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SweetSurrender · 25-12-2008, 20:13

Ever since I was very little I have been growing up around boats. Watching the ferries go in and out of the terminals and perusing the docks at the various marinas on the Puget Sound. Each and every time I went down those docks, I would be wishing that I could make one of those beautiful boats my ever-mobile home with which I could go any number of beautiful places. It wasn't just the thought of a recreational vehicle, it was always a thought of a home.

I met my partner and a key moment in our falling for each other was when we realized that we wanted the same exact dream, living aboard a sailboat and cruising our way away from the rat race.

Our family and friends think we have really lost our minds to want to liveaboard a sailboat. I think back and there are plenty of moments in my life when they thought I was crazy then too and I turned out just fine whatever it was. The lectures are just a little different such as...

"Don't you know what BOAT stands for? Bring Out Another Thousand?"

"It's so cold on a boat."

"It's a terrible investment."

"It'll get really old really quick living on a boat."

"Everything on a boat is 3 or 4 times more expensive to buy."

"You won't have room for anything."

What do you say to people like this? I don't believe that every path is the same for everyone and mine is unique to theirs. It's not that they may be wrong or right, just that they have a different tolerance for the things I may tolerate very easily.

I'd love to hear any salty words of encouragement about making a boat purchase in these times. Many have said I should "hunker down" on land and save my money.

That really doesn't sound like much fun though.....

maxingout · 25-12-2008, 20:33

Home is where the heart is.

If your heart is on land, then that is your home. If your heart is out cruising, then that is where you belong. It's pretty simple.

Check out this link - it explains things in greater detail:

WHEN ARE YOU COMING HOME

jcmcdowell · 25-12-2008, 20:51

My wife and I made the decision to live aboard when the options looked bad to worse. I was a residential home developer and builder and 2007 pretty much set the stage for wiping us out. That same year, we had our first (and only) child. Having a child re-prioritized my commitments massively. We didn't wait 37 years to have a child to not spend time with the wee one, so I had to change my 60+ hour per week self employment strategy.

In the end, when we evaluated our cost of living on land to keep up with all the goodies you need (or want) to survive and compare that to how much time it was going to take to make the money to pay for the stuff I didn't want in the first place- cruising looked like a fair trade of time for money.

So we trashed and burned. It has taken us almost all of 2008 to 'skinny down' and cut our overhead by 70% to make living on a sailboat and working from a sailboat a possibility. This included making some tough decisions about housing, paying off credit cards, and learning to survive without the instant gratification we've become accustomed to with 2 cars, multiple TV's, high speed this and that.

Our caveat was that we owned our 1979 CSY 33 sailboat outright and I think you would be wise to buy a boat that you can afford versus getting a bank loan. Taking a year to sell off everything to save up 30-40k plus some more on top for repairs is very doable for a two income couple.

We also don't have a timetable or a destination in mind. If we cruise for a week, month, or year and don't like it- we'll just change the plan and do something different. But we do know that I have 4 years and ticking before we have to make a decision about schooling for our daughter.

So now is the right time for us.

We've just spent our first week full time onboard at a tiny Marina in Georgia. By next week we head south to warmer weather.

Thermal · 25-12-2008, 21:01

I've been told I'm crazy lots of times, usually doesn't have anything to do with living aboard

You're gonna build a house by yourself? You're CRAZY!
You're gonna hike 400 miles through the mountains with a 75lb pack? You're CRAZY!
You're gonna ride a motorcycle to South America? You're CRAZY!
You're gonna jump off that mountain with nothing but an oversized bedsheet and a bunch of string? You're CRAZY!
You're gonna seel that house and buy a boat? You're CRAZY!
Judging by what the vast majority of people seem to strive for: The easy life of comfort, the security of predictability, the accumulation of STUFF, I am crazy becuse what I strive for is to experience as much as I can in this life even though there is price to pay: it's usually NOT comfortable, the only thing I can count on is that time will go on, and I have to spend money and don't have much in the way of STUFF to show for it.

"Don't you know what BOAT stands for? Bring Out Another Thousand?"
So what! You can say the same about an automobile.

"It's so cold on a boat."
That's why caveman invented clothes. And if thats no good, then boats can MOVE to warmer places.

"It's a terrible investment."
Poor financial investment, geat investment in LIFE.

"It'll get really old really quick living on a boat."
It gets really old doing the same thing your whole life: Get up, sit in traffic going to work, waste 8 hours of your life, sit in traffic going home, eat dinner, watch the boob tube, go to sleep, repeat indefinately until death.

"Everything on a boat is 3 or 4 times more expensive to buy."
Quit buying STUFF.

"You won't have room for anything."
No problem. Quit buying STUFF!

CRAZY is realtive.

Stillraining · 25-12-2008, 21:57

Everything you listed is true...Everything both prievious posters is spot on also.

I live where you do...IT WILL BE COLD AND WET...untill you learn the tricks...everything else pales in importance especialy, in who thinks what of your Idea.

Go for it...by a copy of "The warm dry boat" by Roger McAffee..money well spent.

Good Luck

The Warm Dry Boat by Roger McAfee

SweetSurrender · 25-12-2008, 23:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stillraining

Everything you listed is true...Everything both prievious posters is spot on also.

I live where you do...IT WILL BE COLD AND WET...untill you learn the tricks...everything else pales in importance especialy, in who thinks what of your Idea.

Go for it...by a copy of "The warm dry boat" by Roger McAffee..money well spent.

