Older, NOT Retired, but Cruising the Dream Anyway

[Doodles]

Originally Posted by Therapy

We said "screw it" but found we can't just walk (float) away from family like so many others.

I know what you mean. We didn't "walk away" but we aren't there as much as we use to be and there is resistance from the relatives. Part of the price of going against the grain I guess.

[forsailbyowner]

Heck our kids made it easy for us, one joined navy and is all over the world and the other moved to the other side of the country with a promotion to open a lumber liquidators.

[Doodles]

I think with your own kids it easier since they have their own life and are usually busy with it. It's your own parents that have "needs" that are hard to break away from or deal with from a distance. At least that's been our experience.

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by forsailbyowner

Heck our kids made it easy for us, one joined navy and is all over the world and the other moved to the other side of the country with a promotion to open a lumber liquidators.

Lucky you.

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by Doodles

I think with your own kids it easier since they have their own life and are usually busy with it. It's your own parents that have "needs" that are hard to break away from or deal with from a distance. At least that's been our experience.

We found out we have both!

[surfingminniwinni]

Dear SaltyMonkey,
We decided to say "just screw it" and wound down our busy and complicated taxation lives to commence cruising. This process took about two to three years.
We are older but not yet retired, (52 and 58) and we have both reached a point in our lives where we are beginning to see some health changes. Some of our friends have died or are limited by poor health, others are stressed and miserable with the heavy burdens of theirfinancial commitments.
Although we have only been cruising since Dec09 we have so far been keeping the balance of body and soul together by sailing until the funds run low (approx 6 months) and are now building up the cash kitty by working to go again. Its very different to be working now, knowing that we are creating our ability to cruise again shortly.

We have found that a lot of our friends were shocked to know that we were renting out our family-home to complete strangers, but we both agree that the bricks and mortar (we still have a morgage) were no reason to limit our lives or ability to experience our dreams. Life is not a dress rehearsal, and we both aware that this set of unique specific life circumstances will not be repeated.
I have my first grandchild turning 1 next month and will fly back for the celebrations.
I would love to see him more often, and to play a bigger role in his life. My adult children keep me intouch with emails/photos/phone calls. My three adult children (uni students) have always known that these were the years that I planned to travel, and have told me that they find my quest for adventure inspiring.

Of course there will come a time when my partner and I will find a comfy armchair and slippers enticing and we will then be home to accept visitors. We will live a more predictable life. When that time comes we hope to be have some of life's wisdoms and contentments.

[matauwhi]

Coming up on 12 years since we cast off the lines. Averaged spending $20K a year, included full health and hull insurance, plus an annual trip back to the States, while living aboard a Mason 53. Whatcha waiting for!

[SaltyMonkey]

surfingminniwinni - thats wonderful, and you still have a house back home too! Some of us don't have that kind of root (apartment), look at the measure of time, and realize there is no way we will be able to have enough to sit by a river comfortably licking our health problems. So, it's inspiring to see people out there going for life regardless...

[surfingminniwinni]

Dear Therapy, Doodles and others,
Yes, we also have our fairly frail but healthy elderly parents who have tried to spread the "guilt" onto us due to their own anxieties about their futures. We have told them that we will be there if their circumstances require it.
The label of "NOW IRRESPONSIBLE" has been used due to our cruising choices.

As adults we have long ago outgrown the need for our parental approval, and we know that they also know, that they are deeply loved. Its just that no other family member has ever stepped off the "known life path" before. Its all new territory for all generations. As always life is about finding a balance.

[SaltyMonkey]

matauwhi - whoa! 20k a year? Is that a leap year? Well, that's for two and a 53 (gulp) foot megayacht incl all that insurance! That's damn good! Makes me wonder if I can get by on $500 per month?

[matauwhi]

saltymonkey - Yup, that includes 3 leap years! Sure, you can do it on a lot less, but our view is that we're not going to make it a "camping" lifestyle, if you know what I mean. Being able to do most of our own maintenance and living in the South Pacific have greatly aided extending the "cruising kitty" this long, despite the dot.com and housing crashes. Cheers.

