I'm 32, planning on having some hobbies in a few years (when the kids
are a wee bit older) and wanted to know how to get into boating. I
have a few friends who have recommended a few books (Chapmans), as
well as getting into the Coast Guard Aux, and also the local Power
Squadron here in town.

The questions really come down to what I'd love to do when I end up
being in the position of having a power boat. Couple of things:

(1) I'm looking to have crews of 3 - 10 people onboard. At most it'd
be 9 people, half of them probably kids. If that's not realistic and
the crowding would be bad, I'd probably do separate trips, or just
have the kids -- heck I don't know. I'll cross that bridge when I
come to it.

(2) I'm thinking about a 30' and up range of powerboat. I'd buy used
initially.

(3) My desire is to be able to cruise along the islands of the Bahamas
(departing from Florida) and sail among the bahamas, into
Turks/Caicos, down into Haiti/DR and then stopping along PR.

(4) I'd probably fish and SCUBA at various points. At some
destinations, stop off and get a tour of the city, stay a day or two.

This would probably occur every two to three years for a period of 21
days -- a length of vacation that's probably required to fly down to
Miami, provision up, get going and take my time.

All in all:

- How crazy am I? Am I a dreamer? I want an enjoyable hobby.

- Do others do what I do with powerboating?

- Am I just plain nuts? How many years of training and experience
might I need before I attempt something like this?

Thanks all...

Jeff Carlson wrote:

I'm 32, planning on having some hobbies in a few years (when the kids
are a wee bit older) and wanted to know how to get into boating. I
have a few friends who have recommended a few books (Chapmans), as
well as getting into the Coast Guard Aux, and also the local Power
Squadron here in town.

The questions really come down to what I'd love to do when I end up
being in the position of having a power boat. Couple of things:

(1) I'm looking to have crews of 3 - 10 people onboard. At most it'd
be 9 people, half of them probably kids. If that's not realistic and
the crowding would be bad, I'd probably do separate trips, or just
have the kids -- heck I don't know. I'll cross that bridge when I
come to it.

(2) I'm thinking about a 30' and up range of powerboat. I'd buy used
initially.

(3) My desire is to be able to cruise along the islands of the Bahamas
(departing from Florida) and sail among the bahamas, into
Turks/Caicos, down into Haiti/DR and then stopping along PR.

(4) I'd probably fish and SCUBA at various points. At some
destinations, stop off and get a tour of the city, stay a day or two.

This would probably occur every two to three years for a period of 21
days -- a length of vacation that's probably required to fly down to
Miami, provision up, get going and take my time.

All in all:

- How crazy am I? Am I a dreamer? I want an enjoyable hobby.

If you're crazy, you are no more so than most of us on the list. We're
all dreamers....

- Do others do what I do with powerboating?

Of course!

- Am I just plain nuts? How many years of training and experience
might I need before I attempt something like this?


If you're cautious, read a lot (and understand what you read) and have a
bit of luck, you could probably do it now. It's not exactly rocket
science...

9 people overnighting on any 30' boat I know (and most under about 40')
are going to be cramped though.

But its best to take baby steps first. Cruise the local area (wherever
that is) as much as possible. Your crew has to take THEIR baby steps
first, too. As you get experience, you'll find whether the rest is what
you really want to do. We have a similar trip planned, tentatively
planned for the next time I'm between jobs (the cruising kitty's already
in the bank), but even after 20 years, we're having a lot of fun closer
to home (Chesapeake Bay). We got a cheap ($7k) boat, brought her up to
snuff, and use the hell out of her (60-80 days most years).

The main thing: If it ain't fun, it ain't FUN! Don't push the boat, the
crew, or yourself, but get out and DO it. Nothing can replace experience.


--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

I'll second the idea of starting with manageable trips, then moving up.
Also, a 30' boat is a lot to handle. The first time you pull up to a dock,
the wind going one way and the current another, it's not exactly relaxing.
You should definitely take the first few cruises with an experienced
captain, and also with the advantage of a boating safety course. Build up
some confidence with day trips in calm water, then figure out what you, your
crew, and vessel are ready for.


"Jeff Carlson" wrote in message
om...
I'm 32, planning on having some hobbies in a few years (when the kids
are a wee bit older) and wanted to know how to get into boating. I
have a few friends who have recommended a few books (Chapmans), as
well as getting into the Coast Guard Aux, and also the local Power
Squadron here in town.

