New, Seeking Freedom

[vic20owner]

I'm new here, I don't have a sailboat at the moment.

In 1999 I took some sailing courses and found the love of the wind and the sea.

In 2003 I went through a divorce (maybe one of the worst yet best times of my life) and I built a sailboat as an escape... somehow I thought this would be my escape. Wow, I was F'd up! It was a small 19' Gaff Rigged boat, no ballast, and when I finished it, it sat on the trailer until the Florida rain filled it with water, mold took hold, and devoured the boat. After years of work, I hauled it to the junk yard. To be honest I didn't feel sad. It did it's job (a distraction) and it was not going to take me where I needed to go.

Then I purchased a 17' 2+2 weekender (a fiberglass boat with ballast and slept 4, sorta). I sailed it in the bay with my young daughter, she loved it more than I did. I wanted to really escape, but the little 17' boat was not up to the task. It was extremely slow, not enough sleeping room, and well, it was a horrible design, way under sailed, very slow, and it was just a toy in the end, but I learned something from it.

Sold the 17' boat.

Took up flying gliders temporarily and squired my pilots license, but the escape is not long enough.. a few hours in the air... I need weeks or months.

So now, I am working towards the next boat, something in the 30'-35' range... something I can escape on, sleep on, work on, live on if needed, and bring my daughter to explore the world. I expect to find it in the next year, as I am selling the airplane and some other things to fund it.

So I am here, learning, getting prepared. I have so much to learn it's sort of daunting, but I keep feeling like it's my destiny. I am just not satisfied with the 9-5 lifestyle. The boat, maybe it will be the escape I am looking for.

I feel like people here get that.

Anyway, thanks for listening. To fail is to learn, within reason.

Tom Stock
St. Pete, FL.

[northoceanbeach]

Wow! That was a beautiful boat. I won't feel bad about it since you don't. Like you said, it served it's purpose for you.

I think you live in a great place to find a great deal on a boat. Everyone says that with the economy or whatever, it's a good time to buy a sailboat. Plus you love in probably one of the two best and cheapest places to buy a boat. Lots to choose from.

Enjoy the time learning and looking for your perfect vassal. Since you are not in a hurry, that can be a great distraction right there. Finding a boat you might like, looking at it, learning about it, deciding if it's the right one of not.

From your pictures it looks like you are really handy. I think if you wanted, and had the knowledge to not get one that had real problems, you might enjoy restoring one that needs work. Let me know what kind of boats you like, and what you want to do with it.

In a year from now you'll be writing from the Bahamas, living the good life, escaped. You can go back to Florida and take you daughter to the keys or something.

[Adventurebound]

We know what you are escaping from but what are you escaping to? [Dr Phil here] Sailing is fun but you can't mastermind your life around it. Decide how you want the rest of your life to pan out. Want another relationship? They take a lot of time and you can have a life of casual relationships and no more, that end the same way. I went to the Philippines with a long list-look for the caring type. Knew her for two days and got married 1988.

[vic20owner]

Originally Posted by northoceanbeach

Wow! That was a beautiful boat. I won't feel bad about it since you don't. Like you said, it served it's purpose for you.

I think you live in a great place to find a great deal on a boat. Everyone says that with the economy or whatever, it's a good time to buy a sailboat. Plus you love in probably one of the two best and cheapest places to buy a boat. Lots to choose from.

Enjoy the time learning and looking for your perfect vassal. Since you are not in a hurry, that can be a great distraction right there. Finding a boat you might like, looking at it, learning about it, deciding if it's the right one of not.

From your pictures it looks like you are really handy. I think if you wanted, and had the knowledge to not get one that had real problems, you might enjoy restoring one that needs work. Let me know what kind of boats you like, and what you want to do with it.

In a year from now you'll be writing from the Bahamas, living the good life, escaped. You can go back to Florida and take you daughter to the keys or something.

Thanks for the kind comments. I hope I make it... away.

