The Importance of Going Cruising NOW!

[anotherT34C]

I suppose many of us aren't comfortable crossing oceans in boats held together with bailing wire and duck tape. If you are, I snap you a salute and wish you the best. If you aren't, be aware (as 'sully' explains) it costs $$ to safely maintain an ocean going ship. It costs $$ to eat (keeping the Admiral happy is paramount). It costs $$ to see more than the shoreline of anywhere (believe it or not, there's often interesting 'stuff' inland ). And finally, it costs $$ to buy a boat big enough to live comfortably (for most of us) at anchor. And by 'comfort', I don't mean luxury. I mean big enough to keep from being continuously sick... often a dealbreaker.

[Chiroeurope]

Oh,

I agree on that completely. I know it is going to cost a good bit to do what we want. Luckily I have more than one skill and hopefully will get me self stable enough to do a part time practice in some places (where I can legally). My wife does music and computer work as well as does/can teach fabric crafts (those that make fabric by hand).

We both can cook and know how to live a very good lifestyle on a very tight budget (knowing where to shop and what to look for in a few different countries helps). One item is don't buy Scotch whisky In Scotland (except those rare blends that are not export and expect to pay for them as the UK now has the highest tax on Spirits). What to look for to find the markets where you can buy your food without paying the Huge mark up of "Big" name chains. How to eat the seasons/locale and enjoy it (Eel is very good and sweet when properly prepared, salt is your friend). Buying high strength distillate in Italy or France and making your own liquors legally (does not require much space at all and you can reuse the bottles in the process) which saves a whole lot of money there.

It is a mixture of the budget (funds available/saved), size of safety margin (there are legal as well as personal issues here), and where you want to go/ do when/if you get there. Each of us must find that measure and than go for it. Some never reach that stage, to each their own and best luck with it.

Michael

[NautiHippie]

Originally Posted by imagine2frolic

There is more than one way to skin a cat, and a sharp fella like you can do it. I am going to bet. If you made your boat ready, and this includes having the fuel tanks topped off, the freezer full, and had $10,000.00 in cash with no debt. That a year later you would still have that same 10k.

I have to agree!
..... I left alone in my 34' Cal for the Bahamas divorced and with about $6000 dollars to my name and lived for about two years on the hook. I am a network engineer by trade and I lived quite comfortably fixing laptops, radios, and GPS for fellow sailors and some locals(Beer and Food count as payment for me!) When I got back to Miami and dry land, I cleaned out the boat and found my stash envelope of $5000 stuffed in a broken alternator in the tool storage box. Never thought about it in those two years just the way it goes when your living and not worrying about the money! So 1000 bucks in two years(and most of that was for coming into the country and a year extension)

[kevingy]

Originally Posted by imagine2frolic

A small boat and a suitcase full of money beats a 40 footer tied to a bank.

Given a choice between only those options, I'd have to agree. Personally, I'm taking the third option: being tied to a bank for a short amount of time in order to still "go now" on an older, medium (mid 30's) boat. (Who says I can't be in the middle of the road?) I figure I can either pay a landlord and end up with nothing at the end of the lease or I can pay interest to a bank for a little while and be underway now. Either way, I will be working from "home" for the same amount of time before completely breaking free. Rather than transitioning from land-based to cruiser, I'll be transitioning from land-based to live-aboard to cruiser.

I originally was going to do the traditional "save until I'm completely ready then go" plan. Even then, our master plan has always been to go from Florida north to Canada first, then back south and around the gulf to Texas. By the time that's complete, I'll be free from the bank and can continue to Mexico and the islands.

I figure I can accept the limitations of a lender since the limitations fit with the plan I had all along anyway.

Kevin

[xxuxx]

My Dad stopped me from buying a 50' Gulfstar Sailmaster after the '83 Americas cup. Biggest mistake of my life......it was hull#007 and I am constantly searching for her, like a long lost high school love, I remember how much I missed.