❤😂🤣🤣🤣..."everything on your boat is broken, you just don't know it yet..." Yep....no sooner than fixing one thing, and another comes up tomorrow or next week...but I've been a DIY'er since childhood, so it's in my nature fixing things....I love it. ❤❤....and, as in the old book "The Zen of motorcycle maintenance," character forming.
Thanks guys. We are on the 5 year plan. We went from a 15’ Catalina to a 25’ MacGregor. took the ASA 101,103,104 classes now we are looking for a 40-50’ boat over the next year. The one thing we got from your video was “ don’t make any changes until you have lived / sailed for at least 6 months” Great advice. Thank you.
Wow. Once again, it’s what the community needs. Honest and funny, but real and serious. Yet, one of the best things and what I’d do, is learn to sew. Megan’s sewing room is a marvel. I appreciate the emphasis on how much is needed on a daily basis. Interest, curiosity and time. Thank you. I needed this. And the timeline is a great way to avoid some things you mentioned.
We are in year 2 of a 4 to 5 year plan. I sail most weeks and my wife sails monthly. Have done some offshore racing. But as new sailors I think of it all as an apprenticeship. Nobody knows everything but the more you hang around the hard and the marina, the more people you meet and chat to and the more people and boats you sail with and on, the more you learn. I love the integrity that you two portray. Its refreshing. Cheers.
I am into aviation as the O’Kellys are into cruising. Can’t fault their advice and approach! Accumulating experience and knowledge takes a lifetime. Their advice is exceptionally pertinent to successful folks with too much money. You can’t buy your way into sailing or aviation. But what a rewarding experience once you have committed to these vocations. And all of us look back and quietly say to ourselves: Boy, I could have done that a lot better! And it is always wise to take advice from those who have gone before. Most of us just don’t have enough time to make all the same mistakes! The O’Kellys have a very good handle on this and their presentation is a well thought out overview of the cruising/boat ownership spectrum! Well Done!
You guys are so great. Very good advice. I owned to Monohulls (one 46 ft, one 72ft classic) and I am now considering a Cat for cruising the southern oceans (or the world). You made so many good points in your videos, that I have a much clearer picture now of what I want. Most, if not all, of what you talk in your videos is exactly what I too think about it. So thanks a lot for confirming it all. As I said: very good advice from you here (and in your other videos). THANKS A LOT guys! Great videos, great job !!!
Got 2 degrees in engineering and enjoy working on boats. First job was in a boatyard in 1974. Rebuilt my Cal2-29 over the last 25 years and learned a lot from that. Now sailing 6 months per year on my Nautitech 441 cat which was just hauled in Grenada for hurricane season. I liked your straightforward description of cruising lifestyle. It is a brutally honest description of cruising. For newbies they should watch your video several times and take notes. We saved and planned since 1984 for retirement cruising. The one thing that messed up our plans was the pandemic. We retired and started our first cruising season March 2020!
I absolutely LOVE when your guys do these videos! My boyfriend and I started sailing about 4 years ago but we are landlocked so we have been doing a TON of prep! We own a small 23 foot O’day on our local lake and we’ve taken the ASA courses up to 104 and are finishing up 105 and 106 this summer, we’ve also chartered in Florida to get a taste. I definitely believe chartering is the best way to know if you can handle it! On our charter the bilge pump kept running dry and we found that the float was stuck, we found out how dangerous it is to sail in a wind advisory! ❤️ you guys are the best!
Wind advisery's can really throw a spanner in the Works can't they ? I was in the Gulf Stream heading from Martha's Vineyard to Bermuda, doing fine with massive smooth Waves, enjoying the ride, when over the VHF comes a Tornado Warning. Oh Heck Tornado Here, when ? OMG ! I can't get to the other side of the Gulf Stream before it arrives. What to do, what to do. Checked the Charts for the Closest Harbour of Refuge, and the forecast Wind speeds and direction looked like a Run to Rhode Island was possible, but that forecast had better be correct. spotted possibly enough shelter at Block Island if time was running out, so I turned tail and Fled. luckily the antifoul was fresh, and the boat was spotless below the waterline, so the forecast winds when they arrived, had the heavy long keel boat hitting a bit over 7.4 knots at times, and ifvthe wind eased, running the motor to motorsail was giving 6 to 6.5 knots. So quite an exciting Sail, and I got in and anchored, about an hour before the Tornadoes arrived. The first one hit the boat so hard from starboard, the boat heeled over so far, the mast top VHF aerial was buried under water on the Port side, and the side pressure pushed the Anchor out. Panic then, as I had to fly the Anchor between the boats behind me and reset it in clear water behind them. Got clipped by a few more Tornadoes, but they weren't as bad as the first one, andvthe boat didn't budge. With the Anchor Alarm reset, I fell asleep wedged in the Cockpit surrounded by the floatation cushions I'd put there, in case any neighbours fell in during the storm, but thankfully, everyone was OK. Fair Winds and Happy Anchorages. Bob. 👍🙂🇬🇧🏴🇺🇲
Loved this video! Myself and my wife are planning 9 years out a hearing these much more "the other side of the coin" and "things to think about" videos do start conversations for us. It's awesome to see "the other side of the coin" that majority of other channels don't get into. Thanks guys!
Yes, yes, and yes...free advice. Time frame...we're in our early sixties...if we don't do it now, we'll be dead looking back. Hiring out is great, but what if you're out in the middle of nowhere? Marinas don't come to you. Excellent insight, very helpful. Thanks.
You guys are the best. I went through all this three years ago and determined I would fulfill my cruising dreams through TH-cam… and I’m okay with that. Keep sharing your wisdom. Blessings!
Love watching you guys. I have been watching sailing videos for years and you two are by far the most informative with real life information. I am nowhere near heading out for a crusing life, finishing a medical residency and really intrigued by the possibility of cruising in the future, providing telemedicine, and even volunteer medical services to islands I may cruise to. Until then, you have a lifelong fan!
Hey guys, thanks for all the info. A couple of things to add to your TIPS: John Barry, who bought a used Chris White Hammerhead 54, had a lot of money. He ended up having an HH52 built for him. With every boat, he would always work with the diesel mechanic (or other) for two reasons. They almost always need the help and he'd learn a ton in the process. Working on you own boat is a great tip. Taking time getting to know your new boat and knowing where you'll cruise for at least the first season are also great tips. And having an eye to keeping things as simple as possible is huge :)
Thanks for the video. You backed up a couple of others I follow. One is Sailing Zatara. Unlike most, they show you the good and the bad. Keith is constantly repairing something on their Cat. Sometimes it is a family issue (kids chores are scraping the hull) The talk about budget and cost of most things, repairs cost, to stock food supplies for a family of 5-6 (oldest daughter left for college) for a crossing, mourning fees.... They also show you bad weather (most only show the sunny days) and how to try to avoid the really bad weather. Medical issues with a family of 5-6 (including possible breast cancer), Teenagers, and friendships, you see them deal with boat and medical insurance, upgrade from a monohull to a cat....Q&A on a lot of shows. Thou at the end, I didn't know about "Learning Charters" thanks for that tib bit.
The reality is, don't play with toys you do not know how to fix if you are far from port. There should be NO system on your boat that you do not know verry well, and you should have the ability to repair most. I see well off families spend the big bucks on a cat and walk aboard their new cat using terms like "The kitchen", "The bedrooms" and the "Bathrooms". "Hey mom, it's a regular condo that floats!" . I have seen numbers of stories and disasters that involves a man with his family on a cat and in reality, he was the only one that could even operate the boat, let alone repair it. Its a fecklessly irresponsible move. SOMEONE needs to have a broad set of skills and more than one needs general abilities. Your life may depend on it.
Great video - I have learned a lot from both of you! Took the plunge and bought an Ericson 35-3 last year. We already have added lifetime experiences and memories! Great advice on getting to know the boat and letting it tell you what it needs.
just want to add 1 small thing... starlink is going to have a major impact on remote working while crusing within the next couple years. my wife and i both work 100% remotely but absolutely need constant communication with offices, conference calls. we plan to buy a boat and sail full time but starlink is our only constraint right now.
