Living Your Dream

[Mariness]

We are waiting on the kids. First is 15 months now, but we'd like another 1 or 2. I know a lot of people have done it with tiny babies, but we feel for us it would be better to have them at home and wait to leave until they are: 1. Walking, 2. Mostly toilet-trained (diapers are hard enough with a washer & dryer right down the hall!), and 3. Able to self-entertain and follow directions for a short period.
So probably around when the last one is 3-ish, we'll be ready to get out. In between now & then, we just have to make sure the finances are in order and (the Big One) get a boat.

[Brent Swain]

I have sailed away yet , in my early 20's ,and ever since. No kids ( that I'm aware of) No wives or ex's, no car to support, never pay moorage , or rent , no monthly fees, no alcohol or nicotine nor any other drug costs, etc etc. No problem.

[IdoraKeeper]

I have not failed because the idea had never fully matierialized. In my life things tend to start small and escalate. Most folks seem to want to go south, I like cold water. For me the escalation started on the deck of a 26 footer and now looks even more alluring from the deck of Idora. I backed into the best job of my life and will likely do the same with retirement and cruising. Can't wait to see what happens.

Todd

[VirtualVagabond]

Originally Posted by Brent Swain

I have sailed away yet , in my early 20's ,and ever since. No kids ( that I'm aware of) No wives or ex's, no car to support, never pay moorage , or rent , no monthly fees, no alcohol or nicotine nor any other drug costs, etc etc. No problem.

It would be interesting to know what you're sailing, and what you estimate your annual cost of cruising to be.

[VirtualVagabond]

Originally Posted by IdoraKeeper

I backed into the best job of my life and will likely do the same with retirement and cruising. Can't wait to see what happens.

Todd

OK, I'll bite. What do you do for a crust?

Also, does "..do the same with retirement and cruising..." mean you'll be able to carry on with your dream job?... or that you expect to back into retirement and cruising with the same good luck, "I hit the jackpots" mentality?

[kb79]

we can't afford it
the boat's not ready
the boat's not paid for
we don't have enough sailing experience
the trip's not fully planned
i'm having trouble finding insurance that will cover us
i'd be giving up a serious opportunity at work
we're in our early 30's and the "biological clock is ticking"
the missus is nervous
hell, i'm nervous too

et cetera...

we're leaving in november anyhow.

if i had it all figured out, i'm not sure it qualifies as an adventure anymore.

[MoonlightSailor]

Money and not ready.......Didn't have the money at first. I knew I wouldn't sail extensively until Dad moved out to San Diego. He sold all rental properties last year and moved to San Diego. I found the diamond in the rough, Caelestis, one month before he moved out. Now we're getting the boat ready. What a daunting task! He bought the boat and I'm outfitting it. When all said and done, we will be vested 50/50. We just moved aboard officially this month. Much stuff to sell before we cast off (truck, RV, trailer, VW bug, BMW, and a few house hold goods). Sold my my house (actually gave it back to the bank, and yes I live in the over-inflated San Diego housing market)...there was no way I was going to throw any more hard earned money into a black hole. Screw it all....we're out of here and when we leave....we're going to leave all the politics behind too! I told dad that when we leave, I don't care to have a single book onboard that was political. He agrees but in the mean time he reads them to keep himself motivated to see more of the world and get the hell out of the states for an undetermined amount of time. "Cheers, and here's to seeing what else is out there in the world other than our utopic homeland"

[wolfenzee]

I have the boat and live on board and have no land ties. I am in the process of refitting the interior now for a comfortable live aboard for two, the boat will be out of the water for six months this winter and should be ready to go by spring. What I need to complete my dream is someone to share it with, as a woman would add other complications I am not prepared to deal with I am looking for a male crew member.
I plan on sailing to Alaska on the inside passage to get to know the crew and boat better and back down the outside to get some blue water under our belts, if he still wants to stick with me we will continue on to South Pacific, otherwise I will be home in the PNW.

