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

[Doge]

 

[DownWest]

On insurance, it is normally a condition of entry to a Marina, for quite obvious reasons, as they have a lot of expensive boats to look after.
You will only get third party for single handing and even then they will be curious about experience and qualifications.
If anything breaks, and it will...you will need to get into somewhere to fix it.
The RNLI tows for free if a boat is in trouble, in Europe, less so. A friend had trouble off Portugal. The weather was getting worse and the engine duff. The tow in cost €4.5k
Certainly the French charge. They save lives for free, not boats.
Staying offshore: You will need a good windvane system and probably a back up tiller pilot. Electrics on a small boat are problematical, even with decent solar (more expense)
Since you need to sleep, better get an AIS to warn you of other ships. The sea is big, but collisions do happen. Another close friend was run down by a big ship coming back from Madeira. He was OK, but lost his boat.
Most single handers (and others) are quite proficient at sorting problems with gear. Since you have not sailed, likely there is a lot to learn there. Are you good at DIY?

 

[Kelpie]

Are all you guys that bored that you still replying to this ?
Most of us will bend over backward to help people who have a realised dream even if that come to nothing in the end , but come on guys ,
The op must be having a good laugh ?

I'm always willing to help people. It took me fifteen years on this forum, eleven years as a boat owner, to get to the point where I rented out my house to become a full time liveaboard and sail off away from the UK. I took jobs working on boats during that time to learn practical skills and get tickets. There are probably faster ways of achieving the dream, but that's my story.

As I said, I admire the positivity. I hope he keeps us updated.

 

[nortada]

I'm always willing to help people. It took me fifteen years on this forum, eleven years as a boat owner, to get to the point where I rented out my house to become a full time liveaboard and sail off away from the UK. I took jobs working on boats during that time to learn practical skills and get tickets. There are probably faster ways of achieving the dream, but that's my story.

As I said, I admire the positivity. I hope he keeps us updated.

Positivity - OK but where does positivity give way to recklessness, which is a danger to all? Not least (RNLI et al) who risk their lives to help people who should not have been there in the first place.

To his credit the OP asked, “Feasible is my plan”. In my opinion the honest answer is, “Given your lack of funds and experience, not very”.

If this all turns to tears, those who have egged him on and help gloss over real issues and potential problems, will have big questions to answer.

Fortunately, numerous hurdles and hoops (finance, insurance, sailing qualifications overseas, Schengen etc.) could mitigate against a reckless plan.

Yes there are some success stories that get a lot of publicity but many more failures don’t.

Sorry if reality hurts but at times it is important to take stock and tell it as it is.

 

[sailaboutvic]

I'm always willing to help people. It took me fifteen years on this forum, eleven years as a boat owner, to get to the point where I rented out my house to become a full time liveaboard and sail off away from the UK. I took jobs working on boats during that time to learn practical skills and get tickets. There are probably faster ways of achieving the dream, but that's my story.

As I said, I admire the positivity. I hope he keeps us updated.

We both have read each other posting over the years , and also commented on each other ,
I think you agree ,
but just read what you just wrote and what he been writing , have you noticed the difference?

 

[Doge]

If this all turns to tears, those who have egged him on and help gloss over real issues and potential problems, will have big questions to answer.

No they wont. My actions are my own responsibility.

 

[nortada]

No they wont. My actions are my own responsibility.

Unfortunately life is not like that. I agree, people can think that they can take total responsibility for their actions but others risk life and limb to save people from their reckless actions.

To encourage reckless behaviour carries its own responsibility.

To end on a positive, I do not suggest what you are proposing is reckless (we all have to start somewhere). It is the gung-ho approach that concerns me.

Were you to suggest you are going to get an affordable boat, learn to sail and maintain a boat in local water, then take it from there then I would agree that plan would be feasible. Albeit you may change your vessel before embarking on longer passages.

But with your talk of the Straits of Magellan, a Pacific crossing etc. I think you are dangerously deluded or more likely a headline grabbing, wind-up merchant. In which case you have exposed the delusions of your would be supporters.

I will be interested to see where you go from here - move forward or like so many others, just vanish when other lose interest in this thread.

