Questions for Younger Cruisers

[rebel heart]

I still have my job (I'm 34). I work remotely from the boat and spend ~20-30 hours a week on my laptop and phone. There are a lot of ways to skin the cat. Some people save up enough to for a year or two, then stash the boat on the hard somewhere (which coincides well with storm seasons) and head back to the states to work.

[foolishsailor]

@rebel

You are actually a great role model for young new cruisers. We have all gotten to see your trials and tribulations as you cut your lines.

You showed how hard and more importantly how easy it can be to go.

Cheers!

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by Capt Rottnest

Somehow contrive your job (or find a new one) that can be run from home using the internet. Might take a few years but it will be quicker than saving for retirement. This way you can work from anywhere, including from a boat in a foreign country.

There's never been a better time to do this because 3G networks are popping up all over the world.

+1

But it's all about choices. IMO nothing wrong with being ashore!, including being tied to it financially!! - as long as it is what "you" want. Otherwise it is simply a version of bonded labour (and that no accident!).

Me missed out on the wife, 2.2 kids and a Volvo thing - and that is one of my regrets . Not enough to choose differently again if I got the chance to start all over though!...........Instead by OP's age I was half way through a "career" as a layabout around the world, funded by stints of working back home - sometimes I lived like a king and sometimes not........ No boat involved though and no great thought or planning went into that lifestyle just in my late 20's got p#ssed off with the pointlessness of 9-5 etc and got on a Jumbo Jet. I was lucky in that at the time the local job market meant I was in demand so could pick up short term and decently paid contracts pretty much at will ........if I had put any thought and planning into it I would have gone into a job that more easily allowed me to pick up work, including for myself - which brings me onto the most thing to have in your "Pension Pot" that makes money. It's you!

Earning money means the pot never runs out. Tough to do when you rely on muscles, a lot easier if you rely on brain - especially when you can work for yourself. A little bit of everything helps, but having something that will at least put food on the table is a nice banker as then everything else is simply a bonus. IME some people can cope with that, some just not comfortable with uncertainty - even if their certainty is largely an illusion (a Job for life (lol!) followed by a pot of IOU's?).

So, I am not saying to OP "Go for it" - instead I am saying "do WTF you want". Your life .

[Monboddo]

Glad i've found thismthread, currently i'm 32 and the plan is as rottnest describes, online business and developing skills that can easily be sold to other cruisers.

[molo0928]

I'm really glad this thread has started because it has got the gears going. In another 7 years, I'll be eligible to retire (with a pension) and enough money to purchase a 37-40 foot sailboat. My plan is to cruise the caribbean for 4-6 months a year and then come back to FL and work a low stress job such as the garden center at Lowe's . My question is... Would $2,500/month be enough to sail 6 months a year? I'd like to spend 2-3 weeks at each port, preferably in a slip (if affordable). I don't want to eat beans every night but I don't need steak and lobster either. Any thoughts?

[terminalcitygrl]

"Paying your dues" is a ridiculous lie to guilt you into wage slavery. Pat Schulte's book is a worthwhile read, also checkout the blog Mr. Money Moustache.

[MBLittle]

Also not sure if we qualify as we are in our 20's and not living the life yet (our plan puts us at 6m-1y away. We are both disabled veterans with modest payments via the VA. We just sold 50% of our belongings and our house in Texas. On our way right now to my moms to sell the other 50% and the Jeep. After this we will be debt free and have enough monthly income to survive happily aboard. No matter where we go or what we do, due to our disabilities, we will be "scraping by" either way, we'd rather scrape by living our dream. We also have a 1 year old a dog and a cat. You never know what you can do until you just do it. If we fail, we'll have gave it our best and carry on with life. Life on the sea is about sacrifice, hard work and determination. Quit worrying and just do it.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
-Mark Twain

[csmithers]

I'm not a trust fund baby but I managed to save up $100k by 27 y/o after working for a number of years. I bought a boat for $27k and I'm prepping to leave to sail for a year. I'll be leaving in August. My grandparents gave me $10,000 because my grandpa is an old sailor and wants to see me go. My parents also allowed me to live at home rent free after graduating university at 22 debt free. So I worked my ass off and saved everything I could for 4 years till I hit my 100k mark. Then I moved out, bought a boat, and started prepping for leaving.

Even though I've had some help along the way, I worked my ass off and it wasn't given to me completely on a silver platter. The fact of the matter is, if you want it enough you will get it. However, it's a just a question of time and what level of luxury you want to do it in.

