Challenge 21 and 30k USD Revisited with a twist

[StayRsailaway]

Yeah I wish I knew about cruisers forum or cared to listen to other peoples advice when I was 19 and helping in New Orleans right after katrina, there was plenty of boats and I had a free ticket to circumnavigation for the next 5-10 years. Not really sure what happened, but it had to do with trust and really me just being naive, but I went back home to washington finished my degree, got rid of my legal problems that I was running from, met an awesome Korean girl (shes actually 8 years older than me) and got her pregnant (accident, yes I wore a condom ... 97% effective.. its true) and got married(solely for her citizenship), and started working at boeing getting a nice cush career, just couldnt handle capitalism/the current society and wanted change, wanted my old freedom, and wanted to be on a boat again. all childish I suppose or at least not the norm, but it is my heart and if I am to be true to myself I will have to follow it. But the single only reason I am even on land is my baby boy who needs a dad, and has a (Im afraid permanently) a landloving mother, so my fate may well be to wait out the 16years (or whenever he is old enuf to decide for himself) to save money and be stable for him, my -6k is student loan debt, and soon I am starting at a new airplane firm (mechanic work i love the work, hate the factory BS) or at a hooked up job with a boat repair/molds/up and coming boat shop that let me competely refurb my sailboat at thier shop for 100% free materials and all (wel it cost a couple fifths of crown royal) but a really great shop and great owner, great atmosphere to work in. so yeah my choices are limited friends, so take heed, maybe I cant sail and "be free" but I can learn about boats, or planes and end up 45 (old) and with enuf cash to retire on a boat for the rest of my life. is it the same thing as a sailing lifestyle from 21-death? an emphatic NO. but maybe I can live vicariously through this site, and for now local sailing will do, so post on friends and take heart that you are in a better situation than I.

[nautical62]

It sounds like you are thinking things through and getting plenty of good advice. Stick with it. It can be a lot of work, but the end result is worth it.

[Tempest245]

21 again...30 k untaxed? knowing what I know now.....hmmm...

One thought would be......Go to the Merchant Marine Academy../ Coast Guard ....get the best education I could, and get paid to be on the water....retire early with a good pension, and marketable skills....

Regardless of what I chose to do....I'd get all my schooling in early! Working full time and going to night school..was no fun...

[Fishman]

I am 41, been around on the water a while. If I was 21 with only 10k I would fly straight to Indonesia, buy two big 20ftg dugout canoes ($60 each), lash them together with some big bamboo poles (12 of them, one every foot or so - free or $20) to form a basic catamaran, fill the hulls with empty plastic waterbottles (free), build a basic shelter on top ($100) (can even put a nice strong 2 man storm tent on there, set up a lanteen rig, hand stitch your own sails out of lightweight blue tarp ($40) (if you cut a rectangular tarp in half you will get two nice triangular sails), also buy a 8hp fourstroke (dunno, $500??), some pots pans water cans kerosene stove bag of rice handheld gps compass ropes anchors and some charts ($500) AND JUST GO. Also plenty surfboards, spearguns and handlines ($1000). You can easily get inside the most insane lagoons, pull it up on the beach, sleep with and next to the locals etc etc. No worries about running aground and all that sh!&t. I used to keep a pair of running shoes handy for when i had to push Tengirri off the reef (oops). Indo has more than 15000 islands. You can get seriously and awesomely LOST, surf, dive, fish and spearfish your brains out. The most expensive thing is the flight to Indo. Question is more, have you got the guts? And when you are done? Just give the canoes and the outboard to the locals. With 30k you will last many years and have an experience beyond your wildest dreams. Life changing as the cliche goes.

[StayRsailaway]

maybe i am being naive here, but isn't there a minor problem with that... umm major one actually being that visa's are only 30-60 days or that there are local "police" that tax you anyways.... hmm.. what do you mean by , Lost? possible to get some bogus work visa and stay longer.. hmm some way around that or do you just suggest hoping not to run into the local police

[Fishman]

Ummm, I am saying get over there, do it, solve your visa problems as they arise. I met a Mr Fixit guy, gave him my passport, he sorted my visa out for 6 months at a time, most expats do it this way, I eventually stayed in Indo from 1996 until 2003. Where there is a will there is a way, but if you scratch around enough you will always find enough reasons umm not to do it. If you are friendly to the locals, learn the lingo, immerse yourself in the culture, give a few fish to the police or whatever then things will always work out fine.