Super Cheap Yachting

Kings Gambit · Nov 28, 2017

Yeah--you can buy smoked yellowtail for a lot less than it costs to go and catch it yourself.

DayDreamer41 · Nov 28, 2017

@fritz3000g admirable goal!! I could never achieve that one, firstly I like what I do (most of the time) and secondly I tried it once, once the house was completely refinished I went back to work to stave off boredom.

Kings Gambit · Nov 28, 2017

fritz3000g said:
,... and I've been pretty religious about stocking the 401k and living on the cheap. There's a guy online who goes by Mr. Money Mustache who retired at 30.

Better hope the bull Market holds for the next several years.

Current estimates are that one needs 8x annual income in the tank to retire at or near the same standard of living as when working. Not clear if that's even good for much more than 10 to 15 yr unless there's a pension involved.

DayDreamer41 · Nov 28, 2017

@fritz3000g you are a person of great vision with deep Christian morals and objectives.... Bravo!

Sumner · Nov 28, 2017

fritz3000g said:
....Anyone else have ways that you save money on boat stuff?

If you plan on overnighting then one of the best ways to save money is to bite the bullet and spend $200-$500 for good anchoring gear. You will sleep good and be safe and save a lot more than the expense by not staying in marinas at night. For a basic anchoring setup I'd recommend at a minimum a 22 lb. claw type anchor and 150-200' of 3/8" 3 twist nylon rope plus 25 feet of chain. That has worked for us fine in numerous different conditions.

Then kept that as the second anchor and setup another one with the same rode/chain but with a 25 lb. Manson Supreme anchor. If you don't have an anchor roller...

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor/rigging-4.html
.... you could start with tubes to hold the anchor.....

... and cheap coolers make good rode bags.

Sumner
=======================================================================
1300 miles to The Bahamas and Back in the Mac...
Endeavour 37 Mods...
MacGregor 26-S Mods...http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/endeavour-main/endeavour-index.html
Mac Trips to Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Canada, Florida, Bahamas

Kings Gambit · Nov 28, 2017

fritz3000g said:
I live in a pretty rough neighborhood, and would love to take some of the kids out sailing. I'm told it's a great way to learn responsibility and confidence for kids with challenging home-lives.

It sounds nobler than it actually is. For >95% of the kids I doubt the experience would endure to the ends you fantasize. When one knows next to nothing of what he speaks, anything seems possible.

Helping a kid find a real job would work better IMHO.

DayDreamer41 · Nov 28, 2017

@Kings Gambit ......... Brutal

JRacer · Nov 28, 2017

fritz3000g said:
@Kings Gambit I don't have on rose-colored glasses. I've been hiring the kids to do yard work for me for years and getting to know them and their families. Some of them have a good work ethic and I'd be happy to write a reference for a job. My dad works in a school for kids who were expelled from regular school, so I know the odds of their being really successful in life. But staying out of jail most of the time is a kind of success compared to the alternative. I think that many of us have an unrealistically high bar for what it means to make a difference. I don't think I can change people, but there is a difference between "down" and "down and out." Most of the kids won't like sailing, but if some do then that would be a good opportunity to get them in a different context and try something. Outward Bound has had some moderate success at this, so it's not like there's no evidence it can help.

And, unless you try to have a positive impact you will never know if you could have positively influenced a kid to go in the right direction. Good for you Fritz.

Scott T-Bird · Nov 28, 2017

fritz3000g said:
I like sailing because I like freedom. If my boat cost a lot then that robs me of my freedom because it forces me to work.

Well, now we're getting philosophical! I'm reading a few James Baldwin novels (mentioned in another thread) about his solo sailing adventures and his philosophy would be very similar to your' s except that he didn't put off sailing and instead, put off work as much as possible. He eliminated all the electrics and mechanical functions of his boat and sailed from Fort Lauderdale to Asia without an engine to keep everything as cheap as possible. His rigging was obtained by dumpster diving at the marinas. Don't laugh, it's an option that many a cheap sailor has used.

Work doesn't necessarily rob you of freedom. Sailing won't be cheap. You'll need to support it with work. It seems insane to me to want to have a hobby, yet be ridiculously limited in enjoyment of the hobby for being averse to spending money. It's particularly contradictory to pursue a hobby to the point of it being a lifestyle, as it is for most of us that participate in this forum, while being cheap. Freedom to me is enjoying a lifestyle without limitation. But that DOES require work and income. I think we all have a spectrum of balance between work, income, charity, lifestyle and perceived freedom. I say perceived, because I don't perceive freedom as being a slave to a savings account by displacing life as I want to live it - I may not be here tomorrow. But we all do have different spectrums and I can respect that.

Scott T-Bird · Nov 28, 2017

fritz3000g said:
@Kings Gambit Most of the kids won't like sailing, but if some do then that would be a good opportunity to get them in a different context and try something. Outward Bound has had some moderate success at this, so it's not like there's no evidence it can help.

It's not necessarily the sailing that makes a difference. It's the exposure to somebody who cares about their future that can make a difference. In your case, sailing is just a conduit for these kids, and most likely a good one! Outward Bound functions by helping kids with confidence, goals and teamwork.

Jackdaw · Nov 28, 2017

Kings Gambit said:
It sounds nobler than it actually is. For >95% of the kids I doubt the experience would endure to the ends you fantasize. When one knows next to nothing of what he speaks, anything seems possible. Helping a kid find a real job would work better IMHO.

Sometimes you are a real ass.

pateco · Nov 28, 2017

Scott T-Bird said:
His rigging was obtained by dumpster diving at the marinas. Don't laugh, it's an option that many a cheap sailor has used.

I resemble that remark LOL. My new to me life ring came from a post Hurricane Irma trash pile. I did however have to order a rail mount for it online, So, even free stuff can have a cost.

Kings Gambit · Nov 28, 2017

Jackdaw said:
Sometimes you are a real ass.

Some people would say most of the time.

Kermit · Nov 28, 2017

Scott T-Bird said:
Ok, something doesn't add up. How is it that you have a "3 year old" AND plan to retire in 7 years? I have a 35 year old daughter and maybe won't retire in 7 years. I suppose maybe you are talking about a grand child that you look after?

Look up Strom Thurmond. Oh heck. Here’s the info from Wikipedia...
“Thurmond married his second wife, Nancy Janice Moore (born 1946), on December 22, 1968. He was 66 years old and she was 22. She had won Miss South Carolina in 1965. Two years later, he hired her to work in his Senate office. They separated in 1991, but never divorced.
At age 68 in 1971, Thurmond fathered the first of four children with Nancy, who was then 25. The names of the children are Nancy Moore Thurmond (1971–1993), a beauty pageant contestant who was killed by a drunk driver; James Strom Thurmond, Jr. (born 1972), who became U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina and is the current South Carolina 2nd Judicial Circuit Solicitor;[32][33] Juliana Gertrude (Thurmond) Whitmer (born 1974), who works for the American Red Cross in Washington, DC;[34]and Paul Reynolds Thurmond (born 1976), who was elected as South Carolina State Senator representing District 41.”