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Old 03-05-2014, 16:33   #61
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Re: Dream Boat or go ASAP?

if you are leaving the wife home in three years you may as well go now. I had one of those 5 years plans that became 8. I took a year off from work at 55. Best thing I ever did. Had the support of a good woman. Married her when I got back.I'll get out there again in a few years. For now, I have that particular monkey off my back. Memories of a very special time, a boat that is ready to go again and the confidence that can only be gained by doing it. Age is slippery slope. Saw too many others that thought that the right time would come and it never did. If you can,there is no time lie now.
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Old 03-05-2014, 17:06   #62
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Re: Dream Boat or go ASAP?

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if you are leaving the wife home in three years you may as well go now.

Age is slippery slope. Saw too many others that thought that the right time would come and it never did. If you can,there is no time lie now.
LOL, I don't plan on leaving the wife at home in 3 years... that's the point. My goal is to purchase the cheapest boat she will get on, but hopefully good enough that she'll stay on it.

I agree, age is the slippery slope. I've had 20/20 vision most of my life, and now its a bit hard to read if its not on a compute screen or kindle. My golf swing has a few more creaks in it. We've got the rest of our lives to be old, so I've got her on board with at least trying it for a few years.

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Old 03-05-2014, 17:11   #63
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Re: Dream Boat or go ASAP?

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If the wife doesn't get as enthusiastic, find friends that are and go without her. Just don't go alone with someone else's wife. Not wise.
I missed this one somehow the first time through. Not sure why. This all sounds pretty decent and good advise. I'm up for it all, except won't be able to get any kind of boat until the last one leaves for college in 2 years, 5 months. I have a technical degree, and we've often thought of relocating close to water so we could get a start in this manner while still earning good bank.

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Old 03-05-2014, 18:19   #64
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Re: Dream Boat or go ASAP?

You are in the same boat as I. Simply put you have competing priorities. As do I. I was able to justify... In my mind anyway... The practicality of buying the dream boat that the wife and kids loved. It was older and needed lots o work but affordable. So that happened. I learned a bunch from that experience over a two year period of time and then an opportunity presented itself for me to bail out of the adventure and reassess. So I did. I'm seven years from the last kid finishing college and 11 years from retirement. So the next time I'm going to be living near the coast I will be buying another boat.... At least 50 ft. I like em big!

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Old 03-05-2014, 19:39   #65
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Re: Dream Boat or go ASAP?

You know, I read this thread and I am reading allot of reasons why not to get a boat. Kids need college, folks old, bla bla, bla. It's all feel good reasons not to buy a boat.

If you have a dream of boating, buy a boat.

Try it out.

You might like it, or maybe it's not for you.

Have the dreamers ever even been on a boat? Or is it
A romantic notion, a dream of getting away from it all?

My goodness how can anyone realistically dream and keep putting off buying a boat. Maybe it's not your dream boat, heck my boat isn't my dream boat, but its a real honest to goodness boat, and the scenery looks just as fantastic sitting on its deck as it would in my dream boat.
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Old 04-05-2014, 06:24   #66
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Re: Dream Boat or go ASAP?

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Originally Posted by ksanders View Post
Maybe it's not your dream boat, heck my boat isn't my dream boat, but its a real honest to goodness boat, and the scenery looks just as fantastic sitting on its deck as it would in my dream boat.
My thoughts exactly. Mine is not my dream boat either. But I have a cheap safe boat that is capable of ocean crossing and going to islands that few ever get to see. I doubt I'll ever have the wife's permission or the money to up grade to my dream boat. But at least I'm sailing now. I'd like to resign from my job and spend the next 20-30 years sailing the world, but i can't do that, so the next best thing is weekends and holidays. That will do.
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Old 04-05-2014, 06:29   #67
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Re: Dream Boat or go ASAP?

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Originally Posted by ksanders View Post
You know, I read this thread and I am reading allot of reasons why not to get a boat. Kids need college, folks old, bla bla, bla. It's all feel good reasons not to buy a boat.

If you have a dream of boating, buy a boat.

Try it out.

You might like it, or maybe it's not for you.

Have the dreamers ever even been on a boat? Or is it
A romantic notion, a dream of getting away from it all?

