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Old 02-12-2016, 11:37 AM   #21
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Thanks guys for all the thoughtful replies. We're not selling the boat, just thinking about it. No rash decision. I don't do that and have seldom regretted important decisions that I acted on.

Like Don said, we'll keep the boat another year. Especially as he mentioned we're just coming off being on it full time, a break is needed. I'm also very aware that if we sell the boat there's no going back, no other boat, so it will be a decision taken with care.

Concerning the towed:
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In our search it came out to be a Honda CRV.
That is a popular choice and a wise one. It's what I'm looking at. However in 2015 Honda put the CVT tranny in it making it no longer towable. So for the CR-V only pre 2015 models are suitable.
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Old 02-12-2016, 11:54 AM   #22
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I need a new car, my ‘01 Infinity Q45 is starting to show it’s age. So I’m looking at a toad. In the RV world that’s a car that can be towed behind an RV. My wife doesn’t want to sell the boat yet, and I don’t really want to either, but in the not too distant future …..
We also RV and tow a CRV and like it.
RV friends of ours have had 2 Lincoln MKX's and they tow w/o mods - might want to look if a mid size SUV is your style
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Old 02-12-2016, 12:09 PM   #23
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Do what feels right for you. Don't jump if not ready, but don't delay that you know you do want to do.

Boating isn't an effortless endeavor. I can honestly say, if I had to do all my own work on a boat, I wouldn't do it. I lack the mechanical knowledge, skills or desire.

I think of boating like any sport and a decision to leave a bit like professional athletes face. When the effort, or the pain to play exceeds the pleasure of playing it's time to stop. We boat for pleasure and only when we truly find it pleasurable can it make sense. Right now it's so easy for us as we love it so much. But when the love for the sport just isn't there, then find another.

I've read forum threads on "quitting" sailing or boating in general. Quit is really a lousy word for it. It's moving on to something else. Life is change. We all quit something to start boating. I played golf a little when I was about 14 or 15 and even got my cousins started on it. Then I quit on them. It hit me as we were playing on Saturday morning and wouldn't get back to the lake until around 2:00 that I would have rather spent the morning on the water. It wasn't a dislike of golf, but a love of the water.

I've seen people actually offended when another said they didn't like boating. I know it sounds crazy to most of us. However, the majority of people don't boat. I know people who live on the water and will not under any conditions get on a boat.

I'm sure whatever TimJet decides we'll still occasionally see him around. A lot less work too to boat vicariously through others.
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Old 02-12-2016, 12:31 PM   #24
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Admiral and I are kinda odd ducks. In that we both have lived considerably different lives than each other as well as each being different than most people. We met by chance, for just minutes in fall 1985. Got together about ten years later - December 16th 96. Nuff Said!

Regarding boat and/or mtr home:

BOAT - Don't currently plan to sell this joyfull Tolly in foreseeable future. Might eventually sell to up-grade into larger boat, likely a Tollycraft too! Can say that as Mark said in previous post... (paraphrase here) boat stays in life till I can't get back aboard. That said; it's my wish and I plan to pass-on while on the water... I've ways to go should need be that I end things for myself, by my-self. Sooo... you could say that I and wife will "forever" have some nice pleasure boat that is fully self contained.

MTR HOME - Not too long ago we donated our 30'er due to its age and worsening condition. Now we're searching for newer model replacement.

We figure that if the toys of boat[s], mtr home, beach house and a few other items were not to be kept and enjoyed... then why exactly not???

We always are able to keep finances in a good line of sight. Not having the toys would simply mean we'd have a bit mote $$$ - - > $$$ in and of itself ain't 1/4th the fun of toys! Unless of course you are Donald Trump - wherein you base your entire enjoyment in life by how much $$$ you can brag about having while living in your gold filled NY apartment! Please - Gag Me With A Spoon!!!
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Old 02-12-2016, 02:40 PM   #25
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Capt. Tim, it's not a towed. It's a toad. If you are going RVing get with the program.

