Sailing or not sailing?

[maijipo]

Thank you for all your feedback.
At this point, the most stressful part of loosing a job (not having short-term worry about the future) is definitively the opportunity to follow on the same route or take the opportunity for a new one.
One thing, my wife and I realized, is how much we spent for things we don’t really enjoy 😊 We enjoy our boat during the weekend, but most of the things we own don’t give us such direct pleasure and simple pleasure.
One thing we decided is to get rid of what we don’t need. Whatever happen we will move anyway and change the way we live.
Being in IT for 20 years, we didn’t see ourselves living with a too limited budget (I know project Atticus. It is great but they are much younger ^^). At the end we like sailing, but we like a good wine as well, a good food etc…Forgot the mention the rhum !
So, at this point we discarded the idea of trying to go on with our saving. What we did is to take the decision to make a change.
We are seriously thinking about three options:
1. Keep working, sell our current 33 ft boat, buy a 40 ft that we can use during weekend (as today) and will be ready when we decided we have enough. Hopefully in a few years. Most likely I will have to move and moving the 33 ft is expensive. (it breaks my heart. Our Tartan 33 is a so fabulous lady!)
2. Job to work as an independent. I worked as director of engineering during all these years, but I started being a project manager and this is something that can be done independently for specific mission. Next week, I have a call with someone doing this. I am curious. It is a life that I could adapt to our sailing project. Sailing 3-4 months a year would be a great change! This most frustrated part of having a company job is obviously how little day off you have ^^
3. Find a job and live on board. We are not sure. It very much depends where we go. I have a few proposals for the NE and it seems very cold for a work and live onboard.
In all cases, this turns to be very positive. It is an opportunity for a new start, adapting our need. I would like as well to thanks you all for your advices and experience. Very much appreciated in such circumstances. Will keep you post!

[old pirate]

We were in a similar position years ago. Wife retrenched (voluntarily) I could quit my job. And so we sold up. Bought a "small" 31 ft sail boat and went sailing. Found ourselves in the Caribbean with charter jobs easy to come by. Spent the next 9 years running other peoples charter boats. It was fun, it was hard work, it was rewarding.
Lots depends on your (and your wifes) make up. People skills etc. Our expierance is "if youre prepared to work, there is always work"
So we'd say, Go for it. Even on your 33 footer. You have a few months to ready her while waiting out the "H" season.
Or take a few weeks and fly down to Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Stay in economical hotels, B&Bs and make work enquiries. This is pre season and the employers will (soon) know of new oppertunities. If its actual crewed charter try the companies like Moorings. Many start there and eventualy find bigger boats !

[Dogscout]

If your 51 and only have 240k. My suggestion would be to go to work. At this point buying a boat that will be your home and making it nice enough that someone wants to pay you to haul them around giving them food and drinks, is going to cost you more than 250k

[captmikem]

Been cruising for a number of years.
Bought a lotto ticket last week, the woman asked me what I would do if I won the 37 million prize.
"Keep cruising, til the money runs out" Was my answer.
M

[Sojourner]

I hate to be negative, but that isn't enough cash to do what you want safely IMHO, not without a stream of income, however small. Most of your money will go immediately into the boat and refit. It cost 5 thousand before I even decided to buy the boat we ended up with between travel costs, haulout, survey, and then 5 more for reflagging, insurance, reprogramming the electronics/MMSI.
Then the marina will likely want a chunk upfront. Then you'll find five things the surveyor missed. Then you'll fill up the tank (surprisingly expensive even on a sailboat).

Without an income stream, however modest, I would suggest waiting until you can get that lined up. Sorry to be the rain on an otherwise nice parade, but them's my thoughts (and experiences)....

[Q Xopa]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

What I say I say it from the perspective of someone who has been living aboard and sailing last 15 years.


Our rtw trip cost us about 15k and additional 15k sunk in boat purchase. It was a good 4 years' adventure. Now living in a small boat and occassionally visiting the Caribbean costs us some 6k a year. Off course, MORE is better. I only say how much it actually takes as a low base reference point. There is no upper limit though.



