Any early retirees turned cruisers with big careers have regrets?

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

I can’t imagine why people would work till 70, I mean there’s a big world out there folks.

Really? You can't image?

it's called being responsible.

Plus if you take care of yourself you may have all the time you need after you retire.

Another thing, where do some get the idea that you cannot live while working?

This I don't understand and for some to trade that in to be stuck at anchor to leeward of some island for days or weeks is a mystery.

Also some jobs provide you with different places to live which I was lucky enough to have one that placed me back on the coast at the perfect time ......

But everyone has their different circumstances so to each their own.......

Some of us are already in good sailing/cruising/hunting areas so there's no rush to retire to go some place else when you already have pretty much everything you need and have luckily done lots of sailing and traveling in many other areas at a younger age.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Really? You can't image?

it's called being responsible.

Plus if you take care of yourself you may have all the time you need after you retire.

Another thing, where do some get the idea that you cannot live while working?

This I don't understand and for some to trade that in to be stuck at anchor to leeward of some island for days or weeks is a mystery.

Also some jobs provide you with different places to live which I was lucky enough to have one that placed me back on the coast at the perfect time ......

But everyone has their different circumstances so to each their own.......

Some of us are already in good sailing/cruising/hunting areas so there's no rush to retire to go some place else when you already have pretty much everything you need and have luckily done lots of sailing and traveling in many other areas at a younger age.

Sounds like a justification for work.

Work is a means to an end ( for work I mean activity that earns income, Ive never been busier since I retired )

The key is to understand what the “ end “ is.

And being “ stuck” at anchor beats sitting through a series of work meetings any day

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Sounds like a justification for work.

Work is a means to an end ( for work I mean activity that earns income, Ive never been busier since I retired )

The key is to understand what the “ end “ is.

And being “ stuck” at anchor beats sitting through a series of work meetings any day

Actually sitting at anchor doesn't beat much of anything at all unless you are tired and need to recharge and dry out as I was doing here a month or so back.

As far as meetings, I usually send someone else .....to handle those if at all possible and now with the Covid, there are no more in-room meetings.

[goboatingnow]

I’ve spent a week or two at anchor in nice bays from time to time , swimming , a bit of fishing , the odd visit to a bar on the coast . Very peaceful. Got a few boat projects done too

[Jim Cate]

Thom, I can't understand how you view long term cruising as a retired person as limiting and confining and going to work in the same ole office/lab/shop day after day as rewarding and stimulating.

Just doesn't compute...

It is abundantly clear that your personal value set is different than mine, and that of many of the other CF cruisers as well. I'm not challenging your position in life or your values, but I do challenge your assumption that they apply to all the rest of us.

Too, I challenge your view that gunkholing around the Chesapeake is equivalent to crossing an ocean and exploring a new island and a new culture, both in terms of physical pleasure and intellectual stimulation. Taking a four mile hike in your local woods may be good exercise, but it isn't the equivalent of hiking a kilometer through the palm trees and sitting down with the village elders around a kava bowl and discussing their lives and ours and the state of the world as seen through their eyes.

I'm approaching 83 now, and the end of my long range cruising days is nearing. Had I waited till I was 70 to depart, well, I likely wouldn't have done so at all... or at least my scope of travel would have been far smaller than it has actually been. That would have been a great loss to me, so I can't agree that such a life schedule is right for someone with the wanderlust in their soul or curiosity in their mind... qualities common to cruisers.

Finally, just as you have experienced, my working life as a physicist in a major research laboratory was challenging, stimulating and rewarding. I had the pleasure of working with some extremely bright folks on difficult projects some of which had major impacts on the defense of our country. None the less, I was happy to exit the security gate for the last time and segue into the second half of my life. I have not once regretted that step despite missing some of the friends and their exceptional minds at times. New friends with different qualities have taken their place, just as I expected.

So, we all recognize that your choices have been good for you, that you find your life rewarding, and that you may in time join us as cruisers (as we recognize the term). In the interim, I disagree with your advice that we shouldn't retire young and go cruising.

'Nuff said...

Jim

[B_Hunter45]

I guess I can tick all your points. Started working on my cruising dream 3 years ago after retiring at 54. Was ready to set sail on spring 2020, spent winter 2019/2020 to get last things sorted out. And then came covid19, I couldn't even cross the border to the US to get to my boat.
A few weeks ago a health problem in the family poped up and now all my plans are in doubt.
If you can, just go. Don't hesitate.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Thom, I can't understand how you view long term cruising as a retired person as limiting and confining and going to work in the same ole office/lab/shop day after day as rewarding and stimulating.

Just doesn't compute...

It is abundantly clear that your personal value set is different than mine, and that of many of the other CF cruisers as well. I'm not challenging your position in life or your values, but I do challenge your assumption that they apply to all the rest of us.

Too, I challenge your view that gunkholing around the Chesapeake is equivalent to crossing an ocean and exploring a new island and a new culture, both in terms of physical pleasure and intellectual stimulation. Taking a four mile hike in your local woods may be good exercise, but it isn't the equivalent of hiking a kilometer through the palm trees and sitting down with the village elders around a kava bowl and discussing their lives and ours and the state of the world as seen through their eyes.

I'm approaching 83 now, and the end of my long range cruising days is nearing. Had I waited till I was 70 to depart, well, I likely wouldn't have done so at all... or at least my scope of travel would have been far smaller than it has actually been. That would have been a great loss to me, so I can't agree that such a life schedule is right for someone with the wanderlust in their soul or curiosity in their mind... qualities common to cruisers.

