Living Your Dream

[6string]

I voted other as I have multiple reasons one of which is money. More importantly my mother inlaw is 93 and still living at home. My first mate is busy taking care of her as I work on put the plan into place. We also have a son that is going to the University of Wisconsin and has two years left. We would like to see him on his own before we go. All he needs to do is get out of school and get an income to survive on. I'm sure that will be quick for that motivated boy. Mother inlaw could live longer than that but we plan on taking off, if this pulls together right, on 7/11/11. A lucky number ya know ! My money and boat should all be together by then as well for us to spend the rest of our lifetime seeing the world.

Jeff and Katie

[searcher]

Originally Posted by 6string

I voted other as I have multiple reasons one of which is money. More importantly my mother inlaw is 93 and still living at home. My first mate is busy taking care of her as I work on put the plan into place. We also have a son that is going to the University of Wisconsin and has two years left. We would like to see him on his own before we go. All he needs to do is get out of school and get an income to survive on. I'm sure that will be quick for that motivated boy. Mother inlaw could live longer than that but we plan on taking off, if this pulls together right, on 7/11/11. A lucky number ya know ! My money and boat should all be together by then as well for us to spend the rest of our lifetime seeing the world.

Jeff and Katie

Hiya Jeff/Katie, it sounds like the same old problem then>>$$'s but you have a few other things to think about.
I've been offshore once, from Nelson via the East coast and up to Fiji.
It took us 7.5 days from Opua (NZ) to Savusavu, I loved it and it changed my world. Been unsettled ever since.
And sailed up the East coast of Aus from the Whitsundays to Darwin.
I intend to sail to Tonga first then ???
I don't know whether I mentioned my boat at all??? if not here goes.>>>>
It's an Eric Cox (NZ) offashore 40ft cutter rigged sloop, built in steel in 1965, she's been offshore at least 9 times and is well kitted for the passages. I'm just doing the maintanence that the previous owners didn't do for a few years??? and upgrading as I can afford it.
I'm possitive that it's going to happen and I think that's a big plus.
Keep in touch.........Paul. (Searcher)

[xray ted]

I never had the urge to "just sail away". My dream was to have a house and boat paid for so we could take trips and sail when ever vacations permitted. To reach this goal we realized we needed less house and more boat. Two years ago we sold our huge house for top dollar. Made a monster profit. We took that money and paid for a small cottage and then bought a catamaran with the rest of the money. It took a while to get used to 1100 sqft house but with just my wife and a cat it is not too bad. It took about a year to find the right boat. We have owned our catamaran for two months now and sometimes I still have to pinch myself, I can't believe I own a boat this nice. Now I am working to change careers. I just got my six-pack license and we are starting a sailing charter boat business. Just part-time for now. Hopefully one day I can say good bye to my 9-5 job. But for now we are living "the good life'.
Xray.

[Agility]

Did it once before when kids were 13 and 10. Now waiting for 16 year old to get settled in College. 2010 is the target. Just ordered a one off boat to be built.

[Windgeist]

Hopefully in about 3-4 years we'll start off by doing a couple of months a year at a time. First year in the Caribbean, second Maine, then who knows.

[caribnsol]

have some stuff to sell, finish convincing the admiral and hopefully head south November 08.

[liberty16]

I am in the "Other" category.

I am 21, almost finished earning my college degree. When I graduate I will try to join a crew, or I will enlist in the U.S. Navy to pay my school debts and put money toward a "boat fund." I am several years (at least) from "living the dream," but luckily I am young and have many years to work toward it.

[Ex-Calif]

It's really interesting but other than - "There's no way my XXX will get on a boat" it's all about the money.

Given enough money, career plans? (flush), kids in school? (tutors), can't sell the house? (flush)

Money won't make you happy but it sure makes being miserable a lot more tolerable.

[CptnLBS]

Learning

(I chose 'Other')

[mobetah]

I saw only one person mention aging parent(s). That suprised me ..... I wish there had been a catagory for aging parents .... My wife and I are now caregivers for my 96 year old mother. We have the boat, we have the money, and we have the time .... hopefully, when the time is right we will still have our health!

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by mobetah

I saw only one person mention aging parent(s). That suprised me ..... I wish there had been a catagory for aging parents .... My wife and I are now caregivers for my 96 year old mother. We have the boat, we have the money, and we have the time .... hopefully, when the time is right we will still have our health!

I know about that too, dang-it!!

There are a lot of things that stop it.

All stars must be aligned.

[Kasidah]

We have been planning for awhile to leave in Sept. Put the house on market last fall and wouldn't you know it the market slows right down. Just now we are starting to et people in to look at it.....

[AnchorageGuy]

I guess the "failed" Part is really not applicable to most of us. We have sailed off many times to only return, earn enough money and sail off again. This has become a natural cycle for us since we are not wealthy or have a regular retirement income or have never made a killing in the market. Long ago we decided to find a way to "do it now" and this was our way to make it happen. But cash drives the dream so we must fit that into the equation.

[imagine2frolic]

Sailed away twice, and returned twice. The first time was lack of money to continue. The second time my wife wasn't ready to cross the Pacific, and refused to let me go alone.

She is ready now, but unfortunately I put my money in property, and a new business to give her, wife, time. Now it is a matter of getting my money back out of the business, and properties. I am in the second year of what I thought would be a 3 year plan, WRONG. Now I am looking at another 3-4 years, and we can leave for good.

Life is nothing but choices. I have learned to live with all of my choices with no regrets. 3-4 years will pass soon enough.

[live2kite]

Lots of great diversity here. Voted Money but had to sell the biz (done last year), wait for the 17 yr old to graduate HS (this spring) and sell the primary house (just sold last week) to finish the puzzle. In transition to our version of the dream right now including:

1. enough investment income to comfortably semi-retire at 50
2. Paid up ICW connected waterfront cottage in the OBX to park the soon-to-be cruiser (weekish long coastal cruising category), Hobiecat and daysailor along with the existing windsurfing, kiteboarding gear
3. Decent schools for our 10yr old (college $ set aside for both kids, at least at the State Univ level)
4. More free time to sail, bike, run, kayak, kiteboard, windsurf, volunteer, etc (want to add paddle surfing to the list this summer)

Spoze we could plunk down several hundred thousand on a boat without a drastic impact on the investment kitty, but we're happy to start out far more basic. Currently eyeing several late 70's vintage 34c Tartans in the $35k range. We'll see how we feel in a couple of years about a bigger boat and longer trips.

I admire those who plunge head first at an early age, we're just more the "plodding along" conservative types.

Cheers, Dave