When you say 2.5k a month you say this from your $$$ live perspective. It is possible to sail and live with way less than that. Way. And also with more, if you have more.


How much you need to go sailing depends nearly exclusively on your present lifestyle. You can make adjustments and live and sail on a quarter of the amount you imagine. Mind most people will not.


Which brings me round to my point: DO NOT STOP WORKING.


Instead, re-form how you work. If you are in the IT / programming corner, you sure can work remotely, with only occassional fly-ins. Then you can grab what you have and go cruising as soon as next year. You will work your ass off in the cyclone seasons, deliver the goodies to the market, then sail worry-less for 6 months each year.


You are nearly already there, I think.


Re-shape how you work.
Buy the boat.
Sail some, work some.


The time is always now. Do not quit your work. Have the best of both worlds.


Cheers,
barnakiel

I agree, much better to have an income.

I wont mention names but my anchorage has many guys that are bobbing around on their boats basically homeless. Im sure you have seen them in many anchorages. They cant really afford to do anything on their boats so they are not able to go anywhere. Talking to these guys they still think this is better than getting a job.
Typically their story is something along the lines of- buy a boat, throw the job in, (or vice versa). Live their dream of sailing away. Enjoy their dream until the money runs out. Usually when something on the boat breaks, and they cant afford to fix it.
Some go home to get another job. Some dont and choose to stay.

As advised, keep or get an income.

I chose to get some apartments. But it is not a quick and easy thing. In fact I'm still working to get them all fixed up and running nicely. IMNSHO it is worth it, but the reality is that it takes a good amount of effort and time, years for most of us average performers, to get yourself set up in that position. The truth is that most people dont want devote that much time and effort sacrafice.

[Howard888]

I was in the same boat at just 39. I did not have quite as much capital as you and I ended up buying an expensive boat, however, my family and I spent the best five years of our lives sailing the Caribbean and then down to NZ. (We met and sailed with Ohana from an earlier post above). If I had it to do over, I would have bought a cheaper boat and used the capital to buy investments like real estate that will keep pace with inflation and provide a modest income. You truly do only live once. Follow your heart and your dreams or rule the lost opportunity at your leisure.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Only slightly off-topic. What are your areas of expertise and do you have any interest in some minimal time requirement contract work? Any skills with making calls to browsers? Things like getting location services from the browser? Mobile web apps? Progressive web apps? I need to hire somebody on a contract basis in this area.

NOTE:. This is not location based. Can be done from anywhere

[sanibel sailor]

You will not get younger, more physically fit, or healthier with the passage of time. My brother died at 53. If cruising is important to you (and your spouse), do it now. If financial security is more important, then back to work and fit some sailing in, and maybe cruise later.

[Q Xopa]

Originally Posted by sanibel sailor

You will not get younger, more physically fit, or healthier with the passage of time. My brother died at 53. If cruising is important to you (and your spouse), do it now. If financial security is more important, then back to work and fit some sailing in, and maybe cruise later.

Yes that is always the gamble to weigh up.
As you correctly point out I am definately rolling the dice if I will live long enough or even be healthy enough, by the time I have paid my dues, and got myself setup 'comfortably'.

Time will tell if I made the right call.

This is the decision we all have to grapple with.

Best of luck

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by Shenandoah52

....And something else I want you to consider... Right now you are 51, about my daughters age, and you still have viable options for employment. Once you get 'out of the loop', so to speak, you will have a much harder time trying to find employment. That's just a fact, that not some internet anecdote.

Its true. I am that fact.

[Skol]

