What can I do with 40K?

[Scout 30]

If you are serious surf Craigslist, Yachtworld & sailboatlistings.com every day. Look at a lot of boats. Don't be shy & don't worry about wasting someone else's time. Post any questions you have here. The more you see, read & ask the more you'll know. If you love boats this is not work.

[Scout 30]

Beware boats that are projects! Repairs pretty much always take much more time & a lot more money than you'll think they will. Fixer uppers are everywhere & can be very tempting but you need to decide if you want to work on a boat or cruise a boat.

[Steven UK]

Good luck you have all the advice you need plus it's always available if you need more. My big adventure at 30 was moving to Singapore and getting married wife and kids no forum for that then. Now I'm getting ready to make the leep from land to water dwelling. The comments about making the money work for you do have some credit but so does living while your young. Good luck and all the best...

[westwinds]

An awful lot of money can be spent fixing a sailboat. Maybe what you should do is find a marina where you can get hired to do boat repair and save money there ever after. Keep in mind though, that it costs a repair shop to train someone, it takes time to instruct and it slows things up. Maybe you can do a volunteer or even pay for instruction. Do an agreement not to compete.

[westwinds]

Things to check before you buy:

Purchase Surveying Fiberglass Sailboats by Henry C. Mustin. Also Inspecting the Aging Sailboat by Don Casey. There is some redundancy, but not as much as you would think. The following comes from those two books plus my own experience.

Now, when you get to the boat, take some photos as you approach it. Turn on the tape recorder and speak clearly about your first impressions of the boat. Make sure you get your first impressions down. The human brain is a weird thing and often the first impressions are the best ones... and there's usually a reason for them.

Systematically go through the boat from bow to stern, from top to bottom, recording what you find either on the tape recorder or as sketches and notes in the notebook, and document everything with photos using the digital camera if at all possible. If you have specific requirements, use the tape measure to take measurements.

The magnet is to be used to check stainless steel hardware and cables. If the magnet sticks, it is not marine grade stainless. Most marine grade stainless steel, is non-magnetic and includes 304 and 316 grades of stainless. Although, 304 is sometimes mildly magnetic.

The flashlight and inspection mirror are used to look in nooks, crannies, deep unlit lockers, the bilge, engine compartment, etc. Looking in lockers and such can often tell you a lot about a boat's true condition, since many people will spruce up and clean the interior of a boat for sale, but will often forget to do the same for the less visible spaces. A good example of what you may find is traces of a visible waterline in the higher lockers may indicate that the boat was sunk at some point.

Check mechanical systems to see if the parts that should move do, and that the parts that shouldn't move don't. If something sticks, like the tiller, and shouldn't-it is probably an indicator of something wrong or about to go wrong. Excessive play is often an indicator of wear and that something may need to be repaired or replaced soon.

1. Use a moisture meter on deck and hull, then do tapping with the screwdriver handle, using screwdriver blade as a handle. We want < 18%. Use moisture meter near stanchion bases, mast boot, winches, to verify. Note vibration of fiberglass near point of percussion, which may give you an indication if the deck has started to delaminate or has a wet core. Most boats have a cored deck and stanchions are often places where the water intrusion can start due to the loads that they're often subjected to. Most manufacturers do not do a very good job of potting the fasteners or deck area around the stanchions or other deck hardware, especially on older boats, made when the water intrusion problems weren't well understood. Check keel for void between fiberglass and lead.

2. Look for flat spots in the hull or places where the hull doesn't follow a natural curve. These can often be indicators of previous damage or bad construction. Often, places where the hull isn't following a fair curve are due to bulkheads being improperly glassed to the hull and causing a hard spot-which can cause the laminate to hinge along the hard spot and results in the laminate fatiguing prematurely there.

3. Check appliances.

4. Boat serial number on stern, starboard side is useful to determine changes were made to the design of a sailboat. Don't forget to note the make and model of the various equipment and parts aboard the boat. Some pieces of equipment, like specific models of engines and such have known weaknesses.

5. propeller shaft - On inboard powered boats grab the prop and wiggle it back and forth up and down. If there is any play greater than 1/8 inch the cutlass bearing is mostly shot and will need replacement.

6. Driveline - Inspect the strut, prop shaft (if bronze) and prop for any signs of dezinctification. This will appear as areas of discoloration more pinkish or coppery in color as opposed to the gold hue of bronze. A Scotchbrite pad is a good thing to add to the inspection kit as it will allow you to get down to bare bronze.

