I CAN do this.

Racing dinghy's at Lake Anna Marina in Virginia, USA

Apparently, according to dozens of sailing experts and long term/time sailors I'm talking to or reading about, it IS possible to do what I'm doing with only a couple of months of instruction and practice. It's not as much about the boat as it is about the sailor. A confident sailor with good basic skills can do this with few problems - so they tell me.

It's a matter of common sense, strong basic skills and a willingness to take risks and trust yourself and your intuition. Of course I can do this. The plan? Take the 4-day/4-night liveaboard class. I'm already signed up. Then, take the navigation class, the docking class and spend as many days aboard other people's boats crewing for them for races etc. all the while learning what I like, don't like about different boats, while raising the money to BUY a boat. I've been watching YouTube videos non-stop and really have learned so much already! At least now I know some of what to look for, what to consider and where to go look.

I still have to buy the cameras, computer and gear...like a rain suit for the trip. The Sailing School said it "didn't need to be the expensive professional models, just something for rainy days." Even the cheap stuff costs $150 and up. Then there are shoes, $30 to $75, gloves - $35 to $75, sunglasses (prescription $100-$300). It's a pricey project for sure. I may end up buying a $5,000 boat, praying it lasts the trip and then selling it when I'm done. I don't know.