Oh yeah, pusher or puller?
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Old 02-12-2016, 03:31 PM   #26
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Can you fit a Shopsmith Mark V onboard?
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Old 02-12-2016, 03:50 PM   #27
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Can you fit a Shopsmith Mark V onboard?
Have one, Hmmmmm
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Old 02-12-2016, 04:24 PM   #28
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Funny, we have three boats now (the big one, the dingy, and a 19' Bayliner runabout that we really need to sell but never have). And then I love sailing, but only in small doses. (Yes, I can appreciate the Zen of being one with Nature, vibrating in tune with God's creation on the edge of a wave, but then I want a serene dinner at a proper dining table on the aft deck and then a queen bed that isn't heeling at 30*.) So anyway, I'm shopping for a small sailboat to add to the fleet, something cheap and trailer-able, Craigslist, bargain basement, nothing extravagant, $1000, a cinderblock tied to a rope as an anchor, just to feed my part-time urge to sail. Still, you can imagine what my wife thinks of a fleet four boats. So here the original poster is contemplating whether to say farewell to his boat and I'm contemplating adding yet another boat to the collection. Ah, life.
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Old 02-12-2016, 04:31 PM   #29
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So here the original poster is contemplating whether to say farewell to his boat and I'm contemplating adding yet another boat to the collection. Ah, life.
We can never resist thinking about more but we are resisting adding more at the moment. However, I still understand the OP. We don't expect others to feel the same about it we do. We don't know how we'll feel 20 years from now. We think we do sometimes but then we think back to 20 years ago. Then we quickly stop thinking as defense against those thoughts.But certainly we never imagined today. So why would we think we know the future?
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Old 02-12-2016, 04:35 PM   #30
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My wife and I have discussed when to move off the boat and when to sell. We decided to movr off when we can no longer get on off the boat and we will sell the boat when we are forced to live on the dirt and not be able to afford the boat. So it's sort of two separate questions decision.

We bought a motor home and live on the boat from June to October and the motor home October thru May. We do not plan on buying a permanent fix dirt home as we like the mobile changing living. However if the stock market drops we will have to adjust according and use the motor home less.

We decided a tow dolly as different and most vehicle can be towed with no modifications. We have towed several different vehiles with it. We tow a Land Rover that both the drive train and transmission can be put in neutral. When time to sell it all we will move into an assistant living complex with no little worldly stuff. Stuff complicates life.
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Old 02-12-2016, 07:57 PM   #31
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We do both.

44'boat in the summer months, love Desolation Sound, Have lots of friends we have developed over the last 40 yrs of boating.

44' Motor Home in the winter months, Working at developing a network of friends. That is going well.

So no plans to ditch either one until age/health/other issues force that decision on us.

For us, having lots of years on the boat the learning curve to get to the same level of self sufficiency in the MH should have been easy, but it wasn't. Tho all the systems sound like they should work the same, the designers came from different worlds, so everything is different. This year, I think we have it, but it has taken 5 years to get there.

Toads: I already owned too many cars, so instead of buying one that could be towed, I bought a dolly, as 2 of my 3 cars could go front up. This year I tried a trailer, to get the 3rd car south. I liked being able to back up, which is a no-no for both flat towing and dollies, so bought a newer car that can't be towed except on a trailer. Now I really have too many cars.
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Old 02-12-2016, 09:52 PM   #32
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Your thread really hit home with me. Like many on here, we're getting up in years and I've looked down the road at when will be the time to sell.


We want to take one last "Great Hurrah" trip and that will be down the Columbia to the Pacific, up the coast of WA then spend a full summer in the San Juans and further north. I figure about 4 months for that trip, then it will be time to sell the boat....we think.


We won't make that trip for an as-yet undetermined time. My mother in law just turned 100 in December and while she's still living we won't make that trip. Too much chance of something happening to her and we wouldn't find out about it for several days. So we're being very patient. I love her and want her to stay around forever, yet we all know that won't happen.


We figure once we make the trip we'll probably leave the boat with a broker in Seattle for sale.


After it is sold, who knows? I've been across the US many times and seen a lot of it, but often at 70mph traveling from one military base to another without a lot of time spent doing the touristy thing. My wife has not been across the country and wants to go but she's not sure she wants to do it in an RV. Go Figure.


As far as boats go, we have two 13' Boston Whalers that we can always play around on when the urge hits, one in WA and one in AZ. We probably would not buy another boat if our Sea Ray sold. We'd just get out of the overnighting part of boating.