7. Rudder -Grab the rudder and move it from side to side and fore and aft. If there is significant play the bearings or bushings may be past prime. With cables for wheel steering, need less than ¼ inch play. A tiller can have up to one inch of play. Move the rudder by hand from full port to full starboard. If you feel any difference in resistance it could be a bent shaft or steering gear issues. Rudder - Look for any rust colored drips emanating from the rudder. This is a good sign of water intrusion.

8. Steering - Inspect the entire steering gear assembly and look for excess play or "meat hooks" on the steering cable. Make sure the wheel brake works. A broken wheel brake, or one that does not have adequate locking to prevent you from turning the rudder by hand, means the rudder was allowed to move freely at the dock or mooring. This is BAD and adds to unnecessary premature wear and tear on the entire steering system. Inspect the rudder stuffing box. You are looking for signs of drips or leaks. They will usually run from the top of the rudder packing gland down and will be green in color if it has a bronze rudder packing gland.

9. Keel - Look for any signs of water seepage or discoloration stains along the keel to hull joint. Leaking keel joints lead to crevice corrosion of the keel bolts and can be a bad situation. Look in the bilge for any signs of un-sealed screw holes, possibly left over from a float switch or bilge pump, with brownish rust stains around them. This could mean the boat has a plywood laminated keel stub that has been moisture saturated. If the stub has wood and it's wet the keel bolts will likely be suffering from a good deal of crevice corrosion. Keel - Look at the keel bolts and make sure they are no circular stress cracks emanating outward from the backing plates. This is another sign of a rotting and compressing keel stub. Solid fiberglass does not compress enough to create circular stress cracks.

10. Lightning ground to water from mast

11. Hull to Deck joint, look for any indication of water. Spray water at joint if available

12. Lines of boat, shear, also sight from back

13. Impact damage, bulls eye or commas pattern, tap for delamination

14. Panting (hull flex with near parallel or crescent stress lines)

15. Transverse damage, a hit on one side can also cause damage on other side.

16. Weeping on keel when out of water.

17. Tap every 2 or 3 inches over entire hull and deck.

18. Moisture meter on cored deck and cored hull if core is present

19. Look for cracks in the gelcoat-most spider cracks are normal and often due to the gelcoat being laid too thickly. Parallel cracks in the gelcoat, which often indicates stressing of the fiberglass there. Star-shaped cracks in the gelcoat are usually the result of an impact.

20. Gelcoat, chalking, scratches, crazing, stress cracking, voids, alligatoring (long random pattern of stress cracks indicating core de-lamination).

21. Gelcoat blisters, Laminate blisters, Pox.

22. Keel, check where attached directly to hull or reinforcing grid for cracks.

23. Check externally for cracks at front and back of keel where connection to hull is.

24. On encapsulated keel, check for swelling from iron rust, is top sealed.

25. Shake skeg hung rudder at bottom and at pintles and gudgeons.

26. Through hulls, check for dezincification, and delamination if sealant appears defective.

27. Water intake for engine, head and sink

28. Drain for sink through hull

29. Exhaust through hull

30. Speed and depth sensors

31. Propeller diameter, pitch and rotation

32. Check rudder attachment by locking steering and trying to turn the rudder blade from outside the boat.

33. Water intrusion into rudder can cause split in joint between two halves of rudder.

34. Check rudder for cracks on leading and trailing edges.

35. Bulkheads - Using a Awl (please be courteous and do this in an inconspicuous area that can not be seen) poke the areas around the chain plates lightly. If the wood is rotten the Awl will sink in. Do the same around the bottoms of the bulkheads where they meet the bilge.

36. Glassed in Bulkheads - Inspect all tabbing and make sure NONE of it is peeling or broken free from either the hull or the bulkheads. Do your best to look at the entire mating surface and this will usually require the flashlight and inspection mirror. If you notice any discoloration of the wood lightly poke at it with the Awl. Look for any signs of the teak veneer bubbling or lifting. This is always a red flag for moisture in the bulkheads.

37. Screwed in Bulkheads - Many production boats used bulkheads that are screwed in place. Make sure the screws are entering at a 90 degree angle to the wood. Screw heads that are cocked or off the 90 degree angle, and if there are more than just the occasional one, are a good indication the bulkhead has been over stressed and has moved. Awl same as above and PLEASE be polite about your use of the Awl!

