Do It NOW, Don't Wait!!

[ABfish]

Mom died at 62 after a lifetime of excellent health. That really got me thinking about waiting until 65 to take the "big boat plunge". So I did it at 53 years old.

No regrets. We use the boat like a condo/second home, which makes it more justifiable financially. And staying on the boat every other weekend makes it much more likely that all is in working order.

Wife says we'll need a house or condo when the grandkids come, but I'd rather rent them a place as needed.

 

[Miz Trom]

There is,
Go back to the way it was before the " Affordable health care act" when many of us had better coverage at 1/4 the cost.. and we paid for it ourselves. Insurance is just a piece of why life is so expensive, connected devices with data, sophisticated cars, housing, and all the stuff we "need" costs much more than 10 years ago.


HOLLYWOOD

Hi Mr. Hollywood:

By the way, I love your avatar. I just wanted to jump in here and mention that health insurance maybe used to be affordable for some folks in the USA, as long as you didn't have a pre-existing condition.

I do agree that the ACA was poorly written, has since been modified by Congress into an unrecognizable form, and may not last much longer depending upon what The Supremes decide.

But it has been a lifesaver for many, including me, and I think that trying to "go back to the way it was before the ACA" would cause a pretty big headache for everyone, including the middleman insurance companies.

But I digress from Pete's original thesis in this thread.

We were fortunate enough to have the time and financial resources to live aboard for six months last year, and had a splendid adventure. Now we are trying to figure out the best way to take care of an elderly parent, a terminally ill sister, and two aged beloved dogs.

It turns out that all of our cruising decisions now revolve around someone's health, our own or our family members'. Did NOT see that coming.

Could not agree with Pete more, do it while you can. We have no idea what will happen next week or next year.

Cheers,
Mrs. Trombley

 

[smitty477]

There is,
Go back to the way it was before the " Affordable health care act" when many of us had better coverage at 1/4 the cost.. and we paid for it ourselves. Insurance is just a piece of why life is so expensive, connected devices with data, sophisticated cars, housing, and all the stuff we "need" costs much more than 10 years ago.


HOLLYWOOD

Hollywood - that is because it is no longer health insurance but a health tax.
The ACA bears no resemblance to any other insurance that we know (car, home, life, boat, etc) where you buy insurance that fits your needs and can make decisions about the coverage that you get. With all insurances there are ways to reduce rates by having safety features or less of the insured item(s) which allows one to govern their own life.
The ACA on the other hand offers no choices in coverage, actually often gets less expensive with more people covered and offers no incentives for healthy behaviors or practices - and the costs rise with your income.
No resemblance to insurance...

 

[thataway]

We took 4 years when I as age 44 to age 49 and cruised from Calif. to Europe and Back. We had lived a frugal, but meaningful life. We sold all of our goods, and that paid for the boat. We had savings, which allowed us to live pretty much as 'Locals" for food and enough tankage to pickup cheap fuel. Anchored out the vast majority of the time.

A lot has to do with type of job--and financial planning. Our kids needed extra $$ to get thru college. Then grad school. A hiatus, but then both of our mothers came to live with us during their last years. (We did take them boating, even into 90's, making handicap accommodations.). We still boat at ages 84 and 76, despite serious health issues. Boating keeps one young. But never would we have changed the years we took in our 40's to really have a "grand adventure".

 

[Shaunc]

I am reading this thread sitting on the hook at cayo costa Florida

I should have been sailing with my life long friend who dropped dead 2 years ago

We were always going to retire and sail away together with the awesome ladies in our lives.

This will be 5 years of living on board and semi retired.

The year we decided to do this we lost 2 close friends. Life is to short to live it some day.
Start living today, we may not have tomorrow let alone some day.

If you want it bad enough there will always be away, it is just how bad do you want it.

My wife says leap and the net will appear. Like the old Indiana Jones movie.

Our friends think we are a step away from the loony bin.

My wife does our www.weliveonthesea.com and www.theboatbabe.com to help people and especially our better half’s adjusting to life onboard. She had had a few people take the plunge after reading her information.

Our local newspaper did an article about us moving onto the boat.

We have one life to live.

Get busy living or get busy dying.

They are both your choices.

 

[bill.kimbell]

+1

 

[Selidster]

Sometimes life forces you and allows you to go. Our home and business burned in a wildfire in CA. We could have rebuilt but decided to buy a boat and enjoy our lives. Accidental retirement. As others have said, we may have to go back to work but we are doing the dream now while we can. No regrets!

 

[Shaunc]

I am so sorry Selidster that you had to endure that, it must have been horrific.


Most of us will go through life and face some adversity. Its what we choose to make of it and the decisions you make at the time can set you on a path that years later you can look back and say"without that (incident/event etc), I would not be here today.


I know I can. A devastating (so I thought) event happened to me 24 years ago that made me move my family to the greatest country on earth. I can thank the event for my family being blessed to celebrate our independence day this weekend.


While as hurtful as it was I can thank that day for where I am today.


We pack so much external crap in our lives that it consumes our time and thoughts that we dont take time to focus on doing the things in life we want.


Keep things in life simple and you will simply keep on living life.

