Just Learning..

Greetings,
I found the board while searching for info on boating and amateur radio. We're beginning to learn about boats for long distance cruising & living aboard. America's Great Loop is appealing to us. We're hoping to retire in about six years & buy a boat for the cruising lifestyle.

Greetings,
Welcome aboard. I would suggest buying a boat (or THE boat) now and learning while using and enjoying...but that's just me. A LOT can happen in 6 years.

Welcome! You've come to the right place.
Question: What is your experience level? If you've never boated much, you might want to get a small boat or get in a club where you can get out on the water to get some experience.... AND take training.


Get yourself to a level where you understand boating and can start to think about what YOU want out of boating. With 5 years to go, you have time to own at least one, perhaps two boats or rent a lot to get that experience and then get your "loop" boat.



Also, there's tons of info out there. Jump into it. Ask questions. Visit marinas. Go to boat shows.


Stick around, we'll spend your money.

Welcome aboard.

Thanks RTFirefly. I think your advice is sound. We sold our 32' pontoon (Tracker Party Cruiser) last spring; had it for 10 years, mostly on local lakes and a few times on navigable water. It was a good learning experience.
Buying a cruiser now isn't financially feasible. Yes, much can change in six years. There's a decent chance we'll be positioned to purchase in ~4 years, giving time to adjust to coastal & river cruising.

rmidgett said:

Thanks RTFirefly. I think your advice is sound. We sold our 32' pontoon (Tracker Party Cruiser) last spring; had it for 10 years, mostly on local lakes and a few times on navigable water. It was a good learning experience.
Buying a cruiser now isn't financially feasible. Yes, much can change in six years. There's a decent chance we'll be positioned to purchase in ~4 years, giving time to adjust to coastal & river cruising.

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I wish I had this place to visit all those years ago when boat dreaming instead of just boating magazines. So welcome to the fire hose of boating knowledge.