Any early retirees turned cruisers with big careers have regrets?

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Yes, why yes it has.

And on that note, people out cruising don't really care if some non cruiser thinks they do it wrong.

If you want leave your couch and be a “real cruiser” just go it. Oh wait that would mean ........

If what you are doing is being a "real cruiser" I'd rather be classified as a non-cruiser. I've been sailing since April until now as usual each year.

How you can spend months and months at a marina along the East Coast and call that "being out there" cruising I'll never know.

If that is what you like though, that's great!

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by theDangerz

IF you do ever decide to leave the sight of shore you'll also get to make the decision at that point whether to outfit your boat with all the tools and technology available

On my regular sail across the lower 20 miles of Chesapeake Bay, I'm out of site of land.

Also when I raced beach cats, we sailed to islands about 15 miles off shore and again out of site of land.

The thing is though, I have VHF so out of site of land doesn't really mean much these days.

In the 70's I didn't have a radio, charts, or a compass on my 14' V boat aluminum boat so when I would be out near Tangier which is 15 miles offshore I/we were totally on our own and had to depend on the old 25 HP Evinrude to get us home ......but at 17 years old you are fearless anyway so it was no big deal.

200 miles offshore is when you join the big boy cruiser's club I'd say but as a non-cruiser I haven't done that yet.

My first goal though will be the Dry Tortugas. Not 200 miles offshore but offshore never the less. A friend of mine sailed down there and said he enjoyed it. He sailed from our dock in Pensacola on his Cape Dory 30C in the late 1990's.

[sailorboy1]

See

[donradcliffe]

I retired at 50 and went RTW for 15 years. Best decision I ever made. My children are successful on their own, not waiting to get a trust fund. I met a woman who said she would like to sail around the world AGAIN.

[theDangerz]

Originally Posted by thomm225

On my regular sail across the lower 20 miles of Chesapeake Bay, I'm out of site of land.

Also when I raced beach cats, we sailed to islands about 15 miles off shore and again out of site of land.

The thing is though, I have VHF so out of site of land doesn't really mean much these days.

In the 70's I didn't have a radio, charts, or a compass on my 14' V boat aluminum boat so when I would be out near Tangier which is 15 miles offshore I/we were totally on our own and had to depend on the old 25 HP Evinrude to get us home ......but at 17 years old you are fearless anyway so it was no big deal.

200 miles offshore is when you join the big boy cruiser's club I'd say but as a non-cruiser I haven't done that yet.

My first goal though will be the Dry Tortugas. Not 200 miles offshore but offshore never the less. A friend of mine sailed down there and said he enjoyed it. He sailed from our dock in Pensacola on his Cape Dory 30C in the late 1990's.

Again, very familiar with your resume but thanks for sharing it yet again.

As stated countless times, sailing far enough away simply to lose sight of land and then turning back around and heading for it... still day sailing, not cruising.

That's fine... to each their own, but the simple fact is that factors and decisions change when you don't know you'll be returning to the foundation, bed and fitted sheets each night.

Not retired early.
Not crusing.
Not valid to the OPs questions and/or this thread.

[Pelagic]

I don't think there is anything wrong with complementing cruising sailors who did it before without :
GPS-/ CHART PLOTTERS/ PREDICT WEATHER /GOOGLE EARTH/ AIS /RADAR/ PREDICTIVE AUTOPILOT/ SAT-COM /SOLAR / INVERTERS/ WATERMAKERS/LITHIUM STORAGE / GENERATORS AND AIRCONS etc etc.....as well as a host of intelligence from active cruisers sharing on social media.

They earned the mantle of "Adventurers' .... inspired us all , including the boating industry to develop this incredible Infrastructure for small craft

Today, I am happy to call myself a Voyager and remember a quote from Bilbo Bagins:
"The trouble with having Adventures, is that they make you late for dinner"

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by theDangerz

As stated countless times, sailing far enough away simply to lose sight of land and then turning back around and heading for it... still day sailing, not cruising.

Why would you want to sail out of site of land then turn around and come back?

