The Diem Won’t Carpe Itself!

[Flibberty-jib]

Hi all!
Total newbie here. I grew up in the Midwest…about as far away as you can get from an ocean…and I know zilch, probably less than zilch, about sailing. But my hubby and I are edging closer to retirement, so it’s time to start planning for the dream. I figure we have 8–10 years to learn how to do this whole “sailing thing” (as though it were so simple) before we take the plunge and chunk our life savings into a non-landlocked money pit! I mean, the money pit we have now should fund quite a bit of a floating money pit, so I’d call that a win.(?)

I love to travel. That’s it. Period. I want to travel in my retirement. What better way to travel, and have fun doing it (most of the time), than by taking your house with you? By golly, I just can’t think of one. And, you know, the sailing part looks sorta fun, too.

So that’s why I’m here. I've been lurking for a while, so I thought I should just ante up. Look at me, putting my big girl pants on...

I look forward to learning from you all and listening in on the excellent stories, harrowing tales of danger, and downright silly yarns that are spun on this forum.

Have a fantabulous day and fair winds and all that sort of thing!

[newhaul]

Welcome aboard

[Jim Cate]

G'Day flib, and welcome aboard CF. sounds like you already have us sussed out,so no newbie advice about avoiding the trolls and listening to all us old farts. Your general plan is do-able if you have the gumption to carry it out, so get cracking!

Good luck with it all!

Jim

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Flib.

[Steadman Uhlich]

Howdy and Welcome Aboard CF!

I enjoyed your nicely written intro post.

Bon Voyage on the Forum!

[ranger58sb]

Go for it Flib. Seize the Carp!

Be aware cruising is often described as "fixing boats in exotic locations" so consider what that'll mean to your normal routine, eventual capabilities, etc. You can at least lessen the "money pit" effect by doing all (or most of) your own fix-it labor. Which in turn may mean some additional learning (over and above that pesky sailing thing) might be required depending on your background...

-Chris

[mikeod]

I would even say that knowing how to repair and keep a boat going is more important than the sailing part. And not even knowing how, more be willing to try and do things you may not think you can do. Get lots of repair manuals! Most people can do almost anything but a lot are afraid to even try.
Good luck
Life's to short get on it.

[Flibberty-jib]

Thank you for the warm welcome and sage advice!
You hath not scared me off, tho, gentlemen. For I am the daughter of a diesel mechanic! My father likes to say that I did my first brake job when I was 3. That may be an exaggeration, but I did spend all my Saturday mornings growing up working on our family vehicles. And I had quite a spell in high school (oh so many years ago) when I was a “motor head,” wore too much leather, and spent what little money I had making improvements to my 1986 Mustang GT to take her out to the quarter mile. I was pretty good, too, or so I like to remember! Ha!
Now, it’s been a long while since I’ve had any reason to get greasy, but I’m pretty sure that, these days, if you do anything besides checking fluids, you’ll void the bloody warranty! Yet I think I could muster up some interest in engines again for a good cause. And I can even get me ol’ pops to give me a primer on diesels if needs must. I’ve got to be careful though; I wouldn’t want to give him a heart attack at his age by actually being interested in what he says. And I especially can’t give him any inclination that I want to pick his brain in order to sail away. That thought would be so utterly terrifying to him that he might disinherit me…
DIY is the only way to go! That money pit house I was referring to has been an ongoing project every weekend for the last 6 months – and it still costs a pretty penny in supplies and fixtures – but I can’t imagine how much money we’ve saved by doing the work ourselves. Of course, there are a few things that we consider to be “out of our league” or just too difficult to deal with, like major electrical or flooring, and those are hired out.
I figure it’ll be much the same on a boat. Do what you can until you feel out of your depth, then ask for help and advice from fine folks like yourselves in the cruising community…and then if all else fails, pay someone to fix it. But do that as little as possible, and watch the repairs so that you know how to DIY next time. And keep about ¼ of the boat’s weight in freaking spare parts aboard! Have I got that about right?
As far as routines and the like, who wants a routine when they retire? I’d so much rather spend time and energy troubleshooting problems in paradise, than endlessly piddling around the house and slowly rotting. And isn’t life all about learning?
Thanks, all!

[boatpoker]

Hey Jib, seems like you have the right attitude for this lifestyle.
Thats 90% of ir right there.

[JPA Cate]

G'day Flib,

Dunno if you can find a copy of this antique, The Twelve Volt Doctor, but it is a very basic guide to boat wiring.

Nigel Calder also wrote one, that is well respected.

You will have electrical challenges to solve and prefer to not rely on marine electricians.

Timber work, well, that takes practice, but with time and patience, you'll be able to take care of the few items you need to manage.

Ann

[Pelagic]

Hi flib
For the Diem bit, ......check out the sailing on $500/ month thread.

Most of the carping around here are on the anchor threads [emoji4]

[Flibberty-jib]

You folks are awesome, thanks for the book/forum tips!

[Cool Hand Luke]

Welcome to the forum! Now that's a retirement I wish for myself!!

[In Training]

You have a lot of company with your dream. We are landlocked in Indiana. My husband and I started discussing this for our retirement in 2010, with the goal of 2016/2017. At this point, looks like it will be closer to 2020 before it will happen, but we will be just that much more prepared. Hope your plans and dreams come true.

[Flibberty-jib]

Then good luck to all of us, Cool Hand and Training!!! Let's put some "stubborn" into our dreams and make it work...I look forward to hearing from both of you that you are making headway!