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**Seaworthy Lass** · 07-12-2012, 21:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by dsmastern

Here U needa be goin:
Urban Dictionary
You gotses no scusez now!

Hands up anyone that understood more than one expression in the first dozen pages of "word of the day"? The only one I had heard of was 'Frankenstorm' (OK, there was one other but I not admitting to knowing that one LOL).

David_Old_Jersey · 08-12-2012, 02:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gelfling

DOJ....are you KIDDING?! In America there is a whole new language being developed and for the life of me I can't figure it out! .....or figure out why!

During a parent teacher conference my daughters English teach said to me, "And dat is da reason, fo wut I been sayin."

Were you in da hood?

**Seaworthy Lass** · 08-12-2012, 04:27

Bill4, you are lucky enough to have sufficient funds to retire and go cruising permanently, right now, just not in your ideal boat. I bet many people would just jump at the chance to be in your position. It really boils down to deciding if working for x more years to achieve a catamaran of the size you want to cruise on, is worth losing x years on the water in a less expensive boat while you are still fit and healthy. These are years you will never regain. That's the bottom line.

My advice is to go at the first opportunity you can afford a boat you think you could be content on, maintaining a lifestyle you think you could be happy with, rather than waiting for 'more'. That may or may not be at the moment for you.

Greggegner · 08-12-2012, 05:30

Wow this sounds great. Lots of things can happen in life and getting out early is our dream. Still things happen. How about getting a boat, sell everything, but don't quit your jobs, live on the boat. That will let you try living on the boat while having new income to fix up the boat. The costs to get the boat ready are always higher than you think. Good luck, keep us informed...

JK n Smitty · 08-12-2012, 05:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill4

Thank you all for your replies. I am feeling quite down after reading through the thread because the overwhelming consensus is that we do not have enough money to be able to do what we want to do. I cannot see us living and cruising on a monohull. Catamarans are what we know. I do not know where we go from here but it feels like our dream is broken.

It's disheartening to hear you declare you dream broken after just some internet feed back.

This is how I see you dream. You have a good cruising kitty but a bit unrealistic purchase and outfit budget. So you have a few options:

1. Go back to work for more years. Keep working until you have "enough" money. Least attractive option to me. There was a thread on hear about the regrets of the dying and #2 on that list was wishing they had worked less.

2. Go with your plan. You have accounted for things like inflation and income on the invested amount. Others have said you don't have enough "emergency" funds. The truth is that all of this is hypothetical. You could never have a problem. You could earn more than 4 % on your investment. Inflation may not be felt as much in the third world islands and bays you are going to be spending your time. I am sure people like the Pardeys, Capt. Fatty Goodlander, and others would be surprised by the thoughts that you don't have enough money. They cruise the world on far less money with far less of a boat than what you are considering. So go now with your plan and see if it works out.

3. Slightly readjust your plan. When we first started to consider this same dream, my wife wanted to do it on an Antares 44. That's a great live aboard 44 foot catamaran. Hell it may be the best in the market. But it costs $850K new and 5 year old ones are still going for $650K. We could work our whole lives to try and save up enough for the boat and a cruising kitty. We realized it was more important to be out there than to be in a perfect boat. So we are now planning to go in a 31 foot Catalina on June 26, 2015 (my 40th birthday). Our cruising kitty will be much less than yours and I have no idea how long it will last. But we are going to get out there. So how about a 32 foot catamaran or something in that range. You could get that for less than $100K.

So my advice would be to go now. Personally, I would go smaller. But that is up to you.

Here is a quote from Mark Twain that I go back to from time to time when I wonder if my plan is the right one.

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

Fair Winds

Jesse

Whaubner · 08-12-2012, 05:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill4

Thank you all for your replies. I am feeling quite down after reading through the thread because the overwhelming consensus is that we do not have enough money to be able to do what we want to do. I cannot see us living and cruising on a monohull. Catamarans are what we know. I do not know where we go from here but it feels like our dream is broken.

As soon as you realize that you will never have enough money to do what you want to do, ( because we never have enough money to do what we want to do) and do it anyway, you will have a fabulous time! The rest will work itself out, it always does. Dreams don't follow the practical rules of the universe. The other important lesson to learn is that we are all very good at telling you why your dream won't work.

