MAKING MONEY WHILE CRUISING

[boatless 4 now]

Hello all
Just a quick ( not really ) question. what do you really do to make extra money while cruising? I was just reading a well know sailing mag. and there was a story about a young cruising family that was out on a multi year journey. How does a young family afford a multi year journey? Did they save every penny for years and years? Independently wealthy? Eating nothing but rice and beans? I mean to say that not all, or even any of us can get a job writing for a sailing mag or as a delivery captain. And I can not believe that everyone has sold a business and made enough to cruise for a few years, and then just jump right back in where they left off. What about real retirement? health care? a place to stay when you can no longer go to sea ? How do you afford it? Or do you just not worry and work till you die?

[Vasco]

It's very difficult to make money in a foreign country. All sorts of work restrictions. Make your money before you go cruising. Then spend it wisely. Also if you're going to worry about your old age, the cruising lifestyle might not be your cup of tea. There's no guarantees in life, especially if you go cruising.

[AnchorageGuy]

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ness-2192.html

[boatless 4 now]

What a silly thing to say [QUOTE. Also if you're going to worry about your old age, the cruising lifestyle might not be your cup of tea./QUOTE] This has nothing to do with my question. The reality of our lives is that we will eventually grow old, and I am trying to think of life past cruising age. Or do you belive that "someone else" should pay your freight when you get to that stage.. Oh . I forgot, as sailors we just have to be tough and not worry or think of the future " damn the torpedos, full speed ahead"

[Gerald A. Gotts]

Hey, I don't need to make a fortune. And I don't care a hoot about retirement. I do , however need to make enough to make repairs to the boat or make an up-grade {rarely}. I would need to make some money for food and a luxury on occasion. I have cut hair in the past with some success . I can Scuba/snorkel so could scrub hulls or do other light underwater work I suppose. I work /play well with others and have good communication skills so could find some type of work I suppose. Maybe a wee bit more income for a drop of grog now and then!

p.s. how about a Pirate ? or....

cheers, Jerry

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by boatless 4 now

Hello all
Just a quick ( not really ) question. what do you really do to make extra money while cruising?

The short answer is that there are ways to do it but not many do. There are three type of cruisers that I see passing these waters...

1/ Retirement income or nest eggers - saved forever and are now cruising
2/ Boom-boomers - Some people actually did make a sh!tload of money in the boom-boom 90's
3/ Part timers - They cruise to a spot. Anchor the boat and go ashore to seek work. They make work legally or illegally. There is a couple here now from France. I am not sure what they are up to but they both go to jobs everyday...

I've met one person who supplements with travel writing.

Originally Posted by boatless 4 now

What about real retirement? health care? a place to stay when you can no longer go to sea ? How do you afford it? Or do you just not worry and work till you die?

There was an American couple here that basically were young and on the adventure. They cruised for a few years and basically were calling it quits. They had reached mid-30s and were ready for job, kids and the mini-van.

The Europeans all have some sort of social medicine health care it seems.

When you get too old to go to sea, maybe you sell the boat and rent?

In reality - there aren't many people who just say, "Screw it. I'm going." As MarkJ said in another thread. "Those are the guys head down bum up working in the bilge all the time." i.e. no money....

[Big Macca]

