What happens to all the wannabees?

[Island Time O25]

Just like travelling. Some people can't see themselves anywhere but in first class seats, 5 star hotels and luxury liners. Others are happily crossing continents while hitchhiking, backpacking and camping. And there are still others just happy dreaming to do either or something in between.

[jwcolby54]

Originally Posted by Island Time O25

Just like travelling. Some people can't see themselves anywhere but in first class seats, 5 star hotels and luxury liners. Others are happily crossing continents while hitchhiking, backpacking and camping. And there are still others just happy dreaming to do either or something in between.

That's so true, and of course to each his own. It is when the 5 star folks start telling the backpack crowd "you can't have much of a vacation..." that I get irritated.

[SV THIRD DAY]

Originally Posted by MikeAndMichelle

but each one you find either costs too much, is the wrong type of sailboat you want, or everyone on CF says "DON'T DO IT".

Ha ha ha...forget about the arm chair internet experts.
They are not telling you what YOU should do...they are telling you what THEY would do....big difference.

Even after 4yrs of cruising and 8yrs of living aboard, I still meet people who say:

"you can't do that, you can't live on a boat, you can't just unplug and go to Mexico for 4yrs and home school your kids, what are you crazy".

I used to think I could talk some sense into them, reason with them, but now I just say, "You are right, You couldn't do it" with a smile. By the time they figured out what I just said to them, I'm walking away...again with a smile.

[Sir Rondo Normal]

Search kijiji. There's a solid teak ketch on Saltspring Island right now for $8000. It gives no details but there's got to be $8000 worth of teak alone in that boat.

Keep the dream alive. Wendi & I found an old boat for $12,500 in 2012. We spent the past 4 years upgrading, updating and spend, spend spending and now we're getting ready to cut the dock lines this spring. Going to spend a year on the hook exploring the west coast and then head south.

Life is grand!

[sailorcherry]

Mike and Michelle - Don't give up, it will happen, in time. What you described I just call life....when ppl ask why we haven't left for full time cruising yet. Medical bills wipe ppl out down here.

We have been doing part time local cruising. I know bc a bit. Could you do part-time cruising in your stunning local islands while working and refiting the boat to be cruising worthy? This would enable you to figure out your true needs vs wants while on the hook and you save money by living aboard and working.Plus, to me, it makes it more about the journey and less about the main goal.

Im prone to staying off forums often because of "don't do it" comments of people most likely sitting at home or never having gone. Its easy for ppl to argue online, isn't?! I have friends who have huge sailing accomplishments, as in records.They told me to stop reading forums. Read this and that book, maybe this blog and morenimportantly just try it and find out for yourself. Oh and you dont need some slow full keel boat to be "bluewater". In fact, its true, some reason a fin is better (to them) because being faster and a better light air performer you can stay ahead of a storm and sailing instead of motor (more fun and less cost) and less fatigue from a longer passage.

I dont know what your expectations are for $10-$15k but man there are some sweet deals out there. Go talk to HM's, hang at the yc's and ask around. Call ads in 48 north that are double your budget and let the broker know you only have half just in case the owner is interested.
Have you posted a want ad on craigslist? If you are handy, maybe even try placing an ad that you are interested in xyzed boats and that if someone is moving up to a bigger one you can trade your skills on refiting the new one and you do a trade plus cash on the smaller one. I know firsthand of this working. Trading electrical on a big boat for the smaller, but decent, needs work boat. This could apply for boats with a broker too, maybe keyword search another boat, bigger boat, in yachtworlds keyword section. Get creative. It is a stretch, but you only need one!

I've had ownership in several boats and help run a small boatwright biz. Real estate may have recovered in much of the US but not boats, people need to sell but can't take $.10 on the dollar, it hurts too much, but maybe $.30. We just found our friend a nice racer/cruiser $110k avg list for $50k! It needs maybe $1k to fix the outdrive and some cruising gear (which he will buy used and install himself). The man had to sell. We found it by walking the dock with a fresh for sale sign, it wasn't listed online, anywhere, yet.

Out of curiosity, what is your needs list and wants list and where are you wanting to go and why? Really look deep to see if you would both truly enjoy taking off cruising versus living aboard. There is a big price difference and it opens up bigger, less seaworthy boats as options too.

Originally Posted by MikeAndMichelle

Michelle and I have always wanted to live off-the-grid, to be self-sufficient, and to travel relatively affordably, and were looking for ways to do that.

In September of 2014 Michelle and I discovered that people could live on sailboats (liveaboards) and could sail around the world while living self-sufficiently and off the grid. We've been addicted to the idea ever since.

We saved up about $15K while living in Edmonton and was going to buy a sailboat. But then personal matters happened, family trouble, etc. We moved to Surrey, BC on December 24, 2015, and by that time our $15K had turned into $0.

So now we're starting all over again. We have about $10K in cash, and we're looking for a sailboat once again.

We've found the hardest part of all of this so far - is just finding the damn boat. We know there's no such thing as perfect, but each one you find either costs too much, is the wrong type of sailboat you want, or everyone on CF says "DON'T DO IT".

