# Hello from Wyoming



## captainfletcher (Apr 5, 2012)

Hello everyone! 
I am new to sailing and the community here. I have lived in land locked Colorado and Wyoming for the past 7 years. I am a big fisherman, especially fly fishing. Originally from central Texas, I moved to Colorado for a job with the railroad back in '05. I have yet to have sailed, but I've spent a good deal of time on the water with other small boats. I currently have a tiny one man inflatable pontoon boat that I use in the lakes. Now that my kids are getting old enough to get out there with me, I needed to upgrade to something large enough for the whole family. I had considered buying a v-hull aluminum boat, but my wife suggested a sailboat since the wind always blows here in Wyoming. After some researching on the web and library, I've become obsessed with sailing. Summers up here are much shorter than they were back in TX, but I plan to find a boat that I can learn to sail on and then be able to take the kids out for some sailing and fishing. Ideally, I'd like a boat that has room to sleep all of us overnight, but I'm not too sure if that's too big to learn the basic's on and to sail solo when the family can't come too.


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## deniseO30 (Nov 27, 2006)

welcome to sailnet! try here. Wyoming sailboats for sale by owner.
not much out your for sure! How far would you travel to find a boat?


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## captainfletcher (Apr 5, 2012)

I've been looking around craigslist in CO, WY, western NE and KS. There has been a few here or there, but seems like everybody wants good money for stuff. Boats in CO to me, in general, seem to be on the high priced end of things. Because of my work, 3 hour drive would be about as far as I could go, Denver, Colorado Springs, front range CO. I happened across a boat here in town locally that looked like it needed a good home, but it may need more work than I am able to do.


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## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

Welcome.

You sound like you have two different goals here: Learning to sail and buying a boat to overnight on with the kids. Both are doable, but I would suggest learning to sail first before taking small children on a boat you don't know how to sail or how it reacts to adverse situations (and when you're learning, just about everything is an adverse situation). Unless, of course, they are teenagers and can actually help, you'll almost completely lose awareness of what's going on around you if you also have to worry about the children not falling overboard or getting fingers caught in winches or when one or all get bored and start demanding attention...

So, this is just a suggestion to learn first, perhaps with an on-water sail course, take the boat out until you become comfortable in most situations you may encounter and then take the kids.


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## captainfletcher (Apr 5, 2012)

Awesome advice Donna! Kids are grade school age and I don't want to take them out on it until I feel tons more comfortable. I can see too many things going wrong too fast with them onboard as I am trying to learn. Doesn't sound like a good mixture.


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## KinSlayer (Dec 14, 2010)

Hey, I just relocated to Denver from Oregon. I have a San Juan 21 and it is a great boat. Very controllable and easy to sail. It would be a great learning boat. There is technically sleeping for four, but it would be cramped. My wife and I were going to stay on it, but the stars never aligned. 

I had to leave her in Oregon with a for sale sign on it. I was planning on hauling her out here to sell this fall if she doesn't go before then. My biggest problem is that there are so many people here in Denver! If I want less of a crowd it is a minimum 2 hour drive. So, we are selling for now. 

If you need some pointers or want some one with sailing experience your first time, give me a holler. If you are still looking for a boat this fall, let me know if you are interested in mine.

Jake


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## captainfletcher (Apr 5, 2012)

Hello Jake!
I'll definitely take you up on an offer to go out sailing sometime! There's so many decent lakes up here in WY and down in CO, but not too sure how crowded they get. With my 1-man pontoon I tend to stay close to shore. I've found a boat here in Cheyenne that needs some tlc, and if I can get enough money together, I'll probably buy her soon. With the weather warming up and the ice coming off the lakes, I'm really wanting to get out and sail! Here's a pic at what I'm considering buying. I'm hoping I don't get something that needs so much work, that the summer slips by and I don't get to sail her. But, I'm really limited on my budget, so a fix 'er uper seems the best right now. There's sailing clubs at Chatfield, Cherry Creek, and Carter Lake that look inviting, but there a little too far for me to travel to on a semi-regular basis.


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## KinSlayer (Dec 14, 2010)

Hey, I can't see the photo for some reason... What kind of boat is she? What is your budget, I have seen some nice boats down here coming up for sale, plus of you get a hold of some of the sailing associations down here they might have some for sale.

On the fly-fishing, I am big into it too. I could really use some pointers for places to go out here! What do you fish for mostly? I will go after anything that takes my fly...


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## KinSlayer (Dec 14, 2010)

http://denver.craigslist.org/boa/2909282004.htm

This boat is near ft collins and doesn't look too bad. I would be willing to check out some boats with you down here if you would like. One thing I have learned in my short sailing career, is that you get what you pay for. If there are certain things wrong with a boat, like fiberglass, it is usually best to run the other direction. I have had 3 different sailboats, and the one I used the most and had the most fun with, was the turn key San Juan 21 I bought.


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## captainfletcher (Apr 5, 2012)

Must have already sold it, or decided to keep her. My wife thinks I'm nuts about trying to find a sailboat, but I'd like to find one so I can start learning and enjoying sailing. I'm not for sure on a budget yet I thought that my 1-man pontoon was ready to be sold, but I found out that it has a major leak in 2 of the 4 bladders. So, I'll have to fix it then try and sell her; she's not worth much if she is not sound. Ultimately, I'd like to keep it under a grand, but it might be some time before I can come up with that much.

The boat I'm looking at is, I think, a Macgregor Venture 21 or 17. Seller's son didn't know much about it, other than the trailer needs some work done on it and it has a new main sail. Fiberglass looked good with no cracks, but the paint looks original, 1970's ??, and is peeling and cracking up, deck has that white powdery residue on it from sitting outside it's whole life. Interior is pretty filthy, but looks decent shape. Keel looks rough. I forgot to look for a rudder, as I didn't notice one, not sure if it's there or not. All the rigging, halyards, and hardware needs replacing. She looks pretty rough, but I think she'll be a good size for me to learn on and for my family to fit in and enjoy.









Snapfish: Log In

As far as fly fishing goes, man there's tons of places to go. South Platte River is a good start, but depending on where specifically you go, it can be really great or terrible. I used to live in Colorado Springs and I would go out to South Park and fish the lakes quite a bit, mainly Spinney Res. and Elevenmile Res. Spinney is awesome right at ice off, big bows and hungry pike! Clear Creek above Golden is a nice retreat from the city heat in the summer. One of the spots that is a must hit is Taylor River and East River above Gunnison in the fall for spawing kokanee salmon! It's like a mini Alaska! So many kokes that you get tired of catching them! Just let me know which way you wanna go, and I can lead you to some epic places. Oh, another that is really sweet is to hike into the Indian Peaks wilderness or Rocky Mountain National Park for cutts and brookies, they'll hit just about anything, and the scenery is spectacular!


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