How Do You Afford the Cruising Lifestyle? What's Your Story?

[dannc]

Originally Posted by oldragbaggers

...
For us it is a matter of determining the exchange value of our time at each point in the process. When life was completely comfortable and enjoyable here ashore and with our jobs, hanging here for 3 more years and just enjoying our boat in the off time seemed perfectly fine and was a small price to pay with all we were accomplishing and the security we were establishing for our future. But with each undesirable or uncomfortable development that occurred here, the sacrifices on the other side of the equation became much less significant in comparison.

It's a weighing and measuring game for every individual. Each person comes to it from a different perspective, financially and in terms of life experience and expectations. And an individual can have a different outlook at different stages of life. Things that would have been fun and exciting at 25 may seem like an unreasonable sacrifice at 55 or 65. A job that was a challenge and a passion at 50 may have become a ball and chain by 60. And then there's that health thing. Once you come face to face, in the form of illness or just the aches, pains, and limitations of growing older, with the fact that you aren't going to be strong enough to do this forever you can start to put a higher value on the decreasing window of time you have and a lesser value on the material wealth you might miss by grabbing the opportunity while it is still there.
...

Much truth in those two paragraphs. We are in the same boat, figuratively speaking. Just not so close in time to the goal. Which is both good and bad.

Later,
Dan

[oldragbaggers]

Originally Posted by dannc

Much truth in those two paragraphs. We are in the same boat, figuratively speaking. Just not so close in time to the goal. Which is both good and bad.

Later,
Dan

Sometimes life forces your hand, Dan, and you come closer sooner than you expected. But we're starting to look at it as a blessing in disguise.

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by oldragbaggers

It's a weighing and measuring game for every individual. Each person comes to it from a different perspective, financially and in terms of life experience and expectations. And an individual can have a different outlook at different stages of life...

There is truly no "one size fits all."

Absolutely on point and well worth repeating.

[Briandownsouth]

Sounds to me you are awake at 22! Use your creativity to stay off of the corporate treadmill There are better ways. There are more interesting problems out there than there are people to solve them. Work a bit, sail a lot. I did things the conventional way because it took me 20 years to figure out it wasn't really necessary. I'm feeling much better now. Rock on!

[sailpower]

Originally Posted by chuckr

22 y/o with ptsd from a family relationship problem and burned out -- BS -- let me tell you know what ptsd is -- it is my 24 yo USMC son coming home after 2 back to back tours in Iraq and could not sleep and got a bit edgy but now is an ee and just passed his pe as he got it together

get it together and be an man by God -- it is not the glossy magazine life that they like to portray out here. there are no dancing girls waiting for you on the beach, you get to sail 6 months or so and sit waiting out either hurricane season or winter -

if you want to escape it all take you 6 figures go to the keys and be a beach bum and just hang out -- you will do well there

just my opinion

Seriously. The OP maybe needs to volunteer at a VA facility for awhile and see what real PTSD is.

Not being a special snowflake isn't it.

[JTHAW]

I fulfilled my dream from '78-'83 at 27-32 yrs....sailed the Bahamas and Caribbean on my 10 yr old morgan sloop...with a new 15hp yanmar I installed myself along with a complete refit...no frig/freezer, no hot water, no loran , gps didn't exist,., no AIS, no epirb, no tv, no ham radio, no watermaker,.. computers on boats didn't exist...only electronics was a 200ft depth sounder and a vhf, and ssb receiver for wx...thorny path , island hopped all the way down to Bequia and back to Ft Laud. EP and DR the whole way...successfully!
MAN...I am way happy I did it in my prime!!!! I sold everything I owned... my boat payment was 228$ month...my average month money spent with my boat payment was around $725 total.....50lbs of ice lasted 10 days in my self improved box, in the tropics...insurance was like 140$ for the year! for 3 years before I left I worked in the sailboat industry in Fl. I worked, built, slept, dreamt, studied, delivered, commissioned, rigged and sailed sailboats for the equivalent of a PHD...Sailboats were my entire life...I worked in the USVI's as a captain, I worked on a 52 Cat out of St Martin...worked as rigger in St Thomas...and ..more...It was great!...If you saw me now you would say I am in very good shape...But the physical aches and pains of advancing age are catching up...I am hoping the all knowing will grant me the years to do it again..I will have enough to live on my boat;.. off my SS in 21 months...I have acquired and paid for the vessel of my dreams...I shall sell everything I have ...and once again embark on the same path...