Hotel California ?

[Wand]

Selling up and moving aboard seems a dream of many on this forum. But isn't that dream just a hotel california trap? I mean, for just how long can anyone pursue the quest for pleasure before it becomes simply a pointless and wasteful lifestyle? You know, Goa and Casablanca et al. Most people who go on RV trips never sell up and pretend it's gonna be forever; and on return they're usually desperate for something meaningful to do with their days rather than just drifting and looking on from the outside. I've been involved with boats for yonks from racing dinghies on and they've always occupied most of my free thinking time. Yet the thought of selling up and moving aboard to sail away over the horizon to an island in paradise is 'the horror, the horror'. Yikes, am I really alone?

[Mimsy]

It might be a trap for you, for others it might be fantastic. That's the great thing about a happy life- it comes in many flavors.

[CSY Man]

the thought of selling up and moving aboard to sail away over the horizon to an island in paradise is 'the horror, the horror'. Yikes, am I really alone?

Yup, you are alone.

I would love to sell all the crap and sail away over the horizon.
Not being single, it is not an option however.

[Simes]

Sell up and not sail away. We live the dream right here in the UK. We both have decent jobs, both like where we keep the boat, so like to live our lives there.
Way better than living in a house or (horror of horrors) in a flat or apartment.
Our home moves and cost relatively little to up keep.
Live the Dream? We are the dream!

Simes

[ADMPRTR]

When ever my wife complains about work I joke that I can take her away form all that. In variably, her response is that as long as we have something to come back to then she is game. At this time, that is not a promise I can keep.

I believe that Selling All without a long term plan is a dangerous game and while tempting, one has to expect a return or at least a settlement at some point in the future (even if that is 30 years distant). Even paradise can be hell after a while if it does not satisfiy ones physical and emotional needs. If one only sails to get to the next port without thought of the journey then it would indeed be a shallow, short lived experience.

That said, I suspect many cruisers find long term joy and fullfillment with their lifestyle by interacting with communities along their journey, by helping fellow sailors and locals, facing challenges and developing new skills. We are all voyagers in life, even those who only do the 9 to 5 in the working world. Meaning in ones life does not rely so much on where one lives but how one lives. One can feel isolated in the middle of a city and feel part of the world in the middle of the ocean.

Like Simes, my approach is to be a part time cruiser while still maintaining a home base. That way, I believe, I can get the best of both worlds.

Andrew

[matauwhi]

G'day, mate. Coming up on 13 years since we sold "most" of it. No "horror" involved in sailing over the horizon to our new paradise. We kept the focus on the positives and took the view that if there was a point when we weren't enjoying the new "life" there was always the option of changing tacks and starting a different one. Cheers.

[ADMPRTR]

It sounds like you have the right attitude. Enjoy the moment and keep the future open.

[Aussiesuede]

The world is a big place. There isn't nearly enough time in a lifetime to truly take it all in. But there can be a tremendous joy in experiencing the world and learning more about it, and yourself. I personally find that endeavor extremely rewarding. But for those who prefer a secure comfort zone, and aren't really interested in exploration and the attendant knowledge which comes with life outside of the "comfort zone" - I can understand how the whole idea might seem pointless.

I'd prefer a quick death over waiting 80 years to die in a boring comfort zone - but that's because I feel dead when I'm not learning and experiencing. Someone with an opposing personality would find life outside of the comfort zone equally unbearable. Some enjoy being part of the herd. Others would rather stick needles in their eyes than join the herd. Hence the idea of "Different Strokes for Different Folks".

[ADMPRTR]

Absolutely. And then there are those who push the envelope a bit but not all the way. Know thy self!

[sneuman]

As a liveaboard, I have gotten rid of most "things" that others would accumulate and I can tell you at least that aspect of a cruising lifestyle is wonderful.

Fewer things, fewer things to worry about.

[Minggat]

Freshey stolen from a fellow forum member "Adelie"

"A house is but a boat so poorly built and so firmly run aground no one would think to try and refloat it."

[Wand]

Originally Posted by Aussiesuede

The world is a big place. There isn't nearly enough time in a lifetime to truly take it all in. But there can be a tremendous joy in experiencing the world and learning more about it, and yourself. I personally find that endeavor extremely rewarding. But for those who prefer a secure comfort zone, and aren't really interested in exploration and the attendant knowledge which comes with life outside of the "comfort zone" - I can understand how the whole idea might seem pointless.

I'd prefer a quick death over waiting 80 years to die in a boring comfort zone - but that's because I feel dead when I'm not learning and experiencing. Someone with an opposing personality would find life outside of the comfort zone equally unbearable.

I guess this this response is another demonstration of how we (me too, all of us) can spin anything any which way we like.

There I was, from some experience btw, suggesting that life 'on the road' is in fact an aimless drift during which nothing of any real substance is achieved or learned, that you're an outsider looking in, and that the main allure is the indulgent hotel california lifestyle.

And then Aussiesuede comes along and uses the same lines to describe those (eg, moi) who don't board the cruise ship to paradise. That is, that the aimless drift is within their own comfort zone. Fair enough, I take it on the chin.

Ah well, as Mimsy posted earlier, lucky there are lots of flavours for everyone to enjoy.

[John A]

At Sea,

If we were all the same, life would be very boring.
Liveing aboard, fussing with boats and going cruising gives use the oppertunity to meet people who are both the same as us, and not the same as us
.

[sneuman]

Originally Posted by Minggat

Freshey stolen from a fellow forum member "Adelie"

"A house is but a boat so poorly built and so firmly run aground no one would think to try and refloat it."

I like it!

[bene505]

Originally Posted by Minggat

Freshey stolen from a fellow forum member "Adelie"

"A house is but a boat so poorly built and so firmly run aground no one would think to try and refloat it."

Yes, that is excellent!

Regards,
Brad