Nicely done and well thought out. I have been planning since 2018 Even bought my Brand New Dinghy (Zodiac) and New Suzuki 4 stroke 15 HP in 2019 but COVID happened and put plans on hold as I am a ICU RN was terribly busy and there was no travel allowed for us Nurses outside the state till 2021. I was even scheduled for ASA 101,103,104 in 2020 which I had to reschedule as the company teaching classes felt I was in a high risk group and asked me to wait till 2021 (I did Complete courses in 2021) I had a 28 Hinterhoeller in Clearwater 2001-2005 loved it but work, kids and put a hold on that dream but now retiring. I finally bought a boat (2015 Beneteau 45) waiting for final survey. I also wasn't going to pay the premium prices people were asking as I saw several for sale in 2016-2018 and the same boats for re-sale at a 20% increase increase than when originally sold for and little to nothing had been done to upgrade them. Many people don't do their research and ends up costing more in the end. Thanks for the info just re-assures my thought process. AJ
All I know is I have a world to see and a boat to sail, And I love sailing. Financial is always the trick, but I have quit alot of skills to pay the bills.
Excellent advice, you two. We are two years in & I think we followed so much of your advice, I hope many new boat owners use your services, I can see where your advice can be invaluable!
We bought a Lagoon 440 in Grenada. Wife and I both work remotely, both have side gigs. We thought we could use Thanksgiving and Xmas to sail the boat all the way to Florida. Well, that didn't happen! We made it as far as the USVI over Xmas. We then spent 6 months repairing and refitting in the USVI. $50k later, our boat is back to bluewater capable with liveaboard-friendly conditions (lifepo4, double the solar, brand new watermaker, complete electrical overhaul, walkable hardtop that allows us to actually maintain our mainsail). It's been 9 months since the boat became ours, and we finally made it back to Florida. Now we have to work full-time, keep up on our side gigs, fix things on the boat, and continue sailing up north. If our boat is south of Georgia in July, we have no insurance coverage! So we have no choice but to spend the next few weekends sailing/motoring/rowing this boat up the east coast! All that money, stress, time, and effort. But I would not trade this lifestyle for anything else.
@@TheOKellys Adds a lot of complexity and a lot of cost. I have to pay people to fix things that--had I had the time--I know I could have done myself. But I know I have to keep the boat ready-to-go when a weather window + our work schedules align and we gotta go!
Great thought process and points to consider before setting off. Love the reality check to align expectations with probability, no doubt your tips are already saving plenty of costly mistakes. Stay well!
I haven't looked in on you two for a while. I really liked this segment? episode? A ton of value here for folks catching the cruising bug online. I grew up on the west coast as well. Sailing and diving around all the channel islands, yes even San Miguel (once due to good weather, yes once) I thought I had the bug too. Even after being a fleet manager for a charter company. Fixing boats that charterers damaged, trying to figure out how they did it then not caring and moving on to just fixing the boat. Races and deliveries up and down the coast, the stories of inclement weather and the comraderies of my crew (100 ton master near coastal) working dive boats etc. This cruising thing is for me! Then I did a longer race and a longer delivery. your advice is solid because even for a guy that started sailing sabots at 8 yrs old. It is a lot of work. Cats are less hard on your body with the non heeling attitude. Just the same, it is work like anything else and you have to knw how to fix your boat on the fly. As Nick will attest you have to be the McGyver of the high seas or you may not make it to the next marina for mechanical help. The Coast Guard is in the business of saving lives not boats. You get in trouble somewhere out in the vast sea they will make you abandon your boat to save your live. Listen to these people. I might even hit them up for advice on a boat to do short trips in fair weather.
Thank you for this video. In 2019 I watched enough TH-cam videos to convince myself I want to go cruising, even though I never sailed before. I almost bought a brand new 48’ boat in the spring of 2020, but then covid stopped everything. I live an hour away from Chesapeake Bay and made a decision to get a “starter” boat, which ended up being a 1988 Catalina C34 that I paid 30K for. SOOO glad I did not spend tons of money on that new boat. Even though I do enjoy weekend cruises, I am not sure I would actually enjoy doing this full-time. My advice… if you never sailed get a starter boat and explore before big commitment
Sage advice for sure. Also, running a 30K boat into a dock because you don't know what you are doing (at first) feels a lot different than running a 300k boat into the dock.
Well done! Very wise move. Another option for getting started in sailing, speaking of the Chesapeake, is to join one of the sailing clubs that give you easy access to boats for one annual fee. No fuss no muss. I live in Annapolis which is now loaded with options. One has newer, twin helm boats where you use only that boat all the time. Another has a fleet of JBoats, a bit older but well maintained and a variety of them so you can take your pick depending on your crew, weather and planned day or overnight. Since I have no wrenching knowledge, I can't even consider buying a boat to cruise offshore. But having access to club boats almost anytime? GOLD!
❤ ❤ ❤ this is a brilliant vid for anyone looking at buying, too many people buy purely with their heart or too much with their wallet. Both ways could leave you very disappointed. Buyers need to be smart and realistic with something you will enjoy sailing!
As one of your first consulting clients, and after almost 2 years later, I can truly say you guys made it work for us... Such a valuable and knowledgeable team! Nothing in this video is overstated 🤣 Good luck to all looking to make that big monumental jump ❤️
We finally bought our first sailboat after 3 years of planning and doing time on other boats. The decision we came to was to buy a small seaworthy vessel around cost Usd15K. The Sailboat needed to have been well loved & maintained by previous owner. We were lucky enough to find this very dream boat we keep in contact with the previous owner who guides us whenever we need a point to the right direction. Our attitude towards boat ownership is to treat our vessel like a university where we will learn hands on skills and hopefully become good sailors. If we fall now, we fall forward. ❣️ looking forward to our next couple of years of growth.
Ha! We had to rewind and saw our names flash by from our review. We were one of Nick’s very first customers! Even though we didn’t close on the first cat due to the survey he helped us with a quick review of the Manta 40 we ended up buying 18 months later. (Even though Nick didn’t love Manta’s, he did love what had been done to ours. Thanks guys!
Excellent points! The best advice you just gave was to go simpler, not more complex. I’ve had boats before, and spent 2 years restoring a 30 year old 50’ MY. I enjoy it now, do charters on it, but it was, and still is, a lot of work, expense, and responsibility as each system requires constant consideration. My next boat will be a a newer model 35-40’ monohull sailboat with simple systems that are as plug and play as possible. Everything needs to be easy to access and repair. For example: I put expensive Furuno chart plotters on my MY, but I tend to use Navionics on my iPads most of all for plotting, and so the Furunos are mostly used for depth and wind direction. I could have spent much less for that, and will next time. Good stuff you two!
What a great distillation of tons of useful advice (and common sense) from your 20+ years experience. Love your channel, and hope you are soon out sailing again. ATB from 🇬🇧
Such wise counsel backed up with extensive experience, and without knowing any specifics of any one situation. If I ever move up from my Catalina 22 y'all will be along for that ride for sure.
I think your videos and those of many others really helped decide it was not right for us. Thank you. Our cruising is done on cruise ships- the larger the better.
No mention of mechanical survey. I had the engines checked by pros during sea trials on three used boats this summer - one engine had a marker in the oil sample for an upcoming failure (diesel), and two engines had low compression in one or more cylinders (gas). I'm out $7000 for surveys and haulouts for inspections, but I'm not out $30K-50K (and two months on the hard) for a bad engine in my first season.
I LOVE the thought of being on the water. Not only yourselves, but Chasing Latitudes and a few other channels have talked me out of the big buy. I'll take a few charters, and going that route when I want to get away.
I recently paid a surveyor to inspect my first sailboat purchase. After interviewing 4 surveyors I selected the one who seemed the best. Not one of them explained to me that they will not actually operate the boat. No pulling the sails out, no operating the windlass, no throttling up during sea trials. I couldn't be there for sea trials and the marina helper operating the boat didn't know how to pull the sails out. I was very disappointed to say the least.
