This article is copied from the Lat. 38 magazine letters section of this
January, and is worth reading. Simply stated, the type of boat that
will suit you best will be obvious to you after you experience more
sailing. Although the article is tailored to the West Coast, I'm sure
that similar opportunities exist where you live.

http://www.latitude38.com/letters/200401.htm

COULD I GO CRUISING BY THE END OF THE YEAR?

Ahoy. I wish to purchase a bluewater cruising boat and sail her to
Easter Island by way of the Galapagos. One small detail - I've never
sailed before. It's also December. I'm looking for help in how to best
attack this goal - apart from waiting until spring.

What sort of vessel am I looking for? My budget is limited to just over
$50,000 to go to sea. Something says ketch, for they have smaller sails
per given sail area, which suggests easier handling, and the mizzen
would appear to be valuable in heavy weather. Are these suppositions
correct, and are they important? I understand already that I'm talking a
large displacement/length ratio for a bluewater cruiser, and therefore
it will be slow, but, of course, I want the room. I hope to get my speed
from having the longest waterline within my budget.

Comparatively, if I buy a cheap vessel in poor condition and spend a
fortune to have it professionally refitted, would I be better off than
with a newer and more expensive boat? A more simple question; Do boats
just go to utter rot, and cheap is cheap?

I have read the Handbook of Sailing. Recognizing the limitations of what
can be learned from a book, it appears rather simple in principle.
Children can sail, after all. Is this a skill one can teach oneself, or
are qualified lessons the only sensible way to learn?

When it comes to the time frame, I have a substantial leg up with
respect to navigation and meteorology - we landlubbers have weather,
too. I'm hoping to buy this vessel in early 2004, learn to sail it
summer/fall 2004, and head for the southern hemisphere in early 2005. Is
this wildly optimistic? I'm a bright lad, but wonder if a feller can
learn to sail well enough for bluewater in a single year? I do not plan
to go alone, although not necessarily with crew more experienced than I.
Considering logistics, regulations and so forth, what time frame would
be realistic for me?

I think you get my drift, which is that I currently know just enough to
be lost with all hands. Please toss me some suggestions, including, if
you must, evaluations of my sanity.

TIA
Silverhawk

TIA - If you have passion, at least average intelligence, and $50,000,
there's no reason you can't safely cruise to Mexico this fall and the
South Pacific early next year. Lots of folks have learned to sail and
bought and prepared a boat in such a time span.

Take it from someone who has never taken a sailing lesson, the most
important thing you can do is take sailing lessons rather than try to
teach yourself or learn haphazardly from friends. However, we might
suggest waiting until March so you'll be able to learn in reliably
strong winds. In addition to the basic classes you might take on the Bay
- a great place to learn - you should also sign up for one or more
three-day offshore adventures to Catalina or the Channel Islands. This
will not be money thrown away, but rather a good investment in your
future cruising pleasure.

Come the third week in March, you should fly down to Puerto Vallarta for
the Banderas Bay Regatta. There are three days of fun racing, so if you
play your cards right, you'll be able to crew on three entirely
different kinds of cruising boats. In addition, you'll be able to walk
the docks and see hundreds of other boats that have been cruised to
Mexico, and talk with their owners. If you want, you could easily get a
crew position on a boat going up to La Paz or down to Acapulco.

As soon as the Beer Can Races start in April, you should participate as
frequently as possible as crew. Yes, we know you're not interested in
racing, but that's not the point. Your goal should be to observe others
having a great time with their boats while maneuvering at high speed in
close quarters, and to sail on as many different types of boats as
possible. When the Master Mariners Regatta rolls around on Memorial Day,
make sure you get a spot as crew for that event, too. During the race,
observe how the various kinds of rigs perform in different conditions.

By June, you could have finished several basic sailing courses, been out
sailing at least 50 times, been offshore a couple of days, and sailed on
scores of different boats. By this time you'll have started to develop
quite a bit of confidence, as well as a good idea of what kind of boat
appeals to you - and it might be something entirely different than what
appeals to you now.

By the end of July or August, you should be able to find a
decently-equipped boat that easily fits into your budget. We suggest
that you avoid complicated fixer-uppers, because you don't know enough
about boats at this time to properly evaluate them. It would be better
for you to get a simple boat with gear that works. Once you buy your
boat, sail her three or four times a week on San Francisco Bay, and at
night, too. By September, cruise her down to the Channel Islands and
Catalina for offshore and anchoring practice. Do the Ha-Ha at the end of
October. Cruise the Sea of Cortez in November and December, and mainland
Mexico from December to March - not forgetting the Banderas Bay Regatta
in March. The first week in April, head off to the Galapagos, French
Polynesia or wherever.

The only thing preventing you - or any other person with $50,000 - from
following this plan is a lack of desire.