should I keep her or let it go

[frankies56]

Hello friends,
comes a time when a sailboater put things in perspective and I would like some opinions on this matter I pay almost 400 for dockage plus insurance I bought my 37 cutter 4 years ago.and got it to were I want it in great condition. I dont want to buy new electronic,s till the time comes as this seem to change every year. now I for the fact that I will be retireing soon and heading to a points I can, but with that said would it be better to sell the boat bank the dockage and insurance fee,s to buy another boat in six years when I retire. I like the layout but have had many boats and there are always avantage and disadvantages to designs.so not dead set on the 37 cutter.any opinion pro and con would be appriciated. thanks Frank

 

[woodster]

how long do you keep a pair of house shoes that you really like ...do you wear them till you can see through the sole .....if so ...look at your boat and decide if it is liken to a pair of old house shoes and there is your answer...

 

[kito]

400 X 12= 4800 X 6= 28800. Are you sure that $28800 will be there in 6 years? I doubt it since stuff happens. Just my opinion but doing without a boat with plans on buying one in 6 years is a roll of the dice. Not to be a downer but who knows if you will be around. You got the cutter the way you want it, I say enjoy it now....life's too short.

 

[JohnVTX]

Enjoy what you have while you can

 

[frankies56]

thanks for your opinion and that is why I am asking. love the boat just doing the math.also not my only boat I have an 19 footer, power which is great when there is no wind,it makes it,s own wind. LOL

 

[woodster]

another suggestion keep the boat live like a miser for the next 6 years and save all you can then if you want a different boat you will have money and a boat for trading purposes

 

[Roland5048]

I have to agree with Kito and Woodster. Had the same dilemma over eight years ago. Was looking at a new repower job and all that entails or selling for peanuts. Had Fraulein II for over eleven years at that point and had basically redone just about everything else on her. With the peanuts I would have gotten for her and quite a few thousand more I would have ended up buying another project boat, (they're all project boats), and still dumping more money into it. Decided to bite the bullet and repower since I really like sailing her and all the other repairs, upgrades, etc., were already behind me. I realize this isn't exactly your situation but the bottom line is this: If you like her, keep her. Sail her for the next six years and see where you are at that point. Six years is a long time to go without a boat, especially one you already know and like.

 

[frankies56]

Roland I have to agree with you. I enjoy this boat. and sail as often as I can. I had a 28 ft cal had her 11 years. my dockage was 175 month. well after 11 years it came out to 23,000. a lot more than I payed for the boat. I hated selling her but went thru a divorce. I miss that dam boat.but you see what I am talking about it is quite a delemma.so 28.000 dockage, 9,300 insurance in 6 years. I dont concider maint, and upkeep as all boats need that. but the wife says that when i am on the boat I am all smiles

 

[woodster]

the wife says that when i am on the boat I am all smiles

well that's your answer

 

[Kermit]

well that's your answer

I'm with Woodster. Whatever makes you smile. And the best part is that your wife notices. Money can't buy that.

 

[The Garbone]

You have seven years to get her sorted. If keeping her costs only a few months wages I would and just retire a bit later. If you save the money you will still have to shake out your new boat for a few months and will miss seven years on the water.

 

[Benny17441]

Break up the decision into different components. 1) Should you sell the boat now? From a financial point, the economy has recovered enough at this point that it may provide a buyer willing to pay a fair price. The boat is not likely to be worth any more in the future than what it is worth now (older model, depreciation, etc). If on top of a fair selling price you can bank $500 a month in maintenance and expenses seems to me that the timing to sell could be right at this time. 2) Retirement. This a serious change coming up in life circumstances and I'm sure you are starting to preoccupy yourself with life planning and financial decisions. Having a significant amount of money and expense obligations tied up into a boat can wear down in the financial planning process as there are many uncertainties. I can understand you thinking about getting back into boating once you retire as you will have a better idea of your future disposable income. Selling the boat now will ease your fears but will leave you high and dry until you retire. A compromise of getting a smaller boat might be a an acceptable solution. 3) Planning. Do a thorough and honest search about the type of sailing you perhaps envision in the future and then start looking for boats of appropriate size and characteristics. It may be that a 37' might be the boat you will need but I do not think there will be any regrets about having sold the old one. Age and physical capacity also becomes an issue in the size boat we may want. Selling the boat now may provide a little more flexibility in your future plans.

