My wife and I have just made the decision to tie up our loose ends,
purchase a boat in about 1 year and head south to Mexico in 4 years
(From the Los Angeles area). We have both sailed since childhood but
would appreciate any feedback and advice from anyone who has done a
similar thing. Stopping points, best times to head south (December -
March we're guessing), sailing routes from southen Mexico thru the
canal, into the Gulf of Mexico and onto the Bahamas, etc. Our
ultimate goal is to sail around to the Bahamas and hang our there for
a while. . .maybe heading deeper south after that.

We are planning on having a cruising kitty of around $20,000 and then
do odd jobs as needed. What are some things we should consider before
setting sail?

Mike and Tricia Kennedy

"Announcing your plans is a good way to hear God laugh."

Good luck to you, in any event. ;-)

--
Karin Conover-Lewis
Fair and Balanced since 1959
klc dot lewis at centurytel dot net


"Mike & Tricia Kennedy" wrote in message
om...
My wife and I have just made the decision to tie up our loose ends,
purchase a boat in about 1 year and head south to Mexico in 4 years
(From the Los Angeles area). We have both sailed since childhood but
would appreciate any feedback and advice from anyone who has done a
similar thing. Stopping points, best times to head south (December -
March we're guessing), sailing routes from southen Mexico thru the
canal, into the Gulf of Mexico and onto the Bahamas, etc. Our
ultimate goal is to sail around to the Bahamas and hang our there for
a while. . .maybe heading deeper south after that.

We are planning on having a cruising kitty of around $20,000 and then
do odd jobs as needed. What are some things we should consider before
setting sail?

Mike and Tricia Kennedy

Mike and Tricia,
My wife and I are in that process right now. We'll be putting the house
on the market in 2-3 weeks and are desperately selling/giving
away/throwing away most of what we own. Start this task early.

As for leaving, the first of November is the end of the hurricane season
and when most people leave. If you've never done any cruising, you
might want to consider joining the Baja HaHa for the leg of the trip
from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas http://www.baja-haha.com/ We did this
the first time we sailed down to Baja in '99. It will give you a jump
start on the social scene and a chance to get to know a lot of the boats
that will be down there that year. This time though, we are going to
forego the HaHa as we will be taking it a lot slower than the group goes.

Don't speed your way through Mexico too fast. Take it slow. Spend some
time up in the Sea Of Cortez. It's got some of the best snorkeling in
the world. In fact, a lot of cruisers seem to get "stuck" there they
like it so much. On our last trip, we spent 6 weeks in the Sea and it
was waaaaaaay too short. This time, we're planing a year and a half in
Mexico, splitting the time between Baja and the mainland. The cruising
life in Baja is idealic, especially in the fall. Great weather, warm
water, quiet anchorages a day sail apart, tons of fish,... you get the
picture.

As winter progresses, the weather cools off a little (our log shows that
last time, the night of Dec. 6 was the first time in over a month that I
had put on a pair of long pants). The water cools off even more. Early
Nov. in Cabo, the water was bathtub warm. By the last time we went
swimming, on Dec. 11 about half way up at Pt. Pulpito, I was wearing a
full wet suit. This time, our plan is to work our way north until the
water cools off too much, then turn around and head south and across to
the mainland to spend the winter. We'll return to Baja in the spring
when its' waters warm up again.

In your shopping for a boat, think about accessible storage. Drawers,
shelves and cupboards. Our last boat had a few large storage volumes
and it was a pain in the kazoo. Whatever you wanted, whether it be a
can of motor oil or another thing of lemonade mix, it seemed that you
first had to tear part of the boat apart (a settee, someone's berth,
etc.) then had to dig through to the bottom of a large pile to find what
you were looking for. We're really looking forward to living on our
Tayana (see a link to a photo, below).

Hope this helped - Dan

Mike & Tricia Kennedy wrote:

My wife and I have just made the decision to tie up our loose ends,
purchase a boat in about 1 year and head south to Mexico in 4 years
(From the Los Angeles area). We have both sailed since childhood but
would appreciate any feedback and advice from anyone who has done a
similar thing. Stopping points, best times to head south (December -
March we're guessing), sailing routes from southen Mexico thru the
canal, into the Gulf of Mexico and onto the Bahamas, etc. Our
ultimate goal is to sail around to the Bahamas and hang our there for
a while. . .maybe heading deeper south after that.

We are planning on having a cruising kitty of around $20,000 and then
do odd jobs as needed. What are some things we should consider before
setting sail?

