Re-entry Plan

[sweetsailing]

We have all seen hundreds of threads on laying out the plan to buy the boat and go cruising, however as we are getting closer to our departure date, I find myself increasingly thinking about my re-etry plan AFTER my cruising is done. I would like to hear from folks who have "re-entered" the land life after cruising, did you plan for it? Would you have made different decision prior to cruising that impacted you when you stopped cruising?

The questions or issues I have been thinking about center on the following:

1) Planning financially for re-entry - Will I have enough money to rent or purchase a place to live with or without selling the boat?

2) Any re-entry plan will significantly change how I think about liquidating my current possessions. This one still has me thinking. I have some nice things that I don't want to sell for a fraction of what I purchased it for and then 5 years after cruising will need to buy all over again. Seems like a loosing proposition. But perhaps storing those possessions for 5 years might be a loosing proposition as well. What to do?

3) Where to come back to? Will definitely sell the house when we leave, however when we are ready to come back, not sure where we will come back to?

I would be interested in perspectives and discussion about leaving cruising. I think this phase is just important to plan as going cruising, however it doesn't seem to get a lot of discussion here.

[Charlie]

Surprised this question doesn't come up more often. There are lots of posts of people saying how "Freeing" it is to sell everything. But I have things that I want to keep. The Admiral said she didn't want to start over when we got back so my idea was to pay off the house and rent it out. Already have the boat paid for. If we can keep the house we can store the essentials in a shipping container on our 8 acres. Probably still too much stuff but I've got a lot of tools that I wouldn't want to replace.

As to the financial re entry. Passive income is key.

[boatsail]

Great thread, can't wait to see other responses

[Jim Cate]

G'Day all,

Ann and I have been cruising for 26 years now, and the inevitability of quitting looms ever nearer.

And we have no serious withdrawal plan! The thought of living ashore is not attractive to us, nor is the general idea of returning to the US, where we haven't felt at home for years. Our health insurance is good there, and we have used it for serious issues in the past. Logic tells us that such issues are likely to become more common as we continue to age... bugger... gettin' old is a bitch!

We have been paying for storage of a bunch of crap that (for the most part) is of no interest to us these days. There are a few mementos and a few books that we treasure, but largely if we moved back we would junk most of the stuff. We would have downsized the storage facility, but we're already in the minimum size available so why bother.

Sounds like a lot of whining, but these are common issues for long term cruisers and the solution isn't obvious to me. With luck we will remain able to cruise until we fall off our perches, but since that isn't too likely I guess that we should make a plan. I wonder what it will be?

Will be looking to see what others think will work for them.

Cheers,

Jim

[wingNwing]

We've been pondering this too. First we have to get past the snarky answers about moving to an assisted-living marina, or the delaying-the-inevitable answers like switching to a power boat, then an RV.

Seriously, we have kept in storage things like grandma's quilt, mom's desk - the sentimental stuff. The sofa, OTOH, is just a sofa and we sold it at a garage sale. We don't have a house to move into - I don't know who I'll become, and where that new person will want to live, after cruising. Certainly, I am not the person who left.

We are sure, however, that we'll return to the US, and have things like cars again. I am keeping up some writing connections; maintaining our driver's licenses and insurance (if you're US, ask about non-owner liability so you don't start over at the same rate as new 17-year-old drivers when you come back); and maintaining health insurance.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by sweetsailing

We have all seen hundreds of threads on laying out the plan to buy the boat and go cruising, however as we are getting closer to our departure date, I find myself increasingly thinking about my re-etry plan AFTER my cruising is done. I would like to hear from folks who have "re-entered" the land life after cruising, did you plan for it? Would you have made different decision prior to cruising that impacted you when you stopped cruising?

...

Very good question which I think many cruisers never consider in depth. I know I did not.

The first time we took off cruising, the plan was to come back in about 1 year so we did not liquidate anything, we just went cruising.

Never gave much thought to what it would be like coming back. It was WAY harder than I anticipated. After cruising for a while I was simply not interested in the rat race anymore. Coming back was like standing still while the world zoomed past. I tried to get back in the groove for a while and just simply lacked the interest and motivation. So, we took the next logical step -- left to go cruising again with the intention of never making "re-entry" again.

That was in 2004. My re-entry plan this time around is simple -- I'm never going back.