The blast from the past on the backend of this vid is an intelligent flip relative to the vid! Seasoned experience sailors play it down some vrs young and dumb sailors playing it up! Brilliant!!
It is amazing how compatible you two are. Equally amazing is how entertaining this video is even though you are temporarily without Clarity. Even though I am broken down in Provo waiting on a rebuilt transmission, I feel good knowing I did a lot of the things you recommended in this video. I bought the right size boat, and took my time getting familiar with it before heading across the Bahamas. Granted, I am not mechanically knowledgeable as I would like to be, but thanks to lots of bad luck, I am learning fast! Thanks again for providing such well thought out advice.
Well, sorry to hear it! Never fun being stuck with a mechanical. But you'd have to agree, this transmission problem is not something you could have trained for...right? Just gotta go and do and the fates have it from there. We've been in your spot ourselves, and it's strange what cool things have come from being stuck somewhere. Good luck and I hope you can get what you need to keep moving! Thanks for the comment!
Love the brutal honesty. 61 and just retired, hoping to start ASA classes soon with hope of someday living aboard full-time with my wife. I tend to jump into things head first. Are rentals/chartering a realistical way to help determine our fit before taking to plunge?
Another great "land based" video. I have watched all your videos and have learnt so much from you guys. I bought our first boat 18 months ago, a new 51.1 Oceanis Beneteau just to see if our family loved sailing and shared my dream of sailing around the world. They love it! We are now in the process of buying a new HH 50 cat for the big RTW adventure starting in 2026. Lots of training and learning so far and much more to come. Keep up the videos, hope the foot gets better soon!
@@TheOKellys 100% yes! We will take delivery in 2024 so you will have to wait a while lol. In the mean time if you are ever in the UK come sailing with us (just bring coffee lol) 😃
Another very important video and subject. Education is expensive and you folks have paid the price. Thank you for sharing your wisdom. I'm excited for your experience in locating your new boat, it should be interesting with the forecast of a recession coming. However, you still make interesting and informative videos without having a boat. Get well and stay well. View you soon.
I am just finding you guys - getting back into sailing and looking to do the liveaboard thing in a few years. Lots of time to plan!! Thanks for the great information.
I actually thought this would be the video to crush my dreams. But, instead it gave me a lot more hope. 3 year plan to be on the salt, Jack of all trades and master of none and still learning, coastal cruising for 2 to 4 years and call it good. Small catamaran. Thank you for all the advice to include getting a pro to help out with the process.
Everything your saying is spot on. I always tell people you better have some knowledge because when your way out in the ocean and you have a problem your can’t just pull over and step off! I have a Hatteras 1986 70’ which now I going to sell but I’ve learned so much in the passed 10 years of owning her. Thank god I am able to fix things which is huge! Just like you Meaghan I broke my metatarsal missing one step on my stairs going down the Owners suite and I was by myself. I always think that I couldn’t have broke anything but just bruise my foot it was a few days before I went to doctor. My daughter had a full boot that she had when she hurt her ankle so I put that on and went to the orthopedic and he also told me to keep the boot on and just sleep with it on and just put a pillow case on it. I was living on my boat but I never let it slow me down as I went out different little islands with my friend and would climb into my dinghy and then cruise to their Catalina and climb up into to their boat. It took along time for me heal but I’m as good as new. Thank God didn’t have to have surgery because Orthopedic Doc said I might need that😬. Praying that you heal faster than I did:)
We bought our 44' cat in Grenada in January and yeah, its been a bit harrowing of an experience. Alot of what you said rings true. We threw ourselves right into the fire, juggling engine issues, rigging issues, etc., while trying to get ourselves back to Grenada. It has been a bit stressful at times. Its also been glorious at other times. Currently in Antigua. Long way to go.
Speaking from experience and limited funds history: going smaller and simpler, with modest expectations, and ditching land-based obligations can create a life that’s actually cheaper than land based life. But, marina costs will affect this significantly (on the hook is generally way cheaper). Keep it simple sailor 👍🏻
just sent this link to very good friends of our that are thinking about buying a 35-40 foot sailboat in the coming months, thanks so much hope it helps them make the proper choices
@Mark Cormier @The O'Kelly's Hi. For many individuals, pairs, couples, and small families, for more than basic pleasure day-sailing, a 35-40 foot length at waterline is about as small, and as inexpensive, as one can go. Come climb into something smaller, and the second individual stays up, or lays on top of the the first. Sailing and lake-wave and sea-wave handling is also better in a well designed longer hull. If shorter than the length of a full wave, there is a bobbing up and down motion as well as the likely rocking motion - check with the O'Kelly's and others. 35-40' length at waterline seems a usable length with at least some cabin capacity. If needing a bargain, search for what is needed until a fair low price is found, auction, estate-sale, time-split with your family who are responsible, or maybe just lease or do fractional ownership. If no effective exit strategy, getting into something too small just makes another obstacle to handle before getting what one needs and wants, in my opinion. Learning on a cheap old junker, sure, but be in and out at modest prices.
I agree. If you can’t fix your toilet or garbage disposal in your house then you may not be able to fix something when you’re off shore in the swells much less than at the dock.
I laughed outright when you mentioned having "guests" on board for weeks at a time. The finest anecdote I have is when a family of four decided that they wanted to join my family for three weeks of "glorious cruising." Dad, being right off the boat from the Netherlands, was a great boating host, but he made it clear from the start that cruising equaled WORKING. The boat was a steel hulled double masted schooner rig, with major teak and mahogany woodwork. The kids worked by my brother and myself, scraping, sanding, varnishing, polishing and maintaining the the wood and brass; they HATED it!! The mom and dad were expected to help out with fishing, prepping, cooking, and standing watch. They HATED it! Cruising is wonderful. I have the best memories from the trans-Pacific crossings I've made, and I'm looking forward to the day when my new boat is completed and I can hire a small crew to join me to sail from Portland to the Netherlands (via the Panama Canal), to have cousins who are mad for sailing to join me there and then to cruise down to South Africa and then around the Cape and off to Oceana. The O'Kellys have said it best: You cruise. You work. You have a lot of time on your hands, enjoying the glorious passages. You work. You build memories and learn new things on a daily basis. You work. Thank you so much for being honest, friendly, wonderful and helpful!!
While you are land bound I would love for you to post a video on all your audio equipment (and video). But really your audio since you produce all your music for the videos. I have seen a few snippets showing your equipment but I think it would very cool to see a more in depth explanation and sample. Thanks for everything you do!
Certainly one of your best “advisor” video. My project is under “construction” and not for the next month, but I will definitely contact you for consulting when the moment will appear :-) (Boat purchase planned after sept 2023 for a adventure starting in sept 2024)
Thank you so much for this video. It cemented my feeling that the cruising life was not the best fit for my stage of life. Sad to say dispite my life long dreams, I bellive that trialer sailing might be a better fit (mobility issues).
Excellent info, one of the best videos I’ve seen for prospective buyers. I’m sure many boaters now wish they had a good consultant before taking the plunge.
This is by far, the best of the best video out there to watch as future adventurers. I'm really impressed. I'm in the "convince my wife" phase. But I'll make sure to also check the others boxes.
I had a 37’ sailboat that I used for weeks at a time I could not figure myself living in it 24/7. We did weekly maintenance and still there was always something broken or pending. I miss being in the water but not the enclosed space.
I am a real estate developer and the parallels between this and buying real estate are many! I restore cars/motorcycles as a hobby. I do my own work on my powerboat, but have not owed a cat. After chartering a cat in the BVI and watching you for a few years, I am going to do this and I think the projects will keep me entertained and busy while we explore. The magic of those 10 days sailing in the BVI haunts me daily. I am constantly planning trips back to sail and looking near me for opportunities. Thank you for the video and I am excited to see what you two end up with next.
