Finding the right boat is easier said than done.

For the past few days, I’ve been deep in the rabbit hole—endlessly scanning market listings, scrolling through boat brokerages, and comparing specs. The market is flooded with options, but filtering through them quickly reveals two main categories: overpriced rigs way outside a practical budget, or cheap project boats that simply aren’t worth a second glance.

Finding "the one" is clearly going to take some time. But instead of letting the search stall my progress, I’ve decided to pivot my strategy: start small.

Before committing to a larger, long-term vessel, I'm aiming to pick up a smaller sailboat first. The goal? Get real, hands-on experience, learn the intricacies of rigging and handling, and get fully immersed in the lifestyle right now. Learning the ropes, literally, on a manageable sailboat feels like the smartest starting point on this journey toward my captain’s license.

I’ve already identified a couple of potential candidates in my region. Now, it’s just a matter of reaching out and seeing if one of these sellers is open to a fair deal.

The hunt is officially on. I’ll keep you posted on how the viewings go!