Hello Cruisers
I'm new in here, so bear with me if i'm not using the proper vocabulary.
For a while now, I've been spending quite a lot of time wondering what to do with my life (not that i want to fob you guys with my thoughts and stupid ideas). I'm only 21, so it's not like i'm in a big hurry, but now is the time where whatever option I'm choosing to follow, then that's kindda the way things will be heading.
I've been out travelling around the world for a year, visiting numerous conutries in
Africa, America, Latin-America, Oceania and
Asia. It was a blast and could have continued forever, but as you probarbly know
money plays a big factor for when you have to go home again.
When
money ran out, I headed home again and started at university. In the beginning it was quite fun, being back at the
books and having a plan for the day. But then after 6 months, things started to be a bit trivial (not saying you can expect not to be bored by studying), but this course was just, yeah, heading towards a 9-5 job in front of the computer. And as soon as I realised that, I dropped out and that's where I'm at right now.
To me it seems like "norms" that everybody just needs to go through the education system, get a job, settle down and start a
family.. To some that might be "living life", but to me it's more like you're being stuck in a situation where, if you don't open you're eyes, then BAM! you're ending up doing like everybody else. Maybe thats good, maybe it's not, I dont know, I might just be restless from going back "out there", cause to me living life is travelling, exploring the world and new cultures, rather than having a respective job, earn a good
income and then what? No no no no, I'd much rather lay back in the chair when I'm 80 and say "I been there, and there and there, doing this and that and this" rather than "I worked for these guys for 10 years doing this, then I changed to this (uhh crazy lifestyle change) and worked for 10 years etc. etc. etc."
Sorry, went a bit too far there I guess. It's just hard for me to
work out WHAT I want to be doing for the rest of my life. Now to the actual sailing stuff :P
In my newly acquired freetime, I've spent quite some time surfing the web for stuff I love do to. I watched a video I made when I was working (short term) as a
deckhand on a
liveaboard boat in
Australia, I had a
camera to
record my dives in the
great barrier reef. Sitting back here in
Denmark I then realised how f.....g fantastic it was being out there on the
water, not any drama or anything (calm waters on the reef) and I had a
captain to sail the vessel around so there wasn't really any "sailing" experience. But the feeling of being out there, I want it again, not as a
deckhand, I want to be the
captain, i want a
boat. That was kindda my first thoughts and i started youtubing and found several atlantic crossings, different routes and in between the videos I found a guy selling a
lagoon 380 and was just absolutely
sold. At first I thought of a boat as monohulls only, but I'm more and more getting into multihulls, I want a
catamaran.
I've found dozens of blogs written by sailors circumnavigating the world. I've read a lot of them, all of what they've written and some of the
books recommended by the sailors. After reading some books about sailing the world, my gut feeling hasn't changed for the worse, this is absolutely 100% what I want to do. For the first time in a long time I have something to take bearing of.
Boom! My imaginary boat has grounded, cause after reading the blogs and books. The ones behind the
rudder is at least in the 30'ies having at least 10 years of sailing experience. I'm 21 have zero sailing experience (not that I'm surprised or anything that I need experience). I've contacted my local sailing club, in prices for different kinds of certificates and beginner sailer options.
NOW my questions starts coming (thank good huh?)
Lets say I start sailing,
novice level. How much experience would you guys say I'd need to go out there. (Dont worry, I wont expect you to say 1 year or something). But a serious bid on when things are possible.
My
head is trumbling with thoughts of how the hell to finance this. Money is the ONLY factor holding me back right now, winning the lottery would mean that I would be out of harbour in the next couple of years! But, the odds are against me on that one
Therefore I've made some other ideas on how to finance stuff besides winning the lottery
(my notebook is filled with stupid ideas, drawings and stuff). The best would probarbly be to get that education and for for a couple of years, I know the feeling, cause I worked for about 2 years to earn enough money to travel the 1 year i talked about earlier. BUT, a boat is much much more expensive than a couple of airplane tickets and a backpack. Therefore, the timehorizon for
buying a boat would easily be 10-15 years. That's 10-15 years where I would have to be a lemming, like so many others, doing the working man's hustle. And I want to see the world... soon, you know? And if you want to do something, you should do it, right?
Then there is a second option, my personal favorite, because of the shorter timespan, but this is where I need some of you hardened boat owners feedback
Right now I'm sitting in an apartment, paying 952 dollars a month (and that's just my half of it). These goldcoins is going directly into the pockets of the apartment owner, money I wont ever see again. I'm thinking, hmm, why not invest this amount of money in something. An apartment by itself is impossible because they're easily 400.000. dollars. But
buying a
used boat might be a bit more realistic.
Lets say I could make it
work, studying for 5 years WHILE living on my boat (the harbour is close to uni, but is it even possible, electrics, heat,
maintenance, should it be in the
water or not, etc?).
Making a rough estimate 952*12= 11424 dollars (annual apartment rent)
11424*5 = 57120 dollars (apartment rent for the 5 years of studying)
57120+57767(personal savings) = 114887 dollars.
That makes 114887 (maybe more, maybe less) dollars worth of buying a boat. (roughly) where the 57120 of them would be money out the window anyway, now put into a boat (I'm not saying the boat after 10 years is worth the same, but i guess its worth more than 0 ?
I know I want a
catamaran, I know I want it to be able to cross oceans, I know I want it to be comfortable (especially as I need to live on it for years before even going out), I know I want it, but thats pretty much what I know. For the rest I'm just blisfully unaware of anything else.
Does it sound like the stupidest thing you've ever heard (please don't make my dream crash and burn totally
) or is it possible somewhere out in the future?
What cat would you recommend? I've seen alot by now, but again, I don't know the pros and cons of the different cats. I've kindda fallen in love with a
Lagoon 380, but i think it's way outta my
price range judging some prices I've seen. But I guess less can make it anyway.
What concerns would there be to be having a cat in the water for 5 years before even sailing of? (not saying it won't be taken out to sea, when i get the hang of it or by someone else).
This post i quite long now I see, better stop now. Please come with whatever thoughts you might have on this !
Have a nice day
/ Danish Viking