"Todd" :

Chris, Jeff, Skip, Rick,

Thanks for your input! It has been very helpful.

I think I will make plans to charter a catamaran (with a captain) after I
retire and see what my wife thinks of it. She is usually pretty good
about
tolerating my hobbies (my airplane engine blew up in flight last year, made
a dead stick landing, cost 14K to fix it), but I don't want her to be
unhappy. I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed!

I think that is best, at the same time as the charter you could see if some
training could the arranged as well.

As for "blue water" sailing, it is difficulty to know what I will be happy
with, since I don't have any experience. It may end up being island
hopping. Now, I would like to think that I will make it to the Med,
Pacific
Islands, Australia, etc some day. But I will start with small steps. I do
the same with my airplane, taking small steps and gaining experience.

One thing to remember, even if you have a small boat for 'just' island
hopping there are services to move your boat from one boating area to
another. They do cost, but make it easy to cruise the US coast this year and
then cruise the Med next.

By the way, I am a physician assistant. Do you think my skills would be of
value to the sailing community? Not to make money, just to contribute
skills.

I just hope you don't need the skills for yourself Safe voyage.

Thanks,
Todd

Earl Colby Pottinger

--
I make public email sent to me! Hydrogen Peroxide Rockets, OpenBeos,
SerialTransfer 3.0, RAMDISK, BoatBuilding, DIY TabletPC. What happened to
the time? http://webhome.idirect.com/~earlcp

Thanks Earl,

I am moving to the Tampa Bay area in Mar 05. I will look for a course there
and see if I can find a smaller sailboat to take into the bay and costal
islands. I'll just sell it later when I get the bigger boat.

Thanks for the info about the moving service. I may need that someday, but
for now, I think I would want to move it myself. But you never know.

Thanks,
Todd

"Earl Colby Pottinger" wrote in message
...
"Todd" :

Chris, Jeff, Skip, Rick,

Thanks for your input! It has been very helpful.

I think I will make plans to charter a catamaran (with a captain) after
I
retire and see what my wife thinks of it. She is usually pretty good
about
tolerating my hobbies (my airplane engine blew up in flight last year,
made
a dead stick landing, cost 14K to fix it), but I don't want her to be
unhappy. I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed!

I think that is best, at the same time as the charter you could see if
some
training could the arranged as well.

As for "blue water" sailing, it is difficulty to know what I will be
happy
with, since I don't have any experience. It may end up being island
hopping. Now, I would like to think that I will make it to the Med,
Pacific
Islands, Australia, etc some day. But I will start with small steps. I
do
the same with my airplane, taking small steps and gaining experience.

One thing to remember, even if you have a small boat for 'just' island
hopping there are services to move your boat from one boating area to
another. They do cost, but make it easy to cruise the US coast this year
and
then cruise the Med next.

By the way, I am a physician assistant. Do you think my skills would be
of
value to the sailing community? Not to make money, just to contribute
skills.

I just hope you don't need the skills for yourself Safe voyage.

Thanks,
Todd

Earl Colby Pottinger

--
I make public email sent to me! Hydrogen Peroxide Rockets, OpenBeos,
SerialTransfer 3.0, RAMDISK, BoatBuilding, DIY TabletPC. What happened to
the time? http://webhome.idirect.com/~earlcp

By the way, I am a physician assistant. Do you think my skills would be of

value to the sailing community? Not to make money, just to contribute
skills.

The Peace Corps has groups in many of the pacific island countries. The usual
medical officer for each of these is a PA or NP. You might look into this as a
way to have a "base" for opereations while learning the local area and slowly
getting the lady into sailing.
The PA's I met there when I was a PCV (94-96) loved the assignment.
[ It pays well, also]
Good luck

oz, USAF(BSC), ret.

Thanks! I'll have to check that out if I make it there.

Todd, USAF (BSC) - soon to be retired!

"Major oz" wrote in message
...
By the way, I am a physician assistant. Do you think my skills would
be of

value to the sailing community? Not to make money, just to contribute
skills.

The Peace Corps has groups in many of the pacific island countries. The
usual
medical officer for each of these is a PA or NP. You might look into this
as a
way to have a "base" for opereations while learning the local area and
slowly
getting the lady into sailing.
The PA's I met there when I was a PCV (94-96) loved the assignment.
[ It pays well, also]
Good luck

oz, USAF(BSC), ret.

In article , "Todd"
wrote:

I am retiring from the Air Force in 5 months and am looking for a new life.
I haven't traveled near as much as I would have liked in the Air Force and
am looking forward to traveling/exploring until age/health concerns dictate
otherwise. Buying a house and settling down just doesn't sound appealing.

I have considered RVs for traveling throughout the US, Canada, and Alaska. I
also have a two seater Cessna airplane that I use to explore. I really
loving flying, but what I really like about it is the traveling/exploring.
After considering sailing, it seems better than buying a house, RVing, or
flying. I know everything has it positives and negatives.


RVing and cruising can be relatively equivalent.

3) My wife hates the water, sand, and hot weather. Is there any chance
that she will end up liking cruising? Any of you with spouses/significant
others that thought they would hate it, but ended up loving it after they
gave it a try?

You don't have to sail where it's hot, but you *do* need water.

