Buying boat with no sailing experience. How feasible is my plan?

[sailaboutvic]

And I bet that's exactly what everyone said to Drake.

Seriously though the Wikipedia page says its the yacht racing route. Hence why it seems an appropriate route for my racing cruiser. Obviously I intend to research everything further before actually setting off. As I say, the point of the thread is to develop my plans. People do circumnavigate in Vegas.

I never knew Charlie Drake sailed.

 

[sailaboutvic]

I'm with Vic and Nortada. The only reason I haven't posted sooner is because I can't believe what I'm reading.

I suprise some are still answering his posting .
Even I could resist posting 61#

 

[Graham376]

But when the brown stuff hits the fan and if your crusing off shore at some point it will happen and not just once two things are going to safe your life , experience or luck.
And a lot of the time you need both .
Edit
Please just read what's being posted ,

Don't even need to be offshore to be in trouble. Many years ago we were in Arklow marina when I heard shouting from an approaching boat, a brand new Sweden Yacht. The single hander was at point of collapse and asked me to jump on board and berth it for him, he'd only come from north Wales and had one night's rough weather! Said he was on his way across the pond and I often wonder if he made it.

 

[Kelpie]

Don't even need to be offshore to be in trouble. Many years ago we were in Arklow marina when I heard shouting from an approaching boat, a brand new Sweden Yacht. The single hander was at point of collapse and asked me to jump on board and berth it for him, he'd only come from north Wales and had one night's rough weather! Said he was on his way across the pond and I often wonder if he made it.

Having recently been to Arklow I sympathise with his distress.

 

[Doge]

I'm well aware that there are risks involved. Similarly with mountaineering and other forms of adventuring. Otherwise it wouldn't be adventuring. Obviously I don't intend to undertake hazardous journeys without experience.

I intend to explore some jungle too. They did it with Tarka. Looked awesome.

 

[jordanbasset]

I think you should make it more of a challenge, what about doing it on a windsurfer?

 

[Kelpie]

Ok so I've updated my plan. From the Atlantic to the Pacific via the Strait of Magellan to gain a lot of sailing experience in the western pacific.

Westabout route because the normal way is too easy?

Btw have you read "Shrimpy" by Shane Acton? I think you'd like it. You can get the pdf online somewhere.

 

[nortada]

I'm well aware that there are risks involved. Similarly with mountaineering and other forms of adventuring. Otherwise it wouldn't be adventuring. Obviously I don't intend to undertake hazardous journeys without experience.

I intend to explore some jungle too. They did it with Tarka. Looked awesome.

In a previous life I was a professional combat survivor so have had my fair share of adventures, worldwide.

Training, planning, experience and luck are essential to survival, none of your posts demonstrate any of these so if you persist, I suspect you will have an interesting if short, life.

 

[Doge]

In a previous life I was a professional combat survivor so have had my fair share of adventures, worldwide.

Training, planning, experience and luck are essential to survival, none of your posts demonstrate any of these so if you persist, I suspect you will have an interesting if short, life.

Well I'm still only at the planning stage. How does me here in the thread, planning, re-planning, modifying my plan, talking about my plan etc not demonstrate planning??

 

[nortada]

Westabout route because the normal way is too easy?

Btw have you read "Shrimpy" by Shane Acton? I think you'd like it. You can get the pdf online somewhere.

I have signed copies of both Shrimpy and the sequel.

I would point out that before starting his adventure Shane Acton was a Royal Marine Commando, who served in the Special Boat Squadron (now Service) so although new to sailing a Caprice, he had a lot of well tested associated skills.

 

[sailaboutvic]

Don't even need to be offshore to be in trouble. Many years ago we were in Arklow marina when I heard shouting from an approaching boat, a brand new Sweden Yacht. The single hander was at point of collapse and asked me to jump on board and berth it for him, he'd only come from north Wales and had one night's rough weather! Said he was on his way across the pond and I often wonder if he made it.

A few days ago we had on board a couple from Wales for drinks , they are YouTube posters I have to admin I not seen any of there stuff ,
But they told us the tale of another YouTube posters who brought a boat in Spain with a little sailing experience they did a few chartered ,
They met this couple in Gib the couple plain was to cross the pond ,
Next time their heard from them was clips of the trip , it turned out the had nothing perpaired, the weather wasn't kind , then couldn't make food as they where both so sea sick ,
They lived on crips, dry bread and water because they couldn't be down below long enough to do any thing ,
in the clips they looked very green , he was holding the wheel so tight the wheel was moving him side to side.
They was shots of them doing their business in the cockpit ,
In anyone clip she was crying her eyes out while he was getting the dinghy ready to abandon the boat as their thought the boat was going to sink .
And in another clip she was being filme saying they had a problem , the boom keep going back and fro ( gybing) and they cant stop it from happening , at that point the was a loud bang the camera dropped on the floor pointing up and you can see the boom snap in half .
The last clip was them being tow in to harbour as they run out of fuel.
Inside shots shown the boat in a totally disarray any thing that could move , moved .
They made a YouTube video , of them sitting on a marina some where in the canaries ,
The film show them in they swim wear given people advise how to sail and how newbie they sailed from Spain to the canaries and their next stop is the Crib .
Not one clip of there sail was shown.
Just goes to show you only see what they want you to see on YouTube.
God help them .

 

[Doge]

I have signed copies of both Shrimpy and the sequel.

I would point out that before starting his adventure Shane Acton was a Royal Marine Commando, who served in the Special Boat Squadron (now Service) so although new to sailing a Caprice, he had a lot of well tested associated skills.

