# How many young people (say 35 or under)out there



## irwin325cc

I'm curious how many of us there are out there, I'm 29 and have a 32.5 Irwin. I plan to go long term cruising in the carribean within the next three years and in my marina I have only meet one other under thirtyish sailboat owner. I'm in the Clearlake, Texas area, can ya'll give me a shout wherever you are?
Matt


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## TSOJOURNER

*I just turned 30....*

...... here in San Diego. I have a 28 foot Cal Jenson that I was lucky enough to gain owner ship of. I have put every extra cent I have had into her over the past year and now she's ready to sail on a moments notice, which was my goal. There is still a lot to be desired though as always. I have sailed down to Mexico already but my big dream is to spend months sailing down Baja and coming back up in the Sea of Cortez and just roughing it. I lived in Tijuana for 2 and half years and have gotten my taste of Mexico but now I wish to return via mi valero. Anyone else here in SD?


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## T37Chef

Hey I take offense to that...you saying I'm old???  You wait...you'll be 39 before you know it!!! LOL


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## WheresTheBrakes

I'm 31 and have been interested in sailing for a couple of years.. interested in boats and water much longer.. 
I have a 22 starwind sailboat at a marina near the ocean and love to goof around in it, it's big enough for me right now.. 

That being said, my wife and I (GF at the time) drove across the country a few times with a 10' Scamp camper behind our car when we were in our 20's .. and everyone we met was in their 60's, 70's and 80's


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## nk235

I'm 24 and have owned my 32' Morgan 323 for 2 years and a small 25' sloop for one year before that. Got bit bit by the bug during one summer when I took a sailing course early in college. After I graduated and started work and making some money I bought the 25' sloop and loved it but it felt a littel bit too much like camping out so I sold it 2 years ago and bought the Morgan.

During the weekends I cruise all over the long Island Sound with my girl friend and some of my buddies. We eventually would love to sail down to the bahamas for a year or so taking our time going down the coast to see the sights. The only trouble is I would have to time it when I was in between jobs because I only get about 2 weeks or so with the current company I am with.

I do have to say though I hardly know anyone around my age who sails and if they do they just crew on others boats. I would love to meet more people my age that have their own sailboats. All my buddies have powerboats so there is always a good crowd to raft up to and go cruising with but no other sailors.

Picture of my current boat "Capricorn"







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## irwin325cc

Chef no offense intended, as long as were out there doing it. Allthough some young single ladys on the dock would be great.LOL.
Brakes don't let size get you down, I sailed a 14' hobie cat then a 16' prindle cat in the small West Texas lakes around the land locked area I'm from when I decided that I wanted to go cruising. For the experience thing while saving enough money for a little bigger boat.


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## chall03

I am 29 here. Been into sailing since I was 22.........was told shortly after that 'cruising' was uncool. It was for when you are old and retired......until then you are just mean't to sail your boat in circles around cans while drinking beer.....

We are part of a local yacht club that has a cruising division that meets once a month and we are easily the youngest there by about 20 years. Having said that it takes a certain type of person to be a sailor, so some of the 60 year olds we know from cruising are 'younger' and a hell of a lot more fun than some of my 25 year old friends 

It is good to know that people our age are out there pursuing their dreams as well. We are not all addicted to shopping Malls, Playstations, and spending our weekends following Britney's Twitter Page


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## eobpt

I am 37 and my wife is 34 and we have two small kids. We own a S2 9.2a and sail up on lake Erie. I found it interesting last year when one of the club members asked me "What boat do your parents own?" They were shocked when I said we are full member and that 30 footer over there is ours. I would say we are easily 10-15 years younger than the next youngest member with a sailboat.


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## chall03

Yeah I know what you mean. I wonder has this changed over time?? 
Is it A baby boomer Phenomenon?

From reading and talking to people etc, the feeling I get is that perhaps there were far more family cruising sailors our age in the 70's??


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## nk235

eobpt said:


> I am 37 and my wife is 34 and we have two small kids. We own a S2 9.2a and sail up on lake Erie. I found it interesting last year when one of the club members asked me "What boat do your parents own?" They were shocked when I said we are full member and that 30 footer over there is ours. I would say we are easily 10-15 years younger than the next youngest member with a sailboat.


Yeah you can say that again. We get asked that all the time.


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## Coreyboy18

Well, I am 25 years old and own a Ranger 23 (as it says in my sig). I am currently doing some electrical work to her, along with rebedding chainplates, etc. I am selling it after this season and then buying a bigger (about 34ft.) bluewater boat that I will move aboard in the next two years or so. I will begin rigging it for a voyage that should take me around the world. I say should because I don't have any timetable and am doing it just to see the world. My goal is to be gone within six years and two months (the goal was seven years, ten months ago). That'll put me in the Caribbean by winter time. Big goal, but that's where I stand.


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## Jeff_H

While I am approaching twice your legal age to qualify as 'young', I do want to comment on this thread. When I was a kid (back before they discovered dirt) by and large the families that we encountered in sailing were around my parents age (meaning in their early to mid-30's) The children of these families grew up to be the sailing boomers my age. 

To some degree, this reflects the giant growth in the number of people getting into sailing during the 1960's. I think this growth reflected a lot of factors: 
-new boats were comparatively cheap as compared to the salaries of the day, 
-fiberglass boats with dacron sails were comparatively low maintenance 
-many adults of my parent's generation had grown up in the wake of the depression and WW II and had a sense of adventure and an idea that they could accomplish almost anything they tried to do,
-families tended to do 'active' activities together. 

Growing up, there were boats that were readily available at comparatively cheap prices relative to the kinds of starting salaries that a young person might earn (and college tuitions were cheap as well so we all ended up with seemingly small loans when we finished school). 

In my case for example, I was able to buy a series of very cheap boats, some wood, some glass, some daysailors but some were cruising boats, and all were less than $400.00. (To put this in perspective, at that time if you worked for minimum wage you would earn roughly $2.1 K a year, so these boats cost something less than fifth of a years income at minimum wage. Today, minimum wage is roughly 5 times what is was back then, and so it would be hard to imagine that you could buy a comparable boat for $2,000 today.) 

But I also think that there were a whole range of cultural shifts that took place after the 1960's that began to mitigate against young people getting into sailing. In the early 1960's, when sailing really grew as a popular sport, shore lives were technologically pretty simple; comparatively few homes or cars had air conditioning, TV's were just become popular, and play was outdoors in nice weather; very basic pitch-a-tent type camping was still very popular with young families and so it was not much of a stetch to get into sailing. 

But as tastes shifted, and shore life became technicalogical, there was a huge away from being out on the water and if families took up watersports the shift was towards power boating. With that shift fewer kids were exposed to sailing at a young age.

And sailing is not the easiest sport to get into if you have had no exposure to sailing when you are young in life. Sailing requires a fairly large amount of knowledge to do safely and to one degree or another it requires a certain amount of physical strength and dexterity. It sould be noted that there have been serious efforts to reduce the amount of both the mental and phyical barriers to sailing through ever increasing electronic, and mechanical complication. These days even comparatively small boats carry motor driven windlasses, and roller furling headsails and mainsails that greatly reduce the physical strength requirements, inboard engines, and electronic chart plotters and autopilots that reduce the level of skill required to find your way back home in all conditions. 

Even the racing world seems to have fewer young people. I have noticed that the age of the people who crew on race boats has progressively gotten older. 20 years ago, race boats crews were generally in their teens, twenties and into their mid-30's. Now they are more likely to be gray hairs or shaved heads. 

I don't know where I am going with this, except that Irwin 32.5CC is probably right that there are a lot fewer young folks out sailing. I think that he is right that he is the exception and not the rule, especially when I consider that 29 year old would be interested in that particular model boat, but that is another story. Who'd a thunk it? 

Jeff


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## chall03

Corey, hold on to your dream man, I really hope it does come true for you. If it does, Stay safe. 

Thanks Jeff, A good analysis as always. I think you probably have hit the nail on the head. It is a shame, I am always taking friends my age and often younger out sailing and they love it, yet at our club we have seen a dramatic decrease in numbers in the racing fleet, and the cruisers are ALL retirees, not one cruising family. We would be the only couple under 50 easily.


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## nk235

Wow Jeff I never thought of it that way. It makes perfect sense though and it's too bad because at this rate by the time I am in my 40's there will be even less sailors! 

Your post reminded me of that scene in Jaws 2 (which I know was a terrable movie) but when the teenagers were all at the bar making plans to go on a big sailing trip out to the that island the next day. Then the next day about 10 of them set out in 4 or 5 different boats and it was their way of having fun and their main activity they liked to do. 

If they did a remake of that scene in todays age, the kids would either be hoping in a power boat or jet ski or talking about a full days worth of xbox!


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## BristolJonny

I am 28 and just bought my first "big" boat, a Bristol 27. I have noticed that there aren't nearly as many young people sailing as well. I think it may have something to do with the outrageous cost of owning a boat these days. As was pointed out earlier, the cost of boats used to be much more managable, now you can't find anything that floats for under $10,000. Most young people would rather put that investment into a house and get their land based life started. It seems the sailors in their twenties and thirties have different priorities


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## night0wl

I'm 29 and my wife is 26 and we just bought a 2008 Beneteau 343 in December '08. I took an intro to sailing course as a work diversion about 5 years ago and was hooked at the feeling of wind powering movement over water. When we moved down to S. Florida, we bought a house with a dock behind it...and now we have a boat to fill it. 

This was our first big boat, and suffice it to say we are a bit overwhelmed by it right now. Just getting familiar with all the systems and maintenance...its very overwhelming. But eventually, we'll master it and get out there more. Hopefully, I will be able to take a couple month sabatical and just get out there soon.


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## chall03

BristolJonny said:


> I think it may have something to do with the outrageous cost of owning a boat these days. As was pointed out earlier, the cost of boats used to be much more managable, now you can't find anything that floats for under $10,000. Most young people would rather put that investment into a house and get their land based life started. It seems the sailors in their twenties and thirties have different priorities


Yet we all seem to find the money for 42 inch LCD TV's, Ipods and new cars 

I think it is actually more priorities than cost. There are cheaper boats around, but maybe the issue is they just aren't good enough for Gen Y? 
We want it all now. We want our first boats to recent model production boats with all the Gadgets and comforts?

Congrats on buying your boat though Jonny. Whereabouts are you??


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## kwaltersmi

My wife and I are both 33 years old with two young (4 & 6) girls. We've been "out there" on the Great Lakes for two seasons now, building our resume and reducing our debt so we can throw off the docklines indefinately and head south, and then maybe west. We're one of only a small handful of boats at our large marina that has young kids and parents in their early thirties. In fact, we're the only sailors that fit that criteria. Many of the others are powerboaters.


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## Mimsy

Well, I blow through your top age bracket by 6 years, but we are definitely on the younger side of sailors in our area. Perhaps we are just fortunate, but in our marina there are several families with younger kids. Most of the families have parents in their 30s to early 40s and there are a couple of single guys who are right around our age or a bit younger.

That being said the vast majority of boats in the marina are owned by those a good 20 years older than we are.


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## Valiente

My wife turns 35 in two weeks. She was foredecking at the age of 5 as her father designed and sailed small boats in Lake Ontario. She's currently crewing down south and accumulating sea hours ahead of a planned circumnavigation starting in a couple of years. My son is 7 and is starting Opti sailing next month. 

I'm the weakest link. Despite having a father who was a professional mariner (admittedly before I was born), I didn't regularly sail until I bought my first boat (33 footer) shortly after my 38th birthday. Ten years later, we're getting ready to leave before I turn 50.


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## Brucerobs2

*The "Young" guys*

I'm 41 and new to my SA. Around the docks, there are about 4-5 of us in the same age range that are referred to by other, mature members as those "young guys". Its pretty funny. There seems to be a small but steady influx of us in recent years though so I hope that continues to trend that way.

But the "old guys" still usually smoke us around the cans on Wednesdays. We'll get 'em eventually (when our young kids are old enough to crew). Maybe they are stacking our PHRF numbers against us.


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## cnc33voodoo

Im 30 and my wife is 28.I have yet to see any sailboat owner in my marina in my age group.We are on our second boat, a 33 footer.I have been asked a few times who owns the boat and keep getting "advise".
Meanwhile, I have been around boats and sailing longer than they have.


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## zz4gta

Bought my boat in 2007, I just turned 26. Now, pushing 28, its hard to find young people who enjoy the detail oriented challenges that sailing provides. It's extremely dynamic, expensive, and slow. My generation isn't about slow or long attention spans. 

I don't make a bunch of money and sailing takes a lot of it, but its worth it to me. Everytime I set sail, I feel like the richest guy on earth.


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## motovationcycles

*age*

I justed truned 47 and my wife is 45 and we still get referred to as the "young couple with the sailboat at our marina".


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## jgsteven

*Under 35*

I'm 30, and just purchased my first large boat (32') about a year ago. Of course, the boat is older than I am... 

I think in addition to the 'would rather video game' factor, economics plays a major role. Many people who I graduated with spent a large part of their 20s paying off college debt (myself included), and then for the last ~5-10 years houses have been historically very expensive as a percentage of income (and rising). This doesn't leave a whole lot left over...


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## Boasun

Well my son is 27 and I am a child at heart. Does that count??


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## AirbusDriver

I am 37 and my wife is 40. We have 2 boys age 13 &10. We have been sailing our 30' catamaran for about a year and had a 30' Catalina before this. I have not really thought about our 'young' age. I did always notice we are always the younger parents at school functions and such. My boys take sailing classes at the local Yacht Club and noticed they need a infusion of young people. We were only ones walking through the club without white / blue hair. When I inquired about membership I was told of a $7000 initation fee and monthly dues I was also told I should hurry because they were getting to raise the initation fee. No thanks...i can pay a lot of slip fees and buy gear with that money.


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## FishFinder

Tell you what though, there will come a time when all the older folks begin to sell off their boats in large numbers and because there aren't enough younger sailors to buy them all, there will be excess supply and the market for used boats might get very buyer-friendly.

I'm 30, living on my 30 footer right now. I like talking to the salty guys around the marina. Wish there were younger people (especially ladies) cruising around too but they would have to leave the sub-woofer and beer bong at home.


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## ehmanta

I bought my first boat, a Cal 27, when I was 25, then bought my Tartan when I turned 29. Now I'm 43 (Does this make me MIDDLE AGE??). STILL can't get enough of sailing. My Wife is a few years my senior and she still loves it too (the sailing that is )
It really doesn't matter the age as long as you are young at heart and are still nimble enough to handle the boat without being a danger to yourself, crew and other boats. When I'm no longer able to safely go boating.....I'll have to make some tough decisions


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## GeorgeH

I'm 32 and buying my first boat...to live on!! Click on my blog below for more details. South Pacific, here I come!!


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## gulfcoastcruiser

I am 34 and have a 1981 Hunter 27. I have been sailing since I was about 14. This is the biggest boat that I have owned yet, but I hope to eventually get something bigger that would enable me to do some extended cruising.

There is one other guy on my pier that is a couple years younger than me and everybody else is probably at least 10 to 30 years older.


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## nk235

Well I'll throw this out there too incase their is any younger people on here in the Long Island Sound area that want to sail but don't own a boat yet...Anyone feel free to PM me and I'll take you sailing as I'm 24 and all my buddies are into fishing and power boats and a lot of times my gf can't go because of work so I'm left to single hand. Also as I said in an earlier post I mostly like to cruise on my boat but I think if I had a regular younger crew I would do the all the week night races so again I'll open it up to anyone out there...


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## PalmettoSailor

I'm late 40's and my wife is mid 40's and like others, we are some of the younger folks around our marina. There appears to be a pretty good sized group of folks around our age, a few younger and the majority older. 

Earlier in my career, I was in a postion where I regularly hired recent college graduates. What I found was that they generally started their working lives with significant debts. Paying off college loans and credit card debt usually leaves little for recreational pursuits for these young adults. By the time they've got a handle on their debt, they are usually starting a family and again hobbies are not high on their priority lists. From what I've seen, most youngsters today are not chosing other recreational pursuits, they just don't get to "recreate" until a good bit later in life. Those that set their priorites to allow them to follow a passion, generally have to give up a lot in order to do so, and you can't really fault those that choose to focus on other aspects of life before getting into sailing.


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## irwin325cc

nk235 I like that, anyone younger people in the Houston area want to go sailing I would be more than willing to take you out on the bay (and maybe dinner for the ladies).


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## nk235

midlifesailor said:


> I'm late 40's and my wife is mid 40's and like others, we are some of the younger folks around our marina. There appears to be a pretty good sized group of folks around our age, a few younger and the majority older.
> 
> Earlier in my career, I was in a postion where I regularly hired recent college graduates. What I found was that they generally started their working lives with significant debts. Paying off college loans and credit card debt usually leaves little for recreational pursuits for these young adults. By the time they've got a handle on their debt, they are usually starting a family and again hobbies are not high on their priority lists. From what I've seen, most youngsters today are not chosing other recreational pursuits, they just don't get to "recreate" until a good bit later in life. Those that set their priorites to allow them to follow a passion, generally have to give up a lot in order to do so, and you can't really fault those that choose to focus on other aspects of life before getting into sailing.


Respectfully, I would have to disagree with this as I am in that exact category you describe - at least from my perspective and from what I have seen up here in Eastern Long Island.

I don't think the working / paying off debt / having other priorities is what is stopping people from getting into sailing. A lot of my friends actually have power boats which cost more than a sailboat. Also I see plenty of people my age buying cars, flat screens, ipods, xboxs, jet skis, vacations and plenty of other toys that both take up considerable time and money. Yet I am the only one my age (24) that I know that has a sailboat or even likes to sail. Most people my age are just not exposed to it and therefore it is something they never even think about getting into let alone buying a boat. If they do love the water they are 10 times more likely to buy a jet ski or power boat for fishing as that is just what younger people do.

I myself graduated from college 4 years ago and instanly started my career no less than a week after graduation. Worked my ass off and was promoted through the ranks quicker than people twice my age to get into a very good position, all while paying off loans, having a gf and getting engaged (and that is like a job on its own ) and generally work related doing much more than any of my friends or people I graduated with...meanwhile I was still able to have a sailboat, maintain it myself and go sailing as often as I could.

So....what I am trying to say is I don't think it has anything to do with other priorities and younger people focusing on their careers but unfortunatly just that sailing is no longer a younger person's hobby. Again this is just from my own experience as well as what I see. Who knows maybe down south or out west 24 year olds are dying to have a sailboat but just don't have the time.


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## donoga

*Early 30s setting off by September*

I'm 34, hubby 33, and two mutts in tow about 3 1/2 years old. The bug bit us on a sunfish in Nantucket back in late 90s. Since, we have both taken lessons on boats ranging from J24s to Hunters and once bareboat on a 40' French boat (can't recall the builder), bought a 21' Aquarius daysailer and sailed her around the Long Island Sound. Are currently landlocked without a boat because we knew our location was temporary.

So excited to see so many responses to young sailors because we are cutting ties for who knows how long and will begin by cruising the U.S. east coast. Hope to see some of you out there! We can't wait to get our sea legs back and hopefully the mutts will adjust, too.

Good luck with your plan - just do it!


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## AKscooter

I am holding off buying a boat until this economy really crashes to the point where the average guy can afford to buy and maintain a boat without having the multi thousand dollar surprises. Yes, boats are an expense but not to the point that your entire income (like houses were) goes to support this system. Housing prices have come down and when the economy finally shrinks to a sane level then the ratios will be right for boating. But as Gordon Gecko says, "Greed is good". That is the mantra of this nation.


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## chall03

moonie5961 said:


> I have to say though, I don't think that real age matters... I've found that I relate to alot of older people around marinas better than kids my own age, who can't see beyond their next case of beer.


Absolutely Moonie. I couldn't agree more, we were really worried about the age difference at our yacht club especially among cruisers(Wife and I are in our late twenties, everyone else is over 50).

Our worrying only lasted 5 minutes, until we started hanging out with some of these cruising folk and realised what a awesome group of people they actually were. Knowledgeable, generous and man they could still teach us kids a thing or two about partying 

Like I said earlier in this thread, alot of them also had an attitude and approach to life that made them alot younger than some of 25 year olds I know.


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## motovationcycles

*Long Island*



nk235 said:


> Respectfully, I would have to disagree with this as I am in that exact category you describe - at least from my perspective and from what I have seen up here in Eastern Long Island.


I moved to Montauk from Annapolis for several years when I was 26 years old. I was a partner in a marina there. We only had one sailboat in our marina of 110 slips. All of the younger people were into fishing, powerboats, and excessive drinking. If you wanted to go sailing you either went to Sag Harbor or Block island. Boy was it nice to get back to the Chesapeake where sailors of all ages abound.


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## paulk

"Don't trust anyone over 30." How old does knowing that saying make me?


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## dacap06

*Doesn't Matter!*



paulk said:


> "Don't trust anyone over 30." How old does knowing that saying make me?


You have to remember that the saying came about due to a clash in values between the culture of our parents and our counterculture. You need to adjust the saying for the intervening years:

* "Don't trust anyone over 75!"*

DaCAP


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## Valiente

zz4gta said:


> I don't make a bunch of money and sailing takes a lot of it, but its worth it to me. Everytime I set sail, I feel like the richest guy on earth.


Well said, and exactly the right attitude, I think. Besides, a 52-inch plasma screen is almost a whole new mainsail....


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## soulfinger

My wife and I are both 31, and we're already on boat #2. We bought a couple-year-old Catalina 350, which was quite an expense, but we realized that it's enough boat that we won't be wanting to trade-up anytime soon. All my friends think we're nuts. The friends that we've invited to go sailing love it, but no one's really "taken the plunge" yet. I've never had anyone ask me where my parents are, but I've certainly seen "that look" that says it. 

We just had our firsts child; sailing just got a LOT more complicated.


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## SecondWindNC

29 now and have been sailing all my life. Owned a Pearson 30 with a buddy of mine from '02-'05. Before that I helped fix up a Balboa 20, and that was the first boat I sailed alone. And there's still nothing like getting out on a Hobie Cat and flying a hull.


