Where does the young cruiser roam?

[_andi_]

Originally Posted by Argyle38

I didn't think that saying that older people generally have more money was something debatable.

It is, if you compare generations. The 60 year old median millennial will have less then the 60 year old median boomer. Little abstract, yes.



Also the gap between low and high income got much larger. So there's less folks who even will be able to afford cruising and those you can have to wait longer to save up money / generate passive income.



My guess is that this is one explanation why boats get bigger and cruisers older.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by _andi_

It is, if you compare generations. The 60 year old median millennial will have less then the 60 year old median boomer. Little abstract, yes.

Since there are no existing 60yr old millennials...at best it's speculation and guesstimates. You would have to compare 20-30yr old boomers to current millenials...but even then it's hard to get a true comparison.

Then again boomers (in the USA) were born in a golden era when the rest of the industrialized world had been laid to waste and the USA had a huge economic advantage. I for one, don't want to see that process repeated even if millennials aren't as wealthy.

But looping back around to the subject, people retiring before their 60's has been and likely always will be a rare thing.

[john61ct]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

people retiring before their 60's has been and **at all** likely always will be a rare thing.

Fixed that for you

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by john61ct

Fixed that for you

How so? The vast majority of people retire and will continue to do so.

[john61ct]

No the vast majority must continue working if they don't want to become dependent on others.

Only a very small, very privileged fraction have enough assets to voluntarily stop working in old age and live out their lives with any dignity.

And that fraction is getting much smaller in coming decades.

Of course in the more civilized developed world, there is no shame in becoming (recognizing we have all always been) dependent on society, and a dignified retirement is a right for all, inherent in citizenship.

[Argyle38]

Originally Posted by _andi_

It is, if you compare generations. The 60 year old median millennial will have less then the 60 year old median boomer. Little abstract, yes.

Also the gap between low and high income got much larger. So there's less folks who even will be able to afford cruising and those you can have to wait longer to save up money / generate passive income.

My guess is that this is one explanation why boats get bigger and cruisers older.

Ah, yeah. That my certainly be true. Valhalla points out that you can't be sure that this will be the case, but that doesn't matter, if gen-Y/Millenials 'believe' that they will be in worse shape in their 60's, that belief will certainly make them more conservative. I think there is some research that bears this out. It could certainly be one reason why you see less 20-30 somethings out cruising.

Still, when the baby boomers were in their early 30's, there were a whole lot less of them out there than there are now, since, obviously, they were still at home working and raising families. The difference, I think, is that at that time, there wasn't an older generation already out there filling up anchorages. The WWII generation didn't go cruising (in general).

I do understand why you would want to find folks closer to your age, however. I'm mid-40's so late gen-x'ish, and in the limited cruising I've done I've found pretty much everyone I meet is 20-30 years older. In my local sailing (Long Island Sound) everyone is 10+ years older (boat owners) or, it seems, 10+ years younger (boat crew). I have plenty of friends in these age groups, and beyond, but there is always a subtle barrier interacting with folks who didn't grow up at the same time you did. It's probably like being in a different country. So I totally get it.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

How so? The vast majority of people retire and will continue to do so.

Yup.. thats true for me.. been formally retired for 5yrs now but self employed for 15yrs and hoping for at least another 10..

[Hardhead]

I enjoy hanging out with people of all ages, and generally the older they are, the more interesting they are in conversation.

The unspoken issue at hand may have to do with similar age targets for "hooking up" among younger single cruisers.

Love of the sea notwithstanding of course...

[john61ct]

Great piece on the radical differences between the post war economy and after the 70's

https://kottke.org/19/01/a-short-his...nomy-1945-2019

[a64pilot]

I’ve been off the Forum for awhile cruising and getting a SIM card etc. so I haven’t read all of this.
But from seeing all of the “kids” in the Abaco’s I think the Millenials if that is what they are called are different than their older brothers and sisters, these kids seem to have put down the video games, not bought into the everybody has to have a 14 passenger SUV etc. and seem to be more like their parents were and are out doing things, like camping, kayaking, and even cruising, cause there are quite a few here.

However this place also in my opinion is an excellent place for the 30 ish ft, older mono that is shallow draft, and that I assume fits their budget.
This afternoon I motored past the bigger fancy boats, to include one of those Chris White aero rig cats with less than a foot under the keel to get into the anchorage proper, while they are anchored further out, and less protected.
A smaller, shallow draft boat here has a lot more opportunities open to it than the bigger boats do, so it’s a paradise for the little guy’s.

[fjwiley1]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Where their hearts n boats take them.. the Med, Caribe, Panama passing through and points West..

Knew some on a tri hanging round the Caribe/Columbia/Panama.. They are around.. just not stationary for as long as us wrinkleys..

Boatman we aren’t “wrinkley”, I thought we just showed lotta “experience” lines....

[Jenneau Owner]

As you get older you will find the answer to your questions.

[fuzzywuzzy]

Berkeley, CA. There's a fantastic all-volunteer sailing club there with lots of young folks, those being mostly students. It's not exactly a cruising destination, but I learned to sail there, and sailed/raced the Bay and coast for years and simply worked maintenance or gave lessons to pay for it. Keelboats and dinghies, plus wind surfing. The tricky part is living close enough if you aren't a student...

[RickG]

The under 40 cruisers were getting together at Boot Key Harbor for some fun. No formal Facebook group, but if you started one it would pull in some folks. That group of under 40 folks moved to Key West.

They are out there. Many are inspired by the video bloggers. Our young friends Branton, Amanda, and Katy are S/V Right of Passage.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC76...wAXRoyzhfNO4uQ

Cheers, RickG

[carlosproa]

Originally Posted by _andi_

Hi,


first of all: No offense to folks at any age indented!



I just like to hang out with folks from the same generation from time to time. I found a couple of areas where literally everybody is the age of my parents or even grandparents, now I'm wondering if there's also the opposite? So, do you per chance now any areas with plenty of young sailors (like above 20 and below 40)?


Thanks, Andi

Go to YouTube and subscribe to sailing channels. I know around 20 of them with young people, most seem to do first do Caribbean, down to Colombia, Panama, cross into the pacific, linger either to Central America then jump to Hawaii, or down to Ecuador, Galapagos, French Polynesia
There one big group doing just Bahamas, Dominican Republic. Few are in the Med
Search loosely ford ailing UMa
Sailing la vagabond
Sail mermaid
Adventure adrift
Shaun and Julia sailing
Sailing zingaro
Gone with Wynds
Tula’s endless summer
a Sail Life
Wikiwatee
Onboard lifestyle
Untie the lines
Sailing Bahia
Sailing Atticus
Learning the lines