Early or late checkout?

[sailortonyb Allied Mis]

Forgot to mention...

Did I forget to mention that it usually cost less to cruise than to stay put.At least it does for us. We live aboard, so when we go off for several months, we have no marina fees cause we anchor out most of the time. We only have liability on our vehicles - 1 P/U truck, 1 car and 1 scooter. No insurance for them when we are gone. Food costs, entertainment, touristy kind of things, rental cars and occasional transient slip fees are more or less funded from the savings on insurance and our normal marina costs.Tony B

 

[Ross]

If Nancy and I were to decide to take a long cruise(quite unlikely)

we would leave the house with trusted friends for their care and safekeeping. We have a subsidy (social security) in addition to some modest investments so we could, if we had the mindset, make an extended passage. However we have put down some very deep roots in 37 years. So home is a very important place for us. We love the boat and sail when we can but home is very nice too.

 

[Jim Kolstoe]

Opprotunity Cost

That nasty, but true, economic concept must be reckoned with when looking at any long project. Any choice to do one thing necessarily precludes doing something else with that time/money/etc. I first became interested in long cruises as a kid hearing stories of an aunt who did a 9 year circumnavigation after retiring. But it has not lured my wife and I because there are so many things that we and our children would have had to forego to make that cruise. We love sailing and "messing around on boats" even if we're not going on long trips. For me the pleasure of being under sail is the same whether on a lake or an ocean. I offset any regret for not going with the memories of things we did because we stayed. As has been said, we did what was right for us at the time. If it becomes the right thing for us, we'll go on an extended cruise. Until then, any time we're sailing is good.Jim Kolstoe, h23 Kara's Boo

 

[Rich (P303)]

Go now...

You'll never know what will happen later. I will never be the right time.

 

[Ross]

I think that those who would take extended trips already do.

I remember the songs of the 50,s that spoke of far away places with strange sounding names and of rambling men. As much as I was pulled in that direction I was also pulled towards a home and family. In the six years I was in the Air Force I was stationed in Texas , Illinois, Maine, Mississippi, two stations in the Philipines and in eastern Oregon. I drove both ways across the country. From South Carolina to Oregon and back pre interstate took a different route each way and took about 10 days. But in most of that I had family with me. Some of the people I went to high school with have never lived outside Spartanburg county including two of my brothers. They have accumulated much more wealth in dollars than I but not in the diversity of memories and experience. So I suppose that even now I will plan another venture somewhere. I know that a road trip to the Maritimes is in our near future and there are many rivers in the Chesapeake that we must explore. I like to poke into the corners and see what is tucked in there.

 

[Rick A19476]

For me, no time like the present

But I did it (am doing it)a little different. I'm not ready to retire yet both personally and finacially. In addition, while cruising interests me, it is a big investment.I bought an older boat in the SF Bay area, left it in a marina and spent my holiday time there, fixing up the boat, and touring the area. I'd fly down and stay on the boat so it was a cheap holiday, sort of like cruising but not really leaving the dock. Got to see the sights in the Bay area, tour Napa, etc.Took the boat down the coast to Ensenada and then down and around to La Paz where the boat is now.I get up to six weeks or so on the boat each year, usually broken up to two or three times a year. Now that it is in Mexico, probably just twice a year for longer durations. I'm planning on taking the boat to Mazatlan next....

 

[Mark Wieber]

Too caught up in the sharade

We just watched too many commercials. Too much TV. We are fully imbedded in the mith of security. Plus, the dog hates sailing, and sheds hair everywhere. We love our garden. I have a race car and tools and assorted "valuable" items packed into the garage and our 10X12 Shed. We have furniture collected over many years, and all the 'must have' trappings of a typical American home. Plus the boat is not "ready", and we could use some more night time passage experience. It would be helpful to speak Spanish, and I am just learning what weather means in Blue Water. There are SO MANY EXCUSES NOT TO GO!We slowly fix up our boat, and gain experience with coastal cruises. They say that 90 percent of the people who talk about world cruising never get a boat in the water. 90 percent of those never go anywhere. And, only 90 percent of the ones who actually go somewhere, do any kind of extended cruise.I can see why. The pull of comercial security is strong. If you are not careful, it can squash dreams, and drowned out the song of the sea.At least we can still hear the musicIf the opportunity comes we are more ready than most.

 

[Doug Burton]

No doubt

that security is an illusion. I don't really want to give up anything but I hear the call. The next time my kid moves out, I'm selling the hut. May get a little place to keep stuff but for now I like Rick A's plan of a couple weeks at a time.