Finally, just as you have experienced, my working life as a physicist in a major research laboratory was challenging, stimulating and rewarding. I had the pleasure of working with some extremely bright folks on difficult projects some of which had major impacts on the defense of our country. None the less, I was happy to exit the security gate for the last time and segue into the second half of my life. I have not once regretted that step despite missing some of the friends and their exceptional minds at times. New friends with different qualities have taken their place, just as I expected.

So, we all recognize that your choices have been good for you, that you find your life rewarding, and that you may in time join us as cruisers (as we recognize the term). In the interim, I disagree with your advice that we shouldn't retire young and go cruising.

'Nuff said...

Jim

Glad it worked out for you Jim.

Btw, I've hiked through the palm trees ....actually my 2X weekly 3-5 mile runs took me by them when I was living on the Gulf Coast.

As far as hanging with the village elders, I have enough time listening to do from my techs that I don't really desire to do that sort of thing although I do at times hang out with the "village" elders I used to work for if I sail far enough north.

See photo below for an example of the primitive tools we used to use to prepare the fields for soybeans, wheat, and rye. (now days most of the elder's son's have huge air conditioned John Deeres with GPS and internet!)

The peace and quiet is good enough which I know will change when I'm not around so many that I have to listen too each day.

As far as crossing oceans, maybe I can work up to that, but at this point, I have trouble enough with the slowness of trying to get 35 miles up the bay on day one without getting really bored.

I guess it's where I was so used to racing where you always seem to be making adjustments or changing strategy during a race.

I have noticed though that after being out a few days the sail back is usually pretty easy and I don't get bored, but I'm usually sailing at dawn if the wind is up and now that I know some good spots I can be sailing back to the SSE with a sometimes strong SW wind

Btw this video shows what the local village elder's sons are using these days to plow with at least near here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRkBnX55BwE&t=45s

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by dannc

I think those are many reasons why people have to leave cruising but I would not view those issues as making their attempt at cruising unsuccessful. Number 3 and 4 I would think are the big issues that end cruising, or at least the ones with the most weight when making the decision to return to land, and that would be the end of a successful cruising lifestyle.

We know two women who ended their cruising life due to issues with the partners on the boat. But does that count as a successful or unsuccessful end to the lifestyle? One of the women is still traveling and "cruising" but on land. She travels around the world house sitting, so in effect, she is still "cruising," just not by boat.

Later,
Dan

Dan,
I agree with not using the judgemental word successful or unsuccessful. The reasons I gave I believe are common reasons that cruises end. They will be likely what causes us to stop, but that's after more than 10 years+ and many miles. We'll see.

[mako]

Originally Posted by Belezar

I don’t regret early retirement for a minute. No one ever died saying they wished that they had spent more time at work.

They say, on your deathbed, you never wish you spent more time at the office. But I will. Gotta be a lot better than a deathbed. - Michael Scott

[theDangerz]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

It is abundantly clear that your personal value set is different than mine, and that of many of the other CF cruisers as well.

I'm not challenging your position in life or your values, but I do challenge your assumption that they apply to all the rest of us.

Jim

Well said Jim and well tried.

It's like watching the man who just sailed around the world trying to explain to the stubborn man on shore that the word isn't actually flat...
Except in this case I think he actually knows the world is round... he just doesn't believe that there's anything of value to see/do/learn/experience outside of his own radius.

Why leave the fishbowl if you feel like the stagnant water's just fine?

Sadly, I think it's the same for many in our society. The security/comfort of home and the known/safe is far too easy to settle into and once you have - it's hard to risk trying anything new for fear of failing (or maybe even worse, having to admit that others were right all along and you've been wasting the one thing we can never buy more of...).

[inchcailloch]

Can you take a year's sabbatical? That will either give you the bug or let you decide otherwise

[contrail]

Some people love going to the zoo. Of these, some are inspired to get out in nature. And, some others mistake the zoo for nature.

[dannc]

Originally Posted by contrail

Some people love going to the zoo. Of these, some are inspired to get out in nature. And, some others mistake the zoo for nature.

[thomm225]

I'm not quite sure why it is that if a person doesn't retire early to go cruising some think he doesn't believe there is anything of value to see/do/learn/experience outside of his own radius.

As I said, I've been on the water most of my life and have lived for many years in parts of the US where folks actually cruise to which allowed me to learn about what cruisers do when I was at a younger age

So, I know there's no rush to do that.

As far as learning, my job is changing rapidly these days. It used to be we just had to know electrical and electronic systems, then we also had to learn and know computers (computer systems and some software), now its all the above plus cyber security.

That quite a bit of learning I'd say.

Also I'm thinking at 69/70 years of age, I'll be more prepared for the slow lifestyle of cruising and not get quite at bored stuck at anchor some place. (or sailing long distance)

Then there are a few more things I have to take care of before then so luckily I live in a prime sailing/cruising area where on any Thursday or Friday afternoon I can stop by the boat on the way home and be out cruising for the weekend. or add a few more days and stay out longer.

Then there's the hunting and hiking. My home is in a rural area which is perfect for that so when I'm not cruising, I'll be doing that along with a few other things.

Back in the day, it was power boats for fishing/skiing and the hunting was with shotgun and rifle. Now it's a sailboat and hunting with a bow.

Variety is the spice of life............

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

No, not everyone is like that, Thom... and I'm one that is not. Forced by Covid to remain in Tasmania the past winter I renewed my earlier conviction that I hate cold, wet and dark days, find no beauty in them and longed for the end of the season.

It was the first winter in 34 years that I had not been in or very near the tropics. The way things look now, next winter may well be the second...

Damn.

Jim

Can’t you go north this coming winter, or is interstate travel still banned? We’re planning to come over to spend the winter in Queensland, then if we don’t come back to NZ we may spend the summer in Tasmania. Or is that not possible due to Covid restrictions?