Cruisers Forum
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 06-04-2015, 22:26   #61
Registered User

Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: San Francisco Bay area
Boat: Condor Trimaran 30 foot
Posts: 1,501
Re: Quit your job and live on a boat in the Caribbean

Met a man recently and we discussed wives and offshore boating. He said he no longer has a problem with his wife and that topic. I said, "great"! He replied, "no you misunderstood me." Please explain, I implored. He responded that he no longer had a problem with her and sailing because now she refused to ever set foot on his multihull again. He had taken her out in some pretty rough water and she became violently sea sick. He had tried to push her too fast. He said, and I quote, " blew it with her. I pushed her to quickly!"


We are all wired so differently. The Pacific Ocean is a complete misnomer of a name. I totally get your passion for the lifestyle. It is even cooler that you have a kitten who likes the catnip you are tripping on. You need to develop skills that can not be taught in classes before risking your fair woman's life on such a lark. Dismasting, collisions with large objects, weather, equipment failure, unexpected abscessed teeth, injuries at sea...the list is endless. Maybe she is willing to just dive in and accept the consequences...but can you imagine, that in your zest to become blue water experienced, some dreadful thing happens to her or the both of you?
Have you ever seen the movie "White Squall" with Jeff Bridges? A true story that happened near the Galapagos islands on a multi masted many tonned Schooner. A squall line that drove a very large wall of water that capsized and sank his boat. Lives were lost with students ...and his wife. It is not like trying to get your 4X4 through the Rubicon. Watch it...it is a great movie.


I have a Hayabusa that I can get up to 160 mph at Infineon after the carousel. I can scape my elbow sliding it around the corners. But when I have my wife on the back for trip into the City I just give her a little taste of the monster only when I know there is no risk to her. If I crater in...that is one thing. But to ruin her life or physical beauty due to the "need" in me....well, that is unacceptable.


Look, I am not trying to wet blanket you. I think you are a good man who is dying to start a different life. You obviously are doing all of the right things to expand your horizons and prepare for the next phase. You are blessed to be able to make the kind of money you do and I am sure you worked very hard and long hours to make it to where you are.


Maybe it is my age...but life has taught me (more than once) that life is capricious. We never know what is coming around that corner sort of thing. Would it not be just a little bit more sane to take a long charter in the Caribbean where there are plenty of places to hide from fronts, or get medical attention, or mechanical issues resolved if something goes wrong? I know Sunsail has plenty of boats all over this blessed planet that you can really get a feel for skill level versus environment. Your lady will bless your name...I assure you.


I recently read an article of a seasoned crew trying to come down the coast from Seattle on a well found boat. All the crew were experienced and most of them badly seasick. If I recall correctly there were 25-35 knot wind on the nose and 10-12 foot seas. There are some seriously experienced sailors who have had their hats handed to them. Build your experience in stages and you won't be sorry for it.
alansmith is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-04-2015, 22:50   #62
Captain - s.v. Lastly Liberty
 
ThomasWeiss's Avatar

Cruisers Forum Supporter

Join Date: Apr 2015
Boat: Catalina 25
Posts: 57
Send a message via Skype™ to ThomasWeiss
Re: Quit your job and live on a boat in the Caribbean

Quote:
Have you ever seen the movie "White Squall" with Jeff Bridges? A true story that happened near the Galapagos islands on a multi masted many tonned Schooner. A squall line that drove a very large wall of water that capsized and sank his boat. Lives were lost with students ...and his wife. It is not like trying to get your 4X4 through the Rubicon.
It's not even close to a true story actually; It's highly fictionalized and almost anyone familiar with that situation will tell you the reason it went over was due to the ship being refit with far too much sail area and not enough hull to stabilize her. A typical coastal storm could have knocked her down. Needless to say I didn't reply to argue over that vessels fate and yes, the sea can and will be a dangerous place. That being said, driving a car, flying in a airplane, and walking down a street in the wrong part of town can be dangerous but would you also advise against doing those activities?

Maybe his wife is just as excited to do this as he is, maybe even more so. I can only speak for myself, but it seems pretty evident this is something he's interested in doing, as am I. I really don't see the need to bring up blue water emergencies as he's interested in the Caribbean and it's been correctly reported numerous times that it's mainly quick daysails with one or two overnights throughout the trip (if he decides to go that far in the first place). Again, I don't mean to come off as hostile, but I just can't comprehend why some of the posters on these forums seem so against doing something you want to do.