Also, young people that have a dream like this can amaze the hell out of people. I was able to get a year off work to go cruising and I have a job when I come back. Why? Because I sold my dream to everyone that would listen for two years at my work and because I work hard at my job and they like me, I was able to do this.

Another thing is if you want something enough - your mind will make connections and you will be more creative. I found some legal loopholes that save me a lot of money being a boat-owner in my country. You will find opportunities to find the right boat, meet the right people, make the proper connections all because of a deep sense of purpose in your life.

So at the end of the day it's about how much you will give up to get what you want. My social life and dating life is CRAP because I don't care - I want to go sailing more than going to the bar or having kids and getting married. Simplify your life - give yourself one goal and one purpose and don't spread yourself to thin with other things that just eat up your time and money.

My bills are pretty low. I don't own a car. I pay rent and I don't own my own place since I found a killer deal. I have barely any material possessions - all my furniture is borrowed and found for free. I don't even have a cell phone - well I do but I convinced my work to pay for a cell phone that I use for personal reasons with their permissions. The biggest bills I have are rent, food, moorage, and boat insurance.

[Rhapsody-NS27]

There's a lot of different options that people can do to go out and achieve their goals in life. Some people slave away in an office job hating life but keep doing it for the "security" of having a job and income. They are the dreamers and don't really turn their lives around. Then there are those who wake up and realize what they are doing isn't for them and give up everything to follow what they want in life. I think Bumfuzzle could be a good example of this, just as Rebel Heart and others have done.

I'm 34 and work in the military. I have 4.5yrs left until I am eligible to retire. This is my own "office job" that I'm looking forward to getting away from. Then, I can change careers or whatever else I feel like doing. I've been able to save and invest a little over the years and right now, I'm looking at getting married and buying a small apartment. I may not be able to buy it outright but I can work towards paying everything off (boat paid off already), then focus on other areas in my life that I enjoy doing.

Some of the people who are able to do these things made plans when they were younger while others don't figure it out until they're older. As far as jobs go, there are people with jobs that they can do anywhere without concern of being tied down to any certain location.

With two little ones, there are options with that too. Cruise around in the summers and enroll in school the rest of the time or homeschooling. As they grow, they'll have lots of experience and can learn things other kids their age will never get to do/learn.

There are options out there. You might have to be a bit creative in how you go about doing what you really want to do in life. Just make sure you and the wife are on the same page in what you want to do and go for it.

Good luck to you.

[cheoah]

Well it sounds like you can do all the coastal cruising you can fit into your vacation, and like csmithers says, if you have some security and support at work you can do the "seabbatical" thing.

I'm 40, and have not taken a sabbatical. As a farm manager, I get lots of time off, and just cruise regionally for now. My wife is a nurse and she makes it possible. My kids are 14 and 17, and it just doesn't make sense to take off now for half a year or more. The time for extended cruising is drawing very near, but I don't feel in some big hurry like 8 years ago. I've been able to sail thousands of miles over the last 5 years, leaving the boat in different places. With several weeks each years spent in latin america for work- 4 weeks in Cuba over the last year - there just hasn't been the impetus to go for a longer voyage. Add to that, my kids don't really want to check out of their lives at home for an extended period, and nor does my wife seem to. LEaving her at home with two teenagers is something I contemplated, but I came to my senses. We're happy to be apart, so with older kids, I'll likely have all kinds of freedom.

My oldest is starting college next year. I'll pay for her car insurance, some spending money, medical, etc but she is getting a near full ride for soccer and academics, almost $40,000/year. She also has the equivalent of one year's credits from AP classes. Taking her cruising for an extended period of time over the last 5 years would have screwed up her over-achieving program and may have jeopardized her scholarship options. Now she is on track and will have all kinds of opportunity through college. South Africa with the soccer team next year. She is nearly fluent in Spanish and will likely travel to LAtin America too. I think she would have been resentful had we taken her cruising, but now, I think she will likely join me in various places later because of her love of travel, language, culture, me, etc. If you take them while they are younger, you can avoid some of these challenges with teenagers. My life has been no picture of sacrifice, but I'm glad I did not pursue the sabbatical in retrospect, at least at the age my kids were. Every family is different, and the other poster(s) were right that if you have clear goals they will happen. Particularly if your family is all behind it.

No doubt it must be cool to have a lot of money. Really cool. I would not trade some of the experiences of having to hustle to make a living, or the experience my daughter has had making her own way, but it is easy to envy the families in the big boats cruising around. ITs all relative though, because people say the same thing about us and our pacific seacraft I pay $500/month on. Think we're trust fund kids or something. Not that I judge people for having inheritance; I hope my kids do. I hear your frustration, all the more to fuel the fire and do exactly what you want. My only point above I guess is to say be careful what you sacrifice, because you will have to give up something to make it happen. Even rich people have to do that....

