An Introduction And A Question

[ChrisRamsey]

Hey all,

First of all - brand new to the forum. Just found it this morning, spent a while reading, and loved the way the community felt. I had no idea what was being said half the time, but I could tell that everyone had a good spirit about them

I'm also brand new to boating. My grandfather has had a few small boats (never sail) so I've been on those, but never a sailboat. I've been excited about doing some long-term sailing for the past year or so, but I'm finally able to purchase a boat of my own.

Right now my girlfriend and I are backpacking through Central America - right now in Belize just about to head over to San Pedro/Caye Caulker.

While here in C.A., I'd love to meet people with their own sailboats that might have a thing or two to teach. Heck, we might even be able to crew in exchange for the experience if you're willing to take on complete newbies.

But back on topic, my question revolves around where to start. There's just so much information here on these forums and the internet as a whole, I'm just not sure where to start yet.

Finding book stores in Belize is difficult, so if most of my information came from online, that would be best. I imagine San Pedro will have a few, or at least some Marina's that can point me in the right direction.

So, where would you recommend a complete newbie get started? What should I read? Who should I talk to? That sort of thing.

I know that's a BIG question, so I'll try to help out by giving a few details about what we're hoping to do.

We're hoping to find a boat for under $5,000. Something we can fix up once we get back to the States. We're from Florida, so we'll be able to take some classes during the time we're fixing up the boat.

I want a live aboard boat that can handle months with two full-time sailors. We'll probably sail just the east coast of the US until we feel we're ready to head further on south. And eventually, we're planning on doing a "round-the-world" tour.

Hopefully that will give you some idea as to what we're hoping to accomplish, and where to point us to find some good info.

Thanks so much in advance for all your answers!

 

[Ross]

Welcome to our world.
If you can be happy backpacking then you can certainly live aboard a small ( 24-30 feet ) sailboat. They are just very compact, self contained systems. They come with a bed big enough for two people of average stature, have a good galley(kitchen) and a head(powder room). They may be steered by means of a tiller(the simplest) or with a wheel (more complex) They may have a built in engine (inboard) or they may have an outboard enging hung on a bracket at the stern (posterior). Or they might have no engine.
It has just started snowing here. Here being the upper Chesapeake Bay.
If you can find the book "Cruising in Serafin" by Lin and Larry Pardey it would be a good place to start.

 

[PaulK]

Hmm.

Hey all,



Right now my girlfriend and I are backpacking through Central America - right now in Belize just about to head over to San Pedro/Caye Caulker.

Finding book stores in Belize is difficult, so if most of my information came from online, that would be best. I imagine San Pedro will have a few, or at least some Marina's that can point me in the right direction.

So, where would you recommend a complete newbie get started? What should I read? Who should I talk to? That sort of thing.

!

Marinas in Caye Caulker are pretty much like the bookstores. Same for San Pedro. There may be some boats for sale, but Belize City is more likely where any action would be, and there might not be much. If you're in San Pedro, there's a nice (not overly fancy) blue Morris ketch that does daysails with snorkeling. It has a seagull painted on the bow. (I can't remember the captain's name, but he's a nice guy, used to drive seagoing tugs.) I'd suggest getting back to Florida and getting a copy of Practical Sailor's Used Boat Buyer's Guide. It may be available from the library. There will be lots of boats for sale in Florida. The really cheap ones will be hurricane damaged. I would do some research, as you are, and then find a broker (they will all be VERY hungry for customers) and tell him what you're looking for. He or might not want to spend much time with you if you're looking at that end of the spectrum, but he may be able to point you in the right direction, and probably has valuable knowledge that could save you a lot of time and gas money. Good luck!
Good luck.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Welcome, you're heading in the right direction: sailing, that is. Being in Belize in November isn't too bad, either!

Try this: http://www.boatsafe.com/index.html It's a very good basic boating website.

Google "purchasing used sailboats." Get creative with your search terms.

Consider that your first $5,000 boat will not be your last.

Start small and learn to sail, build up your understanding and skills. Just about everyone here agrees that learning to sail on small boats is best (compared to buying a big boat first) because you learn to use the wind, and the forces aren't that great so they permit initial errors.

Then take lessons on your own boat once you get one.

There are many great "starter" boats, the Catalina 22 being one of the mainstays.

And for research about boats, almost all Catalinas have Association websites, where owners have set up message boards and websites specific to their boats, where you can learn about repair techniques and good upgrade ideas. Most of them are like this: www.catalina22.org (or dott net, som are dott com, but few).

And, since it's sailing, don't be in a hurry.

 

[CalebD]

Since you are in Belize (you lucky dog) why not try to find a tourist resort (probably not your cup of tea) that has some small sailboats for their 'guests' to use. Good small boats to learn the basics on are: Sunfish, Lasers, 420s even a Hobie Cat.
You could also charter a boat with a captain: http://www.belize-sailing-charters.com/a_about_boats.htm

 

[ChrisRamsey]

Thanks so much everyone for all the help!

About a week and a half ago I met a new friend down here in Belize who lives in a sailboat up in Seattle. I've been talking about sailing a lot with him, and he recommends a Catalina, if I can find one - also nothing smaller than 26'. Of course I won't know if I could handle smaller until I get on one, but that's about the size I'll be looking for.

Unfortunately I probably won't be buying it for the next few months as I'm still on this trip for a while, but by mid-year, I'll absolutely have a boat of my own. Here in Caye Caulker I can rent boats - Lasers I believe, and get free lessons with them, so I might see about doing that. I understand that Lasers are itty bitty little things, but hey - it'll be more experience than I currently have