To close out, you're right life is capricious, so instead of waiting for the inevitable and mediocre end to it why not enjoy it now? He has the money, the health, the desire, and is working on acquiring the know-how. If you were in the same situation would you not follow the same course? Again, no offense intended, I'm simply trying to provide a valid counterargument on the subject.


-Thomas
ThomasWeiss is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-04-2015, 23:00   #63
Registered User

Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 18
Re: Quit your job and live on a boat in the Caribbean

Yes, I saw that movie, it's one of my all time favorites. I apologize for the misunderstanding here, but my intention was not to embark on an offshore passage with my wife. I was thinking about doing this as an inexperienced crew member, along with a skilled captain and crew.

But perhaps as someone else suggested already, I would be learning so much more in shorter costal passages. Or simply just sailing every day for 4 weeks here in the San Francisco bay, where we're blessed with 20+ knots of wind every afternoon April through September. Nasty currents, lots of traffic, tricky anchorages... It should be the perfect place to learn. As opposed to spend 2+ weeks sailing downwind to Hawaii and 4 weeks and 2 tacks sailing upwind back to the bay...
brn4adv is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-04-2015, 07:04   #64
Registered User
 
osirissail's Avatar

Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: A real life Zombie from FL
Boat: Gulfstar 53 - Osiris
Posts: 5,416
Images: 2
Re: Quit your job and live on a boat in the Caribbean

Quote:
Originally Posted by brn4adv View Post
Thanks for the encouraging words . . .

There are no trails or tracks to be ridden on motorcycles on the islands!

What I think I would be doing in the Caribbean is: kiteboarding (the passion I share with my wife), sailing, snorkeling, swimming, fishing, reading and, of course, fixing the boat. . .
Au contraire, on many if not all the Caribbean Islands I have visited, which is about 3/4's of them - there are ample and abundant places, roads, paths, etc. that a motorcycle could offer some excellent adventure. But I am not talking about big "Hogs" type bikes but more compact or mid-sized bikes that are both maneuverable and nimble.

What is available could not really be termed an established bike path but more like primitive roads and such, that wind up into the volcanic and other mountains and hills used by the local farmers and growers. I would venture that a nimble bike would offer much easier access to some superior exploration and adventure. First, in my mind is the island of Dominica which is a very agricultural and is generally off the "tourist" list. But if you do have a large "Hog" type bike, the French Islands are insanely passionate about that type bike.

Then there is Kite-boarding. Here are some photos I took during a visit to one of my favorite sand spit of an island called "Mopion Island" or locally as "Honeymoon Hut" island. It is located about a half mile NW of Petite St Vincent (PSV) in the Grenadines. A favorite of Kiters as you can launch from the sand and then "fly" up and over the circular reef that surrounds the island. But you had better be good or you will be covered in blood and scratches from crashing into the reef. Definitely not for beginners. . .
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	Grenada PSVKiteBoarders5401.jpg
Views:	274
Size:	209.5 KB
ID:	100088   Click image for larger version

Name:	Grenada PSVKIteBoarders5404.jpg
Views:	150
Size:	367.0 KB
ID:	100089  

Click image for larger version

Name:	Grenada PSVKiteBoarders5411.jpg
Views:	258
Size:	358.6 KB
ID:	100090   Click image for larger version

Name:	Grenada PSVMopion5384.jpg
Views:	232
Size:	418.7 KB
ID:	100091  

osirissail is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-04-2015, 07:19   #65
Registered User

Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 18
Re: Quit your job and live on a boat in the Caribbean

Yes! I've been there last year! Great place for snorkeling too!

So regarding the boat I'm looking into the Lagoon 380. I saw the 39 and I really like the interiors, although the mast seems a little bit weird in that position...

Any advice on these 2 boats?

Thanks!
brn4adv is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-04-2015, 07:22   #66
Registered User
 
NorthernSeaWolf's Avatar

Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Bowen Island, BC
Posts: 107
Re: Quit your job and live on a boat in the Caribbean

I did read all the posts, but my brain is still stuck on $700K.

I'd be so gone by now~

NorthernSeaWolf is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-04-2015, 07:36   #67
Registered User
 
Mike OReilly's Avatar

Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Good question
Boat: Rafiki 37
Posts: 14,131
Re: Quit your job and live on a boat in the Caribbean

Quote:
Originally Posted by NorthernSeaWolf View Post
I did read all the posts, but my brain is still stuck on $700K.

