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Old 05-04-2012, 14:10   #16
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Re: dying slowly in a glass box

Can I put things into a bit of perspective?

Registered with a new doctor when I moved.
He did a very quick check up usual blood pressure, sugar in urine, listened to my breathing and said I should have a chest x-ray
Had the x-ray
Got a phone call two hours later..
... Hello we want you to come and see the consultant for an emergency appointment.. Can you come in next week?
it wasn't cancer (sarcoidosis) and I am now recovering .... So in September we cast off...

So forget about the aircon and waste of power or worrying about to many cars on the freeway... Or even the fact that the Chinese will probably soon be causing more pollution than USA and Europe together?...

Life is short and fragile.. Go sailing...
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Old 05-04-2012, 15:38   #17
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Do something if it's that bad. Before it gets that bad in board i take action. This is money for some company . Real cheap high return alternatives are available to make a difference. If the company is using 40 watt T12 bulbs they could save real money by going to T 8 fluorescent. Even easier if they use t8 32 watt bulbs there is a direct replacement 25 watt 4100 Kelvin that no one will notice was changed. There are many energy consultants that will guarantee a return and reduce the costs. they get a cut but management generally likes reduced cost fixed rate when it comes to energy. This IMO is a great time to lock in a long term electricity rate using alternative suppliers. Maybe you could find a solution rather then jump ship.your offices probably line every trash can with a plastic liner. Why? The institution I work for was spending 18,000 dollars a year on liners. I implemented a liner less trash policy . Nothing wet gies in the can the corridors have selected lined trash receptacles for wet waste.savings 12000 dollars. Not environmental just good business. Try to fix the boat in a smart way before you inflate the raft
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Old 05-04-2012, 15:54   #18
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Re: dying slowly in a glass box

I was a bit ahead of the curve on lights. 25 years ago I was helping a good friend from India to live off the grid on his remote Sierra Foothills property. This was when CF first came out at about $30 a pop. Set his entire home up, then bought an extra dozen for my parent's home. They have a open ceiling kitchen that was running (10) 100 watt lights in fixtures on a track. You all know the story with kitchen lights, they are on more than any other light. There are maybe two of the originals still working. Went from 1000 watts to 170 watts and had at least the same lumens.
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Old 05-04-2012, 15:59   #19
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Re: dying slowly in a glass box

Well, for the contrarian view, here I am.

I love AC. I worked so many years in California, with sometines 120 degrees outside that I perceive it as a convenience, same with the car.

I think more money is lost in wasted time (traffic, bad business decisions, bad planning) than 20M$/year. Every hour entire lifes are lost in traffic, if you add the individual wasted time.

I'm not defending the system, I know about pointy-hair bosses, lazy and stupid co-workers and all of that. But I think complaining is not constructive: you either change your lifestyle to something you like (and there is plenty of places in the EU where you can work w/o AC, in fun proyects, for little money) or you embrace your high-income job with all its warts and stop complaining. I've done both; now I make a fraction of what I used to make, mostly doing what i like w/o a boss. My life is richer
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Old 05-04-2012, 16:06   #20
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You can get drop in 2x m2 led replacements very cheap. Made in china if that's okay with you. This becoming the next crossover.I have looked at some pricing and it us almost favorable harder to sell it now with natural gas and electric rates so low. Why us the nees media positioning behind high fuel oil prices without discussion of the multi year low in end tric and natural gas rates. That depresses me no decent well balanced reporting. Now that's scary and I don't know how to fix it.
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Old 05-04-2012, 16:20   #21
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Re: dying slowly in a glass box

No, the really dumb thing is that so many people are still commuting into the air-conditioned office tower every day when they could be just as effective, if not more so, working from home using the Internet to stay connected, with maybe a weekly or monthly trip to the office for some face time. Seriously, I think the low-hanging fruit of energy conservation is to stop forcing millions of people to commute when they could just as easily be working from home, but it is very hard to change the culture of large corporations to achieve this.

My two cents is not to wait until you've got the dream boat and the dream situation. Get a small, older boat now and start playing around with it.
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Old 05-04-2012, 16:34   #22
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Re: dying slowly in a glass box

Hey Shane,

Take it slow mate. You are having the best time of your life - the time when you can dream up your future office (errrr, should I say 'your future boat'?), collect the freedom credits necessary to set it up, start a location-independent business (so that you can sail the office) ... Really, get the max of what there is, use it towards the max of what you want it to be. Yes, you can.

I can only tell you that once you start leaving the dream, it is all a downhill sleigh (and one does not get any younger, ever) - every day there is the office maintenance (you have to paint the office, feed the diesel beast and buy her new dacron rags), the worries (like: will the wind come and from where will it blow?) and the disappointments of everyday cruising life (like OMG, does it never stop shining here in Aruba?). Really, cruising is overrated.

