East Coast Living Aboard - what next?

[hpeer]

It's complicated, In a good way.

I retired in Jan. My Wife works by phone 3 days a week.

We have been living aboard our big boat half time for some years.

Our plan is to live on the big boat October through Mayish. And live at out Newfoundland cabin/small boat June thru September. We moved the big boat (44' steel cutter) to New Bern. NC in the spring and are just a couple of weeks from finishing our delivery trip of the small boat to Newfoundland.

The Newfoundland trip, through the Hudson and Erie Canal has been great. That took some planning and was an event unto itself. Very rewarding.

My "problem" is that I've now got exactly ZERO ideas about what to do with the big boat! I can hack around the Neuse and Ocracoke for a few weeks, that would be cool. But what then? Motor down the ditch? Jump to the Bahamas?

Kinda clueless here. So I though I'd throw this out as a conversation starter.

If you were me what would you do?

[MarkJ]

Of course I would do the Caribbean curcuit each year. Its not that difficult to get there and back.

First year, though, do the Bahamas.

The good thing about the Bahamas are there are more international boats cruising. Listening to different accents and different adventures is intoxicating, enthusing and... achievable.

No, theres noting wrong with the USA, but theres a whole world out there! Its exciting and closer than you think.

Mark

[DDabs]

I lived in New Bern for a few months on my boat. Loved it there, just so far away from everything else! Are you looking to travel on the big boat, or stay in one place for the whole time? October-May is a great time to do some Carib sailing, that's exactly where I'm headin' in November!

[hpeer]

We are looking to do some travel, not stay in one place.

[Hudson Force]

There are no rules. Some people consume their ports and live by the "Been There, Done That" code. They need to find new horizons. Nancie and I have been cruising from Maine to the Bahamas for 44 years and we've never consumed any ports.

We've taken side trips off our boat, often on other's boats to the Amazon, China, the Galapagos, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, the Med, etc., but we remain "cockpit potatoes" on board our own boat.

We'll be off toward Eleuthra this winter and many other places that we've been many times before.

Be free to do as you choose!

[Kasidah]

The Bahamas are great, you'll find a port to consume, or remote islands where you won't see people for days. AND it can be a lot cheaper to live in the Bahamas than the states. The only small issue with the Bahamas is your boat depth.


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[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by Kasidah

.......
............... it can be a lot cheaper to live in the Bahamas than the states.
..................................

I notice that Kasidah wisely said it can be cheaper. Some who visit the Bahamas and eat in the tourist restaurants or insist on buying all the US imported food and drink at the grocery stores along with staying at resort marinas can spend more that in the states.

...., but Kasidah is right,- it CAN be cheaper!

[Hud3]

You could spend several very satisfying boating seasons cruising around the Chesapeake Bay. Get yourself a cruising guide and see what you could experience.

[Hudson Force]

We love the Chesapeake Bay and continue finding new places that interest us. One of the keys to our enjoyment is being able to cruise well with the seasons. Many of our best spots are less desirable when it's too hot or cold!

[m2244]

Can I ask you why you have two boats? I'm new to sailing, just curious.

[m2244]

Originally Posted by Hudson Force

There are no rules. Some people consume their ports and live by the "Been There, Done That" code. They need to find new horizons. Nancie and I have been cruising from Maine to the Bahamas for 44 years and we've never consumed any ports.

We've taken side trips off our boat, often on other's boats to the Amazon, China, the Galapagos, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, the Med, etc., but we remain "cockpit potatoes" on board our own boat.

We'll be off toward Eleuthra this winter and many other places that we've been many times before.

Be free to do as you choose!

44 years, wow! posts like this are inspiring as hell!

[hpeer]

Originally Posted by m2244

Can I ask you why you have two boats? I'm new to sailing, just curious.

Because we are stupid!

Because we have 2 boats and a cabin in Newfoundland, which is an excellent place to sail (4 moths a year) we will keep the small boat in Newfoundland to enjoy this area. I also have family here and it's a bit of our plan should TSHTF.

The big boat is our home.

So we will be snowbirds.

We didn't start out with this plan, no sane person would. But it's sorta where we ended up when the shouting was done. There is less hyperbole to that statement than I want to admit.

BTW...the small boat is my first ever sailboat, I've only been farting around with this for about 8 years. The disease spreads fast!