Mike and Tricia Kennedy

--
Dan Best - (707) 431-1662, Healdsburg, CA 95448
B-2/75 1977-1979
Tayana 37 #192, "Tricia Jean"
http://rangerbest.home.comcast.net/TriciaJean.JPG

My husband Mike and I are also in the process. We sold our home in March to
our
oldest son and gave away everything except my DVD collection We're
currently living aboard our Hunter 34 and saving for a blue water cruiser.
Our plan is to save enough during the next 4 years to purchase and upgrade.
We're in Louisiana and plan to explore the East Coast before heading across
the Atlantic to Spain where my uncle runs a sail charter. We want to
explore
Europe and the Med. and perhaps even further.

Bianca
s/v Jojamela



"Dan Best" wrote in message
...
Mike and Tricia,
My wife and I are in that process right now. We'll be putting the house
on the market in 2-3 weeks and are desperately selling/giving
away/throwing away most of what we own. Start this task early.

As for leaving, the first of November is the end of the hurricane season
and when most people leave. If you've never done any cruising, you
might want to consider joining the Baja HaHa for the leg of the trip
from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas http://www.baja-haha.com/ We did this
the first time we sailed down to Baja in '99. It will give you a jump
start on the social scene and a chance to get to know a lot of the boats
that will be down there that year. This time though, we are going to
forego the HaHa as we will be taking it a lot slower than the group goes.

Don't speed your way through Mexico too fast. Take it slow. Spend some
time up in the Sea Of Cortez. It's got some of the best snorkeling in
the world. In fact, a lot of cruisers seem to get "stuck" there they
like it so much. On our last trip, we spent 6 weeks in the Sea and it
was waaaaaaay too short. This time, we're planing a year and a half in
Mexico, splitting the time between Baja and the mainland. The cruising
life in Baja is idealic, especially in the fall. Great weather, warm
water, quiet anchorages a day sail apart, tons of fish,... you get the
picture.

As winter progresses, the weather cools off a little (our log shows that
last time, the night of Dec. 6 was the first time in over a month that I
had put on a pair of long pants). The water cools off even more. Early
Nov. in Cabo, the water was bathtub warm. By the last time we went
swimming, on Dec. 11 about half way up at Pt. Pulpito, I was wearing a
full wet suit. This time, our plan is to work our way north until the
water cools off too much, then turn around and head south and across to
the mainland to spend the winter. We'll return to Baja in the spring
when its' waters warm up again.

In your shopping for a boat, think about accessible storage. Drawers,
shelves and cupboards. Our last boat had a few large storage volumes
and it was a pain in the kazoo. Whatever you wanted, whether it be a
can of motor oil or another thing of lemonade mix, it seemed that you
first had to tear part of the boat apart (a settee, someone's berth,
etc.) then had to dig through to the bottom of a large pile to find what
you were looking for. We're really looking forward to living on our
Tayana (see a link to a photo, below).

Hope this helped - Dan

Mike & Tricia Kennedy wrote:

My wife and I have just made the decision to tie up our loose ends,
purchase a boat in about 1 year and head south to Mexico in 4 years
(From the Los Angeles area). We have both sailed since childhood but
would appreciate any feedback and advice from anyone who has done a
similar thing. Stopping points, best times to head south (December -
March we're guessing), sailing routes from southen Mexico thru the
canal, into the Gulf of Mexico and onto the Bahamas, etc. Our
ultimate goal is to sail around to the Bahamas and hang our there for
a while. . .maybe heading deeper south after that.

We are planning on having a cruising kitty of around $20,000 and then
do odd jobs as needed. What are some things we should consider before
setting sail?

Mike and Tricia Kennedy

--
Dan Best - (707) 431-1662, Healdsburg, CA 95448
B-2/75 1977-1979
Tayana 37 #192, "Tricia Jean"
http://rangerbest.home.comcast.net/TriciaJean.JPG

All your friend will probably think you're nuts and kind of smile funny when
you tell them. Ours did...maybe it's because we are on the Canadian
prairies and not so much water around here. We have been working for three
years to collect rental homes and get an income ready. We just sold our
home this last week and have an offer in on a vessel. Plan on casting off
the dock-lines in December. NEVER EVER EVER GIVE UP YOUR DREAM! Remember
there will be 'dream-stealers' out there ready to tell you that you are
stupid, it's irresponsible etc. Listen to your dream and find like-minded
people to hang out with. Read lots...keep the dream alive. I can't give
you lots of sailing/cruising advise...but there is what I know!

Go for it!

