I am two months into owning my H240 and my wife and I are just loving it. We had been dreaming of a life as cruisers for the last few years and decided this past winter to give sailboat ownership a try so we could find out if the life really is for us. So far its even better than we thought. Sure we are on a smallish boat on a 7000 acre lake but we now think retirement in 10 years or so should be as cruisers on a 30-36 ft sailboat coastal/island setting. Especially since we have no children it seems like the dream could actually come true. My question is how to gain experience in bigger water and bigger boat. What are some of the best ways to gain that kind of experience. We are after all just beginners.
What Can I Do To Prepare For a Larger Boat
- Thread starter Caribbeanknight1
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It's great to hear that you are enjoying your boat and are planning ahead.
My suggestion would be to locate a sailing school that will teach a coastal cruising course and/or a course leading to a charter certification. A quick search turned up http://www.mdschool.com/. This way you get the experience of sailing on a bigger boat while learning in a safe and controlled environmnet.
Next step might be to do a charter to get more experience.
In the meantime sail with as many peopleas you can and on as many boats as you can ad you will start to get an idea what you like and what you don't.
Cheers
Matt
My suggestion would be to locate a sailing school that will teach a coastal cruising course and/or a course leading to a charter certification. A quick search turned up http://www.mdschool.com/. This way you get the experience of sailing on a bigger boat while learning in a safe and controlled environmnet.
Next step might be to do a charter to get more experience.
In the meantime sail with as many peopleas you can and on as many boats as you can ad you will start to get an idea what you like and what you don't.
Cheers
Matt
After you have some experience under your belt, you may want to try a bareboat charter along the East Coast or maybe the Caribbean. A jump from a 24' boat to just over 30' isn't too difficult. It would also give you exposure to the types of areas you might want to sail upon retirement. In the meantime, enjoy the moment and good luck!
Get more money. Larger boats require more money to maintain.
Get a bigger boat. You can costal cruise in any size but I recommend a 40 footer.
Get more money. Cannot overstate how much more it cost to maintain a larger boat. I had a 27 and 30 foot on a lake. My 41' on the big water cost at least 10-20 times annually more than what my other boats cost to maintain.
Get a bigger boat. You can costal cruise in any size but I recommend a 40 footer.
Get more money. Cannot overstate how much more it cost to maintain a larger boat. I had a 27 and 30 foot on a lake. My 41' on the big water cost at least 10-20 times annually more than what my other boats cost to maintain.
Sailgunner has it right on but it does not only apply to money and maintenance. The principle also applies to the effort required to actually sail and handle dock the boat. That's why we made a conscious decision to stay on the smaller end of the scale. A 31 foot boat is easier to handle and control by 2 peope than a 40 footer. Especially when, inevitably, a docking goes sideways.
Cheers
Matt
"Get more money"
Interesting statement that I hope everyone will help me comprehend. We have already noticed how easy it is to throw money into the lake with our current boat and I shouldn't be surprised that a bigger boat burns money exponentially faster. I recently saw an add for a fractional ownership deal in the BVI'S where you pay between $3500-6000 for a set week of time and marveled at the small print that stated a fee of $240 per month was required for maintenance fees. I thought that was ridiculously expensive but now I am wondering if everyone's expenses are somewhere in that ballpark.
Interesting statement that I hope everyone will help me comprehend. We have already noticed how easy it is to throw money into the lake with our current boat and I shouldn't be surprised that a bigger boat burns money exponentially faster. I recently saw an add for a fractional ownership deal in the BVI'S where you pay between $3500-6000 for a set week of time and marveled at the small print that stated a fee of $240 per month was required for maintenance fees. I thought that was ridiculously expensive but now I am wondering if everyone's expenses are somewhere in that ballpark.
Well, the most expensive thing about a bigger boat is the slip fees. Cruising is quite inexpensive. If you are at all handy you can do almost all your own maintenance and save a bundle. I've done some calculations and the first mate and I can live on the boat on the hook for around $20000/year. We are not big "party on shore" folks though.
If you are considering living aboard with one other person then I'd recommend at least a 40' boat. That 4-6 extra feet get added into the center of the boat, not the ends!
If you are considering living aboard with one other person then I'd recommend at least a 40' boat. That 4-6 extra feet get added into the center of the boat, not the ends!
Sounds like a great dream.
Regardless of previous answers
, I suggest two simple things: sail A LOT and read a lot.
Your personal experience will become invaluable and you can use it as a springboard to better understand what it is you've read.
Simplistically, that's all it is. As the boat becomes bigger, the systems become somewhat more complex, but easily learned.
Oh, one other thing (and it wouldn't be me if I didn't mention it) learn about electrical boat systems. http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,5977.0.html
Good luck.
Regardless of previous answers
, I suggest two simple things: sail A LOT and read a lot.Your personal experience will become invaluable and you can use it as a springboard to better understand what it is you've read.
