Freshman sailor asking for advice

[Klaussic]

Hello All,
Very new to this forum and to sailing in the greater New Orleans area. I’m a baby boomer just starting out to get into sailing. I have some power boat experience, but planning on sailing during my retirement in a few years. Till then, I have to learn everything from scratch. This post is mostly directed to those sailors and owners located in the Greater New Orleans / Northshore (Lake Pontchartrain) area that could offer some advice and help me in my adventure. There are so many thoughts to consider when getting into a hobby that can be pricey and, at a certain point, also dangerous. To avoid major downfalls and running into too many traps, I thought to sign up to this site and ask the sailing community for some good advice about the most adequate sailboat that suits a beginner like me with no sailing experience, yet owning a sailboat that can last for the next 10 or 15 years. When thinking about the purchase of sailboat, I am trying to stay within my humble budget of between $8K and $12K without the hassle of too many things to repair or to fix. I might be able to increase that budget if I chose to finance a part of it. The ideal length for me and my wife needs to stay comfortable for longer passages. If I consider some longer travels later on, I am hoping to find something in the monohull segment between 32 and 38 feet that can be easily handled by two persons, although my dream would be a catamaran of 42 feet or longer, but the budget will change dramatically, I am afraid. I am fully aware that I cannot find boats that are less than 20 years old for my monohull budget, but looking thru some local and national websites, I have seen boats that are from the 80ies in very nice shape (at least by photos and description) and decently well equipped. Nonetheless, I might be an easy prey for those sellers that have not always the most noble intentions. Thus, I am hoping to find some sailors in this forum, ideally locals from my area, but everybody else is surely welcome as well, who can give me some good buying and sailing advices and the type or brand of boat that I should aim for to make my first experience a great one. I have my own boat dock with shore power of 240V and can moore a boat up to approx. 55 feet. Would be nice to reed your comments and suggestions. Many thanks and you all stay safe!

 

[Rich Stidger]

I am not in your area, but Welcome Aboard! You are now a member of one of the finest sailing boards around and in the hands of the nicest and most helpful people anywhere. I am sure you will get all the help you want.

 

[Klaussic]

Rich, very kind of you to welcome me here. I trust I picked the right forum and be surrounded by great individuals that share a rewarding and exciting hobby. Many thanks!

 

[dlochner]

Welcome to the forum.

Your questions are common, they are the ones most new sailors ask. You will get lots of answers, from general answers and guidance to very specific answers. At this point, some general guidance seems appropriate.

Learn to sail. The fastest way to learn and to avoid developing bad habits is to take some lessons in an organized course. Sure, you can find folks take you out and show your the ropes, however, it is faster to have someone teach you. It only takes a few days to learn the basics and get you sailing. Then you'll spend the rest of your life mastering the skill. That is one of the joys of sailing, there is also something new to learn.

While you are looking for the big boat, buy a small daysailer for short money and then go sailing. You will learn how sailboats react to wind, waves, sail trim, and steering faster in a small boat than a big one. You will be a better sailor. If there is a fleet of affordable one design sailboats that races near you, think about joining, competition may not be your thing, again, you will sail more with experienced sailors around you and you will learn more in a season or two of sailing on your own.

As you develop your skills keep looking at bigger boats. If you get a chance to sail on other boats, especially those in your size range, GO! Don't buy a big boat yet. All boats look good in the marketing brochures. Until you have sailed on a few you will have difficulty separating the hype from reality. Over time you will develop a better understanding of what makes a boat livable and comfortable and what gets in the way.

Take advantage of Good Old Boats magazine's free issue offer. There is lots to learn in that magazine. Free Download - Good Old Boat March/April 2020

Think about all this, get a small cheap boat and go sailing.

 

[JRT]

Welcome to the adventure! White boats always look great in pics after fresh pressure washing, no matter how many months/years have past since those pictures where took, trust me. In any case step one would be to find a local club and look for some instruction there. My old club has a certified instructor, US Sailing, and they offer a very nice month long weekend program learn to sail. Sign both your wife and you up together.

