Getting the Hell Out!

[The Forklift Lady]

Good Evening TF Family:
Well this is my first. Be gentle! I'm an emotional kind.
After 22 years boating with Forky (and that's being kind) we have found ourself with an empty nest. Our 18 year old- after 1 year of college, has more sense than Mom and Dad. Bahahaha! We are wanting to move quick before he figures it out.
After reassessing unexpected freedom 4-5 years early- we realized that some doors had opened up that could begin a whole new lifestyle. It would require a tremendous amount of work to pull it off- but we have lived this way for the last 18 years with our own business and very little time really enjoying our trawler; although we do better than some getting out.
And so it begins. Where to start? Seattle we think (flying in for a few days in 4 weeks) to have a look around.
Target is 1.5 years (mine is 1 year!!), Did I mention we have three dogs and a squirrel (Sebi)??
I'm not much on anchoring (sorry I'm trying) but I do love to boat, exploring beautiful waterways and wildlife I go nuts over. Would I mind clam chowder in Pikes Market while purchasing fish and flowers? Nothing wrong with that either right??
I am agreeing to live on a trawler!
Seeking wisdom, advice and prayers as we begin our research ?




Patricia Louise II
Present 42 Sundeck
The Best is yet to be!

 

[Marin]

Where to start? Seattle we think (flying in for a few days in 4 weeks) to have a look around.

Well, you don't want to come here because Washington has become the poster child for global warming. Half the state is on fire, there is no end in sight, and this coming winter is being predicted to have less rainfall than El Paso.

Mt. Rainier is looking more like a sand dune every day and Mt. Baker is not close behind. The glaciers in the Cascades, our primary source of water, are receding so fast the guys setting the instrumentation to track them can't move the instruments fast enough.

The rivers are pretty much dried up, the salmon can't get up to spawn so the salmon runs as we have known them in the past are over. The resident Orca pods are predicted to move farther north to Alaska following food and not be seen here again. Ever.

The state is broke, the city of Seattle is close behind and the traffic is pretty much at a standstill 24/7. The waterfront is torn up with seawall and tunnel projects that are predicted to stretch on to about 2030 and make Boston's Big Dig look like a kid in a sandbox with a plastic shovel.

The state just raised the fuel tax a mile and a half and it's said that next year it will go up even more than this year.

Oh, and the waiting lists for moorage space in the harbors here are measured in years and liveaboards are rapidly becoming persona non gratis in most of them. Moorage rates are going up so fast the bill calculators can't keep up. Environmental regulations tack several hundred dollars to a haulout bill and you can't wash your boat in your slip anymore.

Finally, we are long overdue for the "big one" (quake) which will pretty much destroy everything west of I-5 (which in itself is a fabulous idea, frankly, but a lot of people will die in the process which is a bummer. Maybe. Or maybe not. We won't know until it happens, right? If you don't believe this, the article's in the New Yorker.

About the only bright spot is that we have a hell of a football team.

I strongly advise staying east of the Mississippi River.

 

[HopCar]

Welcome aboard! Forklift is a lucky man to have such an adventurous lady.
Three dogs and a squirrel, how did you end up with a squirrel?

 

[THD]

Marin-you make me want to sell my house, get on the boat and leave Seattle! Fortunately for me, houses in my neighborhood sell in about an hour and a half at more than the offer price after a bidding war!

For Forklift Lady-come on out while we still have some green trees around. Also, please tell us how yu come to be known as "The Forklift Lady"!

As for the move aboard-it will be different, it will take a lot of getting used to, a lot of getting rid of "stuff", a lot of putting up with "You are doing what?" from friends and relatives. But, if you are committed to it, you are in for a helluva ride!

 

[BruceK]

Welcome Aboard.
I`m looking forward to a "Boating with Squirrels" thread, to go with the "Boating with Dogs" one.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Welcome aboard.

 

[Donsan]

Welcome!

Be aware Marin has been trying to discourage folks from moving to the Pacific NW for time immemorial. By all means move to Seattle....we don't need more folks in Florida.

 

[Capt.Bill11]

Are you planning on taking your current boat to the PNW?

 

[siestakey]

Donsan

Now that is not True we need more good folks like Forklift and Fork lift wife.

FLW best of luck on your upcoming adventure Siesta Wife is making me keep the house for now

 

[Off Duty]

Welcome aboard.
A squirrel huh? Probably not nice to refer to a family member as such, but hey, whatever

Ignore the naysayers.
Go where you want.

It's a BOAT, you can always move

 

[Donsan]

Donsan

Now that is not True we need more good folks like Forklift and Fork lift wife.

I have a dry sense of humor. It was said jokingly.