Glenn.

"Mike & Tricia Kennedy" wrote in message
om...
My wife and I have just made the decision to tie up our loose ends,
purchase a boat in about 1 year and head south to Mexico in 4 years
(From the Los Angeles area). We have both sailed since childhood but
would appreciate any feedback and advice from anyone who has done a
similar thing. Stopping points, best times to head south (December -
March we're guessing), sailing routes from southen Mexico thru the
canal, into the Gulf of Mexico and onto the Bahamas, etc. Our
ultimate goal is to sail around to the Bahamas and hang our there for
a while. . .maybe heading deeper south after that.

We are planning on having a cruising kitty of around $20,000 and then
do odd jobs as needed. What are some things we should consider before
setting sail?

Mike and Tricia Kennedy

You need to consider a lot of things - not the least being where you
start, what you leave behind and how you return.

eg. It might be better to buy a boat in Lauderdale - more and cheaper
boats and easier to get to Bahamas

eg. friends left 7 years ago and went cruising - sold their house and
put their stuff in storage - 7 years later it's still in storage at
about $140 per mo - that's like $11700 - for old clothes and
refrigerators and such crap - they go back occasionally but they never
deal with it

eg. we returned from 5 years cruising in 96 - I was 49 - you'd think I
had early Alzheimer's and smallpox - I had lots of experience in major
computer software companies - but had to start low again.

Other issues - can you live on $10K a year - we did but lots can't.
What odd jobs - in MX, Panama, Bahamas - you gonna work for $2 an hour
and tips. What are you gonna do with the boat?

You got a lot of 10 years planning to do for a 4 year holiday.





On Thu, 08 Jul 2004 02:51:00 GMT, "Glenn A. Heslop"
wrote:

All your friend will probably think you're nuts and kind of smile funny when
you tell them. Ours did...maybe it's because we are on the Canadian
prairies and not so much water around here. We have been working for three
years to collect rental homes and get an income ready. We just sold our
home this last week and have an offer in on a vessel. Plan on casting off
the dock-lines in December. NEVER EVER EVER GIVE UP YOUR DREAM! Remember
there will be 'dream-stealers' out there ready to tell you that you are
stupid, it's irresponsible etc. Listen to your dream and find like-minded
people to hang out with. Read lots...keep the dream alive. I can't give
you lots of sailing/cruising advise...but there is what I know!

Go for it!

Glenn.

"Mike & Tricia Kennedy" wrote in message
. com...
My wife and I have just made the decision to tie up our loose ends,
purchase a boat in about 1 year and head south to Mexico in 4 years
(From the Los Angeles area). We have both sailed since childhood but
would appreciate any feedback and advice from anyone who has done a
similar thing. Stopping points, best times to head south (December -
March we're guessing), sailing routes from southen Mexico thru the
canal, into the Gulf of Mexico and onto the Bahamas, etc. Our
ultimate goal is to sail around to the Bahamas and hang our there for
a while. . .maybe heading deeper south after that.

We are planning on having a cruising kitty of around $20,000 and then
do odd jobs as needed. What are some things we should consider before
setting sail?

Mike and Tricia Kennedy

We're leaving this fall and other than a small amount (photos & such)
we're storing with my brother, it's all going. What we couldn't sell or
give away, goes to the Salvation Army or the trash. It's truely amazing
how much stuff you accumulate. I took 4 pickup loads to the dump last
weekend and we're not through yet.

Carl wrote:
You need to consider a lot of things - not the least being where you
start, what you leave behind and how you return.

eg. It might be better to buy a boat in Lauderdale - more and cheaper
boats and easier to get to Bahamas

eg. friends left 7 years ago and went cruising - sold their house and
put their stuff in storage - 7 years later it's still in storage at
about $140 per mo - that's like $11700 - for old clothes and
refrigerators and such crap - they go back occasionally but they never
deal with it

eg. we returned from 5 years cruising in 96 - I was 49 - you'd think I
had early Alzheimer's and smallpox - I had lots of experience in major
computer software companies - but had to start low again.

Other issues - can you live on $10K a year - we did but lots can't.
What odd jobs - in MX, Panama, Bahamas - you gonna work for $2 an hour
and tips. What are you gonna do with the boat?

You got a lot of 10 years planning to do for a 4 year holiday.





