What happens to all the wannabees?

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

These folks also fit into the mosaic of our sport. I was speaking to a guy yesterday who is planning his electronics install. He has a small boat like me and is planning a chart plotter and trying to figure out how to shoehorn it in.

Now I asked about long range cruising and it came out he plans only coastal cruising in and near Sing, Malaysia & Indonesia. The reality is (I think) he will do daysailing a lot and maybe 1 vacation trip a year.

99% of the time within site of land and we get haze but never fog. It is pretty darned hard to get lost. I talked about iPad, iPhone and navionics for the occasional passage. He said, "got that but not waterproof."

Anyway I am rambling now but a chart plotter is what he wants and it is his money so more power to him. At least he is putting money into a 30 year old boat and giving it TLC and a lease extension on life.

Never think about the economics - It will drive you nuts...

Never think about the economics - It will drive you nuts...[/

perhaps it is part of the dream that people need to stop them going nuts,a chart plotter is a small price to pay for sanity! lol

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by atoll

i would love to hear from some of the posters that join the forum with great plans,use our knowledge,tell us how they are going to do it,then nothing....

here is a recent one that never amounted to much:

SeeWorld TV with Jon Charron | An 8 Month Sailing Adventure Across The South Pacific – LA To Australia Through The French Polynesians

I'm kind of turned off by this. All sorts of things can be obstacles on one's path. I applaud a person who tries something new. Maybe it "sticks" and maybe it doesn't, but better to try and fail than not ever to try something new.

Maybe the dream just changed.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by atoll

for better or worse as they say in marrige it would be great to hear from some of these failed sailors,if only to let others know what they are getting into,we joke about the "boat buck"($1000),but for many if there is not a continuous stream this can be a major stumbling block.

not even mentioning the massive learning curve

With a thread with that title, there's no way I would come back.

[rebel heart]

Originally Posted by atoll

actually eric you probably have far more than most to contribute to this thread,since you have recently been made redundant,have a wife that is 5 months pregnant,(great blog by the way) most people in your situation would not be looking at beggining a circumnavigation,albeit a slow one,my hat is off to you and red charlotte!

it would be great if you could comment on what was the really hard make or break point before you left,that influenced your decision.

Thanks for the kind words man. Half the time over here it is controlled chaos, the other half it isn't controlled at all.

Well we still haven't "left" yet I suppose, but barring some insane turn of events we should be out of here in a few weeks. Hard to explain about the "turning point". I think most of it is nothing all that exciting and more about grunt work. We had a plan and every time we hit a bump we adjusted the plan and figured out a way to make it work. I always told my wife that if things went too far south we could move on land, sort out the boat, and then move back on after we got the problems resolved. Family first, relationship first, boat a distant second.

I think that has taken a lot of pressure off, and whenever there's a problem (and there have been countless problems) we focus on fixing them quickly before anyone gets miserable.

The turning point was deciding to do this five years ago. The hard part is the day-in, day-out reality every day since then. My wife used to say a Mae West quote of "I never said it would be easy, only that it would be worth it."

So far, it's been worth it. The people we've met, the experiences we've had, the way we connect as a family: it's all been amazing. I have a life that is frankly more amazing than I could have ever imagined. I've learned so much about myself, my own abilities, and my humility.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Rakuflames

I'm kind of turned off by this. All sorts of things can be obstacles on one's path. I applaud a person who tries something new. Maybe it "sticks" and maybe it doesn't, but better to try and fail than not ever to try something new.

Maybe the dream just changed.

i applaud the trying part,but why the hype and self publicization... must be something to do with the "me generation"/reality tv thing.........hey can you sponser me i want to sail around the world...........for the third time.....

[sparau]

Originally Posted by Rakuflames

I'm kind of turned off by this. All sorts of things can be obstacles on one's path. I applaud a person who tries something new. Maybe it "sticks" and maybe it doesn't, but better to try and fail than not ever to try something new.

Maybe the dream just changed.

I took it as being "would like to hear what worked and didnt as it would probably be educational to other dreamers".

Which i agree with, i'll try and man up and say why it fails if it does

Currently i'm stuck in the work 70 hours a week bit... it could easily fail right there, its hard ! I have so far had the first weekend properly off in months and just loving playing with the kids, off to the pool in a minute... i have a head state where if i dont have something planned for the next 5 minutes, i'll pick up my laptop and work. its kinda exciting, invigorating and really crap all at once.