[NYCSavage]

Originally Posted by wolfenzee

I have the boat and live on board and have no land ties. I am in the process of refitting the interior now for a comfortable live aboard for two, the boat will be out of the water for six months this winter and should be ready to go by spring. What I need to complete my dream is someone to share it with, as a woman would add other complications I am not prepared to deal with I am looking for a male crew member.
I plan on sailing to Alaska on the inside passage to get to know the crew and boat better and back down the outside to get some blue water under our belts, if he still wants to stick with me we will continue on to South Pacific, otherwise I will be home in the PNW.

There is a section of this site specific for people to ask for crew.

You may get better luck there, if you was in UK I may have offered to sail with you lol

Crew Positions: Wanted & Available

[wolfenzee]

I wasn't asking for crew....just pointing out why I am only living part of my dream now, thanks though.

Originally Posted by NYCSavage

There is a section of this site specific for people to ask for crew.

You may get better luck there, if you was in UK I may have offered to sail with you lol

Crew Positions: Wanted & Available

[NYCSavage]

Oops! My bad lol sorry

[detav007]

At this point it's money. However even if I did have the money to do it at this very moment I'd have to get some experience and a boat anyway. It's looking like quite a few years before I can take off but the money will start coming in better once the kids are on their own.

[woodymr]

I picked number one, do I win anything? Dreaming of a Tayana center cockpit all decked out, when I'm awake, restoring a '76 Columbia 9.6 that just missed the Twenty Small Sailboats To Take you Anywhere list! Live is like a bowl of cherries......or box of chocolates?? Best Wishes to all and to all a good night.

[CoolBreezeTx]

In 18 months, my daughter is on her own, house will be leased or sold, boat will be paid in cash, and i will be drawing the total of my retirement.

I will be free to travel the world, meet all the interesting people, esperience their cultures, which puts ours in better focus.

my time will be mine, i have always dreamed of living at sea.

divorced 2 years ago, i'll find a fine woman to add to the bliss, one who knows how that happens.

Its a whole new world out there, different animals and people...
different hobbies, opportunities and diversions, a second life, not a second career...

best of luck everyone

[CoolBreezeTx]

Originally Posted by Kindle

Technically I have failed.

When I was 21 I had a capable boat (ericson 39), no career, no big debts, no fear, no kids, (No money saved either). My husband and I had a five year plan to save, save, save and "go for good". I am in my 30's--hence the failed part.

What happened? Several things. We changed our minds on what our perfect boat was FIVE times (forgive us, you aren't supposed to know what you like in your twenties), then some "sensible" people convinced us to prepare for the future so we got degrees and careers and 401K's which lead us farther and farther from our dream. So far that eventually we bought a house and moved off the boat.

However, I do not FEEL like I failed because the "dream" is still alive.

The years have not been wasted. We have taken many several-month trips to the bahamas that have been absolutely amazing and have cruised the intracoastal waterway from Norfolk to Florida. We have finally decided what boat fits us best. The one we just bought last year! (small, simple, seaworthy, and paid for). The previous boats helped us figure that out (and we are really good at boat repair since they were all fixer-uppers), so no real regrets. We have learned that careers are not all they are cracked up to be, but have comfort that we have educations for when we want/need them later, so no real regrets. I've learned that owning a home makes me feel trapped, but I wouldn't have known that unless I tried, so no real regrets there either (sorta). I learned that it is almost as much about the preparation as it taking off-I do honestly like doing boat work. Also, we changed "sail away for good" to spend one year cruising then re-examine what we really want to do for the next 12 months. (hopefully NOT buy another boat )

Finally, I learned that 5 year plans do not work. For the simple reason that when you wake up tomorrow it is still 5 years away. So several months ago we committed again and set a date: The first doable weather window after April 30, 2013. 1034 days away. Tomorrow will be 1033 .

Anyone else with a departure date around this time? We can countdown and prepare together!!

you are so right, happiness and meaning is found along the journey, the goal or 5 year plan is just a cumpos setting...

evven if you are sailing for land in a year or two, if done right, you will have laughed all the way with no regrets, just another chapter in your life journey!