Serendipitous moment morphs into a dream

a_real_journey · Apr 18, 2024

I think I'll be on this forum a lot in the next few years, so I decided to post early rather than lurk long.

I was sitting at a picnic table near the lift bridge in Stillwater, MN two years ago when a trawler passed me on the St. Croix River. It piqued my interest for some reason (probably because I was trying to pray and I'm easily distracted). I learned online that it was one of a handful (or armload) of boats that could make the "Great Loop."

"What's the Great Loop?" I asked myself. Then I asked Google. Then I stopped praying altogether and read pretty much everything Captain John had to say on his (now defunct?) website in a day. By evening, an idea had formed: Why not do the Great Loop when the kids are grown and gone?

When my wife and I met and married (after losing our first spouses), I warned her in no uncertain terms: "I am the kind of person who has a hundred new ideas a month. 99 of them are bad, and one is unworkable." I'm not sure which one this is, but she's reluctantly agreed to let me dream about it.

Thus, my serendipitous moment by the St. Croix River spawned an idea which has turned into a dream. I don't have a boat (because I know next to nothing), but I do have a dream. I figure I might as well start planning. That's why I'm here. Thanks to all who share their knowledge and experience so freely in a hospitable kind of way. It's a help and inspiration. I look forward to reading a lot and interacting a little.

Comodave · Apr 19, 2024

Welcome aboard. When my wife and I got married almost 53 years ago I told her that life would be an adventure. Now whenever she thinks I am crazy I just tell her that I am just keeping my word…

slowgoesit · Apr 19, 2024

Don't delay! The only thing we can't get more of is time. We are on the home stretch of getting our boat from Port Orchard, Washington to our newly purchased home (with a dock) in Florida. We did take a side jaunt to Glacier Bay in Alaska as well. Almost 9,000 miles in 2 1/2 years, with only 1,003 left to Florida!

Our dream started with Covid 19. The lockdowns trashed our business, (which it should have, because we attended Art Shows as presenting artists, Super Spreader events if there ever were ones).

Anyway, not knowing what the world would be like "after covid", and not sure if we should hang on, and when things opened up again, attempt to get the business started again or not . . . . Laura said, "Why don't we buy another boat?"

So there you have it, that's where it started, and it's all Laura's fault!

Just get out there and do it (whatever "it" is) NOW! :dance:

RT Firefly · Apr 19, 2024

Greetings,
Welcome aboard. Dream for sure BUT there are a few things you can readily do without a boat. Take courses (Boating Courses). Walk the docks, look at boats and talk to owners.

Combine vacations with boat hunts. ie: Don't go to the mountains, plan on visiting maritime areas and wander around. Check out marinas in the areas you're visiting. Go to boat shows.

Do NOT get emotional. Be VERY pragmatic (this is a goodly sum of $$ you will be spending). Do NOT "fall in love" with that cute/rugged/derelict vessel.

Take a boating vacation. Rent a boat for a week and cruise around.

Research, research, research. And by any and ALL means. Keep the Mrs. fully involved!

kthoennes · Apr 19, 2024

Welcome. We were Minnesooootans for a while, and my wife's family owned the Mad Hatter on the river in Stillwater. South Dakota now, Missouri River instead of the St. Croix or Mississippi, but I can't tell you how many boats we crawled over through the snow in the Twin Cities area. (Finally bought one in Rhode Island of all places.) This is a great forum, the members are incredibly helpful.

READY · Apr 19, 2024

Welcome aboard. Many knowledgeable and helpful folks on the forum. Also many YouTube channels, some give a more balanced view than others. Keep in mind the definition of cruising is "fixing boats in exotic places." So as long as you enjoy being hands on you will enjoy it. Otherwise have a hefty budget to pay for repairs but that means you lose a lot of control and creates a different type of challenge.

Suggest you star by joining a boat club and also doing a few charters as you also build skills via lessons or power squadron or just crewing on other boats. If you are willing to pitch in, wash boats, etc many people will be happy to have you aboard.

Enjoy!

mvweebles · Apr 19, 2024

RT Firefly said:
Do NOT get emotional. Be VERY pragmatic (this is a goodly sum of $$ you will be spending). Do NOT "fall in love" with that cute/rugged/derelict vessel.

