What can I do with 40K?

[ET12]

Hi, I need expertise please.

I am person who once lived on a boat for a year in a Hawaii harbor, also a surfer who has traveled the world to surf.

I just inherited money, about $50,000.

I figured instead of buying property (with a location I don't want), why not just sail and surf anywhere in the world.


My destinations in mind are: California, Tahiti, Indonesia, Hawaii, Ireland, Norway, Alaska and more.

What would you recommend I buy, and is it possible to live on a boat work-free with an income of $650 a month?

[DawnTreader]

You can buy and refit completely a boat for 40k. You can live on $650 a month. These are similar figures to our budget. Which boats and how to refit can be found at

www.atomvoyages.com

Basically 27-32 ft, fiberglass, and old.

If you want to see what we have done on that budget check out

www.sailingdawntreader.com

We could spend even less, but probably not much less.

Stay away from complicated expensive systems because they cost a lot and are not needed. Instead concentrate on strong and simple.

Brian

[Siberianhusky]

Invest it for retirement. That really isn't much money at all by todays standards.

[brianlara 3]

Because reef and rotten weather could well find you from time to time, spend , say $35k on a boat , which in a perfect world will be a cutter or ketch or have a Solent rig.
Very important to be able to douse a major sail when the stuff hits the fan. I.e. a main or a jib/genoa, you need to be able to drop one or the other.
More advice re: reefs and other hard places (whales, containers) try hard to buy a boat which has a full keel because they can't loose the keel in the same way a fin keel can.
There are plenty of Bermudan rigged fin keelers cruising the world but an older and heavy full keeler will tend to take care of you better. Albeit, a tad more sedately.
Presumably you will be able to carry out most of the repairs and maintenance. If you can't do these things maybe think twice about cruising.
Don't spend all of you money on the boat because almost certainly you'll be spending quite a bit in repairs & before you cast off.
Details re: age, professional skills might help forum members to advise you further.
Good luck and remember: Nothing, but nothing, you will ever have on board will be as good and as reliable as the "Mk 1 Eyeball".
Cheers Surfer/Sailor.

[KiminAK]

Originally Posted by Siberianhusky

Invest it for retirement. That really isn't much money at all by todays standards.

Oh, good God no! Buy a boat, go have an adventure, enjoy your life!

[brianlara 3]

Originally Posted by Siberianhusky

Invest it for retirement. That really isn't much money at all by todays standards.

You mean....buy a state of the art motorised wheel chair.
Wet blanket attitude. Sorry, but don't agree.

[Siberianhusky]

To each his own, I saved and invested from an early age and stopped working full time at 45. I work a bit in the winter just because it's cold, dark and boring.
Now I do what I want, when I want and have no worries about being able to afford the lifestyle I want to live when I get older.
Could have gone cruising in my 30's but would have had to come home and go back to work eventually.
40G will buy you a boat and maybe one good cruise, first big breakdown the dream dies.

[ET12]

Thanks for the replies! I feel better about my budget!

Details are critical, but I'm sure every boater is on the same page (for the fact the ocean is unforgiving).

[ET12]

What are the main equipment upgrades for a 2,000 mile cruise?

Do I have to buy new equipment?

[ET12]

Awesome!
Thanks.

Originally Posted by DawnTreader

You can buy and refit completely a boat for 40k. You can live on $650 a month. These are similar figures to our budget. Which boats and how to refit can be found at

Atom Voyages - Home

Basically 27-32 ft, fiberglass, and old.

If you want to see what we have done on that budget check out

www.sailingdawntreader.com

We could spend even less, but probably not much less.

Stay away from complicated expensive systems because they cost a lot and are not needed. Instead concentrate on strong and simple.

Brian

[UNCIVILIZED]

Sorry to hear about the loss. Perhaps your living well is the best thing to do.
Yes, your budgets will work if you pay attention. Below are some info packed threads which should help you with budget, & boat questions. Also, look at the link in one on boats for under $30k. As well as digging up the thread on cruising on $500/mo & there's one or two on 2x & 4x that budget, along with one on Frugal Cruising.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...-a-172247.html <-- This one has a Big DIY Boatbuying Sticky, with loads of info.
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...et-173457.html <-- Self explanatory

You'll probably enjoy some of Liz Clark's stuff too, given your surfing background. She headed south from SoCal on a Cal 40 to surf great spots all over, several years back. And has a good blog & Facebook page. You might have read about her in Wet Sand, or possibly in www.Latitude38.com <-- Check it out, especially their pdf on cruising Mexico for 1st timers.
Liz's blog --> www.Swellvoyage.com
Liz on FB --> https://www.facebook.com/captainlizclark/?fref=nf

[ET12]

Thanks. What about getting a slip in a harbor, or anchoring. Are these hard to get? Is traveling a far distance really that difficult with technology? I'm sure I'll still have internet access and plenty of solar power. Not to mention fishing.

[DawnTreader]

If you do not have lot of experience and do not want to modify the boat, stick with a design that has a good offshore reputation. The hull and deck need to be structurally sound. Rigging should be inspected thoroughly and replaced where needed. The entire steering system needs to be strong and it is a good idea to have an emergency system designed just in case. Sails can be bought used if on a tight budget. Navigation can be done from a iPad/tablet. It is good to have 2 in case one gets dropped in the water.

Harness/tether/jacklines are essential. VHF with AIS is very handy. Self steering is essential, we use a windvane because our electrical system is not designed for high consumption electric autopilots.

Brian

www.sailingdawntreader.com

[TwoLegged]

You can buy and refit a boat for $40,000 For that money, it won't have to be a tiny boat.

But once you start using it, stuff will break. Some of it will be big stuff.

The more you use it, the more stuff will break.

I would suggest that if you do, this, then spend no more than $20,000 on buying and refitting the boat, and keep the rest for ongoing maintenance and repairs.

And above all, keep the boat small. Costs spiral as boats get bigger, and the smaller your boat the better the chances that you can afford the upkeep.

Most cruisers these days want a boat 35 feet long, or more. But the bills on such a boat are big, and if you have a boat under 30 feet, you'll slash the costs.

So consider something like an Albin Vega. 27ft long, but plenty of them have done huge journeys.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Siberianhusky

To each his own, I saved and invested from an early age and stopped working full time at 45. I work a bit in the winter just because it's cold, dark and boring.
Now I do what I want, when I want and have no worries about being able to afford the lifestyle I want to live when I get older.
Could have gone cruising in my 30's but would have had to come home and go back to work eventually.
40G will buy you a boat and maybe one good cruise, first big breakdown the dream dies.

Good for you, but I'm still trying to figure out if it's good to stop working at such an early age

I do coastal cruising, work, may soon get a power boat, workout, fish, hunt, work on the house etc

I'm wondering if 70 is too young to retire. Look at our politicians who run for an office that would be hard to deal with as a 40 year old

My boat was $2,000 (1974 Bristol 27) and I've been sailing it for 5 years with very little structural maintenance. I sail it often and in winds as high as 30 mph for 6 hours / 34 during a passing storm.

There's a guy living on a Hunter 28 in the slip next to me that paid $3,500 for his boat