Good luck, sir. I'm a year out on the enlisted end, and am going through the civilian side of helicopter
school now. Air is a fluid,
water is a fluid. I was quite excited to learn about the similarities of
sails and wings, and how the same principles apply to the
hull.
I enjoyed reading Two Years Before the
Mast. Talk about grit. You should be able to find it for free on Kindle. It's a(no "n") historical account of a guy who was having
health issues that shipped out on a merchant ship involved in the fur
trade.
On the more recent side, I've enjoyed reading Beth Leonard's The Voyager's Handbook, and Chris White's The Cruising
Multihull.
If you don't own a house, I'd suggest investing in a comparably sized RV (or a tiny house) of what you're looking for on the boat end, with options of
a) finding a friend with land and hookups (not the keyboard suggested "benefits..." Seriously Google)
b)
cheap rent at an RV park (MWR has good prices for retirees, not necessarily geared for long term stays on paper, but if you're providing
income and they have space, they'll usually let you stay. At Fort Bliss, we payed $432/mo, and were surrounded by the military community, retirees payed around $400/mo)
c) Find a
cheap plot of land (lakefront?) And live there cheaply.
In addition to getting rid of stuff, RV systems and
marine systems have a little in common. You at least get the fun/practice of troubleshooting problems, balancing
electric draw, figuring out a
head that works (and how it works), and save more without having to worry as much about flipping a house when it's time to go (and no property
taxes if you don't buy land). Plus it's so much easier to relocate; flat pack on the floor, hook up, and go. Weight saving (displacement) is also a necessary practice.
Well, ****. That went on a little longer than intended. Good luck, and happy sailing.