Once it gets into your blood, it's hard to let go of, right? It's that way for us as well. Hey, if you like having projects to do, this is the lifestyle for you!
My husband and I have a 3-4 year plan to start cruising. We are one of the couples who will be learning on a smaller boat and then plan on buying a catamaran! I love watching your videos and hope we get everything in order to do what you guys are doing. Thank you for posting your videos.
My wife and I sailed the coast of Alaska for 20+ years for months at a time covering hundreds of miles. My daughter, her husband and grandson live in Florida now. I have seriously considered buying another boat and sailing the Caribbean so I could take my grandson sailing but I have concerns how well I would deal with the heat and humidity especially anchored out on a boat with the sun beating down on you. I am used to being able to sail up to the face of calving glaciers for ice..🙂 I have considered doing the Inter coastal water way instead since I could avoid the heat a little better depending on how fast I move North in the Spring. I figured it would be a bit cooler depending on your timing. I haven't given up on the idea yet. 🙂 Thanks for the video!
Maybe get a boat with air conditioning. The ICW is not good for sailing though. Pretty much going to end up motoring down and I doubt it will be any cooler than being in the Atlantic - just more protected from storms. Additionally it is not particularly deep - you will have to time your passage with the weather and the tides. This is a huge change from the west coast where you are have a lot of water under that keel. In the Puget Sound you might be in 200' of water and there if you duck into a bay so weather a storm it might be 6' of water with no mountains for protection. I'd start networking with people who do that run every year to get a more realistic idea. An intermediate solution is to charter and get a feel for it before you commit.
Always straight talk from you two, with valuable insight on the realities of a cruising lifestyle. I look forward to following you when you are on the sea again. How long before that journey begins?
Enjoyed your videos! one of the first people that i watched as far as Sailing goes, i think i got this..i own/operate a 18-wheeler and was doing some price comparisons between the 2 and the boat would actually be cheaper to own and maintain, i've spent north of 130k one year on my semi...so a 40 ft leopard or Nauti-tech doesn't seem all that complicated, the only real issue seem getting it out of water to do repair work..everything else seems easy enough truth be told, especially the baby diesel engines, and the emissions systems on them don't seem to be as restrictive. I'm not down playing it by any means..but i do have a background on working on Massive heavy equipment.. Good Video and informative..40 ft leopard and the bahamas here i come!!!
Hi Nick & Megan. I am not a sailor, but I watch a lot, I mean a lot, of sailing channels on You Tube. I will never be a sailor, much too old, and no desire to jury-rig, rebuild, or repair anything. This has got to be one of the best help and advice segments on cruising and sailing I have ever seen. Good job you two! Fair winds in whatever you do.
Very informative, indeed. At times felt like an infomercial but an informative one. 😜 Love the throwback at the end. My favorite of all your old ones is the story on why you should always carry a knife (the anchor story if I remember correctly). That one is a classic.
I've taken the asa courses up to 106 and I highly recommend the bvi classes where you go with experienced captains and learn the ropes so to speak. I would say also that at least in my case, you have to continue the interest and keep up your sailing. I let it go a few years and have Dibble dabbled on buying a small boat for the lake near me in Dallas but it's hard to find the time. You have to make time for it.
Super video - love the delicately put honesty and yah repair and more importantly debug skills are a must - also strongly agree with sailing small cats like a 14’ is best way to learn with feel, will add RV ownership is very relevant and beneficial as well as power boating experience - We just got back from an 8day charter of a brand new 45ft FP cat it was loaded for charter (aka electric heads, generator for all 5 ACs, 12” chartplotters, wifi interface to ipad chartplotter, and best of all a dingy platform, which has become a must for the pup and older guests) - it was great, truly awesome, we loved it, and most important, it served its purpose: the lifestyle is not for our young girls though one is certified to asa 114 level - and its a show stopper for the service pup who did not like the 2m seas and had severe “pinking” of her paws even though we washed her after each on boarding, salt spray was everywhere - a great episode idea would be one on dogs and sailing, pet import papers, return trips home, vaccines (i.e. rabies 3 year shots only count a ms 1 year shots in some islands) health papers tight timings, itchy paws from salt and sand, stress (for pup and human), poddy situation, damage claws can cause on some materials, boat prep for dogs, best dog characteristics i.e. short hair, natural swimmers, young, smaller size, etc… unfortunately for us this marked the end of a many year effort towards the purchase of a 45ft cat for our global learning adventure :(
Yes, if you go back a couple years, you’ll see an episode on sailing with our old girl Sugar. It’s a challenge for sure to sail with a dog. Chartering is a great option if the whole crew isn’t ready for the full enchilada lifestyle. Glad you enjoyed your time out there.
Enjoyed your reality video! Jessapearl just completed 6000NM Trans-Atlantic La Rochelle to Tortolla and then Totolla to Tampa. As an owner, I joined the delivery crew of my own yacht to gain experience. The days passed quickly as the crew onboard had assigned tasks including; lines, sails, helm, cooking, fishing, and cleaning 24 hours per day. The crew knew I had a phobia about sailing at night of course so one of my shifts was 12:00PM-3:00AM manning the helm every night. At the helm, there are big responsibilities always watching the currents, weather, sails, maps, AIS, and radar! Off the coast of Cuba in pitch black, a cargo ship refused to give us right away on the open ocean asking us to maneuver to their stern in heavy seas. The captain had plenty of swear words for dangerous poles with "no #$%@ light beacons" in the Gulf of Mexico. Dangerous Gulfstream currents in the ocean or docks are nothing to ignore. Trust your marine maps? Ensure you have updated marine maps, nothing excites your watch like night routes close to some kind of collision danger on a shallow. Passing under Florida bridges at night sends a thrill up your leg! Close your eyes and hope your mast is still there on the other side. There is no goofing off watching UTUBE on passage.
❤😂🤣🤣🤣..."everything on your boat is broken, you just don't know it yet..." Yep....no sooner than fixing one thing, and another comes up tomorrow or next week...but I've been a DIY'er since childhood, so it's in my nature fixing things....I love it. ❤❤....and, as in the old book "The Zen of motorcycle maintenance," character forming.
Thanks guys. We are on the 5 year plan. We went from a 15’ Catalina to a 25’ MacGregor. took the ASA 101,103,104 classes now we are looking for a 40-50’ boat over the next year. The one thing we got from your video was “ don’t make any changes until you have lived / sailed for at least 6 months” Great advice. Thank you.
Brutal honesty is better than free advice. The most important video you’ve done. Thanks O’Kelly’s!
Wow. Once again, it’s what the community needs. Honest and funny, but real and serious. Yet, one of the best things and what I’d do, is learn to sew. Megan’s sewing room is a marvel. I appreciate the emphasis on how much is needed on a daily basis. Interest, curiosity and time. Thank you. I needed this. And the timeline is a great way to avoid some things you mentioned.
We are in year 2 of a 4 to 5 year plan. I sail most weeks and my wife sails monthly. Have done some offshore racing. But as new sailors I think of it all as an apprenticeship. Nobody knows everything but the more you hang around the hard and the marina, the more people you meet and chat to and the more people and boats you sail with and on, the more you learn. I love the integrity that you two portray. Its refreshing. Cheers.
I am into aviation as the O’Kellys are into cruising. Can’t fault their advice and approach! Accumulating experience and knowledge takes a lifetime. Their advice is exceptionally pertinent to successful folks with too much money. You can’t buy your way into sailing or aviation. But what a rewarding experience once you have committed to these vocations. And all of us look back and quietly say to ourselves: Boy, I could have done that a lot better! And it is always wise to take advice from those who have gone before. Most of us just don’t have enough time to make all the same mistakes! The O’Kellys have a very good handle on this and their presentation is a well thought out overview of the cruising/boat ownership spectrum! Well Done!