 

[Dalliance]

I'm with Kito, Woodster and Kermit. Life is short. You have a boat. Enjoy it now while you can.

 

[HMT2]

I once buried a man (when I'm not sailing or doing other things I make my living as a United Methodist Minister) who postponed many of the things he wanted to do until he retired. The last decade of his life was essentially "preparing for retirement" deferring many things he enjoyed until post retirement. He made it to retirement day excited about all of his plans. He died a month after he retired with a very long list of things he planned to do. It was sad and I determined I would not do the same. Enjoy life's blessings while you are here.

 

[Kermit]

I once buried a man (when I'm not sailing or doing other things I make my living as a United Methodist Minister) who postponed many of the things he wanted to do until he retired. The last decade of his life was essentially "preparing for retirement" deferring many things he enjoyed until post retirement. He made it to retirement day excited about all of his plans. He died a month after he retired with a very long list of things he planned to do. It was sad and I determined I would not do the same. Enjoy life's blessings while you are here.

Amen Brother.

 

[S/V UsCa]

I would Say Talk your wife into Living aboard it and Saving all that money on the Home Expenses and Then In a Few years of Sacrifice by Living on your Boat for the 400 per month and enjoying it as It sound like you do Immensely Just think of all that Cash you could Save by doing so I live right on the Strait House paid for and only taxes left and insurance But if I had a Choice I would be Sailing 24/7 with a Bigger Boat and Selling everything on Land the Hard Part of that is either giving up on the wife or that dream I love both so much she wont ever do that but does Sail with me nearly every Day so I can't Complain she has what she wants and I have my Boat Just not the Bigger one I want to sail the world on wish you luck but if you can convince her to live aboard for a few years do the Math you could then Have Both once agian

 

[Roland5048]

Read HMT2's post and when you are done, read it again...and again until it sinks in. Have been retired for six years now and that one post says it all. Now, put on that smile and GO SAILING, DAMMIT!

 

[S/V UsCa]

I did and was Sad Read it again and was Sad again I'm so sorry for him and Yes I went Sailing and Thought of Him while doing so and was Sad. Thank You Roland 5048 Enjoy Life And Treasure Always and Sail Sail Sail

 

[Ward H]

I too have known too many guys who worked towards retirement only to drop dead, have a stroke, etc within months of retiring. My earliest retirement date can be July 2017 but I enjoy working and had planned to continue to do so while it was fun. Then I had a TIA in early March despite my being at my best health in 20 yrs. I fully recovered quickly but it is making me rethink my retirement date. If there is something I want to do I am not putting it off to retirement. Retirement will be more time to do the things I enjoy, not the time to do the things I have been waiting to do.

 

[lillia28]

I was facing the same issues with my boat. If the 56 means what I think it does, we are roughly the same age. I was planning on retiring in 7 years, and I thought with the money I saved I could buy a nicer boat. Then I went to a funeral for a friend who was a few years younger than me and while I am in fairly good health I started asking questions like Do I want wife and kids saying things like He had so much fun on his boat. or He was saving up for a boat but never got the chance...
I don't mean to be morbid, or suggest that its all about Live for Today, but at some point waiting six years to enjoy your life is a bad bargin. I mean I laughed when the guy told me the new roof was guaranteed for 50 years. Not a selling point! I second HMT2's remarks. There is a time value to money, but there is no money value for time. You can't buy more days, use the ones you have wisely. There used to be a bumper sticker: Living it up on the kids inheritance! I still like that one!

Lou