I can probably add another sub-species to the "how do I earn money while I'm cruising" mix. My wife and I are - for now, at least - part-cruisers. We own a publishing company in Australia that produces weekly online news bulletins for a specific industry and also run a major industry magazine. We've got some great staff, so we just need to be in touch each day to sort out any hassles. BUt we're hands-on types, so we sometimes need to work long hours in exotic places.
So far we've managed to see a fair bit of the Australian coast in two-week bursts, and now we're set to experiment with some longer ocean passages now we know our coastal broadband technology is sound. Satellites out on the ocean will stretch us, but there's only one way to find out if it's feasible. On our last two-week trip - we've been back in the office for a week for an intensive burst of client-loving and staff-bolstering –*we spent one interesting 24-hour period sitting in a beautiful bay putting together a large corporate history book - searching online for pictures, checking proofs, editing, etc.
It's not ideal (I'd prefer to be sailing than doing anything else) but it's a pretty good compromise. We sail for a couple of days with short calls to the office, and work online in beautiful places or marinas when we have to. It's better than the view from my study window...
Does this allow us to call ourselves cruisers? Maybe not. We meet enough people stopped in one place for weeks at a time, but I guess we're the restless type of sailor. If we're anchored, well what does it matter if we spend a few hours on the laptops? There's always enough spare time to play around, explore, fish, maintain the boat, entertain friends who've joined us for a few days, meet new people.
Some cruisers regard our laptops and printer on the saloon table with horror. But we just see that as part of who we are, and we realise that for now work pays for our half-and-half lifestyle. We know when we climb on the plane back to civilisation that we're laidback, happy and ready for whatever work's going to throw at us.
We'll be back aboard in a couple of weeks, ready for more adventures and experiences. I think we're finding a balance, but we're not in a rush to discover the ideal. I just hope technology keeps stretching our horizons as fast as this "work/cruise" lifestyle is.

Big Macca

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Big Macca

... It's not ideal (I'd prefer to be sailing than doing anything else) but it's a pretty good compromise. We sail for a couple of days with short calls to the office, and work online in beautiful places or marinas when we have to. It's better than the view from my study window...
... Does this allow us to call ourselves cruisers? ...
... and we realise that for now work pays for our half-and-half lifestyle. We know when we climb on the plane back to civilisation that we're laidback, happy and ready for whatever work's going to throw at us...
Big Macca

It may not be ideal - but your situation seems pretty close, to me.

I'd think you're more cruisers, than not - and happy ones, to boot!

Congratulations, on working out an economically feasible way to support yourself, while cruising.

[john connell]

Macca,

To coin a good old Aussie phrase when I started reading your post I thought you were going to take the "piss" out of us mere mortals,then I realised you were deadly serious-not to mention smart.
Sounds like you have the "work from home" mantra set up perfectly.
Talk about corporate induced stress release programs-you guys have a built in one in your own business-good on you.

Now where was that little violin I keep for all those poor souls I feel sorry for.?

You poor buggers !!!!! lol -heaps.

Regards
JC.

[cooper]

Big, Macca,,
did you and your cat go through the Gippsland lakes a short time ago?

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by Big Macca

On our last two-week trip - we've been back in the office for a week for an intensive burst of client-loving and staff-bolstering –*we spent one interesting 24-hour period sitting in a beautiful bay putting together a large corporate history book - searching online for pictures, checking proofs, editing, etc.

In today's information world there are lot's of jobs that are portable. My job is very portable and there are times I work from home and there are times I have worked from the library at the sailing club, coordinating worldwide activities to support an airline.

I could very easily move my job to a home office full time. If my home happened to be a 42 foot Cat with excellent internet connection - I could see that as being perfectly legitimate. In fact the offices that I rent and overhead that I pay for would disappear so it would also be cheaper!

Unfortunately the cubicle crowd at headquarters just coudn't accept it. It just never could fit their paradigm.

I can dream however - LOL...

[AnchorageGuy]

Our take on the subject

Voyages of Sea Trek: 27. Cruising On A working Class Budget

[Big Macca]

Originally Posted by cooper

Big, Macca,,
did you and your cat go through the Gippsland lakes a short time ago?

No Cooper, last time we were in the area of the Gippsland Lakes was in June 07, when we sneaked across "The Paddock" in the dead of night on our way north.

Big Macca

[Big Macca]

Originally Posted by GordMay

It may not be ideal - but your situation seems pretty close, to me.

I'd think you're more cruisers, than not - and happy ones, to boot!

Congratulations, on working out an economically feasible way to support yourself, while cruising.

Thank you Gord, coming from you that means a lot.

Big Macca