❤😂🤣🤣🤣..."everything on your boat is broken, you just don't know it yet..." Yep....no sooner than fixing one thing, and another comes up tomorrow or next week...but I've been a DIY'er since childhood, so it's in my nature fixing things....I love it. ❤❤....and, as in the old book "The Zen of motorcycle maintenance," character forming.
Thanks guys. We are on the 5 year plan. We went from a 15’ Catalina to a 25’ MacGregor. took the ASA 101,103,104 classes now we are looking for a 40-50’ boat over the next year. The one thing we got from your video was “ don’t make any changes until you have lived / sailed for at least 6 months” Great advice. Thank you.
You guys are so great. Very good advice. I owned to Monohulls (one 46 ft, one 72ft classic) and I am now considering a Cat for cruising the southern oceans (or the world). You made so many good points in your videos, that I have a much clearer picture now of what I want. Most, if not all, of what you talk in your videos is exactly what I too think about it. So thanks a lot for confirming it all. As I said: very good advice from you here (and in your other videos). THANKS A LOT guys! Great videos, great job !!!
I absolutely LOVE when your guys do these videos! My boyfriend and I started sailing about 4 years ago but we are landlocked so we have been doing a TON of prep! We own a small 23 foot O’day on our local lake and we’ve taken the ASA courses up to 104 and are finishing up 105 and 106 this summer, we’ve also chartered in Florida to get a taste. I definitely believe chartering is the best way to know if you can handle it! On our charter the bilge pump kept running dry and we found that the float was stuck, we found out how dangerous it is to sail in a wind advisory! ❤️ you guys are the best!
Wind advisery's can really throw a spanner in the Works can't they ? I was in the Gulf Stream heading from Martha's Vineyard to Bermuda, doing fine with massive smooth Waves, enjoying the ride, when over the VHF comes a Tornado Warning. Oh Heck Tornado Here, when ? OMG ! I can't get to the other side of the Gulf Stream before it arrives. What to do, what to do. Checked the Charts for the Closest Harbour of Refuge, and the forecast Wind speeds and direction looked like a Run to Rhode Island was possible, but that forecast had better be correct. spotted possibly enough shelter at Block Island if time was running out, so I turned tail and Fled. luckily the antifoul was fresh, and the boat was spotless below the waterline, so the forecast winds when they arrived, had the heavy long keel boat hitting a bit over 7.4 knots at times, and ifvthe wind eased, running the motor to motorsail was giving 6 to 6.5 knots. So quite an exciting Sail, and I got in and anchored, about an hour before the Tornadoes arrived. The first one hit the boat so hard from starboard, the boat heeled over so far, the mast top VHF aerial was buried under water on the Port side, and the side pressure pushed the Anchor out. Panic then, as I had to fly the Anchor between the boats behind me and reset it in clear water behind them. Got clipped by a few more Tornadoes, but they weren't as bad as the first one, andvthe boat didn't budge. With the Anchor Alarm reset, I fell asleep wedged in the Cockpit surrounded by the floatation cushions I'd put there, in case any neighbours fell in during the storm, but thankfully, everyone was OK. Fair Winds and Happy Anchorages. Bob. 👍🙂🇬🇧🏴🇺🇲
Loved this video! Myself and my wife are planning 9 years out a hearing these much more "the other side of the coin" and "things to think about" videos do start conversations for us. It's awesome to see "the other side of the coin" that majority of other channels don't get into. Thanks guys!
Yes, yes, and yes...free advice. Time frame...we're in our early sixties...if we don't do it now, we'll be dead looking back. Hiring out is great, but what if you're out in the middle of nowhere? Marinas don't come to you. Excellent insight, very helpful. Thanks.
You guys are the best. I went through all this three years ago and determined I would fulfill my cruising dreams through RU-vid… and I’m okay with that. Keep sharing your wisdom. Blessings!
The reality is, don't play with toys you do not know how to fix if you are far from port. There should be NO system on your boat that you do not know verry well, and you should have the ability to repair most. I see well off families spend the big bucks on a cat and walk aboard their new cat using terms like "The kitchen", "The bedrooms" and the "Bathrooms". "Hey mom, it's a regular condo that floats!" . I have seen numbers of stories and disasters that involves a man with his family on a cat and in reality, he was the only one that could even operate the boat, let alone repair it. Its a fecklessly irresponsible move. SOMEONE needs to have a broad set of skills and more than one needs general abilities. Your life may depend on it.