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## riphonda

*where'd all the good people go?*

Interesting consideration that us young guys and gals are increasingly few and far between in the sailing world...

Sailing has been a way of life in my family and though I took a hiatus to powerboat and try to commercial/charter fish for a bit Im really finally seeing what it means to be free on the wind again. Just turned 27 and bought a 28' sabre that ive been rebuilding. The racing was never my thing though I spent considerable time in optis and lasers etc I just enjoy the leasure time spent on the water. Cruising/ gunkholing is great. Thats what its all about for me, the boat is a place where I gain a better perspective on the world and see life from a simpler side. For some reason I cant get into the gaming, xboxing and the like nor do i get into the you(tube)-twit(ter)-face(book) sites. Is it me or are people more comfortable in these electronic social worlds? Not for me. Id rather be up slicing and dicing apart a bulkhead and dreaming of the wild blue yonder. Located on Cape Cod. Boat is yet to be named.

Good to hear from everyone. Keep this thread goin'.


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## Donnie631

I am will be 30 in about 2 weeks my wife and i just bought our first boat we want to get the kids out (3,4,7,) away from the TV and DS for a while. We are looking foward to being out for the first time in a long time I did some saling while I was overseas in the military and loved it but still have alot to learn will be in MD and VA over the summer.


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## Simon123

I'm 31 and keep an Ensenada 20 on the lake nearest me here in Dallas. I'm definitely the youngest non-racer that I know but there is a surprisingly high number of people my age at any race I've crewed. Crew as well mostly, not as often the boat owners but that's to be expected. I don't care if you never buy a single electronic gadget or case of beer, maintaining a competitive racer in the 40 foot range is a stretch for those of us getting started in our earning power.


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## SailorSaturn

Im still in my 30s, if Ronald Ragan is still president :laugher


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## MedSailor

Just celebrated the 9th anniversary of my 21st birthday. On my second boat, been boating and living aboard full time for 8 years. Lovin' it!

MedSailor


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## davebkanelavie

I started cruising full time when I was 34 back in August of 2005. And yeah, it's definitely hard to meet other younger people especially if you get off the beaten path. When I sailed across the South Pacific in 2006-2008 there were two other couples that year in their 30's and two different single handed guys in their 20's. Not to say I don't like hanging out with all the other cruisers because I do, but it's a rare and special treat to hang with people your age. I've had tons of awesome crew and met my wife to be in New Zealand. I'm on my third boat since I began the journey after slowly figuring out what works for how and where I like to sail. 
I'd say go now and worry about retirement later.


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## TSOJOURNER

We are 27 (Becky - older and wiser, ha ha guess who wrote this!) & 25 (Ryan) and planning a trip down to Mexico and across to the South Pacific (to start with, anyway!).

We have often wondered how many young (ish) people we'll meet along the way.

We have friends of all ages at the minute and enjoy the company of other people regardless of age but it will definately be great to meet up with some more people of our generation.

"Young" is definatley a state of mind though!


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## davebkanelavie

We have some friends in their 60's who have been cruising for 30 years non-stop. They are definitley our idols and what we aspire to be doing when we are that age. "Young" is a state of mind AND cool people are cool people regardless of their age.


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## mccary

Hey I have been sailing for 35 years! That's a bundle of miles under the keel.


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## LWinters

I just turned 33 in May and left on an open ended cruise this past January. In the time I have been out here I have only met two boats owned and crewed by people younger than myself. One had a 26 year old guy and the other was three young sailors around 19 & 20. Overall, in the cruising fleet, I am still considered a baby out here.

Another thing I've noticed is that the older cruisers are very quick to welcome me in and despite an age difference that is no lack of camaraderie. Everyone has been exceptionally respectful and especially as a singlehander I think I get more than my fair share of meals aboard other boats. 

One other interesting thing I've found is that while I still associate closely with the cruising crowd, most of the good friends I've made since I left have been with the backpackers who are on similar trips, but chose instead to stuff their worldly processions into backpacks instead of boats. Many just never even considered sailing. In several places now I've found the local hostels and wandered in for a drink and quickly made friends. 

Just an idea if you decide you do want to stay up past 9:00 p.m.


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## saltydawg

I just turned 36 so I missed the cut off 

But we moved aboard 11 years ago when I was 25 and cruised when I was 27 & 28. Now my husband and I have a 4 year old son. So he's the kid onboard. 

I wrote an article for SAIL Magazine called "The Under 30 Cruising Club", about what it was like cruising in your 20's (compared to the majority 45+ out there)
it was in the December 2007 issue (ironically published well after I turned 30)
:laugher


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## irwin325cc

LWinters thats something like I have planed in the next couple of years. At the end of the summer I'm moving on board my boat Gypsy. I will live on the Gulf for another year just working and pouring every cent in to my sailing kitty so I can leave after hurrcane season for an open ended journey for as long as I can, stoping and working as need be. I do refrigeration so I figure I can find work in the US areas of the carribean. I would like to hear more about your story and how your doing it. [email protected]
Im currently reading through you Log.


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## tager

I am 21, and own and live on my 24' Islander Bahama by the name of Gusto. I thought it was a little butch for a ladies name, but you never change a ship's name! I was also a sneakaboard on a 22' Balboa during the worst winter in ten years. It was epic. 

I also own a kayak, a dinghy, and a chunk of foam that is used as a tender. All of these at the cost of zero dollars! Hooray!


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## Beersmith

Hello!

I am 27 and just purchased my first vessel, a 1975 Downeaster 38. I plan on long term cruising once the kitty is saved and the boat is refitted. Been getting into sailing the past 3 years or so, but has been a lifelong dream.


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## Coreyboy18

tager said:


> I am 21, and own and live on my 24' Islander Bahama by the name of Gusto. I thought it was a little butch for a ladies name, but you never change a ship's name! I was also a sneakaboard on a 22' Balboa during the worst winter in ten years. It was epic.
> 
> I also own a kayak, a dinghy, and a chunk of foam that is used as a tender. All of these at the cost of zero dollars! Hooray!


That's awesome! I would love to be in your shoes. I thought about moving onto my Ranger 23, but with a dog and two cats, it would be impossible for them to be comfortable. The cats could make do, but my dog would go stir crazy. Anyway, good for you, I'm envious. How long have you lived aboard?


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## jason3317

*32 years old*

I turned 32 this year and this is my second full season with my J/28. My priorities certainly have shifted since I was in my 20s.

As a single person, I can dedicate the time, effort and $$$ required to make a boat purchase viable. But, I had to really commit to cutting down non-sailing discretionary expenses, trade down in car "class", etc.

I am, by far, the youngest person in my marina; although I did not grow up sailing regularly, I often got to accompany my Dad when he chartered on the Chesapeake in the 80s.

My perspective on the <35 crowd as boat owners is threefold:

1. The cost of entry, upkeep, maintenance and berthing can be overwhelming.
2. They have never experienced sailing, or been invited. Most non-sailors I've brought aboard have been a little intimidated about the complexity of my boat.
3. There are many competing priorities in a younger family for time. How many of you have boats at your marina that go unused for 2-3 weeks at a time....this is a potentially expensive hobby.
4. Bonus: some 30 somethings still spend 5-6 nts / wk in a bar and can't afford their car payment, let alone a boat payment.

Jason


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## davester

I'm 32 and co-own a jeanneau 32' with my dad (though I got into sailing first). I envy those on open-ended or extended cruises, and hope to be taking an extended cruise in the next few years.


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## paulberto

I'm 27 and have a Ericson 30+. Sailing the SW Caribbean with my pal. Heading to San Blas and Cartagena from Panama in the next few days.


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## modul8

37 here.. I wish I had caught the sailing bug younger. One more thing you might add to the equation is vacation time-- Since the boomer generation is probably the last one to have the luxury of a lifetime career (nowadays jobs change much more frequently) the 5 week vacation will be a thing of the past. Few will hold onto jobs long enough to accrue that much vacay. This means shorter trips for the average working stiff, and more weekending, at least until retirement comes along.. probably the reason most younger folks are into fishing and power boating--they can get to where they want quickly. They probably don't realize that with sailing, it's not so much the destination, but the journey.


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## eMKay

Me, just made it under the wire at 35.


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## Ippa2

*Just turned 31*

I'm 31. Grew up on Buzzards Bay in powerboats, but have had the sailing bug since 2000 and have had a subscription to Cruising World for the past 3 years. I got the bug by teaching and sailing on Sunfish. I currently co-own a 23' O'day and own a 14' Tanzer. The kicker is I also own a 27' powerboat, a cruiser set up with aft cabin, microwave etc. We enjoy spending weekends on it in Buzzards Bay and the Vineyard. I'd like to trade in the powerboat for a 30-34' sloop, maybe an older 34' Tartan or a 34 Pearson, Sabre... (the list goes on) but so far the wife is not onboard with the switch to sailing. I'll keep trying though... I find that when sailing you are just so much more in touch with the sea than planing over it at 20 knots.

Keep up the great posts! I love hearing about other younger sailors.


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## nk235

*Got two more!*

Speaking of younger sailors and how we need more I think I just converted two!!

This weekend I took one of my good friends out along with his new girlfriend and my girlfriend for a weekend sail and night spent out on the boat. We are all 24 years old. His girlfriend who he is getting pretty serious with has never been sailing.

We had a nice 2 hour powersail from Mt. Sinai to Smithtown enjoying some cool brews and blasting some good old Jimmy buffet under a gorgeous sunny day. The girls lounged out on the bow just about the whole time till we got to the channel to Stony Brook Harbor. I let my buddy's girl friend steer the boat in while him and I took down the Main and put the sail cover on. She then helped him get the lines and fenders ready. We clipped onto a mooring in the back of Stony Brook Harbor (which is very pretty) and went for a cool dip in the water. Afterwards we fired up the grill and bbq'ed some hot sausages along with some watermelon that was marinaded in vodka!

After some more relaxing we actually took the dink out at low tide and raked in about 60-70 clams which we then put back on the grill later that night along with some garlic and butter and ate under the lantern in the cockpit. Overall we had an awesome day and night and then another great trip back to Mt. Sinai the next day.

So...long story short, my buddy called me today and kept going on and on about how much his girlfriend loved sailing and just being on the boat and how it could be something she could see really getting into. He has been considering getting a boat for the past year and says he now might get a sailboat! So hopefully we can add 2 more for the younger ones out there!

Here are some pics of the trip:

Ladies posing on the bow







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My good friend Rich







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Rich, and the girls







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Vodka soaked Watermelon!







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Christa enjoying the shade







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Dingy Fun







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Gorgeous Night







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What happens when you run out of sunscreen!







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## chall03

Nice photos NK. I am very jealous, we are just starting to hit winter over here.


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## wright1d

We are 34 & 35 and just finally purchased a Allmond 31. We are currently in the process of bringing it though the Erie Canal this week to keep it near Detroit on Lake Erie. We really have no sailing experience but have been wanting one for a long time so we took the plunge. We are clearly the youngest with a sailboat at our marina from what I can see.

Since we have 2 young kids age 1 & 4 we plan to mainly use it for weekend overnights. We have been living aboard for the last 9 days now with our 4yr old as we have been making the trip from NJ to MI and its been a great experience!


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## redstripesailor

I'm 26 and I've got a Pearson Triton. She's totally restored and ready to rock. No engine though, I like to sail, not motor. I don't get to take her out as much as I would like as I drive boats for a living and am often gone. As for sailing, I've been into it since I was 10 and I started working on schooners at 14.

It's tough turning kids onto sailing. As an instructor at Outward Bound's Hurricane Island Sailing School in Maine I had the opportunity to properly introduce many kids to the world of sailing. Few, if any, took to it after their course was completed. I don't know what it is, these kids aren't that much younger than I am yet sailing had little to no allure to them. It's almost as though it's not fast paced or glamorous enough. A great deal of sailing is finding pleasure in doing things the hard way instead of the easy way. Beating to windward, for example, as opposed to motoring. That has no appeal to most people my age. They don't seem to care about adventure, only convenience.

A buddy of mine is on the offshore racing team at Maine Maritime. His school buddies, all of whom should appreciate all boats to a certain extent as they are going to school to learn to drive them, make fun of him for being interested in sailing. I don't get it.


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## TSOJOURNER

27 here...getting ready to take the plunge. Searching for a boat...have my eye on a Allied Princess II. My Dad and I are just going to take off and go where the wind takes us.


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## JustinC25

I just turned 27 last month and bought my first boat, a Catalina 25 a few years ago. I'm the "young one" at my marina. I also find it rare to come across other people of my generation into sailing. Most people are very surprised when they find out I sail, let alone even owning my own sailboat. Most people have the misconception that you have to be rich in order to have a sailboat. They think it is so out of reach, but really it isn't. When I bought my sailboat the year after graduating college, I just had different priorities than most of my peers. A lot of my friends' primary activities outside of work were partying, going out to bars, racking up huge bar tabs. Don't get me wrong, I like meeting up for a good beer or two, but I was more interested in pursuing a childhood dream of mine. If they thought about what they could do with the hundreds of dollars per month they spent on drinking and other activities I cut, they could also own a sailboat or pursue an interest.

I figured the boat would be a great social tool as well, being able to bring friends out for something to do other than drinking at bars. As it has turned out, most of my non-sailing friends enjoy sailing, but it isn't their passion and they don't make it out often. Most don't understand the lure of sailing, and that's fine, it's not for everyone. I've made some great friends in the sailing community of all ages which I really enjoy. I also agree with other comments that it seems younger generations are more attracted to the speed of powerboats and not our slow, challenging (fun) sailboats, and many also are too interested in video games, buying newer, fancier cars, watching TV, etc. One of the worst excuses a friend gave me instead of coming out sailing was that he had some scheduled meeting in his WOW (online World of Warcraft pc game) for an entire Saturday. So, instead of going outside on a beautiful day, he wanted to go kill some virtual monsters with his online friends all day in front of a computer&#8230; not my thing at all. That was a few years ago and fortunately he's gotten over that addiction.

My girlfriend had never sailed before she met me; she is really enjoying it and learning a lot. She wants to eventually be able handle the boat by herself, so she's on her way to becoming an excellent first mate. Someday I want to upgrade to a 30' sailboat. The standing headroom, more living and storage space, and extra amenities will be nice for my weekends I live out on the boat. Not sure when it will happen, but I'm sure I will eventually. Another future plan is to sail down the east coast and cross the Gulf Stream over to the Bahamas and if there is time, go even further. I already did a delivery down the east coast a couple years ago, but next time I want to take my time and really enjoy the trip.

Here is my 1982 C-25


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## chall03

Awesome Justin, and thats a sweet looking boat.


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## irwin325cc

Just wanted to say thanks for all the younger sailors thats posted to let me know that I'm not looking at going alone in my adventure. Also to say thanks to everyone else thats droped aline of goodwill what ever the age. And lets keep this thread going if theres more younger sailors out there.
Matt
s/v Gypsy


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## NickPapagiorgio

I'm 31 and my girlfriend just turned 32... we don't own a boat (yet) but we do charter quite a bit. The first time we went out was in July of 2005... we took a friend of mine from college (26 at the time) and his wife. They fell in love with it and have been back every time we charter. We also took another couple a few times who are the same age as us. I agree that there aren't too many young people sailing these days. We were always the youngest boat in the marina. 

Anyway, if anyone wants some youthful company on their sailboat in the northern Chesapeake Bay, I'd be more than happy to oblige.


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## nk235

JustinC25 said:


> I just turned 27 last month and bought my first boat, a Catalina 25 a few years ago. I'm the "young one" at my marina. I also find it rare to come across other people of my generation into sailing. Most people are very surprised when they find out I sail, let alone even owning my own sailboat. Most people have the misconception that you have to be rich in order to have a sailboat. They think it is so out of reach, but really it isn't. When I bought my sailboat the year after graduating college, I just had different priorities than most of my peers. A lot of my friends' primary activities outside of work were partying, going out to bars, racking up huge bar tabs. Don't get me wrong, I like meeting up for a good beer or two, but I was more interested in pursuing a childhood dream of mine. If they thought about what they could do with the hundreds of dollars per month they spent on drinking and other activities I cut, they could also own a sailboat or pursue an interest.
> 
> I figured the boat would be a great social tool as well, being able to bring friends out for something to do other than drinking at bars. As it has turned out, most of my non-sailing friends enjoy sailing, but it isn't their passion and they don't make it out often. Most don't understand the lure of sailing, and that's fine, it's not for everyone. I've made some great friends in the sailing community of all ages which I really enjoy. I also agree with other comments that it seems younger generations are more attracted to the speed of powerboats and not our slow, challenging (fun) sailboats, and many also are too interested in video games, buying newer, fancier cars, watching TV, etc. One of the worst excuses a friend gave me instead of coming out sailing was that he had some scheduled meeting in his WOW (online World of Warcraft pc game) for an entire Saturday. So, instead of going outside on a beautiful day, he wanted to go kill some virtual monsters with his online friends all day in front of a computer&#8230; not my thing at all. That was a few years ago and fortunately he's gotten over that addiction.
> 
> My girlfriend had never sailed before she met me; she is really enjoying it and learning a lot. She wants to eventually be able handle the boat by herself, so she's on her way to becoming an excellent first mate. Someday I want to upgrade to a 30' sailboat. The standing headroom, more living and storage space, and extra amenities will be nice for my weekends I live out on the boat. Not sure when it will happen, but I'm sure I will eventually. Another future plan is to sail down the east coast and cross the Gulf Stream over to the Bahamas and if there is time, go even further. I already did a delivery down the east coast a couple years ago, but next time I want to take my time and really enjoy the trip.
> 
> Here is my 1982 C-25


Nice boat Justin! I love the blue hull. I feel exactly like you do in terms of the rest of my friends and owning and a boat and everything else you wrote in there. I almost felt like I could have been writing the same exact thing for myself. I also had a 25 footer I bought when I was 21 and just after 1 year of owning it I moved up to my 32' Morgan which I love for the standing headroom, amenities, etc, etc. I also plan on taking the trip down the east coast and into the bahamas. To tell you the truth I was actually so close to quiting my job and doing it at the end of last summer but held off. Hopefully I can make it in the next year or two. Too bad you weren't up in the LI Sound. We could cruise together. My gf and I would love to meet a younger couple that owns a sailboat as all our friends are power boaters!


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## Jotun

I'm 33 and have a Catalina 27 in the Northern Chesapeake. I am definitely the youngest at my marina. My dad crews with me frequently, and people usually assume it is his boat. I also race around the cans on Wed. nights. There are two other guys in the race fleet that are my age (they crew on other boats), but all the other guys who are probably twice my age are great to sail and hang with. 

It's true that very few of my friends have boats, but some do, although they are powerboats. The funny thing is, every friend my age I take out loves the experience, even those who expect not to like it.


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## canadianseamonkey

*38 years old*

Awesome thread! I always wondered how old you guys were.

I'm 38 and my wife is turning 40 this July. We our outfitting out boat and leaving for the tropics within 5 years. I can't wait to toss my Blackberry in the sea along with the everyday crap. Tired of our long winters and only being able to sail for 4 months. I just wish I would have started sailing at a younger age like some of the younger bucks here. My advise to the youngens is leave now before the corporate world swallows you whole.


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## funjohnson

26 and bought my first sailboat last August (first time sailing was on my own boat), a 1998 Hunter 240. I wanted to get my feet wet in a boat I knew wouldn't break me financially. Now I want to move up to a 30-34' and leave with the wife for a life down south, but I'm not yet salty enough to take on that challenge. I figure I will get the larger boat next spring and leave the following year. Hopefully I have gained enough skill by then to not kill the two of us!


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## NolaSafari

*59*

I am 59 but started out young. I also own a Airstream Trailer and I am a baby in that group. Heck the real fun is enjoying sailing as you age the alternative really sucks.


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## AaronOnTheHudson

I am 30... got my first sailboat for my birthday, and sailed it from Boston to NYC. I fell in love with sailing during high school, but haven't sailed much between then an now. I am definitely the youngest person at my marina. However, I love hanging out with the older folks (i.e. not the young self-centered NYC types).


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## Seafire327

I'm 26 and bought my boat last year. Worked on it all winter and she hit the water for the first time last week. For a 40 year old cruiser, she handles like a dream and just looks good. As I write this I'm counting the minutes 'till getting out of work and getting down to the yacht club. It would be nice to meet some younger sailors, but I feel like its only a matter of time... As this thread has shown, we're out there


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## Ippa2

Here is our 1969 23' O'day Tempest about to splash. We launched her this week and sailed her back to our mooring. So nice to be back on the water with the wind in the sails.


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## Ippa2

Here are a few more of us younger sailors on Buzzards Bay last summer.


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## chall03

Ok here is another picture. This is me and some friends out on the water.


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## NolaSafari

Nice boat and work. The first boat I restored was a 25 foot O'Day, I sure do like them. I don't know if Hunt and Associates was involved with the design of the older O'Days but they did a great job on the 25. I modified a trailer using an O'Day add as a guide to design the supports. I was younger but not as young as you. Click on the link in my signature line to see what this kind of activity can lead to. 

I am really glad to see the youngsters out and having fun.

Jim


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## farmboy

I'm 30, and my better half is 26. We bought our first boat a couple of years ago. I knew that I would love it, but she didn't have much experience. It was a big chance for her when she agreed to sink most of our disposable income into a boat, but it was definitely the right decision. We've met lots of great old timers in our area. They're great people and they help us out however they can.


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## creedence623

I'm glad you started this thread. I am 27, and have a 36' Catalina in Hampton, VA. I haven't met anyone within a decade of my age around the docks, and none of my "normal" friends are remotely interested in sailing. If anyone here lives around Hampton and wants to go PM me.


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## WheresTheBrakes

I'm 31, I posted right at the beginning.. 
There was a comment a while back about moving a huge object through the water with only your brain, some fabric and the wind.. it's amazing, and the main reason why I sail.. some people feel that way I've found, and some don't.. 

I've raced on a 36 Bavaria for a year now, and after an offshore race, sails trimmed comfortably in 15knts, flying into the harbor, I couldn't help but say "isn't it amazing that it's only the wind moving the boat?" 