My wife is a non-swimmer and Air Force brat (and vet) who *must* have a
place to return to. She's committed to our doing a short (3 or so month)
tour of the Bahamas the next time I'm between jobs. Once we've done
that, we'll see. The most likely scenerio right now is our current boat
at our retirement home's dock, with us doing short (3-6 month)
excursions north or south, depending on the season.

The key has been to make sure it's fun FOR HER, whatever it takes. Took
about 5 seasons for my lady to get to this point and I almost "lost" her
on our first "long" trip (Day 5 of 2 weeks). Best decision I've ever
made--though done in anger at the time--was to turn around and idle back
home. The next year, we flew past that spot in 2 days and did the lower
Chesapeake. She wasn't ready for the ICW that trip, but we peeked in to
the top of it. The next year, we did 950 nm down and up the ICW quite
comfortably. Having found out that "that wasn't so bad", we could
stretch our legs a little further the next time. Now, the idea of
running down to Florida doesn't bother her at all. We do 60-80 days out
on the water each season -- our little boat is our summer home -- which
actually is more travelling than most cruising boats.

Another key element is making the boat comfortable. While our Xan isn't
the largest boat in the fleet, she's big enough for what we're doing and
we added comfort items first. Few 28' boats have 6x8' biminis, but ours
gives Pat a shady spot to stay cool. At anchor, we have further shade.

Nice thing about a smallish monohull is that I don't have to ask her to
help except under the most extreme conditions. She helps as she chooses,
preps food (something she likes -- I cook), lazes around or cleans as
the mood strikes. She can handle the boat quite well, though she
wouldn't say so as she compares her skills to mine.

In other words, it sounds like you really need some intermediate steps.

A captained charter in the Virgins (particularly the BVI) can be magic.
Temps in the winter are generally better than almost anywhere in the US
in mid-summer. In my experience, it is NOT a sufficient step before
going long-distance cruising, but it can create some great dreams.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

"Jere Lull" wrote in message
...
In article ,

....
In other words, it sounds like you really need some intermediate steps.

A captained charter in the Virgins (particularly the BVI) can be magic.
Temps in the winter are generally better than almost anywhere in the US
in mid-summer. In my experience, it is NOT a sufficient step before
going long-distance cruising, but it can create some great dreams.


Thanks Jere,
I am hoping to do exactly that! Just thinking about it makes me drool. I
will be moving to the Tampa Bay area in Mar 05. After the charter trip to
the Caribbean, I am hoping I can get her out in the bay and then around the
costal islands. Maybe I will be as successful as you have been.

Thanks,
Todd


--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

Todd wrote:
Hello,

I am retiring from the Air Force in 5 months and am looking for a new life.
snip....
After considering sailing, it seems better than buying a house, RVing, or
flying. I know everything has it positives and negatives.
snip.....


I have a thousand more questions, but these are good to start with.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Todd



In addition to the many good suggestions you have received here, you
might try reading some articles on Sailnet.com
http://www.sailnet.com/collections/a...&type=1&tfr=fp
or http://cruisenews.net/index.php

There are many first hand accounts of people making the same kinds of
decisions you are considering.

Among the Sailnet articles are, if I remember correctly, a number of
pieces on how to structure "test" cruises....as in the reluctant spouse
might agree to trying the cruising life for one year......if at the end
of the year he/or she really just cannot come to love it, the one
pushing for the cruising life agrees to move on land. The thought is
that many people are afraid of the "forever more" aspect of the cruising
retirement, but can manage to get their head around a one year trial.

Oh, and your skill as a PA will certainly come in handy both if you try
to make some cash while cruising and just to help your fellow cruisers
out. In articles touching on that subject (earning while sailing) the
medical fields always seem to be a good position.

Good luck.

Jonathan




--
I am building a Dudley Dix, Argie 10, for my daughter. Check it out:
http://home.comcast.net/~jonsailr

Thanks Jonathan,

I like the websites, they will keep me busy for a while! I have read some
of the articles already and I think they will help a lot.

Thanks,
Todd

"Jonathan" wrote in message
...
Todd wrote:
Hello,

I am retiring from the Air Force in 5 months and am looking for a new
life.
snip....
After considering sailing, it seems better than buying a house, RVing,
or
flying. I know everything has it positives and negatives.
snip.....


I have a thousand more questions, but these are good to start with.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Todd



In addition to the many good suggestions you have received here, you
might try reading some articles on Sailnet.com

http://www.sailnet.com/collections/a...&type=1&tfr=fp
or http://cruisenews.net/index.php

There are many first hand accounts of people making the same kinds of
decisions you are considering.

Among the Sailnet articles are, if I remember correctly, a number of
pieces on how to structure "test" cruises....as in the reluctant spouse
might agree to trying the cruising life for one year......if at the end
of the year he/or she really just cannot come to love it, the one
pushing for the cruising life agrees to move on land. The thought is
that many people are afraid of the "forever more" aspect of the cruising
retirement, but can manage to get their head around a one year trial.

Oh, and your skill as a PA will certainly come in handy both if you try
to make some cash while cruising and just to help your fellow cruisers
out. In articles touching on that subject (earning while sailing) the
medical fields always seem to be a good position.

Good luck.

Jonathan




--
I am building a Dudley Dix, Argie 10, for my daughter. Check it out:
http://home.comcast.net/~jonsailr