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Old 12-18-2015, 07:31 PM   #21
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Not sure what delineates a "retirement" boat. I say buy the boat you want when you want it if the finances line up. We bought our PNW boat in 1998 and at this point intend on keeping until we can't or don't want to boat here anymore. We have no clue how long that will be.

The boat we bought meets our needs for boating in this area, and while there are a ton of other boats that would meet them, too, we aren't interested in hopping around from purchase to purchase. We have other interests besides boating in the PNW so have plenty of other things to absorb money.

So in the late 90s we figured out what we would want to do with a boat in this area over the next 20 or 30 years from then, chartered a bit to see if we even liked the concept, and then bought a boat that would serve our purposes here as long as we were interested in pursuing them.

There are health issues which others have mentioned but these can be taken into account long before they occur.

There was mention of a stand-up engine room being a retirement requirement. I don't disagree with that but since boats that have these tend to be bigger and therefore cost more, if you don't actually need a bigger boat buy a smaller one that still meets your boating needs and for the money you save you can hire someone to crawl around in your engine room until the day you die.

Both my wife and I are huge believers in not putting things off "until." We know a fair amount of people--- parents, relatives, family friends--- who did/do that for various reasons and it seems that nine times out of ten "until" never comes.

So if it was me, I'd buy a boat that met my boating requirements when I found it regardless of where that happened to be in my timeline. The longer one waits the less time one has to enjoy it.
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Old 12-18-2015, 07:36 PM   #22
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Retirement boat question...

Without 'deep pockets' I think you go for it now, because you will kick yourself later if you wait. (And wait and wait). But later your boating needs may change (probably more dependent upon what you can afford as well as how much you want to upkeep) and even style of boat may mature. Who knows. You may want to downsize to a prairie later!

I do know that the PO I bought from had 'graduated' to trawling from sailboats. As his wife put it: 'We sailed until we couldn't sail anymore, then we trawled until we couldn't do that anymore.' So we all have our packages we measure by to make our presents to our satisfaction.

I know I took up trawling because my Dad always said: I'm gonna buy a boat someday........ Then he died. I didn't want to repeat that missed mission. Besides the GKs are SO enthused with Papas boat it makes the small outlay in costs worth every penny. (Ok, well dollars and dollars).
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Old 12-18-2015, 07:44 PM   #23
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The first thing I would do is choose where you wish to retire too, then look at available hull options suited to your retirement cruising grounds bearing in mind reduced agility as time passes;
Also bear in mind your income from your retirement package and plan to have at least one, preferably two good holidays off the boat each year to give yourselves a break.
Personally I would buy your boat early and get all the mods done while your still earning and just as importantly networking to find the best deals, if you find after a wee while it,s not living up to your expectations then you have time to change it.
Were just SKI ing (spending the kids inheritance).
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Old 12-18-2015, 08:11 PM   #24
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I bought my 42' OA to keep me from getting bored. Had it 6 months now and still havent used it. Probably wont for another 6 months.

I dont see anything about you being willing to refurb a boat, so assuming you want a turn key or nearly so, buy it when you are settled on how you will use it.
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Old 12-18-2015, 09:12 PM   #25
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Just from the perspective of mitigating financial risk, I'd buy about a year before retirement. That will give you time to get the boat all set up the way you want it, find and fix the inevitable problem, etc.. By doing all that while still working, you have an income stream to help with the costs, and if for some reason something goes wrong with the boat or your plans, you have more flexibility to recover.

If money is less of a concern, you could buy earlier and enjoy the boat in advance of retirement, or you could buy closer to or after retirement.

If money is more of a concern, then buying early enough to pay off any loan has some merit. But at the same time, buying earlier means carrying the costs of the boat while maintaining a household at the same time, and those double expenses might not be welcome. If you are planning to sell the house and be a live aboard, then shedding your load costs might make sense before taking on the boat costs.

Lots of variables to consider...
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Old 12-18-2015, 10:11 PM   #26
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I agree with what Marin and Cappy had to say.

I started Way too late and wish I had started 20 years ago. I have had to skip a few steps as a result.

I now have an offer on my "retirement" boat, but need to have my present one sold first.

For the model types that I am interested in, they rarely come available is good shape, so you need to pick the good fruit when it is ripe.

Zero in on what you want and the level of condition you need and be prepared to pull the trigger Whenever That particular boat becomes available. How could you regret that?
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Old 12-18-2015, 11:19 PM   #27
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Retirement boat question...