Love watching you guys. I have been watching sailing videos for years and you two are by far the most informative with real life information. I am nowhere near heading out for a crusing life, finishing a medical residency and really intrigued by the possibility of cruising in the future, providing telemedicine, and even volunteer medical services to islands I may cruise to. Until then, you have a lifelong fan!
Nicely done and well thought out. I have been planning since 2018 Even bought my Brand New Dinghy (Zodiac) and New Suzuki 4 stroke 15 HP in 2019 but COVID happened and put plans on hold as I am a ICU RN was terribly busy and there was no travel allowed for us Nurses outside the state till 2021. I was even scheduled for ASA 101,103,104 in 2020 which I had to reschedule as the company teaching classes felt I was in a high risk group and asked me to wait till 2021 (I did Complete courses in 2021) I had a 28 Hinterhoeller in Clearwater 2001-2005 loved it but work, kids and put a hold on that dream but now retiring. I finally bought a boat (2015 Beneteau 45) waiting for final survey. I also wasn't going to pay the premium prices people were asking as I saw several for sale in 2016-2018 and the same boats for re-sale at a 20% increase increase than when originally sold for and little to nothing had been done to upgrade them. Many people don't do their research and ends up costing more in the end. Thanks for the info just re-assures my thought process. AJ
Excellent advice, you two. We are two years in & I think we followed so much of your advice, I hope many new boat owners use your services, I can see where your advice can be invaluable!
Excellent points! The best advice you just gave was to go simpler, not more complex. I’ve had boats before, and spent 2 years restoring a 30 year old 50’ MY. I enjoy it now, do charters on it, but it was, and still is, a lot of work, expense, and responsibility as each system requires constant consideration. My next boat will be a a newer model 35-40’ monohull sailboat with simple systems that are as plug and play as possible. Everything needs to be easy to access and repair. For example: I put expensive Furuno chart plotters on my MY, but I tend to use Navionics on my iPads most of all for plotting, and so the Furunos are mostly used for depth and wind direction. I could have spent much less for that, and will next time. Good stuff you two!
What a great distillation of tons of useful advice (and common sense) from your 20+ years experience. Love your channel, and hope you are soon out sailing again. ATB from 🇬🇧
It is amazing how compatible you two are. Equally amazing is how entertaining this video is even though you are temporarily without Clarity. Even though I am broken down in Provo waiting on a rebuilt transmission, I feel good knowing I did a lot of the things you recommended in this video. I bought the right size boat, and took my time getting familiar with it before heading across the Bahamas. Granted, I am not mechanically knowledgeable as I would like to be, but thanks to lots of bad luck, I am learning fast! Thanks again for providing such well thought out advice.
Well, sorry to hear it! Never fun being stuck with a mechanical. But you'd have to agree, this transmission problem is not something you could have trained for...right? Just gotta go and do and the fates have it from there. We've been in your spot ourselves, and it's strange what cool things have come from being stuck somewhere. Good luck and I hope you can get what you need to keep moving! Thanks for the comment!
Love the brutal honesty. 61 and just retired, hoping to start ASA classes soon with hope of someday living aboard full-time with my wife. I tend to jump into things head first. Are rentals/chartering a realistical way to help determine our fit before taking to plunge?
We bought our 44' cat in Grenada in January and yeah, its been a bit harrowing of an experience. Alot of what you said rings true. We threw ourselves right into the fire, juggling engine issues, rigging issues, etc., while trying to get ourselves back to Grenada. It has been a bit stressful at times. Its also been glorious at other times. Currently in Antigua. Long way to go.
just sent this link to very good friends of our that are thinking about buying a 35-40 foot sailboat in the coming months, thanks so much hope it helps them make the proper choices
@Mark Cormier @The O'Kelly's Hi. For many individuals, pairs, couples, and small families, for more than basic pleasure day-sailing, a 35-40 foot length at waterline is about as small, and as inexpensive, as one can go. Come climb into something smaller, and the second individual stays up, or lays on top of the the first. Sailing and lake-wave and sea-wave handling is also better in a well designed longer hull. If shorter than the length of a full wave, there is a bobbing up and down motion as well as the likely rocking motion - check with the O'Kelly's and others. 35-40' length at waterline seems a usable length with at least some cabin capacity. If needing a bargain, search for what is needed until a fair low price is found, auction, estate-sale, time-split with your family who are responsible, or maybe just lease or do fractional ownership. If no effective exit strategy, getting into something too small just makes another obstacle to handle before getting what one needs and wants, in my opinion. Learning on a cheap old junker, sure, but be in and out at modest prices.