38. Deck (Under-side) - Do your best to remove anything that will get you to the backing plates of deck hardware. Please do not dismantle the boat! This is only for areas of easy access. If you can unzip a headliner for example, and the zipper does not stick, visually inspect deck penetrations for any signs of "coffee drips". Any brownish drips or brownish colored stains dripping from through-bolted hardware or any holes on the underside of the deck are signs of a seriously deteriorating rotting deck. If you see "coffee drips" in more than one location walk away and find another boat.

39. Seacocks - Visually inspect the "balls" from outside with a flashlight and look for any signs of corrosion. If they have handles that turn like your hose spigot at home know that they will need to be replaced because they are gate valves. Real seacocks should have handles that turn only vertically to be in-line with the valve and horizontally to be in-line with the hull only. Turn the handles and visually make sure the balls are opening and closing from outside the boat and make sure they turn freely.

40. Seacocks - Check for a UL Marine rated listing and dezinctification (coppery pinkish coloring)

41. Seacock Backing Blocks - Poke these with the Awl. If they are soft they are wet and will need replacement. The Awl should not "sink in" under light pressure.

42. Hoses - Visually inspect hoses, including exhaust hoses, for any signs of dry rot, cracking or reinforcement wire bleed or break through. If you see rust spots mid hose this is a good sign that the reinforcing wire is rusting inside the hose. Check for double hose clamps at all bellow water fittings. Also check to make sure there is no clear, un-reinforced hose that leads to any through hull fitting.

43. Engine - Check the oil and make sure it was recently changed and that it is clean and not black. An owner that puts a boat away, or lists one for sale, with dirty oil, is also an owner that does not maintain the vessel to a good standard!

44. Get engine serial number, make and type

45. Engine - If you've checked everything else, and are a VERY SERIOUS BUYER, remove the engine/heat exchanger zinc and make sure there actually is one and that it is in good condition. DO NOT do this with the boat in the water and the seacock open and do not do this if you are tire kicking this vessel. Ideally this should be left to the surveyor but most don't do this!

46. Engine - Using a clean white rag run it under the engine any where you can reach. If you find a drip record it in the notebook and jot down it's location. Turn the rag to a clean spot and continue. Many owners will spot clean an engine to hide oil leaks. The rag trick usually finds them.

47. Engine - Wiggle the engine and visually inspect the motor mounts for dry rot or oil degradation. Make sure the motor mounts are still working and not cracked.

48. Engine / Fuel - If the boat is equipped with a fuel/water separator device such as a Racor. Use an empty Coke bottle to crack the petcock and drain off just a touch of fuel. If it is laden with sediment or all you get is water this is a bad sign. Do not drain the entire bowl just a quick crack of this petcock will show you what you need to know and won't require the owner re-bleeding the engine. Be polite and clean up ANY fuel drips with the spray cleaner you brought. Even ONE drop is being impolite and rude diesel stinks!!! A bulb with hose can also be used to check for water in fuel tanks.

49. Winches - Rotate the winches and make sure they rotate freely and smoothly. Wiggle them side to side, especially if they are aluminum. There should be NO play in the drum. Any play in an aluminum winch is a good sign that the bearing mating surfaces are worn or corroded due to dissimilar metals corrosion. DO NOT overlook this, winches are big $$$$$$$!

50. Blocks Sheaves - Make sure all blocks and sheaves rotate freely and are not frozen.

51. Running Rigging - Look for any signs of chafe and wear especially halyards. Scratch the surface of the lines outer jacket with your fingernail and if threads give way or break it is time for new running rigging.

52. Portlights and portholes - Look for any visibly signs of leaking.

53. Lifelines - Look for rust / corrosion at the fittings and between the white jacket of the wire and the swaged fitting.

54. Warning Signs

55. If the boat owner doesn't want/allow you to do this... it may be that they are hiding something. A boat owner who is proud of how well kept and maintained his boat is should have no problem allowing you fairly complete access to the boat and its systems.


56. In cockpit

57. Turn winch counterclockwise and listen for pawls, both pawls should click. Make complete revolution then reverse one catch at a time to make sure each pawls works. Insert winch handle and do counterclockwise again checking pawls again. Now spin winch.

