I'm considering undertaking a trip soon, and I wanted to see what
people's opinions are before I set out. If you'd prefer not to read my
whole post, here it is in a nutshell. I'm 26, in good shape, with
modest sailing ability. I plan to purchase a boat, between 22-27 feet
and sail along the coast of New England for about 1-2 months, hopping
from harbor to harbor. Is this sensible?


Heck yeah!


Nikki Locke wrote:
Go to school to learn about tides, navigation, collision regulations,
etc. It is all important stuff you should know before ocean sailing.

I'm familiar with the Boston Community Sailing program... and if he
paid attention at all (assuming they haven't dramatically lowered
their standards in the few years since I've been up there) then he's
already got a working familiarity with the basics here.



I don't know what the regulations are in the US, but you will probably
need some paperwork - check with the Coastguard. You should be able to
find reasonably priced short courses to get the necessary certificates.


None needed. It may sounds strange, but here in the USA there is no
license needed to operate your own boat... the only qualification
needed is to be able to pay for it (or have a good enough credit
rating).

A little advice on the original topic... when doing your homework
planning the next day's voyage DO plot out the tides & currents. Do
make note of weather reporting stations so you can jot down conditions
at each as they are reported. The biggest difference between sailing
around a sheltered area for a few hours, and making day-long coastal
hops, is that the weather is more likely to give you a tossing.

About choosing a boat... the suitability of the basic design is the
first priority. Condition of the boat and/or cost of needed repairs/
refit/upgrades is the second. A boat that has been well-maintainted
and comes well equipped, at a somewhat higher price, will definitely
be a better bargain than a cheaper boat that "just needs some TLC."
The more leg-work you're willing to do, the more likely you are to
come up with a really good boat. Don't focus on electronic gizmos,
either. A reliable VHF radio is necessary. A nice autopilot (as
Horvath suggested) would be better than the fanciest GPS &
chartplotter. An AIS would be one of my picks for electronic helpers,
especially in an area (like Boston) that has a lot of commercial
traffic).

Sounds to me like a good plan, wish you luck and hoping to hear about
your future adventures!

Fresh Breezes- Doug King