Cruising start at 55 or 56

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

May just start living aboard and letting the Daughter go to a school where we can find a good one close to a Marina in Florida.

Until then, yes I'll just have to read about it on CF

Or.. the USVI's..

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Or.. the USVI's..

Isn't it REAL expensive there?

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Isn't it REAL expensive there?

Dunno.. to much hassle/expense to sail over from Tortola... and that's before the supermarket..

[Cap Erict3]

If you truly love what you do for a living it could make the go/ no go question fairly simple.

If you could physically and mentally continue your career if things don't pan out pursuing the cruising lifestyle then your choices broaden.

I know of many nice boats that sit idle in marinas because their owners waited until things were just right.

Last year I was sitting in the Keys waiting on a weather window to cross to Isla Mujeres. Life intervened. I believe in the flexible destination rule. While having a destination is important, life is about the daily trials and triumphs.

As my lady would say, "Man plans and God laughs."

[JPA Cate]

sailorboy,

When Jim and I left the first time, we did not have our financial ducks lined up adequately. We were out for a year, and instead of the hoped for thumbing of our noses and sailing off into the sunset, we sailed about 6800 mi. to windward, back to the Bay Area and the dreaded four letter word: w**k. Jim worked for 16 months in order to finish his project, and I, for a year. We got married, and I sold the house I owned, to become the cruising kitty. The rest is (as they say) history. We've chosen to stay out as long as we can, and we have no land base, no car (had one briefly in NZ in 1990, no bills, and no fixed address (which has its own problems).

For us, it has been a low stress lifestyle: so far, all the problems have had successful conclusions.

My first answer to your opening question reflects my personal money anxiety. It is possible to use fear of loss of money as an excuse for inaction. I've seen people do that. But for myself, once I had not all that much dollar wise, just what I perceived to be an adequate cushion, I quit worrying about it. I have been poor, and I have a hang up about it.

Maybe you've decided in advance what that adequate cushion was. You're the one to know that. For me, it just snuck up on me, and I knew when it was okay. There is no right nor wrong way.

weavis struck a chord for me with what he wrote about a known medical condition, and if yours does produce anxiety, it seems like you're really between a rock and a hard place. If you can tolerate the idea, perhaps a support group for people with the same condition would give you a place to relax? or regular meditation?

So I'm wondering if there may not be a third alternative. If the boat is already ready to go now, how about working only 6 more months: time to rent out or sell the house, tie up loose ends and get gone. Having a date to begin your period of freedom could be a relief. If you want to work along the way, well, many things are possible once we've changed our lifestyle. If you want to be open to work opportunities, they'll come your way.

Maybe -- no offense, please-- it's time to question yourself if you're over-engineering your departure?

You're right, it is definitely not an easy decision. For us it was putting a period on one life and starting another "career"--sailing bum. It is a decision that has little support in our society. And then people will tell you you're lucky. They don't know about the years of living like a starving graduate student to save, save, save to make it all possible. One is lucky, too, but a whole lot of that luck is preparation.

Ann

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

But if you do that you're not spending more than you make!!!! So un-American of you.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

Started doing my taxes, which is also a good time for me to take a good look at a years worth of the total money issue. We saved 22% of our gross income last year and if I didn't have that floating money pit it could have been 37%.

So pretty un-American of me. But trust me that I did my part for the economy when younger.

But yesterday's blizzard depressed me because waiting another year to head off cruising means another winter of snow to deal with

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

But yesterday's blizzard depressed me because waiting another year to head off cruising means another winter of snow to deal with

Try to enjoy the snow.

The seasons are pretty awesome up here after living in Florida for years. It get sorta same ole, same ole down there in paradise.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Try to enjoy the snow.

Not so easy to enjoy when there's 3-4 feet of the stuff all around us and no place to put it. 4-6ft drifts and more on it's way Friday and another storm on Monday. All this on top of the 10 inches received two days ago.

Just glad the Bobcat skidsteer was fixed last Friday. I live near sailorboy here in New England.... it's depressing. We'll spend 6-8 hours dealing with the snow today... it's 16 degrees F with a wind chill in the negative F.



It's like Siberia here. Because my job classifies me as essential medical personnel, they sent out a four wheel drive truck out to fetch me yesterday during the storm... I couldn't even get an unpaid day off work.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

The 2 choices I'm considering are selling all and go cruising at 55 or at 56 (neither exactly old).

If leave at 55 the cash kitty gets to $39,500 at the low point and total assets get to $350,00 at age 70 if land reentry is required.

if leave at 56 the cash kitty is $110,000 at low point and total assets at 70 are $463,000.

Of course the assumptions could be wrong in which case it could be less or more (not really safe to plan on it being more I feel). And of course some will see this as a lot of money and other as poverty.

The big item is the cash kitty that has to also be a buffer for both boat and life events.

I know which I prefer and I know which the boss says is the answer, which would you chose?

I would not seek financial or retirement advice from strangers on the Internet, I would consult with a qualified financial planner. He or she will ask a lot more questions and then present you with options to choose from.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Not so easy to enjoy when there's 3-4 feet of the stuff all around us and no place to put it. 4-6ft drifts and more on it's way Friday and another storm on Monday. All this on top of the 10 inches received two days ago.

Just glad the Bobcat skidsteer was fixed last Friday. I live near sailorboy here in New England.... it's depressing. We'll spend 6-8 hours dealing with the snow today... it's 16 degrees F with a wind chill in the negative F.



It's like Siberia here. Because my job classifies me as essential medical personnel, they sent out a four wheel drive truck out to fetch me yesterday during the storm... I couldn't even get an unpaid day off work.

Well I did say try to enjoy it. Spring will seem so much the better.

If you have a Bobcat, you can't be in too bad of shape.

I had to really bundle up for my run here Saturday with hoody and extra under garments. But the Seals or Marines put up a pullup bar just outside the perimeter fence that borders the Little Creek Base on the beach. It was a nice surprise.......and a good reason to take a quick break from the run.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by rwidman

I would not seek financial or retirement advice from strangers on the Internet, I would consult with a qualified financial planner. He or she will ask a lot more questions and then present you with options to choose from.

Thanks. Already did that and he says my financial numbers work.

But, if a financial planner were truly worth all that much they wouldn't all be 60+ years old and still working And of course they don't know anything about cruising and its' costs. But maybe internet forum strangers on a cruising site might.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

But yesterday's blizzard depressed me because waiting another year to head off cruising means another winter of snow to deal with

I feel your pain.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

I feel your pain.

more snow Friday and Monday

[Jim Cate]

One of my unstated goals in going cruising was to never even see snow at a distance. We've done pretty well at that, but have a few fails here in Tassie, where we get the occasional snow on Mt Wellington even in summer, and with the clear air here, you can see it from a long way off! Of course, a couple of weeks ago we had a brief hailstorm down in Port Cygnet... and that was mid January (summer here).

So, I have great sympathy with y'all there in the NE... sounds ghastly!

Hope it ends soon (and that summer finally arrives down here!).

Jim

[LasVegasBob]

Another Winter where the East Coast gets hammered. I have a sister in NJ and feel for you. It was in the low 60s here (Las Vegas) today. That's our winter :-/