Boat ,Home and Work

[healhustler]

Relatively, I do have it all. My Admiral and I are retiring in health the end of June, moving to the Gulf Coast, FL where our new home is waiting with it's own deep water slip out back, no maintenance three-floor townhouse, gated, secure, a stone's throw from the ICW and Gulf, a golf course 50 steps from our front door, a private, gated beach entrance only three minutes away with no one (and I mean no one) there. We're not rich but we've got a good boat and enough of everything. We're both trimming down, eating better and trying to take responsibility for our good fortune. This will be something like over 45 moves I've made in my life.....looking forward to staying a while. As with any move, it'll be a fricken confused mess for a while, but we hope to begin the loop in Spring 2014.

 

[Pineapple Girl]

Get rid of all the excess stuff, define needs vs. wants, rent the house and live on your boat. You get the income from the home and the expenses become a write-off. You always have a place to move back to. The key is to redefining what you need.

this is exactly our plan. It will be a few years before we can put in it place though.

 

[Blender Boy]

I have all three: work, which I don't like at all, home, which I can do without, and a boat, which wants me on board all the time. So I'm quitting work, selling the home, and going cruising. Problem solved.

Until I have to be in the engine room for an extended period in the topics. Then that air conditioned home in the Bay Area will sound very dreamy...

 

[beachbum29]

We used to work many hours a week until I also lost my wife almost a year ago to hypertension. She spent a total of 17 days in the hospital over a period of three months. Missed our middle daughters wedding, which they had been planning for over a year because she was in ICU.

It was after the first hospital stay that we decided to take another course in life. We bought a small express cruiser, turned most of the business over to 2 of our daughters and have taken a much different course in life.

We no longer own a house, we currently rent and are looking to move closer to the boat soon.

When we get our sea legs under us, decide that being a full time live aboard is for us, we will sell our current boat and buy a trawler or something similar.

If not, then we'll do something else.

No one knows how much time you have left so you better enjoy what you have and screw the rest.

 

[Ben]

No one knows how much time you have left so you better enjoy what you have and screw the rest.

On Tuesday December 27 at 3:00pm my dad came home from work not feeling well. He calls me to his room to help him get to the commode to vomit. He tells me to call his doc, which I do and the paramedics are sent and take him 8 miles down the road to the hospital.

At 6:30, his doc walks in with the glum face. That was 37 years ago. It's never left me how fast life can change or stop.

A lot of good logical financial reasons to not buy the boat. F all that. Life is short and we don't get to choose the date.

 

[Carolena]

Several themes here from how short life can be to all the trade offs. But the on that seems to bind all of regardless is the decision to live within means so as to be able to enjoy our passion. I see colleagues go out to lunch every day then question how we can own two boats. It is amazing how much cash can be freed up with just a few little changes. I'd much rather enjoy weekend evenings bbqing at anchor in return for taking lunch from home and skipping a few expensive restaurants.

 

[Art]

Not long ago we lost a close family member here at his mid 60's who was only ill for 10 months. Three days ago I lost my "2nd" mom, Pat Cokinis, Camden ME. A stellar woman for sure and a builder of some of my better character points. Now I (and others too) have concern for my 2nd dad... her husband of 60 + yrs., Nick.

She was mother to my teen age cohort and best friend still, Chris. I was just speaking to her during a strong phone chat a couple weeks ago. She’d only been ill for short time. Chris had prompted me to call that morning... he must have realized something was going down. He was thereafter that day taking her to a doctor visit. We all knew she was ill but seemed to be turning the corner. Things happen too fast sometimes.

So... I concur with all those who have basically said - LIVE and ENJOY while we still can!

Man, boating with my wife is one of our best enjoyments in life - ever. We usually have from one to three boats available, different sizes and shapes. Currently we have a 34' tri cabin Tollycraft and a 14' tow behind Crestliner o/b runabout. Not too long ago sold a 31' Uniflite sedan and two weeks ago sold a 20' Malibu Skier i/b. Recently been reviewing several twin screw FB sedans, planning to purchase one to keep in a San Rafael harbor on SF Bay. This 4th O’ July we plan to spend nearly a full week out and about aboard our Tolly in SF Delta!

Some ask me how can you ever allow yourself to do all this with boats?? My answer: That's for me to know and you to find out - If You're Lucky!