My goodness how can anyone realistically dream and keep putting off buying a boat. Maybe it's not your dream boat, heck my boat isn't my dream boat, but its a real honest to goodness boat, and the scenery looks just as fantastic sitting on its deck as it would in my dream boat.
While I love everyone's enthusiasm on these forums, I don't understand the 'chuck it all, leave your wife and kids, buy a boat, and sail away'. I have a plan. It is a financial plan to obtain my dream boat, which is a fairly expensive cat, in 10 years. I am on track to achieve this plan financially.
I had a plan to get through the toughest undergrad degree, Electrical Engineering - check, did it.
I had a plan to be a USAF pilot - check, did it
I had a plan to run a successful software company - check, did it (the business didn't sell for as much as I had planned, so half a check??)
I had a plan to buy real estate, and make money for both myself and my investors - check, did it (but need more to stay on the boat plan, so 1/4 check? at least we've started it.)
At age 57 in 10 years, I will have the cash to buy my dream boat (upwards of $600k), and I will be able to draw from my IRAs and have cash flow from my real estate.

For the last time, I can't buy a boat RIGHT NOW. I live in Ohio, and have a kid still in high school. My funds are tied up in real estate that can't be sold for the right price just yet in this down market, and probably won't be at least until the next Presidential election.

I also have a plan to figure out if we are even going to like it before we buy. We've been on boats, but not for extended periods. We know what we like and what we don't like, and we've read enough and talked to enough people to be pretty sure we are going to like this. I know my wife will love Caribbean cruising. I'm also pretty darn sure I will need crew for any passage over 5 days, as she will just fly to meet me.

After the death of my uncle this past week, it occurred to me that 'any' boat would be good enough, and that occurs in 3 years at the EARLIEST. That plan is also the most financially difficult, unless my real estate business takes off. But the wife won't get on 'any' boat. As a problem solver, I look for other ways to accomplish this task faster, i.e. buy it in 5 years with a partial loan, work from the boat down in Marathon or something until paid off.

Again, I love the passion this forum shows, and the willingness to share. And I imagine you get your fair share of dreamers on here that don't actually do anything. But I'm a planner, and a do-er. Proven that all my life. I will have a boat in 3, 5 or 10 years, barring any health issues. And that's the part of the plan that got me worried and writing to others, to see if anyone a) bought a nice boat but then had to leave it because of medical or b) planned on it but couldn't because of medical or c) did it anyways, ran out of money and now regret it. I have not heard a single regret yet, and others are in my same situation.

oh, and bla bla bla I guess....

All the best, FollowingCs
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Old 04-05-2014, 06:50   #68
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Re: Dream Boat or go ASAP?

Quote:
Originally Posted by FollowingCs View Post
While I love everyone's enthusiasm on these forums, I don't understand the 'chuck it all, leave your wife and kids, buy a boat, and sail away'. I have a plan. It is a financial plan to obtain my dream boat, which is a fairly expensive cat, in 10 years. I am on track to achieve this plan financially.
I had a plan to get through the toughest undergrad degree, Electrical Engineering - check, did it.
I had a plan to be a USAF pilot - check, did it
I had a plan to run a successful software company - check, did it (the business didn't sell for as much as I had planned, so half a check??)
I had a plan to buy real estate, and make money for both myself and my investors - check, did it (but need more to stay on the boat plan, so 1/4 check? at least we've started it.)
At age 57 in 10 years, I will have the cash to buy my dream boat (upwards of $600k), and I will be able to draw from my IRAs and have cash flow from my real estate.

For the last time, I can't buy a boat RIGHT NOW. I live in Ohio, and have a kid still in high school. My funds are tied up in real estate that can't be sold for the right price just yet in this down market, and probably won't be at least until the next Presidential election.

I also have a plan to figure out if we are even going to like it before we buy. We've been on boats, but not for extended periods. We know what we like and what we don't like, and we've read enough and talked to enough people to be pretty sure we are going to like this. I know my wife will love Caribbean cruising. I'm also pretty darn sure I will need crew for any passage over 5 days, as she will just fly to meet me.

After the death of my uncle this past week, it occurred to me that 'any' boat would be good enough, and that occurs in 3 years at the EARLIEST. That plan is also the most financially difficult, unless my real estate business takes off. But the wife won't get on 'any' boat. As a problem solver, I look for other ways to accomplish this task faster, i.e. buy it in 5 years with a partial loan, work from the boat down in Marathon or something until paid off.