It's stressful but we're not giving up. But we'll live on an inflatable boat from Walmart if we have to! Lol

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Sir Rondo Normal

... Wendi & I found an old boat for $12,500 in 2012 ...

Wow! A Corbin 39 for 12.5K. That may be the deal of the century.

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by MikeAndMichelle

.....
So now we're starting all over again. We have about $10K in cash, and we're looking for a sailboat once again.
...

So buy this one... I nee 12.5k, pending deal fading quickly...
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...-a-153160.html

Originally Posted by jwcolby54

You have to take the "don't do it" with a grain of salt, especially if you are trying to buy a boat south of a hundred thousand. Too much money on this forum.

It took me about four months of daily searching on the internet to find my '73 Morgan OI. I only had $15K and I was consistently told things like "you can't get much of a boat for less than XYZ dollars" (way more than I had).

Well guess what, I found a great boat, lovingly maintained and in stellar shape. The owner wanted $13K took $10k, I put $4K into repairs and boat stuff, then sailed (or motored) it single handed about 700 miles back to NC.

And yep, those same folks are to this day muttering that I "didn't get much of a boat" but I don't care, nor pay much attention to them. I absolutely LOVE this boat and you can and will find something for yourself.

I will say that I started out determined to find one specific boat and ended up with something much different. There is a lesson in that somewhere.

BTW there is an entire thread on boats under $30K. Not updated often enough but it will give you hope.

There's a new dance craze called "do the jwcolby"

Originally Posted by Ballenxj

Now THAT is the spirit! And well said too. I wonder how many have given up on their dream on account of that xyz dollar snobbish attitude?

Damn Straight Skippy!

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Wow! A Corbin 39 for 12.5K. That may be the deal of the century.

Indeed Gordo !

[Sir Rondo Normal]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Wow! A Corbin 39 for 12.5K. That may be the deal of the century.

Originally Posted by HappyMdRSailor

Indeed Gordo !

..and I've kept wondering at what point will I find the reason he sold so cheap but we've been through the entire ship from stem to stern and keel to masthead. There were/are issues but no catastrophic sized issues. She's a good solid ship. We have spent a lot of money on her but at least this way, we know her inside and out.

Personally I think this is the best way to do it when you're on a budget and dreaming big. You may end up spending the same as if you bought a $100k boat but the initial cash outlay is smaller and rather than payments to a bank, your payments go directly into the boat in the form of parts & gear. The returns are peace of mind and knowledge/skill development.

Good luck on your search OP!

[Ballenxj]

Originally Posted by HappyMdRSailor

So buy this one... I nee 12.5k, pending deal fading quickly...
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...-a-153160.html

Wondering why I cannot post in that thread? Because it's archived?

[Island Time O25]

Originally Posted by Sir Rondo Normal

..and I've kept wondering at what point will I find the reason he sold so cheap but we've been through the entire ship from stem to stern and keel to masthead. There were/are issues but no catastrophic sized issues. She's a good solid ship. We have spent a lot of money on her but at least this way, we know her inside and out.

Personally I think this is the best way to do it when you're on a budget and dreaming big. You may end up spending the same as if you bought a $100k boat but the initial cash outlay is smaller and rather than payments to a bank, your payments go directly into the boat in the form of parts & gear. The returns are peace of mind and knowledge/skill development.

Good luck on your search OP!

Speaking of which. Couple of years ago on the North Shore of MA there was a liveaboard elderly owner who fell overboard and drowned, as this was November and he was in his late 70s or early 80s. The boat, early 1980s Seidelmann 37, either dragged to shore or parted its anchor/mooring or some such (I forget) but was never under water. The owner was a German citizen and his relatives in Germany upon finding out how much they had to part with to take possession of that boat of course declined and let the HM take it as salvage and auction it off. As the boat's adventures and owner's death spooked the locals and it was middle of the snowy winter, by the end of the sparsely attended auction some guy picked it up for about $8K. By following spring/summer he was frantically trying to sell her for $13.9K as he had trouble finding affordable dockage or mooring in downtown Boston. I talked to him on the phone a few times but never had time to go up to North Shore to look at the boat. He even invited me to crew bringing the boat to Boston but I was too busy to accept. I kept calling all of my friends who were potential boat buyers but none were either in the market at the time or were all set already. The seller hinted that he would take even less than $13K but not less than $10K. Don't know what he ended up selling for but I'm pretty sure it was under $13K anyway.

[Delancey]

Originally Posted by Doodles

And don't forget hanging with the rich and famous ...

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...levant_count=1

Attachment 47274

Never saw this photo before, sweet Tiki model in the background!

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Delancey

Never saw this photo before, sweet Tiki model in the background!

that is the tiki prototype model!
this photo was taken in james Wharrams design studio,with james ,hanneke and myself in the photo

[Delancey]

Originally Posted by atoll

that is the tiki prototype model!
this photo was taken in james Wharrams design studio,with james ,hanneke and myself in the photo

I recognized you and the Wharrams. Not the others though. Besides the model I alao noticed the plans on the wall. BTW, your boat is coming along nicely. Keep up the good work!

[Mr B]

This wannabee is almost back in the water, 6 years later,
A couple of months and it will be back in the water,