Good luck with that.....since when was buying a boat a pragmatic decision? Only time you really need a boat is when the one you're on is sinking.......and the one next to it isn't

Peter

a_real_journey · Apr 19, 2024

slowgoesit said:
Don't delay! The only thing we can't get more of is time. We are on the home stretch of getting our boat from Port Orchard, Washington to our newly purchased home (with a dock) in Florida. We did take a side jaunt to Glacier Bay in Alaska as well. Almost 9,000 miles in 2 1/2 years, with only 1,003 left to Florida!

Our dream started with Covid 19. The lockdowns trashed our business, (which it should have, because we attended Art Shows as presenting artists, Super Spreader events if there ever were ones).

Anyway, not knowing what the world would be like "after covid", and not sure if we should hang on, and when things opened up again, attempt to get the business started again or not . . . . Laura said, "Why don't we buy another boat?"

So there you have it, that's where it started, and it's all Laura's fault!

Just get out there and do it (whatever "it" is) NOW!

Loved "it's all Laura's fault." My wife and I jokingly say that you get married so you'll have someone to blame. (She'll definitely have me to blame for this one!)

a_real_journey · Apr 19, 2024

kthoennes said:
Welcome. We were Minnesooootans for a while, and my wife's family owned the Mad Hatter on the river in Stillwater. South Dakota now, Missouri River instead of the St. Croix or Mississippi, but I can't tell you how many boats we crawled over through the snow in the Twin Cities area. (Finally bought one in Rhode Island of all places.) This is a great forum, the members are incredibly helpful.

The tremendous irony of this post is that I went to a Marina today to look at some of the boats coming out of storage ... and it started snowing. (Late April in MN. Gotta love it.)

a_real_journey · Apr 19, 2024

RT Firefly said:
Greetings,
Welcome aboard. Dream for sure BUT there are a few things you can readily do without a boat. Take courses (Boating Courses). Walk the docks, look at boats and talk to owners.

Combine vacations with boat hunts. ie: Don't go to the mountains, plan on visiting maritime areas and wander around. Check out marinas in the areas you're visiting. Go to boat shows.

Do NOT get emotional. Be VERY pragmatic (this is a goodly sum of $$ you will be spending). Do NOT "fall in love" with that cute/rugged/derelict vessel.

Take a boating vacation. Rent a boat for a week and cruise around.

Research, research, research. And by any and ALL means. Keep the Mrs. fully involved!

Really good advice. I've taken a quick look at boating courses. There are several near me (and more online, of course). And I just stopped by a marina today to talk with some folks. After I get a little more time and experience under my belt, we will look at taking a boating vacation. Not this year but soon enough.

My personality is: "jump in the pool, then look to see how deep it is." Thankfully, my wife is smarter. Together, I think we'll stay pragmatic in our approach ... as pragmatic as one can be when considering a boat purchase.

a_real_journey · Apr 19, 2024

mvweebles said:
Good luck with that.....since when was buying a boat a pragmatic decision? Only time you really need a boat is when the one you're on is sinking.......and the one next to it isn't

Peter

Haha! I'll translate it to "as pragmatic as one can be when buying a boat." I'm also collecting the wisest and funniest quotes I find as I trawl forums. This quote is up there with the wittiest (and wisest?): "Only time you really need a boat is when the one you're on is sinking.......and the one next to it isn't."

a_real_journey · Apr 19, 2024

READY said:
Welcome aboard. Many knowledgeable and helpful folks on the forum. Also many YouTube channels, some give a more balanced view than others. Keep in mind the definition of cruising is "fixing boats in exotic places." So as long as you enjoy being hands on you will enjoy it. Otherwise have a hefty budget to pay for repairs but that means you lose a lot of control and creates a different type of challenge.

Suggest you star by joining a boat club and also doing a few charters as you also build skills via lessons or power squadron or just crewing on other boats. If you are willing to pitch in, wash boats, etc many people will be happy to have you aboard.

Enjoy!

