Giving up the ranch in Colorado and moving to a live aboard sailboat in the Keys

[sillybilly]

Greetings all. My name is Bill.
I imagine this is where I should start. I am new to forums and this site . I am originally from the burbs of Philly and moved to a ranch I bought in the high country of Colorado(75acres @ 8,500 feet) . I am tired of the overly tea party conservative attitudes here and no work. So I am looking into a 40+ foot sailboat and moving to the keys. I have looked at cabin cruisers and houseboats, but my love aside from horses has always been sailing. I have sailed as tiny as it may be a Hobie Cat up north for over 35 years. And was lucky enough to have camped many times in the Keys and visited Fort Jefferson a number of times. And went to a camp called Summer Camp Afloat.
Life is or should be about adventure and so now for the next chapter. I want to live like a cancer survivor before I can't.
Yes there are hurricanes, but living here we have many forest fires( I have seen 10 with in 20 miles in 5 years) and encroaching beetle kill. If either fire or beetle kill gets here there goes any property value.
So if anyone has any advice hopefully good advice go for it.

[captain58sailin]

Welcome to the forum, you will find plenty of help here.

[JPA Cate]

Welcome, mate,

You'll find plenty of opinions here; remember they're worth what you pay for them, and it may take a while to finds the authors with whose advice you agree.

Ann

[salticrak]

Welcome, make sure you have been as honest with yourself as possible regarding your motivations.I note that you have already made a lifestyle change once, so you may be better placed than many to make the move. Go for it I say.

[bbowers2004]

Sounds like a great move.

[sillybilly]

Salticrak,
You are correct, I gave up a large Victorian house and security to move here . So I have downsized once and part of me says why not again because when we may enter assisted living or a nursing home we have no choice. I want to live and enjoy life and perhaps a new adventure. Scared YES but hey I'll learn. Alabama Jacks was So much nicer than having a drink here for example ... I miss FRESH seafood

[Liunatic]

Welcome, Sillybilly!

As a new forum member myself, but a LONG time lurker, I assure you there is some great advice and knowledge to be found here, very friendly posters, and they aren't afraid to be funny, either, which is always a good thing, in my opinion.

Don't be afraid to post your questions and stories, I think you will find a warm welcome, as we have.

happy sails to you!

[sillybilly]

I hope so because what I am proposing to do is a dramatic change. I reckon I'll put my antiques and collectables worth saving in storage for the time being and if need be sell them on the east coast where I would absolutely get more for them or anything than here.
From city boy to cowboy/mountain man to Jimmy Buffett lifestyle and Chris Cross

[sillybilly]

Let me put this out there and see what kind of responses I get to this one. I am assuming that with the weather services advanced abilities to tell us where a storm/hurricane is and where it may be going that a live aboard boater can move up or down the coast as necessary??
This will be my home I can not afford to loose it.

[Reefmagnet]

Whilst the technology for predicting the path of an active revolving storm has improved considerably over the past decade, planning on outrunning or dodging one would not be my preferred strategy. Instead, either plan on leaving hurricane zones altogether during the season otherwise have a "hurricane hole" - somewhere to weather the storm - with a suitable plan.

[IrishWake30]

Life is meant to be an adventure. I've done the same thing you're about to do, Bill. Except I left Woody Creek, CO and became a liveaboard on the central Oregon Coast. Now I'm ready to head to Florida with my boat, and sail south from there. My advice is to do it. It's easier to go back to a lifestyle you've already had than to stay planted in one and wonder "what if", never trying anything new.

[sillybilly]

Irish,
I like your thought process. Well I am also going broke living here. It is not expensive but there is not really any work if I wanted it. And if gas prices go up again I would prefer to be closer to amenities. I also have a son to consider and he is 12 plays guitar and is in boy scouts and only been living with me for a year from Germany but beside that I'll need to be either docked or buoyed so he can go to school . Anything thoughts on dockage as compared to a buoy ??????? I'm open to listening and thoughts.
I must say I have never met such encouraging folks thank you all. Not one of my friends is a boater of this sort.

[denverd0n]

I moved from the outskirts of Denver down here to Florida about 5 years ago. You certainly can, and probably should, "go for it."

On the other hand, if you are expecting to find work in Key West I think you may be in for a disappointment. The economy here in Florida is rebounding more slowly than in Colorado. Key West is strictly a tourist town; there is almost no industry of any other kind there. If you do find something it is likely to be minimum wage type of stuff--waiting tables, or working in a bar/hotel, that sort of thing.

In any case, hang around here for a while, do some searches through the older posts, there is a lot of information available about buying and living on a boat. Good luck to you.

Oh yeah, and by the way, the political attitudes here are even more conservative than in Colorado. Like CO, there are pockets of liberalism, but overall, very conservative. So if you think you're going to get away from tea-party attitudes, think again.

[sillybilly]

Good morning and here is todays response. I have been to three different websites to look for work in the Keys and I have seen many things I would be willing to try and do. So there is work and they seem to run between $10.00 to $15.00 an hour. Any income or money is better than not working here. I have some income from investments and in 8 months can take my SSI.

[tropicalescape]

Originally Posted by sillybilly

Irish,
I like your thought process. Well I am also going broke living here. It is not expensive but there is not really any work if I wanted it. And if gas prices go up again I would prefer to be closer to amenities. I also have a son to consider and he is 12 plays guitar and is in boy scouts and only been living with me for a year from Germany but beside that I'll need to be either docked or buoyed so he can go to school . Anything thoughts on dockage as compared to a buoy ??????? I'm open to listening and thoughts.
I must say I have never met such encouraging folks thank you all. Not one of my friends is a boater of this sort.

I thought there were lots of good things to do in CO...What about being a "farmer", I here that a person can do good by being a "farmer",you have the land,cant be that many republicans with the "new farm bill" that has been passed...