Bought it. Now I'm losing sleep

LOL buyers remorse it gets worse before it get better .

Question what were your expecting and why are you uncomfortable and not enjoying it.
Can you hear the wood worms at night

Relax and hire a good teaching captain.

It's only 36' of boat. In a year it will feel to small.

Man if my 65' woodie doesn't keep me up at night you should be just fine. Call it a learning experience and learn to get comfortable, stretch that gray matter in your brain and you will be better for it.
Now if you can't sleep because your always thinking of what to do next and how to do something better or different, then welcome to the club!

What is stressing you?

Money?..... yep boats can drain you fast if in over your head ....

Everything else will fall into place if you lose the fear and don't let it paralyze you. Especially using it. Like Capt Bill suggested, spend a few dollars for good training.

Using the boat lessens the weight of finances...as long as they fit your budget to begin with.

Not too big a boat, nice size really.
1/Go find an old salt who know his stuff and doesn't need to show off.
2/Give him a good bottle of whisky in exchange for an hour or two of his time.
3/Listen to what he says.
4/Sleep on it,then decide what to do.

Agreed, enough experience to gain comfort comes fast.

jerferguson said:

I bought a 1965 Grand Banks 36' and I'm new to larger boating. After two weeks of boat ownership I am still stressed out and can barely sleep. I either need to sell or get comfortable quick. I am not enjoying the feeling.I think I got in over my head.

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Chill.

Relax.

And then separate whatever your issues are into smaller piles: divide and conquer!

Hum a few bars about what specifically is troubling you, maybe folks can chime in with ideas about best ways forward...

-Chris

Hi there; welcome aboard

We jumped from sea kayaking to our 30 footer, so know something of what you speak.

Everyone starts at the bottom of the learning curve...so wait for calm days and just go for it. Don't worry about having to bail when coming into dock. Sometimes going back out and coming in again is necessary to understand all the different factors involved.

Also, your brain is probably spinning out of control with all the new things to consider.

What has worked for me in the past with big projects is to get it down on paper in a bubble chart. This way each major area of concern can be listed, then all the jobs needed to be done for each area of concern can be put down as well.

Seems cathartic to have the concerns contained and organized in the chart...here's an example; Education Technology: PBL Mind Map

Hi there from another newbie.
We just bought our first big boat too.
It can certainly be a little bit overwhelming!

It's natural.

It's not a boat.

It's one of the family.

You'll get used to it. I know it's hard, but it is a huge change in lifestyle (if you do it correctly). Remember the scene in 'Interview With A Vampire'? Once bitten, the victim's body dies before they are "reborn" into their new vampire state. Well, that is what is happening to you. Your old life is "dying" as your new life takes hold. Once you fall asleep thinking of the current or next project... or... your next destination... or... just dreaming of a weekend sitting in a marina having drinks with your new friends, THEN your transformation will be complete.

There are downsides.
You may lose some friends; people that you used to spend weekends with that you will have to leave behind as you will begin to run out of time to play with them.

You will have to say goodbye to nearly all of your current hobbies. There is no time for things like cycling or R/C car racing with a boat.

Next, your yard will go to Sh*t. Who has time for yard work when you go to the boat every weekend?

Finally, you will need to adjust your income and budget priorities. It will take some time, but you will need to manage your money and steer most of it to your boat because no matter how expensive you think owning a boat is, I gaurentee you... it is TWICE that in reality.

HOWEVER... EVERY BIT OF IT IS WORTH IT!!!! Don't give up. It's okay and it is normal. We all went through it. The first time you lean back and put your head under the shower at home and feel the room swaying around as if you were on the boat... You know you are onto something.

Keep us posted.

With our boat,there are three levels of projects:

1. Need to get done
2. Like to get done
3. Eventually get to it

Most of ours are #2's and appearance related. If it is floating and runs, much of everything else is a #2 project, so relax and enjoy the journey.

jerferguson said:

I bought a 1965 Grand Banks 36' and I'm new to larger boating. After two weeks of boat ownership I am still stressed out and can barely sleep. I either need to sell or get comfortable quick. I am not enjoying the feeling.I think I got in over my head.

Click to expand...

Before we give all kinds of advice that actually has nothing to do with your specific conerns (although that is what we do best) maybe you can identify or us what specifically it is that is causing you stress?

1) Operating a larger power boat?
2) Understanding and maintaining systems unfamiliar to you?
3) Overwhelmed by repairs that need to be made?
4) The cost of boat ownership? (The boat purchase price is just like a plane ticket to a resort. Once you get there is when you really spend the money)

We can give you ideas on all of the above or other issues you name. Help us, help you.