I'd do that before jumping into a boat, my idea of comfort and my wife's are very different and a few bad outings on our first small 25 ODay turned her off. We have a much newer bigger boat now and she is finally getting comfortable on it. Still when she is on board I make sure we avoid sporty conditions at all cost.

 

[rgranger]

Welcome Klaussic. I'm originally from Lafayette and have a few relatives in Slidell.

Every boat design characteristic is an exercise in trade-offs. So one of the best ways to get started is to be very deliberate in thinking about HOW you will most likely use the boat. Be realistic and don't get in the trap of making a decision based on "...well some day I might..."

Ask yourself how you would use the boat RIGHT NOW. When it comes to learning to sail... there is no magic in size. Smaller boats actually are better to learn on (YMMV) because they react more quickly and dramatically to every sail trim change you make. So you learn. You need to spend TIME on the boat sailing to get the confidence you need to voyage. As you move up in size you will acquire more systems to master... like a diesel, a marine head, etc. but those things are not sailing.

Here are some things to consider...
1) Will you mostly sail for an hour or two after work (small easy to launch boat)? or...
2) Mostly on the weekends as a day sailor (might need a port-a-potty and a small cabin to get out of the weather)? or...
3) Will you pick a good weather weekend and sail out to Grand Isle and live on the boat for two or three days at a time? If so, now you need a real cabin and some sort of galley and a place to sleep and def. need a toilet option.

And...

4) Is the water you are likely to spend most of your time deep, shallow or highly variable? (You might need a retractable keel) or a shoal draft designed keel.
5) Do you think you will want to race or are you more of a cruiser?
6) If you are going on longer trips... what time of year will this happen? Late July in LA is no place to be trapped on an enclosed boat (mosquito) without AC or at least a decent fan... so if you need AC and/or heat then you will need a bigger boat with those systems.

My recommendation is to think that through then establish a set of boundary conditions. Then the sailors on this forum will point you towards boats that best meet those parameters.

And... welcome to the forum... and... happy hunting

 

[rgranger]

Ah... I just read @dlochner 's post. Yeah do that.... then do my post...

 

[dlochner]

Ah... I just read @dlochner 's post. Yeah do that.... then do my post...

@rgranger I type faster than you. And being a retired guy who is socially distancing I spend a lot of time online. Today I learned about sourdough bread, which is not unrelated to sailing because I've been looking for a good, simple, boat bread recipe. I wonder does my boat miss me as much as I miss her?

Cheers!

 

[Red_Dog]

Klaussic,

First of all, welcome aboard!

I had some experience in small boats - 8' cat rigs to Hobie 16's, and a friend's resurrected 16' open day sailor on Lake
Winnipesaukee, NH. Last year, I put a 1986 Hunter 28.5 into Lake Erie. You mentioned you and your wife, are you considering this as a sailing partnership, or are you going to be sailing single-handed? For you and your wife, I think anything above 30' is too much. There are slues of used boats 28 - 30' that can be had for less than $12K (local listing and mileage may differ). My boat neighbors and I have discussed that the longer the boat, the less it goes out.

I chose my boat standing behind the wheel, looking forward, seeing how the primary running rigging was run back to the cockpit; and "snap", yes, I can sail this boat solo.

Look, look a lot. Ask, ask a lot of local sail boaters. Do take - with your wife - a beginners keel boat class. If you can swing the money, do a private class. It's you, your wife and the instructor, best way to learn.

For general advice, this is the best I can give without out knowing the area. Its nuances, where you will consider sailing and for how long? For all I know, from New Orleans, hell, Havana, Cuba ain't that far.

