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markpierce · 02-11-2020, 19:20

Retired at 55. Work was interesting, challenging, and stressful. Retired as soon as practical because figured each additional year of work would reduce my retirement by two years. Purchased the trawler at 64. Had open-heart surgery at 72 and still working on full recovery.

roqdocs · 02-11-2020, 19:33

WSmurdock: Our home port on the stern is: "New Bern, NC." Lived there for quite a while.

tanre · 02-11-2020, 19:41

Over 10 year ago I became an ASA rated credit card captain for a monohull. I was hooked. I have been planning to take off and enjoy life on a boat for over a decade now. I have been slowly educating myself and attempting to find a way to support my dream financially. I was born and raised extremely poor and had to fight numerous obstacles to just survive, not only to attempt to prosper. Now, at age 45, my house is listed for sale, I am going through all my belongings and listing them for sale. I have saved enough for the purchase, refit and either a minimal passive income or a modest living for a limited time. I cant say I plan to retire per se, but next year, I shall no longer be a W2 employee. If I need to come back to work in 10 years, so be it. If I can find another way to earn money regularly over the next 10 years, then I don’t have plans on coming back. Every day, I watch Youtube sailing channels, or buy items like dry bags, dehydrator, speargun, etc. Every day I do something to both keep me motivated and allow me to realize I am not very far away. Today they found 4 nodules on my lungs from a CAT SCAN. Thankfully all small and thus benign (so they tell me), but it really got my heart skipping for a second. 10 year of planning...wow, that was close. When I was younger, I built up a Real Estate portfolio over 10 years. Lost all of it in the 2007/8 crash. That was 20 years of educating myself and 10 years working extremely hard to buy, build, rent and manage. Then I lost all my belongings at ground zero in Superstorm Sandy. Prior to all this I moved twice to new locations in search of employment, both times with less than $150 to my name…you read that correctly (I didn’t forget any zero’s

). So, we can’t always plan they way life will go. We can only try to do our best. SO, for me, the 10 years wait to have a security blanket makes sense psychologically. That being said, I am not sure it was the best choice.

I am in your group; an early retirement from a very well-paying job where most people would consider it quite dumb. What is dumb to me now is how much time I have already spent being miserable. Anxiety..YES, but doesn’t even come close to the FEAR of NOT doing it ASAP!! If all fails enroute as it has many times in my life, I will find a way…and hopefully you will too. Good luck on your journey and maybe we can share stories while we’re anchored next to one another.

roqdocs · 02-11-2020, 19:45

And best wishes to you, bruh! You WILL find a way!

thomm225 · 03-11-2020, 08:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris mac

Ok, it makes more sense now. No right or wrong , but you are just coming at this from a different mindset than many of us.
It isn't owning a boat, or doing weekend trips that drives our desire to live aboard.
It's more of an internal need to travel and to arrive in foreign ports under our own power. To be self sufficient, or even just to be in a constant state of change.
You are doing what you love and what is right for you. But it isn't what many of us on the forum want. Work and career was a way to finance what we really desired. And those of us that reached the goal and retired early to go cruising are doing what we love and what's right for us.
There's a good chance you won't ever really understand our viewpoint and that's ok. Not many do.
And yes we are all going to die someday. But it does matter what you do before then. Many follow the herd doing what is expected. Many of us don't want to live that life. We have our own path to follow.

I try to never follow the herd. Not sure why anyone would.

I enjoyed travelling to new lands when I was younger. Arizona being the biggest wakeup call next was the Gulf Coast as well as the Mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee.

Plus I'm helping extended family members and have been since 2014, but I wouldn't have retired yet I don't think because I'm still too amped up to be stuck on a boat too long which is why I think age 69 or 70 might work.

My biggest problem is the confinement of the boat which is why I'll have to keep moving and only anchor to rest.

thomm225 · 03-11-2020, 09:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by theDangerz

This lifestyle may not be for everyone (it's clearly not for you)

I'm not sure if it's for me yet or not.

Right now I'm learning too much at work to go hang out on my boat all the time. I'm hoping to have time for that when I get a bit older and start to slow down a bit.

I found two new anchorages this passed Summer within 35 miles of here and there were some interesting ole boys on their john boats fishing and crabbing at each one.

Plus I built a chart plotter with AIS using a Raspberry Pi 4 Computer and OpenCPN this past year. It was sort of fun and comes in quite handy when anchoring in shallow water.

