# Need Advice for First Time Cruising



## brady5 (Sep 23, 2008)

I am very new to sailing. It has been a long time dream to learn and I got my chance this summer in San Diego.

Now, my wife and I are wanting to plan an extended sailing trip this next summer with our 3 children. We want to spend at least a month out, maybe 3 months.

We need advice on a good location for newbies. We would like to buy a boat and start cruising from the same place.

Plan on starting in May or June.


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## Robby Barlow (Apr 23, 2006)

Welcome brady... seems rather difficult to answer your fairly precise question, but if considering to buy and start sailing, Clear Lake Shores may be a place to look.


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## Lostmt (Jun 4, 2006)

Hi Brady,
We are learning to sail out in Matagorda Bay. Very little traffic with worlds of close places to sail to as we learn. We keep out Starwind in a slip in Port Lavaca and live in Port O'Connor.


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## RandyonR3 (Oct 2, 2005)

If I were just starting out, I think I'd give someone like "Sun Sail" a call and maybe charter a boat for the time out.. being you're just starting out, buying a boat and getting it ready to cruise is a big undertaking, not that it cant be done, just very time consuming.......
It took us almost 6 years to find the boat we wanted and another 4 to get it ready to go......... after 10 years, we're ready to cut the lines...


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## MoonSailer (Jun 1, 2007)

Panama city florida. Andrews bay is a great place to start. You can sail protected waters from Mobile Alabama to Port Saint Joe Florida. If you get bored you can sail the Chandeleur islands off of Louisiana or even cross the gulf to explore the keys. But for a month or three a newby should have a lot of fun between Port saint joe and Mobile. Turner marine in Mobile is a fairly large broker and their are others in the area also.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Go back to San Diego. San Diego has some great locations within reasonable distances, and boats sell cheaper there. First of all, San Diego harbor itself, but within 10 hours is Catalina Island, and another 10 hours north of that, the Channel Islands National Park consisting of 4 islands in the Santa Barbara Channel. 

May and June could be a bit iffy re weather. In May expect heavy N to NW winds, although there are some good days. June is generally overcast. The best month(s) is from August to sometimes through November. I've spent Christmas at the islands in shorts and sunscreen.

If you're new to sailing, hire an instructor to check you out on the boat and your skills. I'm not much for sailing schools, which are too pricey and usually try to charge exhorbitant prices for boats in their charters. An instructor will be half the cost and a lot more informative on a one-on-one basis. Yeah, yeah, won't get certified, who cares? I've chartered all around the world and never been asked for a certification.


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## brady5 (Sep 23, 2008)

*Thanks*

Thank you everyone for the advice... Florida sounds nice, we have never been there. San Diego is an awesome place and we would love to go back there but the weather during the time we want to go may be the issue keeping us from there.

I live in Texas and didn't even know about those places. lol

Texas is a huge place...


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## xort (Aug 4, 2006)

brady5 said:


> I am very new to sailing. It has been a long time dream to learn and I got my chance this summer in San Diego.
> 
> Now, my wife and I are wanting to plan an extended sailing trip this next summer with our 3 children. We want to spend at least a month out, maybe 3 months.
> 
> ...


Give serious thought to buying any boat and then heading out immediately. Even a new boat will likely have some issues to be ironed out.

I support the idea of striking a long term deal with a charter company. They can supply a skipper for the first week to teach you that boat and the local cruising grounds. Not owning the boat relieves you of many long term chores and also opens up many more places to cruise like the Virgin Islands. The VI's would be off season so rates will be low. I'd expect a one month rental to cost what a one week rental in high season would cost. If a hurrican threatens, not your boat mon! Just turn it back in and let them do the prep work.
You could even divide your time to several different places. June in the VI and then July in the Cheasapeake and August in Maine!!!


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## PalmettoSailor (Mar 7, 2006)

You didn't really say what you were looking for in terms of a sailing area, but since your proposed window will fall right into Hurricane season, I'm guessing maybe not the Carribean unless maybe you consider xort's plan (which actually sounds pretty cool to me). 

Anyway, if you are set on buying your own boat to do this, how about the Chesapeake Bay? There are tons of boats available for sail and you could easily spend a couple of months just poking around the bay. If you get tired of the bay, you could head south down the ICW and end up closer to home. Also there are many, many places on the bay capable of addressing any unexpected issues that might come up with the boat.


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## brady5 (Sep 23, 2008)

These are great ideas. Exactly what I was hoping to get. Your input is helping me create a list of places and options we are considering. We want to have our location nailed down sometime in February.

I am considering the suggestions about chartering but we are really wanting our own boat. This will be the first of many adventures for us and it would be nice to have our own.

Already looking at some boats. I can't imagine taking 6 years to find a boat. We have some basic ideas of what we want and a budget. I think when the time comes we will make a descision fairly quickly.

Does it really take 4 years to get a boat ready to cruise? That is a long time.