 

[TDunn]

Based on Marin's comments it sounds horrible. However, if all the new comers would go back where they came from, the PNW would be a pretty nice place again. More like I remember it. I could even come back then.

 

[FlyWright]

Three dogs and a squirrel, how did you end up with a squirrel?

Psssst....I think she was talking about Steve/Forkliftt!

 

[Shrew]

Squirrel!!??? Bah!!!!

 

[Marin]

However, if all the new comers would go back where they came from, the PNW would be a pretty nice place again. More like I remember it. I could even come back then.

The newcomers are not the issue. There are so many newcomers here now, mostly from India, Pakistan, Vietnam and the former Soviet Union, that a few more are not even noticed.

No, the problem is that western Washington is changing at an increasing rate due to ever-increasing drought and climbing temperatures, incredibly inept planning and execution of everything from zoning regulations, to what they laughingly call "transportation planning," to rapidly accelerating urban and suburban development.

For example, east of Seattle (Seattle has become so screwed up there's no real way to make it worse so the developers are now concentrating on the east side) the trees are coming down so fast and the cheap condo/townhouse developments are going up so fast it visibly changes from day to day. I see it every day on my commute to work.

The crime rate in Seattle is astonishing today compared to what it used to be just a few years ago. The news features shooting deaths virtually every day now and from what I hear from acquaintances in the police, gangs have become rampant everywhere, even in the suburbs.

I don't know how Seattle stacks up statistically against the rest of the nation but the homeless population is massive and growing. My wife and I went to a Joe Bonamassa concert in Seattle the other month, and the four block walk from the parking garage to the Paramount Theatre was solid panhandlers. Not just people holding out their hands but coming up to you and engaging you in their tales of woe and asking for "gas money" or "rent money" or "food money" or "help with their electric bill." And even if one very firmly says "No" they stay with you, persisting in their pleas for money. It was a major topic of conversation in the line waiting to enter the theatre.

King County (the one with Seattle and Bellevue in it) has staggering tax rates now and they go up higher several times a year. Almost every week I meet people at work who are selling up and moving out of King County because it's becoming increasingly expensive to live in, particularly for retirees.

I learned recently from an acquaintance who is a local politician involved with King County that the county actually has a policy (unwritten) of doing everything they can to discourage retirees from living in it. They want the young, usually immigrant, tech and bio-tech folks to come live in King Country because they are in a position and will be for many years to cough up the ever-increasing taxes.

So more and more people, retirees as well as people in the middle/lower-middle class, are moving out simply because it's becoming too expensive. A lot of people who work in King County can no longer afford to live in the county. Instead, they are moving to or settling in Snohomish, Island, and Whatcom counties farther north. It makes for a hideous commute in today's traffic but it's the only way they can afford to live in the region.

We (my wife and I) are starting to think seriously about leaving the area ourselves. Most likely for someplace farther north or even in BC if we can make that work.

Outside of the immediate Seattle-Bellevue-Tacoma area the west side of the state is still pretty nice. The Skagit River valley and delta in particular are great (that's where Eric Henning of this forum lives.) Whidbey Island is very nice as long as one does not have to go into the Seattle area for anything. And the Olympic Penninsula remains about the same (other than the changing climate), mainly because there's not much to do there job-wise so the population remains small.

I grew up in Hawaii and moved to the Seattle area in 1979 not because of Seattle but in spite of it. I wanted to live in the PNW and I was offered a terrific job at Boeing so have been here ever since. I'm not a city fan but Seattle used to be pretty good as cities go. It's still living on that past "Space Needle, monorail, Pike Place Market, cool waterfront" image and reputation, but the realities are far, far different.

Seattle today is an absolutely hideous city. My work takes me all over the world and the only cities I have found to be less appealing and more depressing and screwed up than Seattle are Sao Paulo in Brazil (which should simply be nuked off the planet as far as the physical city goes, not the people-- they're great), and some of the mining and industrial cities in China (PRC). Yes, Seattle is very small compared to these other places. But they are managing to pack in everything that's wrong with these other places into a very small space.

I know a lot of long-time residents of Seattle and they are unanimously appalled at what the city has become and the direction it's going.

The "Emerald City" is losing its luster indeed.

But the football team is cool.

 

[MartySchwartz]

Welcome. I tend to agree on Marin's impression of Seattle even tough I have never actually lived there. I dislike cities period and only go over to Seattle when I absolutely must or for the Boat Show. We (Da BOSS and I) live-aboard our President 41 in Poulsbo (on the Olympic Peninsula) and absolutely love it over here. I was born in Mississippi and got older in Florida (no clue where I will grow up yet.)

So come on up but be sure to bring a jacket, it will be colder than you expect or are used to... Look us up when yer here and we will treat you to a locally-brewed frosty adult beverage.