Originally Posted by maijipo

Being in IT for 20 years, we didn’t see ourselves living with a too limited budget (I know project Atticus. It is great but they are much younger ^^). At the end we like sailing, but we like a good wine as well, a good food etc…Forgot the mention the rhum !
So, at this point we discarded the idea of trying to go on with our saving. What we did is to take the decision to make a change.
We are seriously thinking about three options:
1. Keep working, sell our current 33 ft boat, buy a 40 ft that we can use during weekend (as today) and will be ready when we decided we have enough. Hopefully in a few years. Most likely I will have to move and moving the 33 ft is expensive. (it breaks my heart. Our Tartan 33 is a so fabulous lady!)
2. Job to work as an independent. I worked as director of engineering during all these years, but I started being a project manager and this is something that can be done independently for specific mission. Next week, I have a call with someone doing this. I am curious. It is a life that I could adapt to our sailing project. Sailing 3-4 months a year would be a great change! This most frustrated part of having a company job is obviously how little day off you have ^^
3. Find a job and live on board. We are not sure. It very much depends where we go. I have a few proposals for the NE and it seems very cold for a work and live onboard.
In all cases, this turns to be very positive. It is an opportunity for a new start, adapting our need. I would like as well to thanks you all for your advices and experience. Very much appreciated in such circumstances. Will keep you post!

A word of caution about the EU ... I'm 45 and do the same kind of work, same career length and am now here permanently. There is very little work here for us yanks in a managerial capacity, almost nothing on contract, and each country wants you to be bilingual. When I left the states I had a job and a boat and some savings. 4 years later it's all a bust. I'd do it all over again as I moved here to be with my 1st Mate, but it's taking a lot of effort to carve out an existence, let alone shop for a new boat. I'm re-learning JVM based tech now so I can work on contract to firms back in the states, or possibly as tech lead for niche tech areas related to security here in the EU.

I think you'd find that you'll be quite happy living aboard somewhere east if you can spend time finding the right job. Worthy of mention IMO is Baltimore which is seeing some growth in tech and you've got a wonderful cruising ground there in the Chesapeake and a lot of rural area around it to consider property. Don't pass over the smaller cities like Dover, Annapolis, and Norfolk. Have your paperwork in order for obtaining a Secret level clearance through an employer. There's a ton of IT work related to gov't contracts and these companies don't have the ageist issues we put up with on the We(s)t Coast. My vote would be to save some budget for a good Boston Whaler for the commute and find a nice liveaboard community in a smaller town outside the city.

cheers,
Skol

[seandepagnier]

my answer: sailing


I managed to go sailing for the last 10 years and visit many places. My budget a tiny fraction of what you claim, and this is mostly food cost. My boat cost little, but I also needed 3-4 times the boat cost for the equipment I would need to keep me safe crossing various oceans.

There has been little cost to maintain the boat: $100 total in the last 2 years.

If you are a software developer, great! You can do this everywhere, and there is a lot of free software for sailors that needs improvements.

I often get a warm welcome in harbors around the world especially when it is known I am a developer. Cruisers often give me what I need, help me with problems and donate me boat equipment they are replacing.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by sanibel sailor

You will not get younger, more physically fit, or healthier with the passage of time. My brother died at 53. If cruising is important to you (and your spouse), do it now. If financial security is more important, then back to work and fit some sailing in, and maybe cruise later.

There used to be a story about an ant and a grasshopper....

Yes, make plans and take action to make your cruising dreams come true but you are in a good position so don't waste what you've built up with your career.

It doesn't have to be all or nothing. With an IT background, look at what you can do remotely. That can keep you in the industry with connections along with some money coming in...but give you more free time.

Living more efficiently is great...but there comes a point where it's easier and more rewarding to earn an extra dollar rather than saving an extra dollar.

[maijipo]

Hi guys. Just wanted to give you a feedback.

First thank you for you feedback and support. Very much appreciated.

At the end I found a job in my area of work and we are moving back to our dear NJ
Bad thing, it will be colder. Good thing, we have the ocean as well and we can sail!
So, on that side our decision has been taken. We will continue to work, buy a home in NJ with the cash and start having a passive revenue when we will start sailing for good. We are one step closer to our goal.

I am wondering now what to do with my Tartan 33. Sell her ( I put in on sell for 18k) or try to move it to NJ. Unfortunately, I don’t have the time sail her up there. I am starting Oct 1. I looked for road transport it will be around 5000-7000$. What I didn’t explore yet is to find someone to sail her. Any idea of the cost of this type of service?
Of course, here is heart against logic. My wife will say, sell the boat and buy one with the 20k. But in the other hand, I know she is a good boat.
Damnit! . Life is never simple.