The Plan

By Sailor Keddy -
I've done more thinking since my last post (a LOT more), and came to a conclusion as to what is really most important to me: getting another sailboat and to keep the journey going. I'll admit I didn't know much of anything about sailboats when I purchased Winchelsea, and I lucked out that she was very seaworthy and in great shape. However, she was far from my ideal boat. I'd like something a little smaller, in the 28' to 30' range with an outboard instead of a cramped inboard. Not only will that be ultra convienent if the engine decides to die (pull it off, put a newer one on) but the space saved below is significant.

Anywho, the only thing standing between me and getting a new boat is a bit of cold, hard cash. I'll definitely have to work a bit to save up enough for her, as well as some buffer money when I set sail again. I'm thinking something in the order of a year or so. With day work on boats being relatively scarce, I went to some businesses that specialize in charters and sailing lessons to see if they needed any help. They all said the same thing: get your captains license. I actually have enough sea time to get my Master, 25 ton license, not just the basic 6-pack. I can move up to the 100 ton with more experience on larger boats. It will serve a few purposes: being able to captain charter boats, both now and later on my own; it will add a touch of seriousness to my resume; and people will have to call me Captain Keddy. I'll be taking that course in January. After that, I'll do whatever job I can that pays the most and is still related to boats. Yes, even if that means whoring myself out for a year on a mega motor yacht. I think it will be worth it though, it is something to add to the sailing resume, to say that I've put my time in on those type of boats. Hey, maybe I'll even meet a great lady friend along the way who'd like to join me on the next leg of the sailing adventure.

So there it is. I want to purchase another boat, but have to find a way to get money to do so in the process, without going back to a desk job. I'd love to keep travelling as well, which remaining in this industry should allow me to do. It took me a week or so since I've been in Fort Lauderdale of wracking my brain as to what my next steps were going to be, but it is a huge relief to have a blueprint to go by.

Comments

Bill said…
At least you will be near the water and working if you make it on a private motor yacht. I hear lots of those boats have an arsenal of watersport toys (jet skis, kayaks, even hobie cats) that the crew get to play with.

Did you get enough time from working in Newport over the summer for your 25 ton license?

How about crewing on another tall ship daysail boat? I just saw the Lynx up in St. Augustine, it is a replica 1812 Privateer Schooner, sharp looking boat. They will be sailing up there through February at least.
November 19, 2010 at 6:50 PM
Green said…
You might want to think about something in the 30 - 32' range with a newer diesel. That size is big enough to have that second person aboard, a good one will go where you want to go, the draught can be kept under 6', and you can handle it easily by yourself.
There are a lot of good things about diesels - they don't burn much fuel, diesel ain't explosive, the prop won't jump out of the water in a chop, nobody can dinghy up and make off with it, and they are very reliable. Hell, mine has 10,000 miles and a trip around the world on it. Maybe something like this:
http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1971/Islander-Mk-Ii-Wayfarer-Sloop-1875251/Mazatlan/Mexico
For 10K or less you can get an updated older boat...
Best - Green//
November 19, 2010 at 8:17 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Great strength of feets: removing the old diesel

By Sailor Keddy -
Image
After a blissful Christmas at brother's house with his family in Stuart, and my new little nephew, I drove back to Sarasota to start working on getting the engine out from under the cockpit. I got to my sweet Soveraine on Sunday morning and, after getting the lock open, couldn't slide the companionway hatch forward. This had never happened before. No amount of pushing could get it over the drop slides, it was as if they had swelled for some reason. I took out my sawzall and cut a tiny bit away from the top drop slide and it slid open. I was dumbfounded. The entire cabin was submerged in four inches of standing water. Nearest I can tell, during the fall the oak tree, that the jackass trailer park owner let the jackass of a hauler park my boat under, had shed all its tiny goddamn leaves which clogged my cockpit drains causing water to spill into the cabin. Luckily my dad was there to keep my spirits high and attitude in check, because I was in a throw in the towel, no good, d...
Read more

The voyage that changed it all, Part III

By Sailor Keddy -
Since this will be the third and final part of this series, and although I could go on for just about ever about this trip, I should mention why this is "the voyage that changed it all." Before I got that fateful Facebook message, I was struggling hard with the job I have, my passion for sailing and all that is associated with the Ocean, and trying to connect it all together in a way I could put food in my mouth. The people I met opened my eyes to a field of work that was exactly was I was looking for. I had to leave the When and If  abruptly due to her being stuck in Charleston for what looked to be over 10 days. The weather around Cape Hatteras was less than favorable. I flew back to Boston, with a weepy eye and thoughts in my head that I would not return to her, and the wonderful people I had met, ever again. A week past, and during this time I applied to nearly half a dozen jobs within the realm of getting me on a boat. From the lowliest bilge rat position on a moto...
Read more

Goodbye Boston: A Sailor's Proclamation

By Sailor Keddy -
"The decision to flee came suddenly. Or maybe not. Maybe I'd planned it all along -- subconsciously waiting for the right moment." Hunter S. Thompson I am leaving Boston. There is a laundry list of reasons why, but it boils down to an essential few. This is my third winter up here, and to be honest I've had about enough. The cold is oppressive; it latches onto your soul, sucks your vital will to live and leaves you breathless and desperate. It inhibits activity on both a mental and physical level. I've tried to get used to it, but the thoughts of what I could be doing if it were 30 degrees warmer have overcome me. My career, more than likely, will be put on hold. Had I known that I would be spending 8 plus hours per day staring at a computer monitor in the middle of a cube farm, while the world, my youth and my life pass me by, I would never have signed up in the first place. I have been with the same company for three years, since I graduated college, and I hav...
Read more