 

[RSampson]

While agree if you can do it now you should. My plan is for the summer of 2023. I know That’s three years away, but I work a job with an employer funded pension plan, not a 401k or other type of plan. This means that if I leave earlier then that I will get a lump sum check for what I have paid in over the years minus taxes. If I stay I will receive 60% of my salary each year for as long as I live. I just can’t leave that behind. On the positive side I will only be 54 when I retire. As I live within reach of part of the great loop I plan to buy the boat early, bring it home and learn what I can here on the river before I retire. I have a few friends with larger river boats (2 with approx 80ft sternwheelers and 1 with a 52ft sidewheeler) who are willing to help show me the ropes before I ship off for good.

 

[Pluto]

I just bought my first airplane at 69. It was now or never.
Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.
Do it.

 

[Darlin]

I have cruised since I bought Darlin, a 43 ft Ocean Alexander trawler in 2000. I retired in 2009 and took her to Alaska and west Vancouver Island for 2 seasons. I then cruised to the Sea of Cortez and have been there and on the Mexican Mainland for 9 winters. In 2017 I bought a 34 c&c in Ketchikan .Alaska and spend summers there. I am 67 and have some issues with my back and feet numbness but I plan to keep cruising as long as I am physically able. I share a small apartment in Seattle that I keep as my primary address.

 

[Shaunc]

We said we would re-evaluate after 5 yrs and I can talk you now we will be on the boat till the bury me.

It so ironic that while I was typing my earlier post, my wife got a person repost a similar post that it’s freaky


https://www.theboatbabe.com/post/less-stuff-more-life

 

[alormaria]

Although it seriously screwed up my career I am glad we dumped everything (kinda) and went for a summer cruise in our 40's. My daughter was 10 at the time and finally got to see her dad during daylight hours dealing with real problems rather than corporate ones.



At 10 it is a horrible imposition to have to spend a summer cruising with your parents on the family yacht in a foreign country. She turned 30 this year and wanted us to "re-enact" the trip in all it's glory. Luckily the virus intervened. It was good for something.



My wife was able to return to her job and the trip was a big boost to her career. She was the girl who "sailed around the world". Apparently an understanding of geography is not a critical skill to insurance executives.

 

[Lollygag1]

I work to live not live to work. Life changes quickly, we are in the position today to enjoy what we have worked for. Hopefully it will continue but if not I have no regrets.

 

[cabinetman1955]

Exactly DO IT NOW!

 

[ghostrider454]

I wince every time I read a post starting with.."We will be buying a boat and retiring on it in Five, or Ten Years..." Or "We will be doing the Loop in Five years, when we buy a boat". Don't Wait..Do it Now!! pete

Fifty years ago I started in construction - mainly log homes with my Father. We had land in Colorado that we sold as a package. Land and cabin. We found that most people bought the land, but delayed building on it. By the time they decided to finally build the costs were almost prohibitive. This happened also in NW Wyoming where we had a thousand acres of scrub land. Sold in 20-40 ac pieces - either with or without the cabin. Lots of people bought - almost none built cabins. I asked a fellow why not build now when the prices were lower. He said he would when he retired. He never did. His children didn't want it and the grandchilden are building, tho the costs have tripled.

After twenty five years of doing that, I went to sea. I'll never go back to land living again.

 

[Hawkshaw1]

So, like Kevin, I am 57 but I H"

Hawk

 

[markpierce]

Gladly retired at 55 with half pension, having paid off the mortgage and getting the kids through college. ... Noticed a significant decline in my body's physics when reaching 65, and needing open-heart surgery at 72 hasn't helped.

 

[Night Watch]

Definitely Worth it

After commercial trolling in the 80s I fell in love with fishing & boats. Then spent decades doing what everyone else thought I should be doing (and they never considered that women do fall in love with boats). At 64 I put some stuff in my car and left the whole suburban shebang for a chance of the live aboard life [alone]. It was a slim thread i caught --but three boats and six years later I am thankful every day as I walk out on the back deck and say "I'm finally home".

PS Now ex decided he "wants to try boating" HAHAHA LOL-

 

[Gulf Comanche]

No, you’re not too old. I just turned 70 and intend to continue as Captain of Old School into my 80’s. Go for it now, its not too late.

We had sailed for about 25 years. Among our fondest memories were sailing on Lake Superior with my family. We left Duluth, Mn. and moved to Texas. We didn't boat. We put three (3) children through college and started a business. Then one (1) of our adult children needed our help after she became a single Mom. (The life a working single Mom is a tough road without help.) Then my wife accepted responsibility for her younger sister who became seriously ill and passed away after four (4) long and difficult years.

I'm 74 years old ... I waited too long. So now I read this Forum and think about "what if."

 

[Group9]

As we were sitting on the dock having cocktails the other night we started to "guestimate" how much we have spent on slip rental and winter storage.
In 30 plus years one could only imagine.
But we enjoyed every minute, had lots of experiences, and made tons of friends.
Not looking back. Only ahead.

Oh yeah! The truth, is the most enjoyable thing I do is being on my boat, and running it somewhere.

The second most enjoyable thing, is just sitting on it, alone or with friends, or puttering around on it, tied in the slip!