Yes, I saw that too. As me ol' dad used to say: " Sonny, if I had your money I'd throw mine away ;-)".

We're leaving with much less than 1/2 of that, although we are also leaving with a smaller, older, simpler boat, so it probably all comes out in the wash.


Why go fast, when you can go slow
__________________
Why go fast, when you can go slow.
BLOG: www.helplink.com/CLAFC
Mike OReilly is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-04-2015, 08:21   #68
Registered User

Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: between the devil and the deep blue sea
Boat: a sailing boat
Posts: 20,420
Re: Quit your job and live on a boat in the Caribbean

Quote:
Originally Posted by SVJennie View Post

I adamantly disagree with Barnakiel's suggestion: "If I were to go now, I would not. I think 40 and above is not the time to change things. (...)


(...)

Money was never an issue - when we didn't have any, we worked. I taught school in New Zealand and both my wife and I taught school in the Marshall Islands. Ultimately, we had to borrow money to finish the circumnavigation, but once back in the States, worked again and paid it off.

We all make mistakes, but for me going cruising, at any age was not one of them.
That's the beauty of forums vs. s.c. life coaching: we do benefit from how our takes, circumstances and attitudes differ. (Well, I believe this is the case). Your experience leads to your attitudes, my experience led me to mine. There is no disagreement here at all, I think, no clash, just various experiences and various conclusions.

I do hope that future generations of cruisers will live their lives as you had it back in the States: when money runs out, one takes a job ...

Well, here, in the EU, after things got unified there are actually very few jobs that can be taken just like that: people who stay beyond and slave it, keep their jobs, people who drop out and want to come back later to take a job and make some money ... well. I think this trend is only starting.

When I was a young duck, our life here (in the pre-unification EU) was just like that: I wanted some money, I took a job, I quit that job and kept on going till I needed more money. But times change as we change. Too bad for the expiring species of hobo sapiens.

Love,
b.
barnakiel is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-04-2015, 08:26   #69
Registered User
 
osirissail's Avatar

Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: A real life Zombie from FL
Boat: Gulfstar 53 - Osiris
Posts: 5,416
Images: 2
Re: Quit your job and live on a boat in the Caribbean

Quote:
Originally Posted by SV THIRD DAY View Post
DANGER....DANGER....WARNING>>>>
If you want to quash the dream sure, make a big jump to Hawaii with you, your wife, and crew as your Introduction into the Cruising Lifestyle! It's the common mistake of Go Big and scare the **** out of the crew.
Start out easy and don't scare the dream out of your wife and even YOU.
There are cruising couples that cruiser for years without ever make the type of serious crossing like CA to Hawaii. The myth is that most cruisers do the big off shore passages....BS....most cruisers are coastal types that never make more than a few night passage at a time. . . .
+1,000 for this post - Over the two decades of actively cruising on my boat and one of those decades devoted to the Caribbean - IMHO, DO NOT attempt any type of ocean crossing/passage until you have some serious experience in a "well found" boat.

This advice is predicated on the idea that you will be cruising as a couple (more than one person). The biggest and most fatal mistake I have witnessed is eager "newbies" biting off more than they can chew way too early. Many do make their voyage alive but more often than not their "crew" is on the first airliner back to their land home shortly after dropping the anchor. The standing joke in the northern Caribbean Islands is that San Juan International Airport in Puerto Rico makes half their money from wives and significant others jumping ship and flying back to their home country after a nasty crossing from the Bahamas to Puerto Rico.

Take it easy - learn the boat, sail local every chance you can get in it and ** deliberately ** design and plan your voyages to be the best experience you can possibly make it for your partner. You may be impatient to launch out in the wild, blue yonder of water - but don't. Way too many new cruisers set out on potentially tough passages only to get hammered by Mother Nature in ways they are unprepared to deal with beyond just trying to "survive" the experience.

If you consciously plan and prepare and learn and build experience over time, then those "tough" times are endurable without being "the end" of the adventure. After experiencing many wonderful times on the boat, your companion will - when confronted with a nasty experience - remember all the "good" ones and realize that overall the experience is as wonderful as other cruisers tell them. So they will be more willing to "endure" the occasionally "bad" to get to all that is "good" about the cruising lifestyle.
osirissail is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-04-2015, 08:27   #70
Registered User

Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: between the devil and the deep blue sea
Boat: a sailing boat
Posts: 20,420
Re: Quit your job and live on a boat in the Caribbean

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike OReilly View Post

We're leaving with much less than 1/2 of that (...)
We sailed EU to AUS and back on 2.5% of that.