The average comment was, we've been sailing all day jackass, have you not been paying attention  

Dunno, just sailing hits you sometimes more than others !!


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## Tortuga12

28, and I bought our first boat last december, a Venture 17. Hopefully, the economy will pick up and we can upsize!! It would be great to have a boat large enough to take friends out on, or sail to the Caribbean or somesuch. 


(BTW, if any of you work for a large telcom company, the design firm I work for would LOVE to do some work for you!!!!!)


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## ikrieger

*Keeping the tradition going*

I have to say I feel the same way. But, as one person pointed out the big sailboating boom was during the 60's-80's and those people were our parents who took us on cruising adventures. I grew up sailing on lake erie. Took my first cruise at 2 weeks old and continued sailing throughout my whole life. I did have less interest during my high school and college years, but now I fixed up my own boat and take my family sailing. I'm glad there are a few others out there like me! See you on the water!


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## NCountry

Dang, I'm feeling pretty good about the group at our marine and most of the Lake Eufaula Sailors in general. I'm a VERY young 50 but the wife is 36. The 34 foot hunter next to us is owned by a couple that are in their early 30's. Then there's a Cal 29 with a couple in their late 20's. Two Irwins in the under 30 foot range. One owned by a couple in their late 20's another owned by a guy that is single and 42. Then there's the BEM's (my kids) with their McGregor 23. They're 18, 17 and 10. I'm surrounded by the "Kids" and it's a blast! We have more fun than a barrel full of kittens......


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## wright1d

I hope as gas prices continue to go up more folks will start turning to sailing. Running a power boat costs big bucks & I am seeing a lot of big & small ones sitting this season out in the various yards we pass by. 

From what I saw last summer when gas prices were really high few of them left the dock?

We traveled almost 1000 miles over the last two weeks and used less then 70gal of fuel. One power boat we ran into spent 1000 bucks on fuel and had only come half our distance.


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## doctormase

I am 28 and so is my wife. My family has jet-ski and powerboat, but we are more intriqued by out 16ft hobie cat that is a great sail and easy to push into the water. My wife is now interested in sailing and we both want to try sailing a bigger boat to see if we want to buy one. We live on the long island sound in CT and in the next few years we are planning on learning how to sail larger boats. I am also a big golfer, so between golf and sailing people make me feel like I'm 50, not 28. There is no other experience like being on a sailboat, and my friends who like to chill and drink all day don't realize they can do that while I am sailing them around. It's a shame, but good to see so many younger sailors. I feel like I am getting into the game later, but apparently not!!


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## saltydawg

How about age 5?


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## NCountry

Forgot to mention that our 20 month old has been sailing since she was a month old. The Admiral was still on deck handling sails two weeks before the arrival of "the queen"....
Now "the queen" loves it when the boat heels. We just toss all the pillows on board onto the sole in the cabin and she rolls and walks around leaning into the heel. She (with life jacket on) loves to stroll around on the dock and more than one have noticed how well she handles the swaying of the docks. I'm gonna make sure she gets to continue this life style as long as she lives!


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## wright1d

Today is going to be the first day we take our 1yr old with us. What do you do with her when docking?

I'm a bit concerned what to do with him at times my wife and I need to be on deck. I might be able to close him in our aft stateroom but don't really like that idea and I'm sure he can climb out if we try to leave him below?


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## madusa

single guy just turned 33. have a kenner privateer26. tampa bay area of florida. planning on cruising to the bahamas and furthere maybe late this year


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## saltydawg

wright1d said:


> Today is going to be the first day we take our 1yr old with us. What do you do with her when docking?
> 
> I'm a bit concerned what to do with him at times my wife and I need to be on deck. I might be able to close him in our aft stateroom but don't really like that idea and I'm sure he can climb out if we try to leave him below?


Here were our tactics, take them or leave them:

(1) Baby on mama's back in the Ergo carrier while line handling
(2) baby momentarily strapped in to car seat while mom and dad do the docking shuffle
(3) Bring a friend along to either hold baby or help dock
(4) Learn how to dock solo and/ or have marina dock hands/ friends ready to help when you pull in
(5) Use a tether in the cockpit to keep baby out of the way while docking (embarrassed to say we used this for the kid and the dog at times)

The method we used most often was bring a friend and solo dock with on shore help standing by.

Hope that helps!


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## Watermelon

I just turned 29 myself. I would have posted sooner, but I was out sailing on the Texas coast. I'm from the Austin area with a West Wight Potter 19 (it is the best trailerable boat that fit my desires, I have a Zuma for when I want to "go fast, get wet"). 

In my marina, I'm not the youngest! Whoohoo! There's a college (UT) guy who has a Venture 21 a couple boats down from me.

In the Texas 200 sailing event last week, there were a fair mix of ages, some young, some middle aged, some old...er... more life-experienced. I was towards the younger end of the boat captains. But, if you include crew, there were quite a few younger than me.

One thing I keep trying to tell people is that it's all about the journey and not the destination. Some people get it. Others are "We've got to get to Topwater Grill/Carlos n' Charlies at noon!" even though there's food and drinks in the boat.

I'd like to get into a bigger boat someday... perhaps liveaboard, or probably more ideally - have a small land anchor by water and a nice boat to sail around and cruise. I'd have to move towards the coast though


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## NCountry

wright1d said:


> Today is going to be the first day we take our 1yr old with us. What do you do with her when docking?
> 
> I'm a bit concerned what to do with him at times my wife and I need to be on deck. I might be able to close him in our aft stateroom but don't really like that idea and I'm sure he can climb out if we try to leave him below?


When Mom was needed on deck when the queen was younger we put a life jacket on the queen and set her in a "pack n play" in the cabin. The pack and play is AWESOME and folds up fairly small when not in use.

Now we just put a life jacket on her and leave her in the cabin with a bunch of pillows on the sole. It works great and this has even improved her walking since she practices when the boat heels.


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## JPGaillard

*I am 32 and solo sailing around world*

Currently in EAst Coast US. Most people I meet are old Geezers.


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## gene80

*I'm on a Boat... Or will be soon.*



night0wl said:


> I'm 29 and my wife is 26 and we just bought a 2008 Beneteau 343 in December '08. I took an intro to sailing course as a work diversion about 5 years ago and was hooked at the feeling of wind powering movement over water. When we moved down to S. Florida, we bought a house with a dock behind it...and now we have a boat to fill it.
> 
> This was our first big boat, and suffice it to say we are a bit overwhelmed by it right now. Just getting familiar with all the systems and maintenance...its very overwhelming. But eventually, we'll master it and get out there more. Hopefully, I will be able to take a couple month sabatical and just get out there soon.


Similar situations we are in. I'm 28 and my wife is 26 and we are also looking to get a boat. Where are you located in S. Florida. My inlaws have a place with a canal dock in Lighthouse Point and we're looking to get a boat. Would like to take 6 months off from work to do some Caribbean sailing similar to yourself.

I've been looking at the 343s and 373s. Do you have any lessons learned you might be able to share? Any expenses turning out to be much higher than forecasted?

Regards,

Gene Nix


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## chandlerman

I've been enjoying and pondering this thread, and while I think that there are a lot of good reasons given why there are fewer "younger" sailors (and while I'm not quite 40, that still makes me generally a younger sailor).

I wholly agree about the economics of it--time and money are both scarce for those of us who chose a "conventional" path (job+family) during the post-educational period.

But another factor that I think gets ignored is the demographics of the areas where people live and sail. In my harbor (Belmont, four miles north of the Chicago Loop/Central Business District) there are lots of younger boaters, both sail and power. 

Conversely, when I've been up to the harbors in the northern suburbs, the docks and clubhouses are filled with more traditional "old salts." And I won't even begin to discuss places like Florida.

While this might seem hopeful, I think this may be anomalous for a few reasons. First, the Near North Side where I live is also "the" area for younger people to live (they just have to tolerate me  ). Second, it's an extremely dense urban area. As a result, there's a much lower rate of car ownership here than in most places--my family does not own a car and we get along just fine--which frees up a lot of cash for expensive hobbies. Third, there's a lot more free time since many more of the people tend to be in the pre-family stage of their lives. And, finally, a lot of the people here, growing up and living by the lake, either had exposure to sailing or the dream of sailing after watching the sails out on the lake their whole lives.

Normally, I'd agree that many people 30's and younger have never been exposed to sailing, have no idea if they like it or not, or how much it does or doesn't cost. For example, when people ask me how much my mooring is, I tell them the price per season and their response is almost universally, "Per month!?" Throw in the seemingly abstract artistry of it all--the terminology, the mystery of sail trim, and the latency & patience inherent in maneuvering something that weighs several thousand pounds, and it overwhelms people so that they don't even know where to start.

Now, though, I think the challenge becomes looking at what can be done about it--this is as much a campaign to correct misperceptions (e.g. costs, "sailing is for old people," "all sailors are racers," etc.) as getting people's attention and awareness.

One final observation: On any given weekend, 90%+ of the boats out on Lake Michigan are sailboats (I've counted). Head into the anchorages, however, and it's inverted, with the vast majority of boats being powerboats rafted up into big floating parties. Powerboaters seem to buy boats because they want a floating condo or a status symbol; sailors buy boats because they love to sail.

Do others observe similar demographic skews one way or the other where they live?


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## CaptainForce

It's good to hear of all the young people onboard and sailing, but we don't see too many out on the water. My wife and I moved aboard in our early twenties and most of the others on boats were near our same age. Now we're in our early sixties and most of the others on boats are still near our same age. I think Jeff H's earlier post described the phenomenon well. Imagine the huge wave of fine boats that will be flooding the market when we old cruisers are looking for the assisted living marinas! 'take care and joy, Aythya crew


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## cristamd

I'm 27 now, and got into sailing about 4 years ago after visiting a friend of mine who had a Club 420. I bartered for a Sunfish the following summer, took a sailing class, and my wife and I recently upgraded to an 18' sailboat 30+ years older than we are.  This is our first year having the boat at the harbor instead of trailering, and it's been nice but I do miss having the boat in the garage if I want to tinker with it. I don't miss the 3-4 hour rigging time before launch, though.

~Matt


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## night0wl

gene80 said:


> Similar situations we are in. I'm 28 and my wife is 26 and we are also looking to get a boat. Where are you located in S. Florida. My inlaws have a place with a canal dock in Lighthouse Point and we're looking to get a boat. Would like to take 6 months off from work to do some Caribbean sailing similar to yourself.
> 
> I've been looking at the 343s and 373s. Do you have any lessons learned you might be able to share? Any expenses turning out to be much higher than forecasted?
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Gene Nix


We are in Fort Lauderdale. Live in a neighborhood west of I-95, so the biggest "lesson learned" for us was to realize how few boats there are that have undera 55' mast! Its not so much a boat learning...but a house learning. In retrospect, I would have waited out a bit longer in the housing market and bought a house east of I-95 with no fixed bridges. Now, this 343 is pretty much limit of boat I can get without chopping masts down...although I hear that Valiant 40's can fit under at low tide.

As for the boat - I've learned that these Beneteaus are great boats for the money. Dollar for dollar, they have Catalina's beat...and I just wouldn't consider a Hunter. Interiors are a bit Euro and they do have quirks. But the hulls are solid and so are the systems. We love our 343...and we are still learning her quirks. They are light boats though, so be ready for a rocking ride and reef early is another learning.

As for expenses - well, my monthly diver costs were a bit unexpected. That and the fact that we're going through zincs like pez right now. There is some hot boat out there, and its going to get expensive to track it down in my canal. Another lesson is that outfitting a boat is freakin expensive!!!! The boat comes well equipped, but everything from sheets/pillows to scrubbing/cleaning materials to dinghys and boat hooks...its all adding up. I've only outfitted her out 25% and already spent about 10% of the boat purchase price in boat stuff. I'm a popular guy at West Marine...no that isn't a good thing :-( Try and work there before buying a boat!


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## CaptainForce

Night Owl, We get under I-95 to Marina Bay with our Morgan Ketch. This is one of the few remaining advantages of a split rig. 'take care and joy, Aythya crew


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## night0wl

CaptainForce said:


> Night Owl, We get under I-95 to Marina Bay with our Morgan Ketch. This is one of the few remaining advantages of a split rig. 'take care and joy, Aythya crew


I looked at a few ketch rigged boats - the Morgan was up there along with the Pearson 424 (it barely fits).

I think its going to be an Island Packet 40 (used) for us next time and then fix it up. The dream was that Valiant 42 ketch that was for sale a while back. Its either sold or off the market now. Thinking of calling up Valiant when we are ready to upgrade in 5-10 years


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## imasailorgirl

I'm 31 (getting ready to turn 32). I first moved aboard when I was 22 and lived on boats off and on totalling about 6 years...

I sold my last boat close to a year ago, and am missing it so much that I'm looking to buy another already. I don't think it's what you're talking about, but my kids (ages 8 and 10) have been aboard most of their lives... and are anxious to be back aboard.


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## timothydowns

I'm 26, bought my first boat, a Mason 30 (steel) when I was 24. It took me 17 years to save the money.. and 17 years of pining for this vessel. After an extensive single-handed tour of the great lakes I only met one couple of a similar age. Everywhere I go people assume this is my fathers boat...
Perhaps as the interest of my generation in sailing dwindles prices will drop.. Therefore drawing interest?? If not... empty anchorages!! ..and no marine infrastructure i suppose 

Swallows and Amazons Forever!!


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## chandlerman

Right now, I'm returning via bus (free wi-fi on the bus  ) from South Haven, MI to Chicago having left my boat in Michigan until the weather clears and we can return to bring it back across the lake at the end of the week after a low pressure front strengthened unexpectedly.

Talking to the harbor master and other boaters, both power and sail, trapped in the harbor (of which there was no shortage), they were either, like us, being forced to scramble to find alternate transport back to their hometowns or preparing to ride out the weather until Thursday or Friday.

I think that this kind of time and/or financial commitment (extra docking & transport costs) has to be a factor that gets under-acknowledged when looking at things that put younger, and thus more time-constrained, sailors. I have more vacation time and flexibility in my schedule than most, but unfortunately, I still didn't have an extra three or four days to wait out the weather this week.


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## 4arch

I'm 31 and in the Baltimore. Crusing and big boat PHRF racing seem like they'll be on their way to dying out if more people in this generation don't get involved. I'd love to find other couples in the 25-40 range to cruise with on the Chesapeake, but they seem few and far between, especially as sailors.


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## TSOJOURNER

Well im 22 and in the military and i just got my first one not too long ago its a CAL 2-29 and i got a great deal on it. I would really like to go cruising for a while after i get out but money might be an issue ad i was curious where you can get income while cruising ive heard mentions of getting small jobs while docked places and was wondering what kind of jobs people get. I will be 24 when i get out.


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## JungleJim

*Cruising kids*

I'm 53 1/2, pretty soon I'll be 54, so I got that going for me. Great to hear from the younger folks into sailing - keep them rags up! I've sailed most of my life and bought my first big boat - 23' Santana at 27 yrs and have been hooked ever since. My younger brothers were all sailing instructors between Boston and the Cape and are now power boaters or land based, so there seems to be no rhyme or reason - sailing just chooses you. I do believe that it is a great time to get into sailing a cruiser, you just need persistence and patience.


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## tylax6

Im 23 and am looking for a sailboat right now to learn, ive been wanting to sail for a LONG time, jst never had any money to do it, but now out of college i wanna learn, glad to hear that there are some young people on the site too! haha but we all know that the older you get the wiser you are!


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## wright1d

Funny you say that... When my wife and I got married we went to Maui and meet this older couple on one of those America's Cup boat rides and we mentioned we would like to own a sail boat one day... (blah, blah, blah) and they really pushed us almost to the point of challenging us to just buy one they basically said it does not matter what it looks like, if you like it get it and don't wait, don't make excuses, it will make you happy and you will figure out a way to pay for it if you really want it and enjoy it.

Turns out they were spot on. Unfortunately it took us another 8yrs to get enough cash together & but we both love the boat!


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## tylax6

pure inspiration!



wright1d said:


> Funny you say that... When my wife and I got married we went to Maui and meet this older couple on one of those America's Cup boat rides and we mentioned we would like to own a sail boat one day... (blah, blah, blah) and they really pushed us almost to the point of challenging us to just buy one they basically said it does not matter what it looks like, if you like it get it and don't wait, don't make excuses, it will make you happy and you will figure out a way to pay for it if you really want it and enjoy it.
> 
> Turns out they were spot on. Unfortunately it took us another 8yrs to get enough cash together & but we both love the boat!


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## JungleJim

When starting out, you can also consider sharing ownership with like minded friends. Work out a plan to share the costs and use of the boat.


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## casioqv

I'm 24 and just got my first boat- a 1974 Catalina 22 which I sailed for the first time last weekend, after working on it for a month or so. It only cost $800, and I'm probably $2000 into it now that it's in safe sailable condition.

When I got married 2 years ago my wife and I planned to go sailing in the San Juan islands for our honeymoon, but couldn't afford to buy a boat so we did a road trip on the Olympic peninsula instead. Now that we've graduated from college and have more money and time, I'm hoping to trailer my C22 1,000 miles north and finally do our dream honeymoon!

I was surprised to find that there's almost no young people into sailing, but the older people are very knowledgeable, helpful, and excited to pass along their knowledge to an interested younger person. I can't imagine why sailing isn't more popular- it can be fairly cheap and tons of fun.

I've always wanted to sail- I grew up powerboating and loved to be on the water, but I hate the noise, expense, and unreliability of gasoline engines and couldn't wait for the engine to turn off! Now I have a boat without a gas motor at all but 4 redundant drive systems: sailing, electric trolling motor, rowing, and calling a towing service on VHF!


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## emcentar

I'm 36 and in Washington, DC. I'm shopping for my first boat.

This is a very interesting thread. I have a few thoughts not already mentioned here about why there aren't more young sailors. If you didn't grow up sailing, it can be pretty intimidating. I grew up in a generation where most of our parents were divorced - maybe that's a big reason why fewer of us have sailing experience. Probably very few of you learned how to sail as a kid from your mom. 

I definitely see many more younger people with power boats. Motor boats have a much shorter learning curve, which might make them more attractive to the inexperienced. It looks like a car on the water, and a car is a familiar thing.

I didn't get on a sailboat until I moved here and a family friend in Annapolis took me out on his boat. Although I've been on plenty of power boats, I never much cared for them - loud and smelly. I'm more the hiker than speedracer type. Never really crossed my mind that sailing would be for me. However, I loved - loved sailing. It's taken me a few years to get serious about learning and take lessons, but now I regretted that I waited even that long.

Another thing no one has mentioned. Young sailors are rare, young women sailors are rarer. I sail with my girlfriend and I'll tell you that two young women alone in a sailboat - we get stared at a lot. While I see plenty of male-only boats, I rarely see all-female boat crews. Actually, I've never seen one.


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## Soontobecruiser

I turn 35 this year and my husband turns 43. We currently have and Islander 36 and intend to get a larger Catamaran to take a few years off to cruise as soon as our house sells. We've both been sailing since college.


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## freetosail

I'm 20 turning 21 and I don't have a sailboat, yet. It's my dream to sail across the atlantic after graduation and around the world before I turn 25. I've known many people who dream of doing amazing things, but never try to achieve them. I don't want to be like that. I want to set sail and see the world.

One reason that young people don't go sailing probably has to do with how this country is career and money oriented. As a student at a prestigious institution, I know the pressures that are applied to students to focus on nothing more than their GPA and resume, leaving little room for dreaming of the wide open ocean. After college, money becomes the objective. Rarely does anyone stop to think about the value that they get out of that money. For me a 20,000$ sailboat would be far more valuable than a 350,000 home. Which one gives you the most life experience.


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## JungleJim

Free - There is wisdom in those words. Personally, I'd say go the sailboat and plan your trip. I'm at the other end and when I look back, I would not have lost much of a start if I had jumped on a boat. I'm having a fun run, none the less.


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## irwin325cc

Hey frree2sail,
I'm 29 and would liked to have started after this lifestyle at about your age. You never know what the future has to offer so do what u want, when u want. Anybody can do these things (no matter the age, the kids, the wife, or ex-wife as it may be for some or most????) its just most don't. Go for it. 
I don't have to long before I'm finnaly out there. 
Good luck and just go for it.


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## civilman

I am 20 years old, and enjoy reading all of the adventures, tips and reviews. I do not have a boat - but I am looking for all the practice and experience available. I am studying in the bay area in California, and I am originally from southern San Diego.


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## MarkCK

I am 32 and have been sailing on and off for 8 years. I have always been fascinated by sailboats but growing up in the middle of farm country I never was around them. I took a sailing course out of college and bought a san juan 21 and sailed it for a couple of years before I bought a power boat. Last year I sold the power boat and bought a Santanna 20. 

I would like a bigger boat but dont want the hassles of owning one. This boat suits my needs for now.


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## wright1d

I found that other then the expense of everything being larger the bigger boats are actually easier!

I think your on to something Free.. In this economy I can't see how it would hurt you to take some time off (other then the resume gap) and its not as hard to move to a more restricted life style now as it may be after you start getting serious extra cash in you pockets. Do what you want while you can as once folks get married and kids start coming many folks trade their desire for adventure for the idea of stability & their lives are easily lost to their kids. We are trying to balance that as I figure the kids are going to enjoy what ever they grow up around so we each have some activity that's important to us, while doing kid activities, and trying to spend time as an overall family. Its hard..

Personally I would suggest working for a few years, keep your expenses minimal and then go out on your adventure, it will give you some time to see what a grown up life may turn into and while your gone you can reflect on what may really make you happy?


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## rvarnes

*In Norfolk*



creedence623 said:


> I'm glad you started this thread. I am 27, and have a 36' Catalina in Hampton, VA. I haven't met anyone within a decade of my age around the docks, and none of my "normal" friends are remotely interested in sailing. If anyone here lives around Hampton and wants to go PM me.


