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Old 24-03-2017, 05:05   #16
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Re: Did you get rid of "everything"

1994 - sold house (8,000sq.ft stone barn) "as is" including all contents of garage (3 cars, 3 motor cycles, one tractor, snow blower) and house with all furniture..... took my clothes and family photos and left. Since then I have not owned anything that is not on the boat ..... Should have done it sooner
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Old 24-03-2017, 06:00   #17
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Re: Did you get rid of "everything"

We never got rid of things in order to move aboard. We moved aboard just out of college when all we owned would fit in the trunk of a small car.

There's a great freedom in non-ownership!

We just moved to shore in our seventies due to some physical limitations and we're finding that there's some adventure in having stuff too! Two months ago we bought the first piece of furniture ever. 'had to have a bed.
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Old 24-03-2017, 06:23   #18
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Did you get rid of "everything"

35 years of being married, you accumulate things, a lot of junk, and some items that are not replaceable, I will not sell the fine China and crystal we bought in Germany, the collectible firearms I have accumulated and some inherited, nor our antique furniture, china cabinet and dining room table set my Father bought us etc.
Much will be stored in a hangar with an old airplane, and the good stuff will go into climate controlled storage.
Cruising will just be another stage of our life, there have been a few up until now, and I hope there will be a couple after we swallow the anchor.
Most reach a stage of their life when cruising ends, when that happens we want to have some of our old stuff we accumulated when we were young and have fond memories.
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Old 24-03-2017, 06:48   #19
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Re: Did you get rid of "everything"

Well we made a choice to get rid of it all. We did, however, ship family heirlooms and legacies to Jims kids in Holland but the rest is gone.

Storing stuff takes money. So we could work a few more years to save money to store stuff or go now.
We chose now.

Obviously everyone has their own attitude about stuff. For me, my memories are not contained in stuff so I owned very little when I met Jim. He found it harder to let stuff go, but so far, he hasn't missed anything.

You can't mitigate regrett. There is always something you could not forsee. Just make the best choice you can now. That's all you can ever do!
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Old 24-03-2017, 08:00   #20
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Re: Did you get rid of "everything"

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Originally Posted by a64pilot View Post
35 years of being married, you accumulate things, a lot of junk, and some items that are not replaceable, I will not sell the fine China and crystal we bought in Germany, .....................
This reminds me of some Samsonite luggage that was left in my in-laws' attic for thirty years. This luggage contained a fancy 12 piece setting of dinnerware that my wife received from her parents before we met, before she left for college, and before I talked her into moving aboard a sailboat.

We gave this 30 year old and never used china to our Daughter when she married and it was then used once for a family Thanksgiving dinner before our Daughter sold it on ebay and she moved aboard a boat with her family.

Someone received a once used forty year old setting for twelve.
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Old 24-03-2017, 08:55   #21
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Re: Did you get rid of "everything"

I moved aboard nine months ago, I started trading junk I owned for money two years earlier, sold my house and rented a furnished apartment. Buy nothing that can't fit/isn't useful on your boat. My apartment was evacuated due to wildfire. I looked around at what I still owned and asked myself 'what do I really need'? Grabbed my laptop, passport, one change of clothes and left. Sold my car after I loaded essentials on the boat. I own nothing that isn't aboard.
Back to the real world? I find I like the freedom of renting, and freedom from possessions, possessing me. Cash I can use anytime, anywhere. Limited edition Elvis collector plates? Not so much.
YMMV.

