The New Requirements

as my guiding principles. As many others have said, a small boat and a suitcase full of money is much better than a 40 footer tied to the Bank. After all, if I can keep things small, inexpensive, mechanical in nature, and easy to maintain, I can go out earlier and stay out longer without over spending. Boat costs rise disproportionally with size and I want to stay in the marina "minimum" range. With the basics covered, all that will be missing is 25 pounds of rice, and suitable amounts of several varieties of beans, pasta, coffee, spices, and rum for medicinal purposes to keep the captain and non-existent crew fed and happy.

I expect to leave port and remain self sufficient until forced to seek a suitable port for re-supply, repairs, or shelter from a storm. Even then, my intention is to anchor out as much as possible using a dinghy for re-supply as necessary rather than use the facilities of a shore based marina. These trips will for the most part be single handed and coastal in nature. I expect to cruise no more than two to three days (150 to 200 miles) away from the nearest shoreline. If I end up in a nice port, my wife will probably join me for a week or two of local sailing before she returns home and I move on to another location of interest.

I also intend to break up these trips with time spent back home. I do not intend to be away on a continuous basis. During these times away from the boat, my intention is to store the boat on land at a convenient facility either on stands or on a trailer depending on the boat I am using and the location.

If I get a boat that can be transported on a trailer, I will plan to transport the empty trailer between ports as necessary using my current vehicle. If I need to transport the boat on a trailer, I will rent a suitable tow vehicle for the occasion.

I do not wish to purchase a new boat. In fact, most of the boats that I would like to consider have not been manufactured for 10 or more years. Since I will be purchasing in the used market, I expect to spend a substantial amount on upgrades and maintenance to get to the level of "comfort" and safety that I desire.

With these basic requirements, I am back to the book stores and the Internet to collect as much information as possible.

This page was last updated on March 20, 2001 08:00 AM

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