You guys are so great. Very good advice. I owned to Monohulls (one 46 ft, one 72ft classic) and I am now considering a Cat for cruising the southern oceans (or the world). You made so many good points in your videos, that I have a much clearer picture now of what I want. Most, if not all, of what you talk in your videos is exactly what I too think about it. So thanks a lot for confirming it all. As I said: very good advice from you here (and in your other videos). THANKS A LOT guys! Great videos, great job !!!
Got 2 degrees in engineering and enjoy working on boats. First job was in a boatyard in 1974. Rebuilt my Cal2-29 over the last 25 years and learned a lot from that. Now sailing 6 months per year on my Nautitech 441 cat which was just hauled in Grenada for hurricane season.
I liked your straightforward description of cruising lifestyle. It is a brutally honest description of cruising. For newbies they should watch your video several times and take notes.
We saved and planned since 1984 for retirement cruising. The one thing that messed up our plans was the pandemic. We retired and started our first cruising season March 2020!
I absolutely LOVE when your guys do these videos! My boyfriend and I started sailing about 4 years ago but we are landlocked so we have been doing a TON of prep! We own a small 23 foot O’day on our local lake and we’ve taken the ASA courses up to 104 and are finishing up 105 and 106 this summer, we’ve also chartered in Florida to get a taste. I definitely believe chartering is the best way to know if you can handle it! On our charter the bilge pump kept running dry and we found that the float was stuck, we found out how dangerous it is to sail in a wind advisory! ❤️ you guys are the best!
Wind advisery's can really throw a spanner in the Works can't they ? I was in the Gulf Stream heading from Martha's Vineyard to Bermuda, doing fine with massive smooth Waves, enjoying the ride, when over the VHF comes a Tornado Warning. Oh Heck Tornado Here, when ? OMG ! I can't get to the other side of the Gulf Stream before it arrives. What to do, what to do. Checked the Charts for the Closest Harbour of Refuge, and the forecast Wind speeds and direction looked like a Run to Rhode Island was possible, but that forecast had better be correct. spotted possibly enough shelter at Block Island if time was running out, so I turned tail and Fled. luckily the antifoul was fresh, and the boat was spotless below the waterline, so the forecast winds when they arrived, had the heavy long keel boat hitting a bit over 7.4 knots at times, and ifvthe wind eased, running the motor to motorsail was giving 6 to 6.5 knots. So quite an exciting Sail, and I got in and anchored, about an hour before the Tornadoes arrived. The first one hit the boat so hard from starboard, the boat heeled over so far, the mast top VHF aerial was buried under water on the Port side, and the side pressure pushed the Anchor out. Panic then, as I had to fly the Anchor between the boats behind me and reset it in clear water behind them. Got clipped by a few more Tornadoes, but they weren't as bad as the first one, andvthe boat didn't budge. With the Anchor Alarm reset, I fell asleep wedged in the Cockpit surrounded by the floatation cushions I'd put there, in case any neighbours fell in during the storm, but thankfully, everyone was OK. Fair Winds and Happy Anchorages. Bob. 👍🙂🇬🇧🏴🇺🇲
Loved this video! Myself and my wife are planning 9 years out a hearing these much more "the other side of the coin" and "things to think about" videos do start conversations for us. It's awesome to see "the other side of the coin" that majority of other channels don't get into. Thanks guys!
Yes, yes, and yes...free advice. Time frame...we're in our early sixties...if we don't do it now, we'll be dead looking back. Hiring out is great, but what if you're out in the middle of nowhere? Marinas don't come to you. Excellent insight, very helpful. Thanks.
You guys are the best. I went through all this three years ago and determined I would fulfill my cruising dreams through TH-cam… and I’m okay with that. Keep sharing your wisdom. Blessings!
Love watching you guys. I have been watching sailing videos for years and you two are by far the most informative with real life information. I am nowhere near heading out for a crusing life, finishing a medical residency and really intrigued by the possibility of cruising in the future, providing telemedicine, and even volunteer medical services to islands I may cruise to. Until then, you have a lifelong fan!
Hey guys, thanks for all the info. A couple of things to add to your TIPS: John Barry, who bought a used Chris White Hammerhead 54, had a lot of money. He ended up having an HH52 built for him. With every boat, he would always work with the diesel mechanic (or other) for two reasons. They almost always need the help and he'd learn a ton in the process. Working on you own boat is a great tip. Taking time getting to know your new boat and knowing where you'll cruise for at least the first season are also great tips. And having an eye to keeping things as simple as possible is huge :)
Thanks for the video. You backed up a couple of others I follow. One is Sailing Zatara. Unlike most, they show you the good and the bad. Keith is constantly repairing something on their Cat. Sometimes it is a family issue (kids chores are scraping the hull) The talk about budget and cost of most things, repairs cost, to stock food supplies for a family of 5-6 (oldest daughter left for college) for a crossing, mourning fees.... They also show you bad weather (most only show the sunny days) and how to try to avoid the really bad weather. Medical issues with a family of 5-6 (including possible breast cancer), Teenagers, and friendships, you see them deal with boat and medical insurance, upgrade from a monohull to a cat....Q&A on a lot of shows. Thou at the end, I didn't know about "Learning Charters" thanks for that tib bit.
The reality is, don't play with toys you do not know how to fix if you are far from port. There should be NO system on your boat that you do not know verry well, and you should have the ability to repair most. I see well off families spend the big bucks on a cat and walk aboard their new cat using terms like "The kitchen", "The bedrooms" and the "Bathrooms". "Hey mom, it's a regular condo that floats!" . I have seen numbers of stories and disasters that involves a man with his family on a cat and in reality, he was the only one that could even operate the boat, let alone repair it. Its a fecklessly irresponsible move. SOMEONE needs to have a broad set of skills and more than one needs general abilities. Your life may depend on it.
Best advice ever. Buy the smallest and simplest boat you can to start with. Absolutely spot on 👍
Great video - I have learned a lot from both of you! Took the plunge and bought an Ericson 35-3 last year. We already have added lifetime experiences and memories! Great advice on getting to know the boat and letting it tell you what it needs.
Great to hear!
just want to add 1 small thing... starlink is going to have a major impact on remote working while crusing within the next couple years. my wife and i both work 100% remotely but absolutely need constant communication with offices, conference calls. we plan to buy a boat and sail full time but starlink is our only constraint right now.
Nicely done and well thought out. I have been planning since 2018 Even bought my Brand New Dinghy (Zodiac) and New Suzuki 4 stroke 15 HP in 2019 but COVID happened and put plans on hold as I am a ICU RN was terribly busy and there was no travel allowed for us Nurses outside the state till 2021.
I was even scheduled for ASA 101,103,104 in 2020 which I had to reschedule as the company teaching classes felt I was in a high risk group and asked me to wait till 2021 (I did Complete courses in 2021)
I had a 28 Hinterhoeller in Clearwater 2001-2005 loved it but work, kids and put a hold on that dream but now retiring.
I finally bought a boat (2015 Beneteau 45) waiting for final survey. I also wasn't going to pay the premium prices people were asking as I saw several for sale in 2016-2018 and the same boats for re-sale at a 20% increase increase than when originally sold for and little to nothing had been done to upgrade them. Many people don't do their research and ends up costing more in the end.
Thanks for the info just re-assures my thought process. AJ
All I know is I have a world to see and a boat to sail, And I love sailing. Financial is always the trick, but I have quit alot of skills to pay the bills.
Excellent advice, you two. We are two years in & I think we followed so much of your advice, I hope many new boat owners use your services, I can see where your advice can be invaluable!
Thank you. So glad to hear we've been helpful.
We bought a Lagoon 440 in Grenada. Wife and I both work remotely, both have side gigs. We thought we could use Thanksgiving and Xmas to sail the boat all the way to Florida. Well, that didn't happen! We made it as far as the USVI over Xmas. We then spent 6 months repairing and refitting in the USVI. $50k later, our boat is back to bluewater capable with liveaboard-friendly conditions (lifepo4, double the solar, brand new watermaker, complete electrical overhaul, walkable hardtop that allows us to actually maintain our mainsail).