I agree. If you can’t fix your toilet or garbage disposal in your house then you may not be able to fix something when you’re off shore in the swells much less than at the dock.
I laughed outright when you mentioned having "guests" on board for weeks at a time. The finest anecdote I have is when a family of four decided that they wanted to join my family for three weeks of "glorious cruising." Dad, being right off the boat from the Netherlands, was a great boating host, but he made it clear from the start that cruising equaled WORKING. The boat was a steel hulled double masted schooner rig, with major teak and mahogany woodwork. The kids worked by my brother and myself, scraping, sanding, varnishing, polishing and maintaining the the wood and brass; they HATED it!! The mom and dad were expected to help out with fishing, prepping, cooking, and standing watch. They HATED it! Cruising is wonderful. I have the best memories from the trans-Pacific crossings I've made, and I'm looking forward to the day when my new boat is completed and I can hire a small crew to join me to sail from Portland to the Netherlands (via the Panama Canal), to have cousins who are mad for sailing to join me there and then to cruise down to South Africa and then around the Cape and off to Oceana. The O'Kellys have said it best: You cruise. You work. You have a lot of time on your hands, enjoying the glorious passages. You work. You build memories and learn new things on a daily basis. You work. Thank you so much for being honest, friendly, wonderful and helpful!!
While you are land bound I would love for you to post a video on all your audio equipment (and video). But really your audio since you produce all your music for the videos. I have seen a few snippets showing your equipment but I think it would very cool to see a more in depth explanation and sample. Thanks for everything you do!
Thank you so much for this video. It cemented my feeling that the cruising life was not the best fit for my stage of life. Sad to say dispite my life long dreams, I bellive that trialer sailing might be a better fit (mobility issues).
Excellent info, one of the best videos I’ve seen for prospective buyers. I’m sure many boaters now wish they had a good consultant before taking the plunge.
This is by far, the best of the best video out there to watch as future adventurers. I'm really impressed. I'm in the "convince my wife" phase. But I'll make sure to also check the others boxes.
I had a 37’ sailboat that I used for weeks at a time I could not figure myself living in it 24/7. We did weekly maintenance and still there was always something broken or pending. I miss being in the water but not the enclosed space.
I am a real estate developer and the parallels between this and buying real estate are many! I restore cars/motorcycles as a hobby. I do my own work on my powerboat, but have not owed a cat. After chartering a cat in the BVI and watching you for a few years, I am going to do this and I think the projects will keep me entertained and busy while we explore. The magic of those 10 days sailing in the BVI haunts me daily. I am constantly planning trips back to sail and looking near me for opportunities. Thank you for the video and I am excited to see what you two end up with next.
Once it gets into your blood, it's hard to let go of, right? It's that way for us as well. Hey, if you like having projects to do, this is the lifestyle for you!
My husband and I have a 3-4 year plan to start cruising. We are one of the couples who will be learning on a smaller boat and then plan on buying a catamaran! I love watching your videos and hope we get everything in order to do what you guys are doing. Thank you for posting your videos.
Hi Nick & Megan. I am not a sailor, but I watch a lot, I mean a lot, of sailing channels on You Tube. I will never be a sailor, much too old, and no desire to jury-rig, rebuild, or repair anything. This has got to be one of the best help and advice segments on cruising and sailing I have ever seen. Good job you two! Fair winds in whatever you do.
I've taken the asa courses up to 106 and I highly recommend the bvi classes where you go with experienced captains and learn the ropes so to speak. I would say also that at least in my case, you have to continue the interest and keep up your sailing. I let it go a few years and have Dibble dabbled on buying a small boat for the lake near me in Dallas but it's hard to find the time. You have to make time for it.
Very informative, indeed. At times felt like an infomercial but an informative one. 😜 Love the throwback at the end. My favorite of all your old ones is the story on why you should always carry a knife (the anchor story if I remember correctly). That one is a classic.