I'm not sure I understand why you would do that but maybe after you have sailed more than a couple years you will do it differently

My normal weekend sail takes me about 20 miles across the lower Chesapeake and you end up out of site of land but with VHF not a big deal but at least it's away from the crowds

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

I don't think there is anything wrong with complementing cruising sailors who did it before without :
GPS-/ CHART PLOTTERS/ PREDICT WEATHER /GOOGLE EARTH/ AIS /RADAR/ PREDICTIVE AUTOPILOT/ SAT-COM /SOLAR / INVERTERS/ WATERMAKERS/LITHIUM STORAGE / GENERATORS AND AIRCONS etc etc.....as well as a host of intelligence from active cruisers sharing on social media.

They earned the mantle of "Adventurers' .... inspired us all , including the boating industry to develop this incredible Infrastructure for small craft

Today, I am happy to call myself a Voyager and remember a quote from Bilbo Bagins:
"The trouble with having Adventures, is that they make you late for dinner"

Even sailing/boating along the coast back in the day without anything on the boat as far as comms or navaids (or lights) could turn into quite an adventure.

Those were the days when it was exciting just being able to find an inlet if you had been way offshore and finally seeing a boat coming out marking the spot!

[jtsailjt]

Originally Posted by Paul L

It was the low stress that I was pointing out. Lots of folks make good and large annual incomes. I just don't know anyone with one of these jobs that thinks its low stress. You know the low stress cardiac surgeon, the low stress Colombia River Bar pilot, .....

I just retired from being a wide body airline captain making over $300K for last several years and found it to be an extremely low stress job, plus I only averaged (including vacations and sick time) about 120 days of work per year so lots of time to develop probably too many hobbies and waste time posting on this forum (just kidding). The only stressful part for me was the uncertainty of getting to work. After that I was pretty much on my own and never even met my (on paper) boss. But I know I was extremely fortunate and most jobs with incomes over $250K come with a lot of stress.

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

Today, I am happy to call myself a Voyager and remember a quote from Bilbo Bagins:
"The trouble with having Adventures, is that they make you late for dinner"

BILBO BAGGINS. ARRRRHHHHH

Thanks for the torment

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LR-MSZSLC5w

[Jim Cate]

Until this past year though, I did sail with just charts and GPS then last Spring I built myself a Chart Plotter which also displayed AIS.

My goodness, that puts you right up there with Slocum and the Hiscocks. I can hardly imagine the stress...

Jim

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

My goodness, that puts you right up there with Slocum and the Hiscocks. I can hardly imagine the stress...

Jim

Yeah, I forgot you learned boating/sailing later in life so it probably would stress you out a bit.

I'm back in home waters now and have been on the bay since the early 60's so no stress.

I must say it was exciting to drive a 16' Whirlwind as a 6 year old on idle for 10 miles while the adults drank beer in the back as we headed to Silver Beach from the old Pungoteague Ramp.

I did the same thing in North Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Tennessee, and Alabama.

http://yachtsboatslist.com/other-mak...p-mercury.html

http://yachtsboatslist.com/other-mak...tage-boat.html

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Pu...!4d-75.8135423

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Si...7!4d-75.959564

Tom

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by jtsailjt

I just retired from being a wide body airline captain making over $300K for last several years and found it to be an extremely low stress job, plus I only averaged (including vacations and sick time) about 120 days of work per year so lots of time to develop probably too many hobbies and waste time posting on this forum (just kidding). The only stressful part for me was the uncertainty of getting to work. After that I was pretty much on my own and never even met my (on paper) boss. But I know I was extremely fortunate and most jobs with incomes over $250K come with a lot of stress.

I have a friend who is firefighter and is in her own element when running into the building on fire - comfortable with her skills, training and experience. I guess its similar to flying a wide body jet, or being a cardiac surgeon. You've gotta have an over abundance of confidence to do the job well. Which might just be enough to suppress any sense of stress.

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by Simi 60

BILBO BAGGINS. ARRRRHHHHH

Thanks for the torment

I really wish you hadn't shared that, but I managed to shut it down inside 7 seconds. .... So I should be ok!

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

I really wish you hadn't shared that, but I managed to shut it down inside 7 seconds. .... So I should be ok!

I went into terminal shock - took me 30 seconds to shut it down.

Do I need psychiatric care? A VERY strong shot of rum? Maybe a double? Or even a triple...................................