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searcher · 29-02-2008, 12:48

Those 4 lettered words comes in again and again, work-time-cash etc.
I'm having problems getting enough income in Nelson NZ to get closer to taking off.
I've just fitted the latest Icom 802 SSB radio, upgraded my radar to an 1830 24ml.
Need new UV strip on genoa and sail cover for main. $$$
May have to go to Aus and hopefully bankroll what I realy want to do.
Sail away.....It's going to happen. Take care out there guys..Paul.

ssullivan · 29-02-2008, 12:55

(other)

First boat was too expensive with no acceptable way to pay her loan. We discovered we didn't like traditional chartering with liveaboard guests in our home, since some were violent and destructive of the boat and people aboard.

Got a new boat, which will be used for day charters until she's paid off and we have a nice cruising kitty built up. That way, we have the option of living on land or sea, depending on how things go chartering to pay this one off. No more overnight guests. Plus, I'll be doing the chartering while the wife works a land job. 2x the income = 2x the speed to freedom.

5 year plan? Maybe. We'll see how revenues are.

sluissa · 07-03-2008, 21:37

(Other)

Currently in college on a scholarship. Despite my complete disgust with the educational system, I'd rather not give up the free ride and be sorry for it later. Plus, it might come in handy if I ever want to move to another country.

swagman · 07-03-2008, 22:27

This might be news to most potential cruisers, but a majority of those we meet cruising are actualy not doing it full time, ie they have not actually cut the ties.

Sure, they at some time sailed over the horizon, but they often spend lots of time back 'home'.

JOHN

Palarran · 10-03-2008, 19:08

Great survey and topic. It's nice to hear all of your reasons to not be gone. It makes me feel not alone. I've been reading Cruising World for the last 20 years and am getting kind of sick of not doing anything about it.

But, I did promise a woman I'd be with her 17 years ago, had two children who are in school and we are not cut out to be home schoolers and blah blah blah.

Last year I'd had enough. So I've set a cast off date of June 2012. I want to buy my boat a year before and position it where I want to start the cruise which is the Med. My son will be out of high school at that point. Right now he wants to go with me but who can tell with kids. I'm willing to travel a large portion of the trip with friends, hire out help, or whatever it takes. My wifes not a real sea-going woman. Idea of roughing it is a Holiday Inn, so she'll join when coastal cruising "cool" areas for her. But I don't care as long as I don't have to show up at my desk anymore.
Great forum, thanks all for sharing.

rexposeidon · 18-03-2008, 19:11

Well, money is the prime, second is the children (2 under 4 yo), both will come into fruition, at almost the same time. Spouse says YES, no problem there. F the house and the career.(except the career will pay for the dream, GRRRRR WORK!)
In the mean time, how to get the fix.................., the big question.

Paul Ouellette · 21-03-2008, 06:50

Group :

The Admiral & I have a very nice Beneteau 361 & are planning to get a B423 (gotta be comfy !!!) to head away with in the next few years. We have successful careers and we are both now 51.

She can retire with a very nice pention in 6yrs (I really love that woman)...I have a mortgage brokerage business and a 2000sq ft office building to sell to be able to retire.

I voted in the "career's in the way" category due to the obvious.

The idea of selling everything to sail away to Pango-pango so we can survive on coconuts & fish is not for us...perhaps someday I'll write a book called "Cruising to Walmart".

The trip from the Great Lakes down to the Bahamas & back...and then cruising the east coast (Martha's Vinyard, etc...) & then perhaps down the thorny path is plenty of adventure for us.

What I've done that's likely different from many of you here (I suspect) was to buy a very nice "canal front" residential building lot (160' X 150'...with Lake St Clair access) in a development for the land speculative value.

Our challenges to be dealt with are...

1) Sell our home & buy a smaller one (& downsize all our "STUFF")
2) Sell my business & sell my office building.
3) Build a nice dock at the property we now own
4) Trade our B361 for the B423 we really want
5) Outfit the new B423 (full enclosure, davits, generator, etc...)

Then point the bow south in August 2015...