[osirissail]

For the "elder sailor" sometimes the deciding factor is not the cost of getting out there but what I call the "Charlie Factor," Charlie was a good friend and about my same age. He was building a beautiful trimaran and had the hulls and interior finished after 10 years of work. We started on our boats about the same time. One day, he was standing off to one side looking and deciding how to raise and install the rigging when he went "face down" into the dirt of the boatyard. Stone-cold dead.
- - A month or two later after all of Charlie's legacy was disposed of and the area cleaned, a couple of yard workers observed me standing beside my boat trying to decide where to put the crane to raise the masts. They shouted - hey, Jim - you gonna pull a "Charlie" or get that thing in the water?" Next day I scheduled a launch with the office and had the masts up and boat in the water. All the remaining "finishing" projects were loaded on board and I sailed off. No way was I going to "go face down in the dirt" before I got to go sailing in my boat.
- - Funny part is all those "finishing" details and supplies are still on the boat untouched after 10 years underway. I don't care about the money, I do care about getting "out there" and cruising/living my final years.

[Doodles]

Originally Posted by osirissail

For the "elder sailor" sometimes the deciding factor is not the cost of getting out there but what I call the "Charlie Factor," Charlie was a good friend and about my same age. He was building a beautiful trimaran and had the hulls and interior finished after 10 years of work. We started on our boats about the same time. One day, he was standing off to one side looking and deciding how to raise and install the rigging when he went "face down" into the dirt of the boatyard. Stone-cold dead.
- - A month or two later after all of Charlie's legacy was disposed of and the area cleaned, a couple of yard workers observed me standing beside my boat trying to decide where to put the crane to raise the masts. They shouted - hey, Jim - you gonna pull a "Charlie" or get that thing in the water?" Next day I scheduled a launch with the office and had the masts up and boat in the water. All the remaining "finishing" projects were loaded on board and I sailed off. No way was I going to "go face down in the dirt" before I got to go sailing in my boat.
- - Funny part is all those "finishing" details and supplies are still on the boat untouched after 10 years underway. I don't care about the money, I do care about getting "out there" and cruising/living my final years.

Great story!

I remember reading that Moitessier said something similar about this last boat. He just wanted it sailable, he'd finish the insides once he got going again.

[hummingway]

You know saltymonkey, you really should tell us your story, don't you think?

[SaltyMonkey]

Well hummingway, which story would you like? My boat/cruises stories or land locked ones? Life stories or love stories? Stories, stories, so many stories...

Alas now, to be short, it's a "be patient", save, boat shop, and pay off a few debts story. SaltyMonkey knows he won't reach any fantasy retirement where some 401k is going to generate interest, mainly because he had too many expensive adventures earlier in his life to stuff enough money in that sock or a house! (age in very low 50's right now) But he is trying to evaluate exactly what it will take to go - not so much financially to GO, but to actually psychologically let off the line and remain out there. He realizes that with age comes aches and pains, and medical plans to cover, and when he does need cash it may not be as easy to find as it used to be (jobs). He's also single so no extra income stream aboard (that has its good points too he realizes). Then the world situation - economy, middle east etc. very dark. But, he's working toward it just the same.

To sum up, it's still a dynamic state for ol' SaltyMonkey - he is even questioning his conservative notions about what a cruising boat should be this time around, which cruising ground to be in, and which route to take. But, it's good to see there are people out there that are actually doing it and making it a life. That's tremendously inspirational when the SaltyMonkey's of the world are landlocked in an apartment working remotely day in and day out. I've been in this same place before planning and saving, but it's harder now in a different way. Before it was harder to just save and be patient because I was younger and wanted to buy anything and go. This time it's harder not because of the passions (more patience and rational planning since I did it before), but letting loose from all the doubts.

Thank you for all the great replies.