Simplistically, that's all it is. As the boat becomes bigger, the systems become somewhat more complex, but easily learned.
Oh, one other thing (and it wouldn't be me if I didn't mention it) learn about electrical boat systems. http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,5977.0.html
Good luck.
I recommend that you join the United States Power Squadron and start taking their comprehensive courses that range from Seamanship to Celestial Navigation and much more in-between. They also offer courses in Weather, Marine Electronics, Engine Maintenance, Sailing, and more. It is a great bang for the buck- reasonable membership costs and very reasonable educational course costs. The Coast Guard Aux also offers courses, so check them out too.
If you PM me with your home city, I will send you contact info for your local Power Squadron. I am bias, I am a 27 year Life Member, past commander of my local squadron, and I am a "Senior Navigator" which means I've taken every educational course that is offered.
Oh yes, get LOTS more money.......
If you PM me with your home city, I will send you contact info for your local Power Squadron. I am bias, I am a 27 year Life Member, past commander of my local squadron, and I am a "Senior Navigator" which means I've taken every educational course that is offered.
Oh yes, get LOTS more money.......
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Have a look at Comparing Production Boats, https://www.smashwords.com/dashboard
lots of tips there but the guys are right, 40 foot is a good size.
lots of tips there but the guys are right, 40 foot is a good size.
There is an interesting parallel to your story and our own. We decided to become sailors when I was 50 and my dream was to cruise around Florida after i retired. I took a sailing class at Lighthouse Landing at Kentucky Lake and bought a new Hunter 260. We sailed it for 5 years and figured out what we both wanted in a larger sailboat and in 2003 bought a new hunter 356 and fitted it out with everything we dreamed of. It was, and still is, one of the most high tech and live able boats on the lake with a generator, satellite TV, and all the electronic gadgets. We keep our HVAC unit on 24/7 even when out sailing so our salon is always a comfortable temperature summer or winter. We have a full enclosure and sail 9 months a year. We spend an average of 75 days a year on board, so we get our money's worth of use. We look at our boat as a vacation home we can move to where we want to.
We are 66 now and plan on soon taking our boat to Florida for the winter. We plan on leaving it in Charlotte Harbor, where we have lots of friends with condos and houses, and go back and forth between Tennessee and Florida, living on it and cruising the West Florida coast and Keys while there and enjoying being with our Tennessee friends that winter in PGI. We have done a lot of sailing there on rentals and with friends, generally making an annual sail from Charlotte Harbor to Key West each winter for a number of years. We will bring it back to Kentucky Lake in the spring for the summer so we can continue what we do now.
Other than purchase, it's not too expensive to maintain, but it's relative to what you are used to spending. Slip fees in Kentucky Lake are a couple of thousand per year, in Florida would be at least three times that, bottom paint and just general maintenance and insurance add more cost. Get at least a 35 or larger boat. You end up with a lot of stuff and will need the room. Make a list of what you want and then buy a boat with that on it or add to what you buy so you end up meeting your desires. If you are not happy with your amenities, you won't spend as much time on the boat as you would if it meets your needs.
Don't let size worry you about sailing the boat. With the Hunter set up with in mast furling and all the lines in the cockpit, an anchor windless, auto pilot and other aids, you can single hand a Hunter 356 or 456 easier than your 240. it's how you equip for single handing that dictates how difficult it is. My 260 was a lot harder to sail and dock than my 356 is because it was barebones. When you cruise, you motor a lot if you are on a schedule, but a sailboat is a very efficient cruising boat under power and you have the option of motoring or sailing at your choice. We do a lot of both. With my generator running, my fuel burn with both generator and engine is .64 gallons per hour at 6.2 knots. The generator is about .25 gallons per hour, or 6 gallons in 24 hours.
Sailgunner is right about size. Look at a 40. They are a good cruising size boat and if you have guests, you need at least a 40 if they overnight with you. We draw the line at guests during the day only in our 356, we get them a rental cottage at night. We would still do that if we had a 50!
Enjoy yourself and good luck in finding your dream.
We are 66 now and plan on soon taking our boat to Florida for the winter. We plan on leaving it in Charlotte Harbor, where we have lots of friends with condos and houses, and go back and forth between Tennessee and Florida, living on it and cruising the West Florida coast and Keys while there and enjoying being with our Tennessee friends that winter in PGI. We have done a lot of sailing there on rentals and with friends, generally making an annual sail from Charlotte Harbor to Key West each winter for a number of years. We will bring it back to Kentucky Lake in the spring for the summer so we can continue what we do now.
Other than purchase, it's not too expensive to maintain, but it's relative to what you are used to spending. Slip fees in Kentucky Lake are a couple of thousand per year, in Florida would be at least three times that, bottom paint and just general maintenance and insurance add more cost. Get at least a 35 or larger boat. You end up with a lot of stuff and will need the room. Make a list of what you want and then buy a boat with that on it or add to what you buy so you end up meeting your desires. If you are not happy with your amenities, you won't spend as much time on the boat as you would if it meets your needs.