It's been 9 months since the boat became ours, and we finally made it back to Florida. Now we have to work full-time, keep up on our side gigs, fix things on the boat, and continue sailing up north. If our boat is south of Georgia in July, we have no insurance coverage! So we have no choice but to spend the next few weekends sailing/motoring/rowing this boat up the east coast!
All that money, stress, time, and effort. But I would not trade this lifestyle for anything else.
It's a tough road, right?....working and sailing? But yeh, part of the adventure. See you out there!
@@TheOKellys Adds a lot of complexity and a lot of cost. I have to pay people to fix things that--had I had the time--I know I could have done myself. But I know I have to keep the boat ready-to-go when a weather window + our work schedules align and we gotta go!
Great thought process and points to consider before setting off. Love the reality check to align expectations with probability, no doubt your tips are already saving plenty of costly mistakes. Stay well!
I haven't looked in on you two for a while. I really liked this segment? episode? A ton of value here for folks catching the cruising bug online. I grew up on the west coast as well. Sailing and diving around all the channel islands, yes even San Miguel (once due to good weather, yes once) I thought I had the bug too. Even after being a fleet manager for a charter company. Fixing boats that charterers damaged, trying to figure out how they did it then not caring and moving on to just fixing the boat. Races and deliveries up and down the coast, the stories of inclement weather and the comraderies of my crew (100 ton master near coastal) working dive boats etc. This cruising thing is for me! Then I did a longer race and a longer delivery. your advice is solid because even for a guy that started sailing sabots at 8 yrs old. It is a lot of work. Cats are less hard on your body with the non heeling attitude. Just the same, it is work like anything else and you have to knw how to fix your boat on the fly. As Nick will attest you have to be the McGyver of the high seas or you may not make it to the next marina for mechanical help. The Coast Guard is in the business of saving lives not boats. You get in trouble somewhere out in the vast sea they will make you abandon your boat to save your live. Listen to these people. I might even hit them up for advice on a boat to do short trips in fair weather.
Thank you for this video. In 2019 I watched enough TH-cam videos to convince myself I want to go cruising, even though I never sailed before. I almost bought a brand new 48’ boat in the spring of 2020, but then covid stopped everything. I live an hour away from Chesapeake Bay and made a decision to get a “starter” boat, which ended up being a 1988 Catalina C34 that I paid 30K for. SOOO glad I did not spend tons of money on that new boat. Even though I do enjoy weekend cruises, I am not sure I would actually enjoy doing this full-time. My advice… if you never sailed get a starter boat and explore before big commitment
Sage advice for sure. Also, running a 30K boat into a dock because you don't know what you are doing (at first) feels a lot different than running a 300k boat into the dock.
Well done! Very wise move. Another option for getting started in sailing, speaking of the Chesapeake, is to join one of the sailing clubs that give you easy access to boats for one annual fee. No fuss no muss. I live in Annapolis which is now loaded with options. One has newer, twin helm boats where you use only that boat all the time. Another has a fleet of JBoats, a bit older but well maintained and a variety of them so you can take your pick depending on your crew, weather and planned day or overnight. Since I have no wrenching knowledge, I can't even consider buying a boat to cruise offshore. But having access to club boats almost anytime? GOLD!
❤ ❤ ❤ this is a brilliant vid for anyone looking at buying, too many people buy purely with their heart or too much with their wallet. Both ways could leave you very disappointed. Buyers need to be smart and realistic with something you will enjoy sailing!
Great video! Extremely informative and some rock solid advice!
I am definitely subscribing.
As one of your first consulting clients, and after almost 2 years later, I can truly say you guys made it work for us... Such a valuable and knowledgeable team! Nothing in this video is overstated 🤣 Good luck to all looking to make that big monumental jump ❤️
Ahhhh, thank you. To be a part of this process with anyone is a real privilege. Can’t wait to catch up with you guys.
We finally bought our first sailboat after 3 years of planning and doing time on other boats. The decision we came to was to buy a small seaworthy vessel around cost Usd15K. The Sailboat needed to have been well loved & maintained by previous owner. We were lucky enough to find this very dream boat we keep in contact with the previous owner who guides us whenever we need a point to the right direction.
Our attitude towards boat ownership is to treat our vessel like a university where we will learn hands on skills and hopefully become good sailors. If we fall now, we fall forward.
❣️ looking forward to our next couple of years of growth.
Like that approach!
Ha! We had to rewind and saw our names flash by from our review. We were one of Nick’s very
first customers! Even though we didn’t close on the first cat due to the survey he helped us with a quick review of the Manta 40 we ended up buying 18 months later. (Even though Nick didn’t love Manta’s, he did love what had been done to ours. Thanks guys!
Manta's are great boats. Glad it all worked out!
Excellent points! The best advice you just gave was to go simpler, not more complex. I’ve had boats before, and spent 2 years restoring a 30 year old 50’ MY. I enjoy it now, do charters on it, but it was, and still is, a lot of work, expense, and responsibility as each system requires constant consideration. My next boat will be a a newer model 35-40’ monohull sailboat with simple systems that are as plug and play as possible. Everything needs to be easy to access and repair. For example: I put expensive Furuno chart plotters on my MY, but I tend to use Navionics on my iPads most of all for plotting, and so the Furunos are mostly used for depth and wind direction. I could have spent much less for that, and will next time. Good stuff you two!
What a great distillation of tons of useful advice (and common sense) from your 20+ years experience.
Love your channel, and hope you are soon out sailing again. ATB from 🇬🇧
You are missed ,hope all is well ,sending positive vibes.
You make some important points.... I have been sailing for almost 40 years, and there are still things to learn..... Good fun watching your show.....
Such wise counsel backed up with extensive experience, and without knowing any specifics of any one situation. If I ever move up from my Catalina 22 y'all will be along for that ride for sure.
I think your videos and those of many others really helped decide it was not right for us. Thank you. Our cruising is done on cruise ships- the larger the better.
This is a very helpful video. Thank you
No mention of mechanical survey. I had the engines checked by pros during sea trials on three used boats this summer - one engine had a marker in the oil sample for an upcoming failure (diesel), and two engines had low compression in one or more cylinders (gas). I'm out $7000 for surveys and haulouts for inspections, but I'm not out $30K-50K (and two months on the hard) for a bad engine in my first season.
As someone looking to make this a lifestyle down the road thank you. This was so informational.
I LOVE the thought of being on the water. Not only yourselves, but Chasing Latitudes and a few other channels have talked me out of the big buy. I'll take a few charters, and going that route when I want to get away.
I recently paid a surveyor to inspect my first sailboat purchase. After interviewing 4 surveyors I selected the one who seemed the best. Not one of them explained to me that they will not actually operate the boat. No pulling the sails out, no operating the windlass, no throttling up during sea trials. I couldn't be there for sea trials and the marina helper operating the boat didn't know how to pull the sails out. I was very disappointed to say the least.
Yeh that’s not a good survey or surveyor.
The blast from the past on the backend of this vid is an intelligent flip relative to the vid! Seasoned experience sailors play it down some vrs young and dumb sailors playing it up! Brilliant!!
young and super dumb. lol....if we had known then what we .....OMG
It is amazing how compatible you two are. Equally amazing is how entertaining this video is even though you are temporarily without Clarity.
Even though I am broken down in Provo waiting on a rebuilt transmission, I feel good knowing I did a lot of the things you recommended in this video. I bought the right size boat, and took my time getting familiar with it before heading across the Bahamas. Granted, I am not mechanically knowledgeable as I would like to be, but thanks to lots of bad luck, I am learning fast!
Thanks again for providing such well thought out advice.
Well, sorry to hear it! Never fun being stuck with a mechanical. But you'd have to agree, this transmission problem is not something you could have trained for...right? Just gotta go and do and the fates have it from there. We've been in your spot ourselves, and it's strange what cool things have come from being stuck somewhere. Good luck and I hope you can get what you need to keep moving! Thanks for the comment!
What are your thoughts on Starlink and the fact that it is supposed to start supporting maritime locations this year?
