Sailing Is for Rich People

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by kb79

just to be clear, the "sailing is for rich people" title of this post was meant to be provocative, not offensive. i apologize to all if it came off the wrong way - honestly wasn't my intention to piss people off.

I wouldn't take anything to heart - and certainly not on the title, gotta have a catchy title for a thread

FWIW there are a lot of the chippy peasantry around and mentioning you have more than a dollar is considered flaunting it Should never have given 'em the vote

[Doodles]

Wow ...one of the problems with being rich is you may live half way around the world (Thailand), and wake up to a new thread that's already into 4 pages of posts! I'm on my second pot of coffee just trying to catch up.

Carry on.

[SaltyMonkey]

It's not the money ol' dave, because clearly they don't seem to have any. It's the attitude that they think they deserve something here. Don't know what OP is expecting? Everyone has responded to get rid of the debt.

Digressing a bit, if I were in OP's position I'd wait a year. To stop from going crazy? Know the boat. Get down the celestial better. Get a 50 ton license. Be a better mechanic and builder. Volunteer maintenance to other to pick up skills. Trickle a few simulated cruises and shakedowns. acclimate. Maybe figure out some alternative income streams or resources and plan a bit for that along the way - even if its 3-4 month contact work stateside. Pay off my CC, and consolidate my student loans into one payment. Plan where along the way might be good to stop for 1-2 years to have a kid.

[Chipg]

Go see a financial planner, you do need to pay off your credit card debit first (no brainer there). A financial planner / money manager might be able to stretch your $50k to $60k in two years, that's 10 extra months of sailing on your budget.

I'm assuming you have boat insurance because there is a loan on it.

I'd also work for another 6 moths to a year living on the boat saving. That's just me tho.

[wannago]

"Rich People" is kinda a relative term. You might not consider $50K a year with a $200k house, a 5 year old ford and $5k in the bank rich, but pass that one by my in laws in Isaan (Northeast Thailand)....

And you might decide the trips not worth living on some the POS boats you see next to the dock in the Marina's around here, but they float, they have sails, and that $5k in the bank might be enough for the marina to decide to take what they can get out of the former owner's past due moorage.

But when you got $100K a year, it's all about priorities and living with your past decisions. I, for example, decided to finish college debt free and went to a less expensive school. Worked at a couple lower paying jobs to gain a crapload or experience and confidence in what I do for a living. Decided to get married, have a kid and buy a house (with a mortgage much less than $2800 a month).

I'm pretty sure that I ain't leaving Puget Sound for the Pacific unless I get a bigger boat, and I'm pretty sure I'll have at least all my credit cards paid before I go.

I'll tell you that you're correct, living in 3rd world poverty, you ain't gonna get much time in sailing.

I'll also say that I'm sure I would regret not saving more, paying off the debt before leaving. But you doing it ain't really my problem.

Good luck, and remember, roadside cart food and cheap local beer!!!

[jjones1349]

I agree that a financially sound situation would be beneficial to enjoying the cruise.
My boat is paid for (Nonsuches are not cheap) and still requires work but I want to enjoy a sound vessel and knowledge when stuff goes wrong. Having a nest egg to fall back on will keep the cruise indefinite I hope...or till I get bored.
Debt is a bad thing in life. I think we can take note of the countries that we live in being burdened by tremendous debt and choose otherwise.
I have been debt free since my ex-wife. Always keep your finances personal. Probably why I am still single.
My boat will sail when she is ready and I am ready to sail her to wherever.

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by solarbri

A very dry sense of wit I see, solarbri. I like it.

[Homespun]

Originally Posted by kb79

as far as the debt advice goes, i appreciate the concern (truly), but this is what's right for us and we're leaving now.

period.

i've got no interest in sticking around for another year or two or five (if we really left after the youngest of the hoped for two kids is 3 years old). i'm WAAAAAAY more afraid of the person i'm turning into sitting at this desk than i am of being in debt. i'd prefer to be completely in the black, but i'm not, and that's how it goes. if that makes me one of those cruisers who's living way beyond my means... well, whatever - i'm out there and you're not (no disrespect to salty or any of the others who actually HAVE been out there. it's those that condescend while never actually making anything happen for themselves that rub me the wrong way)

Not sure who you're referring to as being condescending but if my post was interpreted that way, I can tell you it wasn't my intent.

You seem like your mind is made up and you're determined to make it work. By all means, go for it. Good luck with everything.

[Ziggy]

"'My other piece of advice, Copperfield,' said Mr. Micawber, 'you know.
Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen nineteen and
six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure
twenty pounds ought and six, result misery. The blossom is blighted,
the leaf is withered, the god of day goes down upon the dreary scene,
and--and in short you are for ever floored.'"

-- Charles Dickens, David Copperfield

[solarbri]

Originally Posted by Adelie

A very dry sense of wit I see, solarbri. I like it.

[Brogan007]

Lighten up guys! What's with all these angry posts? Give the OP a break, he bared his soul, asked for some opinions.... and get's his ass handed to him by some of you?
C'mon. Let's play nice here........just because we can tap it out on a keyboard without risking a punch in the face........doesn't mean we do it.

[SaltyMonkey]

Brogan - angry? dont know what you're talking about. He spoke his mind, got some uncompromising and direct opinions back. Hope reality of it shocks him up a bit to rethink things. if it does great. If not, well too bad. That's the way it is. But enabling and pretending isn't the answer.

[troppo]

Over twenty years ago I went and lived with locals on a island in the Pacific Islands for several months, also spent about six months in several Asian countries living with locals. Awesome fun. I was tight with money before then but that changed my expectations on life style. When ever I think I am badly off I think of some of the people I lived with and am glad for what I have. Society puts many expectations upon us as far as life style goes and I find some benefit in rejecting some of those expectations. I am not saying folk shouldn't earn big money if they can, but certainly be careful of life expectations 'cause without adequate personal management we end up in grief. Ohhh, I should shut up, I ran my own management/life coaching business for about five years and am passionate about helping people to achieve their best.

I was looking at getting a nice boat then my wife's health deteriorated so currently I am not working and looking after her while it gets sorted out. My boat expectations have shrunk from that nice catamaran to something much smaller.

Here is what I currently have. You can't see the sail, that's because I wear it. The area is Capricorn Coast, Australia, and I am about 4.5 km from shore on a little island. This yak will make a nice tender for the yacht which I will buy sometime.

So there ya go, kb79, my situation is very different to yours. At the end of the day, I think each of us are responsible for sucking whatever value we can out of the situations which come our way. All the best to ya.

[nautical62]

Originally Posted by kb79

i'm still a little skeptical when people start talking about their sub $10k cruising boats,....

There of course is a difference between buying and outfitting a coastal or islands cruiser for short cruises than buying a passage making cruiser for full time cruising.

Originally Posted by kb79

...if i'd bought a boat for $10G's, i think my wife would be far less enthusiastic and it's pretty tough to put a price on that.

Women always seem to be more enthusiastic about more expensive boats... I think the trick is to get an inexpensive cruising boat and then find a woman who will spend time on it, not the other way around. MMM - but then again, maybe that's why I'm still single...

[Drew13440]

kb79 - I think I said it first - you, we, ARE rich in relative terms. Anyone reading this has tremendous advantage. There's a lot of good advice here, but I think your budget for a two year cruise is really pushing it. A grand a month for two years is not going to do it, without an emergency cushion, plus re-entry funds, especially with kids in mind. Why not just go out, with your grand-a-month budget, have fun and go home when the money runs out? Forget about what everyone else thinks - do it and go home when you have to! Best of luck!