As far as meet interesting people, I sort of did that at age 19. There were lots of "interesting" guys with loaded weapons all around me that I wouldn't trust with a BB gun. This on the rifle range on Parris Island which was run by deranged young men recently back from Viet Nam around the age of 25 or so. Quite interesting

valhalla360 · 03-11-2020, 09:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by thomm225

I have a 70 year old employee that just passed his Security + Exam so he could keep his job. This is a Cyber Security Cert. He is on social security and has military retirement. His house is paid off.

He plans to work at minimum another 5 years, but he'll probably do more because he simply loves his job! In a past life, he did pretty much the same thing except on various subs to include the Los Angeles Class Attack Submarines (688)..

We all had to either get certified as a computer tech, network tech, or cyber security tech.

The book I used was 900 pages and there were two exams both tough. I had 30 year old techs failing them.

We were given 3 months to get our certs.

If you are happy retiring later than average, nothing wrong with that but 69 is not an "early" retirement.

contrail · 03-11-2020, 10:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by thomm225

I'm not sure if it's for me yet or not.

Right now I'm learning too much at work to go hang out on my boat all the time. I'm hoping to have time for that when I get a bit older and start to slow down a bit.

I found two new anchorages this passed Summer within 35 miles of here and there were some interesting ole boys on their john boats fishing and crabbing at each one.

Plus I built a chart plotter with AIS using a Raspberry Pi 4 Computer and OpenCPN this past year. It was sort of fun and comes in quite handy when anchoring in shallow water.

As far as meet interesting people, I sort of did that at age 19. There were lots of "interesting" guys with loaded weapons all around me that I wouldn't trust with a BB gun. This on the rifle range on Parris Island which was run by deranged young men recently back from Viet Nam around the age of 25 or so. Quite interesting

STOP IT! As has been politely pointed out, you are way off thread. This is about retiring early to go cruising. You have said you won't retire early (and you are 69), and you don't like cruising. You have said you can't even sleep on a boat. You don't, and have not cruised, as the word is used in this context. But you are unable to resist commenting on these things. It ain't about beach cats! We enjoy your comments when they are relevant, but I am sorry to say that on threads like this, they are not. Peace!

thomm225 · 03-11-2020, 10:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by valhalla360

If you are happy retiring later than average, nothing wrong with that but 69 is not an "early" retirement.

Well, its early for some.

Plus things are not like they used to be. These days if you are lucky you can have a job that doesn't destroy your body by the time you are in your 60's.

We have several 70 years olds on site still working 40 hour weeks, and a couple that have just retired at 80.

Then there's Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She did it right and stayed reasonably sharp until the end.

And like I said, my sister retired at 45, and it was a mistake.

I'm hoping 69 or 70 works and hopefully maybe there will be a few nice boats for sale then also.

Not sure how long I'll enjoy being on a 27' boat for months at a time.

thomm225 · 03-11-2020, 10:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by contrail

STOP IT! As has been politely pointed out, you are way off thread. This is about retiring early to go cruising. You have said you won't retire early (and you are 69), and you don't like cruising. You have said you can't even sleep on a boat. You don't, and have not cruised, as the word is used in this context. But you are unable to resist commenting on these things. It ain't about beach cats! We enjoy your comments when they are relevant, but I am sorry to say that on threads like this, they are not. Peace!

69 isn't early retirement in today's society?

Since when?

I'm still prepping for cruising.

As far as sleeping onboard, it will take more than a couple nights to acclaim going from a quiet queen size bed to a small squeaky settee or V berth.

As far as the beach cats, they were great training for sailing a cruising boat especially since they don't have engines.

Lets you know you can go pretty much sail anywhere without an engine although they are nice to have you can do without them if you have to.

theDangerz · 03-11-2020, 11:06

Where is the "block" button on this thing??
Somebody... anybody... I can't find it and logic clearly isn't working or getting through to him!

surf_km55 · 03-11-2020, 12:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by thomm225

.....Not sure how long I'll enjoy being on a 27' boat for months at a time.

Get a bigger boat and maybe you won't feel so "confined."

PS,
Your knack for rationalization is not only impressive, but pugnacious like the pit bull who grabbed me by the arm ~40 years ago. The owner advised me to punch him in the head as hard as I could to make him let me go. I refused at 1st, but after awhile with dog slobber all over my arm, I had no choice but to do as I was instructed.

It worked.