Really excited. Hope it works as promised.
Love the brutal honesty. 61 and just retired, hoping to start ASA classes soon with hope of someday living aboard full-time with my wife. I tend to jump into things head first. Are rentals/chartering a realistical way to help determine our fit before taking to plunge?
Another great "land based" video. I have watched all your videos and have learnt so much from you guys. I bought our first boat 18 months ago, a new 51.1 Oceanis Beneteau just to see if our family loved sailing and shared my dream of sailing around the world. They love it! We are now in the process of buying a new HH 50 cat for the big RTW adventure starting in 2026. Lots of training and learning so far and much more to come. Keep up the videos, hope the foot gets better soon!
Heck yah! That's awesome. Can we go for a ride?
@@TheOKellys 100% yes! We will take delivery in 2024 so you will have to wait a while lol. In the mean time if you are ever in the UK come sailing with us (just bring coffee lol) 😃
we want to!
@@TheOKellys in 2024 when you get a random message asking if you want to come sailing, remember this conversation lol 😆
Another very important video and subject. Education is expensive and you folks have paid the price. Thank you for sharing your wisdom. I'm excited for your experience in locating your new boat, it should be interesting with the forecast of a recession coming. However, you still make interesting and informative videos without having a boat. Get well and stay well. View you soon.
Thanks. Yes, ....interesting times.... hope we aren't on the sidelines for too long though!
I am just finding you guys - getting back into sailing and looking to do the liveaboard thing in a few years. Lots of time to plan!! Thanks for the great information.
Always great content. Thanks! Looking forward to seeing what boat you select and how you organize everything from here.
I have nothing add that someone else hasn't said already. Thank you for your time and effort making this content. I appreciate it.
I missed this one a year ago. Ooops. Lots of good info. Thanks for sharing.
I actually thought this would be the video to crush my dreams. But, instead it gave me a lot more hope. 3 year plan to be on the salt, Jack of all trades and master of none and still learning, coastal cruising for 2 to 4 years and call it good. Small catamaran. Thank you for all the advice to include getting a pro to help out with the process.
Everything your saying is spot on. I always tell people you better have some knowledge because when your way out in the ocean and you have a problem your can’t just pull over and step off!
I have a Hatteras 1986 70’ which now I going to sell but I’ve learned so much in the passed 10 years of owning her.
Thank god I am able to fix things which is huge!
Just like you Meaghan I broke my metatarsal missing one step on my stairs going down the Owners suite and I was by myself. I always think that I couldn’t have broke anything but just bruise my foot it was a few days before I went to doctor. My daughter had a full boot that she had when she hurt her ankle so I put that on and went to the orthopedic and he also told me to keep the boot on and just sleep with it on and just put a pillow case on it. I was living on my boat but I never let it slow me down as I went out different little islands with my friend and would climb into my dinghy and then cruise to their Catalina and climb up into to their boat.
It took along time for me heal but I’m as good as new. Thank God didn’t have to have surgery because Orthopedic Doc said I might need that😬.
Praying that you heal faster than I did:)
Thanks for the props! Glad you healed up! Megan just got the go ahead to weight on it. Hopefully we are underway again soon!
We bought our 44' cat in Grenada in January and yeah, its been a bit harrowing of an experience. Alot of what you said rings true. We threw ourselves right into the fire, juggling engine issues, rigging issues, etc., while trying to get ourselves back to Grenada. It has been a bit stressful at times. Its also been glorious at other times. Currently in Antigua. Long way to go.
Good on ya! Good luck!
PEOPLE listen to this couple, they have great knowledge! You guys are the best, no questions asked...
You are too kind! Thank you!
Speaking from experience and limited funds history: going smaller and simpler, with modest expectations, and ditching land-based obligations can create a life that’s actually cheaper than land based life. But, marina costs will affect this significantly (on the hook is generally way cheaper). Keep it simple sailor 👍🏻
Yes! That’s what we always tell people and that we much prefer being on the hook.
just sent this link to very good friends of our that are thinking about buying a 35-40 foot sailboat in the coming months, thanks so much hope it helps them make the proper choices
@Mark Cormier @The O'Kelly's Hi. For many individuals, pairs, couples, and small families, for more than basic pleasure day-sailing, a 35-40 foot length at waterline is about as small, and as inexpensive, as one can go. Come climb into something smaller, and the second individual stays up, or lays on top of the the first. Sailing and lake-wave and sea-wave handling is also better in a well designed longer hull. If shorter than the length of a full wave, there is a bobbing up and down motion as well as the likely rocking motion - check with the O'Kelly's and others. 35-40' length at waterline seems a usable length with at least some cabin capacity. If needing a bargain, search for what is needed until a fair low price is found, auction, estate-sale, time-split with your family who are responsible, or maybe just lease or do fractional ownership.
If no effective exit strategy, getting into something too small just makes another obstacle to handle before getting what one needs and wants, in my opinion.
Learning on a cheap old junker, sure, but be in and out at modest prices.
I agree. If you can’t fix your toilet or garbage disposal in your house then you may not be able to fix something when you’re off shore in the swells much less than at the dock.
I laughed outright when you mentioned having "guests" on board for weeks at a time.
The finest anecdote I have is when a family of four decided that they wanted to join my family for three weeks of "glorious cruising."
Dad, being right off the boat from the Netherlands, was a great boating host, but he made it clear from the start that cruising equaled WORKING. The boat was a steel hulled double masted schooner rig, with major teak and mahogany woodwork. The kids worked by my brother and myself, scraping, sanding, varnishing, polishing and maintaining the the wood and brass; they HATED it!!
The mom and dad were expected to help out with fishing, prepping, cooking, and standing watch. They HATED it!
Cruising is wonderful. I have the best memories from the trans-Pacific crossings I've made, and I'm looking forward to the day when my new boat is completed and I can hire a small crew to join me to sail from Portland to the Netherlands (via the Panama Canal), to have cousins who are mad for sailing to join me there and then to cruise down to South Africa and then around the Cape and off to Oceana.
The O'Kellys have said it best: You cruise. You work. You have a lot of time on your hands, enjoying the glorious passages. You work. You build memories and learn new things on a daily basis. You work.
Thank you so much for being honest, friendly, wonderful and helpful!!
Thanks for the comment Leon. Like everything in life, you really don’t know until you try. Hope we see you out there….on our new boats!
Which Portland do you mean?
@@wallykramer7566 Portland Oregon. Sellwood in particular.
@@leonply Awesome! I used to live in Sellwood.
Great presentation! Knowledge can be transferred but Wisdom comes by doing. How about learning how to pray. Just sold my last sailboat. Happy camper.
While you are land bound I would love for you to post a video on all your audio equipment (and video). But really your audio since you produce all your music for the videos. I have seen a few snippets showing your equipment but I think it would very cool to see a more in depth explanation and sample. Thanks for everything you do!
That would be fun for me. Could be a little boring to watch though, gotta admit. But yeh, maybe I set things up and timelapse it or something.
@@TheOKellys Awesome, thanks for replying. You two are great!
Crystal clear blue water and white sandy beaches! Sign me up.
Certainly one of your best “advisor” video.
My project is under “construction” and not for the next month, but I will definitely contact you for consulting when the moment will appear :-)
(Boat purchase planned after sept 2023 for a adventure starting in sept 2024)
Happy to help in any way we can. 2023....not so far away!
@@TheOKellys No, not too far :-) And a lot of thing to setup before :-)
Love the footage from the past, earning your stripes, give you credentials !!
Thank you so much for this video. It cemented my feeling that the cruising life was not the best fit for my stage of life. Sad to say dispite my life long dreams, I bellive that trialer sailing might be a better fit (mobility issues).
Great practical advice! I'm going to post it on my blog!
Some of the best advice I've heard in a long time.
You all are amazing. Glad to be a Patron.
We very much appreciate it. Thank you!
Excellent info, one of the best videos I’ve seen for prospective buyers. I’m sure many boaters now wish they had a good consultant before taking the plunge.