I'm also 27 in Norfolk, about to take my first sailing lesson, and would love to practice after getting the basics. Let me know if you'd like some company. email: [email protected]


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## TSOJOURNER

I just turned 31 this May and this is my third season with my 36' Dickerson ketch - she is from 1963, and wooden, so most of the conversations about her involve my jokes that "I hope she is still floating", but it's been a blast so far. I am spending the time to do a lot of the work myself, but here in Maine we got 11.5 inches of rain in June (avg is 3)... so needless to say it took awhile to get all the varnishing done this year (outside at the yard). Truth be told, the work is almost as fun as the sailing, if you have the right attitude. Doesn't make getting up in the morning to head to the boat yard any easier, but it could be much worse.

As to the limited number of young people sailing these days - I do think there are a lot of people who just don't realize how cheap it can be. With this economy, I'm seeing plenty of boats for a $1000~$2000 that are in good shape, often trailerable (or with trailer!), and ready to sail - pocket cruisers, day sailers, and even coastal cruisers, you name it. It can be done cheap if you have the patience to look for the deals.

Around here one of the major problems is getting a mooring - there are waiting lists between 5 and 10 years long in most towns, and renting at a marina is highway robbery. Another reason to get a trailerable, I guess.

When I do it again I'll probably go smaller (and very probably not wooden!).. but I had to make the mistake once in my life so I would know better in the future


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## eMKay

I'm trying to get more interested, I just taught a co-workers 13 year old daughter to sail, and will expose all 6 of my nieces next week in the 1000 islands. I'm bringing my Wave.


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## ChicagoNewport27

I turned 32 June 9th, 2009, and I have a Newport 27. I am the youngest boat owner in the harbor, the next youngest being over 50.


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## rmeador

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but this is a great thread. I'm 25, about to turn 26, and I just bought my first boat, a Gulfstar 37. I'll be living aboard starting next month.

I think I went about this whole adventure backwards from most people. I started dreaming about megayachts, saying "someday I'll have one of those". Then I realized, if I have a multi-million dollar megayacht, why have a house? Just live on it. My daydreams led to me to real-life used boat prices, and I discovered powerboats as big as a house for under a million dollars... I thought "that's achievable in the not too distant future!" Then I dug deeper... I found nice boats plenty large enough to live on for under $100k. I was already considering buying a house for more than that. At this point I started seriously considering living on a boat _now_, instead of it being a dream for the future. Then I saw the price of fuel. Instantly, I switched to looking at sail boats. Then I got a reality check in the difference between what a bank will loan you for a house vs a boat, and started downsizing my plans. Then I took a sailing class -- my first trip aboard a sailboat ever -- and I instantly fell in love with sailing, as I suspected I would. Then I bought a boat. Here I am, awaiting closing on my first boat.

I think a lot of the conjecture about why young people aren't into sailing is true -- they just don't get the attraction of doing without the TV and video games -- but also finding financing is really hard. I graduated from college with huge debt, and the boat about doubles it. I talked to a lot of banks where they said "you're young, and you've never bought anything big, and you have a lot of debt, so we're going to deny you even though you have a perfect credit rating". By "big" they mean a house. My car apparently doesn't count. Yet I got approved for $250k for a house loan. Everything is stacked in favor of most young people choosing a life on the hard.

Edit: In a fit of nostalgia, I just went on Yachtworld and looked for powerboats in the $100k range, and I actually found the listing for the boat that made me switch from "dream" to "do it now", apparently it is still for sale. I'd still say that boat would make a fantastic liveaboard.


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## irwin325cc

rmeador, way to go with the boat. Its a s*@t ton of work but worth ever cent. 
I am now living aboard and sailing my boat near every weekend and have about a year before I can take off on my first of hopefully many six to nine month cruises. Then maybe longer ones. All i can say is read, read, read all you can on what you are wanting to do and take what you want from the ones you agree with. Screw the rest.

Good luck


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## 5hortBu5

'Nother youngin' here. I'm 30, and just purchased my first boat, a 1974 O'Day Javelin.


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## TintedChrome

And another.. 33 here, with a 24 foot racer undergoing a refit and resto.

Will be shopping for a cruiser in the mid 30 to low 40ft range next year. Ideally I'd love them to be slip mates and I can sail the Farr while I live aboard the cruiser and prep her for extended cruising in 5 years or so. 

More expensive to maintain and slip 2 boats, yes.. but still cheaper overall than rent/mortgage, I'll have a relatively cheap boat to sail in the meantime, and the 24 footer will serve as a nice infusion into the cruising kitty towards the end.


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## bljones

eMKay said:


> will expose all 6 of my nieces next week in the 1000 islands.


Now I know why they call you "Uncle Creepy."


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## smackdaddy

rm - I'm stealing this post for the Salt's thread. This is exactly the kind of thing newbs ask about and is really valuable info.

Congrats on becoming a Salt dude!



rmeador said:


> Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but this is a great thread. I'm 25, about to turn 26, and I just bought my first boat, a Gulfstar 37. I'll be living aboard starting next month.
> 
> I think I went about this whole adventure backwards from most people. I started dreaming about megayachts, saying "someday I'll have one of those". Then I realized, if I have a multi-million dollar megayacht, why have a house? Just live on it. My daydreams led to me to real-life used boat prices, and I discovered powerboats as big as a house for under a million dollars... I thought "that's achievable in the not too distant future!" Then I dug deeper... I found nice boats plenty large enough to live on for under $100k. I was already considering buying a house for more than that. At this point I started seriously considering living on a boat _now_, instead of it being a dream for the future. Then I saw the price of fuel. Instantly, I switched to looking at sail boats. Then I got a reality check in the difference between what a bank will loan you for a house vs a boat, and started downsizing my plans. Then I took a sailing class -- my first trip aboard a sailboat ever -- and I instantly fell in love with sailing, as I suspected I would. Then I bought a boat. Here I am, awaiting closing on my first boat.
> 
> I think a lot of the conjecture about why young people aren't into sailing is true -- they just don't get the attraction of doing without the TV and video games -- but also finding financing is really hard. I graduated from college with huge debt, and the boat about doubles it. I talked to a lot of banks where they said "you're young, and you've never bought anything big, and you have a lot of debt, so we're going to deny you even though you have a perfect credit rating". By "big" they mean a house. My car apparently doesn't count. Yet I got approved for $250k for a house loan. Everything is stacked in favor of most young people choosing a life on the hard.
> 
> Edit: In a fit of nostalgia, I just went on Yachtworld and looked for powerboats in the $100k range, and I actually found the listing for the boat that made me switch from "dream" to "do it now", apparently it is still for sale. I'd still say that boat would make a fantastic liveaboard.


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## chall03

This is a great thread and I am glad Rmeador has resurrected it.....

Best of luck Rmeador with the boat, and getting out there and living the dream. It takes real balls in our 'modern' society to deviate from the norm and do something apparently as radical as living on a boat.......

My wife and I are also youngish compared to what is now 'normal' amongst sailing and in particular cruising folk. We have both just entered our 30s, and have been sailing for most of our twenties.......


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## Patient

Hi there.

Im 30 and have been in the market for a Blue Water cruiser for the past 2 years. I am taking my time and have been chartering a lot in between. I grew up sailing and just in the last few years have resurrected my interest with a lot of course work and piggybanking.

I am split between a Hans Christian 33 and a Baba 35. Hopefully this Jan will be the last Charter I will be doing on with someone else's boat.

Fair winds!


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## adams3287

chall03 said:


> I am 29 here. Been into sailing since I was 22.........was told shortly after that 'cruising' was uncool. It was for when you are old and retired......until then you are just mean't to sail your boat in circles around cans while drinking beer.....
> 
> We are part of a local yacht club that has a cruising division that meets once a month and we are easily the youngest there by about 20 years. Having said that it takes a certain type of person to be a sailor, so some of the 60 year olds we know from cruising are 'younger' and a hell of a lot more fun than some of my 25 year old friends
> 
> It is good to know that people our age are out there pursuing their dreams as well. We are not all addicted to shopping Malls, Playstations, and spending our weekends following Britney's Twitter Page


I have to completely agree with chall03's above quote. I'm 23 and am just moving aboard my 1964 32' Islander that has just been fully restored, a 9 year project with my father.

It seems so many of our peers want to zip around in their flats boats and sportfishers. I still get the last laugh when I pull up to the fueling dock and don't have to pull out a line of credit to fill my tank.

All said, when you get ready to do your cruise, let the rest of us know, who knows, maybe us young folks can pull our schedules together and take the islands by storm!


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## BrickPearson26

Hey All,
I'm am 23, and have been cruising on an off since the age of 20. Last winter my girlfriend and I sailed my 30' 1973 Pearson from Maine to the Abacos, Bahamas. We ended up living on the boat for six months and picking up a cat on about month two. Eventually we ran low on funds and traded the boat for an SUV in Florida and drove back north with all of our belongings. 
It was a fantastic trip, but it made us realize how few young cruisers there are in the world today. All together, we met four other cruisers about our age - 2 were a brother and sister from Maine (whom we had never met before the trip) on a what I think was a 28' Albin Vega racing boat from the 80's, one was a 27 year old out of Maryland on a 28' Cheoy Lee, and the last one was a 24 year old out with his father from New York on a 35' ketch.

I think the greatest inhibitors to cruising is the amount of preparation involved in doing an extended trip on a sailboat (including working on a boat and accumulating enough money), and the time required to do it. Rather than "regular travel" where you just have to buy a couple airline tickets and book a hostel, cruising requires a fairly expensive boat that needs to be outfitted with many expensive parts. Also, most young people don't even know that cruising is an option available to them. The only young cruisers who get publicity are those who circumnavigate, which is honestly a completely different kind of cruising than what most people would ever want to do.


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## mceveritt

I'm 24, own a Pearson Commander (26ft) - Havent done any long trips yet, but getting ready for it! 

It's very true that most people my age prefer motor boats, I think it's immaturity!!


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## smackdaddy

I think people make it too much about the boat and not about the sailing. In other words, as seen in another thread, a dude found a C22 for $250 that will probably catch wind and go with very little work. Done! You're sailing and having a blast for the cost of an XBox360.

You can always find a crappy-yet-sailable boat and just get out and have fun. Instead people obsess too much over trying to find a perfect boat for too much money, or spend too much money trying to perfect a crappy boat instead of sailing it. My C27 was seriously crappy when I got it - now it's a little less crappy - and it's been fun since day one!

Just find something and go sailing!


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## 5hortBu5

Bang on, SmackDaddy. I got my Javelin with a trailer for $250 in ready-to-sail condition. She ain't gonna win any beauty contests, or races for that matter, but the perfect boat for the rookie sailor is the one that's waiting in his driveway for him when he wakes up on Saturday morning.


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## smackdaddy

That's what_ I'm _talkin' about!


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## TintedChrome

Yup.. bought mine for outstanding storage and a case of beer -all told about $1000.. She needs work, but there's absolutely no reason it won't get splashed in the spring. I would've done it this year but there's little time left in the season here in the snow belt. In the meantime, I'm using other people's boats.. and funnily enough now that I own my own folks are a lot more likely let me take theirs out.

So in my case, just "joining the club" and being a boat owner is what allows me to sail to my heart's content


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## trisstan87

I am a youngin, 23 years to be exact. The story of cruising and trading the boat for an SUV is pretty cool. Not a lot of people experience that sort of freedom anymore. 
People assume too much. People think they need way more than they do. I plan on saving 25-35K in the next 4-5 years and leaving. I do not care about the fact that once that money runs out I will be destitute. I will have a college education in the sciences. That along with my desire and ability to pick up and move whenever and wherever I wish will keep me going until I find where I want to drop anchor for good. I cannot wait to be a young, sailing hobo


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## kpgraci

GET OFF MY LAWN!

uh...sorry. it just kinda came out.


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## trisstan87

Lol. Classic old guy line. You might even follow that up by handing your grand kid fecal matter in a box for his birthday. Then, using your senility as an excuse, you can laugh hysterically in the bath room at the fact that you just gave someone poop in a box and got away with it. 
Who says getting old HAS to be so crappy, literally


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## casioqv

smackdaddy said:


> I think people make it too much about the boat and not about the sailing. In other words, as seen in another thread, a dude found a C22 for $250 that will probably catch wind and go with very little work. Done! You're sailing and having a blast for the cost of an XBox360.


I love this concept, and I'm mostly following it but it hasn't been quite so easy and cheap for me. My $800 C22 appeared to be in good shape (a year ago when I was 24), but after learning more, I decided it needed a year of work and thousands in materials just to be safe to sail.

It did "catch the wind and sail" but it was a sinking and/or demasting waiting to happen with major neglect and missing parts all hidden by a nice-ish paint job and clean-ish teak.

I'm mostly done now and cruising it with my wife- it was a great learning experience but not quite the "cruising sailboat for the cost of a used laptop" that I hoped it would be. Perhaps for the cost of a new laptop...

I certainly have much less money in my entire cruising boat than many cruisers spent on their dinghy- or perhaps even just the motor on their dinghy.


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## CaptainPeppers

We are currently moving forward and doing it! We have two years left beginning October 1, possibly sooner depending on the market... I am 28 and my girlfriend is 22. I've been sailing since I was a child.. Grew up in New Orleans racing, day sailing, and doing offshore regattas. Since then I have been through a number of boats. After searching for more than 6 years I have found the exact build, layout, and safety features I wanted. We are sailing on KoKoi our beautiful 2000 Beneteau 36 CC. We are currently in the process of doing the final touches for cruising. This weeks project is a new HMC bed for the girlfriend. She said buy that and she will be set! Sounds like a cheap date to me!!! I would love to talk with other young cruisers following the dream and would love to hear what they are doing with there plans. We currently reside in downtown St Augustine, FL. So if anyone would like to go for a sail, have a beer, or needs info about the city let us know. We try and sail a minimum of one day a week currently, and then on weekends do small 2-3 day trips and some overnight offshore stuff..


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## nasomi

I'm 27, have been itching since about 23. Don't have one yet, but looking aggressively.


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## Boasun

Well, I'm Twenty-nine with forty years of experience of being Twenty-nine...
Does that count?? Am looking for a new (to me) but have worked on the water all of my adult life...


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## funjohnson

funjohnson said:


> 26 and bought my first sailboat last August (first time sailing was on my own boat), a 1998 Hunter 240. I wanted to get my feet wet in a boat I knew wouldn't break me financially. Now I want to move up to a 30-34' and leave with the wife for a life down south, but I'm not yet salty enough to take on that challenge. I figure I will get the larger boat next spring and leave the following year. Hopefully I have gained enough skill by then to not kill the two of us!


Here I am quoting myself, but on June 11th, 2009 it was all a dream. On December 31st of 2009 I bought the 34' Sabre in my avatar. The house is now for sale, and we will be leaving for adventures down south next August.

It's scary to think of giving-up prime money making years of our life, but without kids, why not do it now? Our plan is to take off for two years then return to the US broke and ready to work for the next trip.


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## Sublime

I'm in the boat owners under 35 crowd. I've been sailing since I was 8 months old. 

Some just aren't interested in the work it takes. How many people used to do their own tune ups on cars vs nowadays? I know more people who don't know how to change a tire than do. It's too much work to know that.

Recent generations are more interested in quick status symbols. Shiny and loud is what's important. Iphones, new car, new house, xbox, etc. They want a quick return on things and sailing has a bigger learning curve than these other gadgets.

I have a preowned house, a preowned truck, no iphone...
But I have two boats. One I can go fly across the water in, get wet, capsize, and use it to shock all the powerboaters when they see a wind powered vessel on a plane for the first time. The other I could easily take five or six out for a cruise, serve them dinner or I could live on it. 
If I can do it, anyone who _wants_ to can.

It's all about priorities. Some things are easier than others.
People still want to go sailing, but it's a little harder to get out there than it is to log on to facebook so all they ever say is, "I've always wanted to go sailing" and it never changes.

Let them stay on land, I say. It's one less boat that will be neglected.


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## sailingdog

SUblime—

One issue about cars is that many modern cars are very difficult to work on, since so much is dependent on having expensive, high-tech, diagnostic tools.


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## Sublime

sailingdog said:


> SUblime-
> 
> One issue about cars is that many modern cars are very difficult to work on, since so much is dependent on having expensive, high-tech, diagnostic tools.


Don't I know. I gave up brand new cars just a little while ago. Not worth it IMO. 
Some things on them haven't change, however. It's still just a lug wrench and a jack to change a tire on most of them. Hell, the wheels are even lighter.


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## dbrimm

My wife (26) and I (34) just came back from a year of cruising the Caribbean on our Ohlson 38 which we sold when we left. Prior to that we'd spent 2004-6 wandering around the virgins in a Grand Banks 35 (stink pot!) and a Targa 32 sloop. 

We're now back in northern California planning our next adventure.


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## sailingdog

Very true...


Sublime said:


> Don't I know. I gave up brand new cars just a little while ago. Not worth it IMO.
> Some things on them haven't change, however. It's still just a lug wrench and a jack to change a tire on most of them. Hell, the wheels are even lighter.


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## chall03

funjohnson said:


> Here I am quoting myself, but on June 11th, 2009 it was all a dream. On December 31st of 2009 I bought the 34' Sabre in my avatar. The house is now for sale, and we will be leaving for adventures down south next August.
> 
> It's scary to think of giving-up prime money making years of our life, but without kids, why not do it now? Our plan is to take off for two years then return to the US broke and ready to work for the next trip.


We are in a similar situation to you funjohnson, and looking to do the same out here in Oz. I figure enough of my life is going to be given over to the 9-5 grind, we want to steal a year or so back while we can..........if that makes us that little bit less wealthier when I die so be it!


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## Aeolis

Im 24 and my wife is 23. Ive been sailing on various small boats on and off since 15 and when our Ranger 22 came up for sale 3 years ago I couldnt resist mush to the concern of my wife.After a few day sails I soon sucessfully transmitted the sailing bug to the wife as well and now she cant get enough. Now were looking for a bigger boat!


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## SophiP

We also get jabs about what our parents will say when we do such-and-such to OUR boat! We're 23 and 28 and own a Downeaster 32 which we live on. Not too many other young people on boats out there, but there is another guy our age on his sailboat right next to us, and we have two under-30 friends in the marina across the river! Maybe it's the new hip thing to do...


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## Guero

I'm 34 and I own an Aloha 34, and currently expatriated in Mexico. I have my eyes on an Oceanis 400 parked at Isla Mujeres but it will destroy my savings, that I've been piling to get my own house in Mexico. I love sailing.


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## casioqv

I was looking at some of the sailing magazine demographics, and it seems like about 90% of sailors are 50+, wealthy, male, and have 20+ years of sailing experience.

If they have so much experience- that means that 20+ years ago there must have been tons of young sailors, but young people aren't interested in sailing anymore.

It's quite a bummer, but I suspect you'll hardly be able to give away large cruising and racing sailboats twenty years from now, when these 50-70 year old sailors pass away or are too old to sail, and hardly anyone left even knows or cares about sailing.


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## hardalee22

I'm 32 and have been sailing for around 6 years. Started with an O'day 22 and moved up to a Mariner 28 4 years ago. Sailed the boat from NYC to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia this summer. Trying to get more friends to buy boats.


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## malcolm3

*26 with a morgan 30*

I have a 1969 Morgan 30. Im in Jupiter, Fl trying to get on my way to the Islands within the next year or so. Im updating all of my systems now and working on my kitty.


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## g0twind

I'm 25 and have a 23' Paceship PY23. Before that I had a Hunter 140. Currently sailing out of Eagle Creek Marina in Kendall, NY on Lake Ontario.


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## peoples1234

I'm 24 and just picked up an '87 Hunter 23. Three more full weekends of work and I think she'll be ready for the water (I hope). 

My dad was a sailer growing up. My mom could take it or leave it. They had a San Juan 21 and then an Ericson 32 for most of my teenage years. I was apathetic to sailing during most of that time, something I really regret. I liked it, but never really go into it. My dad sold the Ericson because no one really cared for sailing except for him. As I am sure you can imagine, he is ecstatic now. I hope we make it out on the water before January.


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## Kenif

Apparently according to my wife I act like a 5 yo!


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## ClaireFAISE

Chris3492 said:


> ...... here in San Diego. I have a 28 foot Cal Jenson that I was lucky enough to gain owner ship of. I have put every extra cent I have had into her over the past year and now she's ready to sail on a moments notice, which was my goal. There is still a lot to be desired though as always. I have sailed down to Mexico already but my big dream is to spend months sailing down Baja and coming back up in the Sea of Cortez and just roughing it. I lived in Tijuana for 2 and half years and have gotten my taste of Mexico but now I wish to return via mi valero. Anyone else here in SD?


I'm from San Diego too 

I'm 21. I have no boat yet


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## Deltaclay

Im 34 and just bought my first sailboat. i got a 1978 hunter 30. it needs a little work but I sailed her in the gulf of mexico last weekend. I love it


----------



## retrospect

Im 24 and my boyfriend is 23. We recently started sailing in dallas, tx.


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## edgesoftheearth

I'm 25, by boyfriend is 26. We have been living aboard our 1964 Cheoy Lee 35' for 2 years. Planning on leaving for circumnavigation next October. We live on a mooring. There are a lot of young (23-35) people out there. I think you will find younger people on moorings because (1)it is cheaper than being in a marina, (2)there is no marina manager there to yell at you for partying late into the night, and (3)there is way more privacy.


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## my900ss

37... bought my first boat 2 months ago... Catalina 27. I just decided to start sailing, took an ASA 101 class and here I am. I have been out single handing the boat 5 times since the purchase.


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## overbored

I just turned 60 and will be 29 on my next birthday and still sail my Prindle 16 from the trapeze in the ocean. It's great to hear from some of you young sailer out there with older boats that I sailed on when the boats were new.


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## LandLocked66c

Just hit the mid-thirty mark... Bought our boat 10 months ago and still restoring it!


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## DubeJ

31 yrs old here, also in San Diego. Sailed a Capri 16.5 for a while and then moved up to Catalina 22, 250, and Pearson 32.


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## ArcherBowman

*Aging*



T37Chef said:


> Hey I take offense to that...you saying I'm old???  You wait...you'll be 39 before you know it!!! LOL


Oh, dude, you have no idea. The journey from 30 - 39 was a LOT longer than the journey from 39 - 47. It happened in the blink of an eye.

