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Retiresomeday

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Apr 13, 2019
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Hi to all!

I have been reading here for a long time. I finally joined a week or 2 ago, but until tonight was waiting for inspiration for my 1st post. I am through waiting for the inspiration! So....

I see the glow of retirement above the horizon; I think 2025 ( Lord willing and if my health holds out). I hope to talk my wife into spending some serious lengths of time on a boat travelling. I told my son he can stay at the house and we'll come back every couple months...

I registered last year (when the boating bug set in) on a couple sailboat forums. We went to the coast and looked at some sailboats (found a sweet 32' that the wife actually suggested buying! Fortunately it was sold to someone else QUICK!), but I just cannot see myself depending on the wind. The more I read, the more a trawler seems right.

I am reading here a lot. Eventually I will be posting some specific questions. Right now I keep flip-flopping between a trailerable boat (Ranger, Rosborough, etc.) or an older larger boat (Ford Lehman or Perkins engines- simple well built and last forever). I don't want to just be on a boat- I want to GO PLACES...
 
Welcome aboard. We used to trailer boats but as we got older we wanted more creature comforts so we have moved into larger boats. Lot to be said for either approach.
 
Welcome Aboard! Sounds like you’ve given this some thought. Do you have any boating experience? If not, you may want to buy a small boat now and do some weekend cruising before you retire. That way you’ll learn what amenities you will need to keep your wife happy on a boat. Then when you retire you’ll be better prepared to buy the right boat.
 
HopCar said:
Welcome Aboard! Sounds like you’ve given this some thought. Do you have any boating experience? If not, you may want to buy a small boat now and do some weekend cruising before you retire. That way you’ll learn what amenities you will need to keep your wife happy on a boat. Then when you retire you’ll be better prepared to buy the right boat.
Click to expand...
Welcome aboard TF
I'm with HopCar...
A smaller boat will get you started soon(er)
It will get you & mate some valuable experience
If you buy the "right" trailerable you can do some extended exploring and get a feel for the cruising lifestyle.
Selling it to trade up (if desired) should not be difficult or a big $ hit
It's hard to buy the "right boat" the first time. Having and using one helps emensily in defining mists, wants & don't wants.

Lastly find & join a local Americas Boating Club (FKA US Power Squadron). If will give you both an opportunity to take some excellent boating courses on a wide range of topics and maybe more importantly you will expand your network of people with similar interests and knowledge.

Good luck with the adventures!
 
TF. Welcome. We are doing exactly what’s been advised. If u are new to boating get something you can run around with - a planing vessel if you do not have time to use it for long periods till you retire. I have learned a lot and cheaper to make mistakes with a smaller boat.
 
Welcome, RSD!

If you've never owned a boat before, there's SOOOOOO much to take in. It can be exciting or daunting...or both, but it's best consumed in small bites. All great advice above...start small and then go big. It'll flatten your learning curve and allow you to experience the lifestyle and environment while honing your skills and building knowledge.

I started with a 19 ft Sea Ray runabout for 7 years before making the leap. Had a friend who knew the ropes and guided me along. Saved me years of [STRIKE]mistakes[/STRIKE] experience building. :D

Enjoy the journey!
 
Hello Again and Thank you for the replies!
(And Happy Easter!)

I spent a lot of time on Lake Erie Fishing when younger. I had a small boat (inherited) that got very little use because it was a fishing boat and daughter didn't like boating. I look at a lot ( A LOT!) of ads for trailer boats but anything I really want would require me to get a serious truck also. I want a boat I can at least spend a night in.

There are lakes around, and we are about 4 hours from the coastal waters (inland sounds). Wife and I liked the area around Washington NC.

Hopcar: "That way you’ll learn what amenities you will need to keep your wife happy on a boat. "

I found an ad for a 55' Californian MC (about $200K!) than my wife could be VERY happy on. We would almost have to treat it like "OLD IRONSIDES" - we could turn it twice a year for sun exposure on the other side! It would make a beautiful floating condo though! Let's just say this will be very carefully negotiated.

I think our 1st post retirement trip will be couple months in a camper in New Zealand (I hope to never take a 1 WEEK trip after retirement!). I hope that will help adjust to smaller quarters. An old MC used for long weekends might help too..

Bacchus:
"Lastly find & join a local Americas Boating Club (FKA US Power Squadron)"

Good advice. And now I know Why I haven't seen US Power Squadron... When did they change name?

I was a little mean to my wife above here...She is a good sport. But I need to do this carefully to get her changed from "doing what he likes" to "I like this too"!

I will be posting Qs about boating areas. This is enough for here. Thanks again!
 
I bought my boat Possum when I was in my thirties. I thought I’d be doing a lot of scuba diving so she has a huge cockpit and minimal living quarters. The living quarters were about like you’d find on the trailer trawlers you mentioned. Vee berth, alcohol stove, sink, small fridge, shower/toilet (wet head). Now I’m retired and pushing seventy I’d like more living space with a generator and air conditioner.

My suggestion is get one of the small trawlers and use it for weekend trips now. You’ll learn what you want, have some fun now, and when the time comes to sell, they hold their value pretty well.

