Why did you run away to sea?

[GafferMate]

Eben, your website and posts are great...relax your fears about potential criticisms. They may happen but don't pay attention unless there is some kernel within it that is worth keeping.

It is obvious how much you care for Taleisin, your deep respect for her history, and your complete honesty with your learning curve. No former boat owner could ask for anything more of new owners.

Thank you for taking the time to share a bit of your own story with us.

Diane

[Eben]

Originally Posted by GafferMate

Eben, your website and posts are great...relax your fears about potential criticisms. They may happen but don't pay attention unless there is some kernel within it that is worth keeping.

It is obvious how much you care for Taleisin, your deep respect for her history, and your complete honesty with your learning curve. No former boat owner could ask for anything more of new owners.

Thank you for taking the time to share a bit of your own story with us.

Diane

Unfortunately I've been part of the internet for long enough to know how flame wars and doxing works, blame the day job and previous life for the hyper paranoia...

Thank you for the compliment, it means a lot since I'm very much aware that writing is not my forte.

We certainly do care for and respect Taleisin very much, the last thing we want to do it be known as the people that ruined her. From what I can gather the cruising community is very small and very tight knit, I certainly don't want to be at odds with it. Whist I can be very stubborn and opinionated, I'd like to pretend I'm not for the time being =)

[fishin4bogey]

My two pennies.....

Never had an inkling to take off and go sailing. I was here living "The Dream" working myself to death, debt upto my hairline!! Then a buddy of mine calls one day and tells me to start saving every penny I can. He was getting divorced, buying a sailboat, and we were getting the hell outta Dodge for a few years. After my engagement ended a month earlier, I was damn sure ready for something new.

The two of us spent 6 months researching boats, watching YouTube videos, dreaming of the places we were going to visit. Then the call that he and his wife were really making excellent progress, and were going to stick together.

So I figured why not go solo? At least start dreaming of my own trip. So I started doing just that.

I'm at the point now where I'm just tired of failed relationships, and women who aren't over their Ex's! Three years ago I buried my best friend who lost his battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 48 yrs old. I just wanted to run away from it all. As others have said that most of the times the problem and solution are identified and solved from within. Now I spend most weekend mornings watching the sunrise at the beach. Got back into the gym and decided to work on me. So far it's working really well. Women are still insane.

Probably won't go around the world. Although that'll be something I will regret not doing. What I am looking at is a nice little 30' Catalina or something similar I can live on here in South Florida. Rent down here is absolutely nuts. With this set up, on a long weekend I can shoot down to Dinner Key in Miami and chill. I'll have a better handle of it all in about 6 months when my current lease is up.

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[Curious Sailor]

Originally Posted by fishin4bogey

My two pennies.....

Never had an inkling to take off and go sailing.

[SeaYote]

My dad was in the Navy - hence a childhood spread out from Norfolk, VA, to Puerto Rico, to Florida, to California, and back to the east coast. I married a man who loves boating and fishing and our daughter has grown up on the Chesapeake Bay. We've taken her to over a dozen blue water destinations, she got dive certified at 13. She is most at peace and enthralled in that aquatic world, and I hope and pray the oceans are clean enough for any child of hers. "Mother Mother Ocean..." I understand.

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by SeaYote

My dad was in the Navy - hence a childhood spread out from Norfolk, VA, to Puerto Rico, to Florida, to California, and back to the east coast. I married a man who loves boating and fishing and our daughter has grown up on the Chesapeake Bay. We've taken her to over a dozen blue water destinations, she got dive certified at 13. She is most at peace and enthralled in that aquatic world, and I hope and pray the oceans are clean enough for any child of hers. "Mother Mother Ocean..." I understand.

I was startled by this post. My wife's dad was in the Navy - her childhood was spread out from Portsmouth, Va .......... etc, and back to the East Coast. She married a man who loves boating........ our daughter has grown up aboard and cruised to many destinations (well, our son too). She is most at peace in the aquatic world and living aboard her boat with our grandson. I have the same hopes!

