Greetings from a newb!

[Redwookieaz]

Just wanted to say hi to everybody and give a little background. And announce my hair brained scheme too! First off been lurking here for a week or so ans liked what I've seen so far so I'm joining up. Now as for me I freely admit that I had to look up what a transom was to join your fine board but I'm motivated smart and interested in learning all I can I have lived in two land locked states my entire life, Nebraska and Arizona, both of which have a fond spot in my heart. I grew up hunting, camping, and working on hot rods but my boat knowledge has been limited to the following, a sister who owns a 20ft Sea ray ski boat and a life long obsession with full size naval vessels that have brought to a few historical naval boat museums over the years. However, my obsession with boats has been steadily growing from curious to crazed! It's funny when in high school we were made to take one of those career aptitude tests and mine came back with the my two highest rated career choices being fishing boat captain and first mate! At the time I thought the test was ridiculous and the answer unfounded but these days, hmmm....

Now I have one year left here in the grand canyon state while my wife finishes her graduate degree then we'll be headed to either Oregon or Charleston so I'm starting the planning and scheming stage of my boating adventure now! I'm probably off my rocker but I know what I want in my first boat but not how to go about it so here I am! In my mind, I'd like to apply what I have been able to fab for ground vehicles into saving me some in my first boat project.

So I guess a small description of what I think I wanna do is as good a spot as any to start! I wanna end up with a boat that is sturdy and safe enough for the worst weather on earth, enough room for maybe 2-4 people to stay aboard somewhat comfortably for long journeys and won't blow up my budget! Now that's not asking too much out of my first boat project or completely insane for a novice now is it! lol. I tell ya folks it sounds almost normal coming out of my mouth! I like the thought of the adventure! And while this is what I want to end up with craft wise, I don't intend on jumping on board and sailing the horn of Africa just yet! So what do ya guys think? Am I out of my gord? Can this be even a slightly feasible craft? I look forward to hearing all of your thoughts, criticisms, etc... Also if I can help ya'll in any way I'm pleased to as well. Here's to ya and thanks for humoring me!

Oh and also, what I've got going as a running idea in my head is to buy a rigid buoyancy boat hull from perhaps Oceancraft in Australia in the 8-13 meter range and then outfitting it myself including building my own cabin and adding propulsion. Or maybe that's just way too much and I would be smart to buy an old fixer upper boat in the same size, like a cruiser with some kind of cabin (cuddy? pilothouse style IDK?)? So again thoughts all? And don't all jump at once to offer your expertise lol...

Well,

first welcome aboard!

Then, you might find some impressions how to start on deciding which vessel you want here:

The Design Spiral, or where to start building a boat.

A boat capable of surviving the worst conditions has still to be invented. There is no such boat on the market.
Some come closer than others, yes, but ALL are destructable by the elements in the right (wrong) conditions.

So, giving up the natural fear for the elements by knowing how to deal with them, is your first goal.

Regards
Richard

[Redwookieaz]

Ha ha had been sidetracked awhile but thanks for a place to start! I'll be reading your thread thoroughly before I make anymore posts. Thanks again and thanks for the welcome!

[Stumble]

Red,

I love the enthusiasm, but I would highly recommend you try and find a decent used boat that will do what you envision doing with it right now.

There are a lot of good reasons to retrofit a boat, and even more for building a boat, but they really all turn on two big issues. 1)that you cannot find a boat that meets your demands on the market, AND 2) you know enough about boats to create a good justification for the lack.

Not be be critical, but never having been a boater there is so much to learn, the idea of you spending the next two years either building or refurbishing a boat instead of getting out on the water makes me cringe. Particularly in this economy where there are so many good used boats on the market for a song.