I want to sail the world - where do I start?

[crazyguy40]

I have just turned 40 and have always dreamed of sailing the world, although I have no sailing experience and have very little money. Recently, I received £30,000 in legal compensation and would like to use this money to start a sailing adventure! I am currently out of work, so the time really is now. As rent is eating the little savings I have, I have given notice on my house for the end of the month and have a camper van which I will take to the road in. I will live in the camper by the side of the road, until I figure out how to begin my sailing adventure. So with this in mind what is the best way of using £30,000 to make my dream a reality? Here are some of the things I am grappling with:

1) Should I use a good chunk of this money to sign up to formal sailing courses and take exams etc? The problem is that will leave me with very little money to then buy a boat. Also I am not sure if it is really necessary, as I have read some blogs of others who have sailed on much smaller budgets than mine, and with no formal training at all. One idea others have suggested is crewing for others to gain experience, but to be fair I am quite anti social (actually I am on the Autistic spectrum) and like my own company too much! That's one of the big attractions for me with sailing , is being totally on my own. I actually enjoy my own company.

2) How much should I spend on the boat? I was thinking about £20,000 and keeping £10,000 back to support me when sailing (food, maintenance etc.) I am under no illusions that my savings won't go very far and at some point I will run out of money. When this happens I will quit the trip and get a regular job again. I am quite prepared for that and just want to make my dream a reality and see how far my money will take me.

3) I am looking for a Monohull and would ideally like a Bilge Keel, so I can rest the boat on the sand and save on marina charges during the trip. Not sure what boats people would recommend within my budget? A few names I have seen others recommend are Centaur and Colvic when on a budget.

Like I say, I don't have any experience of sailing, and my only boating experience was when I rented and lived on a river boat when I was at university 20 years ago. My maintenance / DIY skills are basic, although I do have some mechanical experience of rebuilding engines / gearboxes on a few 4x4 vehicles I have owned in the past.

 

[Kelpie]

Welcome to the forum.
Are you absolutely certain you want to do this on your own? IMHO most people can sail across an ocean, but only a few people can do it solo. You'll be living on catnaps for three weeks. If you expect any shipping at all, the longest you can nap will be about 20 minutes. All the while having to manage and maintain the boat with no help. I know people do it, but it's certainly not my idea of fun.
If you don't actually want to "sail the world" and stick to coastal cruising, that changes everything

As to your budget, I personally think it is enough, others on this forum will probably disagree. Keep the boat about 30ft, keep it basic. You absolutely must have a windvane, and preferably an autopilot too. I wouldn't opt for a bilge keel. The alternative to using a marina is to anchor, not to beach. Beaching is useful for annual maintenance, but you won't be away very long- you might not even need to haul out at all, if you are happy cleaning the hull yourself wearing a wetsuit.

One other thing to be aware of is the seasonality of cruising. Assuming you want to cross the Atlantic, you'll need to get your skates on and be in the Canaries ideally by Christmas. If you are later than about February doing your Transat, you will have lost the best weather. If starting from the UK, you need to get across Biscay ASAP, which is going to be a real challenge when you still have to find the boat, fit it out, and learn how to sail it. A better option might be to drive your campervan down to Spain or Portugal, and buy the boat there.

Good luck, and keep the questions coming.

 

[alexsailor]

just do it.

 

[Wansworth]

winters coming on,hole up in a place next to the sea and do the competent crew thingy,Get a job and whittle away at your boat your going to buy for under three thousand,next Spring with help from advice from this forum you will be afloat and able to take your boat out safely on calming days,there’s is lot to learn but just little local cruises will feel like your already on your way,learning is the beginning of the adventure....Andrew Seedhouse always seems to have small yachts at affordable prices

 

[Sandyman]

No need to waste money on expensive sailing courses. Take your time to gain practical experience & read read & read as many sailing books as you can find. Join a sailing club to gain crewing experience but stay clear of the bar lizards for they will surely lead you astray.
Then, in about, say 40 years time, make an appointment with your psychiatrist & get him to confirm your sanity.
Don't worry if you don't as yet have your own psychiatrist........................................... after 40 years you will have, guaranteed.

Have fun work hard & you can't go wrong &more than anything, enjoy.

 

[RupertW]

Go on one RYA competent crew course and learn whether sailing is for you at all.