 

[Klaussic]

Guys,

I didn’t expect getting so quickly answers to my questions and to my need of advices and recommendations. I guess the current COVID-19 situation and the shelter-in-place directions in many areas contributes to the promptness of replies. Many thanks to everybody, it seems I am in good hands and I will surely take serious every message that refers to my first introduction.
I will definitely keep in consideration to join a local sailing club, to start ideally with other sailors, spend a few weekends to learn sailing from professional instructors, to buy a sailboat based on my specific needs and to start small and grow bigger over the time I make my experience. Everyone of you had some invaluable insight and thoughts to it for which I am thankful.
In particular:
dlochner, awesome suggestions, can’t agree more with your list of recommendations. The current holdup (the coronavirus situation) prevents me from socializing and interacting personally with any clubs or schools, but once this situation improves and we can breathe safe again, I will look into this. I have the locals sailing club just a few minutes away and was already tempted to research their options to get me and my wife involved in some activities.
JTR, I surely don’t lack the intention to join a club and think positively about that option. We will wait a month or two till the virus situation allows us to engage in such activities without fear and risks. And I am very aware of the nice white boat pictures and hope to find someone locally who would be available to join me when looking at older used boats.
rgranger, your points of considerations are definitely helpful and I am unable to give you the best answer right now, but I think point 1) thru 3) can all happen within the first year of sailing, which makes the boat choice pretty obvious (roomy cabin, head and an overnight accommodation). Points 4) to 6) are easy to answer: Lake Pontchartrain and even some parts of the Gulf are shallow but staying on the assigned waterways, I should have at least 8 to 10 feet minimum depth. The canal at my home is definitely deep enough for a draft of at least 5 to 6 feet. And no, I don’t have the intention to race, I am into cruising and would definitely consider longer trips within a 100-mile distance from Slidell within the first year, let’s say. You are right about the brutal heat that can develop in the armpit of the US. Hence, A/C would be definitely important to have, and heat would be a nice option as well when the weather turns during the winter months and it is still nice outside to sail away for a few hours or to overnight on the lake. That’s why I though a slightly bigger boat might become handy for those needs. Thanks for bring all this up, extremely beneficial to know and to learn about!

Thanks to everybody again. All good comments and suggestions and I will try to keep up with posting the ongoing process in this forum.

Be safe and happy sailing!

 

[jmce1587]

Hi and welcome aboard. I’m actually now in your backyard having recently moved to Covington from the Houston area. I grew up sailing on Lake P and know the area well and also boats in your range. Currently the owner of a 31’ monohull. Please send me a private message on this forum and we can connect and discuss further what you are looking for. There are several sailors on thus forum who have boats on both the north and south shores of Lake Pontchartrain And can also be a good resource for you.

 

[rgranger]

If you need AC/heat then a 28' is probably the smallest you should look.

 

[Jim26m]

Hello All,
Very new to this forum and to sailing in the greater New Orleans area. I’m a baby boomer just starting out to get into sailing. I have some power boat experience, but planning on sailing during my retirement in a few years.

How big, and what type of power boats?

And.. welcome!

 

[Klaussic]

Many thanks, Red Dog!
Yes, me and my wife are sharing almost all of our hobbies and we are enjoying our quality time at the fullest. Thus, she will be in the sailing course as well. As per the boat length, learning on a smaller boat makes it probably quicker and maybe easier. But then, once feeling safer and savvier, we would like to think of sailing into blue waters and be out for 2-3 weeks or even longer. This won’t happen before we are feeling really safe and sure that we can handle such a quest. However, the hassle of selling a sailboat nowadays to be able to purchase a larger one will also have to be considered and could become an unpleasant and lengthy process. Furthermore, I am a big fella with over 6’ and upper 200. A small boat may represent some challenges and restrictions for myself.
We will be definitely looking into all options of learning efficiently and ideally in a private class, and believe me, I am looking every day for what is available on the surrounding market. But I want to make a more informed decision and think this forum is a very good source for that.
Really thankful for your input. Every little bit in learning from the experienced sailors is highly beneficial.

Be safe and enjoy your Hunter!

Klaussic,

First of all, welcome aboard!

I had some experience in small boats - 8' cat rigs to Hobie 16's, and a friend's resurrected 16' open day sailor on Lake
Winnipesaukee, NH. Last year, I put a 1986 Hunter 28.5 into Lake Erie. You mentioned you and your wife, are you considering this as a sailing partnership, or are you going to be sailing single-handed? For you and your wife, I think anything above 30' is too much. There are slues of used boats 28 - 30' that can be had for less than $12K (local listing and mileage may differ). My boat neighbors and I have discussed that the longer the boat, the less it goes out.