Lots of things to think about but lots of time to do it. Thanks for this thread.
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Old 02-13-2016, 05:59 AM   #33
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It amazes me how this thread has resonated with so many people. Reading any other thread you'd think we were all life time boaters.

Given some time to think about this I think the issue with us is that when we went northbound on the ICW last year every marina, anchorage and town was new and fun to explore. When we hit the Chesapeake we had been on the boat 3 1/2 months which by most peoples standards is a long time at one stretch. But the Chessie was so much fun that when weather closed in and we had to winterize the boat in late October though we both were ready to get home we were still excited about spending more time on the Chessie the next year.

Due to work constraints we only used the boat while on the Chessie once during the summer, but when we started heading south in mid October we spent another month cruising mostly the western shore. This again was really a lot of fun and the fall colors were the best you could imagine. The weather forced us back unto the ICW and we left Portsmouth in late November. We varied our trip south by cruising the outer banks and up the Neuse River, which was a nice diversion. But once back on the ICW it sorta became routine.

We had spent so much time on the ICW northbound, at some places a week, we kinda found the excitement of re-visiting all the places southbound not as exciting.

So when we got home we both had the feeling that, yes it was fun but we don't need to do it again. I think this feeling has affected how we feel about keeping the boat. But Debbie wants to do the Abacos in the Bahamas again so perhaps next year we'll be discussing our plans for that trip here on TF.
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Old 02-13-2016, 06:48 AM   #34
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"We had spent so much time on the ICW northbound, at some places a week, we kinda found the excitement of re-visiting all the places southbound not as exciting. "

Most ICW warriors put put at about 60 miles a day.

By simply running 30 miles one day and then continuing as normal, you will be set for all different stops along the way.
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Old 02-13-2016, 07:57 AM   #35
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Most ICW warriors put put at about 60 miles a day.
That's pretty much what we did. I did a lot of research before planning each stop, I think we hit the high spots.
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Old 02-13-2016, 12:15 PM   #36
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"So when we got home we both had the feeling that, yes it was fun but we don't need to do it again. "

That's part of the reason I'm so grateful I like to fish. Going the same places time and again can get routine. Fishing for monsters of the deep is at times relaxing and at times, exhilarating! Never have I come home thinking this fishing is getting boring! Here's a couple pics from this week's trip.



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Old 02-13-2016, 12:42 PM   #37
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On cruising the coast, the same coast, over and over and over....

We play leap frog, we hop, skip and jump. We don't try to get to every place of interest every time. Yes, we have some places we always want to go but others that going north we'll skip and pick up coming south. In fact, our trip north and our trip south will almost always have very different stops. As to high spots, it's the not so high in between on the next trip that may surprise you.

Now, one other thing in reading your last post. We never have spent 3 1/2 months on a boat. Two months is our record. We leave the boat, we come back to it, we pick different areas each time. That leaves us always ready to return, anxious to return. When we move on from each stop, there's always something else we would have liked to see there. That something else is why we enjoy returning to see it next time.

Just take the Chesapeake, I'm sure I could point out dozens of places you didn't get to within the area that are great stops. Even when we pass back through the Tidewater area we go to a different town each time. Perhaps Hampton Roads, or Va. Beach, or Norfolk. How long did you spend on the Potomac? Most who do the Chesapeake go right by. Yet, it's such a wonderful side trip. It got bad rap by the false story that George threw a rock across it. Well, it wasn't the Potomac as it's too wide.

We've been to the Bahamas 20 times or so since 2012. I figure we've explored less than 10% of the islands there, and the ones we've seen less than 50% of what we could have seen on them. That would say there are 400 trips before we run out of new things to see and since that would take us 60 years and by then I'll be over 100 years old and memory shot, it will all seem new again.

Variety is the spice of life although there is a charm in the familiar. We tend to mix them. Spend some time cruising familiar areas but then go see new. I mentioned Potomac. Well, how many here have cruised up the Delaware to Philadelphia? I'd guess a very small percentage. We haven't yet, but that's in plans sometime. Plus do different things even in the same places. For Chesapeake fans St. Michael's is a popular stop. How many have gone horseback riding there? Unique, different way to see it.

