I'm Here to Plan my Dream Life :)

[Brian T]

Thank you so much for all the thoughtful responses!! It is so great to have a place where people know so much and are willing to take time to share

Ryan, holy crap that is certainly an excting thought! And yeah I can imagine how the line between nervous and excited is quite blurred during that adventure for the first (couple) times... I tend to find that the higher in my stomach the knot is, the closer to excited I am

And I appreciate the thoughts from CaptForce. I guess I should have better explained my postscript at the end of my message... The Lagoon 420 would be my dream yacht, however the reality of living on a boat in the next 3 years will almost definitely be accomplished on a monohull. I still don't think it's suck a bad thing to think and dream though. Sometimes when you shoot for the stars, you have a realistic chance of hitting the treetops and also might want to move up some day even if that's not the first boat.
And in terms of not relying on a liveaboard life as a total escape from the "rat race", I am realistic about the ongoing needs that I will have, but TRUST ME, there is no way it won't be better thn what I'm currently dealing with! Right now I live in a major city with a horrendous commute, and work in a room without a single window, and the chance of any kind of adventure is so far away it makes me cry some days. I have done the math and know for a fact that if I can own a boat and set it up the way I want to, then my living expenses will be drastically lower than they currently are, and my life will be based in a place that gives me the natural beauty and access to the outdoor adventures that keep me truely alive, and not just another zombie crawling through a crowded existance...

And I LOVE the boat name Octopussy! That was always my favorite James Bond movie And I love the quote. I have always been the methodical type, so sorting through all this in baby steps is the only way I know how.

[Brian T]

As I get to the point where I might start to look at boats to buy, are there any thoughts on the pro/cons of buying a boat in the Mediterranean (since the prices there are hard to beat) if I intend to bring it to the USA? Do the taxes and transport start to make it not worth it? Are there other factors that I'm not thinking of? Thanks!

[familycruisers]

Originally Posted by Brian T

As I get to the point where I might start to look at boats to buy, are there any thoughts on the pro/cons of buying a boat in the Mediterranean (since the prices there are hard to beat) if I intend to bring it to the USA? Do the taxes and transport start to make it not worth it? Are there other factors that I'm not thinking of? Thanks!

You're finding the Med to be cheaper? Wasn't what I found but that was over a year ago when I was looking.

[Sailtexas]

Originally Posted by CaptForce

Brian, Welcome to the community. My wife and I are long term liveaboard cruisers and I too started my dreams by sailing little prams at the summer camp. When you mentioned factors leading to your choice of the catamaran the 6'3" headroom was high on the list and I did not see the expense listed as a negative. I'm not saying this to discourage your choice, but be aware that most 40'+ monohulls allow for a 6'3" headroom (my height too) and can be far less expensive. We raised two children aboard our monohull 41' wihout any space restrictions,- I don't know what your plans are with the number aboard, but I believe many who are judging from the square footage of houses overestimate their needs. Still with my hopes not to be discouraging, I would advise against relying on the life aboard as a total escape from the "rat race" or the mundane pursuit of a career. There are great freedoms that come with the non-ownership of many of the trappings of life ashore, but a life aboard still requires most all the same in terms of income and career. I would encourage those that are making a change to living aboard to look more at what they are achieving,- freedom, self-reliance, independance; however, not to expect less with the needs for income and career. Maybe your not subject to a need for this caution.......'expect the best! Keep us informed of your adventure.

Sage Advice CaptForce I heartily agree and would like to encourage all dreamers such as Brian to take heed and keep following your heart too.
BTW we have a 41' boat as well and it fits my 6'4" frame with ease.

