 The other day Skip and I spent the afternoon at the Kemah Boardwalk (south of Houston, Texas), sitting on the deck of Joe’s Crab Shack and trying to make our pints of Fat Tire Ale last while we watched the boats coming in and out of the channel below. I tried to ignore the cigarette boats and noisy runabouts and focus on the sailboats and trawlers, checking out their esthetics and, when possible, their names and hailing ports.
There were a lot of boats to watch. Once again, I was struck by the almost overwhelming variety of choices that confront cruisers-to-be when they are looking for the right home for their dream. There are so many factors to consider, and if one is starting from scratch, it’s hard to know where to begin. I thought back to the early days of my cruising experience, when I barely knew a sloop from a ketch, and what it was like to go from boat to boat, trying to picture myself out on the water in one of them. What should I be looking at? How should things be set up above and below decks to make the life work well? How would I know that a given boat would be a good cruiser based on a single sea trial? In a way, I was a sitting duck. I relied totally on my husband’s sailing experience and cruising aspirations, and got behind whatever he decided. I listened to the brokers we met with and assumed that they wouldn’t steer us wrong. I read other peoples’ cruising memoirs and figured that if the boat they sailed worked for them, it would work for me. If I had known then what I know now, I would have chosen differently. That is not to say that my first boat was unsound or wasn’t fun to cruise aboard. It was a well built and sturdy vessel that got us where we wanted to go. Now, however, after sailing aboard three other boats (my two and the one Skip lived aboard when we met), I think back to Brandy and see the errors I made in the decision making process because of my ignorance. Here's what Duane from Nazareth, Pennsylvania said about this booklet:
I like that you provide your background and biases since that definitely plays a role in what you state. Hopefully, by the time would-be cruisers are ready to buy a boat, they know enough not to blindly accept someone else's choice. As you correctly state, we all have different priorities and desires. Nevertheless, it is valuable to get the informed opinions of those who have gone before to see flaws in your own plans. I want you to benefit from my experience. Messing About with Boats, Part 1: Choosing a Cruising Boat does just that. Besides sharing my own boat buying experience (times three), I cover my 7 S-Factors of any cruising boat. These are principles that operate no matter where, how, or what you cruise. Master these principles, use them when you are researching and shopping for a boat, and you will think of things that wouldn’t have occurred to you otherwise. There are many books on the market that offer advice and information about cruising boats. This booklet doesn’t replace that material. I do recommend, though, that you read this booklet before you dive in to the other books. I take a different tack, and articulate issues that often only get tangentially mentioned by cruising writers. Also, because the 7-S Factors are principles, they will form a baseline for your thinking when you read the details in other publications. Even if you already own your boat, you will get value from this booklet. You already own a boat? This booklet will still be useful for you. For example, I chuckled when I received the following message from George in San Diego (my old stomping grounds!): Thank you for this booklet. I already own a boat, and bought the booklet more out of curiosity than expecting to learn anything new. Boy, was I wrong! As a result of the excellent points you make just about safety alone, I now have a list of improvements I will be making before we leave the dock, including re-rigging the reefing set up, improving cockpit drainage, and making sure that boat handling systems are set up so that my wife can manage them on her own. I am looking forward to your upcoming booklet about equipment, and am confident that I will again find new points about a subject that I thought I already knew about! Now, I may be doing George in injustice, but I suspect that he bought the booklet to see if he agreed with what I had to say. That’s okay! We’re a crusty bunch here in the cruising community, and I’ll bet it’s worth $11.97 for some folks to get the booklet just to see if they can poke holes in it. I am glad that in George’s case the booklet spurred him to rethink some of his systems. Maybe he would have thought of changing things on his own, but when? Last minute? Out on the water after he’s left his home port and his familiar marine service providers? Or maybe never…until a serious crisis occurred. You can’t lose. So don’t pass this booklet by just because you already own a boat. I offer a no-questions-asked guarantee. If you buy this booklet and don’t get any value from it, let me know and I will refund your money. To summarize, Messing About with Boats, Part 1: Choosing a Cruising Boat is over 60 pages in length and: Starts with a multiple choice Cruise-Mo Quiz about your cruising boat priorities. Lists the seven S-Factors of a cruising boat, a set of principles from which to approach your boat buying exercise. Goes into detail on each of the S-Factors that illustrate how each must be incorporated into your boat-buying criteria. Shares my own boat buying experience (times three!). Lists my own preferences for cruising boat features (so you know where I’m coming from).
Ready to go? Click here to order the electronic version ($12.97, downloadable right after purchase) Or here to order the hard copy version ($14.97, sold and shipped by CafePress.com)
Trish Lambert
trish@takehersailing.com | 
