What you do in real life?

[LaBomba]

I have been an engineer since 1968 and worked in various powerplants and private industries as Chief Engineer, Maintenance Manager, Plant and Operations Manager and for the last 10 years before retiring in Aug 2015 I inspected Power Plants for the Provincial Government. I still help them out a few hours a month by marking some exams.
We have had many smaller boats over the years for pleasure and fishing. Airswift is our first big (to us) boat and when my wife retires in March 2017 we hope to extend our cruising range.
Interesting thread!

 

[klee wyck]

A long training in the natural sciences culminated in a doctorate in veterinary medicine for me. After thirty years since earning that degree,I still practice a little in a health and productivity advisory role for a few families that produce dairy. In the meantime, some rudimentary entrepreneurial skills learned from my parents fishing resort business while I guided fishing trips for them in Northern Minnesota and Southern Ontario, took root. A few cows acquired 27 years ago took over a good part of my life and these days, in a family operation, we provide a serving of dairy of some sort to 600,000 people each day. The latest added iteration of this is artisan cheese.
I spent over 100 days a year on fresh water in small aluminum boats mostly when I was young. These days, despite owning several boats, a couple of big ones among them, I spend very little time on the water. But, what time I do get is priceless and soothing and I think one day there will be more of this time. For now, though work is unnecessary, it is still too exciting and invigorating to leave behind much and boats are largely a way to make money disappear in a way that I consider well worth it. I think I keep raising the ante in what I spend on the boats thinking that that will finally convince me to sail away!
Time will tell.....still, comforting to know that I have options when the time comes.

 

[GoneFarrell]

Retired mechanical engineer/project manager & small business entrepreneur.

Did invention-level machine design of automated material handling equipment, automated guided vehicles, robots, laser beam recticle writers, special purpose cranes. Was the PE wet stamp and pjt manager for equipment installs in Intel fabs. Put together a complicated expensive factory that was supposed to make eco-friendly burger boxes.

Designed equipment used to explosively implode/incinerate mustard/nerve agent rounds (WMD's). That was interesting. That lead to my s-corp wherein I manufactured detonator system components consumed when imploding the WMD's. I still get occasional calls for that stuff, make it up in my basement.

While all this was going on, I was partner in a business venture called "motorcycle track days." I rented racetracks, loaded them up with riders on sport bikes and taught them how to do high performance motorcycle riding (told them why they were slow and what to do about it without getting hurt.)
Did that for 17 years, huge fun and great memories, done with that. Still ride, but not on tracks.

Along the way, I had the benefit of great mentors/managers. I quit perfectly good easy jobs to go work with awesome owners/managers on really good hard jobs.

Started "boating" when I had to learn how to claw off of a rocky lee shore in a small boat that my dad built for us kids. It was a huge piece of freedom to be able to connect and play the water, wind and sky. Years on the water, skiing and so on. Got exposed to Desolation Sound level boating when my dad retired; that became the dream when I was mired in a GE trailer/cubie-land on a jobsite.

Built a sliding seat rowboat, rowed it over most of Oregon's rivers and lakes, then into the San Juans. It's been in the Pt Townsend wood boat show twice.

Got into the trawler a year ago, that has been a best-ever decision, living the dream. Great views topside, w/ice for drinks below! My extensive background means I can tackle most maintenance and refurbishment myself, which is satisfying in its own way.

I could never in my wildest imagination have written a script that would describe the path that got me here...

 

[Codger2]

I was a fork lift driver in a nitroglycerin plant but was terminated because of my poor driving record. Later, having proof of my incredible dexterity, I became a top worker in picking fly poop out of pepper seeds.

 

[gonesailing13]

Never had a glamorous job but worked for the telephone company climbing poles. Retired at 56 after 35 years with them. Sold our house and bought a sailboat which we sailed to the caribbean for five years. Came back to land,sold the boat and bought a small condo. After two years on land missed the water so bought our present boat, a trawler which we spend 7-8 months on and the rest of the year back on land. Teach skiing during the winter to pay for the slip fees. Never had a lot of money and still don't.

 

[J105]

Spent 40 years racing sailboats ...420's in college, Snipes, C&C 34, J-105...Block Island Race week, ALIR, Key West, etc. many times. Decided that too much time was spent rounding up 4-8 other guys, logistics, etc. Helped a friend move his boat up the ICW a little over a year ago and I was hooked. Bought a mainship 34T in Dec....450 hours later in the middle of second trip south.

Day job is as the wine guy on QVC...allows for some nice 4-5 week blocks of time off for buring fossel fuel

 

[Sortie]

Retired school principal, middle level, in 2000 after 35 years in public education. We moved from Mass to East Central Florida for the climate and the year round boating.
Been boating/fishing since age 6, when my father introduced me to offshore fishing. Been hooked ever since. Stopped fishing and switched a trawler in 2009 to do some cruising . Unfortunately, my wife got ill and passed in 2015. She passed just 4 days before our 50th. It is a hard to adjust, but adjust we must
During my lifetime I have owned and sold a fishing tackle business and operated charter fishing boats. After retirement I have worked for a tour boat company as a Captain, done some deliveries and instructions and consulting for new boat owners. We have always owned boats, and learned to do all my own upkeeps and repair work. Sue and I brought our boat south and had a wonderful time. Never had a lot of money but had a lot of fun. Looking fwd to some extended cruising in the future.
.