Marty.......................

 

[Marin]

So come on up but be sure to bring a jacket, it will be colder than you expect or are used to....

This used to be true. Sadly, it is becoming less true with every passing year.

 

[siestakey]

I have a dry sense of humor. It was said jokingly.

I really did take it that way being 7th generation Floridian as bad as it gets I love it

(even though I do not live there full time)

 

[siestakey]

Welcome. I tend to agree on Marin's impression of Seattle even tough I have never actually lived there. I dislike cities period and only go over to Seattle when I absolutely must or for the Boat Show. We (Da BOSS and I) live-aboard our President 41 in Poulsbo (on the Olympic Peninsula) and absolutely love it over here. I was born in Mississippi and got older in Florida (no clue where I will grow up yet.)

So come on up but be sure to bring a jacket, it will be colder than you expect or are used to... Look us up when yer here and we will treat you to a locally-brewed frosty adult beverage.

Marty.......................

DO you really plan to grow up? don't do it !!!!

 

[HopCar]

Forklift Lady, Pretty women on boats are always welcome in Florida! We'll even put up with Forklift himself. Don't go to the PNW. It's cold, wet and Marin hangs out there.


Al, you think she was referring to Steve as the squirrel. Could be. He's pretty squirrelly. I was hoping for something cute and furry.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. HC. Just posted this in the Racor thread. Your cute and furry comment brought this to mind...What a co-inky-dinky...

 

[MartySchwartz]

This used to be true. Sadly, it is becoming less true with every passing year.

Compared to the Gulf Coast? I am quite sure it is still very true....

Marty.......................

 

[MartySchwartz]

DO you really plan to grow up? don't do it !!!!

Never said I planned to, just that I had no idea where it might happen.....

Like my older sister sez, "It's never too late to have a happy childhood!"

Marty..........................

 

[BandB]

Good Evening TF Family:
Well this is my first. Be gentle! I'm an emotional kind.
After 22 years boating with Forky (and that's being kind) we have found ourself with an empty nest. Our 18 year old- after 1 year of college, has more sense than Mom and Dad. Bahahaha! We are wanting to move quick before he figures it out.
After reassessing unexpected freedom 4-5 years early- we realized that some doors had opened up that could begin a whole new lifestyle. It would require a tremendous amount of work to pull it off- but we have lived this way for the last 18 years with our own business and very little time really enjoying our trawler; although we do better than some getting out.
And so it begins. Where to start? Seattle we think (flying in for a few days in 4 weeks) to have a look around.
Target is 1.5 years (mine is 1 year!!), Did I mention we have three dogs and a squirrel (Sebi)??
I'm not much on anchoring (sorry I'm trying) but I do love to boat, exploring beautiful waterways and wildlife I go nuts over. Would I mind clam chowder in Pikes Market while purchasing fish and flowers? Nothing wrong with that either right??
I am agreeing to live on a trawler!
Seeking wisdom, advice and prayers as we begin our research ?




Patricia Louise II
Present 42 Sundeck
The Best is yet to be!

Wifey B: Omg I thought this would never happen, that I'm about to be the serious one...

More power to you lady. The wisdom to see it's possible in your life and not waiting. We've never looked back although we do still have a house on land. In fact, going to visit it on Friday.

I'm not an anchorer either....sounded like a nice new word to set our linguistics snob off. With three dogs, honestly marinas will be a whole lot easier if you can afford it. I do have to ask you about the dogs though or say one thing. Do what is best for them. You know them better than anyone. Maybe not the same for all three. Maybe best to go. Maybe best to stay behind in the world they know with adoptive parents. Squirrel, I know nothing about taking on a boat and wager no one here does. I know they have lots and lots of nuts....they store them I mean.

There are so many great places to start. I'd look at climates. Always bikini season in FL and you're use to warm in Gulfport. Actually where you now live starting on a very extended cruise to FL and beyond could be great. Wherever you start, you'll love it.

 

[CPseudonym]

I can relate to her wanting to start far from home. If they start in Florida it'll be too darn easy for the kids to find them

 

[GFC]

FLW, welcome to TF. I live in Eastern WA where it's not as crowded, not as dangerous, not as many gang bangers or shootings, not as much traffic, and it doesn't take us 2 hours to get across town to go somewhere for dinner.


I do tend to agree with Marin. I would not live in Seattle for any amount of money. I hate the traffic, I hate the liberal mentality ("nobody should be able to own a gun"), I hate the crowded streets and sidewalks and malls. Oh, and did I mention the extremely high cost of living and the taxes?


That being said, we have two kids who live in Seattle and we're headed over there next month with our Whaler to do some exploring around Lake Union and Lake Washington.


You know the sad tale....It's a great place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.