 

[Billyo]

Find a large boat yard and offer your labour to anyone there in exchange for knowledge. Read every sailing book you can get your hands on. Buy a cheap dinghy and wetsuit! (I'd go for a lazer) and sail everyday possible for two months. Sell everything and get a flight to the Caribbean/Florida. Buy a cheap ready to go 30 footer (using the knowledge you've gained labouring to pick one in decent condition), spend six month sailing the Caribbean.
This is obviously ignoring the current virus situation.

 

[scruff]

Go for it. If your total figure is a 30k, then I wouldnt spend 2/3's on the upfont boat. I'd be looking to spend less. Kelpie is right - a boat around 27- 30ft and basic.

Basic boat bought for around £6-13k. Focus on getting a boat with decent engine & decent sails and budget for windvane.

If you can get your hands on annie hill's "voyaging on a small income" its worth a read.

Best of luck

 

[cherod]

Buy a wharram catamaran ,

 

[SlowlyButSurely]

Read Shrimpy by Shane Acton. Free PDF download is here: Sailing Books, Yachting Literature, Cruising Bookshelf - E-Books and P-Books

 

[crazyguy40]

Are you absolutely certain you want to do this on your own? IMHO most people can sail across an ocean, but only a few people can do it solo.

Yes I am 100% certain I want to do it on my own. I can definitely cope with the solitude, and have done silent meditation practice in solitude for 3 months before. I actually like my own company and find being around others quite stressful. So the solitude is no problem, but I have to admit the sleep deprivation thing is an unknown quantity for me.

I wouldn't opt for a bilge keel.

Any reason why? I read a bilge keel can be slower, but I am not too worried about speed. I just thought it would be very handy to be able to beach and would save on marina fees. I take your point about the time of the year not being on my side for an Atlantic crossing, so with this in mind what about buying a boat in this country and beaching it in a different location in the UK for a few days at a time? This would give me some sailing experience, where I could keep moving the boat every few days. In any case, I will be living in my camper van at the end of the month and can be very mobile and don't really care about moving the boat. Plus it has the benefit that I won't pay to store the boat while I am prepping it and learning to sail. Or does this sound a totally crazy idea?

 

[PilotWolf]

Not bothered about sailing the world, indeed never sailed in my life but it’s something I’m considering.

I’m a bit older than you so
looking for a rich woman to fund my new lifestyle!

I don’t th

 

[crazyguy40]

Sell everything and get a flight to the Caribbean/Florida.

I don't have anything to sell! I am living in my camper van from the end of the month by the side of the road. I figured rent was a huge waste of money, as it just eats my savings.

Any reason why you suggest getting a flight to the Caribbean / Florida? Do boats tend to be cheaper out there?

 

[RupertW]

Yes I am 100% certain I want to do it on my own. I can definitely cope with the solitude, and have done silent meditation practice in solitude for 3 months before. I actually like my own company and find being around others quite stressful. So the solitude is no problem, but I have to admit the sleep deprivation thing is an unknown quantity for me.



Any reason why? I read a bilge keel can be slower, but I am not too worried about speed. I just thought it would be very handy to be able to beach and would save on marina fees. I take your point about the time of the year not being on my side for an Atlantic crossing, so with this in mind what about buying a boat in this country and beaching it in a different location in the UK for a few days at a time? This would give me some sailing experience, where I could keep moving the boat every few days. In any case, I will be living in my camper van at the end of the month and can be very mobile and don't really care about moving the boat. Plus it has the benefit that I won't pay to store the boat while I am prepping it and learning to sail. Or does this sound a totally crazy idea?

The beaching thing really isn’t an option. It can be done occasionally in fine calm weather and can be done frequently in a sheltered muddy environment if at anchor in a tidal location, but the key for avoiding marinas is the anchor not the keel. For example we spend weeks away from marinas at a time (not in the UK) and never beach.

Look at some anchoring videos on YouTube and you will see that’s the ancient and still current way of parking the boat outside marinas.

 

[Billyo]

I don't have anything to sell! I am living in my camper van from the end of the month by the side of the road. I figured rent was a huge waste of money, as it just eats my savings.

Any reason why you suggest getting a flight to the Caribbean / Florida? Do boats tend to be cheaper out there?

Ahh, I meant sell the dinghy and the camper van!
I suggested the Caribbean/Florida as there are alot of boats, and you would be somewhere warm for six months while you learn.

