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Old 04-06-2020, 04:57 PM   #1
JD Ray
Senior Member
 
City: Oak Harbor, WA, USA
Vessel Name: GOML
Vessel Model: 1978 Fiberform Bermuda 2400
Join Date: Apr 2020
Posts: 188
Red face NewMemberOldManYachterWannabe

Yeah, all that.

Boats are almost entirely about dreams, right? Some of us are drawn to the water like moths to a flame, to re-use a well-worn adage. For those so drawn, countless subcategories blend together in one of the most complex Venn diagrams known; swimmers, surfers, kayakers, fishers, boaters. Boaters are separated in a myriad of dimensions; fast and slow, power and sail, recreational and liveaboard... All of us dream about being on the water, even when we're on it already. And for most of us, boats are the vehicle to get us there.

I've been around small boats most of my life. In the seventies, someone in our family always had something to use for lake fishing, water skiing, or simply puttering around on the water for the pleasure of it. In later years, my wife and I took up kayaking until back injuries stopped me from being able to tote all the gear hither and yon to get us to the point of being able to enjoy ourselves. I have friends who sail, and while I enjoy spending time on their boats, I have no proficiency at that and don't much care to learn.

Speed is not my thing. I've spent too much time sitting in the open bow of a boat zipping across the waves at 30 mph, busting my kidneys with every slap of the waves and watching the guy at the helm (and it's always a guy, isn't it?) scream "Yee haw!" while looking for the next swell to jump. The older I get, the more I'm looking for a slow, comfortable ride.

In the last couple of years, we have spent a lot of time talking about how we want to live in retirement, which is looming closer all the time. We eagerly consume YouTube channels like Sailing Yacht Ruby Rose and Gone With The Wynns. We love the places they go and the things they do, but watching them has solidified the idea that sailing is not for us. So we took up watching MV Freedom and MV Cassidy (which, due to their purchase of a motorsailer is now Cassidy's Sailing Trawler). We are inveterate vicarious yachters.

However much we watch and try to learn, there are things we can't know just yet. We are hatching a plan (five years in length) to figure them out. Among them is knowing how well my wife will tolerate being at sea. We once went out fishing in a friend's 26' walk around, and she chummed the water the entire time in light swells. I blame it as much on the size of the boat as anything, but that's supposition on my part. Later this year, after everyone can leave their houses again, we intend to charter a (crewed) trawler in the Puget Sound for a couple days to see how it goes.

Elsewhere in this forum, someone pointed out that choosing a boat isn't so much about the brand or features, but about the people who are going to use it. My career as an analyst means that it's natural for me to ask a ton of questions before even thinking I'm in a position to make statements about what we want. That said, we've toured boats at shows, and have some ideas. But I have more questions, and since this post is already getting long, I'll post something else more targeted.

Thank you all for creating this community. It appears to be a good one, and I look forward to being a member.

Cheers.

J.D. Ray
Portland, Oregon, USA
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