For those of you that care...the Jim Morris song "Wherever the wind blows" just sums it up for the wife & I...(perhaps for you too !!)

Have a listen here... Some Nights You Never Go Home - Jim Morris

caribnsol · 21-03-2008, 06:56

I am getting closer. Have miltary retirement, trying to sell some property (slow) and have to finish up some family stuff, hoping to head south this fall/winter.

Aramanta · 23-03-2008, 00:06

Voted "Other",

Youngest finshed Uni last year, started her first job in February. Project that I am on in Malaysia will throw me out in May 2008 (hopefully). House sold. Boat is just waiting for us to put her back in the water.

Then off................

John

JiffyLube · 30-03-2008, 21:33

I voted for Other.

About five years ago I was refocused on what I wanted to do, which was sail around the world. I let life and a first marrage side track me from doing this a long time ago, but when I found myself all alone (no wife, kids or girl friend), I decided to get back to the roots of the dream.

I wasn't interested in hooking up with another woman for long term, unless she wanted to do what I wanted to do, as much as I wanted to do it, and had something to bring to the table besides desire.

Wouldn't you know it, I met a woman. She was getting ready to retire from GM after 35 years of work in Michigan, wanted to share the dream, and had something to bring to the table.

We got married, she moved out to San Deigo where I lived, and we started working on the dream. We took lots of courses through our local Power Squadron, found our boat, and were off and running. The boat was in San Francisco, so after we bought it I preceeded to refit the boat to our liking before bringing her down to San Diego. The big day came to bring her down with two other people, but the wife couldn't come as she was holding down the home front from a late breaking development.

We got the boat to San Diego with no problems, and then the wife an I began using the boat together. That was when I found out that she had a visual perception problem (things looked closer than they were), and was afraid of the ocean! I spent many, many outings trying to calm her fears, staying in the bay where conditions were the calmest, and trying to get her to pilot the boat. I hired a Captain for personalized training, and that helped some, but her progress has been painfully slow at times. I talked to a friend that went through that samething with his wife, and after 10 years she finally started feeling comfortable in the ocean. !0 years...Yikes!...I could be dead in 10 years if it takes my wife that long.

Now I have come to the sad conclusion that I will not be exploring the south pacific, and probably not even making a passage to Hawaii, but will most likely be confined to coastal cruising...unless I run away from home!

My suggestion to any person that wants to make the dream happen with a significant other, is that a through interviewing be conducted before committing...and that includes sea trials!

MaDouleur · 30-03-2008, 21:45

I put Other but I guess I could have put Money. I just have to finish turning all of my stuff into money so the money can be turned into a boat!

waterworldly · 31-03-2008, 03:36

To JiffyLube: You ARE NOT confined to coastal cruising. Ship the boat across, then call the wife!

imagine2frolic · 31-03-2008, 05:44

Well you can coastal cruise all the way to Florida, and then down to Venezuela. Start thinking out of the BOX.........BEST WISHES

Chiroeurope · 31-03-2008, 11:55

Grew up with Saginaw Bay as my play ground and a last name that speaks of the sea and wandering (Sicilian blood does that you know). Working on the plan to go. Wife is very interested and we are willing to home school the kids. My degree and dual citizenship makes being able to find work somewhat easy (just need to get a few more tools together). So it comes down to building the cash kitty, getting the wife the experience she wants to feel able to handle what comes, getting my health back on an even keel (finishing treatment, recovering/rebuilding the body post thyroid cancer), and finally finding the boat that fits us.

It will happen, the time line is what needs to be set and the pairing down the many unneeded items from our life. Just hoping can still practice once recovered (having some strange side effects that we are working on). Other than that we are heading in the right direction.

On of our crazy Ideas is to be the first family to go around the world non stop (don't know if we will or not but it is an idea). After that point it is go around at least once slow so the kids can see it as they are growing and get a feel of the different cultures of the world. Than probably the Med' as primary base with runs over to the Caribbean (Or stay in the Carib' and summer in the Med' to avoid the main storm season). It all depends on how the dice roll but roll they will and we have a plan and goals that go with them.

So, it is only getting there and have plans for that going into place and functioning.

Michael