Once you get over the hill, you tend to pick up speed.


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## solman55

I am 21 I have been sailing for the past year and have always wanted to live on a boat so since I am 21 and home life has not been the best these past years I took out a loan and went on a search for the perfect boat which I recently found in a Watkins 27 and I am now the proud owner and skipper of my little 21 aptly named the "TIPSY GYPSY" She is my house, sailboat and project. While she is in immaculate shape there are always things to do, I have to say this has been a long journey to get where I wanted after about a year or so of searching and being broke as hell its the best thing I think I could have ever done to recover form a down turning mental state. I know long post but I have to brag as I am happy as a clam.


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## LandLocked66c

solman55 said:


> I am 21 I have been sailing for the past year and have always wanted to live on a boat so since I am 21 and home life has not been the best these past years I took out a loan and went on a search for the perfect boat which I recently found in a Watkins 27 and I am now the proud owner and skipper of my little 21 aptly named the "TIPSY GYPSY" She is my house, sailboat and project. While she is in immaculate shape there are always things to do, I have to say this has been a long journey to get where I wanted after about a year or so of searching and being broke as hell its the best thing I think I could have ever done to recover form a down turning mental state. I know long post but I have to brag as I am happy as a clam.


That's awesome man! So your boat is 21' or 27'? Any pics?


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## solman55

Its a 27 footer here is a photo of when I first got her.


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## LandLocked66c

Nice indeed! Wish I could've done that at 21!


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## SailingWebGuy

29 here. Bought a Catalina 30 in the spring. Just had her hauled from the boat yard in MD to my home so that I can get her like new over the winter. I've been teaching myself programming, web and graphic design in hopes that I can earn a living while traveling.

On Monday I leave for my first extended sail from CT to FL.


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## leonem

SailingWebGuy said:


> On Monday I leave for my first extended sail from CT to FL.


Very cool - good luck! Are you soloing the boat or have you got crew?


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## joethecobbler

Leaving Monday ! I hope you like cold weather sailing ! 
How many heaters aboard? Nothing like North Atlantic Sailing in November !!
Stay dry.

As to the Original question of this thread. I started sailing very young and wondered where all the youthful sailors were. 
That was 30 years ago,now all those young sailors are all old codgers.
Must be something in the water.

Live the - Dash. Before it dashes past.


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## SailingWebGuy

leonem said:


> Very cool - good luck! Are you soloing the boat or have you got crew?


Thanks! I'm not ready to do a trip like this solo yet. I'm actually gonna be part of the crew.


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## Argyle38

I just turned 37, but I bought my boat when I was 33 and we don't have kids so we tend to identify with folks a bit younger (or considerably older, once the kids have moved out) anyway.










Argyle, when I bought her.

I also had a power boat, a 1969, wooden 27' Carver cruiser when I was in my mid-20's. I have a tendency to buy more boat than I should be able to afford, and then proceed to fix them up.

-Eric


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## ThereBePirates

post 1


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## ThereBePirates

post 2


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## ThereBePirates

I am 28, never really saved a penny lived the the reckless consumer life in London for too long.

Was made redundant 3 weeks ago, bought a 32 Contessa that same week, flew out to Lisbon and sailed it to Portimao where I am now fitting her out to cross the Atlantic on the next full moon on the 16th of November.

It is a learning curve!! Loving every minute of it, will cruise till I run out of money or sink 

ThereBePirates.com

And the picture of my sexy contessa! The keel on that baby will see you safe in the biggest oceans.


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## GulfCoastPirate

I'm 29, two kids, on the Texas Gulf Coast. I'm currently looking at a Columbia 36 that will be my first sailboat.


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## TakeFive

ThereBePirates said:


> I am 28, never really saved a penny lived the the reckless consumer life in London for too long.
> 
> Was made redundant 3 weeks ago, bought a 32 Contessa that same week, flew out to Lisbon and sailed it to Portimao where I am now fitting her out to cross the Atlantic on the next full moon on the 16th of November.
> 
> It is a learning curve!! Loving every minute of it, will cruise till I run out of money or sink
> 
> ThereBePirates.com
> 
> And the picture of my sexy contessa! The keel on that baby will see you safe in the biggest oceans.


I'm relatively new at this, but isn't it normal to spend a little time getting to know your boat before you attempt to cross an ocean on her?


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## sailingdog

RhythmDoctor said:


> I'm relatively new at this, but isn't it normal to spend a little time getting to know your boat before you attempt to cross an ocean on her?


Yes, it is... but not everyone subscribes to that belief. Look at Abby Sunderland... massive FAIL...and she didn't have her boat more than two months before she left on her circumnavigation, and had to restart because of her lack of knowledge on how to manage the electrical demands aboard Wild Eyes. Heather Neill is another great example...spent all of her time fitting the boat out and almost none sailing it-and FAILED two days from departure. Took a massive hit on the boat as well. Most of the ones who don't subscribe to the belief have failed.


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## GulfCoastPirate

Myself, I'm going to bump up and down the coast for a season or three before heading for the blue water. Mostly, I've got some pretty chitty luck so I'm not taking any chances...


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## jrd22

I'll chime in here for my son (34), who with his wife bought a Bayfield 36 two years ago in NC and fixed it up. They took it down the ICW and then to the Bahamas for a couple of months then back to Florida and then to Panama where they realized they were going to be parents. Change of plans (no Pacific crossing right away), back to NC where the boat is on the hard now while they are in Australia helping a friend they met while cruising (who just recently sailed the boat to Oz) build his house. They met and cruised with a lot of young people that are out there living the dream. Good to see how many here on SN are young and getting into sailing. Myself, I'm 59 and I think I'm just starting to mature)


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## Catalina400mkII

I'm 21, been sailing most of my life, started with a flying scott, then moved up to an oday 222, n now our most recent purchase a catalina 400 mkii. We sail on the chesapeake bay


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## ThereBePirates

"An albatross was a ship's good luck charm, until some fool killed it." - Mal

Thanks for your concern, I am not worried, taken care to ensure everything will go smoothly.


----------



## Memopad

I learned to sail and race on 420's in college. After a few years of doing no sailing outside races on everything from 210's to tartan 4100's and C&C115's I finally have my own boat. I do nothing but sail for fun and love every minute of it. I'm 25 and bought a Marieholm IF this past spring, and brought home a Ranger 28 this fall.

Been a great learning experience for me. Completely different perspective on things from a crew vs. owner standpoint. Most of my sailing this summer was singlehanding. Had a few "oh ****" moments (snagging the outboard on the mooring pendant as i was sailing away downwind, yeaaah...) a few days cut short by frustration, usually from too much wind. After sleeping on it and figuring out what I did wrong I'd go back out the next day in the same conditions and it would all go right. I'm sure the new boat (Ranger) will bring another set of surprises and frustrations but I'm looking forward to continuing the learning process.


----------



## Matvolver

Am 34 here in Oklahoma, with no sea and no boat


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## OTIMO

I'm 39 and living in Kemah Texas aboard a 46' Express Cruiser (powerboat...guy) I also have a 38' Cigarette. Not too many people below 45ish living aboard a boat, I am doing it to rid myself of the anchor known as home ownership.


P.S. I can sail.....just like living in ultimate comfort.

Modern Day Sonny Crockett!...aka Miami Vice


----------



## james679

I'm 31 and just bought my first boat, a Wing Keel Catalina 22 last year. I sail on Canandaigua Lake in the fingerlakes region of New York and love it. I've only been sailing for 3 seasons, started crewing on a friends boat and then joined the local yacht club. I have made plenty of mistakes, but my summer would be lost without it. Thanks for all the great reads and learning that this website has taught me!


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## granche1

Im 32 and have a 1986 Crealock 37. My boat is in puerto vallarta while I tend to my land and responsibilities in northern california. It is hard having a boat that is 2500 miles away. I am hoping to flee the rain and drive another trukload of gear down there in a few weeks. It is an interesting time. While I a dreaming of sailing around the world, my girlfriend of 6 years is getting impatient about having children. Perhaps ive hit on the reason that there are not so many young couples out there.

grant


----------



## sailingdog

No reason you can't go sailing with children. Dave and Jaja Martin and many others have done it quite successfully.


granche1 said:


> Im 32 and have a 1986 Crealock 37. My boat is in puerto vallarta while I tend to my land and responsibilities in northern california. It is hard having a boat that is 2500 miles away. I am hoping to flee the rain and drive another trukload of gear down there in a few weeks. It is an interesting time. While I a dreaming of sailing around the world, my girlfriend of 6 years is getting impatient about having children. Perhaps ive hit on the reason that there are not so many young couples out there.
> 
> grant


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## Death3

Hi im 19 years old and i own a 28ft Pearson Triton and ive been refitting it the past year and getting ready to sail the Caribbean


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## GulfCoastPirate

sailingdog said:


> No reason you can't go sailing with children. Dave and Jaja Martin and many others have done it quite successfully.


I plan on doing just that very soon. Hopefully by next season.


----------



## CruisingWolf88

I'm 22 and I've got myself a 1988 Catalina 30, been sailing since I was six years old.


----------



## Serendipitous

My husband and I are both 28. We have a mooring in Muskegon where we have seen a few 20 somethings like ourselves, plus a few families with kids. The yacht club next to us (Muskegon Yacht Club) seems to have a decent amount of people in their 30's, but they're all racers.
I've also noticed from going to our boat a few Fridays this past summer that the Yacht Club offers sailing lessons to kids from about 4-15. There have been races with close to 20 lasers out there (1-2 kids per boat), so it looks like there is another generation of sailors coming along, at least in West Michigan.


----------



## irwin325cc

granche1 said:


> Im 32 and have a 1986 Crealock 37.............. While I a dreaming of sailing around the world, my girlfriend of 6 years is getting impatient about having children. Perhaps ive hit on the reason that there are not so many young couples out there.
> 
> grant


Granche1, run for a secret vasectomy. Babies are loud, stink, can't trim a sail for sh!t, and hate the taste of rum. :laugher


----------



## wkeenan78

*I think I'm still young...*

I'm 33 and have a Starratt and Jenks 45' sloop I keep in Sarasota FL. My wife is 32 and the girls are 9 and 11. We will set sail permanantly in 10 years.


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## adams3287

I'm 23, and like so many here own my own boat (1964 32' Islander), restored it and sail her proudly. It seems like it would be a wildly awesome idea to have a couple of "young" people sail-ins somewhere, While schedules are hard to coordinate, even a rendezvous of 3 or 4 boats can lead to a cool trend in other places, and who knows, maybe we'll even spark a new tradition.

Just an idea....

-Tom


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## wkeenan78

*Young people sail in*

I would love to meet up somewhere on the gulf for a sail in. Dry Tortugas or the FL Keys would accomodate people from both the Atlantic and the Gulf Coasts.


----------



## Livinondreams

I am 21 and have a Westsail 28 I am currently refitting. Hopefully be back in the water by summer. Liking the idea of the "young people sail in".Seems that there are quite of few of us younger sailors.


----------



## cdhickey

My wife and I are both 30 and we own a Northern 1/4 ton (Mirage 24). At our club there's a very clear generation gap- out of about 40 boats, only 3 are owned by those under 40. Us young'uns need to stick together!


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## lilslippery

My wife and I are 32. I think we could be the youngest couple sailing on our lake. There is a hueg gap in age on the lake. I think most young people think it cost a lot to sail or it looks diffi. you them. We just got a 30 foot islander we are doing a restro on hope to be in water at ice off.

P.S. We have one son 5 he loves the boat.


----------



## YeahJohn

I am 27... Strangely I own an O'day 272. I see lots of young people, but in southern California it seems it is either their parents boat or they are under 30 have already sold their online business and are sailing 42' beneteau's...


----------



## chrisncate

Me and Cate are youngish (her 33 me 37).

Woo Hoo!! ....

64 Alberg 30 here.


----------



## JKCatalina310

*Just under the wire*

My Bride and I are 35. We had a C&C 24 for the last 3 seasons and just upgraded to a Catalina 310. There is one other under 40 couple at our dock. The rest are all older, for sailors that is. For power boats, there are a number of under 40 people at the dock. Our dock is heavily on the power boat side. Of approximately 100 slips, only 5-6 are sail boats.


----------



## Heinous

I'm 26 and bought my first boat about 6 months ago. I've been on boats my whole life, and have driven ships, but this is my first adventure into sailing and I love it.


----------



## Maleko777

*Looking to go further?*

Hey Im looking to sail from SD to Peru! how does that sound?...... here in San Diego. I have a 28 foot Cal Jenson that I was lucky enough to gain owner ship of. I have put every extra cent I have had into her over the past year and now she's ready to sail on a moments notice, which was my goal. There is still a lot to be desired though as always. I have sailed down to Mexico already but my big dream is to spend months sailing down Baja and coming back up in the Sea of Cortez and just roughing it. I lived in Tijuana for 2 and half years and have gotten my taste of Mexico but now I wish to return via mi valero. Anyone else here in SD?[/QUOTE]


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## Ragamuffin1979

I'm 31, bought my Santana 30 Thanksgiving weekend.


----------



## tip

Good to see the young'ins representing! You guys are inspiring, lots of nice boats...

I'm 26 y/o, sailing a San Juan 24. Here in Bellingham, I seem to see a lot of sailors in the 25-35 range, which is nice compared to other places I'm used to. My "plan" is to upgrade to a PH, like a Gulf 32, sail that around the NW for the next 10-15 years, then get a Wauquiez Hood 38 or Pretorien 35 and go cruising... we'll see


----------



## rhsanborn

I'm 25. I have a 1978 Morgan Out Island 30' up in Lake Huron in Au Gres, Michigan (due west of the tip of the thumb). We bought it in August. We documented our first, eventful weekend elsewhere in the forums. We're definitely hooked.


----------



## JasonBewley

I'm 31 year old and have dreaming of sailing for about 5 years now. I grew up around canoes and inflatables, but never sailed. I purchased what I would consider a capable cruiser and have been working on her for about 2 1/2 years. After getting tired and going broke, I've put the job on hold and purchased an Aquarius 23. Much better boat for Indiana, and still capable enough for the ICW & the Bahamas. I can hardly wait until the snow melts, as this one is actually ready for the water! I should have her upgraded and outfitted before the years end at which time I'm going down the Mississippi and over to Florida for a season. I sure hope my wife likes our new small boat, as the way money is going in my world we may end up liveaboards whether she is ready or not


----------



## omaho5

I'm 65 and young. Keep it simple with a 22 CD. When I am not working as a painting contractor I sail about three times a week.
I can do my age in non stop push ups.. You ?


----------



## kmp1284

I'm 26, currently boatless(besides a Laser) however I'm actively looking for a fast bluewater cruiser with liveaboard capabilities(thinking J/44 at the moment). I've managed to find a job that allows me the freedom to conduct business almost exclusively from home, or wherever I chose to be for that matter and I'm in the process of selling my condo in Boston and hopefully I'll be aboard full time by May to enjoy the summer in New England and then head south next Fall.


----------



## DamonVT

Congratulations Omaho for having the right priorities and staying fit and free to sail!

I'm 29 and have a Ranger 33 on Lake Champlain.


----------



## richeperkin

I learned to sail when I was 12 back in the UK, haven't been on a sailboat since my 24th birthday. . .until three weeks ago, when I bought a 1975 23' Ranger. . .haven't taken her out yet, but just going out to the marina of a weekend, cleaning her up, taking measurements for teak replacement and the extensive re-wiring I'm going to gives me a sh!t-eating grin for the rest of the week. I'll be 31 sometime in the next couple of days, but who's counting. . .


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## sync

I'm 22, I liveaboard a work in progress Catalina 27.... I don't know if I'm ever going to crave land again....(just about to spend big $$ at the boat yard).... Still no regrets! I come from a family up North who couldnt be less interested in boats...It's great to see this thread, I thought I was alone being under 30 and doing this... I'm hoping to do some light cruising soon....


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## sausagebarn

I am 36 with 3 kids (does that make me older or younger, I often wonder). We have a '74 Catalina 22' (since '09) and we go out as least twice a month on overnight trips around the puget sound in the sumer. I try to go out at least once a week solo. This sumer we will go out on our first week long (perhaps more) sailing adventure in the San Juans. 
We are often the only family out there and for sure the only family not on a mega yacht...


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## Paladin27

My wife and I are 32 and 30 and we just bought our first sailboat late this past summer along with a friend of ours who is 35. We are by FAR the youngest sailors in our marina, at least that we've met so far. We have a slip in South Haven, MI and it seems that area is skewed toward the older mindset.

I had no idea I would like sailing until a friend of ours invited us out on his Cat 24. I had considered buying a power boat before that excursion, but there is just something about sailing that clicked with me! We already enjoyed our short season from August to October with our 1987 Hunter 23! Counting down the days till it's back in the slip!


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## Cruiser2B

Im 35 and wife is 33. prolly be 39-40 by the time we get to serious cruising. hope to head toward med in early forties


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## Collinsb

Im 23. I started learning to sail when I was around 10, did it for a few years and then stopped. I started again about a year ago, im hooked. Located in San Diego and hoping to own a boat in a few years. Its hard being a student and trying to have money.


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## DamonVT

Look at this. A pretty good chunk of Sailnet is under 30.


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## StormBay

Im 30 and my wife is 29... currently waiting until spring to close on a Hans Christian 33. Plan to live aboard for a few years to save up a little extra cash and than shove off. We'll see how it all goes though


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## ClipperCity

Ahoy me Hearteez, I've been a big reader of this forum for some years now. Im a 32 yr old 100ton master, sail/tow and just closed on my 4th sloop. An islander 36 (76' Gurney dsgn). Im selling my ericson 29 and takin off on my first loong voyage this fall. The Chesapeake has been my cruising grounds since I got bit by a tartan 30 in my early twenties and jumped in w/ both feet, got my first boat @ 26, and moved from my apt. to my catalina 27. This thread has inspired me to finally post as I am young and dont expect to meet many cruisers my age. Im headed south>thorny path>and mayb NW carribean via the windward passage(if my pockets and/or boat doesnt brake first) Nice to see everyone chiming in. ill be looking for crew during various legs. Im not married and will single-handing some. Now that ive registered, this isnt the last you'll be hearin from this urban pirate...


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## manhattan08

*My boat*

I'm 35 and last spring purchased a Hunter 285 to sail on Lake Norman in North Carolina. I plan to race it this weekend and tear up some Catalinas and Newports!


----------



## dogsailors

im 29 and on my 6th sailboat sailing to abacos with my dog in 10 days and im a cute girl and im single handleing


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## OTIMO

dogsailors said:


> im 29 and on my 6th sailboat sailing to abacos with my dog in 10 days and im a cute girl and im single handleing


We need PICS!!!!!


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## pistonbully

FishFinder said:


> but they would have to leave the sub-woofer and beer bong at home.


Ah come on,, That beer bong can be a lot of fun!!


----------



## pistonbully

dogsailors said:


> im 29 and on my 6th sailboat sailing to abacos with my dog in 10 days and im a cute girl and im single handleing


You had me at 6th boat,,,

Good job girl! Hope I get to have a beer with you next year!!


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## Frogwatch

I am waaay over 30 but I'd like to offer some thoughts. Owning a cruising boat is a serious expense just to keep her at a slip. more than most people that age can afford. Consequently, I see the future of sailing for young people to be trailer sailboats.
We started trying to cruise at about age 28. Finally, at age 55 I am able to do whatever I want but find I do not want to sail around the world as I did back then. Expect your dreams to change with age but do not put them off till you can afford them.
I've tried to give my 28' S2 to my 25 yr old daughter but although she likes sailing she is not ready to take the boat.


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## turbulicity

I am 30 and I liveaboard with my wife and son on a 50' Gulfstar. I got the boat two months ago and it is my first. No sailing experience before. I am always on the lookout for experienced crew to be able to get out which I am trying to do every weekend. I would much prefer starting with a smaller boat and work my way up but finances only worked out if we lived aboard. So there. I am in the SF bay area. 

First cruising plan is 5 years out across the pacific.


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## JoeDiver

Frogwatch said:


> Owning a cruising boat is a serious expense just to keep her at a slip. more than most people that age can afford.


This.

I'm not saying there aren't any young people that own their own cruising boats, but they are a rare encounter. I have yet to meet anyone in my marina under 25 who owns their own boat. Oh sure, there are quite a few who operate them and claim that the boat is theirs, but almost every time it turns out that the boat actually belongs to daddy and the kids get unlimited use, and "claim" that the boat is "theirs". Kudos to the kids who actually buy their own boat, pay the payments, pay the insurance, slip fees, maintenance costs, etc....but they are far and few between.

It makes me laugh sometimes...my very best friend loves to tell people he has a lake house....and a boat....and brag about spending weekends there...the reality is the lake house belongs to his mother in law, the boat belongs to the grandfather (who owned the lake house and gave it to his daughter)....but he seems to think that because he married into it, that the property is his....and no, the inheritance will eventually go to the older children.


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## dangwood

hello, my names daniel I am 35 and I sail a 25ft venture out of hammond bay area. Michigan. Only been sailing since fall 2010.


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## aimcat

Im 29, my husband is 29........


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## painthappy

Just turned 35 here... Tanzer 26 owner here.


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## Csails

My husband and I are 28, we are the 'under 30' boat. This is our first season with our J29, we're looking for younger crew to join us in Marblehead for racing!


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## Harborless

23 years old here. Own a 26'4" AMF PaceShip out of Jacksonville, FL. Plan on cruising the Bahamas upon graduation from university. Eventually want to work myself up to a 28-32' and go across the Pacific to Micronesia.