[Brian T]

Well just a quick update... things are getting very exciting My plan continues to stay on track, with my main focuses at the moment being to accumulate as many dollars as possible while parting from large assets and long term commitments. This is actually going supringly well (well maybe not if you ask my current girlfriend, who is probably still wondering why I now have zero desire to eat out at restaurant or do anything that costs any money ) I am officially out of debt, almost 30K in the black and saving rapidly. I am currently still a slave to the system, but I now look at dealing with traffic and beaurcracy as a breif punishment before I'm rewarded with my prize of a life that experinces adventure and natural beauty on a daily basis.
I find myself scrutinizing every dollar I spend, seeing every purchase as a delay to my schedule. It already feels healthier to be living frugally and parting from all the clutter that ends up owning you, through absorbing all of your time and resources... "The things you own, end up owning you" -Chuck Palaniuk (author of Fight Club)

As for the boat... I have been getting more realistic with myself by the day and have realized that I am realistically gonna need up to a few years of coastal cruising with some short passages added in (East coast US and Bahamas) in order to gain the experince, knowlege and equipment that are required for the kind of offshore passages that I eventually want to undertake.
This measn that I'm actually gonna have to listen to the knowlege of you experinced salts out there and look for a boat that suits my current needs and budget, and not think that I have to hold out for my dream boat that will eventually take me around the world, but would take several more years to obtain.
I am currently looking at the Gemini 105Mc catamarans for my possible first liveaboard. I am aware of their limitations, however even compared with a similaraly priced momohull, I still feel that it has advantages over any other... I am very keen on living on a cat over a mono, and this one seems to be the best bang for the buck in terms of a sub 40 foot coatal cruising cat to get me on the water and gaining experince.
Anybody have any burning reasons why my thinking is flawed or why I should not even consider buying this boat? (hopefully with an alternative suggestion)

Thanks again, you guys are the best!

[thomm225]

If you want to get a small taste of the cruising life, take that Hobie 17 of yours to Ft Walton Beach June 29th and do their annual 100 Mile Round The Island (RTI) race.

I hope you have a spinnaker though. I've done it 4X (I lived in Penacola 12 years) the fastest being in 12 hours which surprisingly was on a NACRA 6.0 without a spinnaker. That was in 1997. We had about 80 boats that year. It has also taken me 20 hours to finish the race which means arriving back at Leeside Park Ft Walton Beach at 0300. This included dodging barges in the sound without lights or wind in the dark. (just running light sticks)

When I say a taste of the cruising life I mean you will know what it means to be tired but have to keep grinding. But there is no docking, anchoring etc involved. The race usually starts right at 0700 I believe and the wind is usually NE and then it clocks around following the sun all day if a front doesn't interfere.

Details for the RTI can be had at this website:

www.catsailor.com

[Waterway Guide]

We have cruised 8 years on our Gemini 105Mc. It's not perfect, but we are hard-pressed to think of any vessel we would rather cruise coastwise/Bahamas. We would certainly go with something better suited for extended bluewater cruising if we were to go that way. As newbies back then, we learned to appreciate its simplicity -- things still break, but it's easy to figure out how to fix them. Lots of comfortable space for 2, and a great platform for entertaining. Sails very well, too! The super-small draft is really the biggest plus...we could always find our own private anchorages/beaches/etc..., and we could get into nice protected spaces when the storms are coming. Resale $ seems to stay strong, and the owner's group is a fantastic resource. Good luck with your next steps!!

[Brian T]

Thanks so much for the reply Mike! It's great to hear that you've been so happy with her I understand that they are not the optimal blue water boat (although that video of the atlantic crossing with 30+ foot waves on YouTube certainly does inspire confidence) however this will be my first liveaboard, so I figure that I'm a few years away from that anyways. The shallow draft ability of this model is certainly one of the draws! (and I already know who to optimize sailing performance with them, as they are similar design to what I have on my Hobie 17) The Chesepeake will be some of my first cruising grounds, so I figure shallow draft is not to be taken lightly I am just starting to develope my list of things to look for when attempting to locate the specific boat to buy, so any advice on that would be great (although I still have some time before I'm at that point) Thanks again, maybe we will get the opportunity to meet on the water some day

[Waterway Guide]

Glad to help, and good luck with the plan! See you out here on the water. (Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions on the Gemini, or Bay sailing, etc.)