I also wouldn’t buy a trailer for the boat right away. Keep it at a near by marina and you’ll use it more. Trailering boats that size is a PITA.
 
HopCar said:
My suggestion is get one of the small trawlers and use it for weekend trips now. You’ll learn what you want, have some fun now, and when the time comes to sell, they hold their value pretty well.

I also wouldn’t buy a trailer for the boat right away. Keep it at a near by marina and you’ll use it more. Trailering boats that size is a PITA.
Click to expand...

The suggestion about small boat and leaving it at marina probably needs much more consideration/thought than I have given it. Much cheaper than truck and you are correct - " trailering boats that size is PITA". Thanks
 
RSD
The USPS - ABC transition has been going on over the last 1-2 yrs... more seriously lately with local Chapters (Squadrons) transitioning. Still a great boating resource and their boating education is hard to beat for the $. It has given me / us the knowledge to cruise with confidence. Americas Boating Channel now has MANY short boating videos online to help educated boaters. (If you look for the Cold Water Boating Video you will see Bacchus in action.)

Would a trailerable docked locally give you frequent boating to start?
Do you have any friends, relatives, etc with a truck that you could hire to provide a "tow" to remote sites once-in-awhile? or cruise one-way further and have someone trailer it home or maybe to move to a different home port for a year or two to explore?

I know one couple that had 40+ fters that downsized to a trailerable after retirement and explored many remote places they didn't / couldn't cruise to in their younger yrs w/ family... Rideau & Trent Severn Waterways in Canada, Tennessee / TenTom to mention a few.

Lastly - but likely most important - my advice...
Don't think of it as "convincing" your wife / mate / admiral to go along with your dreams.
Involve her in the education, planning, searching and then enjoying the adventures and you'll be more successful in the long run.
Make it fun - get here thinking and providing lists of musts & wants / don't want - visit some boat shows, marina focused communities, boats for sale as wkend trips etc and make them mini vacations so it's enjoyable vs a pain.

Above based on our experiences progressing from thinking about our 1st (24 ft) boat to our current (3rd 34 ft). The "but in" didn't happen overnight but done w/ the right involvement it happened and the admiral tell others the moves were the best thing we did!?
 
Last edited:
Sorry it's been a week w/out reply, but work this week put me out of mood to reply. But I did want to make few more comments/ replies here.



Bacchus said:
RSD

Would a trailerable docked locally give you frequent boating to start?


I could see trips from NC up ICW to Va/Maryland or out to Okracote or other cities. Not too interested in riding around on the lakes ( and wife wouldn't be either. We agree we want to go places...).



Do you have any friends, relatives, etc with a truck that you could hire to provide a "tow" to remote sites once-in-awhile? or cruise one-way further and have someone trailer it home or maybe to move to a different home port for a year or two to explore?


Truck no problem- borrow, rent, buy... THAT is easy to solve (not cheap necessarily, but easy!)


I know one couple that had 40+ fters that downsized to a trailerable after retirement and explored many remote places they didn't / couldn't cruise to in their younger yrs w/ family... Rideau & Trent Severn Waterways in Canada, Tennessee / TenTom to mention a few.



I have actually looked a lot at boats for sale on/near the great lakes. I have lots connections there, and many (MANY!) areas of the great lakes appeal to us- on both sides of the border. I would like for 1st major cruise to be down the St Lawrence seaway, Maritime Provinces, and Maine etc. (" Down east Circle loop" Is name IIRC). I could also spend a LOT of summers on Great Lakes (advantage- trailer boat!).

Wife is interested in above trips, but only thing that gets her EXCITED about being on a boat is inland passage/ Washington/BC/Alaska. My 1st thread ( I think this one about done?) will be questions/advice about buying far-away boat and shakedown/learning LEAVING on it... But...

My copy of VOYAGING UNDER POWER (4th edition) came today. I will be reading that during lunch ( instead of threads on here:) ).



Lastly - but likely most important - my advice...
Don't think of it as "convincing" your wife / mate / admiral to go along with your dreams.
Involve her in the education, planning, searching and then enjoying the adventures and you'll be more successful in the long run.
Make it fun - get here thinking and providing lists of musts & wants / don't want - visit some boat shows, marina focused communities, boats for sale as wkend trips etc and make them mini vacations so it's enjoyable vs a pain.

Above based on our experiences progressing from thinking about our 1st (24 ft) boat to our current (3rd 34 ft). The "but in" didn't happen overnight but done w/ the right involvement it happened and the admiral tell others the moves were the best thing we did!?
Click to expand...

I am not sure what or IF to comment about last part. I'll just say we've been married over 30 years, and I have much experience and a long list of successes and failures. Wife really DID enjoy looking at sailboats! But she wanted nothing to do with sailing one. so let me just warn you here...don't be surprised if couple years from now you see me posting that I bought a boat you think is inappropriate for a 1st boat. Big. old. slow. 30+ years experience. I can be very happy on what many might think not right boat... but wife will like it. So I will.

