Introductions / How did you find sailFar.net?

[captain cajun]

Welcome, sound like fun, Great Barrier Reef and all that.

[Shipscarver]

Welcome aboard.
What a grand spot to sail!  Enjoy the "Board."
Fair Winds!

[Jim_ME]

Ahoy Sailfar crew!

I discovered this site while doing a search on Erie Canal and found the excellent cruise log and photos by Lynx. Enjoyed reading about Capt Smollett's cruise to Charleston.

I live in Southern Maine. I've been trailer-daysailing the past few years on an O’Day Mariner 19 (CB version) and last year a Sovereign 5.0 (17 ft) keel weekender. For a decade before that, I sailed a Cape Dory Typhoon 19, which I have a Triad trailer for. I began to take the  Typhoon a bit too far out, so sold it and got a Hurley 18 (project) to use with the trailer. I have a Westerly Centaur 26 (twin keel) project for the longer term.

My plan is to extend to coastal cruising during this coming season. It’s hard to beat the coast of Maine in summer and fall, but winters are getting harder to take, so I’m thinking about going South somewhere and living aboard during at part (or all) of the cold months. I’ve visited the Keys a couple times by car, years ago, and it is on my short list of places.

I was glad to find (from the Financing the Cruise thread, among others) that many Sailfar members are cruisers and live-aboards of modest means. I share your appreciation for the Keep-It-Simple--or as one of my books calls it, The Thoreau Approach--to cruising, or the cruising life. You seem to have a positive and encouraging community here, and I look forward to becoming part of it.

-Jim

[s/v Faith]

Welcome Aboard Jim!

  Thanks for bearing with us as we got your registration fixed (Jim was very patient as we figured out how I messed up his registration). 

  Glad to have you aboard, and look forward to hearing more about your plans and your travels.  ;D

[AdriftAtSea]

Welcome aboard Jim. ;)

[Navyvet]

Nice to have you with us Jim. I have found this to be one of the best resources for information and ideas on the web. From people who have done it not just read or dream.

[Oldrig]

Welcome aboard!

I once sailed an O'Day Mariner (fin-keel version). From there, with time out spent in such exotic places as Skowhegan (not exactly great sailing, ayuh?), I moved on to a Marshall Sanderling catboat and then to my Cape Dory 25D.

This is a great place to find stuff about serious sailing in boats of reasonable size.

BTW, are you going to the Maine Boatbuilders Show next month?

--Joe

[Jim_ME]

Thanks Craig. Glad to be aboard. I figured maybe it was just Kurt's and your way to test candidates' endurance and attention span to make sure they are Newbie-worthy.  ;)

[s/v Faith]

Thanks Craig. Glad to be aboard. I figured maybe it was just Kurt's and your way to test candidates' endurance and attention span to make sure they are Newbie-worthy.  ;)

No, thankfully that is not the case... I surely would have failed the test.  ;D

[Jim_ME]

Thank you for the welcome, Dan.

I have visited your Blog site, and read only a bit of it, starting with the story of your time with Gee. As I join this community, which is about sailing far, it is a good thing to be reminded that life is short--sometimes tragically so. That our time to experience what life has to offer, including cruising, is not as unlimited as our culture would so often have us believe.

[AdriftAtSea]

Very true.  I wish Gee could have gone with me as we had once talked about doing...but she can't.  The boat is named for her and I know she is watching out for the two of us. :)

The Westerly Centaur is a great little boat.  I take it she is a twin keeler? That can make doing maintenance a bit simpler in some areas, where haulouts are either too expensive or not possible.

[Jim_ME]

Thanks, NavyVet. I look forward to continuing to read and learn from that well of practical experience, and participating in threads about specific topics.  :)

[Jim_ME]

Thanks for the welcome, Joe.

I’m a fan of Alberg designs. Had a lot of fun on my Typhoon. The CD 25D looks like a great design, replacing the V-Berth with the head space, allowing for a larger main cabin. I briefly daysailed one of the older Stadel designed CD 25/Greenwich 24 boats, but the 25D looks much more robust, like the Ariel.

