From Law Firms to Lazyjacks!

[s/v Thievery]

Hi All,

I know, I know....you guys get asked this question a BAJILLION times, so I will try to be very clear and concise so you are not tempted to just consider this post another person who doesn't seem to understand how to read the forum posts already on here....

My husband, Chris, and I are about 23 months away from quitting our law firm jobs to move onto s/v Thievery and leave our land life behind - for a while, the forseeable future. We are in our mid-thirties, no kids, no desire to have them, and have been saving as much as we can for the past 4 + years to build a cruising kitty. So far we've managed to build up enough of a kitty so that we could live off our interest clearning about $1,200 month.

After reading every forum I could get my hands on, this seems to be on the low end. I've seen the Hunter Gatherer, who says he can make it on $400/month because he catches his own food - And I've seen the wealthy retiree say he can easily live on $2,000/month. We're somewhere in the middle. Our sailboat will have already been outfitted, but it is an older boat - 1989. We plan to avoid marinas as much as possible...but still. We will probably do away with either medical or boat insurance - although I'm diabetic and seem to have a knack for breaking bones.

I know you're always being hit up with this question, but I promise that we've read many books, surfed a lot, and done a lot of research on this. Just would like some honest feedback from anyone who may be of a similary makeup or at a similar point in their lives. MANY THANKS for reading this whole post.

[senormechanico]

You will be fine. If you are like a lot of other cruisers, you'll live within your means.
We did it in the '90's. Some months we had $800 to spend. Other times we had $500,
but one month all we had (due to a mortgage not being paid to us) we managed on $150.

Steve B.

I wish the gummint would take a hint...

[MarkJ]

We are doing it on double your budget and its tough.
Mind you we bought the boat and headed off without having fully kitted the boat out so we are playing catch-up.

That monthly amount is fine if the boats is fully ready to go and you have a few extra $ in the contingency fund for the first year. Its year 1 thats difficult because there suff you didnt know you needed or kit that breaks.

Every month there seems to be some unexpected bill

Anyway, on the brighter side when you leave civilization things get cheaper!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are off to a beautiful tropical island to snorkel every day for 1 whole month!!!! And theres NO SHOPS! The budget will love it

When things get crappy go find a nice island and hide behind it till the investments catch up with the bills

And when in cheap places pack the larders solid with food. We just bought about 4 months of provisions so we are fine for ages and with full fuel tanks and a needle and thread for the sails what else do we need?


Good luck with it.

By the way, in the last 23 months before we left I think I took Nicolle out for dinner nonce! OK Maybe once or twice, but not often, and not expensive! If you have that commitment you will be fine


Mark

[kismet]

s/vThievery?...???

[TaoJones]

Originally Posted by s/v Thievery

<snip>
My husband, Chris, and I are about 23 months away from quitting our law firm jobs to move onto s/v Thievery and leave our land life behind . . .
<snip>
We will probably do away with either medical or boat insurance - although I'm diabetic and seem to have a knack for breaking bones.
<snip>

Welcome to the Forum, Thieves! It's good to have you here. Surely it's just a coincidence that you work in law firms in DC and own a vessel named Thievery.

I'm sure there will be many who disagree with me, but if you're going to cruise outside US waters, why not forego both boat and medical insurance. It will be difficult to get insurance for your vessel once you sail beyond US waters in any event, given your lack of recent such experience - certainly, it will be hard to find at a reasonable cost.

And, as far as medical insurance goes, once you sail to, say, the Latin countries, the medical care is inexpensive and actually quite good. Given your relative youth, and despite your diabetes, you are probably less likely to need a great deal of medical attention than the typical older cruiser you'll run into. For the occasional broken bone, the expense should be much less than months of health insurance premiums.

You are to be commended for establishing the saving habit at a young age. That will serve you well your entire lives if you can stick to it. That said, the only potential fly in the ointment I can see is the huge question mark hanging over the American economy. I would not be at all surprised to see the $US collapse against other, less impaired, currencies, and that would drive up the relative costs of cruising, at least in $US, considerably.

In the ~2 years between now and your departure, things could change (alas, for the worse) in ways none of us might presently believe. Still, if you continue as you have been doing, I think you will be in the best position to cope with whatever the next few years hold.

Best of luck to you both, and bon voyage!

TaoJones

[kismet]

Makes me feel glade to be have been broke fore so long..no adjustment time

[s/v Thievery]

Great advice - thank you for taking the time! Very helpful feedback.

[Giro]

For what it’s worth: Youth or otherwise, unforeseen medical conditions can pop up. While today’s therapies for said conditions are literally meraculous (to say the least) they are profoundly expensive. Just five years ago many of these therapies did not exist and prognosis was often death. Fortunately, that is no longer the case. However, without extremely deep pockets or MEDICAL INSURANCE, one cannot benefit from these medical marvels. Think it over before you decide so that you’ll be around to sail another day.

[SV Siren]

Originally Posted by Giro

For what it’s worth: Youth or otherwise, unforeseen medical conditions can pop up. While today’s therapies for said conditions are literally meraculous (to say the least) they are profoundly expensive. Just five years ago many of these therapies did not exist and prognosis was often death. Fortunately, that is no longer the case. However, without extremely deep pockets or MEDICAL INSURANCE, one cannot benefit from these medical marvels. Think it over before you decide so that you’ll be around to sail another day.

I know your heart is in the right place, but did you realize that the OP has not posted anything in over 10 years? Still, these days your advise would be wise to consider.

[Giro]

You are so right! Imagine the irony. Either the author of that post has gone on to circumnavigate the world without medical insurance and has had no threat of illness after all, or perhaps the opposite had occurred. Even more mind boggling is the thought that the many meraculous medical advances that I referrenced had not even been created yet. Good fodder for a fiction novel or a screen play, perhaps. Ha, ha. In any event, I am really going to have to pay more attention to detail!