Looking For Ideas - May Give Up

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

You have it with nautical themes as well… used it for 50 years or sobut dislike it for two reasons: discoloration and it’s not usable in microwaves

The microwave thing is why we keep some Corelle on board. We use the less fragile stuff most of the time (ours is darker colored, so discoloration isn't noticeable), but we've got a handful of Corelle plates and bowls for when we need to microwave something.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by rslifkin

The microwave thing is why we keep some Corelle on board. We use the less fragile stuff most of the time (ours is darker colored, so discoloration isn't noticeable), but we've got a handful of Corelle plates and bowls for when we need to microwave something.

We moved our Wedgwood aboard 18 years ago and after all that sailing and 4 hurricanes we only broke one plate when we hit it against the sink while doing the dishes.

I don’t think anything else will match the durability and enjoyment of Wedgwood or comparable brand for use aboard.

[malbert73]

Originally Posted by Chotu

At the risk of this thread becoming a blog or diary of sorts, I’m going to keep updating it through the process of getting to a decision.

With the pressure off (kicking the can down the road), it’s made things more clear.

The clarity came in the form of really distilling the factors down into just a few things.

1) I don’t know if I can handle the social isolation of living and traveling on a boat solo. Not everyone lives on the coast and getting a motorcycle on and off seems like a real pain. Renting cars takes up a lot of time. Uber is expensive too. So you’re essentially stuck at the shoreline or by yourself on passages. I don’t know if I’m ready for that type of isolation.

2) I don’t know if I want to put all the hours (years) into completing the build. I want the finished product, but at the end, do I really want to have just built a boat with my time? There are more things in life. I want the finished product, but I don’t know if that’s all I want from life.

3) I might like to keep all the money that would go into the boat for more financial stability or paying to have other good experiences.

If I can solve these 3 pieces of the puzzle, the answer will come.


To my surprise, the Rocky Mountains this summer were every bit as good as sailing to islands. The free “anchorages” were quite remote and not too crowded. Definitely no one was going to swing into me if the wind changed.. The “seaside towns” were just as quaint and charming. My “dinghy” was fun and super reliable.

Just some musings to add to the thread.

Makes a lot of sense given your current situation. Your relationship sounds like a “forever” yet keeping the boat is a hedge against that and helps you gain 1-2 years more of certainty.
If it’s not forever and some future partner loves sailing around the world you will kick yourself for selling it. And if you do decide to sell down the road, you may be refreshed to finish it off and sell more much more than as a project

[Sand crab]

+1 on Correlle. You can buy individual pieces at Wally World so replacement is easy. Full sets are affordable and most of it is made in the US. The same company owns Pyrex btw and most of those are made in the US too.

[Chotu]

For the record, I love Correlle too. Lightweight. Feels like you’re not camping.

A little more touchy feely stuff for my thread of drama here.

Another realization from this break in the woods and mountains.

I was reading about something called FOBO. Fear Of Better Options. This is my problem. I’m way too scared to close a door. I want them all open. That’s why I can’t decide and want to do sailing, RVing and adventure motorcycle riding. But it’s nuts to have that many things going on.

Or is it?

Taking with my girlfriend while driving back from the Colorado mountains about FOBO, I realize that is who I am.

I like to have a few different fun things in life that act as diversions from work and keep me focused on them for a while In such a way they take my mind off work. It’s a beast to maintain several different things. Awful, really.

But I have figured out a root piece of the puzzle with some non-linear thinking.

I should just do what I like and have a boat AND an RV

Minimizing storage costs for them, it can be done financially. But the real secret to doing both is figure out which one is the main thing and do that well. Do the other thing on the side.

For example: if boats are my main thing, spend the years working on the boat interior and just keep my current, old and grungy RV. Do the interior well so I have a good place to live and use the RV as a grungy camper to get away from the seashore sometimes.

If RVs are the main thing, get a new RV and get that damn trimaran in Maine that’s been for sale on here for ages. Just a smaller boat for fun, not to live on. Or even maybe a monohull. Have a nice RV interior to live in and a modest boat that’s just for fun.


But one of them should be secondary. Not take much financially or time wise.

This is the ultimate question.

Also, thanks to a forum member here, if I do choose boat, I think I’ve found a social enough spot for it that I won’t feel isolated while building it out. So that part of the cons with boats is gone.

[Chotu]

Also, damn it If sand crab isn’t alway 3 steps ahead of me.

Those electric bikes he was talking about would be absolutely perfect for getting a bit farther away from the water at times.

Thanks for that idea sand crab. Those make a lot of my initial plan possible.

First, I’m going to bring the 2 things closer to each other. The boat and RV. Then I’ll just choose which to use whenever and use an electric bike to get between them.

Or I could get a house or apartment. Just kidding! Ha ha.

[rslifkin]

If you end up somewhere further north, you get an easy answer. Travel by boat over the summer, then by rv when the water starts getting crunchy.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by rslifkin

If you end up somewhere further north, you get an easy answer. Travel by boat over the summer, then by rv when the water starts getting crunchy.

North is the plan.

I’ll head to Florida this winter and get the boat prepped and ready during the cool months and take it north.

So yes. Just like that.