 

[HissyFit]

Bilge keelers are slower than the equivalent fin keelers and are an advantage in limited geographical environs. Yachts with lifting keels are good for getting into some really interesting, quiet and cheap locations, and don't have the disadvantage of increased wetted surface slowing you down. Out on the ocean, good speed increases safety, as you are out there for less time. Down side to lifting keels is the added complexity and related maintenance.

 

[crazyguy40]

Ahh, I meant sell the dinghy and the camper van!

That's one thing I won't sell is the camper van! I'm actually pretty attached to it. I would rather sell my shoes before I sell the van! When I eventually get on the water, I will park the camper on my mothers drive and it won't cost me anything in storage / tax / insurance.

 

[ryanroberts]

Try and get a bit of time on a boat or two before buying one, it takes some getting used to and you may not like it at all. Solo makes everything significantly harder too

 

[Mikedefieslife]

I'm a few years younger than you. I started about 4 years ago now.

Since then I've sailed solo across the Med from Spain to Greece, back via the Messina Strait, then up to Lisbon, before heading back down to Maderia, the Canaries and a solo Atlantic crossing. Lots of fun, lots of frustration. I find for me helps that I'm particularly apathetic about things. £1000 drone falls in the water. Oh well. £100 sun glass fall into the water. eh whatever. Motorcycle breaks down in a remote area of Chile, no worries, finish the journey on foot, that sort of mentality.

I started with a comp crew course with Captain Sensible on these forums. I was initially looking to crew, but I was only interested in Catamarans, and opportunities were few and far between. In the end I thought sod it and bought an old British Catamaran. Probably paid £5000 too much, but really couldn't have paid much less, as the market was particularly poor and I'd been looking for nearly a year.

Your £20,000 will get you an ok enough boat maybe even with change to spare. Your £10,000 isn't really enough though when you add upgrades, and maintenance, plus living costs. ideally you'd need a steady income whilst sailing, or you'll end up bare foot, with unwashed hair, and torn clothes like I see of so many live-aboard sailors that seemingly lost their way, or like the want-to-be in the Canaries and Martinique living in caves.

Boats are generally cheaper in the Caribbean, but living is more expensive. Think closer to £500 per month for groceries rather than the £250 you might spend at home.

 

[Kelpie]

Yes I am 100% certain I want to do it on my own. I can definitely cope with the solitude, and have done silent meditation practice in solitude for 3 months before. I actually like my own company and find being around others quite stressful. So the solitude is no problem, but I have to admit the sleep deprivation thing is an unknown quantity for me.

It's not about whether you like your own company. In fact when sailing two up for an extended period you will be working back to back with the other person and hardly see them anyway. It's about being able to work through periods of very limited sleep, for potentially weeks on end. And being able to fix anything that breaks with no second pair of hands. Of course it's possible, I just think the average person wouldn't consider it pleasant. And the boat really does need to be bomb proof because of something like your self steering breaks, you are very short on options.

Any reason why? I read a bilge keel can be slower, but I am not too worried about speed. I just thought it would be very handy to be able to beach and would save on marina fees. I take your point about the time of the year not being on my side for an Atlantic crossing, so with this in mind what about buying a boat in this country and beaching it in a different location in the UK for a few days at a time? This would give me some sailing experience, where I could keep moving the boat every few days. In any case, I will be living in my camper van at the end of the month and can be very mobile and don't really care about moving the boat. Plus it has the benefit that I won't pay to store the boat while I am prepping it and learning to sail. Or does this sound a totally crazy idea?

You've got a strange idea about beaching. It's a novelty, not a genuine alternative to anchoring or berthing somewhere. I have a boat that can dry out on legs but I have never set her down somewhere without scoping out the location at low tide the day before. Then once you are beached you have to baby sit the boat and watch out for changes of wind direction etc. You can only come and go at high tide, which might be the middle of the night. There are some sheltered spots to beach but generally these are mud flats etc. Actual sandy beaches are produced by wave action, so are prone to breaking surf.
I have never beached my boat for a reason other than maintenance.

Anchoring, on the other hand, is much safer and easier. You are not tied to certain times, you will not risk being pounded to splinters if the incoming tide brings a swell, you will not face the dilemma of whether to row or walk ashore and then be left either with no dinghy, or the hassle of dragging your dinghy across the beach/mud back to the boat. In either case you face the possibility of an inaccessible shore and trying to find somewhere suitable to climb above the tide line.