My idea for the retirement boat crew...


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Old 12-19-2015, 01:03 AM   #28
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Baker I've asked myself the same question. Am about to turn 50 and should be able to retire between 54 and 56. For me it's a bit early to buy the trawler, but I worked out a fantastic price with an excellent shipyard to build it. So I've decided to build it bare-bones: commercial boat interior, no equipment, but fully operational. Will use the next several years enjoying it while my kids are still home and also to build out a beautiful interior, fully equipped.

A long time ago I "retired" for a couple of years and I have to admit that your brain rewires when you're on a fixed income. I was extremely stingy and felt horrible just spending $20 on a pair of jeans, if it wasn't in my monthly budget.

So like ksanders said, these are our "earning" years so now is the time to spend the money without feeling too guilty about it.

BTW, I totally agree with the headroom in the engine room. It's not just an engine room, it's your workshop where you'll be twiddling away with hobbies, doing some carpentry, painting little pieces, reloading rifle cartridges, etc. Make it big enough and it becomes another usable room like the basement in your house. I designed mine with 6'4" headroom.

However all those comments about getting "a boat that accommodates us since we're all getting older" is really depressing . Think I'm gunna go hit the gym now… "denial"… it's not just a river in Egypt!
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Old 12-19-2015, 02:00 AM   #29
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I bought mine 5 years before projected retirement so that it would be ready to go when I was. The other consideration is cost. Unless buying new, this is still a pretty good buyers market. Also, if you're financing, buy it now with a fixed rate loan and know you will be able to do it. Things can change such as the interest rate, that may have a profound effect on what your monthly payment will actually get you. Lastly, there is your health. If your health declines, you may choose to retire early and having the boat already may give you an extra year to enjoy it.

Ted
Baker, O C Diver made some good points in that post. I would suggest you also think about narrowing down the criteria for your retirement boat with a list of wants and a list of must haves. If you find that there aren't many models that meet your must haves, it might be good idea to purchase as soon as one comes on the market (pending a good survey of course). If you wait until retirement, it may be many years until you find another chance to buy "the boat" that is perfect for you.
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Old 12-19-2015, 02:43 AM   #30
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2 in the morning and I am just looking at this!!!! I will say y'all should be proud. There are some excellent replies here and I am gonna have to sit here and read them over and over and over. So many resonate with me. In case you haven't noticed, I am a boat freak!!! I love boats. Anyway, keep the suggestions coming. Nothing is right or wrong. But there is a lot of good stuff here already!!!! And I will reply again tomorrow!!!!
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Old 12-19-2015, 05:47 AM   #31
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You have figured out the hardest part,

"they would work perfectly fine for what I would want to do"

the vessels requirements in terms of what its projected use will be.

Having a ballroom for a Hell Hole sounds on the surface grand , but realistically you will just inspect and perhaps do PM , and most repairs will be a hired wrench.

Who cares if he has to lug the new starter , rather than wheel a cart?

Relocating filter banks and batts is far easier for underway service than having them in the Hell Hole.

The "best" boat is the one that will require the least modification and "up grades" for your intended service.
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Old 12-19-2015, 06:06 AM   #32
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Now I am confused,
Hell Hole, or, Holy Space?
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Old 12-19-2015, 07:17 AM   #33
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John, get rid of the house, the land taxes, the electric and water bills....now. Move onto your existing boat while you shop. You will save about 20K a year which buys you a heck of a boat in 5 years, whether financed now or not. Living aboard your current boat will define what you want in your next/retirement boat. But dump the land based stuff NOW. A 55 ft Carver with roof mounted surfboard racks is in your future
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Old 12-19-2015, 07:29 AM   #34
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A different approach would be to give consideration to what you want to do with the boat when you retire. If you are going to stay in one area in the United States or Canada you can buy the boat later and modify the boat to your needs where you are located in retirement.

If however you intend to cruise from location to location or if you intend to leave the US and Canada (same true for Australia) you will find it much more expensive and time consuming to modify the boat. If cruising is your intention I suggest buying the boat years in advance so you can figure out what you want done to the boat and have most of it done before you begin to cruise.
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Old 12-19-2015, 07:54 AM   #35
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Two thoughts....one is - if financing, then borrowing money now is so incredibly cheap. Second is, how much time and effort will be needed to sell the current boat? Or is that even a concern?
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Old 12-19-2015, 08:26 AM   #36
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John Baker, My favorite poster of photos on TF!! - LOL

List all the pros and cons regarding what design(s) in a boat you want for retirement. Also list what you feel you will (may) do with the boat for "All" your years of retirement. You know the drill for getting the correct "Boat-Focus" into place... before actually searching for a boat and surely before placing cash on the barrel head!