I just "previewed" post. It looks lousy how I put comments of mine in middle. But I think it better to have reply near specific sentence. So I will leave it that way and hit "post"!


Thank you for all advice and comments!
 
Greetings,
Welcome aboard. You nailed it. "...but wife will like it. So I will." Up to a point. IF you have no interest in a sail boat, do NOT buy one. Get a power boat YOUR WIFE likes.
 
RT Firefly said:
Greetings,
Welcome aboard. You nailed it. "...but wife will like it. So I will." Up to a point. IF you have no interest in a sail boat, do NOT buy one. Get a power boat YOUR WIFE likes.
Click to expand...
Ahh... the art of compromise....
Just do it her way!! [emoji106]
 
Last edited:
Bacchus said:
Ahh... the art of compromise....
Just do it her way!! [emoji106]
Click to expand...

If she is willing to live in a space with the total square footage of most people's living room (or in many cases, smaller), then yes, she can have anything else she wants.

My wife said "Island style berth, large fridge with separate freezer, and an enclosed shower". Guess what she got?? ;

I've seen too many people who's significant others passive-aggressively pushing back on the boat by over-committing to non-boating plans during boating season. ("No, you're cousins, daughters, boyfriends College graduation is NOT that important").
 
You have had great advice. Some of the best, is to involve your wife in every decisions,,,,including maintenance discussions. We don't see a lot about that here. But especially with older larger boats, there is a lot of maintenance. Time wise "expensive"--but many things the average couple can do. If done professionally--very dollar wise expensive.

I would suggest that you rent or charter a few boats. There is an outfit in S. Florida who charters power boats. Power boats can also be chartered in the PNW. (some of the country's greatest cruising grounds.). You might even consider some of the Caribbean charters.

Our story is both power and sail all of our lives. Long distance cruising in motor sailors--a compromise dictated (or suggested) by my wife--rather than a fast wet boat). Then larger trawlers. In our older years (I am 83, my wife mid 70's) we went back to trailerable power boats. In our case, the C Dory's because of simplicity. We have visited many places not accessible to us earlier in life, although we have sailed the entire coast of North America from Icy Straits AK to the Maine Canadian border (including 3 Panama Canal transits). For us the trailer boat is easy maintenance. If we don't like an area (pretty rare)--put it back on the trailer, and go somewhere else. No seasonal trek from North to South following the weather at 7 knots.

Enjoy your Trip to New Zealand--a month is not enough--but it will give a good sample. We did a month in New Zealand, just before we retired (on a boat full time).
 
Welcome aboard. Excellent advice from all. The important thing is to get out on the water and enjoy the people, places, food and whatever vessel or vessels you choose. We can’t wait to be on the water full time.
 
I am not going to say don't live four hours from your new-to-you boat, but I can say that it would not work for me. I bought a Grand Banks 42 (Lehmans) when I was 41 and sold it when I was 68; lived on it five years; owned it for even number of years across divorce (smart move to have boat before she says "yes," but too late for you!!). I had over 20 years at sea on mostly steam ships before the GB but owned nothing but a canoe prior; so diesel and other maintenance issues were new to me. However, I knew I wanted a 40-ish footer with single or twins. Single had to have a get-home method. Funny because my current single diesel 30 footer has no get-home except my cell to TowBoatUS. Heavy maintenance (wooden hull) and a lack of further desire to go long distances and desire for increased speed finally weighed We were not ready to give up the idea of being able to sleep on the boat and to have air conditioning at anchor; thus, the Mainship Pilot. You sound like you need the 40-footer. Back to where I started; I never lived more than an hour away from the boat, and that was only for two painful years. There was always so much to do aboard, and time wasted in transit was time not devoted to the task at hand. I always felt rushed and resentful at having about having to pack up for that one-hour run back home. The last 15 years of the trawler ownership was spent with it right out the back door - heaven. Okay, call me spoiled. :)
 
You need to involve your wife equally at every step and this forum was the first step. Even if she doesn't post, share with her your posts and the responses.

Now, I see two directions to go initially. One is get a small boat and keep it on one of the nearest lakes and get into day boating. Many dry storage units so boat can remain in great shape. Otherwise, slip at marina. If you fall in love with boating then wanting to move up to something larger and get a boat on the coast is a normal progression. However, initially, a boat you can use every weekend and some summer afternoons beats a bigger boat you can't handle and can only use 4 or 5 times a year. Now, instead of buying, you can buy a portion of a boat or use of one through a boating club.

The other option is to travel to SW and charter, at first with an experienced captain. There you can find boats similar to what you'd want at the coast, determine what each of you likes and doesn't like in a boat, and figure out if it's at all right for you. You have plenty of time to decide and likely don't have the time to use one regularly yet. Enjoy exploring.

There are two outcomes after you do either of these. Neither one is bad. One is you'll fall in love with boating and the water and both be more convinced than every you want to boat. The other is you'll decide there are easier ways to go places and see what you want to see and maybe even end up with an RV. We're avid boaters, who wouldn't know how to live without it, but it's not right for everyone.
 
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