Don't let size worry you about sailing the boat. With the Hunter set up with in mast furling and all the lines in the cockpit, an anchor windless, auto pilot and other aids, you can single hand a Hunter 356 or 456 easier than your 240. it's how you equip for single handing that dictates how difficult it is. My 260 was a lot harder to sail and dock than my 356 is because it was barebones. When you cruise, you motor a lot if you are on a schedule, but a sailboat is a very efficient cruising boat under power and you have the option of motoring or sailing at your choice. We do a lot of both. With my generator running, my fuel burn with both generator and engine is .64 gallons per hour at 6.2 knots. The generator is about .25 gallons per hour, or 6 gallons in 24 hours.
Sailgunner is right about size. Look at a 40. They are a good cruising size boat and if you have guests, you need at least a 40 if they overnight with you. We draw the line at guests during the day only in our 356, we get them a rental cottage at night. We would still do that if we had a 50!
Enjoy yourself and good luck in finding your dream.
Jerry, its amazing how similar your beginnings were to how my wife and I are progressing. The first boat we seriously considered was at Green Turtle Bay and we came very close to buying it and keeping it there. Ultimately we thought the hour drive and my crazy work schedule wouldn't allow us enough time to truly enjoy it so we kept looking and found our 240 that we keep at a marina just a few minutes from home. I checked your profile and noticed you took the ASA sailing courses at Light House Landing. Were you happy with their courses and instructors and would you recommend them?
Greetings, we are at the stage that you anticipate to be in ten years. We sailed for many years on a northern lake (53N). Many have asked about moving from a 14 mile long lake to the Pacific. In many ways, the "sailing" was at least as challenging. Racing a triangle course with all three legs to windward will teach you lots about sail handling and strategy. I have encountered 65knot squalls with near vertical snow in October in the near dark. We have avoided water spouts and serious thunder storms. All of that, certainly extinguishes the fear of ocean sailing. Chartering in areas such as the BVIs will add pleasure to ocean experiences. One suggestion that I have is that you is that you consider your desire for a bigger boat when purchasing your equipment. There are many items that you can take to you future boat. Things like a chart plotter/depth sounder with a puck transducer that can be removed without having to worry about through the hull holes. You can build a priority list of equipment that will add to your current sailing pleasure, but are purchased with future use intent. Live the dream!
Greetings, we are at the stage that you anticipate to be in ten years. We sailed for many years on a northern lake (53N). Many have asked about moving from a 14 mile long lake to the Pacific. In many ways, the "sailing" was at least as challenging. Racing a triangle course with all three legs to windward will teach you lots about sail handling and strategy. I have encountered 65knot squalls with near vertical snow in October in the near dark. We have avoided water spouts and serious thunder storms. All of that, certainly extinguishes the fear of ocean sailing. Chartering in areas such as the BVIs will add pleasure to ocean experiences. One suggestion that I have is that you is that you consider your desire for a bigger boat when purchasing your equipment. There are many items that you can take to you future boat. Things like a chart plotter/depth sounder with a puck transducer that can be removed without having to worry about through the hull holes. You can build a priority list of equipment that will add to your current sailing pleasure, but are purchased with future use intent. Live the dream!
36 sailboat
I have a 07 H-36 and is perfect for the 2 of us cruising all around florida for sure,we make 2 -3 week trips each year here in Florida with PGSC and our boat even with 4'10'' draft go pretty much any place.
We do have AC and Gen and solar and the AC with the Gen comes in very handy here in Florida for sure,I would love a 41' salboat but my H-36 is plenty of boat for 2 of us for what and where we go and it has most of the bell and whistles for make for great ccomfort when cruising for 3 weeks and would love to go to the bahama's but my wife is not interested at all and so I will need to work on her more.
The bigger the boat the more work and cost ,sailing a bigger boat is not that hard and once you get more sailing under your belt than try chartering a bigger boat say in Florida in maybe Punta Gorda or tampa for a week and anchor out and PG and Tampa which have plenty of sailing room with out going into the gulf.
Nick
I have a 07 H-36 and is perfect for the 2 of us cruising all around florida for sure,we make 2 -3 week trips each year here in Florida with PGSC and our boat even with 4'10'' draft go pretty much any place.
We do have AC and Gen and solar and the AC with the Gen comes in very handy here in Florida for sure,I would love a 41' salboat but my H-36 is plenty of boat for 2 of us for what and where we go and it has most of the bell and whistles for make for great ccomfort when cruising for 3 weeks and would love to go to the bahama's but my wife is not interested at all and so I will need to work on her more.
The bigger the boat the more work and cost ,sailing a bigger boat is not that hard and once you get more sailing under your belt than try chartering a bigger boat say in Florida in maybe Punta Gorda or tampa for a week and anchor out and PG and Tampa which have plenty of sailing room with out going into the gulf.
Nick
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