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Old 22-06-2011, 23:08   #1
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Who has TIME to serious offshore cruising?

Who has time?
Well , plenty of people for sure, but are all you out there retired people and/or people who sold all and are just cruising the world and will deal with things whenever they run out of money?
I found myself lucky that I have a mortgage free apartment which I could sell, get a boat and go cruising for a couple of years as long as it is on a low budget.
I am a business owner with small children at home but I just do not see the chance there.
I am also still young, 37 years old and will still be working for a while.
Although I do not have to be at work half the time I can not see how others do this? They just quit their job and do it? With an own business it is a little different though.....................or?
"Problem" is also that I work and live in China, here boating is a new thing at least pleasure boating.
I can not go out to the sea and sail to Japan for example. The laws are just not here yet for that, also custom procedures not.
So just going out for a week is also no option for me unfortunately.
I still do not even own a boat yet but gonna start with SOMETHING now.
I ordered the plans for building a small 20 foot lobster boat (see pic) so that I can at least go out on weekends around the bay a bit.
But I am just wondering how other do this all...........................
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Old 22-06-2011, 23:23   #2
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Re: Who has TIME to serious offshore cruising?

Johnny, I don't know what the true percentage is of day-sailors vs liveaboards/Long distance cruisers, but I'd estimate that more than 99.99% of boat owners don't travel more than a few miles from their moorings or marinas on a regular basis. In most places it is pretty easy to sail to other countries, particularly in Europe. So to answer the question I THINK you asked, +99.99% of boatowners have a job (or some income), and just boat for fun. Many of the people on this forum cruise extensively, I'd say most who do this are retired, but these are not representative of the boating community at large, though they are what many of the 99.99% aspire to.
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Old 22-06-2011, 23:34   #3
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Re: Who has TIME to serious offshore cruising?

hi paul and mimi
So you live in China too ya? Shekou?
Do any boating over there?
My buddy (who bought sailing boat last year and is sailing in Ningbo area) told me that as long as boat is under 7 mtrs and there is no inboard engine you do not need any license etc etc in China.
He has a small sailing boat + small outboard.
That is why I wanna build the small lobster boat + outboard.
I have a furniture factory here and making this boat would be a cool thing to do.
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Old 22-06-2011, 23:53   #4
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Re: Who has TIME to serious offshore cruising?

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Johnny, I don't know what the true percentage is of day-sailors vs liveaboards/Long distance cruisers, but I'd estimate that more than 99.99% of boat owners don't travel more than a few miles from their moorings or marinas on a regular basis.
Unfortunately I agree. At the moment I am doing my best not to be tarred with the same brush. I really want to get out as soon as I get my new sails and some repairs done and head up the coast to destination unknown. It would otherwise be so easy to stay here and fall into the live aboard scene, but I really have a craving for the open sea. The weather has been perfect for the last few days and all that has been going through my mind is how incredible it would be up the Northern NSW Coast sailing, diving, surfing and fishing.

I suppose I am just lucky that I have had the opportunity to drop out and live the dream. It was more making the best of a bad situation than anything else. I call it an act of strategic management where I have turned a negative into something good. Why hang around and be miserable when I have a great little ship?

In passing, it is nice to see the poster building his own little boat. That’s definitely another rewarding challenge where one needs to overcome a lot of hurdles.
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Old 23-06-2011, 00:55   #5
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Re: Who has TIME to serious offshore cruising?

If not now, then when? When you're 70 and don't want to miss seeing your grandchildren grow up and your body is tired? I'm 46 and it hurts to be 46 a lot more than it hurt to be 36. I'm not anxious to see what 66 feels like.
I'm closing my business next week. I've already rid myself of racing cars and home ownership and this part is hard. I'm losing the only income that I've known, taking care of sports cars. I'll make pizzas if necessary to be able to make this happen. The younger you are the less stuff you will have accumulated. Getting rid of all of your junk is challenging. The confidence and experience that you will gain will benefit you later in business.
My son is 14, we're homeschooling him. At one of the last meetings at his school to discuss their plan to accommodate his special needs, all of the teachers balked at the idea of us leaving to go sailing, all but one. This one teacher calmly waited for all of the skeptics to stop clogging the air and in the tiniest voice imaginable she said "My parents took me cruising from ages 7-11. It was the best time of my life." The others were silenced by the power of her delicate words.
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Old 23-06-2011, 00:56   #6
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Re: Who has TIME to serious offshore cruising?

BTW, we do NOT have enough money. We have not been lucky. We are determined and strong.
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Old 23-06-2011, 03:59   #7
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Cool Re: Who has TIME to serious offshore cruising?

Buddy of mine, 60s, has had a bad run. Younger gal left a month ago. He's ill. Moving back inland over the weekend, to live near his grandchildren.

Here's the classic case of what we're all afraid of in the end, no?

ssw: As you know, the kid will benefit greatly. I know several who are remarkable competent folk. Only the teen-thing is a problem. Hope your guy can deal with that.
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Old 23-06-2011, 04:30   #8
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Re: Who has TIME to serious offshore cruising?

I have managed to sailaway for 2 years every decade since my twenties. It takes dedication and resourcefulness to pull it off but I do not want to age with regrets.

