Life Happens - Change in Plans

[Theoton]

Greetings,
Keep the boat!! I too had advanced prostate cancer. Surgery, chemo, and back on my girl! Takes some rehab, but it's just another speed bump, in life's journey. I too was going to part with my boat, but decided to wait a see what the future held for this future cancer survivor. I'm SO GLAD I did. It's be 18 years. Still have my wonderful boat. Keep the boat! You'll be back to working on her before you know it.



QUOTE=exMaggieDrum;2773456]I will be selling some really good/top of the line major gear in the next few days/weeks. I was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer and the therapy options will knock me out of commission so far as completing the refit of our Goldenwave 42, which will also be sold.


You hear stories of this happening to sailors and hope it will not ever happen to you. But it can. Were hoping to leave for Mexico on our second go-round with Argonauta this Fall so I have been rebuilding systems and adding new systems. Many of these significant upgrades are complete but some have not been started so I will be selling the extra gear at fire sale prices.


There is too much to put out all at once so I will be posting For Sale threads under the Classifieds as I can. Most all of these items are new and still in their original boxes. A few items did not come in boxes so they will be shipped in other boxes but are new/uninstalled.


Obviously, this is a major annoyance in my life. I have tried to figure out how we might keep the boat, finish the projects, and go next year, but therapies will make that next to impossible as I won't even be able to work on the boat much less take her out.


We are blessed in that we took our previous boat, Maggie Drum, a Whitby 42 ketch, to Mexico and across the South Pacific over a four year period starting in 2004. We sold her in New Zealand and the Australian family which bought her took her around the world and just returned this year.


I take great pride in the way I had refit her before we left and the new owner graciously gave me compliments about how few problems they had and the numerous critical spares I had left on board. New owners don't always keep in touch with the previous owners. We made new friends with them.


The thing we will miss the most is the cruising community out and about. If you have not been part of that - do it! It is truly a phenomenon that would be hard to create anywhere else. You hear about it with RVers but it is entirely different when you are out there and dependent on yourselves to stay alive and happy 24x7 often many days from the nearest port to get parts and supplies.



We have many dear friends we made while out. Even though we are not cruising 95% of our current friends are boaters here in Anacortes. And we still go visit old cruising friends in Mexico and elsewhere - on their boats in foreign ports. It is not for everyone perhaps but it is wonderful for those who do it and love it.



I hope to still be involved in boating, especially sailboating, since where we live is a big recreation port right next to the San Juan Islands in the Pacific Northwest.



I want to thank all the posters who have given me ideas and assistance with difficult issues I have faced in my refit, especially those on the numerous (too numerous LOL) threads on lithium batteries. I am very pleased with my installation. I would not have done it without all the help on here. I appreciate that most of the replies did not directly call me stupid too.


Thanks for everything. May be things will change and we will get out. But as it has been said so many times here - Just Go Do It!! That doesn't mean go without at least some preparation but don't wait too long to cast the lines and go.



Cheers all.[/QUOTE]

[steve77]

Best of luck and prayers for a full recovery. Hope to see you back on the water.

Steve

[exMaggieDrum]

Originally Posted by SuW

I am a cancer survivor myself (3 years and counting). Other health issues with both me and Don mean we cannot go long distance cruising again. However, we bought a smaller boat and spend all our spare time fixing her up and sailing her on short cruises and rowing around in a dinghy. One friend in failing health would drive down to the boatyard every day to check out who was around and have a chat. He said it kept him sane.

If you remain fit, go boating, even if it's just a small boat, even if you have to charter. You live in one of the most fabulous cruising areas in the world!

Sincere wishes for good result of your treatment.

Sue & Don.

Thanks. This may be exactly what we do. I am still in shock though at having to abandon the big offshore plans. But that will pass. Happy to hear you are out and about and happy.
Joe

[Yowieboy]

Just to add my voice to the chorus, about a year ago I was suddenly diagnosed with inoperable metastasized cancer in an advanced state and given a life expectancy of about six months. This prompted me to sell a boat that I had just purchased in Greece for cruising in the Med (and that I had not even used yet). I returned to my family in Japan and focused on exploring treatment options. I'll skip the details, but a type of chemo that I began in September of this year has shown very good results and my condition went from weak as a wet towel to having the strength to think about boating again. I recently bought a 25-foot sailboat and plan on enjoying very unambitious coastal messing-about. For how long I don't know, but I hope to have some more time left. And if not, so be it. Every minute is a gift.

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by Yowieboy

...For how long I don't know, but I hope to have some more time left. And if not, so be it. Every minute is a gift.

That's why its called THE PRESENT

[SuW]

Originally Posted by exMaggieDrum

Thanks. This may be exactly what we do. I am still in shock though at having to abandon the big offshore plans. But that will pass. Happy to hear you are out and about and happy.
Joe

Yes, I know...it's unreal isn't it? I suggest you think about putting off the decision to sell your boat and gear, until you are more at ease. Just having the boat as a refuge can be a real advantage, in my experience. Besides, selling a boat and a pile of stuff is a bother you perhaps don't need right now.

Anyway, you take good care of yourself. And good luck with the unpleasantness and indignities of modern medicine...!