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Old 24-03-2017, 08:55   #22
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Re: Did you get rid of "everything"

We are in the process of going live-aboard this fall. We have been through "leaving" before as we left here to go overseas for 14 years and then left everything there to return to the US 16 years ago. We live in a small townhouse and are not collectors or hoarders, but it's amazing how much you can accumulate over the years. In preparation for selling the house we are sorting through everything. It's definitely a process and takes a lot of energy and emotion. I have distributed all of my "sentimental valuables" among my children. I know that is far better than laying in storage, and I will see these items again. Household items are being paired down to the basics that we will need on the boat and a few things (small memorabilia, a few winter clothes, and maybe a few kitchen items) will be stored in a shed at our daughters' home. Most everything else will be donated/given away. We are looking forward to the freedom of being unencumbered by "things" as we set off for warmer climate (don't need so many clothes), new adventures, and new friends. We are also getting rid of our car. If, or when, we do return to land we will set up with whatever small accommodations we need (possibly just an RV) and will never need a houseful of furnishings again. It is liberating, but it does take time and we found we need to do it incrementally so we can deal with the separations along the way. It's not the same for everyone, but this is working for us.
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Old 24-03-2017, 09:04   #23
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Re: Did you get rid of "everything"

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Originally Posted by Teknishn View Post
Suijin brings up a very good point here. What happens when you must move ashore either for health reasons, relationships, serious boat damage, you name it.

Most of the posts that I have seen here on CF since I've joined last year all talk about moving aboard (myself included). But what happens if you have to, want to, return to a land-based lifestyle? I only remember seeing one recent post concerning life after cruising (but I am sure there are more in older posts). So, Thank You Suijin, you've given me a reality check that one needs to consider.

I personally don't have much "stuff" as I am moving from overseas back to the States with nothing more than a backpack (sans laptop now...Thank You US Gov. ). However, I can see a lot of justification for keeping some things in storage for the "what if's" should one have to move ashore again. Just more food for thought when planning for the future....
I like this perspective on considering this very question. We did move aboard and sailed/lived for a decade overseas. We sold the house and all the furniture in it along with most of my larger power tools (that was a minor mistake).

We did keep our real estate holdings and in one of the buildings I carved out a storage area for our more treasured belongings. We had traveled a lot before the "big trip" and had lots of little reminders with special meanings, lots of books (classics and rare) and lots of artwork etc.

After 3 years we ended up in New Zealand where we obtained residency and put our girls in school. On a business trip back to Alaska I arranged to have all that "stuff" sent down. It was like Christmas opening up those boxes and although a bit on the expensive side putting those items in our new home in NZ made it really feel like home.

7 years later we moved back to the States for a number of reasons which I do not regret at all. This time we hired a 20' container and sent what had been accumulated in NZ back after a BIG GARAGE SALE. Now out home has a twenty years worth of history and it's nice to look back over all those memories and tell stories through all those small little items.

REGRET? I should have stored all the big stuff we gave away. Tools first-table saw (2000 sold for probably 500) and lots of stuff like that. All the sports gear, bikes, kayaks, skis, winter wear, Jeep, etc. Perhaps even some of the furniture.

The truth is most all new live aboard cruisers return to land at some point. That would be an interesting survey. The math is pretty straight forward, value of replacing items with storage costs for a given period of time. The sentimental value something different.

So there you go, food for thought :-)
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Old 24-03-2017, 09:39   #24
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Re: Did you get rid of "everything"

We still have three years, one month, and seven days to go, but we sold our house (closing was a few days ago) and have moved into an apartment to keep stashing away money in the interim. As an added bonus, it gives us the freedom to say "the heck with it" if we decide to be fiscally irresponsible and leave early. We got rid of a ton of stuff via Craig's List, Goodwill and a dumpster when we sold the house.

For us, spending money on a storage unit didn't make sense so we're going to get rid of everything except for a maximum of one box each. Those two boxes will go to Mr. cthoops' brother to store in his basement until we swallow the anchor.

Honestly, I'm not sure we'll even end up with two boxes. We don't have family heirlooms or priceless antiques. The only things I can imagine keeping are those few sentimental items that aren't photos (because photos can get scanned onto a flash drive).

The plan is to start selling items in the apartment on Craig's List and donating to Goodwill about two months before we leave. It will simply become emptier, and yes at some point that may mean eating off of paper plates and using plastic utensils and cups. So be it.