 

[drb1025]

There are some very nice neighborhoods in West Bellevue; very serene, little traffic, no crime, easy access to freeways, walkable to Bellevue shops and restaurants, and close to the lake. Most of the traffic comes to bellevue from the freeway to the east, then leaves the same way, never having a reason to venture into West Bellevue. You have to pay a little more, but worth it to us.

 

[Marin]

There are some very nice neighborhoods in West Bellevue;

Yeah.... the only problem with that is you have to live in Bellevue. Most people's eyes can't look down their noses at that steep of an angle.

And we know longtime residents of Bellevue, too. Some of them used to live in the Clyde Hill neighborhood and one was a near neighbor of Bill Gates. They, too, have had it with the traffic, noise, messed up development, and taxes and have moved or are moving elsewhere to escape it.

Face it, the whole greater Seattle area is in an accelerating decline into crappyness. Both Nordstrom and Amazon were mere inches from pulling the plug on Seattle as their headquarters. Nordstrom was headed for Chicago and more recently Amazon was headed for somewhere else. Both of them were persuaded, primarily by one fellow, to remain in Seattle, one of the city's most powerful (and unknown) property developers and managers. I would never have known about this had I not been hired to write a book about his family and their fourth-generation company.

So it's not just me that thinks this area is getting more sucky by the day. Seattle seems determined to drive successful business out of the city with it's loony-tunes, anti-business ordinances and restrictions.

Bellevue has been cashing in on this and very successfully luring businesses away from Seattle, but now Bellevue is starting to succumb to all the same bozo actions that are dragging Seattle down.

Too bad, really. Both cities could have really done it right. But as GFC over in Tri-Cities alluded to, both cities are embarked on pursuing a political and social agenda that will ultimately defeat them.

To end this on a positive note, for someone interested in moving to the PNW and Puget Sound region, particularly to retire, the west side of the Sound--- the Kitsap Peninsula, Bainbridge Island, and the Olympic Peninsula, are still very nice. The Pacific coast is nice, too, if you like that sort of thing, notably from Ocean Shores up to Moclips (but not including Ocean Shores which is pretty pathetic) and on south past Long Beach.

Whidbey Island is very cool in a rather eclectic way, particularly the south end. Friends I used to work in commercial television in Honolulu have moved there in recent years so we are over there quite a bit these days, and we really like it. My wife finished her US Navy duty on the crash crew at Whidbey Island NAS and she says that while there have been a lot of changes, the island is not that unlike it was when she was stationed there. The Bellingham area is nice albeit rapidly getting pricey. The city itself is not all that picturesque but it has Western Washington University, a very highly rated school, and college towns tend to be cool just because they're college towns.

It's anybody's guess what the accelerating climate change will do to this region--- the predictions are pretty depressing to people who've lived here a long time---- but for the time being, the parts of western Washington that aren't Seattle/Bellevue/Redmond/Tacoma/King and Pierce counties still have a lot to offer.

 

[Al]

Come down to Seattle every year for annual medicals. Have for years. Learning years ago as the crime rate started to creep first coming North to the South Center Mall from am area called "White Center" and now as it creeps towards Northgate Mall.
You see the encroachment each year and confirms what you read in the Seattle newspapers. Like Marin so eloquently laid out, the city has gone to hell.

."C-C" is now a our personal choice and in effect when in Seattle.

We leave our housing around 10 AM and make it a point to be back by 2:30-3 PM just to assure a parking place.

Condos construction in former zoned single dwelling neighborhoods is at a jet speed rate. While there has to be a parking spot for each unit, most residents have two cars hence the pressure on parking is unbelievable, confirming Marin again regarding traffic (And street construction/repairs) just bog the imagination.

Enough! Thanks Marin, now we are dreading the October trip!

To the OP. Look at Wrangell Alaska, Now there is a out of the box suggestion for living on a boat in a wonderful small retirement community of 2000 souls. no crime,
Wonderful water to cruise, great boat haul-out facility, golf, community activities, fishing, new harbor with wonderus facilities for live aboards. You will not be found a stranger in Wrangell.

Regards,
Al-Ketchikan

 

[Marin]

We've never visited Wrangell by boat, only by floatplane. And we haven't been there for quite awhile now. But it seemed to be a very cool little community. I certainly wouldn't want to try to earn a living there, but retiring there could be great for the kind of person who likes that kind of environment.

Our favorite community in SE Alaska from the day we first visited on our very first floatplane trip north is Petersburg. Made a number of good friends there and the setting is terrific. One thing that makes it great is those God-awful cruise ships with just you and 3,000 of your closest friends can't get in there. So far as I know the largest ship that can get into Petersburg is still the Alaska ferry Columbia.