58. Check cleats for smooth surface.

59. Check hinges, especially for anchor locker. Should be stainless or bronze, no zinc.

60. Pulpits, stanchions, should be 1” at least and 0.084” (14 gauge) Stanchions 6 to 9 feet apart. Peeling plating indicates zinc, not good. Diameter of 7/8 is too small.

61. Dodgers and Biminis should be made of 1 inch 14 gauge because people use frames as hand holds.

62. Lifelines show no rust.

63. Canvas should be stiff, if like flannel, need replacement, check stitching.

64. Genoa tracks for leaks, smooth operation.

65. Stress cracks where there are sharp curves.

66. Check companionway hatch boards for leaks.

67. See if deck can flex.

68. Check sails

69. Sails & Canvas - If the sails are on board find the UV cover or luff end of the head sail and scratch the threads with your fingernail. If they fail or break the sails need at a minimum re-stitching. If you can find the head board of the main sail, it sees lots of UV as it's not folded into the sail when flaked do the same here. Do the same for any canvas.

70. Does light show through or soft material?

71. Number of sails and types

72. See page 47 in Casey’s book for rigging. This is best done with mast down. Release tension on stays. Sag is OK if turning mast over with identical sag evident the other way. An S curve is a problem. A dent in a spar can weaken it a lot. Look all the way around a spar. Look for ridges from unsupported mast where pumping has occurred over the years. Slight irregular indentations from manufacturing are of no consequence. Look for cracks around attached hardware. Aluminum alloy for masts is brittle. Spreader base attachment, center-sheeting or hydraulic-vang attachment points are problems.

73. See page 67 for interior.

74. See page 85 engine

75. See page 101 electrical

76. Check tender if it goes with the boat

77. Forward of cockpit

78. Check portlights for brittle plastic, leaks

79. High stress areas should have no cracks.

80. Check for stress cracks for keel stepped mast at location where mast enters cabin top (mast collar) or deck because movement of mast can flex opening in cabin top.

81. Also check keel cavity where compression post rests as compression post from deck to top of keel cavity can sink into ballast material.

82. Check chainplates, backstays, if connected to bulkhead, check for wood rot. Check for rust at connectors to stay cables.

83. Hatches where there is connection to deck, check for stress cracks.

84. Stringers from bulkhead along bunks where chainplates are sometimes attached can have very serious longitudinal stress cracks.

85. Bow pulpit for solid connection and 1” diameter.
86. Make sure no leaks for portlights. Material should not be plastic or aluminum. Stainless and bronze are good.

87. Check gasket on opening ports. Note water staining from leaks. This might be from port left open.

88. Caulk on either edge of toe rail could indicate leakage problem.

89. Wet core, look for water when stepping near cleats and other hardware. Wet core will rot, foam core will not but separation from skins will occur because of pumping when walking on deck and from freezing.

90. Bridge deck (sill to companion way) must be high enough to prevent down flooding from pooped cockpit.

91. Size of cockpit drains 1 ¼ inch for smaller sailboats to 2” for larger.

92. Tube for rudder posts on spade rudders have many structural problems so check for fiberglass reinforcement to hull where rudder post enters hull because spade rudders are very easily damaged by running aground.

93. Rudder play in tube less than ¼ inch for wheel steering, up to 1 inch for tiller.

94. Check for play in steering wheel cables.

95. Check binnacle is secure.

96. Scrape metal of propeller and check for pink color indicating dezincification and green stains for corrosion, nicks and bent blades. Rotate propeller to check for bent shaft.

97. Cutless bearing should have less than 1/8 inch play.

98. Check toe rail is secure.

99. Strong backing plates are needed for equipment mounted to deck: cleats, winches, pulpits, stanchion bases. Each deck item needs to be bedded in a thin layer of sealant forming a gasket. Hardware mounted on cored area needs to be removed, a larger hole drilled and filled with epoxy and then drilled to original size.

100. Below, check stiffeners for fiberglass deck and hull.

101. Bulkheads should be secured all the way around and make sure there is a fiberglass tape cushion between hull of boat and bulkhead edge.

102. Bulkheads properly tabbed which are 2 or 3 inches long for smaller boats less than 30 feet, and 5 to 6 inches for larger.

103. Structural issues for mast stepped on hull with no mast post that goes down to top of keel.

104. A cracked liner indicates un-reinforced hull.

105. Make sure anchor locker has dog ears that can secure the access doors, both inside the boat at V berth and topside for anchor locker.