Super video - love the delicately put honesty and yah repair and more importantly debug skills are a must - also strongly agree with sailing small cats like a 14’ is best way to learn with feel, will add RV ownership is very relevant and beneficial as well as power boating experience - We just got back from an 8day charter of a brand new 45ft FP cat it was loaded for charter (aka electric heads, generator for all 5 ACs, 12” chartplotters, wifi interface to ipad chartplotter, and best of all a dingy platform, which has become a must for the pup and older guests) - it was great, truly awesome, we loved it, and most important, it served its purpose: the lifestyle is not for our young girls though one is certified to asa 114 level - and its a show stopper for the service pup who did not like the 2m seas and had severe “pinking” of her paws even though we washed her after each on boarding, salt spray was everywhere - a great episode idea would be one on dogs and sailing, pet import papers, return trips home, vaccines (i.e. rabies 3 year shots only count a ms 1 year shots in some islands) health papers tight timings, itchy paws from salt and sand, stress (for pup and human), poddy situation, damage claws can cause on some materials, boat prep for dogs, best dog characteristics i.e. short hair, natural swimmers, young, smaller size, etc… unfortunately for us this marked the end of a many year effort towards the purchase of a 45ft cat for our global learning adventure :(
Yes, if you go back a couple years, you’ll see an episode on sailing with our old girl Sugar. It’s a challenge for sure to sail with a dog. Chartering is a great option if the whole crew isn’t ready for the full enchilada lifestyle. Glad you enjoyed your time out there.
Enjoyed your reality video! Jessapearl just completed 6000NM Trans-Atlantic La Rochelle to Tortolla and then Totolla to Tampa. As an owner, I joined the delivery crew of my own yacht to gain experience. The days passed quickly as the crew onboard had assigned tasks including; lines, sails, helm, cooking, fishing, and cleaning 24 hours per day. The crew knew I had a phobia about sailing at night of course so one of my shifts was 12:00PM-3:00AM manning the helm every night. At the helm, there are big responsibilities always watching the currents, weather, sails, maps, AIS, and radar! Off the coast of Cuba in pitch black, a cargo ship refused to give us right away on the open ocean asking us to maneuver to their stern in heavy seas. The captain had plenty of swear words for dangerous poles with "no #$%@ light beacons" in the Gulf of Mexico. Dangerous Gulfstream currents in the ocean or docks are nothing to ignore. Trust your marine maps? Ensure you have updated marine maps, nothing excites your watch like night routes close to some kind of collision danger on a shallow. Passing under Florida bridges at night sends a thrill up your leg! Close your eyes and hope your mast is still there on the other side. There is no goofing off watching UTUBE on passage.
Fantastic info and timely, knee deep looking for a boat right now with JAN 2023 as my "Go Cruising" time frame. I have some sailing/racing experience, but still have plenty to learn. Thanks for all you do!
Great video with so much great info. We are getting really close! Or first consult was really helpful to start to define the dream. Now that we are are coming up on all this for reals in the Fall we'll circle back and set up another appointment. Soon we will have some actual questions to get answered :) Thanks Nick and Megan for this great service! Franny
Thanks for a superb discussion, exceptionally well presented. This is a really good education and dose of reality about successful cruising. Anyone thinking of cruising would benefit from seeing this. Not being able to fix basic things certainly costs a lot more in needing to pay others to do it, but it's also a safety risk if something (important) breaks while under way. I would say that some ability to fix things (including learning new things) is nearly a requirement for success. Starlink and eventually OneWeb and Kuiper should make remote working on a boat feasible from anywhere on Earth. It's already possible today with much more costly legacy satellite Internet service, but probably cost prohibitive for most people. You probably should become brokers. You can be just as honest with clients are you are today.
my plan is to do boat life after my kids (7-9) are out of the nest, and doing some FIRE/ becoming more financially self-reliant until then. already had a small boat before (got recommended to buy something like that by a guy at the marina) and i know what costs and how those costs scale on bigger boats (ie, paint for hull, sails, bigger motor, inboard vs outboard motor). the plan would be then to begin doing crewing a few months, then buy something around 30' monohull from the early 2000 (by that time 30 years old) in good shape, preferably with standing height. then either using that boat one/two seasons and then buying something slightly bigger with center cockpit so that the back cabin can be used by visitors/airbnb or keeping the first (second) boat. then move to the Netherlands so that i can anchor for free in protected waters and mostly just live in the boat with very little sailing. after getting grips with it, more distance with time. so i hope im being realistic about my plans.