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## mman30 (Jul 28, 2008)

No, I bought, planned, and retrofitted in 3 years. I am heading south this oct.(six month's of cruising), from the annapolis area on the Chesapeake, and can hardly wait. It depends on the condition of the boat, and how many systems you want to know inside and out. If you are doing the work on the boat yourself, it takes lots and lots of reading to do a job, and most importantly do it right. I have learned so many valuable lessons on this site. (saving time, money, and headaches), so you are in good company. Good luck


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## Omatako (Sep 14, 2003)

Getting a boat ready to cruise will take you as long as you want it to.


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## brady5 (Sep 23, 2008)

I have been thinking about the Florida panhandle lately. There have been some posts about Florida but does anyone else have good starting locations in this area of Florida?

My idea of a good starting location would be a place with reasonable prices on things like slips and supplies.

I think my kids will do great but my kids have not been out for long periods of time. So I may need to ease into it the first month. That said a location that is kid friendly will be needed as well.

We are also looking to meet other families with children on this trip so we need a family friendly location. We have two girls and a boy. 11, 8, and 9


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## SelkirkGrace (Aug 25, 2008)

brady5 said:


> I am considering the suggestions about chartering but we are really wanting our own boat. This will be the first of many adventures for us and it would be nice to have our own.
> 
> Does it really take 4 years to get a boat ready to cruise? That is a long time.


I would not be too rash about jumping into a boat that you are planning to put your family in for long periods of time. The chartering suggestion is more than intelligent. Call Footloose (since older boats should not be an issue to you). *Take the whole family* and go down to the BVI and sail a reasonable size mono and a cat for at least a week. (You can get both boats into one week if you have to). They can provide a captain who can teach you the basics for each boat type, or you can call Rob Swain in Nanny Cay.
Make a determination of what you need for size and boat type. This simple and relatively cheap trip (you have no idea how exact these words are!) will probably be the difference between an adventure and a GREAT adventure.

As to the question about getting a boat ready, all you need to do is read this site. If you can find a "well cared for boat" you can cut the time significantly. If you are "handy" and can get the work done well yourself, you can save both time and money. The equipment you will want to add are determined by where you plan to sail and the nature of the boat you are buying. Most boats are NOT setup for cruising. They need things like: watermakers, radar, SSB, solar charging, navigation software and a computer, special sails (spinnaker?), and the list goes on. 
Fairwinds


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

Assuming an older stock boat in good condition, a decent marina/boatyard and the ability to pay to get stuff and have it installed for you. It takes about 90 days to prep a boat fully for family cruising in my experience. Moving yourselves aboard and prepping for the cruising lifestyle and skills required can take considerably longer. Part of that skill is figuring out how the marina whould spend its' 90 days!


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## Cptken (Apr 23, 2008)

*Newbe*

Your enthusiasm is great, but I think it will get you in the long run. I have known and helped too many "I'm just learning to sail" families that show up at the marina with their new to them boat. In every case within the first season they have decided they bought their first boat in haste and it is not right for them. They have enjoyed their time on the water and then in the off season go through the expense of getting rid of the wrong boat and finding the right one. Unless you have deep pockets and can afford to throw tens of thousands of dollars away I would try chartering a few different types of boats and spend some time with a broker looking at different boats. Then make a list of what you need to have, what would be nice to have, and things you don't want. Once you have that done you can probably find the boat that is right for you. My search took about a year to narrow down the list and an other year to find the right boat. I'm still happy with it almost 10 years after the purchase so it was worth the time and effort. Boat shopping can almost be as much fun as sailing if you approach it correctly.


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## brady5 (Sep 23, 2008)

Thanks for the straightforward advice. I am taking this very seriously and looking at all my options.

What is a ballpark figure for chartering? I am looking for something around 36' to 38' that will be comfortable for 5 people.


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

Cptken has some good advice for you... in the meantime if you're near an active lake try to hook up with someone needing crew (casual weekend racing, for example) - you'll learn a lot at little or no expense, and perhaps get some exposure to a variety of boats so you an refine your own goals.

Re chartering, without doing any reasearch, I'd guess your looking at between $2K and $4k/week depending on area and boat, perhaps more in some cases. It should be easy to google up some rates.


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## brady5 (Sep 23, 2008)

Cptken said:


> Your enthusiasm is great, but I think it will get you in the long run.


Yes it could, that is why I am getting as much education as I can right now. I want a well thought out plan.

Exploring all my options with the host of peers on this site has been very rewarding and educational.

Thank you for your honest advice!!


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## brady5 (Sep 23, 2008)

Thinking about getting this book. Anybody have it? What do you think?

Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia
by: Steve & Linda Dashew


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

I would recommend Beth Leonard's Voyagers Handbook over the Cruising Encyclopedia but both are good books for understanding cruising full time. 
Try Beth's site for some good info too...
Beth & Evans


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## brady5 (Sep 23, 2008)

Thank you I will check out this book as well.