The questions really come down to what I'd love to do when I end up
being in the position of having a power boat. Couple of things:

(1) I'm looking to have crews of 3 - 10 people onboard. At most it'd
be 9 people, half of them probably kids. If that's not realistic and
the crowding would be bad, I'd probably do separate trips, or just
have the kids -- heck I don't know. I'll cross that bridge when I
come to it.

(2) I'm thinking about a 30' and up range of powerboat. I'd buy used
initially.

(3) My desire is to be able to cruise along the islands of the Bahamas
(departing from Florida) and sail among the bahamas, into
Turks/Caicos, down into Haiti/DR and then stopping along PR.

(4) I'd probably fish and SCUBA at various points. At some
destinations, stop off and get a tour of the city, stay a day or two.

This would probably occur every two to three years for a period of 21
days -- a length of vacation that's probably required to fly down to
Miami, provision up, get going and take my time.

All in all:

- How crazy am I? Am I a dreamer? I want an enjoyable hobby.

- Do others do what I do with powerboating?

- Am I just plain nuts? How many years of training and experience
might I need before I attempt something like this?

Thanks all...

Good advice from Dave and Jere.

One thing you'll learn quickly, in boating there are very few right
answers -- most things have a range of possibilities.

You don't say where you're based, but there are very few places where
you can't get some boating experience.

You talk about owning a boat based in Miami and using it for 21 days
every two or three years (or am I missing something?) That's going to
be a very expensive 21 days... I would seriously consider chartering
rather than owning. Charter powerboats are much less common than
sail, and chartering offshore is not easy, but both obstacles can be
overcome.

Nine people, even kids, is a lot. Maybe especially kids. Think about
living together in a space the size of your living room for three
weeks....

We had seven people (five adults, two teenagers) on Swee****er (a Swan
57 sloop) for two weeks in Tahiti during our circumnav. Our guests
were delightful people, but we swore we'd never have that many people
aboard again. Now a 57' sailboat has about the same space as a 45'
powerboat, but it's still a lot of people.

You might also take a look at a map -- the trip you outline is 2,000
miles round trip, half of going into the trade winds. While you could
certainly do it in 21 days, you wouldn't have any fun.

Nothing is impossible. Most of boating is common sense and fairly
easy. We met a young German couple at Suvarov (a paradise in the Cook
Islands) who had bought a 30' sailboat really cheap in Central America
and taught themselves to sail in a few weeks. Three months later,
they were halfway across the Pacific -- I don't know what happened to
them, but I probably would have heard if they ran into trouble.

All of this says, start easy, preferably near your home. Take
courses, read, read, read. Get people to take you out on their boats.
Then, as your experience base grows, you can stretch a little or a
lot.

Jim Woodward
www.mvfintry.com


"DaveH" wrote in message ...
I'll second the idea of starting with manageable trips, then moving up.
Also, a 30' boat is a lot to handle. The first time you pull up to a dock,
the wind going one way and the current another, it's not exactly relaxing.
You should definitely take the first few cruises with an experienced
captain, and also with the advantage of a boating safety course. Build up
some confidence with day trips in calm water, then figure out what you, your
crew, and vessel are ready for.


"Jeff Carlson" wrote in message
om...
I'm 32, planning on having some hobbies in a few years (when the kids
are a wee bit older) and wanted to know how to get into boating. I
have a few friends who have recommended a few books (Chapmans), as
well as getting into the Coast Guard Aux, and also the local Power
Squadron here in town.

The questions really come down to what I'd love to do when I end up
being in the position of having a power boat. Couple of things:

(1) I'm looking to have crews of 3 - 10 people onboard. At most it'd
be 9 people, half of them probably kids. If that's not realistic and
the crowding would be bad, I'd probably do separate trips, or just
have the kids -- heck I don't know. I'll cross that bridge when I
come to it.

(2) I'm thinking about a 30' and up range of powerboat. I'd buy used
initially.

(3) My desire is to be able to cruise along the islands of the Bahamas
(departing from Florida) and sail among the bahamas, into
Turks/Caicos, down into Haiti/DR and then stopping along PR.

(4) I'd probably fish and SCUBA at various points. At some
destinations, stop off and get a tour of the city, stay a day or two.

This would probably occur every two to three years for a period of 21
days -- a length of vacation that's probably required to fly down to
Miami, provision up, get going and take my time.

All in all:

- How crazy am I? Am I a dreamer? I want an enjoyable hobby.

- Do others do what I do with powerboating?

- Am I just plain nuts? How many years of training and experience
might I need before I attempt something like this?

Thanks all...