106. Deck Hatches for structural integrity and leaking gaskets.

107. Companionway hatch can crack where there are notches in hatch slide, rails can cause “sticky” hatch

108. Drop boards with barrel bolt to hold boards in place, strong boards and robust frame needed for off shore.

109. Cockpit lockers need strong hinges keeping hatches from failing if boat rolls, and latches must stay closed when contents fall onto them like an anchor for instance.

110. Down below

111. If a cabin door or cabinet door doesn't open or close smoothly, it may mean the hull and deck have changed shape and causing it to bind-this can often happen if a compression post has started to weaken.
112. Go through the boat and open every locker if at all possible. Lift settee cushions. Look in the bilge. Photograph the rig. Get detailed photos of the chain plates with side stays, the rudder attachment points, the steering quadrant and other important pieces of equipment.

113. Walk the Docks

114. Once you've gone over the boat with a fine tooth comb, walk the docks and talk to the other marina residents. They can often give you a lot of information about the boat.
115. Was it used regularly or was it a dock queen?
116. Did the owner come out to check the lines and fenders before and after a storm?
117. Did the owner have regular maintenance done to the boat?
118. How long has it been for sale?
119. All this stuff can often be discovered just by being friendly and talking to other people at the boat's marina.

Other things to consider besides items mentioned in books listed above

When was the last engine maintenance

What major maintenance has been done and who did it and what is their reputation

Berth size (length and width) and their locations

Shower empty into bilge?

Blow by from crankcase while engine is running.

Engine has raw water cooling, or heat exchanger? If heat exchanger, check pH. If saltwater cooled without heat exchanger, consider new engine. $8575 with 20% off for new Beta Marine (marinized Kubota) 25 HP engine plus installation costs. For every 500 pounds of boat, you need at least one horsepower.

How may engine hours between oil changes?

Check transmission oil for water if heat exchanger on transmission.

Smell for seal softener on engine oil and transmission

Anti-siphon loops for engine, head, sink

Get an oil sample from engine and send for analysis for metals, antifreeze

Check around engine for oil leaks, especially main bearings front and rear

Check bilge for oil from engine, might have mayonnaise color from emulsion

If stove alcohol and can it be pumped up. If propane, check locker in cockpit for proper venting and shutoff switch.

Icebox insulation 4” thick foam, and if refrigerator, does it work?

Does water pump for fresh water tank work. Leaks in tank and plumbing. Consider aquarium air pump to keep water aerobic and fresh.

Cushions OK?

Electronics, turn on to check.

Obsolete electronics?

Gauges work?

Handholds (grab rails) on ceiling for rough weather. What is the length both sides for handholds on topside

Anchor rode and types of anchors: plow, danforth etc

Check battery resting voltage, or with hydrometer, for state of charge

Check charging voltages for both alternator and shore charger.

Hatch pictures and dimensions

Winterization, ask owner what he does, or marina does, cracks in engine?

Winterization of freshwater tank and water system done correctly, check for cracks

Check wastewater tank, plumbing, head, for freeze damage

To keep batteries charged, does marina supply power to run battery charger? Or are there solar panels? Need at least one amp panel with charge controller

Does he have canvas to cover boat?

Use binoculars to check mast

Use mirror and flashlight to check mast

Use flashlight for checking engine for leaks, etc

Check for water in diesel. Drain at bottom of tank or use hose and bulb. Use container to catch diesel, or water finding paste on end of tape measure.

Check for water in oil

Check for freeze cracks, JB Weld, in Block, head, water cooled exhaust & raw water pump

Portholes need replacement?

Check fitting for emergency tiller if wheel steering. Check for emergency tiller.

Check wiring to see if tinned and fine strands

Check access for wiring, does it look like a professional installation

Check air hand pump on alcohol stove if it is pressurized type. Non pressurized is safer.

What is belt size for alternator and raw water pump, check for cracks on underside.

In northern climes it has been the norm to haul the boat in Autumn and let the air naturally dry out the hull until Spring time. As a rule of thumb 18% is the critical point where one should look to take remedial action by removing the gel coat and preferably hot vac the area.

Some gel coats also contain conductive fillers but rarely white colored gel coats.

Put everything aside for a day and give your mind a chance to process what you've found.

If you get a hunch about some equipment or part on the boat, look at your photos and notes.

