Ante Topic Mimara wrote:

Skip Gundlach writes:


While it's apparent that you've got a very long learning
curve ahead of you (it seems you haven't any background
in boating so don't know what to specify), the other
responders haven't made your life simple.



You are correct when you believe I have no background
in boats, for I have never even stepped on one, except
for small open ones like 10-12 foot long boats, like
rowboats and such. Why it is so difficult to get clear
answers from people is not something which I understand!
I would have believed everyone would be stepping all over
themself to show me things to research, but not a lot of
this has this happened. I have read from several, of things
which I should go and read, but everyone uses this strange
new terminology and this jargon. Is there a good online
dictionary of yacht-language? If it is so, I should go and
use it, so that I can know these same terms.


I see we all got off on the wrong foot. Let's try again.....

From what I recall in the thread, you and your (wife?) are completely
new to boating, are looking a powerboat with an aft cabin for under
$11k, are on some narrow river you want to cruise up and down, and may
sometimes go on the ocean. That's more than we knew at first, but still
not enough to give you useful information.

If you tell us more of what, where and who you are, we can help you
better. For instance, which river (we may know it) and how far up and
down it you want to go, what you want to do at first (stop at marinas,
cruise in little side creeks, just be on the water....) how often you'll
be staying onboard overnight, and anything else you feel comfortable
saying about your dream. The more we know, the better job we can do.

You see, we all probably have had friends that have been in your
position, that got a boat and immediately "ran" before they knew how to
walk. Most times, the mishaps were merely amusing afterwards; some were
potentially dangerous.

A friend of ours went out for his first sail with us and within 3 months
(no more experience), got a $6k boat of dubious condition (he overpaid)
and immediately went south towards the islands. Luckily, he had enough
minor mishaps early on that he learned to slow down and learn what he
was doing. He sure had a lot of funny "experience learned" stories when
he flew back from Florida 6 months later.... (We could do the same trip
in 3 weeks.)

--
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/