Coming as an experienced cruiser - this is probably the highest quality recommendations that I have heard from a cruising channel in a long time. You have covered the most impactful features for the success of the cruising lifestyle, even though you were only able to cover the human aspect less than it requires. Good job.
I realize it's your bread and butter, but would love to hear more about your thoughts on upgrades/options that should be purchased and which should be left later (as you said - become outdated by the time the boat is delivered)
Not withholding...it's just such an individual and specific thing. We were thinking we will expand on that topic when we talk about considerations with our next boat.
Can you stand sunburned feet? walking on land like it's 4ft rollers? going slower than you could swim? wondering how this many things can break in 24hrs?
The sunburned feet is a problem I've seen. Dad drummed into us that we ALWAYS had on our deck shoes when in the cockpit or above, and it surprised me when I see so many people going barefoot in the tropical sun. I hate the tan lines, but I like my feet. I was sniggering at your mention of how many things can break in a 24 hour period of time. I own a Triumph sports car, and I live that craziness!! Great good luck and enjoy!!
WHAT I REALLY LOVE IN THIS VIDEO.... IS THIS FANTÀSTIC AND LOVELY COUPLE ... SAYS - AFTER 20 YEARS OF CRUSING, WE STILL ARE LEARNING..... LEARNING IT IS A CAPACITY NOT A RESPONSABILITY......... LOVE YOUR SINCERITY.... LOVE YOUR VIDEOS.... WISH YOU ... FAIR WINDS AND SEND MY KIND REGARDS.... 🌷🍾🥂..... CHEERS.....
I enjoy exploring and I enjoy working on things so yes I want to go. The idea of leaving internet world, politics, etc sounds awesome to me. Every pro has a con and it would be a hell of an adventure of a lifetime. I have little over 15yrs but I planning in going.
@@TheOKellys well I have goals. I work for a RR and we can retire at age 60, so in theory I can get all the training and some experience before setting off. I’m always on the water fishing so next year we are starting into sailing class’s. Also want to take scuba classes, get a captains license, take some diesel classes all which I can do around charleston sc area. Pretty much can fix anything now but I don’t know anything about a diesel motor.
I would love to live on a boat and I would but only if I could buy a HH44-OC (Ocean Cruising). Since I can't afford this boat right now I have no interest in any others.
For me; keep it simple. Buy an 'emty/standard boat and take ur time to ecuip it according to ur needs and skills. Make small trips and then increase the range. You will easily see what u need then. Less is more.
My wife and I have enjoyed your chanel. We have a 3 year plan to change our way of life. We want to do what you have been doing. Sounds like you do consulting for people like us can you send me information on what you provide and cost for your services. Thank you
Really Good!!! You put a LOT of thought into that. I am going to add a CRUCIAL element: Health Care! Health Insurance. It is hard to get the right package and, as you get older, it is impossible. Consequently, many people cruise without insurance at all which is a disaster waiting to happen. I don't think that you mentioned sea sickness in your video or, at least, I missed it. Fact: It is an ever present reality, even when happily cruising through the French canals. Finally, cruise around the world? Few actually do. Most boats are tied up at marinas or are in storage for years at a time. People buy boats but life gets in the way. There are much cheaper hobbies and, of course, much cheaper ways to travel. And, of course, the learning curve for a RV is much less than for a boat.
i still don't get it after the new sails(and problems with them)the new aircon/heater and extra solar the work on the engines and removal of the generator and then selling the boat
I think that it comes under the heading of "fine tuning, after taking the time to learn all about your desires, needs and reality." After spending years learning what you want and desire, you can move up to that reality. Every boat needs new sails, eventually, depending on the amount of time at sail and also the materials used in the creation of the sails. They, like everything else, wear out eventually.
Good video. Terrific information. Great consulting... I've hired Nick and Megan! Will do so again when they begin building my boat. I've just spent two weeks on a 50' cat in the Bahamas with a passage back to Florida. (No I wasn't the captain - not even close). Not once in those two weeks did I ask about the 10% rule. Why? Because everyone else - besides the O'Kellys - dismissed it out of hand. Do I think it's an incorrect number? It's one of those things where if you allow for it - you won't get into trouble and you just might be pleasantly surprised; but if you think 'nah 2 should cover anything and everything...' you could wind up in serious trouble. Wind up, selling your dream 'as is,' because you can't afford the unexpected repair. And the two week delivery cruise I finished yesterday morning? Thanks Nick & Megan for the referral! I think Great Adventures Cat was the cruising bargain of the decade. I learned a lot, we sailed over 600 nMiles, saw a lot of the Bahamas, and absolutely, this is still my dream.
