Link to post Share on other sites
broadoak 0 Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 Just do it! You will never regret it. At the end of the day it doesn't really matter what size or shape of boat you have as long as it is safe & seaworthy, it's the experience that's priceless and well worth the effort. Make the dream happen. Link to post Share on other sites
w44vi 17 Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 I would write a list of what you want to do, were you want to go. What you would like to have and what you need to have, hot water, large motor etc, go and look at as many boats as possible, and sail with as many people as poss When you have narrowed down the type and style of boat that suites you get your wife on board and make shore she likes it, "happy wife happy life" and above all do it! You will never regret it Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 Do it as soon as possible, time becomes more important than the money. Link to post Share on other sites
Fogg 427 Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 A lot of the boats on trademe are cheap for a reason so beware! Get a survey and ask around in the marine industry, boats have histories and reputations, some good and some shocking! How true. I was browsing through TM the other day and there was some horrific stuff. The boat ads seem to be polarising into 2 camps (1) the modern/imported/recently built stuff that is still in good nic (2) the old stuff that is now so old and dated it might never sell - or certainly not at those prices. I'm over-simplifying slightly but basically as I was browsing through, I was thinking either "that looks nice" or "sh*t no!". With very little in between. Link to post Share on other sites
unpc 5 Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 There is no indication that you can afford to retire now or work just half the year, nor that you can do so and afford a 200k boat. I suggest that you first establish how much in fact you like it. Particularly handling a bit of rough which you will get cruising NZ and Australia. Then build some basic skills with the aim of learning to sail your own boat not be a shiftable weight for a race crew. There are courses offering this. There is quite a difference even being a crew with a specific task under direction and your taking all the responsibility. You would be well advised to take the CG courses which would take about 18 mths. I wouldn't rush to buy a final boat mainly because any loss you took on a smaller boat would be more than offset by the much larger losses you would take on a bigger one, particularly if you have not been around enough to know much about what you require, let alone the hidden costs of repair upgrading and maintenance. Depending on your background you may find that you also need to develop multiple skills eg woodwork electrical, basic mechanical, painting etc, because paying the yard can become very expensive. Unless you can afford to pay top dollar for a top boat in its size and class you will find work and higher costs than you thought crop up and could take say a couple of years to sort out. I would be inclined to crew for a cruising skipper and help him with maintenance for a while. Then you are better placed to make decisions. In time you may change your mind on your destinations, and how much of the time you will be spending on your own or not. Your wife may or may not choose to participate depending not just on her view now, but how much she enjoys it later. Hint drinks while admiring the sunset in a well equipped boat in a quiet bay may appeal more than the idea of a rough Tasman crossing with a skipper and boat she doesn't feel confidence in. Go now is all very well if you can afford it, and yes you may be dead in ten years, but statistically probably not. In any event you need to take it in steps, namely building some competence and the rest will emerge in time. Link to post Share on other sites
John B 106 Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 Geeze , thats rational unpc. Yeah, go and buy a lotus 9.2 and cruise the hell out of the gulf and the coast. Do some cruising races with a club in summer and a winter series with some mates. A bit of racing will teach you about limits and what you and the boat is capable of handling faster than many years of weekend cruising. Link to post Share on other sites
Fogg 427 Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 I think that's good advice from unpc. Link to post Share on other sites
Jean 5 Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 Great to have plans but just to clarify are you planning to do this by yourself and leave your wife at home? There is a lot of I words in your plan. If you want your wife to come with you (which would be much more enjoyable) add a few we and us words and consult with her a little more about the plan. Most single handers or men with crew we have met around the world have mostly wished they had a partner to share the experience. also do some offshore passages with other experienced skippers, as a cruising wife even though I had sailed for about 10 years before we first went offshore I was more comfortable with whole thing knowing my husband had done several off shore trips and knew more or less what to expect. Although being skipper in total charge of own boat plus wife and kids still made him a little nervous. If you are planning to sail as a couple make decisions together right from boat buying. I have often found many men and women think sailing is just a man thing and quite clearly it is not. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 Amen Link to post Share on other sites
Wannabe 0 Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 I'm inspired by this thread. I've bookmarked it, and I hope you get lots more constructive feedback. Those who fail to plan plan to fail.... Here's a few thoughts from a wannabe... Time: 10 years is quite a long time. I agree with the idea of trying to shorten it to 5. ...no expereince (to boast about)... Do you have enough experience to know if sailing is really for you both? (nice reality check Jean). If you guys haven't stayed a few nights at anchor, or had to put a reef in, I think you might want to find a way to do some cruising / racing / etc before getting much further down the track. Sailing can be a very romantic notion, but doesn't always live up to the expectations. Learning: Coastguard offers various theory courses that are worthwhile. Day Skipper and Boatmasters are worthwhile in my opinion. However, nothing beats experience. There's another course of the same name - "RYA Day Skipper", and "RYA Competent Crew" which are practical courses, and will give you a great grounding. I recently heard of an RYA Competent Crew 'course' that includes a 'cruise' from AKL - ChCh (or vica versa). Note: My facts are quite dubious here, but others will either correct me, or you can find more accurate information by looking - start here: http://www.boatingeducation.org.nz/courses/12/sail-cruising/ The boat: Surely, you don't know what you don't know. I would advocate small steps that allow you to learn and get an understanding of what you want, need, and can afford. Learn by doing. Cruising is the goal, so get out and get cruising with anyone you can find (or pay) to take you. Get out on as many different types of boats as you can, and work out what you want. Maybe look at a syndicate or shared ownership? Charter: Chartering can seem expensive... but every boat owner I've met says that Chartering is more often than not, the most economical option. I think chartering is a great way to get some experience sailing yourself. If you're not confident, you can take a competent skipper along with you and when you're ready, you can bareboat charter - ie. just you and the missus. The other 6 months: Im not sure what you're planning on doing for the other six months of the year, but you might want to read "The 4-Hour work week" by Timothy Ferriss. The purchase: A boat is a sizeable asset (asset?) and unlike property and haircuts, you can't fix a bad purchase by waiting a few years. Get to know the market, and maybe some boat agent types... When it comes to my turn, i'll probably pay someone to help me buy well. eek - wifey is coming with dinner - have to run! Caveat: I have neither been there, nor done that. Link to post Share on other sites
Island Time 1,252 Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 10 years is a long time. However, there are many 65 yr olds out there now. For every skipper you ask "what type of vessel should I have" you'll get a different answer. In the end, every vessel is a compomise. The NZ coast in particular, but also the southern Ausy coast, are not the easiest places to cruise. might be better with the northern sections of each, or the pacific islands. There are some VERY good buys for cruisers on the market now, especially in SE asia. I know of a fully equiped Bene 39, 5 yrs old, full of cruising gear, sold for under 100k in malaysia! Now IS a good time to buy! Planning is all good, doing is better! You will never be "ready", nor have "enough" money.... Matt Link to post Share on other sites
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