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Old 25-03-2015, 08:29   #16
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Re: Foolish Late 50's Sell it All and Head North

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.......Our plan for the trip north is mostly the ICW (the ditch) since only short off-shore sailing is possible with our limited experience.

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Hello Matey,

I doubt you'll enjoy the ICW... you will always be stuck somewhere. Dig out the many posts on the subject.

GL
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Old 25-03-2015, 10:06   #17
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Re: Foolish Late 50's Sell it All and Head North

Jill and Todd,
I have made that trip a few times, the trip up the St Lawrence is pretty uneventful, easy locks and lots of nice places, Gaspe is a great place as well as the Madeleines.

One thought though, plan at least twice as long as you think you will spend. For instance, if you head up the St Lawrence in mid to late spring (have to wait that long usually because of ice), there is so much to see, from Gaspe on down to St Johns, that it will take you at least 6 to 8 weeks.

Crossing the Atlantic that far north is knarly as hell before mid June. I left NE Harbor Maine late May one time, bound for Gibralter and had one gale of wind after another the ENTIRE trip. It was not a lot of fun. Then again, I did that same trip (in reverse) late July and had less than 10 kts the entire trip. There is a GOOD reason people sail east to west via the Canaries/west indies, which by the way is probably the easiest, most pleasurable, safest, and most mentally rewarding passage there is. Every time I have made that passage with people aboard when we are about to make landfall they Always say “Do we have to stop?”

Just as a thought, it is usually easier to get a bit south, then do Bermuda, Acores , Gib, (it is really a great trip), spend the summer in the Med, then next spring head up north. You get up north earlier and are able to spend more time there. But do as you wish, that is part of the fun of what you are doing. Just don’t get put off the first time wind comes up and things go wrong.

Have fun!
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Old 25-03-2015, 10:17   #18
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Re: Foolish Late 50's Sell it All and Head North

I sold up and sailed from Lake Ontario to the Caribbean in 2006 and still living aboard in the south. Had some wonderful experience and met really nice people, some who are now close friends. Widower when I departed and now married again. Would not have sacrificed the last nine years for living north, haven't a clue what I would have done.
Probably incurred a great expense flying to different places, living in expensive hotels and eating in costly restaurants and not meeting anyone meaningful. I believe I saved money by cruising.
I have crossed the Atlantic 7 or 8 times on deliveries, never on my own vessel. Something I might do when I'm ready to sell.
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Old 25-03-2015, 10:25   #19
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Re: Foolish Late 50's Sell it All and Head North

A wish for more luck than you'll need and Godspeed (in a relative sense, of course). Happy to read some still have the "doing" within.
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Old 25-03-2015, 10:28   #20
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Re: Foolish Late 50's Sell it All and Head North

Life without adventure is not worth living.
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Old 25-03-2015, 10:42   #21
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Re: Foolish Late 50's Sell it All and Head North

Welcome to the forum Jill. I loved your introductory post and would just like to add my voice to the others who say good luck, God speed, and hope to see you out there.

We are in the same phase as you, getting the boat ready for D-day (Departure-day) and I haven't had any fingernails to speak of for years. Don't really miss them. They'd just have paint or caulk under them if I had them anyway. We are a year, or hopefully two, ahead of you (hoping for spring of 2017, but drop dead date is summer 2018), but getting a much later start as we are 60/65 right now.

As far as saying good bye to the kids, unbeknownst to me at the time our kids did us the favor of saying goodbye to us first and moving to the other coast. Now they want us to retire and move to where they are but we're crying foul. They know we've been planning this for over 30 years. (Yes, that's the right number. I see it often stated that "if someone has been planning it for more than 5/10/whatever number of years, they're never going to go." I just smile to myself.) I got all my wailing and crying over with back then. I can't say it was easy. Maybe it would have been easier if I had been living my dream instead of sitting in rush hour traffic thinking of them. The upside is, it passes. They get on with it and so do you. In the end I think they did us a favor.
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Old 25-03-2015, 10:58   #22
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Re: Foolish Late 50's Sell it All and Head North

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... we've been planning this for over 30 years. (Yes, that's the right number. I see it often stated that "if someone has been planning it for more than 5/10/whatever number of years, they're never going to go." I just smile to myself.)
Becky, I agree that there are a lot of myths being perpetuated .
This lifestyle is not achieved on a whim. It took precisely 22 years for us from the time we gazed at yachts at anchor and said "we want to do that" to the time it took to achieve the dream and live the lifestyle.