[DubeJ]

Wow, I am glad I started this thread too! I am getting a lot of great info, thanks everyone. Yes, many of you are right, perhaps I lack the courage to just go after what I want. The plan and idea is pretty young to me, as I used to think (as recent as last year) that gaining my MS and MBA was my ticket to great wealth and blah blah blah, then I realized that was not what made me happy at all.

This life I am living (sailing when I can) is what I want. Now, I can say with all of your posts, I have a new goal...I am going to start brainstorming and come up with a plan! thanks everyone.

[rebel heart]

Originally Posted by DubeJ

Wow, I am glad I started this thread too! I am getting a lot of great info, thanks everyone. Yes, many of you are right, perhaps I lack the courage to just go after what I want. The plan and idea is pretty young to me, as I used to think (as recent as last year) that gaining my MS and MBA was my ticket to great wealth and blah blah blah, then I realized that was not what made me happy at all.

This life I am living (sailing when I can) is what I want. Now, I can say with all of your posts, I have a new goal...I am going to start brainstorming and come up with a plan! thanks everyone.

For whatever it's worth, I don't fully reject capitalism and live in a Jimmy Buffet fairyland. I still value my professional skills and try to keep them sharp and honestly I work my ass off sailing and "cruising" more than I ever did on land.

One thing I'd say towards my fellow 30-ish year olds is that I spend a lot of time with my family now. I used to leave for work before they were up and by the time I'd get home the kids were exhausted and my wife the same. We'd try to cobble together date nights and on the weekends we'd try to pretend the last five days didn't happen and do some quality time but usually it was doing errands and maybe having a few hours of actual family time.

Now my schedule is much different and more demanding but we do everything as a family unit and it's awesome. Bad attitudes really don't fly and with such a sense of purpose the motivation and teamwork is through the roof. Nevermind the beauty and splendor of being in 85f degree water with 100' visibility and jumping in watching fish and dolphin everywhere as a matter of a daily activity.

It might sound a little preachy but a big reason I wanted my kids to see us do this is because I wanted them to know that they should pull the trigger when they want to do something. Don't get good at putting your plans on hold because that's really easy to do. What's hard is making huge mid-life changes and rattling your entire world view.

I didn't want to be a parent that tells me kids "baby, you can do anything" and at the same time I say "but as for me I really want to sail a boat around the world but I'd be better served by maximizing my earning years first and doing the sailing thing later."

Lead by example.

[Andy73]

Originally Posted by rebel heart

I didn't want to be a parent that tells me kids "baby, you can do anything" and at the same time I say "but as for me I really want to sail a boat around the world but I'd be better served by maximizing my earning years first and doing the sailing thing later."
Lead by example.

Don't want to be too contrarian here, but there is something to be said for working towards your goals. I know that while i want my daughters to reach for their dreams, I also want them to have a certain degree of pragmatism, knowing they should be prepared to work to achieve those dreams.

I applaud those people who make the changes in their lives required to go on their adventures early...
I also applaud those who make the choice to work towards plans without making changes they don't want to...

[rebel heart]

Originally Posted by Andy73

Don't want to be too contrarian here, but there is something to be said for working towards your goals. I know that while i want my daughters to reach for their dreams, I also want them to have a certain degree of pragmatism, knowing they should be prepared to work to achieve those dreams.

I applaud those people who make the changes in their lives required to go on their adventures early...
I also applaud those who make the choice to work towards plans without making changes they don't want to...

No, that's fair. Like I said in the beginning of my little rant, I still value my professional skills and I still have a job. The only reason I have my skills, my income, and my situation is because I busted my ass for a decade and established myself.

I guess what I mean to say is that when you want to do something, you do it. Whether that's starting a business, breaking up with someone who sucks, or sailing a boat around the world. The one thing I felt draining from me the most on land was self determination.

It seemed like the older I got the easier it became to make excuses for why I wasn't doing the things I really wanted to do.

[Andy73]

Originally Posted by rebel heart

It seemed like the older I got the easier it became to make excuses for why I wasn't doing the things I really wanted to do.

Retirement...
Kid's education...
Kid's Weddings...
Pay off house...

Not sure what you are talking about

Oh well, I've worked down to about an 18month countdown and still getting the plan to progress nicely. I admit I envy those who are able to drop it all and go, however can't quite bite that bullet completely.