Monday, December 11, 2017

Just thinking....

Well around 880 days till retirement... if I can last that long. Read a great book this week, How not to buy a cruising sailboat by Deb and TJ Akey located HERE on their website the retirement project. Great book by 2 great people. I got in for free via amazon kindle but would gladly have paid for it. Its short and sweet but to the point. A lot of useful information in it.
I am in the phase of overthinking what kind of boat my next one should be. I thought I was convinced a Morgan 383 would be a great compromise between cost and usability, but am now rethinking it a bit. New youtube vlog by a couple sv bora bora that sail a Victory 40 which is a Trintilla lV hull but outfitted by a company in the UK. Made in the '70's of FRP, its a center cockpit ketch rigged boat. Now, usually I would turn my nose up to such a beast but I can see a lot I like about this type of boat. The master cabin in the stern is very large, with great light all around and a large berth, plus a head, down 3 stairs. Forward is a salon and nav station and a very small galley on the starboard side, forward another head and shower and a vberth and storage. The cockpit is deep and well protected with a permanent dodger and windscreen. Large aft deck. I really like the cockpit and can see a lot of good in it. Plus it splits the boat into 2 areas, which can be great when the boat is a little to small for 2. Each can have a place to go and have some quiet time. She won't make 200 mile days, but so what. Won't sail to weather well either  but again, so what? Large tankage and a diesel will get you that. Over 1000 mile range under power is pretty sweet. And having a ketch rig gives lots of options in the sail plan. Should do 150 miles per day.
Not to many of them around, and very few in the US. Would have to go overseas most likely to find one.Might be a good thing though.
The hardest part is seeing something that will work now, but knowing I have to wait a while longer. I have all these plans,  but not time now. Soon I will have the time and the money, and then it will get real.

Tuesday, May 30, 2017

May 30th 2017
Well after Sarah Clair sunk in the marina due to electrolysis on a foreward head thru hull, I gave up the dream. No more sailboats for me! Maybe a RV or a bike tour thru Europe ! But time heals all wounds, and now several years later my mind is going back to the dream. But this time a little different. The boat will probably be a Morgan 383/384 and the time to purchase is in 2020. I retire May 2020 and my youngest son graduates that month as well. The first summer will be a cruise to Maine and then back to Texas for a full refit. Then we will see. Plans are being made, lists wrote. Blogs read. Ideas are forming. But in the meantime work and family life takes up to much time and energy.
Less than 3 years to go!