We Have Three Main Questions with..........

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Brock Halbeisen

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Nov 3, 2009
23
Hunter All Muskegon, MI.
I must agree with Ed. Your Kids! Have you spent any time on a displacement style hull sailing? I think you will find the switch from sailing your Mac an experience that will convince you that the two of you can do this. And for years to come. Get a boat that has all lines running back to the cockpit. This will limit time on the deck when balance is of an issue. The "Legend" series Ed mentioned, one of the best of the Hunter line.

Brock Halbeisen
Certified Hunter Sails Professional
Torresen Marine "The Sailboat Specialist"
brock@torresen.com
 
Sumner

Sumner

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Jan 31, 2009
5,254
Macgregor & Endeavour 26S and 37 Utah's Canyon Country
Sailm8 said:
I agree with dance with the one you brought to the dance. We would drag a C22 from St. Louis to the Keys 3 times a year and sail without any problems. We got smarter and found a place to store the boat in the keys to avoid the 1400 mile tow. We finally retired down here on the Gulf Coast and sail all year round.

You can always find a bigger boat, but time is short. I'm about the same age and in good physical shape so far. Three years ago I was legally blind. Couldn't drive, couldn't read, couldn't hardly see anything. Found an exceptional doctor and now my vision is 20/40. I don't want to waste it prepping for a year. I just plan to go. Not crossing oceans just sailing 20 - 30 miles at a time stopping to smell the roses. The gulf coast is a great place to coastal cruise all year long. Hurricane coming? You have a real advantage. On the trailer and out of there. I am also envious of the lake exploring you are doing. You could do that for years. In fact someone wrote a book about trailer sailing across American hopping from lake to lake. You don't need to cross oceans to be a sailor.

It can be done, check out these guys: http://www.conchcruisers.net/

Just my two cents worth
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I grew up in north St. Louis County, but that was a long time ago. Come west and we will loan you the Mac and you can go out on Lake Powell with it. Thanks for the good advice also and we have been reading the conch cruiser's trips and that has also given us encouragement.

Brock Halbeisen said:
I must agree with Ed. Your Kids! Have you spent any time on a displacement style hull sailing? I think you will find the switch from sailing your Mac an experience that will convince you that the two of you can do this. And for years to come. Get a boat that has all lines running back to the cockpit. This will limit time on the deck when balance is of an issue. The "Legend" series Ed mentioned, one of the best of the Hunter line.
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Brock Halbeisen said:
Brock Halbeisen
Certified Hunter Sails Professional
Torresen Marine "The Sailboat Specialist"
brock@torresen.com
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A displacement hull is all we have sailed on. Our MacGregor is the older classic "26S" not the X or M that have a planning hull and can use a large outboard. 5-6 knots is top speed for us.

Thanks for the other tips and again thanks for the other tips and boats to look at from the rest of you,

Sum & Ruth

Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID

Our Mac Pages

Mac Links[/b
 
S

Suttleone

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Jan 22, 2008
2
Catalina 350 Lake Mead. Nevada NV
69 year old and no sign of stopping.

I'm 69 years old and I own a 2004 Catalina 350 which I day-sail alone all the time on Galveston bay. (I never overnight alone, ever). The advise I've read in these posts is very good and I would add Safety with a capital "S". Make sure your wife can handle the boat well enough to come get you if you take a "swim". Never take any chances that you are hesitant about. Your first thought on how you feel about doing something is the one you need to follow. Good luck and good sailing.
 
dvideohd

dvideohd

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Jul 24, 2005
261
MacGregor Mac26D Richardson, TX; Dana Point, CA
Do you have an answer??

Sum.... do you feel like you have an answer?

There are so many good old boats out there in the 28-40' range right now - just needing a home....

I think that the question is not so much boat oriented at times....

In Califorina, the problem is (or at least was...)... finding a slip at a reasonable rate to keep your boat at... In Texas, you have to be Very Wise on how to deal with heavy weather - in the Marina... Ask Franklin or the folks at Kemah, Slidell, and Pensacola on that one...

I am sure there are different considerations in Florida, Atlantic Coast, and the Great lakes...

So Slips, Weather, and maintainence are big qualifiers..

Even if you get a "big" boat, you might think about keeping the 26S.... It's an old friend now....

--jerry
 
Sumner

Sumner

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Jan 31, 2009
5,254
Macgregor & Endeavour 26S and 37 Utah's Canyon Country
dvideohd said:
Sum.... do you feel like you have an answer?

.......................So Slips, Weather, and maintenance are big qualifiers..

Even if you get a "big" boat, you might think about keeping the 26S.... It's an old friend now....

--jerry
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We feel like we do have the answer for now and that is haul the 26S around and sail it. Mostly for the reasons you mentioned (slip fees, weather and maintainence) and that we are so far from the gulf and Florida. It would be very expensive to get back and forth and I'm big on doing all my own work and all of my tools and shop or here in Utah.

If we did do it we would do like I originally posted and that would be to buy a boat that was at least 90% ready to sail and live aboard and then get on it and stay on it until we wanted to go back home. Then put it on the market for sale. There is a problem there in that we would have no idea how long that would take and we would be paying slip fees until it sold.

Even if we take that route at some point we won't sell the Mac. It is us and what we want to do, so it won't be going anywhere except sailing with us. Like you said you don't get rid of old friends.

Now seeing your personal info I see another solution. Looks to me that you have 2 places of residence and 3 boats. It also seems that you could only be on one of those boats at a time. That leaves 2 that are just sitting there waiting for someone to take them out. We might be able to volunteer or time to help you with that problem :).

Thanks for the reply,

Sum and Ruth

Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID

Our Mac Pages

Mac Links
 
J

jotruk

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Oct 8, 2008
18
Hunter 27 Lake Whitney
I would say to follow your dream. Each and everyone of us has a preference in what we want in a boat and would feel safe with. Take the advice given and look at each one and then make a decision on what you want and not what some one else prefers.
 
Jimm

Jimm

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Jan 22, 2008
372
Hunter 33.5 Bodkin Creek - Bodkin YC
A resounding YES - if not now, when? Being a bit north of you in age I can attest to it.
 
C

CEOmike

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Jul 21, 2009
48
2 26s Point du chene
Prudence

zeehag said:
the run northward is WET is BUMPY is UNCOMFORTABLE and is NOT easy under any circumstances........
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While I am also in my 60's I have been sailing a long time. My wife less so. Just this week a 37 ft boat was lost here with its very experienced skipper (he has sailed around the world in a 37.) He made one mistake, he over estimated his abilities. It is easy in most normal conditions to sail anything any distance but take three or four days of contrary 30 knot winds and even if you are 35 and totally fit you will be in trouble (even if you are anchored in anything but a very sheltered cove or at a marina.)

Plan, plan, plan and know how to predict the weather days in advance. File sail plans.

This is from a North Atlantic sailor! Respect the sea.
 
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