THE PLAN

Ok - every dream should start with a plan right?    Ok well maybe every dream should start with a dream - but soon after that comes the plan.   Here is mine!  Are there things missing - most definitely! Will I find them - I'm sure they will show up and smack me in the face sooner or later. I will cover each of the sections of the plan in more detail in upcoming posts.  Ok - enough of the chit-chat.  You clicked on THE PLAN post to see the darn plan, not hear me ramble on.

Without further ado - THE PLAN


Research: 
I probably should know what I'm getting into first don't you think.  Some of the tools I will use
  Forums:  Sailnet,  Living Aboard, Cruisers Forums  Who knows more then the community?
  Books:     The Essentials of Living Aboard  The one book I've heard of so far - more to come

Sailing Lessons: 
Lake Erie is a few hours north and I think that would be as good a place as any to start. I've always enjoyed my vacations on Lake Erie.

Here are the classes listed at Fair Wind Sailing School

Learn to Sail Lessons $595

Not sure if you really want to learn to sail? Want to give it a try? These are the sailing courses for you. This is 2 day introductory sailing instruction for those interested in giving sailing a first try. Successful completion of this course enables the graduate to responsibly skipper or crew a day sailor  in familiar waters in light to moderate wind and sea conditions.  There is no written exam and no certification at this level and meals are not included with this course.

Instant Cruiser® Sailing Lessons $795 (Chesapeake and Erie), $895 (Caribbean)

These are three day sailing lessons combining Basic Keelboat Lessons and Basic Cruising Sailing Lessons. These sailing lessons are for those who want to learn to sail, are preparing to day charter, or are thinking about buying a sail boat. The curriculum includes more detailed boat handling, safety procedures and rules of the road. Completion of this course enables the student to safely captain an auxiliary powered sailboat 20-32 feet in length in moderate seas and winds. No prior sailing experience is necessary for this course. Successful completion of this class enables students to charter sail boats under 35 feel long.  ICSO Day-Charter certification is included in this class.  Meals are not included with this course

Instant Bareboater® Sailing Lessons $1895 

Fair Wind Sailing School’s most popular sailing lessons! These are week long, live-aboard sailing lessons designed to for students who want to learn to sail for extended cruising and bareboat charters. When you complete this sailing instruction, you are ready to bareboat charter on your own! The course covers certification in Basic Keelboat, Basic Cruising, and Bareboat Chartering levels. This course prepares student to skipper boats as large as 50 feet. In addition it covers key boat systems required to live aboard a sail boat, like: engine maintenance, cooking and provisioning procedures and basic marine electrical and plumbing systems. The sailing instruction also introduces the student to basic coastal navigation techniques. No prior sailing experience is necessary for these sailing lessons. Successful completion of this class enables students to charter any of our monohull sail boats.

Cruising Catamaran Sailing Lessons $895*

This class covers the cruising catamaran curriculum for those already Bareboat Charter certified. These 3 day sailing lessons are advanced lessons designed to teach students to learn to sail on a 30-50 foot multihull by day in coastal waters. It is the ideal sailing instruction for those with sailing experience who are ready to learn to sail cruising catamarans or chartering multihulls.  The class may also be taken in combination with our Instant Bareboater® sailing class. Successful completion of this class enables students to charter any of our sail boats. Meals are not included in these sailing lessons. * Pricing for this class is per person double-occupancy. There is an extra $300 charge for singles

Instant Bareboater® Sailing Lessons plus Catamaran Sailing Lessons $1995*

These sailing lesson combine Fair Wind Sailing School’s most popular sailing instruction -- the Instant Bareboater® Instruction -- with the Catamaran Sailing Instruction certification and are taught on our Leopard cats. These are week long, live-aboard sailing lessons designed to prepare students to learn to sail or bareboat charter cruising catamarans. When you complete this sailing instruction, you are ready to bareboat charter a cat on your own! The course covers ICSO ertification in Basic Keelboat, Basic Cruising , Bareboat Charteing, and Catamaran Sailing. This sailing instruction prepares student to skipper boats as large as 50 feet. In addition it covers key boat systems required to live aboard a sail boat, like: engine maintenance, cooking and provisioning procedures and basic marine electrical and plumbing systems. The course also introduces the student to basic coastal navigation techniques. No prior sailing experience is necessary for these sailing lessons. Successful completion of this class enables students to charter any of our sail boats. * Pricing for this class is per person double-occupancy. There is an extra $400 charge for singles

Navigation and Advanced Sailing Lessons $1995

This is a weeklong course designed to train experienced sailors in coastal navigation techniques and boat handling in any condition, day or night, in coastal waters. This course teaches the student to learn to sail at nighttime, perform man over board and emergency procedures at night. Our curriculum covers Coastal Navigation and Coastal Passagemaking. Bareboat Certification is prerequisite for this course.  The course can be taught on either a catamaran or monohull.

