Landflubber Moving Out to Sea...

[Guilcolax]

Landflubber is not a typo, just represents the consumerism lifestyle that has me overweight and wondering, uh, how did I get to this wast line? It surely was not surf and turf with top wines at the five star establishments in town. So LandFLUBBER describes my feeling and physical perspective at this point.

Well my lovely bride and our three children (8, 6,4 - the latter turning just recently) have decided that suburbia and the consumer driven lifestyles are not for us. We've committed to a live aboard lifestyle by spring of '10.

We've told everyone but our parents, duh just read our Facebook posts and listen to a conversation, because they have a habit of affecting circumstances towards resolutions that keep us near. This time it is about OUR family and investing our children - you know, those critters keeping us alive through adrenal gland palpitations at the most inopportune moment.

Boat?!? Never been on one more than deep sea fishing (puked) and many ferries to islands. So we are surely nuts.

Nuts about what we've seen on this forum and over a dozen blogs of families that we follow. We know that a 5-10 year window exists before we must focus our love and support towards family needs. We just don't want to wake up like our parents and wonder who our childern are, who we are and what we're doing every day.

This is a self-indulgent note so my apologies. I've been a lurker here and other forums. Culling the information posted about living aboard, children, money, work, the real OMG this is not a vacation what was I thinking posts. My bride (Admiral to be as noted by the sage wizards of love herein) is the electrical/AV/digital/project management/list purveyor/bolts holding our nuts to this realty. Me?.?..?...? I'm input - cash flow, if I'm lucky.

We're into experiencing life not just living it. I've made money, driven fancy cars, member of exclusive clubs and realized those goals were from a broken Gorden Geko movie I watched and my Dad lived. No silver spoon here, just a fubared perspective on what I'm suppose to do with my life.

So in advance of my posts I'll ask for forgiveness, patience and your assistance as we begin our quest to introduce our family to a new life aboard. We'll cast off our land based life; already sold one car and place ourselves on a ridiculously tight budget for the next 9 months. We're selling things on eBay, giving to Good Will and repairing portions of our home prior to placing on the market in the spring. We've told everyone no presents of tangible size and focused on digital assets/books and subtle treats for the kids.

I've taken advice of those in this forum to not over educate ourselves on what to expect. Instead we're accepting the facts of learning on the job (albeit we do need some certifications to buy a boat without a complete reaming with insurers.)

We're also subjecting our children to tight quarters with several land based expeditions via cross country travels in our Eurovan and tent. As a salesman in technology I have clients across the country and not challenged with a reason to be in a particular location for busines. We just need to get there at some point in time.

If you've read to this point God help you and you'll definitely have a setting for you on our boat. I'll start posting questions as we aggressively pursue this life you've proven so valuable to your families.

Thank you for welcoming me, us and the R5 to your world.

Warm regards,
Captain Ron
(Really, I'm Ron, see, I'm even invoking a silly movie in my closing - we're doomed to having fun at my expense!!!!)

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Ron.
Can you enlighten us about your interesting screen name?

[Ex-Calif]

Welcome aboard captain Ron! Sounds like you have a good attitude. Enjoy teh adventure. And regarding the downsizing. it can be done for the waistline as well as the closets. I recently went berserk and have lost 45 pounds.

It's tough as we are fighting against years of McD, Lattes, KFC, yada, yada, yada...

It's all about fresh and not fried...

[TaoJones]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Ron.
Can you enlighten us about your interesting screen name?

Don't know about his user name, but I like the stylized avatar. It looks to me like a sun symbol or a turtle on the palm with R5 in its center. I take this to represent Ron, his wife and their three children. It may even be that the first names of the other four, like Ron, all begin with R.

TaoJones

[swagman]

If thats your opener, you'll do OK.

Good luck Ron. Hope you realise the dreams.

JOHN

[flashmutt007]

Welcome and good luck moving toward the dream.

[Ashoreschool]

Captain Ron and family, welcome aboard. This forum can be a wonderful resource for you and hope you find the adventure your looking for in exciting lifestyle you have laid out.
Good luck

[pjop]

Never been sailing?? You're in for a rush! Have fun, be safe, but not in that order. I puke too on fishing boats, almost never sailing.

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha R5
Welcome aboard! Just take it slowly in bite size chunks and you'll do fine. I do recommend basic sailing classes for the familiy. Our club instructs 8 year olds and older and a club might be a good idea. If not a club then find a sailing school and see if you can get a family package deal.
Coast Guard Auxiliary classes are jam packed with information but not on the water for sailing.
See if you can get yourself invited aboard a boat at Lake Lanier.
Ashoreschool has a lot of information that appears to be very good an very current.
regards,