Don't forget to do a bit of research on the various pieces of equipment you saw on the boat to find what specific problems are common to them.

What to do next? make the offer subject to survey and sea trial?

Remember, if you're married or have a significant other, ask their opinion. Also friends and relatives.


Equipment Needed for Inspections

Batteries for flashlight and camera
Cell phone, Ipad & cords
Contact list for sailboats for sale.
Sailboat descriptions from sailboatdata.com
Problems to check for after search online
Flashlight
Mirror
Multimeter for resting voltage if sealed battery for state of charge, and checking voltage for both engine and shore power chargers.
Paper towels
Cloth towels
Screwdriver of medium size handle for tapping, maybe using blade as a handle, or phenolic resin Hammer-a small one will do. Tap lightly.
Camera with good telephoto lens for mast top pictures
Hydrometer to see if batteries are sulfated
Moisture meter
Bulb with hose to check for water in diesel tank or water finding paste on end of measuring tape.
Small Notebook-reporters notebooks or pocket-sized Moleskines are excellent choices for this.
Pencil-preferably .5mm mechanical for making notes and sketches in notebook
Small tape recorder-preferably with a lapel microphone with windscreen, to record your visit to the boat, as it is often easier to make notes by speaking than writing when looking at a boat
Tape Measure-Preferably a 25-30' tape
Pocket Multitool-Get a good one, like the Leatherman Surge
Small Magnet-preferably one with a lanyard attachment
Awl to check for rotten wood
Waterless Hand Cleaner Wipes
Spray Cleaner (like Fantastic) to clean up diesel drops
Burgundy Scotch Brite Pad
Clipboard, pencil and paper

[Don C L]

Wow, well that pretty much sums it up......in a nutshell...

[rhubstuff]

You might want to look at a Seawind 30 or 32. Proven round-the-world little ships.

[westwinds]

Originally Posted by Don C L

Wow, well that pretty much sums it up......in a nutshell...

Yes, but I wonder what I forgot. Something important I bet

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by westwinds

Yes, but I wonder what I forgot. Something important I bet

Well, I may have missed it, but since the mast base takes a great deal of stress and many are prone to water intrusion, rot and/or corrosion, whether deck-stepped or keel stepped, that is one thing I scrutinize. But it is probably in there somewhere, I just haven't seen it yet!
I guess 80 and 81 touch on it. Aluminum masts on old shoes may be corroded internally and "mushroom" at the bottom. Deck stepped masts with compression arches or support beams typically will need them rebuilt on older boats.
Were chainplates in there?

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by Siberianhusky

To each his own, I saved and invested from an early age and stopped working full time at 45. I work a bit in the winter just because it's cold, dark and boring.
Now I do what I want, when I want and have no worries about being able to afford the lifestyle I want to live when I get older.
Could have gone cruising in my 30's but would have had to come home and go back to work eventually.
40G will buy you a boat and maybe one good cruise, first big breakdown the dream dies.

No offense but your profile does not show you have a boat. Do you?
Most people end up as a slave in our society. First a partner who tells you,"it's me and you until the wheels fall off"...then the wheels fall off and you loose 1/2 or all the house with a hefty child support payment for 18 years. Then you marry the sequel (#2) and loose everything again. Now you're 50, balding and the closest you have ever come to a boat is a sailing magazine while sitting on the bathroom throne.
I am retired now. Don't have much in the way of savings but I have my little ship and years of experiencing adventures I couldn't even begin to describe. I'm on a fixed income and from my blue collar skills come back every so often to shake the money tree, then off again.
I like what Sterling Hayden had to say...“To be truly challenging, a voyage, like a life, must rest on a firm foundation of financial unrest. Otherwise, you are doomed to a routine traverse, the kind known to yachtsmen who play with their boats at sea... "cruising" it is called. Voyaging belongs to seamen, and to the wanderers of the world who cannot, or will not, fit in. If you are contemplating a voyage and you have the means, abandon the venture until your fortunes change. Only then will you know what the sea is all about.

"I've always wanted to sail to the south seas, but I can't afford it." What these men can't afford is not to go. They are enmeshed in the cancerous discipline of "security." And in the worship of security we fling our lives beneath the wheels of routine - and before we know it our lives are gone.