[SeaYote]

Thanks for your reply, Hudson. My husband and I are planning for live-aboard cruising in about two years (daughter launches for college 2017). We've been streamlining and downsizing gradually and hope to wrap up our business by then as well (IT company supporting Govt, 20 years +). In many ways a life at sea is more sane and certainly more peaceful than what's happening stateside right now! With all that said, we've tried to raise our daughter with a positive outlook - a big part of that has been frequent dunks in nature via blue water snorkeling vacations and weekend boating on the Chesapeake Bay. Sounds like you've given your children a wonderful legacy...your daughter living aboard with your grandkids --- Love it!

[Eben]

It looks like this thread is winding down. I just wanted to take a moment to thank everybody for sharing! I've had some unexpected responses to the simple question I asked. It was great!

[Curious Sailor]

Good topic Eben...

[Eben]

Originally Posted by Curious Sailor

Good topic Eben...

Thank you! Turned out much better than I imagined!

[Holden Magroine]

Originally Posted by seasick

I sailed away to sea not to escape life but to keep life from escaping me.

Exactly, couldn't have put it better.



Sent from the future using my secret time machine.

[mausgras]

Originally Posted by Eben

It looks like this thread is winding down. I just wanted to take a moment to thank everybody for sharing! I've had some unexpected responses to the simple question I asked. It was great!

Not running down .... just taking a seasonal break?

This is one of my reasons for a life close to the sea

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/scienc...957590/?no-ist



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[Zhim]

Now that I've done it I'm allowed to post in this thread!

I'm not going to argue semantics with anyone, I think we can all understand what the question means regardless of the way it's worded.

To put it simply, I can't stand the "normal life." I hate the endless, pointless routine of working to pay bills, so that I can stay alive to work, so that I can stay alive, all to go back to work again the next day. Tried it for three years after university, wasn't for me.

The sailing life has meaning for me. Maintenance is vital and fulfilling, work feeds me so that I can sail and travel. I can wake up and do anything I want with my day (online freelancing ftw!). I feel free, and in control of my life. Living on a boat, suddenly the weather matters at every moment, I have to think before I spend money, and there is always something important to do.

The best part is that once I've learned enough, I can go anywhere whenever I want. Travel is my addiction and sailing is the ultimate way to travel.

[Sailing55]

Originally Posted by Zhim

Now that I've done it I'm allowed to post in this thread!

I'm not going to argue semantics with anyone, I think we can all understand what the question means regardless of the way it's worded.

To put it simply, I can't stand the "normal life." I hate the endless, pointless routine of working to pay bills, so that I can stay alive to work, so that I can stay alive, all to go back to work again the next day. Tried it for three years after university, wasn't for me.

The sailing life has meaning for me. Maintenance is vital and fulfilling, work feeds me so that I can sail and travel. I can wake up and do anything I want with my day (online freelancing ftw!). I feel free, and in control of my life. Living on a boat, suddenly the weather matters at every moment, I have to think before I spend money, and there is always something important to do.

The best part is that once I've learned enough, I can go anywhere whenever I want. Travel is my addiction and sailing is the ultimate way to travel.

Couldn't agree more...of all the things I have done in my many years the greatest and deepest satisfaction comes from being on my boat away from "normal life".
Lockers full of food, water tanks topped off, full fuel tanks, books, music, tools, spare parts, bosun locker full of "stuff"...all the things required to be self sufficient and content with ones surroundings. Life has a deeper meaning when one is existing on such a basic level; moving with the wind and tides, watching the weather, always alert but not afraid. Living, not merely existing.

Before I "retired" I would work all summer on other peoples boats, save and scrounge, then spend winters living my life on my own terms. I got to do something that I truly loved, and got paid well for it. Does it get any better?

I am new here also, and am really enjoying the experience of being exposed to so many like minded people. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

[Dunedain]

I'm an adventurer and extreme sports fan. My kids are grown and successful and my parents are gone. I fell in love with a woman and we started making plans to live our lives together. We took sailing lessons and I bought us a boat and we'd dream of sailing around the world together. I took a job on the coast and we moved and the dream was getting closer. She changed her mind and split so The girl is gone but the dream remains. Now the dream is more real than ever.

I've been around the world by air and land and if the good Lord is willing I'll finish my days seeing this planet by boat. Maybe I'll discover that place that I cannot bring myself to leave. Until then I'll sail and bless even one I meet.


Fiddler II Tulsa, OK currently sailing out of NOLA on Lake Pontchartrain