Although it was convenient to trailer and launch, the CB Mariner was a bit light for the crew and conditions that I sailed in (I’m sure the keel version that you sailed was considerably stiffer). I found the Sovereign and liked its fixed shoal keel (also trailerable), much roomier cuddy cabin (and without the CB trunk), and deep cockpit, at the same displacement.

I got up to Skowhegan often for projects. I wonder whether the Old Mill Pub is still there on the Kennebec River? Although there is not much for sailing there, it’s not too far (about 40 miles) to mooring areas on Penobscot Bay (Belfast/Camden/Rockland).

I probably won’t go to the Maine Boatbuilders Show, although you have got me thinking a little about it. It can be nice to see all the gleaming new bristol boats and gear, but also makes me aware of how frumpy my own boat is. 

-Jim

[Oldrig]

Hi Jim:

I'm showing my age when I say that the Old Mill Pub had not yet been built when I owned a now-defunct weekly newspaper and printing plant in Skowhegan. I did return once or twice--and I did have a brew in the Old Mill. But since then, I hear that the old town has fallen on really hard times.

As for the boat show: I go there to talk to the builders, especially those who make smaller boats. It's part of my job as one of the editors of a regional boating magazine--but that's really just an excuse to get to talk to real people who build real boats, rather than plaid-pants-wearing sales sleazes who work for dealerships that sell pieces of plastic made in Tennessee or wherever.

(Are my prejudices showing yet?)

Speaking of prejudices, my here's favorite story (true) from the Maine Boat Builder's show of several years ago:

I was looking at a gleaming new, super-expensive Sabreline (or maybe an Ellis) power cruiser. As I walked up to the boat I overheard two Maineacs, clad in worn jeans, flannel shirts, beards and baseball caps and speaking in real Down East accents:

--Hot darn. Did you see that? That boat's got twin diesels AND a bow-thruster!

--Ayup. They must build 'em for people from Massachusetts!

Perhaps, as a Massachusetts native, I should have been offended. But I knew what they meant.

Anyway, I hope you'll learn a lot from this forum--I sure have.

--Joe

[velpanore]

Hello All,

I'm not sure if this is where a new member introduces himself but I will put this up and see what happens.
It's not that I'm scared of computers (they're more frightened of me) but I don't always get what I want from them.

I am  from Australia and purchased an Alberg 30 in Annapolis, March 2008. Have put in a new diesel and cruised up to Edgartown and down to Beaufort,SC last year where the boat now lies. I will come back to the boat in March (late) and head north again and see if I can't get a bit further this time.

I will enjoy reading the various posts and hearing from anyone as time goes on.

Owen Zeimer

[Captain Smollett]

Welcome aboard, Owen.

My Alberg 30 once lived in the Beaufort, SC area...The previous owner bought her there and moved her to North Carolina.  Then I bought her in NC and moved her back to South Carolina (Georgetown).

We've since moved BACK to North Carolina.  We are located in New Bern on the Neuse River, so if you get a chance to stop by on your travels North, we'd love to see ya.  I know that right now there is at least one A-30 anchored in Beaufort, NC and I believe 2 in slips in Oriental.

Edit:  Oops, I almost forgot; this was the perfect place to post your introduction.

[AdriftAtSea]

Velpanore—


Welcome to sailfar.net.  Lots of Alberg-design owners here. :) When you're up in New England, do stop by and say "Hi!"

[velpanore]

Hello there Gaelic Sea and Pretty Gee,

Thanks for your interest and invitations; I will get in touch when I get into your area for sure.
Re: New Bern, It is the place I meant to go/should have gone to on my way south. Had a forecast for strong SE winds the next night coming into Oriental, didn't like the orientation of the outside marina there in that forecast and knew I should head for New Bern instead but.........you know the rest. No damage done but another hard lesson learnt about 3am that morning. (How many more will it take before I learn?)

Will Keep in touch.

Owen Zeimer

[evantica]

Hi. My name is Hakan, Live in frezzzzzzzzzing Sweden, been inte longdistance sailing for the past 15 years, but never been that far yet...started out with a Hurley. Now I'm looking for a new small offshore cruiser. Just surfin' around and found this x-elent site.
Fair winds...

[Tim]

Welcome Hakan, you have come to the right place ;) it is probably even a little warmer here.