Do you have the time to use the boat?

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dhays

dhays

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Joined
May 26, 2015
Messages
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Location
United States
Vessel Name
Kinship
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North Pacific 43
Kevin posted a comment on the Boat Porn thread that go me thinking... How many of you have the time you want/need/or thought you would have to use the boat?

I had hoped that this year would be different, that I would have more available time to get out and use the boat as I like. Unfortunately, this isn't the case. My wife retired, which was awesome (other than that whole lack of paycheck and benefits thing) but then she immediately committed to babysitting our new grandchild for a year.

At the same time, while I had hoped to be able to start reducing my days in the office, it has turned out the opposite. I'm now seeing patients MORE instead of less. We also had expected a new associate to start this coming summer, but it looks like it won't be until July 2019.

Then there are the other various things that come up. Weddings, births, funerals, etc... that eat into the limited weekends available and time I can afford to be out of the office.

Do you get the time to use the boat? If you are retired, do you find that is enough to give you the time you want?
 
If this dang trip from Jersey to the Keys every year to stay warm didnt get in the way, I would have more time for cruising.

Then back in Jersey, I have those dang projects all summer to do it all over again.... :)
 
Personally it meets my expectations. I am in the early 40s and working while my wife id mid 40 and still working too so it was expected to be able to use the boat only for weekends and vacations. For sure I wish I was full time aboard but up here it is not feasible with our climate (at least with my boat) and considering we are both active.
Anyway I cannot complain knowing that when I stared looking for a boat it was only planned to get one 5 years later. Now I have mine so any time on it is just blessing.

L
 
I get two weeks a year off from work, it’s just not enough time. I use one week for a day here and there for long weekends and then one week for a decent trip on the boat. I’m 62 now hoping to semi retire in 4 years.
 
Getting there.

I thought I would do more short one night or weekend trips, but overall happy with my boating this year, and shaping up nicely for 2018.
 
dhays said:
Kevin posted a comment on the Boat Porn thread that go me thinking... How many of you have the time you want/need/or thought you would have to use the boat?

I had hoped that this year would be different, that I would have more available time to get out and use the boat as I like. Unfortunately, this isn't the case. My wife retired, which was awesome (other than that whole lack of paycheck and benefits thing) but then she immediately committed to babysitting our new grandchild for a year.

At the same time, while I had hoped to be able to start reducing my days in the office, it has turned out the opposite. I'm now seeing patients MORE instead of less. We also had expected a new associate to start this coming summer, but it looks like it won't be until July 2019.

Then there are the other various things that come up. Weddings, births, funerals, etc... that eat into the limited weekends available and time I can afford to be out of the office.

Do you get the time to use the boat? If you are retired, do you find that is enough to give you the time you want?
Click to expand...

Life is what happen while we are making plans.
 
In 2017 it looks like there will have been 125 nights anchored out. Less than last year, but still OK. I expect to use the boat more next year.
 
we typically get 6-8 weeks during late June to late August. The past 2 seasons have been interrupted by work, then funeral, which reduced both to 2 weeks.

We are more than ready to get back to the typical this coming summer.

Also, try to get a week in the spring, but will likely be hauled out for the once per 3 year bottom work this spring.
 
dhays said:
At the same time, while I had hoped to be able to start reducing my days in the office, it has turned out the opposite. I'm now seeing patients MORE instead of less. We also had expected a new associate to start this coming summer, but it looks like it won't be until July 2019.
Click to expand...

With aging boomers and their degenerating eyes, you could probably work 7 days a week if you want. No boating! You'll have to limit yourself. What about only being open 4 days a week, 10 hour days? Then you have 3 day weekends where it still makes sense to get out boating, and full time employment for your emps. It's what a lot of dentists/orthos do.
 
I worked full work weeks in the summer, 1974-2012. So I think I earned summers off in retirement. I drove the boat home my first day of retirement. This past year May 18-August 29 with most days on anchor.
 