[Kettlewell]

I've gone and come back numerous times since I was in my 20's and I never had a plan in place--just did it when I needed more money, or an opportunity came along, or some major medical issues in the family had to be taken care of. Frankly, to me a plan is a burden that hangs over my head. I prefer to wing it as I'm a nomad at heart. In my ideal world I will fall over dead some day on passage and fall overboard to be recycled, and hopefully some lucky person will find my boat in good shape and be able to use it. Probably won't happen that way, but I see too many people who plan out the end of their lives perfectly and then just sit and vegitate for their last 10 years watching TV or something, or something comes along completely unexpected like a stroke and ruins all their carefully laid plans. Don't worry, tomorrow will come and bring something--hopefully an adventure.

[gettinthere]

Originally Posted by wingNwing

I am keeping up some writing connections; maintaining our driver's licenses and insurance (if you're US, ask about non-owner liability so you don't start over at the same rate as new 17-year-old drivers when you come back); and maintaining health insurance.

What does the non owner liability insur cost you? Our Allstate guy nixed it as unnecessary...

[sweetsailing]

Great comments so far, thanks all! I should clarify that when I use the term "plan", I am definitely using the cruisers context of the word. In other words, a loosely held together notion. I certainly don't expect to have everything written in stone however, at the same time I think, for me at least, it seems a bit short sided to sell it all and not give any thought to my financial needs post cruising and hope it all works out. The over arching goal here is to never return to the work force again, so that is my motivation. If it requires some measure of careful planning to ensure that goal, then it's a little bit of structure that I would welcome in the broad scheme of things.

[JK n Smitty]

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

I've gone and come back numerous times since I was in my 20's and I never had a plan in place--just did it when I needed more money, or an opportunity came along, or some major medical issues in the family had to be taken care of. Frankly, to me a plan is a burden that hangs over my head. I prefer to wing it as I'm a nomad at heart. In my ideal world I will fall over dead some day on passage and fall overboard to be recycled, and hopefully some lucky person will find my boat in good shape and be able to use it. Probably won't happen that way, but I see too many people who plan out the end of their lives perfectly and then just sit and vegitate for their last 10 years watching TV or something, or something comes along completely unexpected like a stroke and ruins all their carefully laid plans. Don't worry, tomorrow will come and bring something--hopefully an adventure.

Best answer yet. And it applies to the fear of leaving or returning.

I owe you a cocktail for that wisdom. Let me know if you are ever in New England....or the Caribbean after 2015.

[GrowleyMonster]

Live aboard.

[sweetsailing]

moving to an assisted-living marina

As to the financial re entry. Passive income is key

You guys are great! I think you solved a couple of problems. I have decided I am going to open an assisted living marina and live off the passive income while I am cruising and now I will have a place to come back to as well.

[Kettlewell]

What does the non owner liability insur cost you? Our Allstate guy nixed it as unnecessary...

I have gone for as long as five years or so without a car and never had a problem getting insurance when I came back, though I have heard this rumor about high rates. Maybe it is because I am married and have never had a claim in 40 years of driving, but I have not had any issues with car insurance when reentering.

I owe you a cocktail for that wisdom. Let me know if you are ever in New England....or the Caribbean after 2015.

At the moment I'm in the back-on-land-earning-money stage, but I still go cruising every chance I get around the Narragansett Bay/Buzzards Bay/Cape Cod area. Where do you sail in the summer?

I should add that I have always tried to keep my affairs arranged just like ordinary land people, which makes reentry easier. I keep a street address someplace, where I file ordinary tax returns, and I keep my driver's license and voter registration up to date, bank accounts current, credit cards active, IRAs in mutual funds, etc. Plus, I have always stored important stuff in various places--never got rid of everything, just most of the big stuff. I believe I currently have some boxes I packed up back in 1982 or so, but I still have some land stuff! It is handy having relatives with basements and attics.

[knottygurl]

Sounds like your still working out the leaving plan to start cruising, as in how long you plan to cruise.
Once that is set your return plan is made somewhat.

[JK n Smitty]

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

At the moment I'm in the back-on-land-earning-money stage, but I still go cruising every chance I get around the Narragansett Bay/Buzzards Bay/Cape Cod area. Where do you sail in the summer?.

We purchased our current boat 2 years ago in Warwick and sailed it back to Hingham. Then sailed a lot in the Boston area. Last year we spent a week down in Buzzards Bay. Loved Menemsha and Cuttyhunk. Again more local sailing including our first trip up the Ipswich River.

This year we plan to do Maine as our vacation trip. Also want to do a night sail to P-Town.

So where are you land based?