As for the car? By then it will be 15 years old but it's a reliable brand. Based on the experience I had selling my old Toyota Corolla, an advertisement on Craig's List for $500 should take care of it within 24 hours. Sign the title at the marina, cancel the plates and insurance online, and voila. We're off.

Getting rid of "everything" isn't difficult if you're not particularly attached to things.
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Old 24-03-2017, 09:45   #25
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Re: Did you get rid of "everything"

Doesn't it all boil down to your personality type?

I walk away from most things without a second thought. I carry a few things from place to place with me.

My husband reluctantly parts with a repaired tool somebody's grandfather tossed at him 40 years ago and then when he needs it 15 years from now will point at me with the most accusatory look and tell me "I toldyou I would need that tool!!!!"

I'm not right or wrong, neither is he. I really think it's just how you're hard wired.

I'm in the camp, if it's bothering you to keep it, get rid of it. If it's bothering you to leave it behind, find someone's attic or basement to store stuff in.

(PS. We rented our house because the real estate market hadn't recovered yet and we store stuff in the garage - it's working out fine.)
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Old 24-03-2017, 09:57   #26
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Re: Did you get rid of "everything"

We haven't gotten to the point of "selling everything" but we've started selling things that we won't have use for regardless of moving onto a boat or not

The biggest change we've made is committing to not buying anything that can't/won't move onto a boat.

The plan for furniture is to try to sell for a reasonable value and if we can't, then it'll go to a family member to use and we'll get it back if/when we're done boating and the furniture is still in reasonable condition.
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Old 24-03-2017, 10:06   #27
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Re: Did you get rid of "everything"

When we moved out of our land house we sold, gave or donated most of our stuff. We held back the family items (photos, heirlooms, etc), plus enough basic household things so that we could set up house again cheaply if our boat sinks or we get bored with the water life.

We bought a 14’ enclosed trailer and use it to store all this stuff. It sits on a friend’s farm (for free), stuck in their back-40. I’ve already forgotten most of what’s in there, but it is/was a nice safety blanket in case we want to return to a land home.
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Old 24-03-2017, 10:06   #28
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Re: Did you get rid of "everything"

Books, tools and personal papers (those that did not go with me), photos, and art, were all securely packaged, and went with relatives (that is another story -a cautionary tale), while "stuff" was disposed of in various was. They all was quite a while back, but I do not know why the process would have changed.
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Old 24-03-2017, 10:38   #29
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Re: Did you get rid of "everything"

One way to look at moving onboard is to see this event as a rite of passage. Thus, a great opportunity to get rid of the old. Be it that shoebox-size sculpture, people in your family that drag you down, or old sex toys (dispose of all the batteries at your local green point, remove the engines and sell the metals on scrap AND place the remaining plastic in the yellow 'plastics' container). Marie Kondo way.

Then again the above is only one of many ways to look at it all. For why not take all the things from your shore life and have them around in you new, floating, junkyard ... errrr, home, that is.

So I think there is neither do not don't do in this case. Listen to your heart and act accordingly: it is your life, your possessions and your boat!

PS We did get rid of plenty. We never looked back EXCEPT for selling our apartment which in a retrospective look we think we should have kept.

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Old 24-03-2017, 10:48   #30
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Re: Did you get rid of "everything"

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Doesn't it all boil down to your personality type?

I walk away from most things without a second thought. I carry a few things from place to place with me.

My husband reluctantly parts with a repaired tool somebody's grandfather tossed at him 40 years ago and then when he needs it 15 years from now will point at me with the most accusatory look and tell me "I toldyou I would need that tool!!!!"

I'm not right or wrong, neither is he. I really think it's just how you're hard wired.
Makes me giggle. This is very much me and Jim. Even now we have stuff on board that Jim couldn't part with but is just old junk to me. But I couldn't argue with him because he feels so much of himself is wrapped in that stuff. Asking him to change would be asking him to be different than the man I love.
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