[vic20owner]

Originally Posted by Adventurebound

We know what you are escaping from but what are you escaping to? [Dr Phil here] Sailing is fun but you can't mastermind your life around it. Decide how you want the rest of your life to pan out. Want another relationship? They take a lot of time and you can have a life of casual relationships and no more, that end the same way. I went to the Philippines with a long list-look for the caring type. Knew her for two days and got married 1988.

I am escaping to something other than the mundane... I own three houses, all surrounded by ghetto. Very nice houses in nice areas, but the nice areas are where people come to steal stuff. I own my own business and work full time as a software engineer, so I work about 90 hours per week. I have three kids here (1 of my own, and two nieces I am caring for), nieces are near college, and my own is near high school.

What am I escaping to? Retirement. Travel. I hope to have the business handled by others, daughter in college, and myself, no longer writing software but sailing around on a minimal income.

Will I make it? I dunno, probably not, but I'll get as close as can. If I don't try I'll never know.

BTW I remarried on 3/6/9 and my wife is fantastic so my search is not for companionship. My search is for adventure and freedom. Freedom from property taxes, power bills, and reality tv shows. Adventure as an escape from the mundane middle income life, working 9-5 and coming home to the same image every day. My wife is open to adventure. I hope she's also open to sea sickness.

Anyway, it's been done... or I wouldn't be considering it

[Waterway Guide]

Welcome aboard, Tom! I think it's a fine plan.

[boatman61]

Welcome to CF.
Take em on a charter in the BVI's or St Martin.. go easy with two or three hours a day easy un tippy sailing.. nice anchorages and swimming in warm clear water, good restaurants/bars and get em hooked..

[oldragbaggers]

Excellent advice, Boatie. (A little diabolical, but that's how to do it!!)

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by vic20owner

I am escaping ... from the mundane middle income life, working 9-5 and coming home to the same image every day...

Your post used the term "escape" four times.

I don't wanna go all zen on you sir but no matter where you go, there you are. A new boat isn't the answer. At least not yet.

Escaping is not moving on.

[Mike OReilly]

Welcome Tom, your post reminds my why we're heading out. I wrote this a while ago in another thread, but it seems appropriate here. Freedom is not an escape from something, but an active opening of possibilities. In our democratic capitalist countries many of us are seduced by the illusion of freedom, all the while shackled to the treadmill of economic slavery. Anyway, here's some thoughts from a couple of years ago. This still drives our plans:

Our cruising plans quite intentionally have a certain philosophical approach; CLAFC: Creativity, Learning, Adventure, Freedom & Cessation. Each of these terms expresses a world of ideas that are important for how me and my partner choose to live. We live with these ideas whether we are off wilderness sailing, or living on land.

Creativity is a life-giving view of the world. For me it means seeking new ways of doing things, and simply enjoying the aesthetic of the here and now.

Learning ... never stop learning. Living off the prescribed path is a great way to foster this.

Adventure comes in all forms, be it the big sail, or the small walk. I will never shatter records, discover new things, or challenge the gods of nature in any way, but I do enjoy poking into that unknown cove, or trying that weird looking vegetable.

Freedom drives much of what we do. To me freedom is the ability to do what I want, when I want. It's an ideal which is never full reached, but I can do some things to go toward the Form of Freedom. For me (and not necessarily for anyone else):

• I avoid debt (b/c this is one of the ways our society keeps people chained to the treadmill).
• Keep mechanical & electrical systems simple (b/c I'm not much of handyman).
• And live inexpensively, (b/c I'm kinda lazy and don't like wage work).

Cessation is my active way of ceasing to be part of the problem. From over-consumption to financial greed, my society does great harm to the planet we all call home. I don't have the energy to try and save the world, but I can stop being part of the problem (at least to some degree).

[vic20owner]

Great advice, thanks.

[vic20owner]

update: Airplane is sold. I will have 15k towards my cruising sailboat shortly.

It won't be a quick purchase though, the are so many options here in FL, it pays to be picky.

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha and welcome aboard!

Silent therapy at this site.