What happens to all the wannabees?

[Tupaia]

Originally Posted by fox9988

Wannabe here. Being. Started dreaming 6 years ago. Got divorced. Found a girlfriend. Retired at 48 in June.
Now 2 months into an indefinite cruise. Loving it so far (mostly lol). It’s windy and raining at the moment. Anchored in Key West. I’m watching her sleep. She’s amazing. Beautiful. It would be tough and not much fun without her. She’s a work horse with a woman’s insight.
We’ll go until it isn’t fun anymore. Caribbean this winter. Nova Scotia next summer. May upgrade boats and do the Pacific after that.
Sell the boat and fly home when we get tired of it. Probably buy an RV. Living life, not just existing. I’ll not die from ulcers or bedsores.

That's the way to do it. You will have no regrets.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by fox9988

... I’ll not die from ulcers or bedsores.

Remember:
Life after death does exist!
Just not for the person that died.

[BlueH2Obound]

Covid killed our business in Spring 2020.
Wife suggested we buy another boat!
Found one, closed in Jan of 2021.
Sold a house, drove across country, moved on board boat in Sep 2021 in PNW.
7 months of refitting/outfitting, then shakedown to Glacier Bay, AK for 3 months in 2022. Followed by more refitting/outfitting, and local cruising.
Left PNW, headed South on Sep 2 2023.
Currently at anchor in Sea of Cortez, MX.
Heading through the Panama Canal next Summer then on to Florida/Bahamas.
From there? Who know, we're retired and have a boat!

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by BlueH2Obound

Covid killed our business in Spring 2020.
Wife suggested we buy another boat!
Found one, closed in Jan of 2021.
Sold a house, drove across country, moved on board boat in Sep 2021 in PNW.
7 months of refitting/outfitting, then shakedown to Glacier Bay, AK for 3 months in 2022. Followed by more refitting/outfitting, and local cruising.
Left PNW, headed South on Sep 2 2023.
Currently at anchor in Sea of Cortez, MX.
Heading through the Panama Canal next Summer then on to Florida/Bahamas.
From there? Who know, we're retired and have a boat!

I think the COVID experience was a change catalyst for many.

[BlueH2Obound]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

I think the COVID experience was a change catalyst for many.

I totally agree. I think it made a lot of people recognize their mortality. We, as well as many other folks took a hard look at where we were, and asked ourselves if we were happy in that space. Than we asked ourselves what we really wanted to do. For us, the answer was be on the water. Some of our friends thought we were nuts. Well, more nuts than they already believed us to be in the first place anyway. I remember my sister in law, when we told her we were buying a boat to live and travel in. She turned to her husband (my brother) and said "Russell, make them stop!" She said it out of concern for us, and for our financial security, etc, but she just doesn't get it. They are VERY financially secure. They have a wonderful home, they are healthy, but . . . from our perspective, they never DO anything. Having their home, she goes for walks, he putters in the shop, goes fishing when he can, but they never go anywhere. It works for them, and more power to them, but it's just not what we want in our lives.
We want security as well, but we want change too. We want a different view out the window on a regular basis. We certainly have it now!

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by BlueH2Obound

I totally agree. I think it made a lot of people recognize their mortality. We, as well as many other folks took a hard look at where we were, and asked ourselves if we were happy in that space. Than we asked ourselves what we really wanted to do. For us, the answer was be on the water. Some of our friends thought we were nuts. Well, more nuts than they already believed us to be in the first place anyway. I remember my sister in law, when we told her we were buying a boat to live and travel in. She turned to her husband (my brother) and said "Russell, make them stop!" She said it out of concern for us, and for our financial security, etc, but she just doesn't get it. They are VERY financially secure. They have a wonderful home, they are healthy, but . . . from our perspective, they never DO anything. Having their home, she goes for walks, he putters in the shop, goes fishing when he can, but they never go anywhere. It works for them, and more power to them, but it's just not what we want in our lives.
We want security as well, but we want change too. We want a different view out the window on a regular basis. We certainly have it now!

Many people are made uncomfortable by any decision that goes against the norm. I've never been a fan of "group think", its usually wrong, so I've often made decisions that went against the grain. Some people, even though my decisions had no affect on them, were very upset about that. I think it challenges their belief system.

Good luck with your new life adventure!

Warning: Like many life experiences, cruising may change you forever.

[Oceanride007]

I wonder what happened to Atoll.

