Hi there rydstn,
Im 26 and we're setting off next year!
whooohoooo! Im so excited!
We bought our boat about 5 years ago and have slowly built her up into something we are happy living on. We've now lived aboard for 18 months.
I guess we're a little unique because although I am going to give up work (8 months and counting) my fiance can continue his job from the boat. He's worked hard to cut his role down so he can
monitor the company from abroad and only make the odd trip home.
My biggest
advice for you is to just go for it. I know it sounds corny, but we have met so many people who 'wish they could do that'. However, my mother is completely against the idea. She strongly believes that I should work until I'm 60 to pay off a mortgage on a house I dont want, upgrade my car and buy the latest in high tech televisions. She has worked hard her entire life to do that, and I understand that these things are important to HER, but not to me. You need to work out what is important to you and then stick to your
guns.
Its not all sitting in the
cockpit drinking cocktails. There was a night a few years ago where we had to stay up all night in our underwear trying to hold our boat still as she bounced off rocks that shouldn't have been there (we were told the harbour was deep enough for us- it wasn't!) It was such a horrible night, listening to the rocks scraping against our
hull (see brixham to bridport on
www.sailingmissmoneypenny.com) but by contrast the days before it had been some of our best sailing to date. Its a
funny life like that.
Paying off your house for rental is a good plan, but remember that you will have occassions where people need to contact you- perhaps if the
heating breaks or there is a leak etc. I imagine this is fairly easy to deal with, but its something to consider.
The only other advice I can offer boatwise is go as small as you possibly can live with. The bigger the boat, the higher the marina
fees,
maintenance costs and general upkeep. If you want to live on your rental income, a smaller boat will help enormously. Read lots of
books and this forum contains an incredible amount of info. Ask questions, figure out what you want and then go get it.
Hope some of this gets your
head thinking along the right lines and best of luck... its exciting escaping the 'box' isn't it!?!