Jerferguson,

Step 1. join Grand Banks forum and ask questions.
Grand Banks Owner's Resources

Step 2. Prioritize your project list.
Step 3. Do one project at a time until completion.
Slow down a bit and see how this unfolds.

We are moored on Vashon Island in our GB-36 and you are welcome to visit when we are there. Ours is a 1974 early glass boat but we have woodie GB cruising friends and can probably help point you in the right direction.

So, if you feel like it, PM me and share some of your concerns. Do you have a recent survey on your boat?

Keith

I had buyers remorse at the signing of the papers. I walk out twice, but my loving wife talked me into it. When we got the boat into the slip, well the broker did, I definitely had buyers regrets, closed up the boat and left. 21 years later I am still not comfortable with the boat. We love being a live a board, but taking the boat out is another story. So there are some aspect you will enjoy relax and there are others you may not. Most things have + and -, and hopefully there will be more +.

One advantage you have is this and other forums to ask questions and support.

dhays said:

Before we give all kinds of advice that actually has nothing to do with your specific conerns (although that is what we do best) maybe you can identify or us what specifically it is that is causing you stress?

1) Operating a larger power boat?
2) Understanding and maintaining systems unfamiliar to you?
3) Overwhelmed by repairs that need to be made?
4) The cost of boat ownership? (The boat purchase price is just like a plane ticket to a resort. Once you get there is when you really spend the money)

We can give you ideas on all of the above or other issues you name. Help us, help you.

Click to expand...

Excellent post. Something like it should almost be an auto-reply to 90% of the first posts on here.

Changes...

Tom.B said:

There are downsides.
You may lose some friends; people that you used to spend weekends with that you will have to leave behind as you will begin to run out of time to play with them.

You will have to say goodbye to nearly all of your current hobbies. There is no time for things like cycling or R/C car racing with a boat.

Next, your yard will go to Sh*t. Who has time for yard work when you go to the boat every weekend?

Click to expand...

Down sides can be upsides too. Real friends will be interested and may even leave the dock with you. You will have boat peeps - we do - and they are interested in boats like we are.

Yes my model railroad and guitar playing suffer a little, but this is something that wifie and I do together, and she is "all in".

Islanddreamer said:

Yes my model railroad and guitar playing suffer a little, but this is something that wifie and I do together, and she is "all in".

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Very astute observation. Way to go.

Thanks for all the supportive comments, I need them also.

However I have not bought my boat yet and I think I'm gonna start losing sleep..

I however will have sold my house here in Vegas and since my lawn is desert scape (think rocks and stuff) I don't have that worry. Just everything else......

Jferg,

There is some really good advice posted above. I have had boats of varying size now for almost 10 years. I recently made the jump to a trawler and I'm working on my anxieties just like you. Coming into the dock used to make me not sleep the night before. I've only done it a hand full of times now, but it has gotten easier. Everything else will come with practice and use. That was great advice about getting some instruction from an experienced skipper.

Please don't throw in the towel just yet. We've all been where you are. Keep us posted, because we all want to see you succeed and enjoy your boat.

Cheers, Bill

Greetings,
Hmmmm....One post and he's gone. Sleeping possibly?

RT Firefly said:

Greetings,
Hmmmm....One post and he's gone. Sleeping possibly?

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Or he got the answer he needed and politely closed the door behind him.

Maybe he's just a believer in Clint Eastwood's philosophy..."A man's gotta know his limitations."

To the OP, it would help us help you if we knew what the issues are.

"Boating is the best time you can buy."

I think he is in this picture!

Tom.B said:

Next, your yard will go to Sh*t. Who has time for yard work when you go to the boat every weekend?

Click to expand...

Man, you're not kidding. Mine sure did.

Tom.B said:

Finally, you will need to adjust your income and budget priorities. It will take some time, but you will need to manage your money and steer most of it to your boat because no matter how expensive you think owning a boat is, I guarantee you... it is TWICE that in reality.

HOWEVER... EVERY BIT OF IT IS WORTH IT!!!!

Click to expand...

For the first year I remember thinking 'Oh god, what did I do?? I hope I did the math right... I hope I can actually afford this...' every time I pulled into the fuel dock.

The first time I took my 36 out it felt like I was running an aircraft carrier. As others have said, it got smaller fast. In less than a year I was completely comfortable single handing it. Give it a little time.

Lol

This poor new guy is going to log back in and be shocked to see over 30 replies