[CatNewBee]

Well, 2017 I was a wannabee looking for a cat, we found it later then, and I created an account catnewbee on CF to ask questions and search answers. 2018 I refitted our cat electrically and leaned the lines, crossed the med, and in spring 2019 we moved on board permanently.

Now we logged about 20000nm, sailed the Med, crossed the Atlantic, spent 3 years in the Caribbean sea and are getting ready for the Pacific ocean.

Maybe one day I have to change my alias from catnewbee to something better suitable?

CF was a great source in the beginning, later we used more FB groups and WhatsApp to communicate publicly or privately, as the UI is easier and the App stable, CF App dissappoints often unfortunately. So I still show up once in a while here, but the focus and the people have shifted...

I appreciate that the forums and the history on CF is preserved, the old threads are still there untouched, on FB they vanish in nirvana after a while and you have to repost the same stuff again.

[ekelly36]

Amazing Thread.... Ive spent the past 6 hours more or less reading it... I guess I am a wannabee... I bought my boat back in 2021... its been on a cradle since... It was just about ready to get in the water but life happened.... I travel for work and just had not gotten another opportunity to get back to New Jersey to work on it. BUT!!!!! now im back within driving distance so after 3 years of not even seeing my boat I have been able to make 2 trips to it.... clearly after 3 years of just sitting on a cradle it is not in the same pristine condition it was in previously but to my suprise it honestly is pretty close to how I left it. I half expected the interior to be completely ruined by leaks or the humidity from not being opened for 3 years.... The batteries are done but pretty much everything else is as I left it.... I should have it ready to sail by the end of April, then I can learn how to sail

joking... I have sailed but its been many years and was on dinghys....

flame on....

[boatman61]

What's to flame.???
Its like riding a bike, just take it slow and let your memories guide you and you'll be fine.

[ekelly36]

Yeah, a doc I work with does high end boat deliveries on the side and said he wouldn't mind going out with me to show me the ins and outs.... good thing is, by the time it hits the water ill have worked on and/or replaced every system on the boat lol....

[RichMartin]

Originally Posted by BlueH2Obound

Covid killed our business in Spring 2020.
Wife suggested we buy another boat!
Found one, closed in Jan of 2021.
Sold a house, drove across country, moved on board boat in Sep 2021 in PNW.
7 months of refitting/outfitting, then shakedown to Glacier Bay, AK for 3 months in 2022. Followed by more refitting/outfitting, and local cruising.
Left PNW, headed South on Sep 2 2023.
Currently at anchor in Sea of Cortez, MX.
Heading through the Panama Canal next Summer then on to Florida/Bahamas.
From there? Who know, we're retired and have a boat!

L.i.v.i.n. brother. Sounds like a way of life.

[BlueH2Obound]

Originally Posted by RichMartin

L.i.v.i.n. brother. Sounds like a way of life.

Martin, update, we just departed Bahia del Sol, El Salvador enroute to Panama for a 19 March Canal Transit date. Bahia del Sol was awesome! Except for the fact that we got delayed departing about 5 days due to the bar conditions being too extreme. . . That's another story though . . . Currently heading to cross the PapaGayos with winds of about 12 kts, and seas of only 1 to 2 feet with a long period. Perfect weather for trawlering! Sucks for sailboats, but great for trawlers!

[RichMartin]

Originally Posted by BlueH2Obound

Martin, update, we just departed Bahia del Sol, El Salvador enroute to Panama for a 19 March Canal Transit date. Bahia del Sol was awesome! Except for the fact that we got delayed departing about 5 days due to the bar conditions being too extreme. . . That's another story though . . . Currently heading to cross the PapaGayos with winds of about 12 kts, and seas of only 1 to 2 feet with a long period. Perfect weather for trawlering! Sucks for sailboats, but great for trawlers!

How do you kill time when you can't sail?

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by BlueH2Obound

Martin, update, we just departed Bahia del Sol, El Salvador enroute to Panama for a 19 March Canal Transit date. Bahia del Sol was awesome! Except for the fact that we got delayed departing about 5 days due to the bar conditions being too extreme. . . That's another story though . . . Currently heading to cross the PapaGayos with winds of about 12 kts, and seas of only 1 to 2 feet with a long period. Perfect weather for trawlering! Sucks for sailboats, but great for trawlers!

I don't know.. I've managed 6kts+ in those conditions on a 54ftr..