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## Harborless

JoeDiver said:


> This.
> 
> I'm not saying there aren't any young people that own their own cruising boats, but they are a rare encounter. I have yet to meet anyone in my marina under 25 who owns their own boat. Oh sure, there are quite a few who operate them and claim that the boat is theirs, but almost every time it turns out that the boat actually belongs to daddy and the kids get unlimited use, and "claim" that the boat is "theirs". Kudos to the kids who actually buy their own boat, pay the payments, pay the insurance, slip fees, maintenance costs, etc....but they are far and few between.
> 
> It makes me laugh sometimes...my very best friend loves to tell people he has a lake house....and a boat....and brag about spending weekends there...the reality is the lake house belongs to his mother in law, the boat belongs to the grandfather (who owned the lake house and gave it to his daughter)....but he seems to think that because he married into it, that the property is his....and no, the inheritance will eventually go to the older children.


Hi, nice to meet you!
23 year old sailboat owner here. Title and registration are in my name (just like my car.)
I pay my slip fees, haul outs, do all the work myself (with a few borrowed tools to be honest!) I plan and single hand my own trips and will be moving aboard once the heat of the summer falls off a bit (early september)
I am the youngest owner by far at my marina and the only other few couples who are around my age (early 30's) are married. I am definently the odd man out!
However, it IS expensive. I have had to postpone putting in ventilating portholes and new dorades due to an unforseen problem with the pressure plate in my bell housing unit. Also, had to do a re-haul the day after my bottom job because the old packing mtrl had dried out and was allowing a steady trickle of water in. Was not an expensive fix but haul-outs aint cheap!
I pay about 168$ month for my slip and 400$ for rent. Own the car outright and pay insurance once every 6 months. Boat registrations paid through AUG 2012. Do not have insurance on it yet.. unless it carried over which I do not think it does? Anyway, marina hasnt required me to get it and as long as I have it by the time I depart for the Abacos I will be fine.

Anyway, just wanted to introduce myself and say hello! We are a rare breed but we are out there!


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## crazystrause

*27 on B27*

Hola,

I moved to Annapolis from Richmond Va so my girl and I could spend more time on the water in my '68 Bristol 27. The plan is to throw the lines in mid Nov and head south for a Bahamas tour through the winter.

Ive been pretty lax with the posts but you can check out the excitement at our blog: Sublime Sustenance | means of sustaining life; worthy of adoration or reverence

Any other young east coasters wanna meet in annapolis and flotilla down the ICW before the jump across?

Phil
s/v High Life


----------



## JoeDiver

Harborless said:


> Hi, nice to meet you!
> 23 year old sailboat owner here. Title and registration are in my name (just like my car.)
> 
> Anyway, just wanted to introduce myself and say hello! We are a rare breed but we are out there!


Nice to meet you! Rare indeed, but I know y'all are out there. It's refreshing to meet a young person who isn't still hanging on daddy's wallet and is making their own way in the world. It's a nice feeling, isn't it? To be your own person, providing for yourself, and what you have you've earned and paid for yourself. It's a matter of personal pride and being an adult. You are leaps and bounds ahead of your peers.


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## Harborless

Hey thanks for the kind words Joe.
Truth is someday s it's hard owning a boat. Those days are mostly the days I go to balance my books 
The rest of the time I feel tremendous pride in owning a boat. I wait tables for work so often times I get guests who ask me questions about what I do and such. I always love the responses I get whenever it comes up that I own a sailboat and love sailing. Old people look at me with a look of half wonder and envy and the rest astonishment. 
I am used to being poor so living scarce is nothing new to me. Besides, everyday when I leave from working on my boat I get to think how I am one day closer to throwing off the lines for good. It is a sort of anxious excitement. 
I will say truthfully that I still have a lot to learn. I know almost nothing of the boats electrical systems and most of the plumbing needs replacing. Also, my diesel engine experience is bare-none besides taking apart the engine from the transmission and bell-housing unit to see the broken pressure plate in front of the gears. Also, I get terrified still every time I attempt to put a new hole in my boat. I find myself asking questions of fellow sailors at my Marina that appear common sense to them (yet none of them can convert my IPJE numbers to feet of line I need to buy!!! >=( )
Work on my boat takes 2 to 3X as long as others it seems. My workmanship is definitely lacking in gelcoat repairs (matching off white is FREAKING IMPOSSIBLE!!!) 
I find fiberglass repair is not too bad, but then the inevitable gelcoat... Also, while I do appreciate mm teak cabin I DO NOT appreciate the three days of wood restoration I have been involved in.
Lastly, who knew port holes could costs so much money? I have no idea how I will get those done by myself yet.. Got a bit to figure it out though.

So THANK YOU joe for your kind words. While I am a proud and jubilant sailboat owner the truth is I am about as scared and unsure as the rest. The only real benefit I can see in it all is that I got plenty of time to learn!

Regards,
Tristan


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## JoeDiver

It's all good Tristan....those feelings never really go away. I have days when I'm wondering how in the world I'm gonna pay for that....what have I gotten myself into....that costs how much????.....oh yeah. You just learn to live with it and you get used to it.

Wait until you buy a house!!! 

You may already know, but here are two excellent book you should buy if you don't have them already:

Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual

Complete Illustrated Sailboat Maintenance Manual

With these two, you'll be able to do just about anything and everything on your boat. Well worth the investment....and try to find a good coupon for them, like when Borders sends out the occasional 50% off one item coupon. I used those to buy my books, including the Annapolis Book of Seamanship. It's nice to get a brand new $50 book for $25!


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## southerncross31

If one was 23 and he had the whole world too see
But then instead decided to get married....just like me
One day he would regret not escaping to the sea
He would wonder what the **** he his reasonin be
FOR
Working on boats, to keep them afloat, is far easier than trying to make her HAPPY!


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## annnim

Hi everyone - an interesting discussion here!

I'm 26 years old (omg, wrote first 25, but I just turned 26 a couple of days ago!) and my bf is 27. He has been sailing forever and now he is teaching it to me. At least this far I've loved it - it has been great to explore new places with such an ecological and natural way and from the sea perspective since I have been used to travelling by land. Well okay, you can question if sailing actually is ecological... Anyway, it is a totally different way of travelling than for example flying. We have now sailed from our home country, Finland, to Norway and will be exploring this interesting area of fjords and mountains during a couple of summer months. We are still young and we do agree that most people we met sailing this far in the harbours seem to be already on pension... It is weird that not that many younger people do sail. Well, it is of course quite expensive, but we are not spending crazy amounts of many since we prepare food by ourselves etc.


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## n8kraft

*26 years old*

I'm 26 and my wife and I have a Catalina 27 that we sail out of Everett, WA.


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## Cruxandreams

I'm 22 and restoring a Cheoy lee as a learning experience. I love working on sailboats almost as much as I like sailing emm. hope to work my way up to a world cruser, and sail around the world some day. would really like to meat some other youngsters 30 and under would be cool. Im in the Annapolis Baltimore area, PM me if you close!


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## Cruxandreams

JoeDiver said:


> This.
> 
> I'm not saying there aren't any young people that own their own cruising boats, but they are a rare encounter. I have yet to meet anyone in my marina under 25 who owns their own boat. Oh sure, there are quite a few who operate them and claim that the boat is theirs, but almost every time it turns out that the boat actually belongs to daddy and the kids get unlimited use, and "claim" that the boat is "theirs". Kudos to the kids who actually buy their own boat, pay the payments, pay the insurance, slip fees, maintenance costs, etc....but they are far and few between.
> 
> It makes me laugh sometimes...my very best friend loves to tell people he has a lake house....and a boat....and brag about spending weekends there...the reality is the lake house belongs to his mother in law, the boat belongs to the grandfather (who owned the lake house and gave it to his daughter)....but he seems to think that because he married into it, that the property is his....and no, the inheritance will eventually go to the older children.


Plenty of affordable sailboat around right now, I'm 22 and am on my second boat. Just gota let go of all the maybes and chase your dream, its really quite simple. In Florida, "and I'm sure many other places I haven't sailed", you just be a man and anchor out with the real sea dogs. Its free! plus having to row out to your boat for me is kinda rewarding and fun, especially when the older guys motor by and wonder how the hell this kid is living the life already!! Cheers!!


----------



## shamrock6

I'm 31, married with a 9 month old son. This is our first year owning our Bristol 35.5. It's a lot of work and money, but well worth it. We keep the boat on the Magothy river off the Chesapeake Bay


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## cbtucker

*I feel so old now*

And here I thought I was going to not feel so old in these forums. 43 just got to be really old, and I don't even have a boat yet. I better hurry up so I can catch up with all these young whipper-snappers!

Seriously though - I'm jealous of the people that started doing this young! I'll just have to make up for lost time..

Good sailing to you all!


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## RGBrogan

I got started when I was 16 or so on Sunfish. That's when the addiction started. I then moved to a 26 O'Day when I was 26 and sold that last year to move to a Hunter 34. I am almost 30 and my first season with the H34, I learn new stuff every time I go out, I still haven't figured out all the bells and whistles yet. It came with a spinnaker and I haven't figured out how to fly it yet. I think I almost have it by looking at lots of pics. If anyone is around the Raritan Bay area and would like to go sailing for a day, please PM me. I would love to learn som of the finer points!


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## Harborless

Cruxandreams said:


> I'm 22 and restoring a Cheoy lee as a learning experience. I love working on sailboats almost as much as I like sailing emm. hope to work my way up to a world cruser, and sail around the world some day. would really like to meat some other youngsters 30 and under would be cool. Im in the Annapolis Baltimore area, PM me if you close!


Hey man, cool to hear about another like myself. I like the lines on the Lees but here bad things about leaks with the teak toe rail. You planning any voyages next year? I am planning a Carribean circuit next year in the May time frame. Would always enjoy another boat for the cruise (I got the spot in the 
Abacos-- Gotta love Grandparents =)
Hope your boats going well man. Im in Jacksonville, FL if you ever hit the area and want to hit some sailing and maybe even some clubs! Hahaha see! You old saltys can help me tighten my turnbuckles and cut out old portholes but I wouldn't take a one of you for a Friday night wingman! Sorry friends!
But I still loves ya all!


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## BentSailor

Guess with all the people posting in one of the tow threads, I should put my name in the hat as well. I'm thirty with a twenty-nine year old wife. We've four boys between the ages of four & eleven.

We've been sailing for just under a year now on a small variety of dinghies (16ft and under). Working our skills up for the planned family boat in another years time (or thereabouts). Funnily enough, I've always been what my mother nicely called an _"old soul"_ and my father more honestly labelled a _"cynical old [email protected]"_. So while we're under the average age of the other sailors in the area, it never really bothered me.


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## eckcn17

Wow just saw this thread but dont have time to read all 27 pages!

Im 30 and just bought a Pearson 31-2 been sailing my entire life mostly on inland waters, everything from optimist, laser, scows, to keelboats, all in all not that much time spent though. My wife and I are now on Lake Michigan on the WI/IL border and have that little dream in the back of our heads that so many have of "one day" 

I just truly hope we can change "one day" to "today" and really pursue our dream of sailing round the world! 

For now, we plan on taking a few years to learn the ropes of cruising on L.M. and somehow stratigize on making that initial departure! 

My biggest fear is forgetting the dream and pissing my "good" years away behind this STUPID DESK for silly little green pieces of paper! 
Chris


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## peninsulatour

Hey I am new to this forum.... and found this thread interesting.... now I too want to experience the same thing


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## JordanH

My wife-ish and I fall just under the line at 34 years old. We have a little Contessa 26 which doesn't have a home yet as we are about to make our way around 3 of the Great Lakes.

We were just at a little BBQ put on by some really nice folks in one marina. Outside of one other guy our age, everyone else was over 60. There were quite a few comments that young people just weren't interested any more. I put forth the notion that for sailing here you need money and time. Young people generally have one or the other but not both.


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## dnf777

Next question would be how many of us jumped to answer the question, then realized we're no longer eligible? :-(

43 regards...

(but still am one of the youngest in our club, from what I can see)


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## Andrea Royer

Hey everyone, I'm very new. * I'm hoping we can generate some discussion in this thread. * I'm 25 and will be moving to Mobile Bay to live and work on the family sailboat in the next month.

I've sailed with the University of Tennessee (the *real* UT!) Sailing Club and Team, but have been out of it for awhile, finishing up my degree, so I'm a bit apprehensive about getting a feel for things again.

I never really felt comfortable with our boat, anyhow, as it's 27' and I learned to sail through a Broadreach program on a 52' boat.

So, I'm really hoping I'll meet some awesome people down in the Bay that might be willing to teach me a thing or two. 

Of course, I anticipate I'll make lots of friends _of all ages_, but as I've experienced it, there are very few people _my age_ in yachting communities, so maybe I they'll pop out of the woodwork with me posting here?


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## millmonster

oy...im in sd and im trying to crew for a boat anywhere.. any ideas? im strong disciplined and thirsty to sail


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## KneeDeep34

I'm a 28 year old owner of a Catalina 22' my parents purchased the boat 17 years ago and it was given to me when they purchased their new boat, a Catalina 34'. We love both of these boats and use them often, plan to take a cruise to the Keys and Dry Tortugas as soon as I can finally finish with my schooling (hopefully not in the smaller of the two).


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## sfchallenger

I'm 30 with a Challenger 40' ketch. Like most of these posters I'm trying to get her set up for longer-term cruising, hopefully do Hawaii in a year or two, then see where it goes from there. I owned a few other boats before this one, with partners, this is the first one I bought on my own. 40' is a big jump from 27'! Sailing is expensive, my guess is that's why you don't see more younger folks out there. Any younger folks in the SF bay reading this - ping me and let's go sailing. 

Cheers,
h


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## sailorduff

*young and sailing*

I'm 28 with a 37' endeavor, currently on the St Johns in Florida...Bahamas bound in Jan.


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## br3nt

*Just under the bar here...*

First off, being 35 I appreciate just making the cut in the 'young people' category! Secondly we recently bought a Santana 22 for learning in San Francisco bay with the hopes of Sunday making it out beyond Golden Gate somewhere down the line (probably in a bigger boat tho).


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## CarpeAquam

I started sailing sunfish sailboats at boy scout camp when I was very young. I then went on a couple trips to the keys to sail the BSA Seabase high adventure twice. 

Now I'm 23 and own a '82 Starwind 22.


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## DorothyRose

*34*

I'm 34 with an un-named 16 ft skiff that in my dreams is a 34 foot catamaran! Soon..soon I tell myself...I think being young-GER is an advantage..we know technology, the world seems small to us still and we can stay up late on watch!


----------



## Patient

Hey Everyone,

I posted in this Thread already but was wondering how people are managing post grad with cruising? I am 32 and the SO is 31, she is finishing her masters this coming Spring. We are debating if taking a year off to cruise before she finds a job would make sense, or waiting a bit.

The ideal setup would be her finding something that we could do while actually cruising. She is in International Economic Development and Planning, so looking for research positions that involve far away places, heh. Would love to hear from couples that took off after finishing school rather then getting sucked in to a cubical.


----------



## Harborless

I have two semesters left of my under grad. I have been posting to websites requesting teachers in China. I also have thought about doing something with World Teach or the JET program. Perhaps I will just sail down to the Abacos and spend a year or two working/learning about diesel engines.

The Biology degree is just for getting jobs in other countries. The practical stuff is equally valuable to me.


----------



## rlpeeples88

I'm 23. Home port is Jacksonville, Florida. I own a '86 O'Day 272.


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## AaronM

Im 20 with a 14ft Hobie cat. ha. most expensive thing I can afford right now, but Ill go on a week long trip around lake michigan every once in a while.


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## santana30RI

I am 25 in upper bay of Rhode Island and have a Santana 30 no one around my age


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## Southcoasting

31 Year old noob sailor here just bought my first boat last month and slowly getting her ready for my first year of sailing next year...

Wife is going to law school so we're basically living off one income...I thought we would not be able to afford a sailboat anytime soon until I started looking and realized I really could...So after some ups and downs, the boat we ended up getting is one that chose us (long story short)...

So, super psyched for my first year on the waters...


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## fiatracer163

My friend an I have boats in the Milwaukee area. I have a Catalina 27, he has a Irwin 10/4. We are both under 30.


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## Guero

Please young people continue to promote Sailing! I'm 35 and the youngest guy in my sailing club. My regatta crew are 38, 40 and 42, and they are the 2nd, 3rd and 4th youngest as well. Nothing against you old salts, but dual 250 HP engines on planing hulls are replacing sailboats.


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## SeaMck333

I'm 27. Just getting into sailing, but I can tell (Like I did with my fist guitar); life will not be complete without sailing in it. I think there is something of a discipline in sailing, and it takes a personality, rare in my generation, that can handle only drinking one or two beers.


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## ChuckBuck

I'm 32 years old and have just sold my 4th sailboat and I am now looking to get into something larger.

I've owned a Catalina 22, J -24, Catalina 25, C&C 29, and xxx next???

I got into the sport when I was 7 and sailed / taught sailing on dinghies till I got into my 20s.

Love the sport and most of my sailing mates are much older than I am - its not how old you are, but how much you love the sport in my eyes.

All the best.

CB


----------



## watersquirrel

Hey, 27 on a boat 20 years my senior. I'm in the one and only Florida Keys and life is too good. Almost. The Cheoy Lee could be done, but, well, she's old and in dear need of an overhaul. I also have a few friends my age who own (don't laugh!) a Bayliner Bucaneer.  Their seem to be more of us learning at a younger age. Its nice to see. I'm so used to most of my friends being older than my boat!


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## TakeFive

watersquirrel said:


> ...I also have a few friends my age who own (don't laugh!) a Bayliner Bucaneer.  ...


I don't see anyone laughing. I do hear them praying, though. 

Seriously, though, it's all good. A lot of people bash my boats. The Catalina 25 owners - and owners of more finely crafted custom boats - stick their noses up at my C250, the Sunfish owners stick their noses up at my Phantom, and everyone sticks their nose up at my Trophy (made by Bayliner) with 50 hp made by left-for-dead Force (reportedly stands for F'ing Old Rebuilt Chrysler Engine).


----------



## jkiser

I'm 22 and just bought my first boat it's all new to me and I am eager to Learn

Cal 9.2


----------



## jennsea

Just turned 40, the husband is 33. We've been sailing together for 4 years, and living aboard for 3. 
I feel pretty young compared to most sailing folk, but I am finding more and more 20 something's picking up old tubs and fixing them up; very refreshing! 
I have been sailing since I was 5


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## gpwil3847

Even If I reverse the numbers (45) I'm still 10 years over 35!!! But hey, 45's the new 35 - that works for me


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## bassviking

In San Diego, 34, and just bought my first legit boat, a Cascade 36. Started out with a Southcoast 22 in NE Oklahoma. It was pretty basic and I liked to call it my glorified dinghy. The Cascade however has been awesome. I'm living aboard and take it out at least once a week. I usually go singlehanded as I can never find anybody who likes to go out on wednesday or thursday afternoons when I have the time to go.


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## Capt.aaron

I was given a Soverel 28 when I was 19 by my Grandfather. I had sailed with him on it since I was 8. When I was 20 I sailed it down to Belize and lived down there for a couple of years on it. Running illeagal charters with backpackers I met or what I ever I had to do to get by. I sailed back up to the key's and then on to South Beach Miami when I was 23 and lived aboard on the hook just south of the Venetian Causeway. I deliverd Taco's, worked in Bar's. Worked for Sailing Services as a rigger for a while. Then I sailed back to Key West and did the same thing there all through my 20's and 30's. Working as delivery captain, legal charter's, house painter. Sailng down to the caribbean when I managed to save some money. The engine broke on my first trip down and could never afford to fix it so I just sailed around with out it every where. Took it out completely about 15 years ago. One time I loaded my boat with 3 month's worth of food with food stamps. I'm a merchant marine on a tug boat now. 401 k, health insurance, a wife. Still have that boat though. Just finished restoring it. We own a house in Guanaja, Honduras, I plan to sail it back and forth each every 6 months. and live in Key West the other in a real apartment with a bath tub! I just turned 40 but still feel 30 something. All though hard at times, I would'nt trade my youth of bare bones, shoe string cruising for anything!
I keep the boat on the hook.


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## EricMaz

We started cruising at ages 33 and 38 on a Pacific Seacraft Mariah 31. I bought my first boat at 25 (a catalina 22). We've been cruising full time for 7 years from Alaska down to South America.

Most of the people our age or younger have only cruised for 1 or 2 years and returned back to work or start a family. I wish there were more diversity in age of the sailors out here, but we enjoy the adventure anyway.

Along the way we have written cruising guides for Central America, one for the Pacific Coast of Colombia and guides from other sailors.

We spent 10 years planning for our cruising adventure and saved every penny possible, never bought a new car, bought and sold a fixer house, and saved saved saved while our friends bought bigger houses, new cars and ate out a lot. It was at times depressing and difficult, but it has been worth it. It is definitely a struggle at times and you might be the only one in your age generation around, but it's part of the adventure.

Best of luck!!
Eric & Sherrell
Sarana at Sea - Stories Photos and More


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## turban10

I am 34 years old and have been bit by the sailing bug about 4 years ago. I dream of owning a boat, but with two small children in daycare, and upside down on our mortgage, that dream is many years away. For now, I rent a sailboat out of Belmont harbor in Chicago

Still, the admiral promises that once the kids are out of daycare and we have moved into a bigger house, I can start looking. 2015 looks like the year when the planets may align and i get my wish. That will be the year that I can stop flushing money down the daycare hole and begin flushing it down the sailboat hole.


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## bigtexn

I'm 32 and the wife is 30. Looking for our first boat in the next 6 months. Were a little behind the curve with experience but we will catch up.


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## kjones

I'm 24 and bought my second boat (Pearson 26) this past fall and love it. Hope to explore the bay more this summer after some work on the boat this winter!


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## Controlled Jibe

I'm 29 and my fiance is 33. We have a Balboa 20 on Flathead Lake right now, but we're about to quit our jobs, buy a 29'-32' boat and move to the Sea of Cortez.


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## Cruxandreams

Harborless said:


> Hey man, cool to hear about another like myself. I like the lines on the Lees but here bad things about leaks with the teak toe rail. You planning any voyages next year? I am planning a Carribean circuit next year in the May time frame. Would always enjoy another boat for the cruise (I got the spot in the
> Abacos-- Gotta love Grandparents =)
> Hope your boats going well man. Im in Jacksonville, FL if you ever hit the area and want to hit some sailing and maybe even some clubs! Hahaha see! You old saltys can help me tighten my turnbuckles and cut out old portholes but I wouldn't take a one of you for a Friday night wingman! Sorry friends!
> But I still loves ya all!


