Your Help Would be Appreciated

[KeelMe]

Ladies & Genlemen,

My nephew came to me last night asking for help. He told me he has a decent amount of money and can't decide what to do.

His options are:

1. Finish refitting a sailboat he owns and spend a few years sailing around the world.

2. Sell the boat and put his money into a small unproven business idea he has.

3. Find a job and try to live a normal life.


A bit of background on my nephew. He is 36 and has an engineering degree but can't keep a job because he can't ever decide how he wants to live his life (in my opinion). He is single, owns a very nice Alberg 30, and has no debt. His savings isn't a remarkable amount by any means.

Your opinions would be appreciated. I think he came to me because I have sailed around the world and I think he thought I would tell him to sail around the world. I don't want to share his business idea but I thought it was pretty good and I told him he should see where it leads.

[Franziska]

If there is a chance let him go sailing.
He will find a life on the way!!!!

Good luck!

[Franziska]

Might add, best time to do this seems at his age or earlier.
At that age aging family poses no limitations, the chances to benefit from the experience later in life is better too.

Only thing, he must really crave for doing it. Still, the aim is the trip, not the completion of the full circle.

[JPA Cate]

In a way, I agree with Franziska, so I will make some allied comments.

At 36, he is approaching mid-life crisis time. His job is to evaluate what he has done and select a direction for the rest of his life. So, if he chooses his business idea, if it does not succeed, he loses money and will learn some lessons. If he chooses to take his boat and sail around the world, he will learn a lot, and perhaps more about himself, and it could be, he spends the rest of his life cruising, and owning a succession of boats. What he gives up for that will depend a lot on what happens during his voyage-quest.

What he eventually chooses will not necessarily eliminate the possibility of going cruising later on.

Imho, this is a decision he needs to make on his own, and good on you for not trying to influence him. There are many paths to self - fulfillment; he needs to look at that from his current perspective.

Ann

[Lepke]

Business is far from a sure thing. Most new businesses fail. Now is the time to go sailing.

[laika]

If he's asking you, tell him to quit tinkering with the boat and give it a go. It doesn't need to be either rtw or nothing. Boat doesn't have to be bristol. Go to the Bahamas and get lost for 6 months. If he comes back he can jump right back into the biz world and be the better off for it, having no regrets and better knowing what he wants.

[hpeer]

If he is asking then he doesn’t know himsel, who he really is.

I can’t think of a better way to find that than by spending a lot of time alone, away from noise and internet.

If he goes sailing he may find out what he really wants, even if it is a 9-5 job, wife and kids.

IMHO the best way for him to find himself is to get lost at sea. (Not like “dead” lost at sea, like having quite time to find himself while alone)

[Tricolor]

Best he ask Mr. D. Trump for advice.. this is a sailors forum, what answers do you expect. ?

[panglaodave]

hmm

I've only done 2 longish cruises

1. England - Madeira - Azores - England
2. New York - Trinidad

Only thing I learned
From #1

• Ocean sailing can be really boring
• Never sail with unknown crew, especially for more than a weekend

Confirmed gunk-holer and short handed sailor

From #2

• Sailing with 2 pretty young girls can be a lot of fun
• Ignore #2 above if they are young and pretty

Too old for that now

Biz ideas are a dime a dozen it's a poor week when I don't have 2 or 3 really good ideas....but I fail to follow up on almost all.
I invest in real estate, raw land [no tenant issues], waterfront or water view land tends to double in 2-5 years

Just go sailing - if he loves it great, if not he has fall back options
if he sells the boat would that option be open to him in the future?

Doesn't sound like nephew has the staying power to stick with biz idea thru to fruition (hope I am wrong if he goes this route]

Good luck whichever route he takes

Dave

[boatman1]

If the nephew enjoys performing the tasks associated with the business idea, perhaps that's what he ought to do. I've enjoyed conducting business and the earning of money as much as I've enjoyed cruising, and now appears to be a favorable economy for doing biz. Wait until the next recession to go sailing.

[Nightsky]

Ask him to imagine himself 10 or 20 yrs in the future, and to ask himself what he would most regret not doing, start a new business or taking some time sailing for self reflection?

[Ken Z]

At 35 I finished a 3 yr. refit of my tri, not that it needed that much but money was limited so what I earned I put into the boat, I still had a worn out but most times working engine. I left the dock with $64.00 in 1979 headed for the fl. keys with a very worn 14, wood fish, crab,lobster , skiff in tow stacked with traps. Met up with a sponger and sponged until I found a job building a geodestic dome on a island in the keys, worked saved and ate almost every thing from the sea. I made a good business deal, repowered the boat and headed for the virgin islands, where I cruised for years. Absolutely zero regrets, but that life was and is ingrained in my heart, soul, and blood. GO FOR IT... my two cents...😃

[uncle stinkybob]

36 years old eh?
I hear people who can't make decision's in life try all kinds of things.
Including letting other people "guide" their decision, remove's their own responsibility.
To be nice, I would buy him a crystal and tell him to work it out, it will be a great "growing up" experience for him.
p.s. I have no experience with crystals at all, but who know's, right?


https://www.healingcrystals.com/Ston...icles_193.html

[Madehn]

starting and running a new successful business requires hard work and tremendous dedication- if that is not there to begin with dont even think of throwing money and time into it - JMHO

[Dave22q]

If he cannot keep a job there is little chance of his successfully starting a business. I say let him go sailing and hope he grows up. Little chance that a few blank years will damage his already weak resume.