How Did You Decide?

[bookdocking]

Originally Posted by In Training

my husband and I just purchased a 49 ft bavaria monohull, aft cockpit. We had seriously considered a 46 ft center console, but the center console resulted in a larger aft bedroom, but much smaller living space in front of it. We had also for several years planned to purchase a 38-42 ft. catamaran, even though we had never been on a cat. We enjoy diving and grew up on lakes skiing. We chartered and had lessons on a catamaran the year before we were to purchase and found we were always motor sailing and they slammed. We just did not like sailing the cats and found the bedrooms were small. So, we purchased the boat large enough for us to be comfortable living on, but one we enjoyed sailing also. Keep in mind we are 70 so in no rush to get anywhere.

We started to seriously plan for this in 2010, expecting to retire and liquidate in 2016. finally retired in 2020, then took a year to sell our remaining 8 rental properties. Just put the house up for sale in Indiana last week and plan to cross the gulf in 2 weeks. We prefer the Grenadines for our cruising grounds and plan to be down there before the hurricane season.

Make sure you have chartered what you intend to buy. That saved us from making a costly mistake.

Thanks. I appreciate you explaining your decision and what led to it.

[mogulskibum]

Originally Posted by bookdocking

The internet is a funny place, this thread has had all kinds of responses. I continue to mostly enjoy the variety here. If you've been reading along, I hope you're finding it interesting. If you're new to the thread, hello and welcome.

To answer some questions asked
Yes I do have to wait 5 years since my teenagers do not want to live on sailboats, or have cruising be their lives. Because my sons are not extensions of myself but free thinking individuals my husband and I won't force them into it. So vacations and sailing club membership until they are grown.
No we aren't buying a starter boat now since we
1) have no vehicle capable of pulling one
2) Charters are our current boat, allowing us to try different boats, and move up as we gain experience
Many have cautioned about live aboard lifestyle, what if we don't like it, what if it doesn't meet our expectations etc
I see your point, it's not for everyone, you buy freedom with work, each sunset is paid for with maintenance and so on. All true and valid.
We love to move, the longest I've been anywhere was 8 years. The entirety of our 20 year marriage and my whole life has been looking for the means of a mobile life. I've been moving southwest my whole life. The water is my next step. You may understand the deep pull I feel toward the sea. Peace, relaxed, excited, at home, the stirring of adventure all of it. To see and explore the earth is what we want. We are currently content because we love and respect our sons.

I'm happy to learn from the experience of others if I can. Just because an opinion or thought is offered doesn't mean I will act on it. Like child rearing I will read much, listen to all advice, ultimately my husband and I will decide for ourselves using our power of reason and shared experience.

They say "don't feed the trolls" but it seems as though trolls are self-sustaining. Don't be surprised if I ignore captious comments.

Not everyone can buy and maintain a boat where they are in their life right now. Charters and/or sailing on other people's boats can be another way to fill in. It's not as good, but you already know that.

Some recommendations for when you charter:

1. Don't always charter the same styles of boats. Seek variety right now. Some things don't make sense until you live with them for a week (or more) "ahh, NOW I understand why some boat designers have made this choice!"

2. Write down what things you like and dislike about each boat you charter. You think you'll remember. You won't. We kept a google doc (maybe it was a spreadsheet) for years where we would write down things we liked and didn't like about our boat(s), boats we chartered, and friends' boats we sailed on.

3. Start paying attention to prices now. How much would it cost to buy the charter boat you're on right now? Is that price realistic for your budget? If it isn't, you might want to charter some boats that would be in the budget.

It can still be worthwhile to charter boats that would be "out of budget," but you need to be clear with yourself that such a boat isn't realistic, so when you are on them pay close attention to the design features you like, and the ones you don't.

4. I'm going to repeat this because it's that important: write down all of this stuff as it happens. You will not remember it later unless you do.

[bookdocking]

We took an old salt out to dinner and had a really lovely time. Now we're prepping for ASA 103 at the end of the month. I've had to stop "window shopping" for now since it makes me to impatient. However, thanks to my local island library I'm reading every sail and yacht magazine they subscribe to.