I chose my boat standing behind the wheel, looking forward, seeing how the primary running rigging was run back to the cockpit; and "snap", yes, I can sail this boat solo.

Look, look a lot. Ask, ask a lot of local sail boaters. Do take - with your wife - a beginners keel boat class. If you can swing the money, do a private class. It's you, your wife and the instructor, best way to learn.

For general advice, this is the best I can give without out knowing the area. Its nuances, where you will consider sailing and for how long? For all I know, from New Orleans, hell, Havana, Cuba ain't that far.

 

[Klaussic]

How big, and what type of power boats?

I had for some years a 21 foot Hurricane deck boat, and then a 24 foot Larsen Bow Rider for some more years. I sold the Larsen over a year ago with the intention to get into sailing, but a couple of surgeries postponed my plans.

 

[Klaussic]

If you need AC/heat then a 28' is probably the smallest you should look.

That’s what I found out during my research so far. Not much older boats out there with cooling and heating in the smaller sized options.

 

[Red_Dog]

Many thanks, Red Dog!
Yes, me and my wife are sharing almost all of our hobbies and we are enjoying our quality time at the fullest. Thus, she will be in the sailing course as well. As per the boat length, learning on a smaller boat makes it probably quicker and maybe easier. But then, once feeling safer and savvier, we would like to think of sailing into blue waters and be out for 2-3 weeks or even longer. This won’t happen before we are feeling really safe and sure that we can handle such a quest. However, the hassle of selling a sailboat nowadays to be able to purchase a larger one will also have to be considered and could become an unpleasant and lengthy process. Furthermore, I am a big fella with over 6’ and upper 200. A small boat may represent some challenges and restrictions for myself.
We will be definitely looking into all options of learning efficiently and ideally in a private class, and believe me, I am looking every day for what is available on the surrounding market. But I want to make a more informed decision and think this forum is a very good source for that.
Really thankful for your input. Every little bit in learning from the experienced sailors is highly beneficial.

Be safe and enjoy your Hunter!

One last thought, think Ericson. Even their 27' boat was designed as a blue water, ocean passage boat. When I was in my teen's - high school - sailing with my friend, we both thought the Ericsons where the the cat's meow. Over 6' you will be hard pressed to find a boat in your price with more than 6'2" head room. Ericsons will be no different. They are narrow beamed, low displacement hulls (defining that description to mean their draft verses freeboard. There's more hull in the water for their draft than most boats, short keels. Yet, the freeboard from the bow to the stern has a striking shear.) I looked at an Ericson 27, but the work need put her in the water was more than I was ready to deal with.

A boat neighbor has a late seventies Ericson 27, been sail though out the Gulf as well as Lake Erie. Seaworthy as hell. I was with him on a trip to Kelly's Island. 4 to 6 foot rollers with a stiff 20 knots. I never felt nervous about the trip there and back.

As far as a brand, that's what I would suggest looking at, a seventies era Ericson.

 

[Jim26m]

6' plus and upper 200 is good info. Definitely puts you out of the sunfish starter boat category. How is your agility, strength, etc?

Handling the 24 ft Larsen, docking, etc. is also good info.

Do you or your Admiral suffer from any motion sickness?

 

[dlochner]

Furthermore, I am a big fella with over 6’ and upper 200. A small boat may represent some challenges and restrictions for myself.

Check out the Flying Scot. These are 19' boats with a large cockpit and plenty of room to move around in. There are a lot fleets in the South including near New Orleans. The class is very family friendly and not dominated by a bunch of men. They have husband and wife regattas, women only regattas. You can pick one up cheap and sell it pretty easily.

Fleets | Flying Scot Sailing Association

www.fssa.com

 

[JRT]

Good stuff. We looked for awhile for our first boat and then after a couple seasons knew what we really needed. We set certain requirements on the second boat and never limited to a certain brand or model bit looked for the best overall boat to meet our needs. We waited found our 310, which is actually considered a great couples boat in a 31' size. Read our story on my signature link below.