It is not really about the money at this point, I think.

b.
barnakiel is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-04-2015, 08:41   #71
Senior Cruiser

Cruisers Forum Supporter

Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Cruising Indian Ocean / Red Sea - home is Zimbabwe
Boat: V45
Posts: 1,352
Re: Quit your job and live on a boat in the Caribbean

Quote:
Originally Posted by barnakiel View Post
In case of sailors effectively sailing around the world? It is just an impression. Most of those we have met were actually people driving along their very well set up road-plans.

In case of liveaboards, you may be closer to some truth. It seems many liveaboards are people who either did not make it in the society (dropouts, misfits, etc.), or else those who are no longer asked by the society to provide services (retirees, rentiers, etc). Both misfitting and retiring are in fact seen as major life events by many psycho- and sociologists.

We had comfortable lives on shore. We stopped working and went on to sailing and then on to living aboard. There was no "giving up" of jobs or "careers" much as they were seen by others as "well paid". We simply stopped doing what we were doing and started doing something else.

If I were to go now, I would not. I think 40 and above is not the time to change things. Nor do I think that special life events like disappointment in work, family or society are a good reason to start cruising/sailing/starting an organic food business. If your (it is a generic, not personal, your) life, family or society are not like what you want them to be, go ahead and change them. Show what you are made of. Running away is easy, and so repetitive.

15 is too young. 25 is about the best time. At 35 you will know what you want and you will have 15 maybe 25 years to get there. Then you will be old and wise and retired and you will have the second chance. That's to say, if you live that long, and if your health and stamina let you go. For very often, it is too late: you are dead or you are spent.

You do have persistence and you do have sense of humour. That's two assets already. If you add some wise financial decisions and some perseverance, you will have a hell of a time cruising, one day.

Listen to everything. Then make your own decisions. Remember you will not be living our lives, you will be living yours. Look at your circumstances, finances, skills and dreams. Live your life. If you are looking for, you have already given yourself the license to try.

Burn no bridges. Abuse the gaps in the system. Sail your own wind.

b.
My goodness.... you have got it bad. Pigeon holing people - is there a touch of sadness or jealousy here?
We started cruising full time in the mid-90's. It was neither too late nor too soon. It was when we felt ready, and not according to some creed. Our children were born whilst sailing.
The people we have met sailing; all have been very different. Rarely has anyone been nutty - plans vary as well. Some have a two year target whilst others just wander, with others falling inbetween. Good wishes to them all.
Bulawayo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-04-2015, 08:52   #72
Registered User
 
osirissail's Avatar

Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: A real life Zombie from FL
Boat: Gulfstar 53 - Osiris
Posts: 5,416
Images: 2
Re: Quit your job and live on a boat in the Caribbean

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bulawayo View Post
. . . The people we have met sailing; all have been very different. Rarely has anyone been nutty - plans vary as well. Some have a two year target whilst others just wander, with others falling inbetween. Good wishes to them all.
With respect and humor - I would disagree with that assessment - a significant percentage of the active cruisers "out there" that I have encountered have been "nutty" in one or more ways. Just leaving the comparative safety and security of life on land to venture across expanses of ocean, etc. would - IMHO - probably be considered by some as being a bit "nutty."

Then again, in my "world," I gravitate to those who are "not-normal" or "yuck" - average. I find the nutty ones much more exciting and interesting. One of my motto's is "Weird is wonderful." And if nothing else they are not boring. These folks have got some serious interesting yarns and stories.
osirissail is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-04-2015, 08:57   #73
Registered User
 
Muckle Flugga's Avatar

Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Aboard the Ocean wave
Boat: 55' sloop.
Posts: 1,426
Re: Quit your job and live on a boat in the Caribbean

Quote:
Originally Posted by brn4adv View Post
Thank you guys!

The type of boat I would need for the 2 of us plus occasional friends, would be a Lagoon 380, owner's version.

Regarding the financial situation, we have saved about $700K which at the moment return me an average of 6% a year. We don't have debts, other then the house mortgage. But we could easily rent out the house to cover for mortgage.