On Thu, 08 Jul 2004 02:51:00 GMT, "Glenn A. Heslop"
wrote:


All your friend will probably think you're nuts and kind of smile funny when
you tell them. Ours did...maybe it's because we are on the Canadian
prairies and not so much water around here. We have been working for three
years to collect rental homes and get an income ready. We just sold our
home this last week and have an offer in on a vessel. Plan on casting off
the dock-lines in December. NEVER EVER EVER GIVE UP YOUR DREAM! Remember
there will be 'dream-stealers' out there ready to tell you that you are
stupid, it's irresponsible etc. Listen to your dream and find like-minded
people to hang out with. Read lots...keep the dream alive. I can't give
you lots of sailing/cruising advise...but there is what I know!

Go for it!

Glenn.

"Mike & Tricia Kennedy" wrote in message
.com...

My wife and I have just made the decision to tie up our loose ends,
purchase a boat in about 1 year and head south to Mexico in 4 years
(From the Los Angeles area). We have both sailed since childhood but
would appreciate any feedback and advice from anyone who has done a
similar thing. Stopping points, best times to head south (December -
March we're guessing), sailing routes from southen Mexico thru the
canal, into the Gulf of Mexico and onto the Bahamas, etc. Our
ultimate goal is to sail around to the Bahamas and hang our there for
a while. . .maybe heading deeper south after that.

We are planning on having a cruising kitty of around $20,000 and then
do odd jobs as needed. What are some things we should consider before
setting sail?

Mike and Tricia Kennedy




--
Dan Best - (707) 431-1662, Healdsburg, CA 95448
B-2/75 1977-1979
Tayana 37 #192, "Tricia Jean"
http://rangerbest.home.comcast.net/TriciaJean.JPG

Yes, but did you like your cruise?

R.

On Wed, 07 Jul 2004 21:28:20 -0700, Carl wrote:

You need to consider a lot of things - not the least being where you
start, what you leave behind and how you return.

eg. It might be better to buy a boat in Lauderdale - more and cheaper
boats and easier to get to Bahamas

eg. friends left 7 years ago and went cruising - sold their house and
put their stuff in storage - 7 years later it's still in storage at
about $140 per mo - that's like $11700 - for old clothes and
refrigerators and such crap - they go back occasionally but they never
deal with it

eg. we returned from 5 years cruising in 96 - I was 49 - you'd think I
had early Alzheimer's and smallpox - I had lots of experience in major
computer software companies - but had to start low again.

Other issues - can you live on $10K a year - we did but lots can't.
What odd jobs - in MX, Panama, Bahamas - you gonna work for $2 an hour
and tips. What are you gonna do with the boat?

You got a lot of 10 years planning to do for a 4 year holiday.

Yeh - we had a great time - leaving again this fall for 10 years in MX
and ?? My point is that some people are prepared but lots aren't and
have problems either before during or after. Biggest problems seem to
be lack of money caused by cruising high on the hog with a group
that's spending $50K a year vs your $15K - you trying to keep up with
their lots of restaurants, bars, rented cars, water toys ... Second -
they ****ed away too many $$$ on gotta haves before they get out there
and see all that you don't gotta have to cruise for 5 years. Third -
people trying to cruise in a high rent area - it's a lot cheaper to
spend a month in one of the Tuamotus than it is in San Diego or Cabo
or La Paz or PV or Sydney or ...



On Thu, 08 Jul 2004 17:01:36 -0400, rhys wrote:

Yes, but did you like your cruise?

R.

On Wed, 07 Jul 2004 21:28:20 -0700, Carl wrote:

You need to consider a lot of things - not the least being where you
start, what you leave behind and how you return.

eg. It might be better to buy a boat in Lauderdale - more and cheaper
boats and easier to get to Bahamas

eg. friends left 7 years ago and went cruising - sold their house and
put their stuff in storage - 7 years later it's still in storage at
about $140 per mo - that's like $11700 - for old clothes and
refrigerators and such crap - they go back occasionally but they never
deal with it

eg. we returned from 5 years cruising in 96 - I was 49 - you'd think I
had early Alzheimer's and smallpox - I had lots of experience in major
computer software companies - but had to start low again.

Other issues - can you live on $10K a year - we did but lots can't.
What odd jobs - in MX, Panama, Bahamas - you gonna work for $2 an hour
and tips. What are you gonna do with the boat?

You got a lot of 10 years planning to do for a 4 year holiday.

I have a 1981 Tyana 37 Ketch for sale at $55,000. Needs some maintenance
such as new engine hoses, freeing up steering cables, etc. as it has been
sitting for 13 years in dry dorage. Proven sailor from Maine to Venezuela.
Lived aboard ten years. Aries windvane self steering. AL