Cheers,
b.
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Old 05-04-2012, 19:13   #23
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Re: dying slowly in a glass box

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Originally Posted by Kettlewell View Post
No, the really dumb thing is that so many people are still commuting into the air-conditioned office tower every day when they could be just as effective, if not more so, working from home using the Internet
...
My two cents is not to wait until you've got the dream boat and the dream situation. Get a small, older boat now and start playing around with it.
so true.

the day following writing this post i hear that a sizeable company is interested in our software even though it is about a third done - lol

its funny even if financially a wow huge boat becomes possible i'm still leaning toward the cheap ferro, there is something to be said for going the same places, experiencing the same things on the cheap and also maintaining an existing old yacht.

perhaps a similar concept would be how many times we used to be out camping and someone would turn up with the tv's, stereos, power boats, so we'd dump our tent on top of our car and move somewhere else !

do i want to be the modern noisy westerner? not really, 2 macbook airs and a dehumidifier cabinet would do my office, a guitar and sound is sorted (for the first time in years i haven't played guitar for months, just no time, my life has been a blur of work, sleep, work !!)

flip side is that i would have to do it cheap, so heaps myself else i would be pumping money into a boat that probably won't fulfil all requirements and certainly won't go up in value but gee it sounds like fun
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Old 05-04-2012, 19:25   #24
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Re: dying slowly in a glass box

Mate, by the sounds of your first post you need this. So do it.

Hey at least you live on the Sunshine Coast, add stuck in Sydney to the equation, with ridiculous cost of living issues, wandering how you do keep up with the jones's, and you have where I was at. I decided stuff it, and went cruising with my family.

In terms of small cheap boats, I would say go for it, but also be realistic and honest about what your(and significant other(s) acceptable comfort levels are.
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Old 05-04-2012, 19:35   #25
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Re: dying slowly in a glass box

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Originally Posted by Rakuflames View Post
Personally I think you have to take the good with the bad. I don't like air conditioning either, but I do have it on my boat during the hottest nights so I can sleep. My boat somehow stays pretty cool but some of them really run hot. The one I had before this, the cabin frequently got up to 110 in the summer, and that was with a wind scoop.

I don't know where you live, but where I live, in the Tampa bay area, people sometimes drive like maniacs.
Raku,

Sunny coast is the Sunshine Coast just north of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Does cause some confusion with similar city names in USA and Aus.
ie Brisbane, Melbourne etc.

cheers
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Old 05-04-2012, 22:18   #26
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Re: dying slowly in a glass box

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do i want to be the modern noisy westerner?
been thinking more about this (after reading the sailing simply thread) and i'm thinking smallish and cheap are a good place to go.

its that old adage "when you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail" (or something to that effect).

the hammer is the idea that just apply money and western technology and solve the problem, that through fear we choose things like 2 ton 4wd's with 12 airbags (i own an 850kg 1991 pug 205 >350,000km as a recycling project...), or perhaps $x00,000 boats to cruise the coast.

that in turn creates it's own problems, i'm liking the idea of being the independently wealthy guy (relative, i.e. not massively in debt, a house that rents for more than the mortgage, own boat outright) sailing a slow cute old boat.

seaworthiness? safety aspects? yeah, i have no doubt my family will want to come along so that is paramount. but really 99% of that is me, not the boat, a 15ton 36ft ferro is clearly capable of coastal cruising ! well after thru hulls, replacing etc etc., there's something about the concept of a concrete boat that really makes me want to check all water intrusion possibilities - lol
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Old 05-04-2012, 22:24   #27
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Re: dying slowly in a glass box

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Originally Posted by barnakiel View Post
I can only tell you that once you start leaving the dream, it is all a downhill sleigh (and one does not get any younger, ever) - every day there is the office maintenance (you have to paint the office, feed the diesel beast and buy her new dacron rags), the worries (like: will the wind come and from where will it blow?) and the disappointments of everyday cruising life (like OMG, does it never stop shining here in Aruba?). Really, cruising is overrated.