Then spend a year or two or longer visiting boats for sale that have what you want, at cost that is comfortable. And Then... "When the correct boat finds you"... you can purchase with nearly 100% feeling that you (and the boat - lol) have bath made the correct choice.

Happy Boat-Search Daze! - Art
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Old 12-19-2015, 08:50 AM   #37
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In case you haven't noticed, I am a boat freak!!! I love boats. Anyway, keep the suggestions coming.
I've read & re-read all the suggestions and for the most part they make a lot of sense. I then re-read them one more time while mentally putting myself in your shoes. Having had my fair share of boats since 1995 (9) I still agree with Healhustler about the stand up ER. If you don't get a "stand up", you will be kicking yourself until they haul you off in a box. I didn't get one but as previously mentioned, I now have a guy who's very knowledgeable, crawl through the ER once a month looking for gremlins. I'm also adding two controllable cameras in the ER for viewing things like fuel filter vacuum readings, coolant reservoir levels, leaks, etc. to increase my SA. (Situational Awareness) I realize that it's not the same as actually entering the "hell hole" periodically but it does provide me with information about what's going on in the ER while I'm on the fly bridge. In closing, there are a lot of ways to skin a cat but I think the most important one is to buy a boat you love, both at cruising & in the slip. You'll figure out the rest.
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Old 12-19-2015, 09:07 AM   #38
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Retirement boat question...

Quote:
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John, get rid of the house, the land taxes, the electric and water bills....now. Move onto your existing boat while you shop. You will save about 20K a year which buys you a heck of a boat in 5 years, whether financed now or not. Living aboard your current boat will define what you want in your next/retirement boat. But dump the land based stuff NOW. A 55 ft Carver with roof mounted surfboard racks is in your future

This is what I wanted to do, but my wife wouldn't go for it-- she wants to keep a "dirt house". I could justify a lot more boat if we lived on it and got rid of all this "stuff".

I'm now working on the idea of downsizing the house after both kids are in college in two years. Something with no yard and pool to take care of. Smaller house. Maybe something like a condo in a walkable city (close to some water obviously).

How many folks here keep a house AND a retirement boat?

Edit:

And on cue, the motor on the pool pump just went out. Awesome.
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Old 12-19-2015, 09:41 AM   #39
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How many folks here keep a house AND a retirement boat?.
I do. Of course it's not a large boat. OK for days, weeks, even months of living aboard but not really forever.

Besides, for most of us, a time will come when we can no longer live on a boat because of health reasons. We need a home on land or funds to buy one.
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Old 12-19-2015, 09:53 AM   #40
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This is what I wanted to do, but my wife wouldn't go for it-- she wants to keep a "dirt house". I could justify a lot more boat if we lived on it and got rid of all this "stuff".

I'm now working on the idea of downsizing the house after both kids are in college in two years. Something with no yard and pool to take care of. Smaller house. Maybe something like a condo in a walkable city (close to some water obviously).

How many folks here keep a house AND a retirement boat?

Edit:

And on cue, the motor on the pool pump just went out. Awesome.

We're keeping the house and the boat. For us, in our situation it's a good decision, although we recognize that like any life choice, it's not best for everyone.

Here is the rational...

1. We honestly do not know if we will like cruising full time. Thats a huge issue for us as a couple. I am more optimistic, the wife is more pessimistic regarding this. We spend allot of time aboard but that is in about a week incriments now. Keeping the house allows us to explore the concept without making a "all in" decision.

2. The house is our home. We have been in it for over 20 years. It holds significant mental attachment.

3. We do not have a financial incentive or need to trade our home for our retirement boat. That did require us to make some compromises in our retirement boat though. Instead of a large passagemaker we "settled" for a Coastal Cruiser. That decision of course limited our cruising dreams, but for us it was a good decision. It did not commit us to a cruising lifestyle, and freed up resources that we can use to for example buy a snowbird house someplace warm if that's the direction we choose to go.

This "all in" concept of trading the house for a boat has much more appeal to males than females in general. Guys tend in general to be the "explorers", and gals tend to be in general the "nesters". Married guys need to keep that in mind when thinking about this stuff.
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