Taking the Plunge

[frgeorgeh]

Hi friends,

Well, the wife and I have decided to sell everything and move aboard. It has been a dream for a long time but, before we could get up the nerve we had to convince ourselves to take the Blue pill and get out of the Matrix!

Now that the kids and grand kids have finally moved out, and we know we really do not need all this crap in our lives, and do not have to be dutiful consumers, we are ready for our new adventure. The house is on the market, I told work they could let me telecommute or else, told our friends and family. So yes, this S&%T just got real.

I am 56, the wife is 54 and we just do not want to look up one day and ask, How in the world did we end up here. It is a new and exciting chapter in our lives. And its funny, how many "Dreamers" come out of the wood work to offer you advice on boats. For example - my Brothers who often talked a good game but never went and did. All of a sudden they are flooding me with links and articles on boats; all of which go right in the bit bucket. And of course there are those still so intrenched in the Matrix that they say we can never make it, and, "what if this" and "what if that" My goodness.

Anyway, Once all our junk is gone, we are leaving Texas for Punta Gorda Florida where we will begin the task of shopping for a sailboat. We are planning on getting a used but in fair to good shape boat, 32 to 38 feet for mostly coastal cruising. Our top end will be around $35000. I am a telecom engineer and can do many many things "pretty well". We hope to be able to do most of the repairs, changes, and work ourselves.

We plan to move right aboard choosing to not waste a single moment more. I know we are in for a challenge and I know it will test us both but hey, As one of the authors says, "You gotta go to know!"

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we begin this wonderful journey. I hope to make many posts moving forward and know that we will be asking a few questions along the way. I know we will meet wonderful and colorful folk and make many new friends.

God Bless and fair seas,

Fr. George and Betty Jo

[Seaworthy Lass]

Just follow the white rabbit ......

Best wishes. I look forward to the next instalment.

[Cheechako]

exciting! Beware, every "bigger" boat looks better, but on your budget, you need to get the best condition boat you can find. I had as much fun in a 30 as a 47. Although I like the speed of the bigger boat!

[AshleyandEmma]

Hi both, we are in exactly the same position moving fwd from UK to Antigua.

I had all the crap too from parents who said ' have you seen the floods over there' like it doesn't rain in the UK. Lol
They went onto say 'life is cheaper, what about health???'

We just see it as part of the 'big venture..'

So yes well keep posting too. All the very best to you and good luck.

See you on the wet stuff one day maybe :-)


Ashley & Emma

[Soldr]

I love it. We're doing the same thing, only heading west. As we tell more people and sell more stuff it gets more and more real. some times i wonder if I'm crazy. But when one of my Co workers told me he was jealous, i felt good. for years i have just felt that there has to be more to life than just brokering it to the highest bidder at 40 hrs a week. I feel as though I'm a slave to my possessions and societies view of a success. I got divorced about 5 years ago. And after losing the 300k house and every thing i had worked so hard my whole life for. I asked myself, why? And when i couldn't answer,i started looking at alternatives. When i found cruising, i fell in love.

[AshleyandEmma]

Soldr, your story is so reminiscent of my life.
Lost the lot and starting again. I had to sell what was left and the first thing to go was the settee, so been sitting on camping chairs for months. Now in partner mother's house trying to save every penny.

Like I said before. Wish you all the luck.


Ashley & Emma

[Soldr]

Originally Posted by AshleyandEmma

Soldr, your story is so reminiscent of my life.
Lost the lot and starting again. I had to sell what was left and the first thing to go was the settee, so been sitting on camping chairs for months. Now in partner mother's house trying to save every penny.

Like I said before. Wish you all the luck.


Ashley & Emma

I believe life has a way of putting you where you want to be. I had planned to wait till i turn 40, I'm 35 now, to begin this excursion. However, we just happen to have some money available at a time when our landlord has decided to give his house to his daughter instead of continuing to rent it out. Meanwhile, small apartments in bad areas are going for more than what i was paying for my house.

[Soldr]

Originally Posted by AshleyandEmma

Like I said before. Wish you all the luck.


Ashley & Emma

Thank you. And good luck to you too. And hold tight to your dream. Have faith that it will happen and it will. I will keep posting here to keep those interested abreast to my (mis) adventures. This site has been invaluable to me in my preparation to pursue my dream.

[onestepcsy37]

There is a freeport 36 for sale on this forum for $20k that sounds perfect for you. Its in fort myers florida.
Fair winds and following seas...

Sent from my GT-P3113 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Adventurebound]

We are all after dreams. The dream really is to do what you want when you want. The dreams I had 6 weeks old are now different at 60 years old and will be different when I am 99.

[Greenhand]

It amuses us that everyone comments about us "living the dream." To us, we are just making the best decisions for ourselves. Right now, that means spending a large chunk of our savings to have years aboard our boat before we set out cruising.


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[leftbrainstuff]

We did much the same thing. Go for it.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[frgeorgeh]

Thanks to everyone that responded. I found this poem about 2 years ago and it really put me in my place, sitting there in my cubical day after day. If you know the author would you please let me know?

A small boy heard the ocean roar,
There are secrets on my distant shore,
But beware my child, the ships bell’s wail,
Wait not too long to start to sail.
So quickly come and go the years,
And a young adult stands abeach with fears,
Come on, Come on the ocean cursed,
Time passes on. Oh sail you must.
Now its business in mid-aged prime,
And maybe tomorrow there will be time,
Now is too soon, it’s raining today,
Gone all gone-years are eaten away.
An old man looks, still feeling the lure,
Yet he’ll suffer the pain, than go for the cure,
The hair is white, the steps with care,
The tide has turned, he is aware.
So all too soon the secrets are buried,
Along with him and all regrets he carried,
And it’s not for the loss of secrets he cried,
But rather because he’d never tried.

[frgeorgeh]

onestepcsy37 That looks like a nice boat. Is the freeport a good vessel? I want to avoid those boats that have so many problems with POX and blisters after the changes made in hull construction during the seventies.

[Krakato]

Best of luck to you! We are a couple of years behind you (waiting for the pension to kick in - 28 months, but who is counting?!?!?), but basically the same plan.

Any ideas where you will head after getting a boat?