Thank you so much Will, we knew you would hit it off with Jason and learn so much about the cruising lifestyle. Super excited for you and your new boat!
Glad you had a great experience Will! It was our pleasure to host you and we hope you came home with more knowhow and new ideas about your own boating plans. It’s always fun to see people getting out and having the privilege of being part of helping them experience what it’s really like to live this lifestyle.
You seem to have a real realistic approach. But in your videos I haven't seen Megan working on the engine. While I know that you take safety seriously I wonder if Megan is able to repair the engine or the electric system in case you are injured or sick and unconscious? As Clarity had most systems in redundancy I believe the crews ability to solve issues needs to be redundant as well. Just think about what would happen if you broke your feet or worse out there. As a cruising couple both mandatory must be able to get the jobs done.
Megan doesn't work on the engine. She's not interested. We see your logic, but honestly, it's not critical that both of us know how to work on every system on the boat for the type of cruising we do. Now if we were exploring Antarctica, it would be a different story. If I (Nick) were incapacitated, Megan knows how to navigate and sail the boat, operate the systems on board, etc. But if we lost an engine and I were laid up with a back problem...we have another engine...and sails.
H I R E D .... What an honest Great Episode in a world where everybody is trying to sell you what you do not need ... when can you fly to the island of Chiloe in the south of Chile to start doing business? My Very Best and Sincere Luck with your Chris Search
@@TheOKellys I am taking your own Words, it requires planing and a Master in Patience. Let's pray for 2023, you can start searching your dreamed destination as well, so you kill two birds...
Throughout watching many sailing channels I’ve yet to figure out if A/C is necessary or not. One person said you get used to the heat but other times people seem covered in sweat and sleeping while hot seems miserable. Thoughts?
Different boats have different ventilation possibilities... And good insulation works both ways . Remember heat flows upwards and is comprised of Radiant, conduction and convective forms. Some places are just plain ferociously hot.. and staying out of the sun and keeping things cooler can be critical to surviving as your health can break down pretty quick as it gets hotter than body temp. especially as global temps rise. You can get imaginative and use the sea water to remove some heat but thermal syphoning or pumps all involves more complications. There are traditional ways like sun sails above a deck... Angled to vent heat away from underneath as well . White..is good silver better but does it need to be waterproof windproof as well... You can flip a double sided tarp in cold climates...reflective none reflective. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Ritq64yHgxk.html just fitted a summer Bimini... skin cancer heatstroke and hypothermia are all real things...for outdoors people...including sailors. 🤞🏼🤷🏻♂️
I'm curious how everyone survives, especially with kids, with those little refrigerators. Yikes we had 2-3 full size fridges when all our 6 kids were home.
Do you help out Canadians too? We have a hefty luxury tax on all boats over $250K Cdn (which is about $195K US) so trying to figure out what is necessary at the manufacturer level vs. outfitting later (as the prices at the manufacturer seem to be quite a bit higher). What is your consulting model?
Absolutely. Go bang into a dock or two, tear a sail, fix a small diesel, manage 100ah of battery and cook with an alcohol stove. I guarantee you’ll look fondly on those days, even at the helm of your Gunboat 72. And you’ll learn how to dock, be a better sailor, and pick up a thousand new skills…..all with a few thousand bucks on the line.
what are the economics of cruising and then finding clients to rent your boat as a skippered charter? It if one can earn up to 5-15k a week for renting your boat out while you skipper it in high season, can that be an economic alternative to working for a modest salary remotely?
Great video! You two give advice that smart buyers will save tons of money if they follow!! When did you two post your FIRST youtube sailing episode and how do I find it?
Gosh must have been right after RU-vid started. Unfortunately we had used a ton of copyrighted music, so they took it down. May re edit this summer if we get stuck on land for a bit.