Again, I love the passion this forum shows, and the willingness to share. And I imagine you get your fair share of dreamers on here that don't actually do anything. But I'm a planner, and a do-er. Proven that all my life. I will have a boat in 3, 5 or 10 years, barring any health issues. And that's the part of the plan that got me worried and writing to others, to see if anyone a) bought a nice boat but then had to leave it because of medical or b) planned on it but couldn't because of medical or c) did it anyways, ran out of money and now regret it. I have not heard a single regret yet, and others are in my same situation.

oh, and bla bla bla I guess....

All the best, FollowingCs
You dont need us to make your decision.

We were not there for the others you made so why is this different?

No one here is going to press you any which way......... Its not my life or circumstances. All you can get on this topic is individual life experiences and choices OTHER PEOPLE made.

You like plans. You like working them through. You have a life pattern of that as carefully outlined above.

I will tell you one thing for definite, you will not feel the same physically in 10 years as you do now. In 10 years you could be drowning in family responsibilities and supporting businesses and have more obligations than you thought possible.

Whatever you want to do its fine. There is a cost with everything and you pays your money and you take your choice. !0 years 5 years or 3 years, its not now is it?......... stress is off already. Ask youself this same question in 3 years then decide.
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Old 04-05-2014, 07:06   #69
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Re: Dream Boat or go ASAP?

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Originally Posted by FollowingCs View Post
SNIP

I know my wife will love Caribbean cruising. I'm also pretty darn sure I will need crew for any passage over 5 days, as she will just fly to meet me.


SNIP
This is why I think you need to refine your definition of cruising. There may be a cruise in the Caribbean that would include a passage over five days; but I am not sure what it is. I am in the process of planning a cruise from the Florida Keys to the DR, and possibly to Rio Dulce. No five day passages in that. In fact for the most part it will be all in daylight. I do have a somewhat fast cat and plan on staying at anchor in a safe harbor till I get the weather window I like.

But my point is I bought a cat that meets my cruising needs of the Florida Keys, Bahamas, and maybe Windward and Leeward Islands and some parts of Central/South America. All of this can be done without a five day passage.

You seem to be planning to buy a boat for what I will call general cruising with no specific requirements; and most likely a boat far more capable than you are likely to be. Sure you can buy a cat for $US600,000 in a few years. You could also buy a fairly comfortable cat for $US100,000- 200,000 sooner. Not sure how well you sail but something like a PDQ might be much easier to sail than an Outremer or a fifty foot condomaran, especially if you are short handed.

There is nothing wrong with any of these cats, or many others. But there are real differences in cost, speed, comfort, ability to single/short hand and how well they fit different locales for cruising. You may want to spend some time considering if the ten or twenty years you have to cruise will be spent doing easy time in the Bahamas/Caribbean or hard time doing the two great capes or maybe some middle choice; and then selecting your boat accordingly.
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Old 04-05-2014, 07:16   #70
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Re: Dream Boat or go ASAP?

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Originally Posted by tomfl View Post
This is why I think you need to refine your definition of cruising. There may be a cruise in the Caribbean that would include a passage over five days; but I am not sure what it is. I am in the process of planning a cruise from the Florida Keys to the DR, and possibly to Rio Dulce. No five day passages in that. In fact for the most part it will be all in daylight. I do have a somewhat fast cat and plan on staying at anchor in a safe harbor till I get the weather window I like.

But my point is I bought a cat that meets my cruising needs of the Florida Keys, Bahamas, and maybe Windward and Leeward Islands and some parts of Central/South America. All of this can be done without a five day passage.

You seem to be planning to buy a boat for what I will call general cruising with no specific requirements; and most likely a boat far more capable than you are likely to be. Sure you can buy a cat for $US600,000 in a few years. You could also buy a fairly comfortable cat for $US100,000- 200,000 sooner. Not sure how well you sail but something like a PDQ might be much easier to sail than an Outremer or a fifty foot condomaran, especially if you are short handed.

