Looking for opinions / encouragement / reality check!

[crankysailor]

Dude...

Whichever option you take, you will end up dead in the end no matter what. Might as well take the road there that makes you happy on the way, don’t you think?

[Aguabago]

You only regret the things you didn't do.

I saved and planned for 12 years with my wife to start cruising at 53. We told everyone we were stopping work early (or maybe just a long sabatical) so we could do it while we were young and healthy enough to handle it with enjoyment.

Two months in to it she died in her sleep.

Now I tell people "whatever it is that you want to do, do it now"

A year later I am continuing on cruising with a new partner. And loving it.

But I regret not starting cruising earlier than I did.

[buzzstar]

I never did many of the things I hoped to do, and wish I had stayed longer at many of the things I did. Now I am unable to do much except a few things I've done before, especially since I sold the boat I was no longer able to properly maintain. IN OTHER WORDS: Do it if you want and can.

[SteveSpring]

Originally Posted by Drew13440

Wait a second, you're an auto mechanic? Can you take steps to get some sort of formal certification as a diesel mechanic? As a UK citizen, you can work legally anywhere in the EU, at least for now, correct?


It seems to me with this particular skill set you can make bank off cruisers in the Med at your leisure.

I already work on lots of diesel cars and vans (probably about 30-40% of cars in the UK are diesel engined these days, though that figure is due to drop) so that is always a possibility, though what the freedom of work situation is after Brexit is anyones guess at the moment.

[SteveSpring]

So it appears I am getting lots of encouragement to just get on and do it, but with some caveats...

Realistically, I need to wait another 18 months as a minimum to get the existing financial outgoings reduced and also to do some more saving in the buffer fund in that time too. In the meantime, I will continue to cruise whenever possible in home waters and gain as much experience as I can.

[hamburking]

When I was younger, I quit several good jobs because I was bored and wanted something different, or I wanted to move to a different place. I was never out of work more than a few weeks...I would apply for a new job, get it, and begin working again. I worked hard. I was good. I was paid well, most of the time.

I finally settled into a job I didn't much like, but paid well, for over a decade. Finally, I had enough of going to a job I dreaded. They treated me poorly and pissed me off enough...so I left the job.

But this time was different. I was older. My skillset had become more specific and somewhat outdated. This time I could not find a new job. Sure, I took on "work" slightly out of my field to pay the bills. Then I took a position well beneath my abilities just to get a foot in the door with a good company. Then the same at another company. None of those attempts went anywhere.

So now I have joined the ranks of the long term unemployed. My boat was sold to pay the bills. My conclusion, which is why I tell this sad tale, is that its easier to get hired when you are young. When you get older, its harder to get hired. There it is. Blunt and true. So even though you have always worked...as I did...you cannot count on getting work just because you are ready to work. This is just one of the ways gettting older sucks.

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by Aguabago

You only regret the things you didn't do.

I saved and planned for 12 years with my wife to start cruising at 53. We told everyone we were stopping work early (or maybe just a long sabatical) so we could do it while we were young and healthy enough to handle it with enjoyment.

Two months in to it she died in her sleep.

Life is what happens while you are waiting for your life to begin.

[TheThunderbird]

As far as your daughter's degree is a given money-wise, you should go.

Your boat is minimal, and canal/coastal hopping gives you lot of temporary entry-level opportunities, if sought for.

Be happy first. (At doing what can make you happy...at least :-) )

[SteveSpring]

Decision made.

I have my berthing costs paid until Spring 2019, so that gives me 15 months worth of saving time to add to what I already have put away. At that point I will go on a 'sabbatical', but with no end date... and I'm just going to wing it with the finances. If it runs out, I will go back to work, or I will try to get bits of work along the way to supplement the savings. I will have zero debt apart from the rental property (which the rental more than offsets).

I have seen too many people die / end up with life limiting conditions these past few years not to do this.

Life is too short, and approaching 50 that becomes all the more obvious.

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by SteveSpring

Life is too short, and approaching 50 that becomes all the more obvious.

Well said. And north of 50 it becomes much harder to make changes, big or small.

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by Drew13440

Wait a second, you're an auto mechanic? Can you take steps to get some sort of formal certification as a diesel mechanic? As a UK citizen, you can work legally anywhere in the EU, at least for now, correct?


It seems to me with this particular skill set you can make bank off cruisers in the Med at your leisure.

We knew someone who was able to do this. He worked it out this way: if you came to his boat for a discussion, that was free; but if he brought his tools to your boat, you paid going rate. He did not make excess funds, but it kept their cruise alive for quite a while.

Ann

[JPA Cate]

Steve,

It was having a close friend die suddenly that really motivated Jim to early retirement. In our case, we didn't have our financial ducks lined up well enough, and returned to the States to work another year, and I sold my house.

I say, good on you for helping your daughter through uni. That is something you can always be proud of. Someone above mentioned happiness. It's a pretty big word, in a way, a lot to live up to. If you will accept content, and understand that as happiness, it makes it not scary, and also, attainable.

Be well, fair winds on your journey, and I think your decision is a good one.

Ann

PS. The others are right: it is harder to get work after 50. My son found himself in the job market at 50+, and has had a very rough go at it, and he's intelligent and hard working, too.

[buzzstar]

Originally Posted by SteveSpring

Decision made.
...
I have seen too many people die / end up with life limiting conditions these past few years not to do this.
...
Life is too short, and approaching 50 that becomes all the more obvious.

Good for you! Better than you might think, too. The pace of the occurrence of those life limiting conditions increases with age. Go forth and enjoy as much and for as long as you are able and want to do do.

[Sojourner]

Originally Posted by stormalong

If I read this correctly you intend to sail in the Med from October to March. The Med has a definite winter and cruising that time of year would be very challenging. Most cruisers in the Med hunker down for those months.

^^^THIS

I live and sail in Italy, and just because it is a bit warmer than the UK (maybe), the sailing is no fun much of the winter. Indeed, I'm sailing from Majorca to Italy in a month or so out of necessity and am very much not looking forward to it. You have to go at least to Malta if not Tunisia to find decent winter weather, and even then that's pretty darn cold

[SteveSpring]

Originally Posted by Sojourner

^^^THIS

I live and sail in Italy, and just because it is a bit warmer than the UK (maybe), the sailing is no fun much of the winter. Indeed, I'm sailing from Majorca to Italy in a month or so out of necessity and am very much not looking forward to it. You have to go at least to Malta if not Tunisia to find decent winter weather, and even then that's pretty darn cold

I appreciate the advice. The updated plan has probably swapped winter sailing for more summer, dependant on the cruising areas intended at the time.

Do bear in mind however that my current sailing is done summer and winter at 55 deg North, and owning a small house in South Eastern Spain, that I visit on a regular basis in the winter months (generally November, January and late February, I'm not sure I recognise that the weather patterns are particularly poor, certainly in relation to what I'm used to at home

I'm not sure I particularly wish to sail in the Med in July and August anyway. It's just too hot for it to be comfortable for me.

My initial cruising plans are going to be much closer to home. There are so many areas and places in the UK and Ireland that I haven't yet been to, that it would be foolish of me not to cruise there first. I also really want to cruise the Scandinavian countries and the Netherlands. So many places I want to travel to... it's not all about chasing the sun!