Is this possible or are we being unrealistic and naive ?

[hpeer]

Bill4,

In the off hand chance you are still reading...and that this advice was not previously posted....get these two books...

Annie Hill kinda out of date for costs but real good for lifr style and guts.

Voyaging On A Small Income: Annie Hill: 9781888671377: Amazon.com: Books


Beth Leonard more recent cost data, very professional. Also a gutsy lady.

Voyager's Handbook

[Bill4]

I am still here. I have Annie's book and I have read Beth's book. Both are inspiring.

I have spent some time considering the replies.

Perhaps I should not have said that it feels like our dream is broken but the initial responses were not encouraging.

If we carry on working and take out loans we could buy a more expensive catamaran but that is not what it is about. We are happy to go with something more modest so we can go cruising sooner rather than later. Our $190K boat budget is nothing like a Ferrari budget in catamaran terms. We could happily live with a Volkswagen rather than a Ferrari. If we can find a less expensive catamaran that ticks the right boxes then great but we are catamaran people through and through. We are trying to keep an open mind though including considering taking on a project but that would depend on what/where/how much.

This is not about whether someone has a bigger or better boat than us. That is crazy and irrelevant.

Chartering might be a good idea for some but not for us. We know what we want to do.

We would not rent out our home or invest in real estate as we would be too far away to deal with any problems. Part of our cruising budget would be invested through a financial adviser to produce an income. The rest we would look after ourselves.

We are homely people (meaning we like being cozy and comfortable, as in one's own home). We also enjoy nature, wildlife, walking, exploring, kayaking, photography, reading, etc. We are not the kind of people who get easily bored. We prefer quiet anchorages and are happy to drift along at 3 knots to get there rather than fire up an engine, unless we have to get through a tidal gate or want to avoid making an unfamiliar landfall during hours of darkness. I can do most maintenance myself and what I don't already know I can teach myself PDQ. We can be quite self sufficient and don't need to spend money all the time for entertainment. Anyhow when guests arrive they get accommodation for free so they can pay for the entertainment!

So with the comments received we are leaning towards possibly spending less if we can find what we are looking for but I don't want to turn this into a boat search discussion as we have that covered.

Thank you for your replies. They have provided much food for thought.

[goboatingnow]

Bill4 , have you actually sailed cats round the Med Bill, seriously, its a minority activity and theres a reason for it.

Dave

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Bash

Anyone who can't shag on a motor bike simply hasn't given the problem sufficient consideration. (Hint: it helps to park the bike first.)

Downsize the GF... smaller IS better

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Downsize the GF... smaller IS better

Yeah, skinny is good . and essential in a Mazda RX7 .........rear wheel drive = a large transmission tunnel. the answer is also not to restrict "rear wheel drive" to only the car .


But back on topic, am glad OP has not dissapeared back into the internet ether . FWIW, a lot of CF is about helping folk find own answers - and that involves a degree of puzzling through for self. Some folks can cope with that - others not so much . But when you get to the stage of asking how to plug your thingymajig into your wotsit then the answers do get more specific .

My take is that yer have gotten a lot to chew over in this thread - and IMO that is a good thing (and most meant well), but that mostly because setting sail over the horizon does involve a lot of chewing over and choices / compromises. FWIW (next to nadda) never any substitute for having enough cash in the bank to help keep yerself warm and cozy at night, even if the price of that is less elsewhere. Not to say that things can't be done on a tight (shoestring!) budget, but if you have the choice not to - then why choose to?

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Starbuck

A Ford Cortina would perhaps be a more resonating reference for the Brits. A 50yr run: my, what a long life it had.

The Mk 3 Cortina was my favourite....

[goboatingnow]

for me it had to be the Corsair

I was brought to school in one for many years, class car

[Whaubner]

Retiring on the open sea

A timely article from the wsj

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...290151610.html

[forsailbyowner]

Sounds to me like your setting the bar high enough that its comfortably out of reach.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by forsailbyowner

Sounds to me like your setting the bar high enough that its comfortably out of reach.