Good Luck

The Warm Dry Boat by Roger McAfee

Swinging by Armchair Sailor tomorrow - thanks for the tip

bruce in oz · 26-12-2008, 05:41

firstly you need to be congratulated on finding a partner who shares the dream.

the people calling you crazy havent got a clue, leave it at that and enjoy your mutual dream. you are doing well, so far......

educating children as they grow up to 12yrs old in any isolated environment will only work if the parent(s) are prepared to give 100% dedication and love that any child deserves. you are their teacher, guide and example.
if you dont want children, or cant handle the commitment, dont practice.

it is such an immense pleasure raising a child, dont rely on schools or anyone else to do it. be prepared to do it yourself, and occasionally ask others for help, or dont do it at all.

when they reach 12 all hell breaks loose....

and crazy becomes a happy memory

then again i'm still wondering why my daughter gave me a bottle of cologne for xmas, she cant still be looking for a step mum at 20, maybe i stink...

exranger · 26-12-2008, 06:10

Tell them they are absolutely right! Only a nut would do it. It's a terrible life. Tell them not to make the same mistake you are about to make.

(HEY, marinas and anchorages are ALREADY too crowded, it's your DUTY as a sailor and future liveaboard to convince others to stay off the water, lol).

Seriously, most people have had the dream, or a similar one. They'll never do it because they simply don't have the "right stuff" to do anything other than get in their car every morning, drive to their cubicle (or wherever they work), pay all their bills for all those things they buy to impress all those people they really don't like anyway. What they don't understand is why they never had the cajones to do their dream. And remember this, if nothing else, because I have learned it the hard way by dumping everything and moving onto a boat myself:

NONE OF THEM WANT TO SEE YOU SUCCEED AT YOUR DREAM!!!

Truly. Know why? Because your success would just highlight that it is possible, and that they COULD have done it or something similar, but didn't, and now it's "too late" for them, they are stuck forever on their treadmill life. They are much more comfortable believing you will fail, because it justifies their "decisions" not to pursue their own dreams.

imagine2frolic · 26-12-2008, 07:11

When I sold my business in 03. I met an aquantance in the grocery store just before leaving.

ME, Hi Jim
HIM, Micky told me you sold out, bought a big boat in the Caribbean, and are leaving?
ME, Yep it's true I leavin in a month!
HIM, You don't know how envious we all are, meaning mutual friends & aquantances.
ME, It's not all that hard you can do it too. Just sell everything, and go.
HIM, You don't understand I can't do that.
ME, Why?
HIM, Well, because I just don't have the balls to do that!
ME, a big smile appears upon my face, and deep inside I am high fiving myself.
ME, Oh, well you, and the family take care I am sure Micky will let you know what I am up to.

WHOSE really crazy here?

highseas · 26-12-2008, 07:30

I decided to sell everything and move aboard fulltime,my dream of many years.Yes,people think its crazy,it is not for just anybody.I'm much happier now having simplified my life substantially.I have survived the coldest and snowiest Dec. on record on the south coast of B.C. with no complaints,apart from lack of visitors.If I had a dog or extra people on board, condensation would be more of an issue(dogs pant ALOT!)I run electric and propane heat,cabin is always around 15deg. C ,even when 15 below,blowing 40 outside.The reason it is looked down on is because liveaboards are not good taxpayers!

Cadence · 26-12-2008, 08:49

Thermal,

I loved your post. Crazy is a state of mind.

CaptHead · 26-12-2008, 09:01

I have been living aboard for 23 years and now I get, I can't see you ever moving to land.

That is the Ultimate Compliment!!!

Sandero · 26-12-2008, 09:36

People who are into land living are into building a castle, a fortress and live which is valued but possessions. Well most of them. The few who live on little close to the land might think living on a boat extravagant.

What you gain by living on a small boat - they're all small compared to how we "big" we live on land - is that you find that you don't need all the stuff land lubbers find comfort in - from big cushy sofa, to libraries of books, read once which are stored, to gadgets of all kinds to do what you can easily do without them, to collections of junk of every nature. Who needs that sort of ball and chain when you can have an anchor and chair which serves vital purpose and actually frees you to live wherever!

You can a constant closeness to the nature and the weather, the seasons as opposed to living in climate controlled environments where you need to turn on the TV or radio to know the weather.

You get the sky because you can't avoid it - day or night - the stars, the clouds - shades of blue and orange and stars galore. You can't even see them in a big city.

You get to feel the kind of freedom that if things are not working out over here for any reason, you can weigh anchor and sail over there where it looks more promising and you don't have to list your home or get an agent, or wait to sell property. Untethered and free. What's not to like?

And now with the digital age you can stay as connected, have a huge music library, millions of photos, movies all sorts of entertainment and even the WWW right at your fingertips - almost anywhere on the planet. That could cinch it if you thought you had to leave "culture behind". You don't - you can take as much as you want with you.

They don't get it. You do!

Therapy · 28-12-2008, 19:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by imagine2frolic

When I sold my business in 03. I met an aquantance in the grocery store just before leaving.

ME, Hi Jim
HIM, Micky told me you sold out, bought a big boat in the Caribbean, and are leaving?
ME, Yep it's true I leavin in a month!
HIM, You don't know how envious we all are, meaning mutual friends & aquantances.
ME, It's not all that hard you can do it too. Just sell everything, and go.
HIM, You don't understand I can't do that.
ME, Why?
HIM, Well, because I just don't have the balls to do that!
ME, a big smile appears upon my face, and deep inside I am high fiving myself.
ME, Oh, well you, and the family take care I am sure Micky will let you know what I am up to.

WHOSE really crazy here?

I need bigger balls.
Mine are growing...........I checked.
Just not quite big enough yet.