I’ve had enough hot weather for a while.

Then sometime next year, one of the items (boat or RV) will present itself as annoying and difficult. That’s the one I won’t keep as a main focus.

[Sand crab]

I thought I'd give some details on my ebike conversion because Chotu brought it up. I have a Specialized Crosstrail which is a hybrid bike meaning it has skinnier tires than a mountain bike so you can go offroad some and do singletrack if you want plus it's got good speed on the pavement like a road bike. I purchased the big 1000 watt mid drive Bafang motor and the big battery plus all the essentials from the factory outlet that stocks these in the US. Bafang is the largest most respected builder of bike motors with outlets in the US and Europe. All of these systems by any manufacturer are made in China but I will caution against ordering direct from there because of so many potential issues. My system was $1590 because it is the most powerful of everything they sell. You can spend quite a bit less.

I got about a hundred miles on the bike now mostly riding on a couple of routes that with minimal traffic and nice wide shoulders. I regularly do 36 mph on the wide open spaces but of course a lot slower on sidewalks and bike paths. These areas are pretty low traffic so don't get all huffy about me riding on sidewalk. I'm not in NYC and sidewalk riding is allowed here. I can do a 20 mile long ride at a pretty good speed with no problems, my range might be over 50 miles. Going slower makes the battery last longer. It's been pretty hot here with a heat index of 100 yesterday. But because I'm going pretty fast I have a 20 mph breeze cooling me down with not that much effort on my part. Going out in the heat of the day isn't that big of a deal.

One of the issues with ebikes on boats and RVs will be charging that battery. The chargers draw 2 to 4 amps for 5 to 8 hours.

My bike weighed about 30.5 pounds before and the conversion added about 25 pounds.

[Chotu]

Is that 2-4 amps at 120v for 5-8 hours?

So 40 amps from the batteries each hour, for 8 hours worst case?

At peak output, my solar array puts out around 100 amps per hour at 12vdc

[Sand crab]

Yes that's amps at 120v. But I now see that my "quick" charger uses 3 amps. It will charge the battery in 5 hour or less.
Right after I posted that last one I went on a 32.5 mile ride which was my longest one yet. About 8 miles was rough gravel and single track. My display said I still had a range of 28 miles left at the end. I always pedal because I do want some exercise plus it gives longer range.

The purpose of my posts here is to enlighten others to the capabilities of up to date ebikes. You can get crazy range out of a relatively lightweight package. My ebike weighs about 58 pounds but I have a rear rack, saddle bag with tools, fenders and kickstand. But my big battery weighs 12.5 pounds and it's removable in about 10 seconds. Moving a 45.5 # bike out of a boat or RV wouldn't be that hard for most of us and then just pop the battery back in.
You can go faster or lighter or cheaper but how's that boat saying go... pick 2 out of 3.

[ArmyDaveNY]

Originally Posted by Sand crab

Yes that's amps at 120v. But I now see that my "quick" charger uses 3 amps. It will charge the battery in 5 hour or less.
Right after I posted that last one I went on a 32.5 mile ride which was my longest one yet. About 8 miles was rough gravel and single track. My display said I still had a range of 28 miles left at the end. I always pedal because I do want some exercise plus it gives longer range.

The purpose of my posts here is to enlighten others to the capabilities of up to date ebikes. You can get crazy range out of a relatively lightweight package. My ebike weighs about 58 pounds but I have a rear rack, saddle bag with tools, fenders and kickstand. But my big battery weighs 12.5 pounds and it's removable in about 10 seconds. Moving a 45.5 # bike out of a boat or RV wouldn't be that hard for most of us and then just pop the battery back in.
You can go faster or lighter or cheaper but how's that boat saying go... pick 2 out of 3.

Thanks for posting this. It is very enlightening. Another benefit of an electric bike is that when it is hot, you will not be hot, stinky and nasty when you arrive at your destination! This is especially nice when you are meeting people!

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Sand crab

Yes that's amps at 120v. But I now see that my "quick" charger uses 3 amps. It will charge the battery in 5 hour or less.
Right after I posted that last one I went on a 32.5 mile ride which was my longest one yet. About 8 miles was rough gravel and single track. My display said I still had a range of 28 miles left at the end. I always pedal because I do want some exercise plus it gives longer range.

The purpose of my posts here is to enlighten others to the capabilities of up to date ebikes. You can get crazy range out of a relatively lightweight package. My ebike weighs about 58 pounds but I have a rear rack, saddle bag with tools, fenders and kickstand. But my big battery weighs 12.5 pounds and it's removable in about 10 seconds. Moving a 45.5 # bike out of a boat or RV wouldn't be that hard for most of us and then just pop the battery back in.
You can go faster or lighter or cheaper but how's that boat saying go... pick 2 out of 3.

I’m sold!

These could definitely replace a gas scooter or even a small motorcycle to get away from the shoreline.

Imagine the practicality of getting a bike trailer for one too. Provisioning made a lot easier.

I’d say bike theft is the biggest concern of all with these things. A serious, major concern, given how much they cost, how easy they are to carry and how I’ve had regular bikes, dinghies, outboards, kayaks and anchors stolen.