What Was Your Epiphany?

[Allan S]

I sailed extensively in my twenties, then life took over and my sailing days stopped. Then my sailing guru contacted me through facebook after twenty years and showed me pictures of his 46 foot Spencer. It all came back to me in a rush and we bought our Coronado 25 within a month. We have bigggg plans now.

[lolanreg@smartc]

My epiphany started when I was in hospital with a work related back injury, with 3 others recuperating on the hospital verandah, one of them said he sailed a 24ft boat, and I commented he was lucky. He replied that luck had nothing to do with it!, and how old was my car? I said 18months, as I always found another way of getting a newer one,(3 in 6 years), he replied," if you stopped buying cars you'd be able to afford to get a boat!" I took this home with me and as I was actually working 2 jobs, one in mining and one in a caravan repair business, I found out looking in their " little red book"(valuations) I had lost and was losing so much money a week chasing cars, The penny dropped, I had that Chrysler Valiant for 17 yrs, repaired it when necessary, and saved and bought a 24ft sailing hull and deck to fit out. That's a long time ago, and 5 monohulls built by myself, and one 35ft Simpson cat fitted out, I can only say I loved the life of sailing, cruising, one has to get their priorities in the right order. There are so many here that seem to say that if they save enough to get this or that then they can go. There is always something else one wants but do you really need it? More to look after, there's an old saying in Oz "KISS" Keep it simple, stupid" I have had some beautiful boats, I loved sailing, and I also fitted out a 29fter that sailed like a dog, I had that for 4 yrs because I couldn't afford to get rid of it, but in time all passes, do your thing now, you'll live and be better for it.I guess that we're lucky living on the East Coast of Aust.that we sail in usually beautiful conditions with anchorages just a days sail apart all the way from Southern NSW to Northern Queensland, Lots of beautiful islands and sandy beaches. To the offshore cruiser the South Pacific Is are not too far away, and they go on for ever!. By the way the cat was the most ideal way to go, faster and more comfortable as one get a bit older. Natureboy

[linnetwoods]

I was born...

[Dave Wood]

Two summers ago I booked a day sail in St. Thomas aboard "Alaunt", an exquisite 53ft. Gallant ketch which had once belonged to the Governor of Bermuda (before he was assassinated in 1973). The boat had been used by the skipper and his wife as a liveaboard for two years of cruising the Caribbean, and they kept it immaculate. The bulkhead was plastered with brass plaques depicting the numerous ocean races in which the Governor of Bermuda had competed. We sailed to St. John, drank mimosas, snorkeled in crystal clear water, ate like kings, etc..
Then, I faced the big six-oh. A college buddy had just ended his bout with lung cancer by shooting himself in the head. The kids were away at college and doing fine. After 35 years of small town law practice, it was time.
A friend invited me sailing on his 30ft Cape Dory in the Chesapeake and both the Admiral and I loved it. This was it - we bought a boat within one month (after a full marine survey), a '98 Beneteau 352 with lots of upgrades courtesy of the prior owner. Now, most weekends will find us out on the bay. When retirement comes (3 to 5 years), more sailing is on the agenda.
That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!

[Volksdraggin]

Mine came about during a psychotropic mushroom trip. I was lost deep in my head considering what my life has been up to that point and what I really wanted to do. I rumbled over the fact that I spent 10 years of my life at a job I was growing each day more bitter, finding I was loathing the customers and the environment. I knew I didn't want my life to be nothing but anger and contempt so I knew I needed to make a break.

4 months later I bought a boat. I will be setting sail for Jamaica at the end of this month for my first year long cruising adventure.

[azure]

My Epiphany.

Growing up I never saw myself married, with the house in the suburbs, 2.5 kids and the works. I wanted a more eccentric life and I had no idea what that would be. I wanted to travel the world, that's all I knew.

My epiphany happened during the dot-boom, when I woke up and found myself in a rat race that made no sense and, honestly had false happiness. That was what…2000? We’ve talked about living aboard and off for 8 years. I cant speak for my husband, but over the last 8 years we would revive the dream just to sink further into the trappings of the material world. I wonder that some of it might have had something to do with our age. We were ‘young’ for considering the lifestyle, at the beginnings of our careers. I felt guilty, like I was somehow lazy and wanting to avoid the mandated 40 years of 9-5. Maybe because of this conflict we kept striving for what society said we should. We got raises and promotions. We upsized our house. We bought a new car. We are really unhappy. None of these parts of the ‘American Dream’ are fulfilling us. But if we move onto a boat are we then somehow failures?

