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

[Doge]

Ok so now my plan is really taking shape.

I buy the boat and learn to sail and maintain the boat in local waters before setting off to the canaries and re-supply. Next its across the Atlantic to Uruguay, more re-supply. Then its down to the beagle channel and salmon heaven in the most beautiful setting imaginable.

I've found some information from people planning on the same thing. So I'll be watching their plans develop. Apparently Uruguay has less red tape than other countries nearby. And approaching Patagonia from the Atlantic is doable. Apparently the prevailing winds are only a problem around the top bit of south America. Once you're round the corner its fine. So it makes sense go south to canaries and go from there. Going from the Caribbean is a terrible idea. It might be good to have another stop further down Africa though.. Somewhere near Liberia. Any thoughts?

Just realised I don't need a visa for the Falklands. That might be useful.

Where there's a will there's a way!

 

[Kelpie]

Good work! If wanting to head further south than the Canaries, the usual stop would be Cape Verdes. Gambia is also feasible.

 

[Kelpie]

Here you go, this looks perfect:
Albin Vega 27 for sale UK, Albin boats for sale, Albin used boat sales, Albin Sailing Yachts For Sale 1973 Albin Vega - Apollo Duck

 

[Doge]

Here you go, this looks perfect:
Albin Vega 27 for sale UK, Albin boats for sale, Albin used boat sales, Albin Sailing Yachts For Sale 1973 Albin Vega - Apollo Duck

I've been regularly checking that site. There was one called Darth Vega sold about a week ago. Now there's this new one. Couldn't see a wind vein on it though. They seem to come up quite regularly. I'm not ready to buy yet though. Hopefully around February time. Means I'll have the summer to learn and can set off roughly a year from now.

 

[Kelpie]

I've been regularly checking that site. There was one called Darth Vega sold about a week ago. Now there's this new one. Couldn't see a wind vein on it though. They seem to come up quite regularly. I'm not ready to buy yet though. Hopefully around February time. Means I'll have the summer to learn and can set off roughly a year from now.

It's cheap enough that you can add a vane. They take a while to come up secondhand but you're not really going to need it initially.
If you can't find a secondhand one I believe the SeaFeather isn't too expensive new. You'd still be well below your £10k budget.

 

[Doge]

It does look quite a nice one. Same price as Darth Vega. Seems this one appeared right as that one sold.

 

[Wansworth]

You can build a vane gear,look up Bill Bletcher,his book has plans for a horizontal gear

 

[Doge]

You can build a vane gear,look up Bill Bletcher,his book has plans for a horizontal gear

Oh that's great thanks. This is what ill do.

 

[Kelpie]

Oh that's great thanks. This is what ill do.

You can also look in to the Hebridean windvane, another DIY/kit option.

 

[Doge]

You can also look in to the Hebridean windvane, another DIY/kit option.

Thanks. I'm just reading a "Building a Hebridean Wind Vane" PDF and in the first paragraph the author talks about how he owns a Vega. Seems like it should be perfect.

 

[Kelpie]

There's a Navik for sale in Wales for £700 on Facebook. Would look lovely on the back of that Vega I looked to. And you'd still have £2800 left in your budget, even if you paid full asking price for each.

Go on then... look forward to hearing how you get on!

 

[Kelpie]

Another perfect boat I just spotted on Facebook:
Marcon Cutlass, Beta engine, windpilot windvane, £6500 in Suffolk.

Come on, what's stopping you...?

 

[doug748]

Another perfect boat I just spotted on Facebook:
Marcon Cutlass, Beta engine, windpilot windvane, £6500 in Suffolk.

Come on, what's stopping you...?

Good spot.

Yep, now is the time to buy for next season not the New Year. That boat has some good gear with it. Bit of corrosion around the heat exchanger will need sorting, and could lever the price down a bit.

Next year North West passage.

.

 

[Kelpie]

Maybe China's crackdown on crypto has put a spanner in the works for the OP.

 

[Wansworth]

Remember you can buy cornflakes In forieign countries,I loaded up with tinned fish and ended up in Galicia were tinned fish was invented??

 

[Doge]

Another perfect boat I just spotted on Facebook:
Marcon Cutlass, Beta engine, windpilot windvane, £6500 in Suffolk.

Come on, what's stopping you...?

It's just not the right time to sell my crypto. Virtually all my money is in crypto and a bit of gold. I could buy a boat now but I'd totally destroy my financial security and I need that to actually fund my adventures. If I wait a little I'll have both the boat, financial security, and nice weather in which i can learn to sail.

 

[Doge]

Maybe China's crackdown on crypto has put a spanner in the works for the OP.

Twitter adoption is more significant. China's hostility is pretty much priced in at this point.

 

[Doge]

Remember you can buy cornflakes In forieign countries,I loaded up with tinned fish and ended up in Galicia were tinned fish was invented??

It looks as though salt curing fish is pretty simple. I'm planning on stocking up on tins before leaving the UK but will regard them as emergency rations. I'll evaporate sea water to make salt and potentially also emergency water. I'm planning on being a pretty safe sort of sailor. Contingency plans and things like that. I'll mitigate the risks of sailing to risky places. No drinking unless in moorings, and tethered to boat unless inside. People climb K2 but they don't get pissed and mess about. I'll be in Drake's Passage right before I enter Darwin Channel...

 

[Doge]

Plus I have time to study all aspects of sailing and build my wind vane. I'll keep you updated as things develop.

 

[Kelpie]

Shame you can't move now, this is generally a better time to buy a boat than in the spring. Although it does mean you can avoid the storage costs for the winter.

I don't understand how you can predict whether crypto is going to go up or down, but I suppose that's why I've never touched the stuff.

Is there anybody local to you who might take you for a sail? Maybe in exchange for a bit of help over the winter scrubbing their bottom?