As a child I wanted to liveaboard anything that floated. After divorce and a couple detours, I realized I could live my life achieving other peoples goals or achieving my own goals. Since then I've been the happiest in my life. I cruise to my hearts content and let nothing get in the way.
 
I was lucky/broke/retired in my twenties. Spent ten years on various boats including my 40' Shucker for several years in the keys and Carib. Regular hippy boat bum. Wouldn't trade the time for anything. At the time, I looked at guys retiring and tipping over before they could cash the first retirement check. Thought, think I'll retire now, and did. After ten years my wife and I buckled down for the next thirty years to catch up. Now I'm ready to do it again. Maybe I'll get another boat before I die, but if I don't, I'll smile because I did it once when I could really enjoy it.
 
My philosophy. learned at the ripe age of 28, is that if I can't use a boat year around, all the time, I don't want to own one. As a result I've owned two "big" boats in my life, a Tollycraft 32 from 1977 to 1979 and a Hatteras 56MY from 2007-2014. When I could no longer use them (in the later case, liveaboard and cruise) full time, I sold them. In between and after, chartered and rented and crewed for friends.. much cheaper and hassle free.
 
I use it often. You have to make time and really want to. I have a strange job that only requires me to work a few days a month, albeit over 3 hours away. If I not working at my real job, I’m working on the boat or spending time on her doing overnighters and even just anchoring out. Sometimes I’ll spend a couple of days on her at the marina. My dog loves boat life and he weighs 9 pounds, so it’s easy and he loves the kayak and zodiac.

It’s up to you to make time. You know all those things you want to do? You should do them now. Time waits for no one.
 
I have plenty of time to use my boats whenever I want, but other issues kept me from using them as I wanted last summer. First the radar on my sailboat failed during the first week of the season. My wife won't even go aboard the boat if there is fog forecast without the radar. The other issue was my health. A side effect of the leukemia that I have is severe fatigue. Last summer I started the season with about a three hour limit before I was done for the day. I was down to an hour and a half by the end of the season. Even walking down to the boat at the marina wore me out. Hopefully next summer will be better.
 
We use our boat a lot. 100 nights per year on average, a lot of anchoring, and a couple longer cruises up the coast each year.


Work and play are a balancing act, but overall we are very thankful for our past couple boats. Our kids are now gone, but the times we had with them and friends are memories well worth the expense and sometime hassles of owning a boat.


Looking forward to the next stage of boating, and hoping my crappy lower back and knees can hang in there until the finish line.
 
No, I do not have enough time to do what I want to do because of work

but...

I do not have enough money to give up work

But, all is not lost :)

I am only 55

Old age will come soon enough

Besides I only work 120 days a year, and my business (which my wife and I run) can be operated from anywhere with a internet connection.
 
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good, then I can plan on you taking me to great salmon fishing all summer... :)

maybe even a halibut if you insist.....
 
We left Virginia mid October

And currently are in Marsh Harbour, Bahamas.
 
We spend at least 3 out of 4 weekends on the boat year round. My wife retires this month so we are going to sell the dirt and move aboard, so for us it will be "how much time do we have ashore"?
 
Speaking as an old retired codger who has had boats throughout adult life, it's a bit like running a race. While you're working, you grab as many weeks and weekends as you possibly can. You're young so you can run yourself ragged getting the boat ready, loading it up, getting home and back to work. But it's worth it. Now you reach the retirement finish line. All of a sudden, your boat time is denominated in months rather than days, and you now actually have the time to work on the boat in a meaningful way. And you don't have to press the weather envelope to get home and back to work. If you have a boat, retirement is nirvana. You'll get there.
 
Interesting topic. I retired the last time at 50 and took off for the Bahamas two days later and I have no kids that need me but I still don’t have enough time to do all I would like on the boat. Something always gets in the way. Scott and Ted have it made, they are on the water almost every day and they make money doing it.