Hey man, Yea I'm actually planning on heading south in April or May headed for the Caribbean islands, my boat is coming right along, and By this time next year ill be kicking it on some remote island hopefully. Id love to meat up, were a rare breed, and Iv only meet a few cruisers my age, so for sure man, When I'm coming down Ill let ya know.


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## sep2x

My husband (29) and I (24) are living on our 32' sailboat. She is our second; we lived on our 27' Catalina for a while before (he a year, me a few months since I was away in college most of that time). We are the 2nd-youngest sailboat-live-aboards, and there are actually quite a few young sailors and liveaboards where we are here in Portland, ME. The only couple younger than us just moved onto their boat this fall, we helped them find their boat and they got a 27' Catalina (of course!). There are two other young couples with sailboats and two single guys, but no single ladies. There was one, but this year her beau moved aboard with her. Lucky man, her boat is beautiful! 

As others have said, of course, there are plenty of older folks on both power and sail boats. And, we have been told that "our parent's boat is really nice," and "Don't worry, I won't tell your dad!" when we ran our Catalina aground a few years ago. We didn't purchase a house, instead used our limited funds to buy a boat and pay off school loans. Still working on the loans part!


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## Ajax_MD

This thread is discriminatory, I'm telling the mods! C'mon, 30's and under is still young.

I'm 39, started sailing at 37. I started with a sturdy, but slow Coronado 25. I was bitten by the racing bug, so I upgraded to a Pearson 30.

It's really good to see these old boats getting new lives as sailboats for younger folks that want to break into sailing. People say that old boats prevent new boats from being built, due to their longevity, but I say that old boats make sailing accessible to people who don't make a huge salary.


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## youmeandthed

My wife and I are 29 and 27, we now own our second sail boat a Union 36, our first was a Catalina 30. We're planning on sailing the Caribbean then to New Zealand, but one thing at a time. We're heading out in a few weeks. Should be a good time.


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## cktalons

*27 and a girl*

I'm the youngest sailor and liveaboard in my area by far, and a girl to boot. I live aboard my 30' Islander MK II, and want to trade up to a Baba 35, Tashiba 36 or Union 36 (if I can ever afford or find one in my area!). I moved aboard for cost savings and adventure, when most of my friends are looking at houses and paying off college debts. Any other young sailors in the Puget Sound area? My plans are to head up to the San Juans and perhaps Canada this summer.


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## youmeandthed

cktalons

My wife and I are doing the same thing.. sort of. We had a Catalina 30 here in North Vancouver, we sold it, bought a nice Union 36 in Florida and are going to cruise for a while in a warmer climate. I know there are a few younger live aboards up here, not many but some. I definitely suggest Desolation sound, We went up last summer and it's pretty awesome.


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## TravelinJack

I'm 30 and my girlfriend is 27. Just got a Catalina 22 that I'm fixing up this past weekend, but started sailing with a buddy of mine on Lake travis a few years ago on his Laser and his Catalina 27. He's 28 and made his first trip across the pond to Ireland when he was 18. The C-22 is perfect for me right now as I need something that is trailerable since my girlfriend is in the Navy and we will be moving around a bit for the next few years. Most of my friends prefer to drive their boats to Devils Cove or Carlos and Charlie's, park them and get drunk. I'm fortunate to be with a woman that has as much of a passion for the ocean as I do, and almost as much of an adrenaline junkie as I am. It's a perfect arrangement, as my screen name suggests, I'm quite fond of traveling and get bored if I'm in one place to long. It's cool to see others in my age bracket getting into sailing. I see it around here more frequently than you might think.

T.J.


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## moskalm

24. 1989 Hunter 28. Bahamas bound


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## islandskipper23

26 here. Wish I could quit the grind and sail full-time!


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## islandskipper23

There should be a requirement that all people in their mid-twenties take a year off an sail the caribbean


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## WildJasmine

My wife and I are 28 and 27. We recently quit our jobs and are in school working on teachers certifications. We are doing the intracoastal and hopefully the Bahamas next winter. Blogging our adventure, we figure its a once in a lifetime opportunity, might as well do it young before kids.


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## way-happy

We all rock! Cheers to all of us who don't wait for old age or retirement to pursue our cruising dreams! Now is all we are guaranteed to have anyway!


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## SeaHevey

Female 27, on a Waltkins 27 in FL, I know a handful of young live aboard's up and down the FL coast mostly guys but a couple ladies as well, us young-ins are defiantly out there, we're just scattered, and it's true we all rock ,)


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## Chadfunk48

Me and My wife are 27, Working on building up the cruising kitty. Have a 27 hunter now and are saving to upgrade to... the best we can afford I hope!


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## Controlled Jibe

We're 29 and 33, just setting sail in Mexico in a few months on our newly purchased 1962 Pearson Triton! It's great to see so many other young uns' out there - (ha!).


----------



## barefootnavigator

I'm abit over the age range but have been living aboard on and off since I was 18. I'm on my 10th boat and setting sail south in September or October. I live on a 22' sailboat with my dog, she isn't a big boat but the best boat I could afford to pay cash for. Good to see so many young ones around here. I have a few very young kids living on my dock.


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## liveincolor

I'm 24. Sailed my whole life. When I was younger I spent a lot of time going out of Jones Inlet (Point Lookout), Long Island on Hobie 16s with my dad. Recently bought my own twin keel, Hurley 20. Sailed to Montauk to live aboard for 4 months, and back home again end of October. Working my way towards a boat that I can live aboard full time, and surf world class waves to my hearts content.


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## karrad

~Dillon

cal 33 leaving from gulfport on the way all the way around ( just turned 22 )


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## NeilAW

Checking in,

I am 21 in August, though I don't own a boat yet. Sure as hell wish I did. I am from Tacoma/Gig Harbor area, then moved to League City, the town right next to OP's town, and now live in Pearl Harbor. I have never lived away from the ocean, and don't plan to, so I see a boat in my future.


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## creedence623

eobpt said:


> I am 37 and my wife is 34 and we have two small kids. We own a S2 9.2a and sail up on lake Erie. I found it interesting last year when one of the club members asked me "What boat do your parents own?" They were shocked when I said we are full member and that 30 footer over there is ours. I would say we are easily 10-15 years younger than the next youngest member with a sailboat.


It starts to get a little depressing being 20 years younger than the youngest people at my marina (I think they tend to run a little older in Florida to begin with which doesn't help). I've found that yacht clubs and associations treat me as a little micro-celebrity, and are eager to welcome me and my wife to their events (the never ending quest for young blood maybe?).

My friends view sailing as a passing curiosity, interested in sailing in the same way you might be interested to know how silly putty picks stuff up. Any given friend is typically good for maybe one day every fiscal quarter spent doing this (in slow-motion no less) before tiring of boats and the water:






In their defense, this is a sickness. How else can I justify obsessing so much over a lifestyle?


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## aeaston

I'm 23, and have a Tanzer 8.5. Bought my first "real" boat (Tanzer 22) at the age of 19.

My fiancee and I are definitely the youngest ones at our yacht club, but we do find we have a lot in common with other older members when we start talking to them.

One thing that we've noticed, however, is that people are in disbelief when they talk to my fiancee and hear about all the fiberglassing, grinding and restoration work she does on our project. Admittedly more than I do, because my time in the office limits how much I get down to the boat


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## adams3287

Hey Karrad! I'm on an Islander 32' headed from Maryland to Gulport, shoving off in about 6 weeks, where are you cruising to?


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## BreakAwayFL

Loved sailing since I was in my teens, but just finally bought my sailboat at 35.


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## Guero

Well, posting before I turn 36 this 29th of May.

I just purchased my 3rd sailboat, a 2003 Hunter 410. Taking delivery in 2 weeks.


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## Maqroll

I am 30. My wife is 25. Are we young? Well, I am hoping to be young for the next 30 or 40 years...


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## MadBassett

I'm a 31 year old teenager.
I had a sunfish starting at 10 years old, and my first Boston Whaler at 14 (my best friend and me purchased). I have only been sailing keelboats for a couple of years now.
I have lived on the water my whole life, enduring weeks of rice and ramen sometimes to afford it.


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## paintpollz

nk235 said:


> I'm 24 and have owned my 32' Morgan 323 for 2 years and a small 25' sloop for one year before that. Got bit bit by the bug during one summer when I took a sailing course early in college. After I graduated and started work and making some money I bought the 25' sloop and loved it but it felt a littel bit too much like camping out so I sold it 2 years ago and bought the Morgan.
> 
> During the weekends I cruise all over the long Island Sound with my girl friend and some of my buddies. We eventually would love to sail down to the bahamas for a year or so taking our time going down the coast to see the sights. The only trouble is I would have to time it when I was in between jobs because I only get about 2 weeks or so with the current company I am with.
> 
> I do have to say though I hardly know anyone around my age who sails and if they do they just crew on others boats. I would love to meet more people my age that have their own sailboats. All my buddies have powerboats so there is always a good crowd to raft up to and go cruising with but no other sailors.
> 
> Picture of my current boat "Capricorn"
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> [/URL][/IMG]


awesome! that's what I'm trying to get into!


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## twinkleluv

am 32 n have a 27ft catalina,(LA))and am a single girl..is easier than it looks,,just takes alot of hard work and much passion,,,,you can do whatever you like on this earth if you have the drive and want to....xoxo p.s how2.com n youtube,,have saved my bum so many times to fix everything .... the great world of internet ....


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## smp

Started sailing at 30, am 33 now. Wasn't lucky enough to be raised around boats :/
Never really thought that sailing was accessible to the common man until I started looking into it. Thank god for old boats.


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## Tibuck19

I'm 37( still thirtyish ) i just bought a 30 foot older c&c sloop, coming this fall i'm single hand sailing it from Quebec Canada to the Bahamas.


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## JeffBurright

Checking in. I'm 30 and my wife is 28. We just moved aboard and we're gearing up to begin a 2-year voyage starting this fall. Any other younger folks going to be in Mexico at the end of the year?

Here's us: Take to the sea


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## youmeandthed

Were in panama looking to cross to the marquesas in march? There are a few young cruisers in Mexico, but us cruisers come from all walks of life, and you might find you get along better with older cruisers with similar views than just age associated ones.


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## Tibuck19

that is an excellent point youmeanthed ! it not really age but shared passion that makes the Difference !


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## JeffBurright

Oh no doubt, no offense intended! Just collating data, as they say.


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## youmeandthed

I say this because even today I met another young cruising couple, and the girl thought I was crazy because we used an autopilot to sail for 7 days across the Carribean. "well you're not real sailors" she said, "we hand steered across the Atlantic."

I thought she was nuts, and she thought I was nuts. I told her we are cruisers not sailors. 

She said "well you trust your life to a computer?" I replied "everyone does these days Sweetheart, ever been to a hospital?" Plus I added "well when the autopilot quits, we will steer, but until then I will read and watch out for boats, and sleep."

Anyways she thought I was crazy, i thought they were crazy. We were about the same age. 

Oh and they had an auto pilot on their boat, I asked if it was a power issue she said it was a sailing issue. Her husband confirmed that it was a power issue. So it's not about age, it's about who you can relate to. In my opinion this girl was an idiot, but my age none the least.


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## Capt.aaron

I have been single handling all over the Caribbean on my little sloop since I was 19. Made possible by self steering devices, be it wind vane, tiller mate, jib sheet to tiller, what ever. I have yet to meet a sailor who can hold a course better for extended periods of time. The more proficiant I became at useing self steering devices, the better sailor I became. I have hand steered many many miles on many deliveries, heaving to when I can't stand it any more. It suck's! I'm older than 35 now by a few years, but I used to be younger (grin)


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## cd66312

26 checking in. My dad bought a 15 ft dingy at a charity auction and proceeded to park it in my back yard. After it had sat for a year I got tired of looking at it and took it for a spin (sunk it our first time out, and learned about boat plugs). 

This all started about a year ago. A month after we started taking his boat out I got a RK20 (similar to Balboa/Ensenada 20). And about a month ago I switched to a Balboa 8.2/27. 

I have dreams of cruising, but like most kids my age, getting time off work is an issue.


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## n8kraft

My wife and I are aren't even 30 years old, living aboard with our newborn son and telling the world about it on our blog. Aboard Astraea | Invest in experiences, not things


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## tatiduds

Yeah where are all you youngins! We are sailors on our 46ft steel sloop cruising round SE Asia. I am 28 and my partner is 34, check out our blogsite at The Kingdom of Baikal
You young people out there get in touch!


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## pilotman

back half of my 20s. Been into powerboats since... forever. Owned a variety of my own powerboats since I was a teen. 

A variety of factors forced me off the water for the past few years. If it was just me I would buy a cheapie center console and run the hell out of it. I could see that lasting for one trip for Mrs. Pilotman.

Been wanting to get back on the water, and started realizing the bang for the buck in sailboats. Something 25+ feet, ability to cruise/stay overnight. That leaves a handful of twin engine, maintenance hogging, gas guzzlers - or a small, simple, single engine and free fuel. Well now I'm starting to see what I'm missing out on!


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## RavenKing

Well, I sneak in, I will be 35 shortly. I sailed some growing up. Got the bug bad again last year. Took some ASA classes earlier in the year. I bought a pearson triton about a month ago. I agree I am usually the youngest at the marina where the boat is kept. That being said most of the folks older than me there are way cooler than than some would suppose for their age. One of my faves is a 70ish yr old retired boston police detective. He has a saying for everything, and they are by and by hilarious and illuminating at the same time. Almost none of my friends are into sailing. Quite a few have smokers that cause them to pour money into the oil companies coffers every summer. They laugh at me because of how long it takes me to get somewhere for a meetup, I laugh at them when they break the bank filling up.


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## Supralicious

I'm 22, just bought a 15ft dinghy. I don't pretend to be familiar with the scene as I haven't even been out sailing yet but I the lack of forums and sailing resources online leave me thinking that it is definitely an older persons game at this point. That, and a lot of the websites you do find look like they were put up a decade ago using Microsoft Frontpage.

By way of comparison, I've frequented car forums for years and it's an absolutely thriving scene online. Just about every model of car you can think of has multiple online communities associated with it, locally and internationally. There might simply be more motor car enthusiasts than hobby-sailors but given how packed the waters get on a nice summers day, I find it a little bit hard to believe.

I think it can be attributed to the variety of recreational activities available to youth these days. The more options people have when it comes to spending their spare weekends, the less you'll have doing any one thing in particular. Blaming binge drinking or partying is nonsense. Don't try and tell me young people drinking like loons and making a nuisance of themselves is a recent phenomenon. I fear some people have short and selective memories.


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## Islander30Vagabond

Hello, I am 27 and so is my wife, we own a 30' Islander here in Naples, FL and are very involved in the local racing scene. We were in the market about 5years ago for a Tartan 37 that we were going to spend time cruising around the carribean on, but then she was accepted to law school and those plans have been put on hold.


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## meljabro3

Me and my wife live on a Hurley 30/90 in Charleston,sc and we're planning on cruising the Caribbean next year. I got into sailing in my 20's with a 22' O'Day and just fell in love. In Charleston there are lots of people in their 20's-30's living aboard and crusing


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## T Pudina

Wow, it's wonderful to see such a large community of young people living aboard & cruising out there  my fiance & I picked up a Grampian 26' for $100 plus moving costs ($1k) from Provincetown, MA to Halifax. It took a year and about a grand to fix her up, buy sails, a boom, custom spreaders and make major modifications to the cabin including updating the electrical, replacing the head, resolving the pluming & seacocks as well as modifying a camper water tank into two separate freshwater & holding tanks. Finally sailing south in November to St. Pete pier and looking forward to continuing my education. It's what we've always wanted!


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## melody1204

I'm 36. We are usually the youngest wherever we go. When we meet new people, they always ask us how we're able to do it so young. It's great because you can learn so much from others who are older/more experienced, etc. and some of the older people we've met have proven that you're only as old as you feel, but it is refreshing to hang out with people our age sometimes!

Melody
Vacilando | This is the story of two people, a dog and a journey. We'll choose some article almost certain not to exist and diligently try to find it.


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## Martytoof

33 here, just getting into sailing though. Don't own a boat yet, but I have no doubt I will before too long 

Wish I'd done this ten years ago though. Should have started much sooner.


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## KBob

Hi,
Me and my wife are both 34 and have been sailing for 4 years now on our -70 Albin Vega. Due to the short season up here in Finland we mainly spend our 4 week summer vacation sailing the Gulf of Finland coast with our two cats. We've been planning on a longer, maybe a year long, cruise at some point. We do some 
weekend sailing as well, but not as much as I'd like to.

Mikko A
Albin Vega 1005 Ikiturso


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## jeffzee

Im 28, have a San Juan 7.7 right now, ive owned my boat since i was 22. Grew up sailing on my parents Catalina 30. I dont know what i would do with my self if i didnt have boating in my life!


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## rackham the red

Hey hey wait until you are 39 it doesn't seem so old. I am on my 3rd boat. I started at 29 which is saying a lot from a rancher girl from colorado. 

enjoy your youth....we are all still young or wouldn't be sailing. oh and I have learned more from the oldsters sorry experienced sailors...thank you all for sharing your knowledge all you experienced few..


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## Chris.D

Hey yeah I'm 25. would love to own my own yacht but saving for a house instead . . . 

I am very keen to sail with some other young people and have some serious fun


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## aeventyr60

Chris.D said:


> Hey yeah I'm 25. would love to own my own yacht but saving for a house instead . . .
> 
> I am very keen to sail with some other young people and have some serious fun


Buy a yacht first, it will cure you of being a dirt dweller. Too many cool places to sail in QLD.....


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## Chris.D

Oh I completely agree . . . 

Someone please invite me aboard your yacht !

Went for a sail a while back around Saint Helena Island, Green Island and Peel Island . . . I cant believe what I saw and I WANT MORE !!!

Sailing to a new Island or dropping anchor somewhere mysterious and beautiful is pure ecstasy in my mind!!!!


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## dogsailors

hey its me again in charleston sc with my bullterrier wallace. plan on leaving again in october. We are on an ericson 30. and im 30 but been on sailnet since 23 and no not on my parents yachts


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## smackdaddy

dogsailors said:


> hey its me again in charleston sc with my bullterrier wallace. plan on leaving again in october. We are on an ericson 30. and im 30 but been on sailnet since 23 and no not on my parents yachts


Whazzzaaaap Dog!! Good to see you around.

Pics from your last run! Where did you guys go? And where are you headed next?


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## todd740

My wife and I are 28 and are looking for our first boat for us and our 2 soon to be 3 kids.


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## jrophoff

23 and own a 27 cal an Irwin 25. Bought the Cal when I was 22.


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## pmoney

I am 27. just getting interested in sailing no boat yet


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## youmeandthed

I just wrote up a rant about Jennie and my experiences as young cruises and the challenges we face


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## awindhorst

I am 28 and looking for my first boat. I have an eventual goal of casting off for a few years traveling and seeing where the adventure takes me. I am curious to see how any of you have approached the idea of the live aboard life style to a new significant other.


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## Mani Moana

and we are 23 and 30, cruising in the caribbean for a year now and soon going east or west (still to decide...)


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## jhorst1

We are 31 and 28 and looking to purchase a 30 in the Spring


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## Mani Moana

jhorst1 said:


> We are 31 and 28 and looking to purchase a 30 in the Spring


a 30 foot boat???


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## jhorst1

Mani Moana said:


> a 30 foot boat???


Yes....well more precise would be we have been looking at several sailboats from 29-32, currently a very clean one has my eye so we will see what happens.


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## Mani Moana

We have an endeavour 32 and we find it a perfect size for a couple... do u plan to cruise in the carribbean???


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## rhr1956

I was 35 about 21 years ago. Got my first sailboat (West Wight Potter 19) and sailed it for 10 years. The kids got bored with sailing and wanted jet skis. We got a pair of three seaters. Kept them for a few years, but the kids got to be dare-devils so I sold the toys and bought a 21 ft ski boat. They loved wakeboarding for about 3 summers, but got interest in the opposite sex, so I sold the ski boat and bought myself another sailboat. I guess that's a full circle. I still feel 35 though.


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## jhorst1

Mani Moana said:


> We have an endeavour 32 and we find it a perfect size for a couple... do u plan to cruise in the carribbean???


We would love to cruise in the Carribbean..and have (not on our own boat) in the Abacos and the BVI, however that really isnt in the cards for us at this point...long term in another story all together. What we can do and plan to do right away is put our boat in the Chesapeake and do weekends, vacations, and extended weekends on the boat exploring and generally sailing as often as possible. With the bay being little more then an hour away from us it puts us in a great situation to be able to start sailing now instead of waiting for the future.


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## ShoalFinder

Not sure I qualify, but I'm 39. 

I sail a Morgan 22 out of St. Petersburg, FL. (Gulfport) My wife goes occasionally, but my two kids can't get enough of it. Now that the heat that finally broken to some degree, we'll be doing a lot of overnighters. Usually, it's just me out there singlehanding when I go during the week.


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## TheTardis

I'm 29, almost 30 (gulp) and own an O'day 25... Though I have noticed that many of my slip neighbors are also around my age!


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## B.Christ

I am 25 with a Raider 33 currently in Charleston, SC. I work 5 weeks on 5 off so have plenty of cruising time.

Next week is back to work, but when I get back to these chilly waters I am off to Marsh Harbour. Any takers for a January cruise south?


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## paulleeanne

I'm 33 from sunny Florida and have lived aboard in both a 29' Seafarer and 27 Morgan full time for the past 3yrs with my wife age 27 and 2 kids. We love it!!! Why spend 30 years paying for a dream home, just so an association can tell you what color to paint your house, when you can travel 2/3 of the world by water. we traveled most of the Caribbean. Planing to sail down to the VI in a 40+ cc next year. Would live no other way...


