A Little Boat.....Please?

[sparks]

Something comfortable.....

http://www.fourwinns.com/overview/V275


Don't really need that huge radar arch.......

A small vessel in a vast sea would suit me just fine..........



sparks

[Abbey]

I was WAY out in the Atlantic in a 24' sail boat and you truly understand how small and insignificant you are when there's nothing but ocean around you and you're 5 days from the coast.

[sparks]

I was way...way out in Lake Michigan once.....no land to be seen..."water...water everywhere......

and neer'y a drop of it to drink.........."     Perfect peace though........................


sparks

[Abbey]

Nothing but the sounds of the sails and the water lapping on the side of the boat is amazingly peaceful. I always thought it would be cool to load up a sail boat with as much food as I could carry and then sail out to some uninhabited south Pacific island and live there for as long as I could.

[sparks]

Abbey,

I'm a propeller puppy for the most part.....in years gone by I was some what of a horsepower head.......I used to race hydroplanes. But, I've always been attracked to the peace of a sail boat.....many years ago on a cruise I found these......

http://www.12metre.com/

The corvettes of the seas.....very fast

Oh yeah, ya can't get five days away in Lake Michigan!!


sparks

[Abbey]

My former brother-in-law did those races for a couple of years but I never got into the competitive aspect, he went bananas during a race, like he would literally be screaming at you at the top of his lungs if you let the spinnaker out too far, or you were not quick enough trimming the main sail during a tack. It was no fun, at least for me. I prefer to just go where the winds take me and enjoy the process/magic of sailing. Sometimes I like to get far out and then drop all of the sails and just drift along with nothing but the sounds of the waves on the hull. It's amazing out there.

My younger sister's current boyfriend is into the power boats and going as fast as possible at all times. I don't know how he manages to smoke a cigarette and/or joint, while simultaneously drinking a beer and steering the boat. He grew up with it so I guess for him it's second nature.

I had a 1969 Dodge Charger with a 383 magnum. Probably should have kept it...

[Squirl]

Ah, we can all dream can't we?

http://www.catamarans-fountaine-pajot.com/en/models/36/mahe-36-evolution

[Squirl]

I was WAY out in the Atlantic in a 24' sail boat and you truly understand how small and insignificant you are when there's nothing but ocean around you and you're 5 days from the coast.

5 days off shore in a 24 footer?  What kind of boat?

[UK4X4]

Just need to win the lottery !

http://www.sailboatlistings.com/view/29198

[Abbey]

It was an old Venture 24 that was forgiving and pretty easy to sail, although I was probably a little far out for this size boat. It was a day sailer that had been rented out, so it's seen its share of abuse and misuse. Luckily the weather was nice for the time I was out so I had no problems. Pretty much all I did was sail out for 4 or 5 days and then I turned about and headed home. Just something to do for 10 or so days. Now it is in the collection of a friend of mine, he has 9 sail boats and 5 power boats, and that is how I got to sail it for a while. His son lived aboard this boat for a month or two and then thought it was too small.

[Squirl]

5 days offshore in a swing keel?  Brave.

Alone, I could live on a 25-27 ft.  I would need a 31-32 if I had a companion.

A 62' is beyond my skill set to single hand.  Single handing ability is a requirement for me.

[Abbey]

Brave, stupid, and lucky are just a few of the words used to describe me.

I think anything uner 30' is a little too small to live aboard year round, although you can go ashore as needed or anchor off an island when you need to have some space. I read about a guy who lives on a 26' boat and he's been sailing around the world for 5 or 10 years. He does odd jobs when he needs some cash, but pretty much he just sails where he wants and lives his own life. That's what gave me the idea to take such a small boat out so far, I figured if he can do it so can I.

My problem is I live in Vermont so I only get to sail when I visit family in Maine, my skills aren't all that great and I don't have the time to focus on getting better. Sometimes I think about selling off my land, buying a boat, getting a job on the coast and living aboard year round. Vacations could be spent sailing up and down the coast of Maine, or heading up to Canada. Maybe take a winter and go down to the islands. Too many possibilities and I'm too great at daydreaming.

I'd be set if I could find someone to pay me $10,000 per month to sit in the woods, or on a sail boat, drinking beer and dreaming.

Aren't there 60' and up boats that are designed for one person to sail? I think I've read something like that, although I remember them being expensive.

[Squirl]

I took a fixed keel 25 ft into some blue water and was called all of those things.  More of one than the other two.  I'll let you guess which one.

There have been a few forum members that have been full time liveaboards for a few years.  Hopefully they will chime in.  I love a good salty story.

There are 60 ft sailboats that you can sort of single hand sail.  Electric winches, electric roller furling jib, electric furling main, bow thruster, windlass, etc.. I could probably technically sail it, but way beyond my skills to single hand dock.  I can single hand dock in a 30-35 ft.

Or you could sail away in a 12 footer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serge_Testa

[MountainDon]

Or you could sail away in a 12 footer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serge_Testa

I am not much of a sailor; live in the desert after all.   Serge Testa wrote a book about the voyahe. It's available on amazon. The public library here used to have a copy but the book never came back from one of it's trips out of the library.   

500 Days: Around the World on a 12 Foot Yacht

[Abbey]

Here are a couple of pictures of Serge's boat.

[Abbey]

And one of Butters, because it's Friday.