Good luck with achieving your goal in 2017, if not sooner.

And Jill, welcome to the forum .

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Old 25-03-2015, 10:59   #23
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Re: Foolish Late 50's Sell it All and Head North

Jill and Todd,
Great first post. I hope there will be many more to come. We lived in Mendota Heights for 10 years when our kids were little, sailed a 16 ft trailerable on all the local lakes as well as many farther from the cities. Superior only for short day sails on that little boat. Our path was to move away, several moves actually AZ, FL and eventually CA. We bought a cruising boat in 2000 and spent 15 years enjoying, learning, updating and getting it and ourselves ready. We cast off in Nov of 2013 and have been loving life afloat. You sound realistic and prepared. I have great confidence that you will overcome whatever you need to and enjoy the adventure. Smooth seas and good sailing.


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Old 25-03-2015, 12:57   #24
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Re: Foolish Late 50's Sell it All and Head North

Welcome to CF Jill & Todd

Go for it! Life is indeed short and no body lies on their death bed saying "I wish I'd spent more time in the office!'

There's a similar tale here, albeit each of us finds our own path and every path is different.

We wish you fair winds and following seas.
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Old 25-03-2015, 13:15   #25
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Re: Foolish Late 50's Sell it All and Head North

Way to go! Enjoy and all the best wishes, no better time than the present and I'm sure you'll be glad you did it sooner than later.
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Old 25-03-2015, 13:35   #26
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Re: Foolish Late 50's Sell it All and Head North

Sounds good, 'Sell it All' is no problem, just don't 'Spend it All' on a boat
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Old 25-03-2015, 14:19   #27
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Re: Foolish Late 50's Sell it All and Head North

Like most folks here...I have planned, grown kids, divorced, lost houses but never lost the dream. After 2 myocardial infarctions and before I was 60...I took off. Moving my boat each year. The boat is currently in Mexico waiting for me while I shake the money tree in Ca. until December. It works for me. My friends are dropping like flies right now. All that TV and processed food.
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Old 25-03-2015, 14:30   #28
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pirate Re: Foolish Late 50's Sell it All and Head North

People retire.. a way of life goes outa the window and all the still working friends don't have the time for you.. your outa the loop..
Boredom and depression creep in and you zonk out in front of the TV couch surfing and before ya know it your dead..

Now some of us go the healthy route.. we get a boat.. its a whole new lifestyle and job that never ends.. time you've got to the front its time to start from the back again.. no time to be bored.. gotta get this winch re-assembled and grab a shower in time for this evenings...

healthier environment, more exercise and better food..
Or.. the same crap but a 1 mile hike to Mc'D's...
Folks seem to last longer at sea.. must be the salt..
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Old 25-03-2015, 14:32   #29
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Re: Foolish Late 50's Sell it All and Head North

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Folks seem to last longer at sea.. must be the salt..
Damn ... I was counting on it being the booze .
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Old 25-03-2015, 14:37   #30
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Re: Foolish Late 50's Sell it All and Head North

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People retire.. a way of life goes outa the window and all the still working friends don't have the time for you.. your outa the loop..

I read an article years ago about the characteristic of a successful cruiser. From this I learned that those without really any land based friends are more successful cruisers. That makes me a shoe in because I mostly have fake internet friends that I can pretend to like regardless

It also helps if you don't really care that much for your family, afterall you didn't chose them as friends.
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