I fulfilled my dream from '78-'83 at 27-32 yrs....sailed the
Bahamas and
Caribbean on my 10 yr old
morgan sloop...with a new 15hp
yanmar I installed myself along with a complete
refit...no frig/freezer, no hot
water, no
loran ,
gps didn't exist,., no
AIS, no
epirb, no tv, no ham
radio, no
watermaker,..
computers on boats didn't exist...only
electronics was a 200ft
depth sounder and a
vhf, and
ssb receiver for wx...thorny path , island hopped all the way down to Bequia and back to Ft Laud. EP and DR the whole way...successfully!
MAN...I am way happy I did it in my prime!!!! I
sold everything I owned... my boat payment was 228$ month...my average month
money spent with my boat payment was around $725 total.....50lbs of ice lasted 10 days in my self improved box, in the tropics...insurance was like 140$ for the year! for 3 years before I left I worked in the sailboat industry in Fl. I worked, built, slept, dreamt, studied, delivered, commissioned, rigged and sailed sailboats for the equivalent of a PHD...Sailboats were my entire life...I worked in the USVI's as a
captain, I worked on a 52 Cat out of
St Martin...worked as rigger in St Thomas...and ..more...It was great!...If you saw me now you would say I am in very good shape...But the physical aches and pains of advancing age are catching up...I am hoping the all knowing will grant me the years to do it again..I will have enough to live on my boat;.. off my SS in 21 months...I have acquired and paid for the vessel of my dreams...I shall sell everything I have ...and once again embark on the same path...