GREAT VIDEO GUYS!!
This is by far, the best of the best video out there to watch as future adventurers. I'm really impressed. I'm in the "convince my wife" phase. But I'll make sure to also check the others boxes.
Great advice!
Thank you for being encouraging while keeping it real. Love your vidoes!
Incredibly moving finale!
Thanks you confirmed 👌 what I was thinking.. 🤔 and that is, before I buy a $100k sailboat I had better crew on a boat first.
I had a 37’ sailboat that I used for weeks at a time I could not figure myself living in it 24/7. We did weekly maintenance and still there was always something broken or pending. I miss being in the water but not the enclosed space.
I am a real estate developer and the parallels between this and buying real estate are many! I restore cars/motorcycles as a hobby. I do my own work on my powerboat, but have not owed a cat. After chartering a cat in the BVI and watching you for a few years, I am going to do this and I think the projects will keep me entertained and busy while we explore. The magic of those 10 days sailing in the BVI haunts me daily. I am constantly planning trips back to sail and looking near me for opportunities. Thank you for the video and I am excited to see what you two end up with next.
Once it gets into your blood, it's hard to let go of, right? It's that way for us as well. Hey, if you like having projects to do, this is the lifestyle for you!
so much value, so many learns, so many questions...... thank you
we are all about the learns! Never stops!
My husband and I have a 3-4 year plan to start cruising. We are one of the couples who will be learning on a smaller boat and then plan on buying a catamaran! I love watching your videos and hope we get everything in order to do what you guys are doing. Thank you for posting your videos.
Awesome! That's no time at all....See you out there!
Great tips! Yeah what you plan on doing with the boat is critical to know before you buy a boat.. Excellent episode!! thank you! 👍👍👊👊
My wife and I sailed the coast of Alaska for 20+ years for months at a time covering hundreds of miles. My daughter, her husband and grandson live in Florida now. I have seriously considered buying another boat and sailing the Caribbean so I could take my grandson sailing but I have concerns how well I would deal with the heat and humidity especially anchored out on a boat with the sun beating down on you. I am used to being able to sail up to the face of calving glaciers for ice..🙂 I have considered doing the Inter coastal water way instead since I could avoid the heat a little better depending on how fast I move North in the Spring. I figured it would be a bit cooler depending on your timing. I haven't given up on the idea yet. 🙂 Thanks for the video!
Maybe get a boat with air conditioning. The ICW is not good for sailing though. Pretty much going to end up motoring down and I doubt it will be any cooler than being in the Atlantic - just more protected from storms. Additionally it is not particularly deep - you will have to time your passage with the weather and the tides. This is a huge change from the west coast where you are have a lot of water under that keel. In the Puget Sound you might be in 200' of water and there if you duck into a bay so weather a storm it might be 6' of water with no mountains for protection. I'd start networking with people who do that run every year to get a more realistic idea. An intermediate solution is to charter and get a feel for it before you commit.
Hope to be there one day!
Omgosh just found you...excellent advice and fabulous presentation!
Thank you for making this video, very helpful and realistic.
Always straight talk from you two, with valuable insight on the realities of a cruising lifestyle. I look forward to following you when you are on the sea again. How long before that journey begins?
ASAP!
So good guys. So many good points. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and experience. So valuable.
Enjoyed your videos! one of the first people that i watched as far as Sailing goes, i think i got this..i own/operate a 18-wheeler and was doing some price comparisons between the 2 and the boat would actually be cheaper to own and maintain, i've spent north of 130k one year on my semi...so a 40 ft leopard or Nauti-tech doesn't seem all that complicated, the only real issue seem getting it out of water to do repair work..everything else seems easy enough truth be told, especially the baby diesel engines, and the emissions systems on them don't seem to be as restrictive.
I'm not down playing it by any means..but i do have a background on working on Massive heavy equipment..
Good Video and informative..40 ft leopard and the bahamas here i come!!!
Hi Nick & Megan. I am not a sailor, but I watch a lot, I mean a lot, of sailing channels on You Tube. I will never be a sailor, much too old, and no desire to jury-rig, rebuild, or repair anything. This has got to be one of the best help and advice segments on cruising and sailing I have ever seen. Good job you two! Fair winds in whatever you do.
a most excellent video. thank you.
A very informative video. Learned a lot from you guys. A difference between others is that I feel a lot real from what you guys say.
Thank you for the great insights and advice. You guys are a great inspiration for some of us that can only afford to dream.
Can you address how to get ready/things to do for people who live far from the ocean ie in landlocked areas.
Great tips!!!
Very informative, indeed. At times felt like an infomercial but an informative one. 😜
Love the throwback at the end. My favorite of all your old ones is the story on why you should always carry a knife (the anchor story if I remember correctly). That one is a classic.
Gimme the knife! Lol…..a Ginsu knife of course….and we are running a special on them so call now, operators are standing by. Lol
@@TheOKellys 😂😂😂 nice!
I've taken the asa courses up to 106 and I highly recommend the bvi classes where you go with experienced captains and learn the ropes so to speak. I would say also that at least in my case, you have to continue the interest and keep up your sailing. I let it go a few years and have Dibble dabbled on buying a small boat for the lake near me in Dallas but it's hard to find the time. You have to make time for it.
Super video - love the delicately put honesty and yah repair and more importantly debug skills are a must - also strongly agree with sailing small cats like a 14’ is best way to learn with feel, will add RV ownership is very relevant and beneficial as well as power boating experience - We just got back from an 8day charter of a brand new 45ft FP cat it was loaded for charter (aka electric heads, generator for all 5 ACs, 12” chartplotters, wifi interface to ipad chartplotter, and best of all a dingy platform, which has become a must for the pup and older guests) - it was great, truly awesome, we loved it, and most important, it served its purpose: the lifestyle is not for our young girls though one is certified to asa 114 level - and its a show stopper for the service pup who did not like the 2m seas and had severe “pinking” of her paws even though we washed her after each on boarding, salt spray was everywhere - a great episode idea would be one on dogs and sailing, pet import papers, return trips home, vaccines (i.e. rabies 3 year shots only count a ms 1 year shots in some islands) health papers tight timings, itchy paws from salt and sand, stress (for pup and human), poddy situation, damage claws can cause on some materials, boat prep for dogs, best dog characteristics i.e. short hair, natural swimmers, young, smaller size, etc… unfortunately for us this marked the end of a many year effort towards the purchase of a 45ft cat for our global learning adventure :(
Yes, if you go back a couple years, you’ll see an episode on sailing with our old girl Sugar. It’s a challenge for sure to sail with a dog. Chartering is a great option if the whole crew isn’t ready for the full enchilada lifestyle. Glad you enjoyed your time out there.
Your information is so dialed in.... Thank you
thank you thank you thank you... such a great discussion!
Enjoyed your reality video! Jessapearl just completed 6000NM Trans-Atlantic La Rochelle to Tortolla and then Totolla to Tampa. As an owner, I joined the delivery crew of my own yacht to gain experience. The days passed quickly as the crew onboard had assigned tasks including; lines, sails, helm, cooking, fishing, and cleaning 24 hours per day. The crew knew I had a phobia about sailing at night of course so one of my shifts was 12:00PM-3:00AM manning the helm every night. At the helm, there are big responsibilities always watching the currents, weather, sails, maps, AIS, and radar! Off the coast of Cuba in pitch black, a cargo ship refused to give us right away on the open ocean asking us to maneuver to their stern in heavy seas. The captain had plenty of swear words for dangerous poles with "no #$%@ light beacons" in the Gulf of Mexico. Dangerous Gulfstream currents in the ocean or docks are nothing to ignore. Trust your marine maps? Ensure you have updated marine maps, nothing excites your watch like night routes close to some kind of collision danger on a shallow. Passing under Florida bridges at night sends a thrill up your leg! Close your eyes and hope your mast is still there on the other side. There is no goofing off watching UTUBE on passage.
That's awesome. Deliveries are a great way to see what it's like! Watch out for those ships!