Quote:
Originally Posted by tadd
dr:
Ultimate plan is for the wife and I to be able to 'bug out' from work and 'escape' in the decade or so to the run up to 'retirement'. We are both feeling the pressure of being 'maxed out' in the seniority of our jobs... senior stuck as it were  .
So being able to load the pups, food and just head out when her schedule and mine overlap for three or four days at a stretch on the 'big' boat. We are mulling over her having a camper trailer and I getting a boat. We then just decide, hit the store, and go for a trip overland or over water  .
As for the short term training boat, I think I'd be happy with a day boat cause I would just take a tent and camping gear like when I was a pup if I wanted a weekend. Wife don't ken that too much, so if a day boat, it will be to destinations we can 'room' at. Mostly it would be me getting back on the water.
It would be around the Chesapeake, but at some point it after getting out of the rat race it would be nice to do a 6 months trip down to Fl via the intercostal.
This is all squishy, cause we are still pushing this around.
Ill buy used. I be handy with tools and have 'worked' on boats before, so that might be something a bit more rough that get worked on till it is ready to use. Big boat would be around $25k ish (cost of a used camper).
I need to nose around the classifieds cause I am way out of touch to what money buys anymore. |
How many and how big are the pups?
Vincentvega makes you a nice offer. A Cal25 is a nice cruising boat. I don't want to draw any hard conclusions based on the limited information you posted but, my guess is the Cal25 and anything in that class which in my opinion is 27 feet and under will grow real small real fast. A large part of my sailing experience has been racing J-24's. A J-24 is a fast boat as sail boats go. We have reached speeds of 15 knts. which is about 17 MPH. Understand I said "reached" not sustained. This is in a race boat optimaly tuned in 20+ knot winds (23 mph) More often than not we were happy with 10-12knts.(11-13 MPH) in those conditions. The The average 25 foot boat will do about 5.5 knts (6 MPH). cabin space in a 24/25 foot boat is about that of a 10'-12' camper. Picture this, You hose your wife down with your garden hose then ask her to sit in a 10' camper as you drive along a road full of pot holes as you drive 6MPH. No TV to watch, she can't read because she will get motion sick. She asks you to pull over so she can walk the "pups and stretch her legs. Your reply will be OK honey I'll pull over in 45 to 75 minutes. What do you think will give out first, your sailing carreer or marriage?
Here is my suggestion based on limited information. You are lucky you don't live that far from one of the great sailing capitols Annapolis and not far from there Deal. Before you buy anything take a few sailing lessons on some small fractional rigs. A GP-14, O'day Javellin, etc. After you get a few sails under your belt buy a boat in the same size range and practice. The mechanics of boats like the GP-14 are very similar to the larger boats, and they're trailerable. Take your wife on a few weekend trips to Annapolis or Deal and charter with a boat with a captain for a day sail of various sizes and manufacturers 25, 30, 35, 40 etc. Be the crew for the captain, this will give you practical experience on a larger boat. You will see how they feel and handle. How the lines are set up. What you like and don't like. Tiller, center wheel, pod navionics, Sloop, Ketch, Yawl? Your wife will get a feel for the size and ergonomics of the cabins. What she likes and disikes. Refrigerator vs. cold locker. V berth sizes, Heads with separate shower stall vs. Head with a hand held shower. Room for the pups. You get the idea. Annapolis has a great sail boat show in October. Go get on the boats, many manufacturers will give you a test sail.
In the alternative MacGreggor makes a 26 foot trailerable sail boat. Drive to where you want to go, set it up sail for a few hours pull it out take it to the local camp ground and use it as a travel trailer.