 

[BerettaRacer]

I've been a professional mariner since 1980, over 35 yrs. Originally trained for commercial ship engineering (aka freighters/tankers etc) lack of work steered me to mega yacht engineering. I'm winding down my career now and think I've only got a few yrs until retirement. Maybe time to take up "recreational boating" lol.

 

[FlyWright]

...
Day job is as the wine guy on QVC...allows for some nice 4-5 week blocks of time off for burning fossel fuel

...these days, in a family operation, we provide a serving of dairy of some sort to 600,000 people each day. The latest added iteration of this is artisan cheese.

OK, you guys are automatically invited to the next Cruise in Wine and Cheese Party.

I was a fork lift driver in a nitroglycerin plant but was terminated because of my poor driving record. Later, having proof of my incredible dexterity, I became a top worker in picking fly poop out of pepper seeds.

You can come if you wash your hands first and let Renee drive.

 

[BandB]

As to owning boats, I have since I was 13 years old. First boat was a 17' Sea Ray. Wifey B got into boating when she met me. We would be boating regardless of anything else. If it was a 17' boat on the lake, then that's what we'd do. Water is our zone, out happy place.

Piano was mentioned, she plays it well, I hunt and peck. We love singing. Other hobbies are basketball and tennis.

I was a businessman in a large company. My educational background was accounting. Wifey B was a teacher and reading specialist. She's the one with the PhD.

Today we're mostly-retired hobbyist entrepreneurs. We also both consult a few days a year in our prior professions.

 

[tinped]

Electrician with a masters liscense,owned companies in two states,recently sold,and retired in May.

 

[David Hughes]

Lead Human Resources for an insurance company in Atlanta. 8 years to go til retirement.

Sharing a Cobalt at the family lake house led to chartering powercats in Florida and the Bahamas a couple times a year, which in turn led to my wife and I buying our own boat, that we charter out through Southwest Florida Yachts to earn some money back, and use ourselves 6-8 times a year. We get those 6-8 visits on our own boat for the same money that we used to spend for 3 charters.

 

[BandB]

Sharing a Cobalt at the family lake house.

Wifey B: Oh, i loved loved loved our Cobalt's. He had one when we met and later we traded it for another one. I miss it still sometimes, sure wish we had it with us on the TN River right now.

 

[Pluto]

December 31 is my last day after working for a Carrier AC distributor for 44 years. (1972)
It's scary but in a good way.

I never took more than 10 days off. Excited that we finally get to keep going instead of turning the boat around to get back in time for a meeting or whatever.

 

[AusCan]

I do well testing on oil & gas exploration wells, and build early production facilities. I've also built & run power stations running on landfill gas, been a mechanic, concrete finisher, a carpenter, picked apples, etc etc.

I'm not so good at investments, so I'm still working.

My boat was purchased for <50k Australian$, (about 35k USD), so it hasn't stretched me too far.

 

[Panacea123]

Worked in auto industry my entire life.
Owned several used car lots, made and lost alot of money, mostly lost it all LOL
Came out by the skin of my teeth in 2008 with enough to start over.
Currently own an auto A/C repair shop and am fortunate enough to have a great manager whom i can rely on for an income and to take care of things while im gone. Retired in 2015, but still have my fingers in it remotely from the boat.
Boats cost a ton of money (over the years I've owned many) just sold my 1965 Chris Craft 22' owned since new, (dad bought it).
Almost gave up the dream of cruising but fortunately it has been revived. Currently on 6 month cruise (still own home)
Beset advice i can give is JUST DO IT! It will change your life forever, the people you will meet are as diverse as you will find but the common passion of boating binds us all together.
Have met people with very limited budgets 20K/yr to multi millionaires for the most part you can not tell them apart!
Good luck and GET OUT THERE!

 

[High Wire]

Went to Voc-Tech school for and worked as an electrician. Then the machinery factory that I worked for had the first layoff of electricians in its 80 year history in 1980. Started the following Monday as an electrician for the local High Speed Rail system. Rule #1- Watch out for the trains; Rule #2- Watch out for the 3rd rail; then do your work. Good pay but incredibly boring. Hired on as an operator in a nuclear power plant at the lowest possible pay step. I loved the work as an Equipment Operator, and licensed Reactor Operator, Senior Reactor Operator, Shift Manager, and finally to Sr. Simulator Instructor. Retired in 2013.

 

[BruceK]

Some people think I'm a mathematician... LOL

I've been accused of being a pilot but for those who know the lingo, I am listed in A006 of the Ops Specs for our company (70+ aircraft).

I also tote a gun and badge for an agency and have done so for 18 years.

My guessing game, based on screen names, was veterinarian.

 

[choppywater]

I buy, run, and sell web sites. I have also self published 12 books.