Cheers,
b.
teasing ? i'm not expecting or even wanting it to be easy, that would remove a heap of the experience ! self reliance and pitting your inner self against what the world is, love it.

i would already choose pretty much any job over my main daily if i can make it work so i aint afraid of a few barnacles
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Old 06-04-2012, 01:48   #28
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Re: dying slowly in a glass box

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Originally Posted by sparau View Post
been thinking more about this (after reading the sailing simply thread) and i'm thinking smallish and cheap are a good place to go.

its that old adage "when you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail" (or something to that effect).

the hammer is the idea that just apply money and western technology and solve the problem, that through fear we choose things like 2 ton 4wd's with 12 airbags (i own an 850kg 1991 pug 205 >350,000km as a recycling project...), or perhaps $x00,000 boats to cruise the coast.

that in turn creates it's own problems, i'm liking the idea of being the independently wealthy guy (relative, i.e. not massively in debt, a house that rents for more than the mortgage, own boat outright) sailing a slow cute old boat.

seaworthiness? safety aspects? yeah, i have no doubt my family will want to come along so that is paramount. but really 99% of that is me, not the boat, a 15ton 36ft ferro is clearly capable of coastal cruising ! well after thru hulls, replacing etc etc., there's something about the concept of a concrete boat that really makes me want to check all water intrusion possibilities - lol
I feel someone should give you the usual disclaimer about ferro boats. Personally I looked at it as a option and we didn't go there............if you decide you will then then do your due diligence on any boat you look at and realise that no matter how much money you spend on the boat it will never be worth anything, and difficult to insure. Then again cruising isn't about making a sound financial decision is it???

Plenty of them out there, For the money though I would also consider steel boats, plenty of steel boats are also now 'cheap'.

Also with a family along don't go too small or spartan. If a couple of extra feet and some frilly cushions mean that they are still happy participants in the cruising dream down the track then trust me it's worth it

I am in a 35footer with my wife and young daughter, being centre cockpit it also has a large aft cabin/bed. I personally for living-aboard bona-fide cruising wouldn't be on anything smaller. Have families cruised in smaller boats???? Yes. Can it be done in a smaller boat?? Of course. But for us at this size we have a comfort level that is acceptable and means cruising is an enjoyable experience. We have friend's who cruised with their young daughter on a 43ft Jeanneau for 6 months and who found that boat too small for them! Like I said above you have to realistic about your expectations and acceptable comfort level.
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Old 06-04-2012, 17:57   #29
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Re: dying slowly in a glass box

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I feel someone should give you the usual disclaimer about ferro boats. Personally I looked at it as a option and we didn't go there............if you decide you will then then do your due diligence on any boat you look at and realise that no matter how much money you spend on the boat it will never be worth anything, and difficult to insure. Then again cruising isn't about making a sound financial decision is it???

Plenty of them out there, For the money though I would also consider steel boats, plenty of steel boats are also now 'cheap'.

Also with a family along don't go too small or spartan. If a couple of extra feet and some frilly cushions mean that they are still happy participants in the cruising dream down the track then trust me it's worth it

I am in a 35footer with my wife and young daughter, being centre cockpit it also has a large aft cabin/bed. I personally for living-aboard bona-fide cruising wouldn't be on anything smaller. Have families cruised in smaller boats???? Yes. Can it be done in a smaller boat?? Of course. But for us at this size we have a comfort level that is acceptable and means cruising is an enjoyable experience. We have friend's who cruised with their young daughter on a 43ft Jeanneau for 6 months and who found that boat too small for them! Like I said above you have to realistic about your expectations and acceptable comfort level.
yes, i am thinking realistically that the odd couple of week adventures with 4 on board is possible. i don't think the family are yet ready to accept a wholesale move aboard (yet, i'll ease them into the idea), but i have no issues in extended soloing, i am sure i could write the best code i ever have off at a secluded bay

your boat sounds near exactly what i thought was a good design in the example i was thinking of 39' centre cockpit, although of course not necessarily that one, although i think it's well worth a look.
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Old 06-04-2012, 18:57   #30
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Re: dying slowly in a glass box

My Gemini before I bought it,

Was a Floating Office and Home to the Previous owner,

He was an Architect that worked in the USA, but was on the Boat in Fiji,

It was on a swing mooring and the boat did not go any where,

It was fully self contained, With all services, Half a mile off shore,

It was parked in a lovely sheltered Bay on an Island 20 miles off Fiji,

If he needed any thing, It was a short trip in the dinghy to the shop or Bars, or a one hour trip on the ferry service to Port Denarue in Fiji,

You dont know how hard it was for me after being there 3 weeks, to lift anchor at Muscat Cove and sail back to Australia in it,

It was Moored in Paradise, He had lived there on it for 5 years,

If you are just offshore. 200 yards, You dont need Air conditioning. The wind is always blowing, and keeps you and your boat cool.

In an enclosed Marina you might, As they dont have the wind flow,

Back in Melbourne and it is cold and winter is starting, Its going to get colder,

God, What am I doing here, I should be up north where its warm,

What sort of bike do you ride, Sparau,

Mines a Honda Super Blackbird 1100XX. Hahahahahaha
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