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## sander06 (Sep 18, 2003)

Leonard's book can be partially viewed at The Voyager's Handbook: The ... - Google Book Search for free.


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## brady5 (Sep 23, 2008)

I was looking into the Tampa FL area as a launching area for our trip. Can someone shed some light on Tampa being a good area to base from for a 1st time cruiser?

My thoughts are to spend the first month getting to know the area and the boat. So we would not leave Tampa Bay during this time. Second month we would venture out further.

Are there lots of things to see and do in this bay?


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## brady5 (Sep 23, 2008)

I guess Tampa is not a very popular place since no one has commented on my previous post.

We are still considering several places. Thank you everyone for your input this far. It is very appreciated.


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## xort (Aug 4, 2006)

Tampa could be very nice at the right time of year. There are a lot of cruising oportunities, especially south of there. Lots of shallow spots on that side of the state so your chart work & tide planning must be good


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## mccary (Feb 24, 2002)

*Lots of options*

If you are seeking a place to start sailing that will be "easy" I might suggest The Chesapeake Bay, it is the largest estuary in the US and has over 4000 miles of shoreline for cruising. It sports 30+ rivers and countless creeks for anchorages. It has many nice family destinations. In the summer the temps can be a bit hot and late summer you will find more than enough jellyfish to discourage swimming.

As for a boat, that is a personal question. It will depend on how friendly your family is and the ages. On my first boat I did a 2 week cruise on a 22' boat (no standing headroom) with my wife and my young daughter and my in-laws! It was more than crowded and it it wasn't for the fact we didn't know how crowded we were we would have not enjoyed ourselves as much as we did. I now sail a 27' boat and subscribe to the theory: 6 for drinks, 4 for dinner and 2 for sailing is about right. Of course I have had 5 people out for an afternoon but that is different.


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## brady5 (Sep 23, 2008)

Thanks xort! I appreciate the info about Tampa. Just the kind of info I am looking for.

Chesapeake sounds tempting Joe. What is the best time of year up there? I have three kids so a good time for swimming would be important. Nice sailing blog by the way...


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## baileyrace (Jan 27, 2007)

Brady, 

Look up Emerald Coast Yachts. Click on charters and then on weekend adventure for a good article on these Pensacola cruising grounds. I have never cruised or chartered a boat, but the wife and I would like to try this if we can find the time.

Hijack: I sail twice per week as crew on a j24. I am not the driver, but another crew and I take the boat out without the skipper. We can keep it upright in 20 knots ect., so we can handle the sailing quite well. I can read charts somewhat, but would not consider myself competent. We sail the boat to the dock and rarely even get the motor out. In other words I can sail fairly well, but am ignorant about cruising. Do you folks think that a charter company would charter to someone like me? Would I need to hire a captain and for how long?


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## chall03 (Oct 14, 2002)

Bailey, 
I can't speak about the situation with the specific local charter companies you are looking at, but there are people around the world chartering with alot less experience. 
However, I would suggest brush up on anchoring technique, buy a book on coastal navigation and learn how to take compass bearings etc and you will be fine. It would in fact be a good way to expand your cruising experience.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I'm not very good at introducing myself, but we have been cruising for more than 20 years, selling our beloved Watermelon in Singapore. We now cruise on a power catamaran.

That in introduction to my opinions. First, we sailed on many boats before buying Watermelon, a Jeanneau Sun Fizz back in '85. Without the other boats to learn on and pick apart as far as suitable for extended cruising, we probably would not have chosen the Jeanneau. And it is not a boat for everyone, far from it, but it was certainly right for us. 

However, my point is that without experience, and three kids, you should be trying as many boats as possible before settling on buying. As too many "advanced cruisers  " smugly say, "you don't know what you don't know."

Now, for places to cruise for a month. It is your wife and children you need to be concerned about, IMO. When we headed down the East Coast of the US (from our starting point in Boston), the Chesapeake was the place that we had the most difficult time tearing ourselves away from. With all the comfortable bays and coves you will find it a safe place to cruise. With so many comfortable bays and coves, you can't possibly explore it all in two months. With the history of the area, you will find lots of shoreside activities for wife and kids. (though I must say that husband Peter finally dug his heels in about going to "one more" museum). The people are lovely, and you will have plenty of warning if a hurricane threatens.


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## xort (Aug 4, 2006)

Look into swimming in the Chessy in late summer...I think it's sea nettles? that are a problem. Early to mid-summer would probably be preffered. Late summer the wind dies out too.
Tampa would be ideal in early spring, like March or early winter like November.
If late summer is your time frame, try the North channel of Lake Huron, Canadian side. search out Canadian Yacht Charters. A Most beautiful place to cruise.


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## baileyrace (Jan 27, 2007)

Thanks Chall


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