Ocean City MD is another example I'll toss out. We met a couple that had stopped there many times. They'd been to the boardwalk and to Northside Park, I believe. But never to the Life-Saving Station Museum. And never to Trimper's or Frontier Town or Jolly Roger or Ripley's or the Mirror Maze or any of the game and entertainment centers. Their comment was they were too old for that. My wife's comment back was "maybe that's why you are old." Even if you just observe, just watching kids play and all the fun there would be entertaining. Ocean City is a wonderful playground. Don't miss that part.

I lived the first 42 years of my life in NC. We've cruised through or past NC at least 6 times, maybe 8. There is so much I haven't seen yet. I went to the outer banks when perhaps I was 12. I haven't gone to Manteo yet by water. My wife has never been there. I saw the Lost Colony but I don't remember it or really remember the story very well.

Now, we prefer all these adventures by water, but back to the OP, there are similar adventures available by land. Life is an adventure. Doesn't all have to be expensive either. We love NYC (no booing please) and everyone talks about how expensive it is. However, Central Park, Washington Park...free. Amazing to me and free. Stay in NJ and go into the city for the day by train.

So the real challenge. Make a list of things you want to do, places you want to do, things you want to see. Not a bucket list but a fun list. Everyone should have lists such as those. We have cruising lists with far more on them than we can ever see. We've not yet been anywhere we don't want to go again. Make these lists and then select within your interests, your tolerances, your health, your affordability. It might be a retreat near home. Perhaps national parks. Perhaps places you've been through but never spent time.

There's far more to enjoy than any of us can in our lifetime. Each day is new. Walk to the park down the street and you'll see something today you've never seen before. Maybe the crazy silly little girl and her puppy. Maybe the ducks at the pond.

Perhaps the approach is instead of what one doesn't want to do starting a list of things you'd really like to do and would enjoy. Then decide how to start approaching it.
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Old 02-13-2016, 12:47 PM   #38
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"So when we got home we both had the feeling that, yes it was fun but we don't need to do it again. "

That's part of the reason I'm so grateful I like to fish. Going the same places time and again can get routine. Fishing for monsters of the deep is at times relaxing and at times, exhilarating! Never have I come home thinking this fishing is getting boring! Here's a couple pics from this week's trip.
And see, I grew up on the lake. Parents fished, cousins fished. For me, a couple of hours of fishing at a time then move on. But my relatives could have fished all day every day. I have a cousin and his wife retired now near Beaufort. Every day they can drop the boat in the water and go fish is wonderful. They even stick to it when the fish aren't cooperating. I couldn't do that, but it's their retirement and perfect for them.

I have close friends who could never get enough fishing. About six times a year is my quota.

But such a good example of finding that which really brings you pleasure. Glad you love fishing as you do.
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Old 02-13-2016, 01:11 PM   #39
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Bored and been there done that is the answer. Life is too short to continue something you don't enjoy. The boat will take time to sell so you will have plenty of time to change your mind especially when the low price offers come in.


I don't miss my boat but I miss that I don't miss it.
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Old 02-13-2016, 02:08 PM   #40
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Just Another Opinion

Having been around boats my entire life and living aboard part time for around five years, selling and buying more boats then the average person I would like to share our most recent experience.

After a few years away from boating to take care of medical issues we tested the waters and purchased a used 35 trawler. The one year spending weekends and a few work nights aboard proved it was best physical and mental medicine any doctor could have prescribed for the both of us. If the boat had not turned into a problem child with ongoing mechanical issues I would not have gotten frustrated, sold the boat, purchased a beach house that found us walking along the bay 3X per day wishing we had a boat. We decided being near the water was not the same as being on the water so we sold the house eleven months later (got very lucky to cover all our costs) and set yet another course to build another boat.

Will we keep this boat forever? Knowing our life style, likely not but I would like to think we will keep her for a very long time and cover some of the same ground you have. We believe a new and simpler boat will help expand the fun times aboard (less maintenance) and reduce cost of ownership. No one knows for sure but heck its all part of the adventure. We believe we will always own a boat as long as we have our health. To be honest it helps keep us in shape more than working on the yard and lots more fun. This being said we will never be without a land based home to return to, rest up and look forward to the next time we drive back to the boat. We just need this type of adventure in our lives.

We are all different and need to make our own decisions so best of luck with yours. One thing to remember is that if you do decide to sell, you can always get another boat if not smaller and simpler to just spend a few hours out on the water.
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