I have been lurking here for almost a year learning about cruising life. I grew up competitively sailing boats under 24 feet and our family had a Pearson 365 on the Chesapeake Bay for about a decade too. I have been into motorcycle touring and RV travel for the past 15 years and have loved traveling across the US those two ways.
But now I have decided to sell my home, take a couple years off, and live full-time in a boat and my RV while traveling the country and seeing sites, friends, and family while working part-time (I do remote IT support). Since I will be solo cruising a little over half the time a boat that is easy to single-hand is a requirement.
The Problem: Depending on which day you ask I am all over the map on what to get. I have looked at a number of boats and I am considering everything from a pocket trawler to a Mainship 350/390. Anyway, all this confusion about what to do has set off alarms in my head so earlier today I reached out to a reputable boat broker to ask for help in identifying which boat to choose based on my budget and needs. I need help and guidance in the entire boat buying process b/c it is so complex so I think having a broker involved with help to sort everything out.
Anyway - this place has been a really helpful resource. It blows me away how much expertise is here and how well run this site is. BTW - my screen name is my tag on my motorcycle. I figured that's be a cool new name for the boat when I find her!