+1

I usually don't do this, but your comments pain me.

Seriously Bill, I don't get it. You say you want to live a "modest and self-sufficient lifestyle," you say you are "happy to go with something more modest so we can go cruising sooner rather than later," yet you are insisting on a boat which goes against these statements. A $190K boat may not be a Ferrari, but it's a far cry from a modest vessel. You could easily acquire a sound, solid and comfortable cruising vessel for 1/2 that amount, and then have plenty in the bank to achieve your goals.

It sure looks like you're working hard to make sure your dream remains just that.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Whaubner

Retiring on the open sea

A timely article from the wsj

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...290151610.html

Seems that you read of that first leg to Bermuda as the big hurdle on lots of these trips that start from the Northeast.

I never have thought of cruising as "high class camping". I have always called the $500/mo cruising as camping on a boat, but for the rest of us as just cruising! Guess it all depends on what you are comparing it to, so for a wsj article the term was probably correct.

[Bill4]

Originally Posted by forsailbyowner

Sounds to me like your setting the bar high enough that its comfortably out of reach.

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

+1

I usually don't do this, but your comments pain me.

Seriously Bill, I don't get it. You say you want to live a "modest and self-sufficient lifestyle," you say you are "happy to go with something more modest so we can go cruising sooner rather than later," yet you are insisting on a boat which goes against these statements. A $190K boat may not be a Ferrari, but it's a far cry from a modest vessel. You could easily acquire a sound, solid and comfortable cruising vessel for 1/2 that amount, and then have plenty in the bank to achieve your goals.

It sure looks like you're working hard to make sure your dream remains just that.

Did you both miss these parts of my last post? I said........

"If we can find a less expensive catamaran that ticks the right boxes then great but we are catamaran people through and through. We are trying to keep an open mind though including considering taking on a project but that would depend on what/where/how much." and............

"So with the comments received we are leaning towards possibly spending less if we can find what we are looking for"

[DaleM]

Originally Posted by Bill4

Did you both miss these parts of my last post? I said........

"If we can find a less expensive catamaran that ticks the right boxes then great but we are catamaran people through and through. We are trying to keep an open mind though including considering taking on a project but that would depend on what/where/how much." and............

"So with the comments received we are leaning towards possibly spending less if we can find what we are looking for"

I think you can find a much less expensive catamaran and keep the dream alive. You've just went through your first disapointment in the path. I hope to take off in 2013 and I can tell you there have been many bumps in the road. I know that if you keep working toward your goal, you might just make it!

Our boat is a compromise. If I had more money, I would have a different boat! I woud love a cat but can't afford one. So sometimes it comes down to how much compromise in comfort and status I am willing to make to gain the freedom I want. Certainly society would rather I work longer to have more money and a nicer boat that I only visit on short weekends. It's a modern version of slavery for me.

I've had to learn the hard way, I will never have enough money for the status and security I want. So I hope to go with just barely enough.

Dale

[boatman61]

Have the 'Boxes' been listed on here and I missed them...
most Cat's over 36ft offer pretty much the same in accommodation and life style just vary in opulence and performance..
Wharram being the exception..
You've an enormous resource here for helping you whittle down choices and possible compromises on a worldwide collection of Cat's which come in many forms.. and possibly pinpoint your 'Bargain Dream'...
But on the bare bones.. which are vague yet inflexible it seems... we have little or nothing to work from.
Thats if your looking for help in whatever form it comes in.. and criticizm is help quite often... even if a bit annoying... but if you look from above you miss the percieved sharp edges..
Have I gone all Zen...? or just blathering again...

[Wavewacker]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Useless. Can't shag in the back of it. Like the little Grand Prix flags on the door. That woulda made it faster. Bet Ferarri doesn't have them! Can't shag in the back of a Fararri either. Or a motor bike.

Mark, you've been out of circulation too long or you're simply not motivated.