Absolutely love the definition of cruising ("fixing boats in exotic places"). That one's going in my collection of wise and witty sayings. I'll look into some nearby boat clubs, and I've already checked out some squadron activities near me. Thanks. Not sure whether/what opportunities I might have to crew in the Minneapolis area, but I'll keep my ears open.

twistedtree · Apr 20, 2024

As you work through this, I'd suggest figuring out early in the process how you are going to figure out if boating is really for you, and for your wife. A lot of people jump into cruising with little to no previous boating experience and find out the hard way that boating isn't really for them. It's not all drinks with umbrellas in beautiful locations.

Things to consider are:
- You will be living with much less space, and far fewer conveniences vs home. You will likely be doing dishes all by hand, cooking on a tiny stove, have a tiny fridge and even tinier freezer, no space for anything other than the most basic kitchen appliances.
- You will be using marina laundry machines, or a washing machine on your boat that is much smaller and slower than what you have at home.
- Much of you time will be spend studying weather, making go no-go decisions, figuring out where you are going next, making reservations, checking in and out of marinas, and anchoring.
- Something will always be broken on your boat. Always. Are you handy and do you enjoy fixing things? If not, are you happy trying to track down repair people, arrange for them to come, waiting until they can come, and the cost of it all. At $125 to $150 /hr, everything is very expensive.
- Do you or your wife get sea sick, and to what degree? In teh wrong conditions, being on a boat can be one of the most miserable experiences you will ever have. The good news is that when the movement stops, so does sickness.
- There will be a TON to learn. You ned to lear about boats, boat systems, diagnostic and repair techniques, navigation and seamanship, navigation system like radars, communications, autopilots, etc.

For some people, all the above is exactly why boating is fun and challenging in a good way. For others, it's why they sell their boat within a year or two of buying it.

a_real_journey · Apr 20, 2024

twistedtree said:
As you work through this, I'd suggest figuring out early in the process how you are going to figure out if boating is really for you, and for your wife. A lot of people jump into cruising with little to no previous boating experience and find out the hard way that boating isn't really for them. It's not all drinks with umbrellas in beautiful locations.

Things to consider are:
- You will be living with much less space, and far fewer conveniences vs home. You will likely be doing dishes all by hand, cooking on a tiny stove, have a tiny fridge and even tinier freezer, no space for anything other than the most basic kitchen appliances.
- You will be using marina laundry machines, or a washing machine on your boat that is much smaller and slower than what you have at home.
- Much of you time will be spend studying weather, making go no-go decisions, figuring out where you are going next, making reservations, checking in and out of marinas, and anchoring.
- Something will always be broken on your boat. Always. Are you handy and do you enjoy fixing things? If not, are you happy trying to track down repair people, arrange for them to come, waiting until they can come, and the cost of it all. At $125 to $150 /hr, everything is very expensive.
- Do you or your wife get sea sick, and to what degree? In teh wrong conditions, being on a boat can be one of the most miserable experiences you will ever have. The good news is that when the movement stops, so does sickness.
- There will be a TON to learn. You ned to lear about boats, boat systems, diagnostic and repair techniques, navigation and seamanship, navigation system like radars, communications, autopilots, etc.

For some people, all the above is exactly why boating is fun and challenging in a good way. For others, it's why they sell their boat within a year or two of buying it.

Read this whole reply to my wife. As a consummate realist, she was very grateful for the perspective.

ranger58sb · Apr 21, 2024

If some realism is welcome, here are a couple earlier threads, expansion of TT's recent note:

Entry cost

Common questions: "How much will it cost to buy a boat?" How much will it cost to maintain and operate a boat?" "Will my extremely low budget of X to acquire, and even lower X minus Y to refit, be enough for a 75' yacht?" Commons answers: "Everything you have." "More than you can...

www.trawlerforum.com

Cruising realities

I think it's worth highlighting this into it's own thread, especially for potential newbies who might think boating is always a piece o' cake: Pete, I would like to frame this for you. This is bottom line and the more remote you travel, the better you need to be and the more stuff you need to...

www.trawlerforum.com

I'm particularly proud of my posts 144... er... uhhh... and 146 in the second thread.