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## Dolby

My girl and I are 27 and 28 on a 27' Watkins on our second sail to the Carribbean.... Great Mysterious ....is our blog for the trip this year....have been traveling with another boat and that couple is 28 and 24....quit our jobs as a chef and school teacher and cast off the dock lines...life is good...love the cruising life


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## mandomexi

I've been saving and I'm finally at a point in my life, 30 years old, where I can afford to sail away... First I need to get the training. Any advise where to go in the Seattle Puget sound Area?


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## Rhys05

Going to be 30 in a few months, my wife will be 28. We are in the process of buying our first sailboat (an S2 7.9). Currently plan to keep it on the small lake near where we work and trailering it around to larger lakes (Lake Michigan, Lake Erie etc.) for longer cruises (long weekend to a week or more) for the next few years. We'll likely get involved in some racing too, we'll just see where the wind takes us!

Brandon


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## mad_machine

While I am 42... I find some of these stories amusing. My sailer at the moment is a GP14. Cute little Sailing/Racing Dinghy that I bought a couple of years ago to get back to Sailing before buying something bigger (hopefully this year). I took one of my co-workers out. A 30 something guy who spent his entire life around powerboats. He has no problem climbing aboard a cigarette and racing across the ocean with just the outdrives touching the water... but the first time I heeled my GP over, he turned white as a ghost and was ready to swim for it.


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## Racecase

It looks like im one of the younger ones here. Im 23 and have a 1983 25ft Watkins down in SE FL. Sailing is still new to me so for now im staying in the ICW.


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## Hammer22

Just turned 31, wife also 31 and we bought our first boat this past fall, a Spirit 6.5. Learning to sail in the coastal waters of South Carolina.


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## Shinook

30 in Juneuke Wife is 28. 

I don't think sailing appeals as much to our generation.


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## mad_machine

Shinook said:


> 30 in Juneuke Wife is 28.
> 
> I don't think sailing appeals as much to our generation.


Of course not.. your (and mine to a certain extent) was brought up around "go fasts". Powerboats that as I have read.. "give adrenaline rushes to the guys and white knuckles to the girls" and it is the big speed boats that people think of when I tell them I havea boat.


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## Brainologist

I'm 28, 'been sailing for 2 years. Just decided to try it out one day and signed up for a few courses. Never really knew any sailors until that point. Spent a fair amount of time on the water since. Heading down to the Caribbean for my first charter this spring 

P.S. Probably less than 10% of the membership base at my club (Toronto) is under 30. The median age seems to be somewhere around 37-45.


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## Brainologist

mad_machine said:


> Of course not.. your (and mine to a certain extent) was brought up around "go fasts". Powerboats that as I have read.. "give adrenaline rushes to the guys and white knuckles to the girls" and it is the big speed boats that people think of when I tell them I havea boat.


Naw, the appeal is there, I blame shrinking attention spans. When I tell my friends about an upcoming cruise, I get "take mee!", when I suggest that they sign up for a course, all of a sudden it is "too complicated".


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## tstenq

I'm 23. I have Rhodes 19 that I got when I was 18 right now but I'm looking to upgrade, probably to be beneteau 393, next year. 
My goal is to make it around the world before I'm thirty.


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## northoceanbeach

Got me in Puget Sound


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## Watermelon

Also hanging out in the Sound. 32 now, but got my first boat (Potter 19) when I was 27 and living in Austin (sailed Lake Travis and the Gulf coast). Just moved to Seattle, and still have the Potter. Considering upgrading to a larger boat now that I have more water to play in. But, in the meantime until the twice-the-size-of-my-current-boat-itis really bites (I'm already daydreaming about a Pearson 36 and C&C 34), I'm loving to sail around the Sound in my Potter. Round and round, in the Sound.


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## FinallySailing

So how many of the 380 who replied to this thread since 2009 are now *not* 35 or younger anymore  ?


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## Watermelon

Oh, I figured out how you can tell the transplant boats in the PNW that come from sunnier places: the boats would have bimini's and no dodgers. I'm guilty of being one of them.


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## laika

29 here. Bought a 27' a little over a year ago and live aboard on the east coast most of the year with the pooch. Lived on a 37' with a couple buddies for a few years in NYC. Took a shoestring trip down to Key West and back a couple years ago with em, got back, got to work, and bought my own. Home used to be the mountains, but fell in love with sailing.


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## chall03

FinallySailing said:


> So how many of the 380 who replied to this thread since 2009 are now *not* 35 or younger anymore  ?


Shhhhhhh. I got one more year


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## Strangeflow

23 years old, been sailing since I was 7 days old (napping under the dodger more like it!) Had a Columbia 29' for a few years then an Ericson 32' for the last five, just picked up a Islander 37' MS.


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## SailOrNothing

My girlfriend and I are 27 and liveaboard our 29 C&C in St Augustine FL. I lived aboard a Bristol 38 in the USVI for a year when I was 22, she lived aboard a Cal 35 a couple years ago here. We plan to go south after a refit this summer and the hurricane season passes.


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## andreshs1

hi

35 here, the wife and I. Bought or first boat almost 2 years ago, Shipman 28, and last Saturday upgraded to a Catalina 36 mkII.

We live in Hong Kong and I must admit that we only know one other boat with crew below 35, most of the other boat owners are well over 55

cheers


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## RGBrogan

Hello, 
30 here and we are on our third, we lost the last one a H34 in Sandy... havent taken the new one out yet but looking forward to the season.


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## ChesapeakeMC

My husband and I are in our late 20's and just bought our second boat this month and keep it on the Chesapeake. Neither of us come from sailing families, so learning and acquiring a boat was expensive, but worth it so far. We were both really interested in it, and decided we wanted to learn before we had kids. We took lessons a few years ago and then bought a little cheapie boat to see if we liked it before getting in too deep. We're always the youngest sailors we meet around the bay, but we've learned a ton from our marina neighbors and people we meet. When we take my parents out, people always assume its their boat and are so surprised when we tell them its ours, but usually its a good conversation starter... people always want to throw in their advice, and I generally like hearing it.


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## Grunthrie

31 last week... 'all in' on the 30s now. Saving for my first boat, looking for a 22-26 footer to weekend on in the gulf and maybe take to keys/bahamas someday (or on bigger, better, later boat!). Lots of motor boat experience, including USMC Coxswain's rating (8111), but desire to travel further from shore than my gas budget would allow on a regular basis so I'm learning to sail! Playing around on rented sailing dinghys at the moment practicing the basics! Wife loves the sun, the water and the idea; hopefully she decides to become an Admiral!


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## boknows

howdy, im 41 but i look 30 lol. I'm young a heart at i have a 23 year old wife so that grandfathers me into the younger folks. haha. I am planning a bahamas trip sometime early next year.


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## eSailor

I was 35 when this thread started, does that count?


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## sailorboy15

I am 20 and currently getting a Cal 21 seaworthy on a shoestring college budget.


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## mtjewell81

I'm 32 and fit as a fiddle. I don't have much sailing experience, but I will be available to sail in the Caribbean in early 2014. Looking to make my way from Peru back to the states.


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## aprilsails

My husband and I are embracing the ctruising lifestyle! We're both 29 and spent a week earlier this summer chartering, with another week the end of this summer getting our intermediate cruising standard from the CYA.

We're still debating between doing a charter trip each year vs. buying our own boat. Problem is we're a couple of hours drive away from the true blue - we're looking into options for slips for next season.


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## bblument

eobpt said:


> I am 37 and my wife is 34 and we have two small kids. We own a S2 9.2a and sail up on lake Erie. I found it interesting last year when one of the club members asked me "What boat do your parents own?" They were shocked when I said we are full member and that 30 footer over there is ours. I would say we are easily 10-15 years younger than the next youngest member with a sailboat.


We've met a bunch of really nice helpful folks at the marina where we're taking our first baby steps in sailing venturing out on our Pearson 26. One particularly nice gentleman talked with us for quite a while.. he was very enthusiastic about sailing, his boat, our boat, learning, and the yacht club based at the marina. He extolled the virtues of the club, the people in it, the facilities... really wanted us to join, and we might. One of the things he mentioned is that they'd really like to see more young people like us involved in the club; they could use our youthful enthusiasm!

Here's the gotcha... we're in our mid 50's!

That made our day.

Best to all,

Barry


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## Thermophile

Well im 28, no boat yet, but imnworking to get one. life has a way of keeping me from getting one. -_- 

And to be honest it never seemed like an option until i was 26...


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## LakeMi

30 and I hope to have my first boat by this coming spring.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free


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## jerryRiggin

Met these folks cruising in the Caribbean. They were in their early 30s last year, quit their jobs (both very good jobs!), bought a boat and went cruising in the Caribbean with their yellow lab on a 39' Beneteau. twoahdahalfsailors.com


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## Dreaming

I just turned 32 and I just bought my first boat, a C-310. Currently cruising around Monterey and San Francisco Bay with the girlfriend with plans to possibly do the Ha-Ha- Next year. 

People in our age range are certainly in the minority. In fact I haven't really met anyone else yet in their early 30's / late 20's with their own boat. I mean, I completely understand why, it can be overwhelming financially. I was absolutely prepared to buy a good 'ole boat for cheap and fix her up but we got a great deal on a former charter boat and I went for it.

I know once we get out there and cruise or socialize in the clubs a bit more we'll meet some folks our age. For now though I'm obsessed with getting the boat where I want it and the GF trained up and confident handling her. 

Cheers!


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## krazzz

I'm 34 and my wife is 28. We just bought our second boat, an Ericson 32.


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## Greatlakes47

Hey everyone! I'm 25, sail lake Ontario on my Kirby25. Next year will be my 5th year. It's a shame there aren't more younger people in the sport. Although a lot of my friends do enjoy it none have the passion it takes to own and care for a boat of their own!


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## christian.hess

im 32 and my wife is 33, have had 6 boats so far...cruised a bunch, been almost around...

currently fixing up my islander 36 down here in el salvador

being a minority is part of my life! jajaja

cheers to all the young ones out there!

christian


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## Stefman

My wife and I are 25 been sailing since 21. My son is 2 and hes been sailing since the cord fell off. We sailed our 14 foot pintail dinghy from the time she was first pregnant till the week he was born and a month or 2 after he was born we got a Catalina 27.


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## CharlzO

35 myself, have just finally been able to realize a near-life-long dream of owning my own sailboat, an Excalibur 26. Still a little work to get her going strong, but glad to be on my journey. My brother, 33, also has a boat, an Oday 23. And between the two of us, we also jointly have a Hurley 22 project.


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## Cruxandreams

I'm 24 now, and working on my 3rd boat a spindrift 43.


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## crazystrause

In celebration of my 30th Birthday I sailed my '66 Bristol 27 down the ICW from Annapolis to Key West in about 2.5 months. I met the girlfriend in Miami for 3 weeks of cruising through the Keys culminating with NYE Key West style. I will be posting videos from my trip if you would like to follow along at: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=philipstrause


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## engineer_sailor

Nice trip and cap! Go Hokies!

Josh


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## Capt Len

Many of the cruising boats here in Thailand have been in the area for years. We all are getting older and all things will change. At some time everyone has to decide to hand off the belaying pin or get carried off the deck. A choice. Selling the boat may not bring enough to pay for a motorhome or a nursing home and life at home (where ever that may be) may not be desirable or even affordable.A dilemma. Those who cut and run (choice) stand a chance of passing their vessel on in a diminishing market . Being carried off the deck has it's drawbacks too. Perhaps a new generation of TV reality shows enhancing the pros and pros of cruising and boating in general could interest a younger audience to follow in my wake. The right bait, set the hook. Gone fishin !


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## Storz

33 here


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## SailRedemption

I'm 26, and I just bought a Kaufman 47.. Doing a quick refit of basic systems to have her sail ready for summer.. Name will be changing as well.








Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Tapatalk


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## TakeFive

BoatyardBoy said:


> I'm 26, and I just bought a Kaufman 47.. Doing a quick refit of basic systems to have her sail ready for summer.. Name will be changing as well.
> View attachment 19514
> 
> 
> Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Tapatalk


Wow! 26 years old, 47 foot boat!

Your "Boating Intensity (Insanity?) Factor" BIF = 47/26 = 1.81. I think that may be a record. :laugher


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## SailRedemption

TakeFive said:


> Wow! 26 years old, 47 foot boat!
> 
> Your "Boating Intensity (Insanity?) Factor" BIF = 47/26 = 1.81. I think that may be a record. :laugher


Haha! I grew up in a boatyard, I'm part owner to a 40ft commercial shrimp boat and a 36ft tri cabin trawler that I have spent last 5 years completely redoing. So this beauty is mine and I'm going on vacation as soon as it's done.... In the BVIs haha!

But thanks, I like that ratio Haha, funny!

Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Tapatalk


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## Furian

When I was 24, I have had a Becker 27(parents present, lol).. But ater divorcing, my ex husband took it away from me.. Now I am 30 and going to come back to sailing  I was in boot.de exhibition this year and still then I am dreaming about Premier 45


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## priceless9192

just turned 20, on my third boat, a 82' San Juan 28. started at age 16 with a very free 1963 O'day daysailer. sold that, bought a better condition daysailer, sold that, bought a 1976 Newport 17 with that money, fixed that, sailed that, sold that. just picked up the San Juan. It will be for sale in the fall of 2014. great boat.


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## Memopad

I'm 28, still sailing my Ranger 28. Had it for 3 years now. Also am now involved with Ensign Spars doing rigging, I'll hook you up!


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## Clarks Hill Windbag

Barely still 35, own a Montego 19 (sailing) and a Hunter 23' basket case on Strom Thurmond Lake in GA. Will be taking ASA 103-104 this summer, probably at Southcoast Sailing to get some blue water time.


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## Seaduction

Hey! This is age discrimination!:hothead
:laugher
OK, when I was that age I had an O'day 19, then a Spirit 23, and then a brand spankin' new Catalina 25.


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## gmm213

Im 25 my wifes 20. Ive been sailing since about 15 in day sailors. Lookin to get something bigger now that I live on the ocean. Been lookin in the area finding good boats for great prices. Our local marina anyone my age is there visiting or staying on their parents boats


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## shank32095

I was 58 but just celebrated my ten year anniversary with my beautiful thirty-three year old Brazilian wife on our new 57' Steel Ketch in Kota Kinabalu. To the best of my knowledge I am now like 34 or 35. Amazing what sailing and young ladies can do for longevity


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## ridemade

Well... that's a little hard to follow but here goes. I'm 32 the wife is 27. We currently own a Catalina 27 we sail out of Alameda. Like so many others we are the youngest I've seen at our marina. We plan to move up to a bigger boat next year and head to Mexico.


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## 25 on a 37 gulfstar

My fiancee and I left Charleston SC at 24, at the end of March 2014. We are currently in the Dominican Republic in Luperon. We have a Gulfstar 37 1976 and love the life, the boat, everything. Here in Luperon we have met maybe 4 boats at and under 35. 1 boat also 25 (our birthdays were june/july) and 1 boat 19 (Parents boat, hasn't left the harbor yet)
We know we are not the only ones, but 95 percent of our neighbors in the harbors are between 45 and 70


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## sciencebum

I am 34, and just purchased a 24' Dufour, sailing out of Berkeley Marina in SF Bay. 

I've been a renter for several years, and did the Baja Haha back in '07. Also sailed with my dad on his Ranger 23 when I was a kid, so not inexperienced, but still new to the sailing life and to owning my own hole in the water

My hope (dream) is to sail through the Med for my retirement, but I'm a LOOOONG way from that. My wife is 3 months pregnant now, so I expect a siginificant dropoff in water time and boat kitty funds...


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## SavvySalt

I am 33 and learned to sail 5 years ago, I sail regularly on the Boston Harbor.

I don't own a boat though; it doesn't make sense given the abundance of sailing clubs here in Boston. At least not until I can cut the income cord from my shore based job. Last season I got out for 60+ days and my nav app recorded 1385 miles; neither counting most of my days as PHRF racing crew. I share a membership with a group of friends, this year we have access to 2 boats at a time and I paid less than $1000 for the season.

I will likely be buying a boat this season or next so that I can keep learning. We shall see.


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## bluekimel

I'm 32 in Los Angeles, And have had my boat since I was 15. Found it in the Recycler News Paper (craigslist of the old world). It's a 21 foot MacGregor Venture. I see lots of youtube video's of groups of young people our age and younger sailing all over the world on great and not so great boats. I've learned to sail the hard way by experience, and enjoyed every minute of it. I have sailed to Catalina and am getting ready for an Anacapa Island sail. We're out here you just have to hollar! Good Luck my friend and Fair winds.


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## Bach101

Hey, i'm 18 years old about to graduate high school. I know what your thinking, but i bought my first boat a couple of years ago a Coronado 23. I know it's a lot smaller then most of the boats owned by people on this site but hell I was 16 when i bought it and only had $8 left in my bank account after i bought it. I guess that ether shows determination or a spontaneous kid. I'll tell you though i don't regret buying it one bit i live up on the great lakes, lake Michigan to be more spastic. I am trying to find a plan for the upcoming years and am looking at larger more suitable offshore boats i hope to be sailing the Caribbean in the next 5 years. Side note I want to get a ketch i know not necessarily the best but i love the look (i know a shallow reason) but if any one knows of some good cheaper and smaller ketches please let me know!


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## StormBay

Im 33, my wife is 32. We have both been living aboard for around 4 years now. Going to finally get a little cruising in come this march. We have only met 6 under 35 boats in the past 4 years so even in our 30's' we are still the minority around these parts. Hopefully we will meet more when we get out there.


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## sail3sheets

Haha! Noticed a lot of the same out there on the water. But those "older folks" know how to have a good time! 

Myself and four friends sailed from Morro Bay, CA to Zihuatenejo a few years back, we were about 23-25 years old then. We ran into one other crew under 30 during the whole trip. But we had a blast learning and boozing with the older crews and retirees, and usually their boats were much nicer than ours (hint: sometimes they miss their children and will invite you over for an awesome dinner because you remind them of their kids!).

We had very little experience back then, and this was one of the reasons we thought we could pull it off.... no offense here...

"If a bunch of old people can do it, why can't we!?" 

Don't worry, all you old salty dogs are much better than us, gauranteed.


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## alctel

I'm 32, and first stepped onto a sailboat a year ago, which I bought (yes, I know that's a horrible idea!)

Been living it on it for the last 9 months and am slowly getting less terrible at sailing


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## miketaz25

I am 30 ( just turned) and I picked up sailing less than a year ago. I must say, though, as a child, we would go to the beaches often and I'd stare out at the horizon and see a silhouette of a sailboat sailing down the coast, and I have always wanted to sail since then, but living in Arizona I never thought it was a possibility until we moved near the coast (SPI, TX). I love sailing, and my dream is to sail around the world someday, though my wife still needs a little convincing. I also hope that as we sail down the coast there is some young person at the beach that sees us and becomes inspired to sail.


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## TyTy

I am 29 and I split an O'Day 25 with someone who is a few years younger than me and this will be our third year with the boat. I've always been attracted to sailing. I built a Stevenson Weekender, a 20ft fiberglass cloth-covered plywood gaff-rigged sloop, when I was 17. I raced 420s and FJs in college and started crewing for anyone I could. I still race on big boats on the LIS. We've taken our O'Day cruising on the Long Island Sound and down to New Jersey many times. We're thinking about trading up our O'Day to something 30-35 Feet soon.


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## Michigander

I'm almost 26, learned to sail on a Sunfish as a wee lad. Got an Ensign several years ago and "raced" it to Mackinac Island a couple times from the UP and sailed quite a bit up there in the home of Fleet 31 the largest Ensign fleet in North America. Going to be buying a Merit 25 and hope to do some little trips maybe up to the Manitous and Beaver Island this summer.


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## wallster

I am 23 and live in Wisconsin. Split the cost of an RL24 with my dad, was only able to take it out once since we bought it in November, hoping to get plenty of time on it this upcoming summer.


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## troublejr

I'm 31 living aboard in Los Angeles and have been sailing regularly for a year, and off and on my for the past 10 years or so. Refitting an old Allied while saving and gaining experience for distant cruising beginning November 2016.


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## jtulls

I'm about to turn 26, living in San Diego. Own an I-14 and a Vanguard15, and try to crew on whatever boats I can get on -- if you need crew let me know! I've been sailing since I was about 5 and coaching part time since high school. Mostly racing focused and looking to buy a Mini650 before I'm in my 30s so I can start racing in the short-handed, offshore, distance regattas.


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## VeganSailing

Just curious why people relate their lives to a constantly changing number instead of living as a free soul and in the moment?


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## Windellao3

I'm 34 and have always been interested in sailing and I'm the proud owner of a 1975 C&C Yacht 24, I docked in Portsmouth, Virginia. She is a project boat but I look forward to spending as much time as possible with her in the Chesapeake Bay. Looking to get at least two season out of her before I move up to something bigger.


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## travlin-easy

Wow! Lots more youngsters here than I thought. Glad to see this.

All the best,

Gary


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## Lummox3077

Well being that this thread is almost 6 years old, I guess it's ok to chime in being 4 years north of the OP upper limit. I just took a sailing course two weekends ago, bought a '73 Aquarius 23 2 weeks ago and took my first ever sailboat ride (besides the course) single handed last weekend in my boat. I'm 38 and get lots of looks when I tell people I bought a sailboat and fully intend on using it every chance I get. My father died at 55, I lost a coworker this year at 54, I have at least 5 coworkers in their late 50's to mid 60's who are half crippled with bum knees, shoulders, arthritis, and various ailments who are looking forward to retirement but not for the freedom it brings.. 

I didn't want to wind up like any of them, either dead with dreams left on the table or retired with a body too worn out to do anything other than hobble to the dr's office. Even if I never make it to the Caribbean, I can say I chased a dream when I had a chance and that's one less to leave on the table.


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## stovebolt

I think the factor that keeps a lot of people out of the sailing life at an early age is moorage fees... In Vancouver it's about 4 grand a year for a 26' boat and that's if you can find a slip. I'm 43 now and I'm about to buy an inexpensive sailboat in the 27' range. I started sailing a 14' enterprise on and off through my twenties. I was 38 when this thread started though!


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