Well Jarle Andhøy was only 19 when he embarked on his adventures with his Vega. Though he didn't attempt Drakes Passage until a couple of years later.

I'm strongly leaning towards the Vega now. Seems it has some real heritage.

 

[nortada]

Well I'm still only at the planning stage. How does me here in the thread, planning, re-planning, modifying my plan, talking about my plan etc not demonstrate planning??

Pre passage planning is not having conversations on forums. Forums have their place to discuss ideas and offer experiences.

 

[Wansworth]

In “Midget Magellan’s” by Devine a Thomas Drake born 1863 built his own boat and set sail quite successfully and he was a lumberjack?

 

[Wansworth]

Back in the day Hiscock offered at the back of his voyaging tome a complete list of stuff you need and how many pounds of potatoes and onions and how to grease eggs.And then there were the wind charts foe every month, and the pilot books and Ocean Passages for thr World add infinitud. Sometimes the forum offered more up to date info

 

[Doge]

. Pre passage planning is not having conversations on forums. Forums have their place to discuss ideas an offer experiences.

Well I'm nowhere near that stage yet. I haven't even bought the boat. Once I can sail with some degree of confidence my first crossing is going to be the English channel. 21 miles across. Followed by a summer sailing in European waters close to land. A trip to the canaries at very most. Only then a real ocean crossing. I'm planning on accumulating experience step by step. I may even hang around the Caribbean for a while before heading to the Strait of Magellan.

 

[DownWest]

More reading.. My Old Man and the Sea. Father and son fitted out a 26ft and sailed round S,America from New England via the Panama Canal. They were lucky and it was calm(ish) off the Horn.
Then there was the Smeatons experience, getting pitchpoled going W>E.
All experienced people.

As above, learn from others experiences/mistakes. You won't live long enough to make all the mistakes yourself.

Also curious about funding. Shrimpy did it by working in places and exibiting his boat in Oz, as it was unheard of back then for such a small boat. I suspect those days are gone. Any number of keen young people get stuck in odd places with no money and have to abandon their boats.

 

[Doge]

More reading.. My Old Man and the Sea. Father and son fitted out a 26ft and sailed round S,America from New England via the Panama Canal. They were lucky and it was calm(ish) off the Horn.
Then there was the Smeatons experience, getting pitchpoled going W>E.
All experienced people.

As above, learn from others experiences/mistakes. You won't live long enough to make all the mistakes yourself.

Also curious about funding. Shrimpy did it by working in places and exibiting his boat in Oz, as it was unheard of back then for such a small boat. I suspect those days are gone. Any number of keen young people get stuck in odd places with no money and have to abandon their boats.

I invest in crypto.

 

[goeasy123]

After reading the posting here I am a bit taken back ,
Am I the only one who thinks that someone who never step a foot on a boat,
As plans of buying a yacht ,
spending a few months ths around the EU,
then Cross oceans , should just go Head and do it,
is this really good advise from people who are supposed to be yachtmens, the same yachtsmen that when we read some very inexperienced guy in a boat had to be rescue are then moaning that its the kind of thing that will bring compulsory licences and people having to risk their life for these idiots.

Taken back is an understatement, not one suggestion of taken some kind of training.
Or at the very less get so e experience with friends/ sailing club , No instead the advise seen to be learn as you go alone , look at YouTube video .


OK no disrespect to the OP I lost Count of how many pipe dreamsers that's been posted on these fourm that came to anything , actually I can't think of one who ever posted back to say he actually brought a boat let alone sailed off into the sunset , maybe the OP will prove me wrong.

On another note , I have taken may flights and in the early days sat in the cockpit to watch the pilot fly , Don't seen its that hard , now thinking of buying a light plane to fly around the world , any views guys .
I was thinking of posting this on a flying forum but I have a feeling I get laught at lol ?

Your first point: That's exactly what we're doing. Bought a boat in Lymington in 2019. The first 'alone' passage was to Cherbourg. Prior to that Day Skip and VHF SRO courses, a floatilla holiday in the Ionian and two weeks in Croatia with a Cruising Association member.

Your point: '...I can't think of one who ever posted back to say he actually brought a boat.....' Here I am and I've met quite a few people along the way that are doing the same.

You make a very interesting point about the training. As a one-time flight instructor I've got to say that if they taught people how to fly aircraft the way they teach people how to sail boats a lot of people would die.

 

[sailaboutvic]

Your first point: That's exactly what we're doing. Bought a boat in Lymington in 2019. The first 'alone' passage was to Cherbourg. Prior to that Day Skip and VHF SRO courses, a floatilla holiday in the Ionian and two weeks in Croatia with a Cruising Association member.

Your point: '...I can't think of one who ever posted back to say he actually brought a boat.....' Here I am and I've met quite a few people along the way that are doing the same.

You make a very interesting point about the training. As a one-time flight instructor I've got to say that if they taught people how to fly aircraft the way they teach people how to sail boats a lot of people would die.

Yes so have I ( read my posting about our Belgium friends) ,
Read my post 15# .
I was talking about people who posted their pipe dream here.
What's do the saying " there talker and their doer"

You clearly had some sailing experience Day skipper, flotilla, and sailing with friends
Add to that as a flight instructor you also have navigation skill and aware of weather and weather patton.,
so you don't fit into what I was referring too ,
I still wait for someone who posted a pipe dream to say ( here I am ) and when they do they can also give direction to their pipe dream posting.