Our newest course! Caribbean Race Preparation teaches the difference between racing and cruising.  The 6 day class, has three days of race training, drilling and preparation learning and practicing the start, upwind sailing and mark turning, downwind sailing and the gybe mark, spinnaker sailing and the application or racing rules.  Finally, we'll put the experience together by competing in either the St Thomas Rolex Regatta or BVI Race Week!

Ocean Passagemaking Experience $2695

(includes Celestial Navigation) The highest level of sailing – Fair Wind Sailing School’s Ocean Passage experience. This is the trip for those wishing offshore experience and applications of true blue water sailing. This experience covers certification in Celestial Navigation. The trip begins with a 2-day Celestial Navigation class and then procedes with yacht preparation, weather planning and routing, offshore procedures, watch standing and emergency preparations. Please see our Ocean Passage page for more details and pictures Price includes boat fee, Captain, provisions, weather routing, running expenses, customs and immigration fees, books, exams and certification expenses. Course fee does NOT include: alcoholic beverages, personal safety gear and any expenses incurred off the boat.

Coastal Navigation $275 / Celestial Navigation $295 

 

Financial Preparation:
There will be lots of things to figure out with this section of the plan


Pay off any debts (credit cards, bills, etc)
Build rainy day funds (unexpected repairs, emergency travel back to family, etc)
Build the consulting business, or create a way to support my lifestyle while living from a boat
Figure out timing, and prepare house to sell near the time the boat is ready

Personal Preparation:
I don't know if you recall from my first post - yeah I know it was all of 24 hours ago, but I said I was an out-of-shape ex-runner.  Well out of shape won't necessarily cut it for my desired new lifestyle.  So the plan is to cook and eat better, exercise more, and lose some weight.  We'll keep track and see how well that goes :)

Choosing the type of boat - type/age/size:
Power or sail - Pretty sure that choice is decided - sail.  I want to have as small an impact on the environment as possible. So moving with the power of the wind (I do realize a motor will have to be used at some point during the trips) is very enticing.

I think with the budget I anticipate having I'll definitely be looking at a used boat.  I'm fairly tall - 6'2" and would like to be able to stand when inside, so that may limit some of my choices, but I will find that out as we get farther down the line, and I entertain you with my comparisons of the different boats.

Find/Purchase the boat
This will get covered in detail - at some point I'm sure you all will be like, Just buy the dang boat already Tux!
 
Refit/repair the boat
Many questions, will be posed to the community on how-to's, what's the best fit for what I want to do, past-experiences, etc.   I will be pouring over forums and blogs (already have) for a lot of info.  But we'll detail the trials and tribulations of getting my new home ready here!

Home base (if any):
Will there be a place kept on land (That's really not the point of this, but all options are open right now)
If not, where will mail go, residency be established, all that fun stuff.  Will there be a marina I return to as more of a base?   Stay tuned - many posts to come I'm sure!
 
Planning the year round sailing schedule:
I will want to drop on family from time to time.  My son is on his way to college in Annapolis (but by the time I set sail he may be done), and he may end up staying in that area, who knows.  Luckily it's on the water, so I can stop there.  My parents are getting older, and the rest of my family lives in my hometown near them.  That's an hour south of Lake Erie, so maybe ride out the hurricane season there.  I'm sure those plans will change as we get closer to a departure.


Equip/provision the boat
Hopefully at this point in my plan, I have picked up some incredible knowledge from all of you, and my readings. And have a good idea of what I'll need and where to get it.  If not I expect friendly reminders to come pouring my way, shedding light on my miscalculations :)

Then finally I can reach the best point of the plan!                  SAIL AWAY