Time for an adventure!

[jak3b]

Yup, I agree.I remember sailing to Maine from Boston one summer.It was thick fog the whole trip,around 50 degrees,there was a horrible broken confused chop left over from a big northeaster that passed through before we left,the boat was a cal 33 which had a very flat bottom,there was a hole in the manifold so exhaust from the atomic 4 was going into the cabin.The angle of the seas and our course was just right that the boat would come off the waves and pound so hard the whole rig would shake and the hull flex.That combined with eating to much chili and the gas exhaust led to some explosive projectile vomiting.The only thing that ever came close to feeling that bad was having food poisoning.I swore I would never set foot on another boat as long as I lived.I was going to move to Montana as soon as we got to Camden.Sure enough after a day I forgot all about it.Sailing in Penobscot bay will do that.

[MrTifful]

The bad days make the good ones that much better, or so I hope.

I am 6'3" so I imagine any boat I get is going to be short of head room for me, but what models have the most headroom?

[BATAAN]

Originally Posted by jak3b

Bernard Moitessier wrote in one of books that the hardest part of the whole endeavor for alot of people is actually untying the dock lines and leaving.Some people get the boat, all the supplies,read all the books and when it comes time to go find an excuse to fix something or replace something, repaint something and never actually go.They are in a constant state of 'preparing'.I knew a guy here who wanted to sail around the world.He asked me what kind of boat to get.I asked him if he really really really liked sailing,especially the cold wet and scary kind?,He never really answered that.He got a 30 foot modified H28 type ketch.It was all teak,An older Cheoy Lee I think.Told everybody he was off to live his dream,gave up his work, sold his car,cut the ties.He left San Francisco with a big farewell and went as far as Half Moon Bay where he promptly sold the boat.I asked him what happend he said sailing was nothing like he thought it would be, ie; He was cold,wet,and scared.

This tale has been re-played so many times it is very sad. No one likes to see a person's cherished dreams die. If one wishes to live on the ocean for a period of time, one must accept it's not dry or stable, ever. Several years of cruising in your local area, summer and winter, will tell you if you are really ready for the reality of a life of this.
Heavy boats are generally more comfortable and have more room, so try sailing with many different people on different boats before you choose your own. Volunteer racing crew is a good start, and sailing cruising legs with people who are on a voyage will expose you to the real thing. Often cruisers are looking for a crew person for a particularly difficult passage and you may find some good people to get experience with. Try to get on every different type of vessel there is, from an ultralight buoy racer to a tall ship, and learn, learn, learn.
Remember, this is not about picking the correct manufactured consumer product (yacht) for the job, it's about you becoming a seaman to follow your dreams.

[jak3b]

Originally Posted by MrTifful

The bad days make the good ones that much better, or so I hope.

I am 6'3" so I imagine any boat I get is going to be short of head room for me, but what models have the most headroom?

They definately do.When its good I cant think of ANYTHING else I would rather be doing.Even when its bad it beats the hell out of feeling like your stuck in some plastic florescent lit cubicle doing something utterly boring and life sucking to pay the bills.Im 6',most of the time on a boat down below I am sitting down.I cruised on a boat that only had sitting headroom.It was no problem.You never tried to stand.Its the boats that have almost standing head room where Ive banged my head.What you want is LOTS of places to hold on while moving around the cabin.Some of the new designs are very beamy with open cabins.No hand rails to grab.If you fall you going to fall 6 feet or so before being stopped.Thats going to hurt especially if you land on your head!.One of the most important things to learn is to be ALERT and AWARE all the time.I learned to sail as a toddler so its kind of second nature.Even when your tired,hungry,wet,lonely,whatever you have to be aware of what you are doing and where you are,what your next move is going to be.If your unconcious about what your doing you might miss that hand hold or step the wrong way and your next view could be of your boat sailing away while you tread water.