Sunday, December 27, 2015


2016 New Years Resolution! The Next Step.

Well it's almost upon us...2016. A date we set forward over 4 years ago and it's time now to move on to the final part of our 5 year plan. Over that time we have learned how to sail, sailed the U.S. West Coast and Caribbean on charter yachts as both Captain and crew. We have studied and read everything we can get our hands on or find on the internet. We have gone to many Strictly sail and boat shows on both coasts, attending seminars and looking at boats and products. We have worked with brokers on both coasts looking thru numerous boats to visualize what will suite us best and have reviewed our wants and needs for a cruising boat with hours and hours of conversation together.















Looking out on San Diego harbor as the Baja-Ha-Ha fleet departed in 2012 from Cabrillo Monument in Point Loma  for Mexico we knew we wanted to be participants in 2016.  

HARDIN 45' VOYAGER

Now it's time to take everything we have learned and select our cruising sailboat. To help our readers understand some of our decision making in what we are looking for we will briefly explain our must have's. A boat selection is a very personal experience and must be made individually for anyone based on your own set of comforts and what we want may not be what you will want. Our 1st early decision was to decide a preference for a mono-haul or catamaran. We decided based on our potential cruising grounds and budget to go with a mono-haul. Next we had to decide on a few other important features as follows:

KEEL - We chose a range from full length keel to no less then a modified fin keel. We wont be in a race.
COCKPIT - We will be looking for a center cockpit which will have a better suited interior space for us.
SAIL PLAN - We have decided on either a Ketch or Cutter rig to have more options then found on a sloop. We will want our lines lead back to the cockpit for safety but do not necessarily want a furling main.
SIZE -  Knowing that we want at least 2 heads we will be looking over 40 ft but absolutely less then 55 ft.

CUSTOM JOMAR 55' by BRUCE ROBERTS

We chose to home port our new sailing home in San Diego, Ca. This is where we grew up and only a short drive from our current home in Arizona. This will restrict us to choosing a boat available from British Columbia, Canada thru the West coast of Mexico. Although if we found the right boat somewhere else for a price that would make since to pay for overland delivery it could be an option.


MUST HAVE INTERIOR FEATURES:

It will be important that our boat be a floating home 1st but with features that will make it safe at sea as well. Our short list includes a private and roomy master stateroom with a head including a separate shower space. We will want the bunk to be a center-line queen as we will only sleep there in a marina or on the hook in favorable weather. For offshore we must have good sea berths in the saloon. A comfortable navigation station is also a must. We will be looking for a comfortable arrangement for guests in the second for cabin as we will be sleeping there also if moored in ruff weather when without guests. Any galley arrangement will be fine so that it's close to center of the boat and with good ventilation. We may not get it all but we certainly know what we would like.


COCKPIT AND DECK FEATURES:

Sometimes greatly overlooked, we know the topsides is where we will spend most of our time. A comfortable cockpit that not only is a great work space offshore it must lend to comfortable living when moored. This is one of the reasons we chose to look for a center cockpit. We also will be looking for clear, wide deck space for ease of use when offshore and that will add living space at shore. Deep storage lockers will be a bonus as will space for safety equipment and alternative energy.

So what are some of the boats on the top of our list. Well although we are keeping an open mind to what we will find over the 1st half of next year that will be available for sale in our budget range the following brands have intrigued us.

GULFSTAR, ENDEAVOUR, IRWIN, HARDIN, AMEL, TAYANA, HYLAS, LAFITTE, MORGAN, BREWER, PEARSON, CT, VEGABOND, WESTWIND, Ect.

As we look for our future sailing home next year we will keep you posted on the likes and dislikes of the boats we find and how we will come up with a final choice. Stay tuned.







1 comment:

  1. We hope you enjoy your trip around the globe and keep everyone posted thru pictures!! Linda & Jerry

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