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Junior Member
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First recorded activity by BoatBanter: Jan 2005
Posts: 3
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Didereaux
Naiveandready wrote in
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Can anyone offer any advice on how to get started.
My wife , kids and I have a dream to cash out, buy a boat and sail the
Carribean for a year. Obviously its not quite that simple, and so I
need advice on how
much sailing experience I should get first,
how much of a problem are pirates,
how to deal with them,
ways to earn some income during the trek
must see destinations
any other advice you can think of.
If any of you can offer any advice on where to start, please do.
Thanks
Shawn
First thing is that you NEVER ask for advice from strangers, and you
NEVER trust anything recommended anonymously via the internet. (regarding
anything of importance). SO you are free to disregard this as well!
Sailing, boating, and particularly serious cruising and live-aboard is a
very specialized niche(s). Some expert sources claim fewer than 1% ever
even get to the trying it stage, and less than 10% of those like it. You
do the math.
Now for some practical information, go to the water, step aboard, talk to
those DOING what it is you think you want to do. Look at those people,
how they live, what they have in common, and what they do not. Go to the
boats, all kinds of boats, get on every one, look HARD and LONG. Find
one that seems to your liking? Then and ONLY then start doing the
hardcore deep searches concerning all asopects of that particular boat,
it THAT stage and only that point at which the internet has any value to
you.
You are NOT buying a freaking microwave at Wal-Mart or a car that can be
traded off in a year or two (unless you are both wealthy AND stupid) you
are changing your entire lifestyle, and that cannot be done without
burning bridges.
--
"Let bygones be bygones...send a concilliatory PRETZEL to the
Whitehouse!"
"Against stupidity, the very gods themselves contend in vain." -
Friedrich von Schiller
"Ignorant voracity -- a wingless vulture -- can soar only into the depths
of ignominy." Patrick O'Brian |
Thanks for all the responses so far. Just to clarify a little:
While I have never owned a sail boat the size we are talking, I had a small sait boat that I learned some basic sailing from for about 15 years. Also, my father rebuilt, and used recreationally, a 30 ft. cabin cruiser, for about 12 years. So while the idea of the lifestyle change is nothing to be taken lightly, it is the having been around those who have done it, that leads me to this point in the process.
Please, anyone else who has ideas on how to make such a decision, and/or prepare for such a move, please weigh in.
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