I’ve recently realized that the answer is no. Look, you can save your whole life to do something in retirement just to die younger than expected or to get there with serious health problems that keep you from doing it. We busted our butts on some rental properties that were supposed to get us closer to our boat dream, just to have the market tank on us. We can wait 5 -10 years and see if it turns around, or we can look for another way. We have 3 properties we need to get out of. In this market, we might come out of it with 70k. We intend to buy the boat we can afford and go NOW. (NOW = properties selling.)

We are currently 34 and 39 years old. We will have no retirement fund or passive income to live off of once our home floats. So the reality of our dream will be a little different than some people on this forum. We will try to make money online, we will do odd jobs, we may even find ourselves in 9-5 jobs for periods of time while we save for cruising, (all the time living on a boat and taking her out on weekends or vacations.) I dream of taking a 4 year trip around the world with our child, while home schooling is practical.

I think that we can be just as successful in life living on a boat than just dreaming of living on a boat. I think a child can be raised on a boat and raised well. I think we would have no regrets and never look back. And quite honestly, if I never mow a lawn again for the rest of my life it would be fine by me!

PS. Living on a boat is my obsession, yet I get seasick. No kidding. I just tell people, “Hey, if I excuse myself and go puke overboard don’t worry about me. I’ve never been happier.”

[ronc]

Society is a joke. Have you see the news lately. There is not a person on the planet that can convince me that society has gotten it right lately. The measure of success should be something that you measure within and perhaps what your child can measure from their memories when they are older. I have been measuring mine while watching sunsets with my two kids.

Get out there as fast as you can and explore it and enjoy it, before society ruins it. I am on the fast track myself. As soon as I get the ok from my kids we are out of here!

Best of luck!

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by Volksdraggin

Mine came about during a psychotropic mushroom trip. I was lost deep in my head considering what my life has been up to that point and what I really wanted to do. I rumbled over the fact that I spent 10 years of my life at a job I was growing each day more bitter, finding I was loathing the customers and the environment. I knew I didn't want my life to be nothing but anger and contempt so I knew I needed to make a break.

4 months later I bought a boat. I will be setting sail for Jamaica at the end of this month for my first year long cruising adventure.

While some follow that naked Indian into the desert……. as a young man I chased after “Long John Silver”…..(he was easier to catch)

[Volksdraggin]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

While some follow that naked Indian into the desert……. as a young man I chased after “Long John Silver”…..(he was easier to catch)

[landlockedinwyo]

I made my mind up 6 months ago when I came home from work to find divorce papers on my table. I am only 33 years old and the thought of working my butt off until I can retire, ya like social security will be around then, about kills me. Assume I can retire at 65 ok thats 32 years away! I dont think so.

[trinescape]

i cannot say that i ever had that defining moment from my earliest childhood memory its all ways been me sailing over the horizon ,just to see whats on the other side even as a kid my whole family was into power boats not me i wanted a sail boat and it took me till i was forty before i got the boat, sure i had a few trailer sailers and a couple of smaller keel boats but now ive got the one that will take us over the horizon we have even lived on her for 2 and a half years and it was great and then my back went in a major way no open ocean sailing for me any more the moral of the story dont think about it just do it while you can
andy

[lolanreg@smartc]

Hi Andy, I can say I feel for you, I've been in the same boat as it may seem. I've had to live with a crook back for about 40 years, a laminectomy, more crook disks etc but you have to learn to live with it. building and sailing a cat sure helped as the motion sailing was smoother. had to watch those anchor chains though. Do something stupid and another day in bed! Don't give up your dream, there's always something new coming out. My daughter had a disk go but the Dr put a new thing in and shes terrific now, wish they had it in my time. Get second opinions. keep you spirit up, cheers

[trinescape]

cheers ioianreg thanks for your support we have still got the boat and like you said there always bringing some thing new to the table[ no pun intended] so while we can still afford a house and mooring fees we will still keep the boat so the dream is still alive!
thanks andy

[lolanreg@smartc]

Hi Andy, the neurosurgion in Wollongong name is Dr Moloney, I will say he did a marvellous job on my daughter's back, but very expensive! If that's any help.cheers

[richink]

about a year after floating the suggestion of buying a yacht & getting out of this "working life", my wife & I bought a 38' Roberts. she needs some money spent on her, but the basic boat ticks all the boxes we decided we wanted. so a year of dreaming (& reading mountains of sailing books!!)
plus one weeks sailing doing a competent-crew course, has become 12-18months to get her in shape & say goodbye to 9-5. rent the house; get rid of a ton of accumulated "junk"; & lets check out this cruising life...
dreams can become reality, but you do need to act !!