My daughter & boyfriend bought a sailboat

Mr. Ed

Mr. Ed

Be what you is not what you what you ain’t
Location
Central NY
Now I want a sailboat although I have not seen theirs I would like a final hooray before I turn into dust. Cost of used sailboats are affordable for an equipped cruiser. If I can persuade my wife sailing will be confined to the Finger Lakes primarily Cayuga Lake. My daughter would probably resent me for riding on her coattails even though I thought of it first.

I don’t see how it will be possible buying a sailboat, I guess I can dream without consequence.
 

My daughter her not-so-new puppy are coming to visit today. This is the daughter I wrongly accused her new boyfriend of not being good for her, they have been together 6 months now. I am apprehensive about sticking my foot in my mouth again as I always have something smart to say (sarcasm) that is taken the wrong way. It is best that I think before I speak.
 
Mr. Ed said:
Now I want a sailboat although I have not seen theirs I would like a final hooray before I turn into dust. Cost of used sailboats are affordable for an equipped cruiser. If I can persuade my wife sailing will be confined to the Finger Lakes primarily Cayuga Lake. My daughter would probably resent me for riding on her coattails even though I thought of it first.

I don’t see how it will be possible buying a sailboat, I guess I can dream without consequence.
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My 6th sailboat was my final hooray when I turned 62, and I sailed to Hawaii to Alaska and down the inland passage. A three year journey living aboard. I had to sell my house to buy the right boat, but I sold the boat for what I paid for it... less improvements. Prices increase exponentially with each extra foot in length. You've got to want it.

Oh, and during that 3 years, the house I sold almost doubled in value. I suppose that could be included in the expense, but I don't think about it.

I consider it one of the best wild and potentially risky decisions I've made in my life. I still love sailing, at least the memory, but I got it out of my system, and God knows, I needed to get it out of my system and complete a life long goal. I can now rest in peace.

So what kind of sailboat did your daughter and partner buy? Tell them I approve.
 
I will be 70 next month, I do believe I am too old to sail. However, the problem is it is not the right time to pursue a new hobby in sailing. We are displaced home wise at the moment, living out of an Rv with 4 dogs. Work is scheduled to begin on our house 1st of October and winter comes early in Central NY.

It is doubtful I will get a large enough vehicle to tow a sailboat because my wife is afraid to drive large vehicles and she is not interested in having two vehicles.

dream on Mr. Ed
 
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JustDave said:
My 6th sailboat was my final hooray when I turned 62, and I sailed to Hawaii to Alaska and down the inland passage. A three year journey living aboard. I had to sell my house to buy the right boat, but I sold the boat for what I paid for it... less improvements. Prices increase exponentially with each extra foot in length. You've got to want it.

Oh, and during that 3 years, the house I sold almost doubled in value. I suppose that could be included in the expense, but I don't think about it.

I consider it one of the best wild and potentially risky decisions I've made in my life. I still love sailing, at least the memory, but I got it out of my system, and God knows, I needed to get it out of my system and complete a life long goal. I can now rest in peace.

So what kind of sailboat did your daughter and partner buy? Tell them I approve.
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I'm glad you had the nerve to realize your dream, @JustDave :D
 
JustDave said:
My 6th sailboat was my final hooray when I turned 62, and I sailed to Hawaii to Alaska and down the inland passage. A three year journey living aboard. I had to sell my house to buy the right boat, but I sold the boat for what I paid for it... less improvements. Prices increase exponentially with each extra foot in length. You've got to want it.

Oh, and during that 3 years, the house I sold almost doubled in value. I suppose that could be included in the expense, but I don't think about it.

I consider it one of the best wild and potentially risky decisions I've made in my life. I still love sailing, at least the memory, but I got it out of my system, and God knows, I needed to get it out of my system and complete a life long goal. I can now rest in peace.

So what kind of sailboat did your daughter and partner buy? Tell them I approve.
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I’ll find today what kind sailboat they bought.
 
Mr. Ed said:
I will be 70 next month, I do believe I am too old to sail. However, the problem is it is not the right time to pursue a new hobby in sailing. We are displaced home wise at the moment, living out of an Rv with 4 dogs. Work is scheduled to begin on our house 1st of October and winter comes early in Central NY.