-Chris

mvweebles · Apr 21, 2024

My entry into boating was fairly typical. When I was in my early 20s, I pitched in with several others on a bareboat charter in the BVI. After 10 days, I was the only one who would have gladly turned around and done it all over again right then and there. I was hooked. Boating has proved to be an expensive disease to treat and control.

Yo the OP - seeing as you're in a region with undeniable wintertime, maybe consider a charter vacation. I know, it's expensive, but it's also a helluva lot of fun. Some will argue it doesn't give a true glimpse into the ownership experience which is partially true, but it's still a great way to dip your toe into boat ownership - if for no other reason than it forces you to do the math on why chartering is so damn expensive (spoiler alert: despite the high charter fees, many charter companies go under due to high costs of boat ownership and difficulty in keeping a boat running smoothly).

Think you're not qualified to charter a boat? You probably aren't but my hunch is charter companies have a program where you spend a couple days with a captain and can then be cut loose on your own - charter company can't make money if they can't get people aboard.....

Good luck with your journey. Thanks for sharing.

Peter

HeadedToTexas · Apr 21, 2024

My Grandparents lived on the Caloosahatchee in the 1970s and as a kid I remember watching the colorful tows run up and down the 3 mile wide, 3 foot deep river. My dream to sail what proved to be The Loop began nearly 50 years ago. Life squashed that dream until 10 years ago when, like you, I was sitting by the harbor in Petoskey thinking how peaceful the boats look. The kid dream flooded back in a hurry.

I walked a lot of docks and read a lot. Several years ago I started talking with broker types. After a long work day in Baltimore I drove across the Bay Bridge and ended up talking with John Martini. He asked about our time frame and laughed when I told him "8 years." The Covid turned 8 years into 3 years and suddenly we are on our trawler's 4th season. It goes fast!

a_real_journey · Apr 24, 2024

mvweebles said:
My entry into boating was fairly typical. When I was in my early 20s, I pitched in with several others on a bareboat charter in the BVI. After 10 days, I was the only one who would have gladly turned around and done it all over again right then and there. I was hooked. Boating has proved to be an expensive disease to treat and control.

Yo the OP - seeing as you're in a region with undeniable wintertime, maybe consider a charter vacation. I know, it's expensive, but it's also a helluva lot of fun. Some will argue it doesn't give a true glimpse into the ownership experience which is partially true, but it's still a great way to dip your toe into boat ownership - if for no other reason than it forces you to do the math on why chartering is so damn expensive (spoiler alert: despite the high charter fees, many charter companies go under due to high costs of boat ownership and difficulty in keeping a boat running smoothly).

Think you're not qualified to charter a boat? You probably aren't but my hunch is charter companies have a program where you spend a couple days with a captain and can then be cut loose on your own - charter company can't make money if they can't get people aboard.....

Good luck with your journey. Thanks for sharing.

Peter

We're going to take this advice for sure. Nothing on the calendar, yet, but we're definitely planning to charter (with a captain for part of the time, at least).

a_real_journey · Apr 24, 2024

HeadedToTexas said:
My Grandparents lived on the Caloosahatchee in the 1970s and as a kid I remember watching the colorful tows run up and down the 3 mile wide, 3 foot deep river. My dream to sail what proved to be The Loop began nearly 50 years ago. Life squashed that dream until 10 years ago when, like you, I was sitting by the harbor in Petoskey thinking how peaceful the boats look. The kid dream flooded back in a hurry.

I walked a lot of docks and read a lot. Several years ago I started talking with broker types. After a long work day in Baltimore I drove across the Bay Bridge and ended up talking with John Martini. He asked about our time frame and laughed when I told him "8 years." The Covid turned 8 years into 3 years and suddenly we are on our trawler's 4th season. It goes fast!

I think my wife has been surprised at the way my "kid dream" has come back. (Maybe it's a late mid-life crisis!) I grew up fishing, shrimping and crabbing on the salt water rivers in coastal South Carolina. I rarely remember a weekend where I was not on a john boat fishing in a swamp or tri-hull crabbing or skiing on a river. When we moved to upstate SC, we simply changed what we fished for and kept skiing. I credit my desire to get back on the water to these early experiences.