Thank you for telling the truthiness. especially about complexity. i'm a lifelong sailor starting with a Laser with a low 4 digit hull number and decades racing and cruising big boats -- and what i have seen since Covid got everyone adventurous is they want to get away from it all -- by taking it all with them. And that's not just a a whole host of complexity that can melt down in your face -- but all that weight (and all the extra spare parts) has to make these already hefty cats really uncomfortable in a seaway --- not to mention increasing stress on the hull and rig to the point stuff is just going to fail faster. Keep it simple!
I wish I could have your counsel before I got married. It seems marriage is a lot like cruising. I might have stayed a land lubber. Just kidding. Thanks for the honesty.
It pains me to say this about myself. I LOVE sail boats but I am a disabled vet and had to come to the reality of a motor cruiser. Yes Im a 2nd generation Aircraft electrician who retired from the Air Force. as well as a 4th generation Diesel mechanic. Im Highly mechanically inclined. Now lets go back to that part where Im a Disabled Vet. To put it bluntly. Ive been blown up and have had to fight off people who wanted to blow me up. and have trained with the best on the planet and as a result of that I have 8 bad disks in my requiring constant maintenance aka shots in my spine and drugs. lol. 2 jacked up shoulders a cracked chest plate and Im not a big fan of people. This tells me maybe a boat can be the way to calm down. but then again everything breaks on a boat and Im not sure if I can physically do it. Currently Im looking at a between a 40 foot and 60 foot boat. Am I on the right track? I may even go down to a 35 footer. Things that make you go hmmm... Any whoo! good advice. It is helping with a few decisions.
Well, I have no idea what it's like to have people trying to blow me up, or actually being blown up, but sounds absolutely terrible. I am betting that those experiences makes you rather hypervigilant in general....and that translates well to the ocean, which can be a very hostile environment....the ocean can be quite unforgiving for the unprepared boat or captain. It can also (at least for us) offer incredible peace. So from a mindset approach, I'd say, very broadly, you may be very well equipped to handle this endeavor. From a skills perspective, I think you are probably in a VERY good spot....an A&P or frankly any aircraft electrician or diesel engine mechanic will find most boat systems to be....child's play. Now....the physical part...yes you sound pretty jacked up alright and there's an inescapable reality with these boats that I call "boat yoga." There is a lot of twisting, turning, bending, and awkwardness when working in all of these tight spaces. There's also going to be some strength required (motor or sail) in the docking, anchoring, and dinghy handling activities. You definitely want to get to a place where the drugs aren't necessary because getting the drugs will be difficult in foreign countries and traveling between countries with that stuff on board is going to be difficult.....so tons and tons of rehab needed...PARTICULARLY for the shoulders and back....those are essential. As for the boat shopping, you have to go as small as possible as the forces get really big really quickly. I would be looking first and foremost at access issues and build quality. You need a boat with a good bit of space around the engine(s) and preferably standing headroom. I'd also make sure you have a good pedestal-style captain's chair so you can get your torso locked in...there are racing-style bucket seats used on go-fast boats available...get one of those for your helm position. As for the sail vs motorcruiser, you can always scratch the sailing itch on other people's boats. If you or someone in your spot approached me at the dock or in an anchorage and said hey, I really miss sailing, can I come out for the day.....I'd happily take you out. Has nothing to do with your injuries or disability....I just think that people passionate about sailing LOVE to share the experience with other people who are passionate about sailing. Report back, let me know how it goes.
@@TheOKellys Wow! Thanks for the quick response. Let me clarify the drugs. lol. Aspirin bear back and body and capsaicin cream so far are my drug of choice. Luckily I was able to get myself to a manageable spot of OTC. Between those and the injections Im in a good place on that front. Still need to take them every day and would hate to run out. By the grace of god my injuries were recoverable to a point. Getting old sucks.. Im no stranger to boat yoga! working on my suburban engine these days reminds me of aircraft yoga which I think is pretty similar. Funny how the engineers seem to get that one bolt that just out of reach and then build the boat around it. and voila! Boat yoga! For creature comforts its looking like a 40 footer or there abouts is in my future. Standing room in the engine bay ares would be a huge plus. Still on the hunt for my boat but may have to wait to see what the people in the head shed say about diesel and gasoline. California aint looking to good at all these days. Still on the hunt for my next adventure. Yall be safe.
As one of your first consulting clients, and after almost 2 years later, I can truly say you guys made it work for us... Such a valuable and knowledgeable team! Nothing in this video is overstated 🤣 Good luck to all looking to make that big monumental jump ❤️