It is doubtful I will get a large enough vehicle to tow a sailboat because my wife is afraid to drive large vehicles and she is not interested in having two vehicles.

dream on Mr. Ed
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You've got a plate full right now. That's where your attention should go. Maybe your daughter will take you sailing. When conditions are just right, and granted that's not always the case, the experience is almost magical, for me anyway.
 
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RadishRose said:
I'm glad you had the nerve to realize your dream, @JustDave :D
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Yes, there was some nerve involved in committing to the goal before I even bought the boat. I did have "butterflies" on the morning I set out, and again as the shore disappeared over the horizon. It was the first time I was ever out of sight of land. But after that, I concentrated on the tasks involved in sailing. It's a fairly busy undertaking, and I was never bored.

Once early on, I felt overwhelmed for a couple hours after my auto pilot quit working, and I debated turning back while I sat bobbing on the ocean in one place. It was early in the crossing, but going forward and hand steering for the next three weeks was my best option. It wasn't as bad as I thought, however. Nothing ever is, it seems. Even with the occasional break downs and problems to fix, I would describe the crossing as a uniquely wonderful experience.

I never had any deep insights into my soul or discovered the meaning of life. I would have been surprised if I did, but half way to Hawaii, I was shown what a night sky really looks like. There are so many stars above us that with a such a clear atmosphere, I could barely make out the big dipper, and I was never sure which one was the north star. That surprised me.
 
MaidMarian said:
I also loved sailing. I once had a neighbor with a sailboat and he liked taking me along with him. I miss it and him. It’s so peaceful and quiet.
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And in the presence of all that quiet without a motor, I'm amazed at the power of the boat. Tons of fiberglass and keel powerfully and steadily pushing through the waves. I know the power comes from the wind, but it somehow feels like it's in the boat.
 
JustDave said:
And in the presence of all that quiet without a motor, I'm amazed at the power of the boat. Tons of fiberglass and keel powerfully and steadily pushing through the waves. I know the power comes from the wind, but it somehow feels like it's in the boat.
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Now I am going to ask a simple question. After your auto steering system failed at sea in the Pacific, how did you manage to sail by your self? I am assuming that you WERE alone, right ? How did you manage to sleep ? JIMB.
 
jimintoronto said:
How did you manage to sleep ? JIMB.
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I left my laptop on and created a program that set off an alarm every 30 minutes. I would check my radar and take a look outside, and then I would crawl back in my bunk. Any ship at sea headed in my direction going at 20 knots would take about 30 minutes to be near me after it appeared on the horizon, so if I saw a ship, which only happened about 5 times, I would contact the ship and stay up until the danger had passed. I've talked to couples that just sleep through the night at sea, and every ship I contacted knew I was there long before I knew they were there, so I may have been overly cautious.

It was fun talking to whoever was at the helm of the ship. We would usually have long friendly conversations, often until we were out of range. One ship was on a collision course, which you can determine easily with radar. I called him, and the helm told me he had been watching me for 20 minutes, and knew I was there. He said, "Don't worry, I will correct course, and we will pass green to green, which took a minute to figure out what he meant.

He passed in front of me broadside, and it was close. I think he was trying to give me a thrill. When he was right on me, he turned on every light on the ship, and I passed just behind his stern. When we had cleared each other, he called me and said, "I wish you good seas and good wind," and then he was gone.
 
Beezer said:
The two happiest days of your life.

The day you buy your boat...and the day you sell it.
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Perhaps, a sailboat is a luxury same as an Rv. Don't really need one but sure like to try it. Whether it be the open road or the open water, adventure calls.
 
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Mr. Ed said:
The manufacturer is Cal, it’s a 50 yr old 25 ft keel sailboat
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The Cal 25 was a very popular boat. Lake Mead, where I began my sailing on a 13 ft Sunfish, had a whole flotilla of Cal 25s, and when I moved to Maine I wanted to buy one, but ended up with a Bristol 24. Then I went to a 30 ft Islander in Puget Sound, and finally a 42 ft Tayana for my ocean voyage.

Cal went out of business years ago when a whole bunch of manufacturers went belly up. I never knew why so many closed. Too much competition maybe. And I was surprised Cal was one of them, as the entire Cal line was very popular. I remember the words of an old salt who said with a simple finality, "Cal's a good boat."
 

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