There is nothing wrong with any of these cats, or many others. But there are real differences in cost, speed, comfort, ability to single/short hand and how well they fit different locales for cruising. You may want to spend some time considering if the ten or twenty years you have to cruise will be spent doing easy time in the Bahamas/Caribbean or hard time doing the two great capes or maybe some middle choice; and then selecting your boat accordingly.
And you could do a lot worse than buying a Seawind Catamaran like Tomfl has. A lot worse. If it wasnt for my decided budget and stupid European V.A.T. of 30%... it is close to being one of my dream Cats for my purposes in the smaller range. Sigh.
The larger vessels made by Seawind are REALLY worth a look at.

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Old 04-05-2014, 07:33   #71
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Re: Dream Boat or go ASAP?

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But my point is I bought a cat that meets my cruising needs of the Florida Keys, Bahamas, and maybe Windward and Leeward Islands and some parts of Central/South America. All of this can be done without a five day passage.

You seem to be planning to buy a boat for what I will call general cruising with no specific requirements; and most likely a boat far more capable than you are likely to be. Sure you can buy a cat for $US600,000 in a few years. You could also buy a fairly comfortable cat for $US100,000- 200,000 sooner. Not sure how well you sail but something like a PDQ might be much easier to sail than an Outremer or a fifty foot condomaran, especially if you are short handed.

There is nothing wrong with any of these cats, or many others. But there are real differences in cost, speed, comfort, ability to single/short hand and how well they fit different locales for cruising. You may want to spend some time considering if the ten or twenty years you have to cruise will be spent doing easy time in the Bahamas/Caribbean or hard time doing the two great capes or maybe some middle choice; and then selecting your boat accordingly.
Tomfl, thanks again for your thoughtful replies. That is definitely part of our problem. We are having difficulty defining what we will eventually do. For sure, we will cruise the Caribbean and probably some easy South American stints. We really like Roatan Honduras, and haven't been to the other 2 bay islands. Knowing myself, I tend to push further, and a circumnavigation is totally possible. But it is totally possible we cruise for 3 years and buy a condo somewhere on a golf course after that.

In my current occupation, we use Agile project planning, which says to have a major goal, but roughly defined. Then, you constantly work toward that goal in little 2 or 3 week 'sprints' of specifics, knocking off whatever is needed that week. Realizing that the overall big goal is loosely defined, but still making progress toward it. It's also a mentality of DO SOMETHING instead of just thinking about it, even if what you do for 2 weeks isn't quite right, at least you've learned something.

In addition, we also have to figure out if we will still be running our business. The 10 year plan says probably not, the 5 year plan says yes. We may be entertaining clients on the boat, and these folks will expect a level of luxury.

We will actually be looking at some 'fairly comfortable' cats in the $250k range this summer. We are looking 44 foot cat max, and the PDQs are top of the list. We are making a list of other must-haves vs nice-to-have vs don't really want. This will help a bit as well.

Much to consider, and the passing of my uncle made me realize that the financial plan I have in place maybe isn't the best plan given the 'clock of life is wound but once, and no man has the power, to tell just when the clock will stop, at late or early hour'.

All the best, FollowingCs
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Old 04-05-2014, 07:51   #72
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Re: Dream Boat or go ASAP?

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And you could do a lot worse than buying a Seawind Catamaran like Tomfl has. A lot worse. If it wasnt for my decided budget and stupid European V.A.T. of 30%... it is close to being one of my dream Cats for my purposes in the smaller range. Sigh.
The larger vessels made by Seawind are REALLY worth a look at.

OOOoooo. I love videos. Thanks weavis! This does look pretty sweet, and the info is pretty good also. I love well put together marketing videos - good angles on the electronics, good 'action' of the boat in use. Nice.

All the best, FollowingCs
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Old 04-05-2014, 08:47   #73
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Re: Dream Boat or go ASAP?

I could by 6 large boats for your 1, or 1 boat and 6 wives based on your money figure above.
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Old 04-05-2014, 08:57   #74
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Re: Dream Boat or go ASAP?

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I could by 6 large boats for your 1, or 1 boat and 6 wives based on your money figure above.

In my mind the expense of 6 wives makes a boat seem cheap.
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Old 04-05-2014, 08:58   #75
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Re: Dream Boat or go ASAP?

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In my mind the expense of 6 wives makes a boat seem cheap.
I see it as 1 wife and no boats...........
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