Retirement Sailing

[dcstrng]

Originally Posted by jpswoope

my primary concern is the desertion of sailboats by experienced sailors at retirement.

Even if true, there may be other factors more significant beyond simple age that influence such a conclusion… for instance the addition of a formerly largely land-bound spouse agreeing to a retirement in a live-aboard status which requires indulgences and other accommodations to pull off smoothly, or simply the availability of vessels… Not sure there is an all-purpose equation that will resolve this… for my part I’ve had both power and sail up to the 40-50 foot range over the years and enjoyed all – but as I’ve drifted into my sixties, I find my interest in power wanes and the sailboats seem to be getting smaller (although not particularly less seaworthy – or at least not to my mind). My wife (also in her sixties), who is a former houseboater, solved her love of power/speed by getting her own little center-console (“speedboat,” as she calls it), so maybe you need both – who knows… In any case, focusing on boats is more fun than focusing on the calendar.

[barnakiel]

A sailing boat if you love to sail. A power boat in all other cases.

Why pay extra for the rig and sails that you are not going to use?

b.

[GordMay]

“Here's What Retirement on a Boat or RV Looks Like in America”
➥ https://www.msn.com/en-ca/money/reti...38f7384&ei=103

Originally Posted by Wall St Journal

”... Seven retirees who live all or part of the year in their RVs and boats told us about traveling to destinations from Alaska to the Caribbean. With incomes from $30,000 to $125,000 and savings that range from $180,000 to $2 million...”

[Kettlewell]

It really depends on what type of cruising you want to do, where you want to do it, and what you like. Alan did a good job of summarizing the differences. I would add that in my experience most powerboaters stay much closer to home, simply due to the fuel cost on many boats that go fast. If you don't mind going slow some of the true trawler type powerboats get close to the same fuel mileage as sailboats with bigger engines. IMHO sailing a cruising cat is not as much fun as sailing a similar sized mono. You just don't have the feel you get with a mono. OTOH, most cruising sailboats are so loaded down with crap they don't sail very well and they tend to motor most of the time anyway. All that extra stuff like dodgers, radar arches, solar panel platforms, dinghy davits, just ruin the windward ability of many boats, plus they make it harder to trim sails, see what you are doing, etc. The smaller cats tend to get very overloaded fast. We owned a 32-foot French cat that was a good load carrier, and we took her offshore to the Caribbean and back up north via Bermuda, showing what you can do on smaller cat. I've seen lots of Geminis down in the Bahamas, Florida, and other places where the shallow draft can really improve your fun.

[LAGERTHA]

Originally Posted by gonesail

the cats are nice but you should have the credit card ready .. they don't fit in a standard slip so you pay for 2. also 2 engines to maintain but nice steady platform

Yes a cat will cost you more if you are tied up to a dock, however, should find an anchorage and feel the need to tie up we choose to hook up to a mooring ball (Currently in the Abaco's) for a fraction of the price. I have to say that we do have adequate solar (always could use more) that facilitates this option.