 

[Doge]

Unfortunately life is not like that. I agree, people can think that they can take total responsibility for their action but other risk life and limb to save people from their reckless actions.

To encourage reckless behaviour caries its own responsibility.

To end on a positive, I do not suggest what you are proposing is reckless (we have to start somewhere). It is the gung-ho approach that concerns me.

Where you to suggest you are going to get an affordable boat, learn to sail and maintain a boat in local water, then take it from there then I would agree that plan would be feasible.

But with your talk of the Straits of Magellan, a Pacific crossing etc. I think you are dangerously deluded or more likely a wind-up merchant. In which case you have exposed the delusions of your would be supporters.

Ok fine I'll learn to sail and maintain the boat in local water. I never intended to travel to the Straits of Magellan without knowing what I was doing. That's a long term aim.

 

[nortada]

Ok fine I'll learn to sail and maintain the boat in local water. I never intended to travel to the Straits of Magellan without knowing what I was doing.

So glad to see you respond to other points of view.

All the very best with your adventure and looking forward to hear how you get on.

 

[Kelpie]

Well I'm finding it all very entertaining. Maybe I am encouraging the OP. But at no point have I said "yes, great idea, go ahead". Merely trying to point out flaws in the plan and suggest more reasonable alternatives.

 

[Doge]

 

[sarabande]

Doggy, you need to start with basics. Confucious him say:

"Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance."

Optimist Sailing Lessons - YouTube

 

[Doge]

Doggy, you need to start with basics. Confucious him say:

"Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance."

Optimist Sailing Lessons - YouTube

Never been much of a fan of his.

 

[Doge]

Patagonia does look absolutely stunning though. Nasty invasive salmon need clearing out too...

Then off to New Zealand to help them get rid of all those nasty invasive brown trout.

 

[Humblebee]

Unfortunately life is not like that. I agree, people can think that they can take total responsibility for their action but others risk life and limb to save people from their reckless actions.

To encourage reckless behaviour carries its own responsibility.

To end on a positive, I do not suggest what you are proposing is reckless (we all have to start somewhere). It is the gung-ho approach that concerns me.

Where you to suggest you are going to get an affordable boat, learn to sail and maintain a boat in local water, then take it from there then I would agree that plan would be feasible. Albeit you may change your vessel before embarking on longer passages.

But with your talk of the Straits of Magellan, a Pacific crossing etc. I think you are dangerously deluded or more likely a headline grabbing, wind-up merchant. In which case you have exposed the delusions of your would be supporters.

I will be interested to see where you go from here - move forward or like so many others, just vanish when other lose interest in this thread.

Good post and sound advice, Nortada.
If I am reading this correctly, Doge has no sailing experience. Surely the first move, before making more plans or buying a boat is to try sailing and see if he likes it? Day Skipper or Competent Crew course would fit the bill?

 

[Kelpie]

Good post and sound advice, Nortada.
If I am reading this correctly, Doge has no sailing experience. Surely the first move, before making more plans or buying a boat is to try sailing and see if he likes it? Day Skipper or Competent Crew course would fit the bill?

The best time to discover that you suffer from debilitating seasickness is 24hrs in to an offshore singlehanded passage, having sunk all of your life savings in to buying the boat. Because then it's too late to turn back.

 

[Graham376]

The best time to discover that you suffer from debilitating seasickness is 24hrs in to an offshore singlehanded passage, having sunk all of your life savings in to buying the boat. Because then it's too late to turn back.

You mean the point after thinking you were dying to hoping you were?

 

[Kelpie]

You mean the point after thinking you were dying to hoping you were?

Yes round about then.

I've not done any long distance solo stuff, but I remember towards the end of our 5d Biscay crossing thinking that I hadn't been that utterly exhausted and sleep deprived since we had a newborn. It was enjoyable in retrospect...

 

[webcraft]

.
I met a guy in Porto Santo in 2006 who was on his way back to the UK from Brazil in a Macwester Wight something other other around 30ft.

His first sail ever was from the South Coast of England to Brazil. So it is possible. But you might not be as lucky as him.

I have always been impresses with the way the fates seem to smile on slightly chaotic sailors, and I would include myself in that. However, Proper Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance holds as true on the sea as on land or in the air.

- W

 

[sailaboutvic]

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