[Rhapsody-NS27]

I'm still working on the boat, although very slowly. Soon, hopefully, I'll be able to get it in the water. I'd like to work on the boat more often but life gets in the way with work, school, finances, etc. Still, I haven't given up at the moment and still enjoy working on the boat a heck of a lot more than working around the house.

For another reason, I'll be a wannabee for another 5 years or so...

I wannabee retired!

[fousley]

My wife and I were wannabees. We bought a boat in September ( Flicka ) and I have been getting things ready. Our plan is a shake down sail in lake MI around Muskegon,MI before the marinas close down. Then go south to FL and spend some time around Port Charlotte. How long we stay depends on how it goes. We are just taking small steps. It is an adventure for me. Total sailing experience 1 week at the Colgate school Captiva Island.

[sailor_andy]

Very good time for this post from my perspective. I joined this forum last year and will say that the information I found here and the few people I have asked for more information were more than helpful. I thank-you all for sharing your insight. I have not posted myself as I don't believe I have the knowledge to do so yet. But if it is an update you are looking for... When we started our journey into the cruising lifestyle, we new very little and did not own a boat. It was but a dream. I am happy to report that I am writing this from the salon of my new boat as we sit in Stamford CT. Tomorrow evening we leave to bring her home under sail to Halifax NS. 4 to 6 days if all goes well. I will continue to read your insights and who knows, maybe one of these days I will be able to answer some questions asked on here instead of just saying "I was wondering that too". Thanks all. Just remember that silence is not always a sign that nobody is listening.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by rebel heart

Thanks for the kind words man. Half the time over here it is controlled chaos, the other half it isn't controlled at all.

Well we still haven't "left" yet I suppose, but barring some insane turn of events we should be out of here in a few weeks. Hard to explain about the "turning point". I think most of it is nothing all that exciting and more about grunt work. We had a plan and every time we hit a bump we adjusted the plan and figured out a way to make it work. I always told my wife that if things went too far south we could move on land, sort out the boat, and then move back on after we got the problems resolved. Family first, relationship first, boat a distant second.

I think that has taken a lot of pressure off, and whenever there's a problem (and there have been countless problems) we focus on fixing them quickly before anyone gets miserable.

The turning point was deciding to do this five years ago. The hard part is the day-in, day-out reality every day since then. My wife used to say a Mae West quote of "I never said it would be easy, only that it would be worth it."

So far, it's been worth it. The people we've met, the experiences we've had, the way we connect as a family: it's all been amazing. I have a life that is frankly more amazing than I could have ever imagined. I've learned so much about myself, my own abilities, and my humility.

having a plan is allways the best policy!
if any thing is in doubt,stick to the plan,find a safe location and review the plan!
look after red! she is your #1 asset,and above all trust your own judgement.
fair wind and following sea's, if you ever find yourself in a tight corner give me a call,i have friends in surprising places!

[mbianka]

IMO sometimes dreams change, relationships change, finances change, bodies change. I know my plans have changed over the years. In my younger years a sail across the Atlantic was in my cards. I did finally cross in 2006 but, on the Queen Mary 2. I bought my portable VHF radio along and never heard a peep until 2 AM one night in the middle of the Atlantic. Some cruiser out there was asking the liner for an update on the weather. The bridge obliged and the weather report was not a good one. I remember the bridge signing off with "good luck". The next day we had spray hitting our 8th deck balcony. But, I could not stop thinking about that boat we left in the QM2's wake and wonder how they fared.
My companion of 30 years is not a cruiser but, does not mind an occasional day or overnight sail though. But, she would not be good on an extended cruise in my 30 foot monohull. It's just the way it is. As a recovering lawyer she finds satisfaction in her retirement career as a teacher. Keeping her land based for a large part of the year. But, she does enjoy chartered catamaran vacations. So I do get to cruise in various parts of the world even if it is not on my boat. I've come to peace with that scenario for the time being.
One of the places we chartered was the Maldives.
Before we left I was on a cruise on my boat and met a Captain of a private yacht who had sailed all over on his own boat. I mentioned we were going to Maldives. His response was what for? He said he and his wife had sailed there on his boat and found it was extremely boring and could not wait to get out of there.
We got there and with our local Muslim crew had one of the best experiences in our lives. Yes, fish were caught:
THE BIANKA LOG BLOG: CAPT. MIKE IN THE MALDIVES: DAY SIX
Sometimes the dreams, expectations and experiences are just not the same for everyone. It's not always like a happy Jimmy Buffet song either. I think some who start out and then quit never get that memo.