[JPA Cate]

Just thought I'd chime in here again, with best wishes. We never know what the future holds for us, but I'm fairly well convinced that each positive thought we think helps us to survive, till we decide to let go. It is actually a huge motivation to keep on living....

Ann

[Yowieboy]

Originally Posted by hamburking

That's why its called THE PRESENT

Brilliant, man, just brilliant!

[exMaggieDrum]

We are keeping Argonauta for now. There are several other personal issues right now that make it hard to keep her for the long term.



We are hopeful and trying to do the best thing for us. We love sailing. I am starting to hate the time and effort necessary to keep her up not to mention the slip fees, insurance, taxes, and parts/outside labor costs.



This is a life changing event and has cascading results. Thanks for you good advice.

Joe

Originally Posted by Theoton

Greetings,
Keep the boat!! I too had advanced prostate cancer. Surgery, chemo, and back on my girl! Takes some rehab, but it's just another speed bump, in life's journey. I too was going to part with my boat, but decided to wait a see what the future held for this future cancer survivor. I'm SO GLAD I did. It's be 18 years. Still have my wonderful boat. Keep the boat! You'll be back to working on her before you know it.



QUOTE=exMaggieDrum;2773456]I will be selling some really good/top of the line major gear in the next few days/weeks. I was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer and the therapy options will knock me out of commission so far as completing the refit of our Goldenwave 42, which will also be sold.


You hear stories of this happening to sailors and hope it will not ever happen to you. But it can. Were hoping to leave for Mexico on our second go-round with Argonauta this Fall so I have been rebuilding systems and adding new systems. Many of these significant upgrades are complete but some have not been started so I will be selling the extra gear at fire sale prices.


There is too much to put out all at once so I will be posting For Sale threads under the Classifieds as I can. Most all of these items are new and still in their original boxes. A few items did not come in boxes so they will be shipped in other boxes but are new/uninstalled.


Obviously, this is a major annoyance in my life. I have tried to figure out how we might keep the boat, finish the projects, and go next year, but therapies will make that next to impossible as I won't even be able to work on the boat much less take her out.


We are blessed in that we took our previous boat, Maggie Drum, a Whitby 42 ketch, to Mexico and across the South Pacific over a four year period starting in 2004. We sold her in New Zealand and the Australian family which bought her took her around the world and just returned this year.


I take great pride in the way I had refit her before we left and the new owner graciously gave me compliments about how few problems they had and the numerous critical spares I had left on board. New owners don't always keep in touch with the previous owners. We made new friends with them.


The thing we will miss the most is the cruising community out and about. If you have not been part of that - do it! It is truly a phenomenon that would be hard to create anywhere else. You hear about it with RVers but it is entirely different when you are out there and dependent on yourselves to stay alive and happy 24x7 often many days from the nearest port to get parts and supplies.



We have many dear friends we made while out. Even though we are not cruising 95% of our current friends are boaters here in Anacortes. And we still go visit old cruising friends in Mexico and elsewhere - on their boats in foreign ports. It is not for everyone perhaps but it is wonderful for those who do it and love it.



I hope to still be involved in boating, especially sailboating, since where we live is a big recreation port right next to the San Juan Islands in the Pacific Northwest.



I want to thank all the posters who have given me ideas and assistance with difficult issues I have faced in my refit, especially those on the numerous (too numerous LOL) threads on lithium batteries. I am very pleased with my installation. I would not have done it without all the help on here. I appreciate that most of the replies did not directly call me stupid too.


Thanks for everything. May be things will change and we will get out. But as it has been said so many times here - Just Go Do It!! That doesn't mean go without at least some preparation but don't wait too long to cast the lines and go.



Cheers all.

[/QUOTE]

[exMaggieDrum]

Originally Posted by SuW

Yes, I know...it's unreal isn't it? I suggest you think about putting off the decision to sell your boat and gear, until you are more at ease. Just having the boat as a refuge can be a real advantage, in my experience. Besides, selling a boat and a pile of stuff is a bother you perhaps don't need right now.

Anyway, you take good care of yourself. And good luck with the unpleasantness and indignities of modern medicine...!

Selling the boat is a big effort. I was amazed how fast the offshore items sold though. Our boat is very well equipped for inshore, extended, trips though.
Joe

[exMaggieDrum]

Originally Posted by Yowieboy

Just to add my voice to the chorus, about a year ago I was suddenly diagnosed with inoperable metastasized cancer in an advanced state and given a life expectancy of about six months. This prompted me to sell a boat that I had just purchased in Greece for cruising in the Med (and that I had not even used yet). I returned to my family in Japan and focused on exploring treatment options. I'll skip the details, but a type of chemo that I began in September of this year has shown very good results and my condition went from weak as a wet towel to having the strength to think about boating again. I recently bought a 25-foot sailboat and plan on enjoying very unambitious coastal messing-about. For how long I don't know, but I hope to have some more time left. And if not, so be it. Every minute is a gift.

Some people are quick to say that every minute is a gift. You and I can tell them though that something like this brings it to a whole different level. Sorry to hear about your cancer but overjoyed with your results.



Happy minutes to you,
Joe