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Subject: [worldcruising] Re: looking for a boat
From: Ryan H Neve (ryan.neve@XXX.XXX)
Date: Fri Aug 03 2001 - 09:27:18 EDT
Nolan,
Several years ago I was in something like your position. I was moving to Miami and wanted to move aboard a boat. I had lots of small boat experience, and some cruising experience with my parents when I was young. I had been reading the sailing mags for years. My budget was around yours. It took me 5 months to finally find the right boat, I had flown to South Carolina and Virginia to look at boats, but ended up finding the right one here in Miami. I found that rather than picking the boat
you want, then looking for it, you should evaluate what's out there. This will keep you waiting for a long long time for the "right" boat, and you might not pass over a great boat just because you hadn't thought of it before. If you find something you like, first do some research on the internet. Boatcheck on Sailnet.com is a good place to make contacts. If you are still interested, find a good surveyor and have them look at it.
After I bought the boat and moved on, I did lots of short trips to the Bahamas, then this last March, I sailed down to the Virgin Islands, then back up via PR, DR and the Bahamas. Taking 4 months to do it. Many of these trips were just one other person and myself.
Some more comments below.
gmbeasley@XXX.XXX wrote:
>
> If you are living in south FL, there isn't much place to sail unless you
> are up in the Indian River area (not offshore) or fairly far down in the
> Keys. In the Keys (or the west coast), unless you have a pretty shallow
> draft, you are going to be restricted to the Hawk Channel, and there's
> virtually no place to anchor along there until you get down to Boot Key
> Harbor (Marathon). The Gulf coast is also pretty shallow.
?What about Biscayne Bay? I'm looking out there right now. Great wind, flat conditions, clean water, lots of places to anchor and swim. Draft is not a big problem if under 7'. I draw almost 6' and never run aground, except when I'm getting bold about getting into someplace very skinny. Marina space is a little tight these days, but slips can be found. The bahamas are less than 50 miles away.
> If you are talking about going to the Bahamas for a 3 day weekend, forget
> it. A sailboat is too slow for that to be an option. It will take you the
> most part of 24 hours to get there and ditto to get back. All you'd be
> able to do is rest up for the return trip. If that's what you would like
> to do, a power boat (and I don't mean a trawler) is much more practical.
Too slow? I do it all the time. Leave on Thursday night. Crossings have taken me 8 to 14 hours, but average 12 which puts me in to Bimini early Friday. Clear customs and either stay in Bimini, or sail down to Dollar Hbr. at South Cat Cay. Return Sunday morning which pits me back in Miami Sunday night. Most of my crossings, including a few in less than ideal weather, have been with only one other person on board. I wouldn't recommend this in the winder if yours is a lightly constructed
boat.
> I also think a 40 foot boat is too large to easily single-hand, although it
> can be done. The problem for single handers is not just the sailing part
> (although if you go more than about 12 hours, standing watches gets hard),
> but the starting and stopping part. If your girlfriend is not physically
> challenged (this is not a crack at her - I have a friend who has had to
> stop sailing because his wife has scoliosis and has had multiple spinal
> fusions) then she can cast off lines or hand a dockline to someone or take
> the wheel while you put the anchor down or pull it up. That is where the
> singlehander has a problem sometimes. But that is coastal cruising, and
> not blue water.
I might agree here. Mine is 40' and 24,000 lbs. It can be a handful, but when I get roller furling and an electric windlass it won't be a problem. Sail changes and anchoring are the most physically demanding tasks. Docking is where you usually wish for another set of hands. For most things, one person does all the work while the other steers or releases halyards. A good autopilot or windvane is a must. I have both.
Here's a boat for sale that might be worth a look: http://www.gulfcoastyachts.com/SCREEK34.htm It's a 34 food version of my own boat (we're all biased).
Ryan Neve
s/v Whale II
Creekmore 40
For more info on my recent trip, see:
http://www.mindspring.com/~ryan.neve/vi/vi_overview.html
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