That said: Most (myself included) of us who really enjoy (can we say become addicted to) all forms of boating were either brought up in the boating culture (I was), or entered slowly at first during adult years but after some time fell in love with it. As I see it... it’s pretty difficult for a person to simply jump in from a cold start and become a boat o-fish-i-ando mush less an accomplished “boating” lover. There’s girl who has been attempting to jump in that posts often on this forum. I simply had to stop answering questions, so did many others, she thinks she can just jump in with both feet and become a boat lover... time will tell. I wish her best luck. Hundreds of info-packed posts from many savvy boaters have been provided to her. Doesn’t seem she understands too much... yet.

Happy Boating Daze! - Art

 

[Pau Hana]

I pulled the trigger on being a liveaboard 4 years ago, and haven't looked back. Like others, it was a dream of mine- the reality has been more fulfilling than I could have ever imagined. Got rid of stuff, simplified my life, and have zero complaints.

My commute is about 11 minutes, and I get to work in a business that I love.

 

[Pineapple Girl]

Several themes here from how short life can be to all the trade offs. But the on that seems to bind all of regardless is the decision to live within means so as to be able to enjoy our passion. I see colleagues go out to lunch every day then question how we can own two boats. It is amazing how much cash can be freed up with just a few little changes. I'd much rather enjoy weekend evenings bbqing at anchor in return for taking lunch from home and skipping a few expensive restaurants.

So true. People act like we HAVE to be "rich" to have what we have. Not so much. It's all about choices. Like Art said, we love boating. So we have prioritized boating in our lives and spending. a few years ago we couldn't have afforded what we have now but you have to set goals if you're going to reach them! Our lives are rich in enjoyment!!

 

[CPseudonym]

So true. People act like we HAVE to be "rich" to have what we have. Not so much. It's all about choices. Like Art said, we love boating. So we have prioritized boating in our lives and spending. a few years ago we couldn't have afforded what we have now but you have to set goals if you're going to reach them! Our lives are rich in enjoyment!!

Spot on Jennifer!

We drive older model cars and have a modest house. Our income hasn't increased, at least what I would consider significantly in 10 years but how we chose to spend it has. The overwhelming majority of boats on this forum are about 30+ years old. Too often I think people get hung up on gel coat scratches or minor blister repair. Neither of which has managed to sink a boat yet.

There are hundreds of threads at cruiserforum.com with families of 5 living and cruising aboard 27' to 32' sailboats purchased for south of $10K that are having the time of their lives building memories for their kids. They run out of money in the cruising kitty and take jobs ashore to replenish it and move on. It's what I call the big 6's of boating. I am often baffled by folks thinking that without 6 figure incomes or 6 figure boats that are 60+' long you can't enjoy them.

Baker lived aboard a Prairie 29, Manyboats brought a 30' Willard down from Alaska to Washington on its bottom. Jeffnick drags a 28' houseboat anywhere he likes land or sea. Ask any of them if they regret it.

Comfortable living aboard for any amount of time(cruising or dockside, long term or short) is about your state of mind more than anything else. There are those who can afford more so they have more, there are others who can have more and choose not too. Boats of any size are a compromise so find the compromise you can live with and get out there. We all enjoy the same view.

 

[beachbum29]

We have dissolved all of our real estate holdings, getting ready to move closer to the marina probably in a condo and go down to one car.

 

[Peter B]

This has been a very uplifting thread.

 

[Hendo78]

I think everyone knows the answer to that question. You can't have everything you want. Even if your a rich man, you have to give something up at some point. Unless you dont have to work, and even then , something has to give. My advice is do the best you can. As someone here mentioned, we all die. At some point your going to regret waiting to do the things that you love. I have friends that are always waiting,putting things off, as if they are going to live forever. My father is 80 years old and he still puts things off, as if he will be around 100 years from now. I just dont get it , or understand that type of thinking. I know I am very impulsive. In fact I recently purchased a Trawler project that most men would cringe over. I dont see it that way. Even if I never get it right, or make it look the way most people should think it should look, I always see the inner beauty of what it is, and what I can do with it. For me its therapy, nothing more nothing less.II also have the added luxury to have my boat in my back yard, that goes a long way, and Im also self employed. So I planned my life for this, and will NEVER work for someone else again, EVER!!! good luck

Amen Brother!

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[Hendo78]

This has been a very uplifting thread.

Agreed.

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[timjet]

High octane work can be as much fun or more so than low octane cruising. Total retirement and having the ability to just cruise isn't for everyone. It may surprise even some here that are dreaming of that day.

If a nice balance can be struck...the best of both worlds is great.

I'm soon going to find out and am a little apprehensive.