Cruising in your mid-50's stories - did it happen/didn't it happen?

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

The house closes in 18 days so weather depending we leave in 19 days. We don't need no house to return to! I've been lots of places and know that there are houses to buy everywhere you go.

Congrats. However the long range weather forcast for 2.5 weeks time is: Rain, freezing rain, sleet, slushy icy rainy ****, with associated clouds, thunderstorms and God aimed lighning bolts.

It fines up in 2 months.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Congrats. However the long range weather forcast for 2.5 weeks time is: Rain, freezing rain, sleet, slushy icy rainy ****, with associated clouds, thunderstorms and God aimed lighning bolts.

It fines up in 2 months.

That's normal and OK to non Aussie wuzzies

[shantycrew]

Hey Boatman 61, that price of 60,000 would have been about twice what we paid for Picaroon. I'm not sure what we spent getting her shipshape but it was nowhere near 10,000. in fact our money dwindled due to general living and the inevitable costs of Marinas, fuel and ongoing maintenance over three years with only my English state pension as income. So it was a bit like Dickens said, income 19 shillings and sixpence, expenditure 1 pound etc. And to reply to Bulawayo well we're not sure of the future, we just need to sell the boat and take it from there, I think we had our adventure, but as for the end of our sailing, I don't think thats over we may just get into chartering for a couple of weeks and not have the liability of looking after your own boat.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by shantycrew

Hey Boatman 61, that price of 60,000 would have been about twice what we paid for Picaroon. I'm not sure what we spent getting her shipshape but it was nowhere near 10,000. in fact our money dwindled due to general living and the inevitable costs of Marinas, fuel and ongoing maintenance over three years with only my English state pension as income. So it was a bit like Dickens said, income 19 shillings and sixpence, expenditure 1 pound etc. And to reply to Bulawayo well we're not sure of the future, we just need to sell the boat and take it from there, I think we had our adventure, but as for the end of our sailing, I don't think thats over we may just get into chartering for a couple of weeks and not have the liability of looking after your own boat.

Ahhh..!! Marina's will cripple you every time.. I'm lucky.. here in Portugal my 39ftr costs me 1700euro/yr so manageable on my reduced state pension.. enough change for food, rollies and beer.. if I sail anywhere I only stop when I get to anchorages..

[Bulawayo]

Good luck and best wishes. We remember only too well how tough life can be when your only asset is your boat and cash is low. We were fortunate tho' and the sun came up for us shortly after. Hope it does for you guys as well.

Originally Posted by shantycrew

Hey Boatman 61, that price of 60,000 would have been about twice what we paid for Picaroon. I'm not sure what we spent getting her shipshape but it was nowhere near 10,000. in fact our money dwindled due to general living and the inevitable costs of Marinas, fuel and ongoing maintenance over three years with only my English state pension as income. So it was a bit like Dickens said, income 19 shillings and sixpence, expenditure 1 pound etc. And to reply to Bulawayo well we're not sure of the future, we just need to sell the boat and take it from there, I think we had our adventure, but as for the end of our sailing, I don't think thats over we may just get into chartering for a couple of weeks and not have the liability of looking after your own boat.

[Zven]

Originally Posted by Bulawayo

Good luck and best wishes. We remember only too well how tough life can be when your only asset is your boat and cash is low....

That is still a better position than a lot of people are in: More debts than assets, and no boat.

Sent from my SM-T805 using Tapatalk

[Bulawayo]

You are right Zven. That is one of the merits of cruising; removing oneself from the constant demands of upgrading cars/houses/toys/holidays etc and of the temptations to take out readily available loans. To be free of debt / loans etc and the ravages of financing in the current world. I dont understand the point of buying a boat on a mortgage to go cruising as there is still that link.
Boats like Delos did start out with a boat mortgage and Brian paid this off over the next few years by working from the boat but I would guess this is an exception rather than the rule.
We were also fortunate. We left Durban in 1995 with US$2000 (thank you, President Mugabe) but a boat loaded with months of food stuff and spares. Now we are totally financially independent, have four great kids and have upgraded our boat several times.

Originally Posted by Zven

That is still a better position than a lot of people are in: More debts than assets, and no boat.

Sent from my SM-T805 using Tapatalk

[shantycrew]

I said we spent money in marinas but we actually tried our best to avoid them. We had a windlass breakdown in Port Antonio in Jamaica which put us on the dock for almost 4 weeks there, that was expensive but even anchored in the bay they charge $15 per day. Waiting for a window to cross the windward passage to Haiti ate money even after we got the windlass fixed. Marina in Salinas DR to escape Erica for a couple of days, and a couple of days in Casa de Campo in the DR, which was quite reasonable actually. So all in all not many marinas in three years, oh and mooring balls in the BVI, at $30 a night as you couldn,t anchor. Oh and they charged us to anchor in Santiago bay. Thought I would just clarify that for boatman 61

[ccannan]

Where in Portugal does a marina only charge €1700/yr for a 39 foot bost?

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by shantycrew

I said we spent money in marinas but we actually tried our best to avoid them. We had a windlass breakdown in Port Antonio in Jamaica which put us on the dock for almost 4 weeks there, that was expensive but even anchored in the bay they charge $15 per day. Waiting for a window to cross the windward passage to Haiti ate money even after we got the windlass fixed. Marina in Salinas DR to escape Erica for a couple of days, and a couple of days in Casa de Campo in the DR, which was quite reasonable actually. So all in all not many marinas in three years, oh and mooring balls in the BVI, at $30 a night as you couldn,t anchor. Oh and they charged us to anchor in Santiago bay. Thought I would just clarify that for boatman 61

Hey.. not knocking you Shanty.. I know full well its not easy.. been up and down a few times myself.
Also.. the Caribes not cheap.. bought a boat in the BVI's and know that there's no way I'd take a boat of mine there.. overcrowded and overpriced.
My current boat for example.. a bargain price which left me 8K euro in the bank to get her home to W Portugal from Malta.. multiple problems from failed hydraulics, batteries, destroyed transmission etc saw me arriving at my base 6K in the red.. a couple of deliveries also fell through (that I'd kinda banked on)..
Loans from a couple of friends helped me get her home.
Taken until this last transat job to get me back in the black again..
Its a tough life choice but.. for me the adventures and good times more than compensate for the pain.

Have you not considered sailing her back to the EU.. pretty sure a foxy looking boat like that would command a better price than in the Caribe..

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by ccannan

Where in Portugal does a marina only charge €1700/yr for a 39 foot bost?

I'm in Fig da Foz on the W coast.. its 2K/yr without discounts.. been my base for 7 years now.
My boats for sale if you want a basic holiday home here...
ahahahahahahhaaaa

[sailorboy1]

[QUOTE=shantycrew;2201697] Waiting for a window to cross the windward passage to Haiti ate money even after we got the windlass fixed. /QUOTE]

Did it really, or did you really just spend money in a different place?

[HalfHitch]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

I retired at 48 and went sailing. Now 8 years later i am 27.


Try it.

FANTASTIC MARK! Succinct and true!

[shantycrew]

[QUOTE=sailorboy1;2201724]

Originally Posted by shantycrew

Waiting for a window to cross the windward passage to Haiti ate money even after we got the windlass fixed. /QUOTE]

Did it really, or did you really just spend money in a different place?

Dont have the log in front of me at the moment but I think it took Us three or four weeks to get a decent window so that was say 30 x 15 dollars which is almost 500 dollars just sitting on anchor, criminal almost. But thats boating.

[sailorboy1]

I think you just spend money in a different place.