Life is short, enjoy it.
 
Insequent said:
In 2017 it looks like there will have been 125 nights anchored out. Less than last year, but still OK. I expect to use the boat more next year.
Click to expand...

125 night anchored out is awesome. Congratulations.
 
great conversation. My wife and I used to use the boat lots. In fact, both ex wives and I used our boats a lot. Key is "ex".

this last year and a half, after my most recent wife left, it knocked my socks off and I found it almost impossible to spend time on the boat. First, the memories killed me and frankly boating is just not as much fun when you're by yourself. But, I've been on the water most of my life and couldn't just pack it in.

So this winter I sold the old boat 4388 bayliner, and am in the process of buying a smaller boat that suits my needs more, Camano Troll. Survey this coming Tuesday in fact.

So we'll see how it goes. I've got some big plans for the spring/summer/fall time will tell.
 
JustBob said:
With aging boomers and their degenerating eyes, you could probably work 7 days a week if you want. No boating! You'll have to limit yourself. What about only being open 4 days a week, 10 hour days? Then you have 3 day weekends where it still makes sense to get out boating, and full time employment for your emps. It's what a lot of dentists/orthos do.
Click to expand...

I try to work 4 day weeks as often as I can. 10 hour days are tough. I find that I can't stay as sharp as I like over that length of time. A huge part of my role is to engage and listen to my patients. If I am tired or hungry, it just isn't as enjoyable and I don't think I am giving my patients my best. Odd as other much more physical jobs that I used to have I would happily work 12+ hours but I found that when I started seeing patients, those long days weren't as enjoyable.

Lately, I need that 5th day to fill in the gaps, plus admin time. Down the road, with the addition of an associate, I would like to cut down to 3 days/week on average.
 
We feel fortunate to be retired and living in Skyline, Anacortes. We are a five minute walk from our boat, and can go out most anytime. We spent 67 nights cruising the San Juans, and B.C. Gulf Islands this year. Next year Southeast Alaska, departing early May The boat is 41 years old, and has been meticulously maintained by the previous owner.
 
I'm working 183 days a year, on an equal time rotation. It was 4 weeks on / 4 weeks off. Now its 2 weeks on/off. Its tough working 12 hours days for weeks on end but the reward is worth it.

My wife has been working full time, so we've only done overnighters together this year. We're cruising for a week at the end of this month..

I managed a nice two week, 500 nm round trip to Port Lincoln with a couple old high school mates, plus a few multi day cruises on my own.
+ full kitchen renovation
+ landscaped the yard
+ replaced home carpet with tile
+ re-faced the fireplace
And still managed to fit in a holiday to Fiji (flying)

I still don't feel like I'm using the boat enough. Maybe next year.
 
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Never ever will I get to use it as much as I would like to. Never.


We were doing pretty well with time on the boat until 3 years ago when my wife decided that we needed a swimming pool to entertain the grandkids. You know the story...Happy wife, happy life.


Well the pool seriously cut into our boat time because the grands were here every weekend, along with their parents. Our food bill, booze bill and every other bill went up because my wife felt it was important to be "good hosts".


This year the grands won't be around so much because they moved to a new neighborhood that has a community pool two doors away. We likely won't see them as much with equals more time on the boat.


Stay tuned.
 
NO. Definitely not. I'm 36 , with my main career and also being a part-time small biz entrepreneur it is so tough to find time to get on the water.

But one mistake I will not make is , "holding on too long". My Dad retired at age 75 from his career as a vascular surgeon. He had no hobbies and no vision for retirement. WORK WAS HIS LIFE, THAT'S IT. PERIOD. Now he's 85 and in failing health...... :(
 
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I retired late 40s and my wife in her early 50s.
A few days after her last day of work be moved aboard, finished off a few things at a marina berth over the next few weeks, locked up the house and headed out.
That was 18 mths ago.
Haven't spent a night ashore or tied to a berth since.
 
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