I was thinking if we buy a Lagoon 380 for about 200/250 cash, and we could live on with 12K a year, we could spend the next 20 years cruising and still have 200K for emergencies and unpredictable expenses.

I forgot to mention, that if I had to, I could probably make $1,000 a month by working remotely for a couple of hours a day as a freelancer, provided that I have a reliable internet connection. Same for my wife.

Would that be enough to take this leap of faith, quite our job and set sails?
If you don't HAVE to sell the house (I think you suggested elsewhere you were considering it) then DEFINITELY DO NOT. I have met plenty who have, and who have found it hard to return to shore, and stunned by the fact that their cash cannot keep pace with inflation as a property usually naturally does.

Further, you are, it seems, discussing buying a new or nearly new boat. I wonder why? There is a striking depreciation curve with new craft and believe me when I tell you that new does not mean problem free. In fact new generally means snagging to come, often not especially robust construction (the bearings on the rudders of those French cats can be a treat for all the wrong reasons, for example), and with zero equipment and spares which are expensive, and which you will need. I say that buying a new boat is like lighting a really nice happy bonfire with hundreds of thousands of dollars. There are HUNDREDS of absolutely super excellent blue water cruising sailboats out there of the 15 years plus vintage (my favorites tend to be more than 20) often in very good condition with owners who have added all kinds of incredibly useful and otherwise highly expensive mods, hanging on the market for the simple reason that there are more boats around than potential buyers. Remember brokerage is ALWAYS a buyers market. And by the way, adding equipment to a yacht adds ZERO to its resale value. So you can pick up a Hylas or Hinckley or Hallberg Rassy or Swan, or Oyster or Moody or one of the very good older Jeanneaus or similar for significantly less than you are thinking of burning on your new French plastic fantastic, and you will likely, if you look hard enough, end up with a whole lot better, more seacapable boat, with acres of spares and other equipment it would nearly double your current outlay to get if you bought them all piecemeal. And to boot, the depreciation on resale of such a boat would likely be FAR less steep. Take your time, shop around, research well before handing over a sizeable chunk of your hard earned fortune to a dealer, half of which will simply vanish into thin air in the first few years of ownership. Finding the depreciation curve of a boat can be as easy as looking what is on the market, and seeing where the curve on a particular model or class flattens out. Of course older boats may have their problems, but do not fool yourself into thinking new ones do not. Nothing could be further from the truth!
Muckle Flugga is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-04-2015, 09:31   #74
Eternal Member
 
monte's Avatar

Cruisers Forum Supporter

Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Australia
Boat: Lagoon 400
Posts: 3,650
Images: 1
Re: Quit your job and live on a boat in the Caribbean

I have exactly the opposite experience after buying two new French cats in pretty much every comment above.
As for the ops question, there's a pretty good thread on here comparing the L380,39 and 400. In short the 380 has similar accommodation to the 39 and similar sail area. The 400 a bit more and a bit more payload. The 380 is 7t, 39 11t and 400 10t. From those figures I'd guess the 39 would be a bit slower and talking with Django on here who has spent a bit of time on both I think he agrees and could shed some more light on the differences.
monte is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-04-2015, 10:22   #75
Registered User

Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: San Francisco Bay area
Boat: Condor Trimaran 30 foot
Posts: 1,501
Re: Quit your job and live on a boat in the Caribbean

If I had the money I would buy Chris White design Juniper II for sale in Florida in a hearbeat if I had 200 k...She is a large schooner rigged tri. Not a sweeter boat on the planet...of course my opinion...


Yachtingworld.com...put in Chris white trimaran...best bang for the buck on the planet....
alansmith is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
Caribbean, rib

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
How to showcase your boat or Bumfuzzles quit sailing avb3 Our Community 32 02-02-2014 06:04
It's Official - 2010 Is 'Quit Being a Mariner and Start Being a Sailor Again' Michael D Meets & Greets 2 19-10-2009 15:59
Looking for Crew Job / Boat Tender / Delivery Job livingsoon Meets & Greets 1 01-10-2009 14:32
Found a Cool Job in Bahamas, Live Aboard PilotJesse General Sailing Forum 1 08-08-2009 16:18
Need location to live for job until I sell house Doghouse Liveaboard's Forum 0 15-03-2009 19:51

Advertise Here


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 22:46.


Google+
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Social Knowledge Networks
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.

ShowCase vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.