What does a man need - really need? A few pounds of food each day, heat and shelter, six feet to lie down in - and some form of working activity that will yield a sense of accomplishment. That's all - in the material sense, and we know it. But we are brainwashed by our economic system until we end up in a tomb beneath a pyramid of time payments, mortgages, preposterous gadgetry, playthings that divert our attention for the sheer idiocy of the charade.

The years thunder by, The dreams of youth grow dim where they lie caked in dust on the shelves of patience. Before we know it, the tomb is sealed.

Where, then, lies the answer? In choice. Which shall it be: bankruptcy of purse or bankruptcy of life? ”
― Sterling Hayden, Wanderer

[brianlara 3]

Celestial, you are a legend for that post.
"What these men can't afford is to NOT go".

I'm shortly heading off accross Bass Strait in a seriously tiny boat and I REALLY needed to read your Pearl of the real meaning of life.
Indebted to you.

[Don C L]

I keep talking up this boat like I own it (I only wish) but, if you can swing $30K (I know I am going over what I said earlier) here is a great ol' classic Columbia 38, deep keel version, solid boat, where the project is over, the refit is documented, she looks to be bristol and she has already sailed up to Alaska. As I re-read your post I see you mentioned Alaska. She won't need much, if anything... She's one I'd really consider seriously if I had $30k and was up in or near AK! If you can buy a boat that has been re-fitted and has it all documented like this one... I'd run to check it out!
https://juneau.craigslist.org/boa/5861152118.html

here is the refit:
columbia38

if you get her, can you take me for a sail?

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by brianlara 3

Celestial, you are a legend for that post.
"What these men can't afford is to NOT go".

I'm shortly heading off accross Bass Strait in a seriously tiny boat and I REALLY needed to read your Pearl of the real meaning of life.
Indebted to you.

That piece was from Sterling Hayden...not me

[Celestialsailor]

I always like to suggest that new comers to cruising read this excerpt from my blog.
Adventures of Joli' Elle: What you really need to go cruising Or Is this love or boat envy
It was prompted while I was in La Paz and talking to people who felt they needed a $100K condo on the water in order to go cruising.

[Siberianhusky]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

No offense but your profile does not show you have a boat. Do you?
Most people end up as a slave in our society. First a partner who tells you,"it's me and you until the wheels fall off"...then the wheels fall off and you loose 1/2 or all the house with a hefty child support payment for 18 years. Then you marry the sequel (#2) and loose everything again. Now you're 50, balding and the closest you have ever come to a boat is a sailing magazine while sitting on the bathroom throne.
I am retired now. Don't have much in the way of savings but I have my little ship and years of experiencing adventures I couldn't even begin to describe. I'm on a fixed income and from my blue collar skills come back every so often to shake the money tree, then off again.
I like what Sterling Hayden had to say...“To be truly challenging, a voyage, like a life, must rest on a firm foundation of financial unrest. Otherwise, you are doomed to a routine traverse, the kind known to yachtsmen who play with their boats at sea... "cruising" it is called. Voyaging belongs to seamen, and to the wanderers of the world who cannot, or will not, fit in. If you are contemplating a voyage and you have the means, abandon the venture until your fortunes change. Only then will you know what the sea is all about.

"I've always wanted to sail to the south seas, but I can't afford it." What these men can't afford is not to go. They are enmeshed in the cancerous discipline of "security." And in the worship of security we fling our lives beneath the wheels of routine - and before we know it our lives are gone.

What does a man need - really need? A few pounds of food each day, heat and shelter, six feet to lie down in - and some form of working activity that will yield a sense of accomplishment. That's all - in the material sense, and we know it. But we are brainwashed by our economic system until we end up in a tomb beneath a pyramid of time payments, mortgages, preposterous gadgetry, playthings that divert our attention for the sheer idiocy of the charade.

The years thunder by, The dreams of youth grow dim where they lie caked in dust on the shelves of patience. Before we know it, the tomb is sealed.

Where, then, lies the answer? In choice. Which shall it be: bankruptcy of purse or bankruptcy of life? ”
― Sterling Hayden, Wanderer

Yes I own a boat.

"I am retired now. Don't have much in the way of savings but I have my little ship and years of experiencing adventures I couldn't even begin to describe. I'm on a fixed income and from my blue collar skills come back every so often to shake the money tree, then off again."

This perfectly describes what I'm most terrified of! No savings and a fixed income that forces you back into work after retirement, or even worse not being able to quite the rat race.