 

[newly anonymous]

rrrrrrrrr

Worst Reason for Staying Put: because you own so much stuff you can't imagine living without it.Best Reason for Staying Put: because your job is so damned fun you can't imagine quitting before they show you the door.We live aboard at this point, so the encumbrances of furniture, lawn mowers and a stocked wine cellar no longer anchor us to the dock. On the other hand, the work is currently so fulfilling for both of us that we can't imagine sailing beyond the range of vacation time. Sheesh.

 

[Ross]

Michael and Kelli, There ain't nuthin wrong with that.

You have a life style that works for you and yours and the means to sustain it. As successful as Bill Gates.

 

[Ross in Tampa]

the answer...

When is the time to do it... when you are still young enough to (has nothing to do with age), and when you can decide to do it with out worry of the "what if".I am not there yet, but like Mike and Kelli, have no regrets, love the lifestyle, love the wife and kids, love the work, and love to be on the water.We will check out, it will be a bit later, but it's gonna happen, and you all are welcome to visit when we do.We just had this conversation last week on our sailing vacation in the keys, we are trying to logistically make it, but too many obligations at the home front.Ross in Tampa

 

[John & Georgie]

I Love The Stories!

I sold the snow blower last week, our house in Minnesota goes on the market May 1st, and we are taking off in our Passage 42 in October for all points south. This is a 25 year dream. We have planned, saved, planned, worked, planned, well anyway, I will be 65 in August and am very excited about going cruising. I have sailed all of the East Coast, Florida, and Bahamas. Plans are to sail them again plus the rest of the Caribbean, or where ever the Admiral wants to go. Made the decision years ago to do this, now we can see the light at the end of the tunnell."If I ride the morning winds to the farthest oceans, even there Thy hand will guide me; Thy strength will support me."Psalm 139:9,10.

 

[SailboatOwners.com]

Final results

Final results for the Quick Quiz ending April 20, 2008:If I were inclined to take an extended cruise39% I'd make sure I had no debt and enough cash to last ~10 years35% I’d go now, I might get hit by a bus tomorrow19% I wouldn't incur any debt13% I’d get the boat paid for and figure out the financial details later

 

[Stillraining]

Atta boy!!

God bless your journey John...Keep us updated regularly OK...Your story will be that much more interesting..

 

[Chet7135]

Well for me

It`s not about cruising off into the sunset. thou it would be nice to do so someday, I bought my first real boat just last year and already I`m leaving this May for the Florida Keys. My dream is to live aboard and do something differnt for work that I can`t do in the central Pennsylania area. I could stay here in my home town where I know everyone and keep my business going doing something I really love to do. Building custom Furniture. But I know if I do that my dream will never come true. And I`ll never leave my small town, which wouldn`t be a bad thing either.  But I figured if I bought the boat to do the trip, then I`m just going for it!  My business can wait... my friends and family will always be there...and so will the bills...  Live life with no regrets !  chet.

 

[Ross]

Jon, I think that what you are doing is wonderful

but do you have enough wealth to live this style for the next 35 years? That will be more years than you spent working.

 

[Familyafloat]

Go go go

We are 38 and 45 and bought a 42 foot sailing ketch 2 years ago and sailed off with baby no 5 being only 6 months old. Most of the people out there were either sick or had sick parents. There were only a few our age. I say go when you have your health. We have sold our boat because we grew out of it and are buying a 50 Beneateau now. I think sailing makes you creative about how to get the big bucks to get out of debt to keep doing it. We bought and sold property and never bought new cars etc and it has paid off. We have heaps of super and I am young enough to get some work occassionally while we are out there (lets face it with 5 kids on board you need some land time) We have had some fantastic jobs in the Whitsundays, and what better place to go home to than your yacht. Stop for a week or a month, work and then go again. My Mum has had 17 yachts sailed in many places around the world and has made money buying and selling the yachts as well. She comes home works, sharemarkets and goes again - she's 63, has been doing this for 20 years, has no debt, and enough to keep going out and doing it! Anyone can play on the sharemarket these days, so if you spend it all you can just go and get some back again. Just think outside the square and get creative with how to earn your dough and go go go !!!! Do it now, that silly old bus might be just around the corner!

 

[familyafloat]

go go go

I,m with you Tony B. We have more wealth and assets than all our friends who have their security. And as for our roots, now we have "like-minded" friends from all over the world as well. Other friends of ours who have spent 3 1/2 years on their boat doing the whole track have more wealth than most people I know. If you leave, it will make you hungry to go some more. We have our cake and eat it, we have not sold any assets to go sailing with. You never know what is ahead so I beg you don't put it off! Security is a huge trap, as long as we have each other, then we have security.