G'day from Australia

[Aza]

Howdy,

Been lurking on CF for a while and thought it was time to introduce myself. My wife and I have been bitten by the cruising dream We feel we are wired differently from the social norm, and many of the folks on CF seem to echo our thoughts and lifestyle choices more closely than I’ve experienced before. The desire to live simply and freely is becoming an overriding passion, as our salaries increase and we fight to stay out of the work/spend rat race!

I would like to say a big thanks to those who have shared their wisdom regarding simple living, cruising on a budget and cruising with kids. This lifestyle is still 3 to 4 years away for us at the moment due to my work commitments. That’s OK because we are in the fortunate position of being able to save some decent cash over that time and aim to be financially self-sufficient by the time we hit the water. This means different things to different people but for us it means a yacht for about 150K and investments providing about $2000 – $2500 a month.

A little more about us. We live on the east coast of Australia, are both about 30, work in the aviation industry (pilot and engineer) and have no sailing experience (yet!). We are passionate rock climbers, which is a lifestyle that shares many similarities with cruising in that it is an extremely simple and fulfilling way to live. Our greatest enjoyment and memories come from when we are camping somewhere for weeks on end, spending nothing except for on food and having life changing adventures in vertical places.

It never ceases to amaze me that this is when we are happiest. I suppose “amaze” is not the right word, because it’s obvious that this should be more rewarding than attending work functions or spending our dollars on the consumer orientated leisure activities of the rat race. Every Monday at work, when work colleagues talk about all the money they spent at the pub or how they actually don’t know what happened to the weekend because they spent it playing computer games, it makes me more determined to cut away the career and start really living.

I’m currently trying to get posted to a location very close to the Whitsundays where we can start sailing and work out if this is all just a crazy dream or if sailing is really for us. If all goes well, we will buy a yacht and live in a marina from where I can ride to work. Perhaps this will be a sustainable compromise, in that we can live on a yacht, have kids, one of us can continue working (I actually enjoy my work!) and during time off we can cruise the waters around beautiful far north Queensland. On the other hand, ideally we'll cut our ties with land and launch into an open ended cruising adventure!

Phew, all these jumbled up thoughts tend to come pouring out of my head. So apologies for the rambling, it helps me to put it into words. I look forward to learning more over the next few years from those out there doing it!

Cheers,

Aaron

[JBH]

Welcome aboard, I joined only a week or so ago and have found the forums to be a friendly and knowledgable place. Might see you in Queensland one day.

Jim

[Aza]

Hi Jim,

Congrats on your 47.7, it looks like a beautiful yacht. All the best with your cruising plans, make sure you share them occasionally on here. Armchair cruising is alive and well in this household :-)

[sec906]

G'day Aaron: Welcome to the forum! I love that you are planning to start your dream in the Whitsunday Islands. In 2005, my wife and I planned out and started learning to sail to reach our dream of cruising the Whitsunday Islands in 2015. We're almost there!

Start studying: 100 Magic Miles ~ The Whitsunday Islands

-SEC

[BlueSun]

Hi Aaron

Welcome to CF! If you've been lurking you'll know what a fabulous resource it is.

We are about your age and sounds like we are quite like-minded! Ours was a natural progression from camping and exploring the great outdoors, swimming and snorkelling, eventually learning to scuba dive and travelling to fulfill our love of that sport. It seemed like learning to sail was the perfect solution - allowing us to combine our passions for travel, the ocean and adventure!

We moved aboard in April last year and "quit" our lives 6 months ago. We are currently cruising in Tasmania and hope to be up in the Whitsundays later this year! Might see you there!

All we can say is "just make it happen!" You'll never regret it!

Caitlin and Michael

[SimonV]

Welcome aboard.

[barnakiel]

Hi Aaron,

You are spot on about the similarities between climbing and sailing. We love both too. Welcome to the club.

Cheers,
barnie

[downunder]

Aaron,

The Whitsunday are a great place to base yourself and start a sailing life.

There is no weather that will preclude you sailing every weekend other than the odd cyclone during the season.

best wishes.

[Aza]

Wow, thanks for the supportive replies guys.

@ Caitlin and Michael - Awesome story! Congrats on having the balls to quit your "lives". Your blog looks great, we'd love to cruise around Tassie, especially the west coast. All the best with it and I'll follow along vicariously...

@ Barnie, good to hear the similarities are not just a figment of my imagination :-) Our ultimate is to anchor off Kalymnos, or perhaps Mallorca.

Cheers again,

Aaron

[BlueSun]

Originally Posted by Aza

@ Caitlin and Michael - Awesome story! Congrats on having the balls to quit your "lives". Your blog looks great, we'd love to cruise around Tassie, especially the west coast. All the best with it and I'll follow along vicariously...

Tasmania is an AMAZING place to sail. We are hoping to head around to Pt Davey and Bathurst Harbour on the SW coast if this wild weather calms down. Keep us posted on your plans!

[emmo]

Hi all,
Lucky the Whitsundays is a large area or we would be all rafted up.
I an retiring in a few months, just sold my Hartley here in Perth, going to drive to Brisbane, and buy my liveaboard, and do just that, home will be where the anchor is.
Hope to catch up with you all,
Cheers, Emmo

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha and welcome aboard!
Good luck in following those dreams.
kind regards,

[matauwhi]

G'day, mate. Welcome aboard from the other side of the Tasman. All the best with the "dream". Cheers

[Hilltop81]

G"day aaron - welcome aboard. Whitsundays is a great place to start, I keep my boat up there and is a great based for distant sailing - if you want to do some overnighters to get your hand in that may be a little off the charter track, try heading north to Cape Upstart or south down to Thomas Island, both worth the trip.

Peter S

[Barnacle barb]

Hello fleet,
Just joining. My husband and I are from Los Angeles and have been cruising for 15 months. We have a 45' steel ketch. In the sea of Cortez now and will, hopefully, be setting out for the south pacific at the end of the month. I hope Cruisers Forum is a place I can get some ideas and answers...for instance, I need to purchase boat insurance, and I am wanting to purchase a bullet antenna for wifi. Also need to get a satellite phone. So that's why I'm here.
barnacle barb