Its your dream just do it!

If the folks that have replied living the dream you described had spent too much time looking at spreadsheets, and listening to other folks they would be like you and I, reading this thread from a couch instead of a cockpit.

malbert73 · 08-12-2012, 06:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by JK n Smitty

2. Go with your plan. You have accounted for things like inflation and income on the invested amount. Others have said you don't have enough "emergency" funds. The truth is that all of this is hypothetical. You could never have a problem. You could earn more than 4 % on your investment. Inflation may not be felt as much in the third world islands and bays you are going to be spending your time. I am sure people like the Pardeys, Capt. Fatty Goodlander, and others would be surprised by the thoughts that you don't have enough money. They cruise the world on far less money with far less of a boat than what you are considering. So go now with your plan and see if it works out.

Fair Winds

Jesse

True, but Fatty spent $3000 on his boat and the rest refitting, and the Pardey's built their small boat from scratch. Everything about the OP's plan is perfect except for the boat.... My opinion, which could be wrong, is that if someone can only liveaboard if it is on "x sized catamaran" they probably won't liveaboard for 17 years, as the comfort and convenience factors, even on that sized boat, are far lower than on land....

MarkJ · 08-12-2012, 06:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by malbert73

someone can only liveaboard if it is on "x sized catamaran"

I can only live on a good one. So I just bought one. That's me down the back with my new Captains hat.

GaryMayo · 08-12-2012, 07:00

Enjoy, hate and dislike. That is what you said about sailing, motoring and marinas.

These are terms that show a maturity reaching a retirement stadagy?

You start off your post with the word dream. So you are dreaming about sailing, on a quarter million dollar multihull (maintenance, refiting , repairs etc) with nightmares of motoring and marinas. The only real way of not motoring, is never leave a marina. Lol

I think your post shows more of daydream than design and architecture.

The two of you, at anchor, or sailing, away from everyone and everything for seventeen years waiting for your retirement nestegg.

Maybe it is good you hate.motoring and dislike marinas, because when the money runs out in the first two chapters of this dream novel of yours, you will be without funds to fire up an engine, to come into port and slip at a marina.

I hope you read over the great advice given in this thread. The overall consensus for your situation is monohull, and I think you should ponder greatly upon that wisdom., and not in a dream state.

My penny pinching money bags father in law retired in a four bedroom, four bath mansion in an upper class community in a superb of a large city. It was his dream to have a nice home. To keep his expenses down, he shuts off 95% of the house with curtains made of sheets, so he does not have to heat and cool his dream. He has rooms, bathrooms, he has never used. Is his dream, a dream, or a burden? Your dream is a burden, unless you go smaller, and find a sailboat that fits your budget.

Greenhand · 08-12-2012, 07:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by malbert73

My opinion, which could be wrong, is that if someone can only liveaboard if it is on "x sized catamaran" they probably won't liveaboard for 17 years, as the comfort and convenience factors, even on that sized boat, are far lower than on land....

My corollary to this is that if someone is that tied to a specific type of boat, they may find it difficult to live on a limited budget. Frugal living involves compromises.

DSDman · 08-12-2012, 08:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Useless. Can't shag in the back of it. Like the little Grand Prix flags on the door. That woulda made it faster. Bet Ferarri doesn't have them! Can't shag in the back of a Fararri either. Or a motor bike.

So my first car was a 1976 Mercury Bobcat! which is just a pinto with more chrome on it. What a sweet car, hatch back and the rear seat back would fold forward, made a great place to relax and count the stars under moonlight nights. So I can speak from real experience, not useless, not by a long shot!

cwyckham · 09-12-2012, 13:53

OP's gone, it seems.

Are you there Bill 4?

Starbuck · 09-12-2012, 16:48

A Ford Cortina would perhaps be a more resonating reference for the Brits. A 50yr run: my, what a long life it had.

Celestialsailor · 09-12-2012, 17:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bash

Anyone who can't shag on a motor bike simply hasn't given the problem sufficient consideration. (Hint: it helps to park the bike first.)

I had the experience with a R100RS on the center-stand. As it came off the stand to to the law of physics, everything after seemed to happen in slow-motion!