All my time has been spent on small boats, so I have a lot to learn before we decide to buy a boat. Your post encourages me to lean forward and learn fast.

slowgoesit · Oct 12, 2024

Norman, Any update on treating the boating disease that Peter in Weebles talked about above? We made it to Florida, and our new home. We've been spending the past 6 months refurbing the house and neglecting the boat. Probably won't get back out until January after some condensed boat cleaning/maintenance. Lots of loop boats out there. There's a really nice Mainship 34 advertised here on the forum if you haven't found something you like! Link posted below, as I can't get a friend of ours to buy it . . .

FOR SALE: 1983 Mainship 34' MKlll - $32,000 - Palm Beach County, Fl

1983 Mainship 34 MKlll $32,000 ABOVE AVERAGE CONDITION - NOT A PROJECT BOAT. DOESN'T NEED TLC. READY TO GO. EASY SINGLE HANDING CRUISER. Feel free to PM for more information, images, etc. Currently located off intracoastal in South Florida (Palm Beach County). Great marina in upscale...

www.trawlerforum.com

SteveK · Oct 12, 2024

mvweebles said:
Good luck with that.....since when was buying a boat a pragmatic decision? Only time you really need a boat is when the one you're on is sinking.......and the one next to it isn't

Peter

My current boat after having the life long desired boat was a pragmatic decision.

a_real_journey · Oct 12, 2024

slowgoesit said:
Norman, Any update on treating the boating disease that Peter in Weebles talked about above? We made it to Florida, and our new home. We've been spending the past 6 months refurbing the house and neglecting the boat. Probably won't get back out until January after some condensed boat cleaning/maintenance. Lots of loop boats out there. There's a really nice Mainship 34 advertised here on the forum if you haven't found something you like! Link posted below, as I can't get a friend of ours to buy it . . .

FOR SALE: 1983 Mainship 34' MKlll - $32,000 - Palm Beach County, Fl

1983 Mainship 34 MKlll $32,000 ABOVE AVERAGE CONDITION - NOT A PROJECT BOAT. DOESN'T NEED TLC. READY TO GO. EASY SINGLE HANDING CRUISER. Feel free to PM for more information, images, etc. Currently located off intracoastal in South Florida (Palm Beach County). Great marina in upscale...

www.trawlerforum.com

Slowgoesit, thanks for following up and passing on this ad. Oddly enough, I made an offer on a boat last week and asked the current owner to take a bit of time to mull it over. I'll probably know in a week or two whether I'm a new boat owner.

Since I haven't been lurking or posting much on this site, I should at least give an update on where my wife and I are in the process:

(1) We have decided to find a small boat that we can use (as often as possible) on the waters around us. I've made an offer on a 25' Sea Ray with a cuddy cabin. It's a very bare bones craft, well cared for, with few systems to maintain. At most, we might overnight or over-weekend on it just to say we have. Mainly, we'll use it to get on the water boating together, hoping that we'll learn whether we'd like to cruise together.

(2) I took two classes with the local Power Squadron (basic boating and more advanced navigation). Excellent people and good information. Also should help with insurance when the time comes.

(3) I took a part time job working at a nearby marina. I told the owner that I just wanted to learn and I'd do anything they needed. I've worked with some great (sometimes salty) guys who have about a thousand years of combined boating experience. I've ferried a handful of smaller boats around the docks, and I've listened, watched, and learned a lot! I've learned more about the operation of a marina than I have the operation of boat, but the experience is basically invaluable. Lord willing, I'll be back next year and the next and the next.

This was not a brief update, and I'm not sure why I felt compelled to offer it. Nevertheless, there it is.

Oh wait ... I did one more thing:

(4) I bought and read a copy of Naval Shiphandling (and The Wedding of the Waters, incidentally). What can I say, I'm a nerd.

slowgoesit · Oct 13, 2024

Cool! You're doing some good things. Working on the foundation before you try and put on a roof! That's smart! Power Squadron has a lot of good information to impart. Keep taking advantage of that. In the meantime, keep looking at boats available, and walking the docks.

Serendipitous moment morphs into a dream

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