I have done it on my own, done it as a couple, done it as a parent. I am preparing to take my second set of children cruising - they will be 6yo and 8yo (the perfect window for homeschooling). My older set of kids in college say the years cruising were the best of their life.

If you want it enough, you will find a way.
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Old 23-06-2011, 04:41   #9
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Re: Who has TIME to serious offshore cruising?

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Originally Posted by chinajohnny View Post
I am also still young, 37 years old and will still be working for a while. Although I do not have to
Quote:
Originally Posted by chinajohnny View Post
I have a furniture factory here and making this boat would be a cool thing to do.
In that case don't build one, build ten and sell 9 to pay for yours. Perfect pastime vessel for the newvieu rich Chinese and excellent business opportunity. Make a bob or two, sell business and go cruising in 10 years time

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Old 23-06-2011, 04:51   #10
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Re: Who has TIME to serious offshore cruising?

It takes a certain kind if spirit to sell it all, and leave at a younger age. Cruising is not for everyone. Although many do dream it is for them. I didn't wait for retirement. I left at 41. I have had to return, and start over a couple of times, but it was well worth the chances.

Life is a chance to live a great adventure if you wish, or to live a life connected to the grid if you wish. Some people seek out complete security, and others seek out the horizon to see what's over it.

I am the perfect example of going young. One day a year ago I was perfectly healthy, and sailing away from Panama. That night I was in horrible pain, and with in 4 days returned to Panama taking another 2 1/2 days. I couldn't sleep, or function well.

I can't imagine how mad I would be at myself. If I worked, worked, saved, and saved some more to own stuff. Then died at age 60 before I had a chance to peek over the horizon. Are you willing to live with WHAT IF's?

You put TIME in capitol letters. Do you know it is one of the things you can't buy back? You can buy back a house, car, motorcycle, and many things, but once TIME has been spent, it's really gone forever.

To answer your question, I do, and I was told in March a month before my 60th to think about where to take my last breath. I left the doctors, and tomorrow I start provisioning my boat for yet another sail. One of nearly 7000 miles. because I don't have TIME to sit around, and wait. I am going to live life, and peek over the horizon at least one more TIME......i2f
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Old 23-06-2011, 04:55   #11
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Re: Who has TIME to serious offshore cruising?

For me, the problem is this: at 45, I am young enough to do it and still appreciate it. I'm lucky enough to have remained employed through the downturn, but if I go "offline" now, I will most probably be unable to return to my (ever-shrinking) career field. With conceivably 15 or more years of work life ahead of me, what then? Even if I can finance a circumnavigation (or whatever), how do I pick up the pieces later?

Otherwise, I wait until I am retired, which for my generation is beginning to look like minimum 70, and physically the whole thing will be much more difficult -- or quite probably impossible.

I suspect many others are pondering the same dilemna.
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Old 23-06-2011, 05:18   #12
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Re: Who has TIME to serious offshore cruising?

You reinvent yourself, or learn to live with your delima.........i2f
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Old 23-06-2011, 05:20   #13
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Re: Who has TIME to serious offshore cruising?

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You reinvent yourself, or learn to live with your delima.........i2f
When I was in my late 20s, I sold everything and moved to India to be a foreign correspondent. It was the best thing I ever did. I did it again in my 30s, leaving NYC for Hong Kong and later Thailand. The big difference between the risks I took then and this one is that I always had an income then.

I hear ya. I didn't mean it isn't insurmountable, I just meant that it isn't easy.
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Old 23-06-2011, 06:25   #14
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Re: Who has TIME to serious offshore cruising?

I agree, it's not easy, but the rewards are HUGE. You just have to make a decision on what your priority is. I was making lots of money when I sold my business. I even had the oppurtunity to expand from one shop to half a dozen over 10 years. Imagine me being 10 years older, having 12 shops, I have an even slicker & bigger cat. What good is it if a cable breaks while I am under a lift, and I am dead, or crippled? I wo0uld rather go, and be a Wal-Mart greeter than live with WHAT IF's.

Geeze, can you imagine if everyone went? The anchorages would be very crowded. They would be a raft up. Someone has to stay behind, and keep the economy running. Both choices are right if you are happy with your decision. I wasn't happy countiing money, and taking it to the bank. I felt iimprisoned, and suffocated, but that's just me. BEST WISHES in what ever decision you make. You're a pretty sharp cookie, and will do just fine, I am sure of that!........i2f
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Old 23-06-2011, 06:37   #15
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Re: Who has TIME to serious offshore cruising?

1stt RTW I was 17 y.o. and sailing solo left S. Florida with about $2,000 in 1968 and worked my way around. Easy to do back then. Lot of countries won't let you do that now, takes away from the local workers, which is understandable. Got as far as South Africa and put the boat on the haed in prep for crossing the Atlantic heading home. While there found out Mother was sick flew back to Fla. Mother survived, boat did not. Yard fire while I was gone, 28' boat, nothing left forward of the mast.

2nd RTW 36' steel ketch. and married, saved up a bunch of money and was able to work a little on other yachts to help out. This was 1980.

This time, haven't decided whether to just do the total Caribbean or go around again, let wife decide when we get to Aruba. Boat paif, money in saving, almost $3,000 per month retirement income. Will be in good financial situation this time.

So it can be all possible ways. broke, fair amount $ and in good shape.All things possible,..

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