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by Brian T

............................... 'have realized that I am realistically gonna need up to a few years of coastal cruising with some short passages added in (East coast US and Bahamas) in order to gain the experince, knowlege and equipment that are required for the kind of offshore passages that I eventually want to undertake. .......................

I don't see any flaws in your thinking at all! The coastal crui..........
('back from a ten minute pause. I'm at a dock in North Carolina and my AC went off due to sucking jellyfish into my strainer. I always put on rubber gloves for clearing out the jellyfish!......) Anyway, the Coastal Cruising is great experience and in many ways no less than the challenges of offshore. Certainly, there is more critical navigation at inlets and where the ocean meets the shore. Offshore requires a different set of long term planning and storm management, but coastal is not a "stepping stone" to this. Most of your boat management and adaptation for life aboard is going to occur as much in coastal waters as anywhere. The Gemini is going to provide you with as much potential for joy and success as many other possible vessels.

[Brian T]

Life's a changin I am looking at life with a whole new outlook now that my plan is actually starting to take shape! I am pretty confident at this point that the Gemini is going to be a great starter boat to live on for my needs. I have even started to look for potential marinas as a place to reside while I continue at my job for up to a couple more years.
Like most,the ultimate deam will include working MUCH less, if not at all for at least a while however I've come to the all too rational conclusion that I could very easily get my boat and start living on it/working on it/learning it all while making a solid income I would be crazy to give up such a good job right now, especially while they are still in such short demand, and while I'm going to be aquiring a new vessel that I'm no doubt going to want to dump a bunch of clams into...
I found a marina that has slips, allows livaboards, and is less than 30 min drive from my current job! With all the utilities, fees and everything included, I would be at about half my current monthly rate of living in a crappy apt It almost feels like life WANTS this to work out for me! It's weird when something that you want SO badly is not fighting you every step of the way...

[mimosa]

Hello, brian, I am also new to site, also started construction of new boat, and also plan to "take off" soon, good to meet you, maybe we could swap stories of build, mine also is going together in my opinion-to easy-lol-a 24' trimaran(my design) I named mimosa, also known as beta crucis the second brightest star in formation the southern cross --- after note -- my apologies, I misread, thought you where building, no matter -livin the dream is most important

[Brian T]

Hi... Mimosa I would LOVE to build my own one day! (my degree is in engineering) but unforunately that seems a bit too far off at the moment, but definitely not out of the question for the future.
I hope that you have an amazing adventure while building your boat, and if you ever want somebody to chat with about boats, life or whatever, please feel free

[Brian T]

Holy crap, it's getting real!! This is actually happening... Strap on your fun bags people, cause the adventure begins I found a gorgeous, crisp clean 2011 gemini for a hell of a deal (and not too far from home, making it an even better deal) and hope to close on it this week or next. Survey and sea trial went GREAT, although he did find a scuff and a missing cotter pin.

...It's so exciting that I'm working every few minutes to not let a few drips of pee sneak out! It is a little intimidating though, as many of these systems will be new to me (or at least new to being in charge of everything, being swabby for my dad doesn't really count ) I hope you guys don't beat me up too bad for asking a few rookie questions in the begining... And yes I'm already a member of the Yahoo Gemini group, so don't try to pawn me off on them right away

I'm aware of the limitations of this boat, but for my current needs, the pros FAR outweight the cons. I'm gonna be in the Chesepeake region for the first while, and then expand out from there (as I slowly loosen the choke collar that my job still has around my balls).

Sloar panles and learning about my battery/electrical system are towards the top of my priority list at the moment (as I already have a much better handle on the sailing and navigating side of the house). I just picked up "The 12 Volt Bible" and am gonna start there, but definitely still gonna need a lot of help!

Can't wait to meet some of you on the water!!!!

[Hudson Force]

Congratulations! We're in the Chesapeake for the summer. Maybe we'll see you on the water!