How Did You Get Your Boat ?

[markpierce]

Owning a minimal dirt home costing half the average and using the difference to get the boat. In short, self-denial except for the boat.

[JRM]

Okay, that came off sounding harsh, and it wasn't intended as such. It does take lots of hard work to take advantage of the opportunities when they present themselves, but we're lucky to be in a position to do so.

If I can take an example from golf. You can't win a tourney on any one hole, but you can lose it on one. We're blessed to have the chance to have the clubs and the shoes, and to have a tee time, it's up to us to play every hole to the best of our abilities.

Randy wouldn't be where he is without putting in the time and work, but likewise neither would he be without the opportunity. I can see his point of frustration at a younger person who mistakes the fortune of opportunity with the sacrifice required to capitalize on it.

JRM

-- Pretend the above is mixed in with that other post.

[cheoah]

Bank owns mine, but there's a lot worse things to blow your money on and the interest is tax deductible. I worked for mine -- but I waited til later in life, being in my thirties now. All you older guys are thinking I'm an annoying little prat. Guess how I know? Yup, I find myself being the old guy more and more.

The clock is ticking, and while I believe in short term sacrifice for long term gain, instant gratification is a nod to the impermanence of life.

[capttman]

Yup built mine

[virginia boy]

I never worked particularly hard or worked two jobs but I saved every spare penny of my miserably low income for about five years. I had no idea what to do with it since I have have such poor money management skills so I just kept it in the bank, until one day I lucked into a blog about a cruising couple. One year after that I bought my boat, and now three years later I am forty three thousand dollars poorer, living on a meager retirement and much, much happier. This fall/winter I will begin full time cruising. I consider myself a very lucky man!

[MacG]

@JRM

Great!

I went more or less among the same path, be it a wee bit different. The obstacles were nonetheless the same and very existent. The boat I bought was a piece of scrap, but the iron hull was sound as a bell so I decided to fix her up.

Frankly, I am happy with my small boat that is nothing compared to my former one, but one I can handle at all times. And one I know and trust. And all the luxuries of the bigger yacht save from washing machine and fridge.

Just being a happy sailor ....

[cheoah]

Originally Posted by virginia boy

I never worked particularly hard or worked two jobs but I saved every spare penny of my miserably low income for about five years. I had no idea what to do with it since I have have such poor money management skills so I just kept it in the bank, until one day I lucked into a blog about a cruising couple. One year after that I bought my boat, and now three years later I am forty three thousand dollars poorer, living on a meager retirement and much, much happier. This fall/winter I will begin full time cruising. I consider myself a very lucky man!

Cool!

[kaimusailing]

My father, who recently passed away, was a remarkable man who grew up during the Depression and WWII and had to fend for himself and his family. From him I learned self sufficiency and an individual nature. That's what I used to fix old boats, and get sailing on a shoestring. Not everyone would want to go that route.

I got my boat the way anyone now can get one, a boat with problems is a boat that is available for pennies on the dollar. The work to correct the problems usually is worth it, if you want that boat. The best way to look at it is, are the problems of this boat fixable by me, and, can I make the problems a positive feature. For example, I bought a boat that needed cabin top repair and it was not a bad problem to fix and the result was very good.
My current boat was an unfinished project and one of the reasons I bought it was, despite a lot of red flags to just walk away, I like puzzles, and this one was a real Chinese puzzle. There is only one little piece left that I don't know what it was going to be, so my current thinking is that it is an aluminum offcut from something else. I had it powder coated along with the other aluminum things years ago, thinking I would find out where it would go into the build. The man-hours into the build are unbelievable, but I am getting close to the end and have done a lot of sailing. Not everyone can do the boatbuilding work, but may of us learn along the way.
A boat represents freedom, individuality, and that is why we work hard to get one, or throw "Break Out Another Thousand", to get one.
One thing I learned over the years, the best boat is the one that has the lowest maintenance, the easiest portability, and the highest performance. In short, a windsurfer was a great boat for me at the time. Another great boat is one that can take all your stuff along while you cruise anywhere you want. Not so bad. You can get boats like that for almost nothing these days.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Lowcountry

Well, "lucky" is often used synonymously with "fortunate." I think that was probably what he meant.

That's what I was thinking. Not everyone gets to follow a dream.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Matt sachs

I was under the sand blast hood in the sun sweating my ass off the other day when I had my reality check. I asked myself if this is what I had in mind when I bought the boat. I said yes. Then I fussed at myself for talking to me to much...and went back to work. The voices in my head tell me I'm not insane...yet.

As long as they all agree you're OK. But if they start to argue ...

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Ram

I stole mine changed the numbers , made up a title and have been cruising for years, no one seems to notice

that's not luck. It's skill.

[Sam Plan B]

I saved $1000 per month for 10 years. Put it all into mutual funds. I borrowed $25k against the equity to by my 1974 Columbia 41. I moved aboard three years ago and would not consider living ashore.

[hellosailor]

There's only one guy who ever got his boat through luck.

Travis McGee, and the Busted Flush.

Or maybe that counts as "skill at poker".

[ShaunJ]

Worked my butt off to buy a very small second home (400 sq/ft) to have somewhere to sleep because my first real boat was very small. Purchased a 31' Chris Sport Fish that burned 30 GPH. Decided to put the house up for sale and buy a sailboat that didn't need much fuel. Best move I ever made. The wife and I met in our early teens in the Sea Scouts sailing Mini Fish, so the transition back to sailing was very easy.
Lucky, ....I guess. We worked hard getting where we are today, we got knocked down really hard during the real estate crash. We were very lucky to have purchased the Beneteau just before all hell broke loose in the market. We will have to work even harder now and delay our cruising plans a bit, but we own our boat and sail every weekend from April thru early Nov.

As the Chumbawamba song goes.....
I get knocked down
But I get up again
You're never going to keep me down

[Triton318]

I wanted to see the world from the deck of a sailboat from about the age of 14. Somehow the dream was set aside. While married with three children and a mortgage, I somehow managed to have 500.00 in cash when I saw the ad for my boat. I bought the boat and spent a couple of years and thousands of dollars restoring her. Now, 35 years later, I'm thirteen and a half months away from leaving.