We lived in a large class A for a few years before we switched over to living on the water.

 

[k9medic]

My guessing game, based on screen names, was veterinarian.

I actually get that a lot. When I started using the screen name, long before before converting jet fuel into noise for a living, I at one time worked as a ff/medic and also worked a police K9.

 

[Northern Spy]

Real life? Yet to find out...

But what I've done so far:
-grew up working on farms
-US Navy submarine A-ganger
-refrigeration systems instructor
-valve shop supervisor
-made acid based liquid fertilizer
-traded grain and sold futures
-maintenance engineering in pulp and paper (kraft and TMP)
- NDT superintendent
-Owners representative for industrial shutdowns
-project manager
-commissioning and start up of new facilities

Currently I'm a maintainance specialist for SAGD plants in Northern Alberta (Why yes, it is snowing out right now).

Technically, I'm still in my 40s, so I got a few jobs ahead of me. Maybe I'll write children's books someday... more likely children's manuals, since I've spent too much time in heavy industry.

Always lived within my means and pretty conservative with money, since I don't have much. Parents were/are boat owners, who cursed their children into boat ownership. I got off easy with my little NT. My sister has one of those big ass money sucking sport fisherman that we all like to disparage.

 

[alormaria]

I was in IT.

 

[FOG]

Retired at 53. Been 13 years now. Time flies.

Electrical Engineer, mostly Telecommunications Product Development.

Off roading, mainly sand dunes, and sailing in So Cal.

Moved to the East Coast a couple of years ago. Bought a trawler and want to start the Great Loop this coming spring. Maybe do some cruising along the East Coast after that.

Still play in the So Cal sand dunes a few months a year during the winter.

Great thread.

 

[tego]

Retired Army, started small business in Indiana passivating stainless steel in food and drug plants all over the country (18 years), sold the house and business and went cruising on our 424 Pearson but along the way, worked as charter boat captain and fleet mgr, marine carpenter building mega yachts. Sold the sailboat and bought a 44' Trader and ended up supervising the carpenter shop at Rybovich in WP Beach. Retired from there in '06 and swallowed the anchor in Tennessee. Couldn't take not being on the water so bought my little 27' Albin which I love. 75 years behind me but looking forward to several more. Ben

 

[Codger2]

You can come if you wash your hands first and let Renee drive.

!!!


Woops! There's one I missed!

 

[kthoennes]

I passed my exams a few days ago and am now working as a second merchant officer.

Regards,

Thom

That is a beautiful photo.

 

[kthoennes]

This is a fascinating group. Wow. I guess I'm mostly surprised that so many of us are big boat owners but we're not all trust fund babies or dot-com millionaires. Hard, diligent, disciplined work and we pull it off one way or another.

I'm court administrator for a piece of South Dakota. Grew up in Connecticut, college in Fairbanks, Alaska, then went to work for the court in Palmer and then Anchorage; then clerk of court in Long Prairie, Minnesota, then St. Cloud; then judicial district admin in SoDak. I had a snobby east coast idea that South Dakota was one of those flat square states in the middle, but it's a wonderful place and we love it. No salt water for over a thousand miles though, we do miss that.

My wife is an in-house attorney for a big insurance company. We still have some years of working life left, but God has already richly blessed us in lots of ways. In about seven years the house and the boat will both be free and clear. It will be tempting to have the boat trucked from Yankton to Duluth when that happens and we sail off to the rest of the world.

 

[Ray]

Air Force 1954-1982, spent 22 years Air Force Recruiter

Retired and became a male stripper, hard to find that kind work at 80 years old, retired again.

Ray

 

[muttskie]

I retired September 30th after a varied career in aviation. The last 20 years as an air traffic controller. During my adult life, I have tried to eliminate debt as quickly as possible. Sometimes that's not too smart, but it has served me well.

I recently bought a Kadey Krogen 39. My previous boat was a Pacific Seacraft Crealock 37, which I bought after my first real boat, a Pacific Seacraft Dana.

I started all of this boating stuff in 2012, so I'm not a lifelong boater. Previously, I had airplanes and motorcycles.

Never thought I could afford any of them, but it just seems to work out. It helps if you have skills. Being able to do your own work (most of it anyway) helps a lot in determining what you can afford.

Where there is a will, there is a way. When I think of what I now have, sitting in British Columbia, ready to explore the Inland Passage, I sometimes wonder if I am blessed, or just lucky. I imagine it's a little of both.

I think one must just make it work. Be thoughtful, work hard, and try not to make stupid choices.

Good luck! I am proof that a middle class schmo can live a lifestyle not logically expected by most.

 

[Art]

I read on posts where some mention similar to... Wow, how'd we ever get here, with this great lifestyle and all... never would have expected this!" Or something like that, anyway.

Well - Can we spell addiction?? As in pleasure boating IS an addiction... And, a damn good one at that!! Maybe the best in the world!!! Far as I'm concerned, that is.

Happy Pleasure Boating Daze! - Art


PS: Addicts can always find a way to keep getting a fix!