What Did You Do Before You Went Cruising?

[Zednotzee]

Just curious. For those of you who are cruising long term, either for years on end or on a seasonal basis, what kind of work did you do beforehand?

Where does your income come ffrom now? A pension? Seasonal work? Self-employment?

[Hudson Force]

We taught public school for thirty-two years, lived aboard all that time and cruised in the summers. We've been cruising fulltime these last eight years with some retirement savings, pensions and I habit of living on less than our income. 'take care and joy, Aythya crew

[Randyonr3]

We've been out for almost 7 years now.. or should I say out and back in.. and on our way out again..
I was a welder/pipe fitter.. when we decided to go cruising I took all the tests and started doing inspection.. steel and concrete.. but while we wer cruising, we started Doing canvas work on boats as the wife worked as manager of a fabric store and hobbied as a seamstress..
We decided to do whatever we needed and we expanded our experance off what we were normal to..
We're now tyed to a dock to do some re-fit on the boat and while we do, we've opened a canvas shop in a local marina..
Our plans are to spend the winters in Mexico and the summers running the shop for the next few years and then we're off again.. You can check us out at www.stitches-n-snaps.com
Its easy living and it pays the bills.........

[lucseawalker]

How funny! I also taught primary school! But after 5 years, I took a 5-yr leave of absence to work as dive instructor in tropical resorts. Met my wife working as a dive instructor too in my first resort in the Caribbean.
Bought our first cruising boat 5 years later and have been full time live aboard since then
Our income comes from temporary jobs as we cruise along! If you are not lazy, have a minimum of capacities and adapt well, possibilities are endless Mostly we try to be as self-sufficient as possible and spend wisely

Note: I left teaching in 84' !

Originally Posted by Zednotzee

Just curious. For those of you who are cruising long term, either for years on end or on a seasonal basis, what kind of work did you do beforehand?

Where does your income come ffrom now? A pension? Seasonal work? Self-employment?

[Islandmike]

I ran food manufacturing plants and food distribution facilities. They last one was a million square feet with 500 employees. You want to talk stress... I was only 53, just quit, sold the house, moved onto Tivoli and headed South. We are now in Jax Beach and loving life...

[keepondancin]

In 1991, we sold our house, my wife hired a manager to run her stationary store, I closed out my building company(tough years after "Reaganomics"), and we decided to cruise for about 1 - 2 years. Wound up leaving the boat in Trinidad, came back and worked. Next decision was to not get re-erstablished, but to cruise for 6-8 months, then work for 4-8 months. Did that until 2001, when we returned back to the States. By then we had run out of money, had just enough to put a down payment on another house, very small, but a good investment. We both went back to what we were doing, she ran her retail store, and I started building again. After a series of medical issues, and the changes that occurred in small retail businesses, mainly the big box stores creating an environment that meant a very small profit margin, the store was liquidated. I continued to build, and was able to dig us out of almost negative numbers. Now in 2010, economy is terrible, people don't pay, and you have to work for nothing, we are planning to leave again this summer or fall. This time open ended. I can collect SS, so there will be a small amount of income, rental income will carry fixed expenses, and we hope to find part time jobs while still in the States.

When cruising the first time, it was almost impossible to find any income while out of the country. We will have to be more creative this next time.

[Zednotzee]

Thanks all!

There was actually supposed to be a poll with this, but as I pressed the last button there was a massive internet aneurism & I got a "database error" message.

Anyway, there are so many in-depth technical threads & posts here that I was wondering how many people had worked in technical fields & brought their skills to their new hobby/lifestyle.

[mikeandrebecca]

Although we have yet to actually leave (we are heading south later this year) my wife and I sold our business, a martial arts gym, two months ago. It was much harder to sell our business than it was our house and all of our "stuff." Now we are free to head out. Woo hoo!

Mike

[Pelagic]

I used to be a Porn Star!....

[JiffyLube]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

I used to be a Porn Star!....

I got a chuckle out of that....LOL

[zeehag]

rn--alll areas of critical care--icu, trauma,emergency room, cath lab, triage, post anesthesia recovery--i managed that one lol...did this stuff for 30+ YRS...lol......worked the volunteer circuit in sports car club of america for over 11 yrs as a course worker---worked the formula one races in this country ecxcept 2 in all the years running here...LOL...lots of stuff ....LOL...mostly nursing and sailing and cars.......

[multihullsailor6]

Divorced my wife!

[fishwife]

I was a medic in places where most people won't go for 26 years, then decided to make some serious money trading rare earths.

P.