[atoll]

foulsey,sailor andy,rapsody and sparu,thanks for posting,belive me members do listen and are very ready to help anybody of any experince level.

life in general is not a simple road to follow....keep on keeping on!

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by atoll

i applaud the trying part,but why the hype and self publicization... must be something to do with the "me generation"/reality tv thing.........hey can you sponser me i want to sail around the world...........for the third time.....

Why *shouldn't* someone talk about something that greatly excited him or her with others with a similar interest?

No doubt some people sneer at me because I'm looking forward to my next big stretch, helping sail a boat the entire length of the Keys and then up to Tampa. No doubt to some there that sounds like baby steps.

But *to me,* at 66 and sailing less than five years (action-packed, but still ...) it's a big deal. It's a big adventure. None of my real-life sailing friends or acquaintances are sneering at it, because they know where I was 4 1/2 years ago. They're cheering me on.

i don't think my dreams are any less because I'm not looking to circumnavigate the globe. Different people will be at different points, and that means that some people will be at the beginning.

To sneer at people who are just starting out ... just my opinion but I think it's petty and mean-spirited.

I could have died four times in my life so far. I was born a blue baby, not breathing. That's why I have mild cerebral palsy. I got caught in a rip current when I was 14, dragged into shark-infested waters at the end of a pier where the fishermen routinely threw the guts from their bait fish into the water. Saw a 11-foot hammerhead that was caught right off that pier two days later. Also obviously could have drowned.

Very nearly died in childbirth. Could easily have been killed by breast cancer.

I've learned that life is a gift, and that it's stupid to squander it. I also ran into a LOT of obstacles while pursuing my dream of a sailing life, a dream I've had since I was 10 and saw a sailboat for the first time.

Guess I'm nuts, but I prefer the people who recognize what I've accomplished so far to those who sneer at what I haven't done yet. It all starts with a dream.

I also had a dream to be a ballerina. CLEARLY that never could have been. I failed at that dream but not because I didn't try.

[youmeandthed]

Wife and I gradutaed University, couldn't find careers, worked a bunch of part time jobs in the service industry, bought a small boat. Liked cruising so much we sold the small boat for a Blue Water cruiser we bought at a fire sale on the otherside of the continent, oh and we had only seen the boat online, no survey just flew down and did a visual then signed the papers. Spent 3 weeks working on it in the yard, splashed it and started cruising. Left Northern Florida, now sitting in Panama doing a few upgrades and repairs (that needed to be done, saved on not fixing a lot of things that work just fine). Heading to the San Blas in late october, then the Canal and across the Pacific.

It has been a huge learning curve, and a few wild rides. Totally worth it. Too many people spend time thinking about it and lose their chance. A guy I met working one day said, "I had a boat and was going to do another crossing but a job came up I couldn't refuse. I suggest you go for it before life takes you in a different direction."

I have to say though; my wife has helped put this dream into a reality. It helps when you are working in a team

[Notyet]

Don't be too hard on us wannabees, or in our case "havebeenswannabees", because we are dreaming, and this forum feeds that dream (you guys come up with heaps and heaps of good info, which sometimes even help some of us to make the choice of not doing what we dream of:-). Yes, many of us will never reach the point that we can make our dreams come true, but we try. Sometimes we can't afford our dream, or sometimes more important things are in the way. Like Rebel Heart said, "Family first, relationship first, boat a distant second." Yes there are people who think differently and push their dream, although their wives are not happy with it. They do a crossing, but end up in South America or the Carib with a divorce... We've seen our share here in Suriname.
And about not leaving the dock. Ten years ago me and my brother in law both bought a boat. We bought an old steel sailboat, and they bought a classic wooden sailboat. We have been sailing for weeks in row with our three children, but except for one or two occasions they never left the dock. But I have to admit that he almost had as much fun with it as I had, because he really loved to work on his boat, and was on it almost every weekend :-)
So already thanx for al your info and for helping us dreaming, and I really hope to give you our story one day!