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Old 18-05-2012, 12:38   #31
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Re: " Honey, Let's Sell the House 'n Live on a Boat !" Three Weeks Later, Here We Ar

Hw,

I think you can get by on $1,000/mo in the eastern Caribbean, if you stay away from marinas, fancy restaurants and don't have a Cuban cigar habit. Oh, and nothing expen$ive breaks on the boat.

Groceries are more expensive here, but you can find inexpensive local produce markets on some of the islands.
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Old 18-05-2012, 12:48   #32
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Re: " Honey, Let's Sell the House 'n Live on a Boat !" Three Weeks Later, Here We Ar

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I just read your profile. I have been teaching Chemistry and Physics for 25 years. Are your children sailors now?
Yes, I enjoyed teaching science for many years, but not working is working for me! My children are thriving in houses. When my daughter first called from her big land house she held the phone to different appliances, "Hear that? That's the dishwasher! Listen to the ice maker! This is the sound my clothes dryer makes! Check out the big growl of my garbage disposal unit!" I guess most children aren't excited about doing their parent's thing. For them, a house is the new frontier.
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Old 18-05-2012, 18:11   #33
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Re: " Honey, Let's Sell the House 'n Live on a Boat !" Three Weeks Later, Here We Ar

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I plan to sail off in to the sunset with my wife in three years. I will have a retirement income of about 1000 a month. My 36' ericson will be paid off with about $25,000 in the bank. Do you think I will be able to cruise on my income? We don't plan on living in marinas and plan to spend the first few years in the Caribbean. Any thoughts would be welcomed.
Thanks Howard
The "I think you can" is probably a clue to find out exactly what your sailing/cruising skills are and what experience you have in cruising and maintaining and repairing your boat.

I would say, sure you can - if - you are a D-I-Y boat person who can operate and repair and maintain your own boat. And your mate (wife/etc.) is a "Mother Earth" kind of person who can cook, clean, and sew and maintain your cruising home with her skills and ingenuity rather than relying on credit cards, shopping malls and mega-stores.

In other words if you both are plain, common sense, and practical living people who shun or don't need the "manufactured worldly" stuff found in the typical North American culture, then sure, $1K per month will probably work.

But then again if you are old and need modern medical and medicine to maintain yourselves then I would say No. Also if spending time in marinas, or modern stores and malls are a basic part of your life then again the answer would probably be, No.

So the simple life and cruising go well together and doing it on $1K/month is quite possible, baring any accidents for major breakdowns or worn out boat parts. Replacement parts are triple to quadruple the cost of such things in the USA and hiring professional help is out of the question on that kind of budget. However, there is a wealth of talent amongst cruisers who are willing to share their skills to help you. But you need to be able to do the work - D-I-Y.
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Old 20-05-2012, 17:56   #34
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Re: " Honey, Let's Sell the House 'n Live on a Boat !" Three Weeks Later, Here We Ar

We are the DIY types and I have not been in a mall for three years. I will be 55 and my wife 50 we we retire to the cursing life. Every year I wait after 55 will give me more income. If I wait until 62 I will have probably 2500 a month. I am just not sure it is worth the wait. Less money and more time to cruse when I am still sorta young. What are your thoughts on the issue. Wait for more money or cruise on the cheap?
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Old 21-05-2012, 00:31   #35
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For what it's worth I would sail now if you have your health you can always find the the dollars to put food in the bellies, but if your not well forget sailing.
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Old 21-05-2012, 03:10   #36
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Re: " Honey, Let's Sell the House 'n Live on a Boat !" Three Weeks Later, Here We Ar

That is, IMHO, a very important consideration - Health. If you wait - and - you have a family history of bad health in old age, then waiting for more money is not very wise. Going cruising as soon as financially possible is a high priority in such circumstances.

In my personal case, I set sail at age 60 and had a decade of glorious, "it got better everyday" cruising in the Caribbean and eastern USA. The experiences and people we encountered were of the type we had for years thought extinct. Caring, considerate, helpful, friendly, and full of life and stories. The places we went and the things we did could only be compared to the mythical quest to return to the fabled "garden of eden." Nature, beauty, simple living, and reconnecting with your mate and the natural world was an experience that I am blessed to have experienced - because - now, I am just out of the hospital with terminal cancer and will never in this lifetime be able to do anything like that again. But I did do it, and can now R.I.P.

So, bottom line, you do need a certain amount of money and you do need good health to cruise. The key is to not wait around for more money until you run out of time in the good health department. It is a decision only you and your mate can make.
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Old 21-05-2012, 03:24   #37
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Re: " Honey, Let's Sell the House 'n Live on a Boat !" Three Weeks Later, Here We Ar

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We are the DIY types and I have not been in a mall for three years. I will be 55 and my wife 50 we we retire to the cursing life. Every year I wait after 55 will give me more income. If I wait until 62 I will have probably 2500 a month. I am just not sure it is worth the wait. Less money and more time to cruse when I am still sorta young. What are your thoughts on the issue. Wait for more money or cruise on the cheap?
Haha! You've got it figured out. Cruising to exotic locations and cursing the things that conk out on you!

We shoved off at age 59. I was in pretty good shape to handle everything that single handed sailing requires, but for me, 60 was a milestone age. I really started feeling the passage of each year after that. We had to quit at age 64 because of my wife's worsening spinal issues. 62 might be OK for you, but don't wait too long.
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Old 21-05-2012, 03:29   #38
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Re: " Honey, Let's Sell the House 'n Live on a Boat !" Three Weeks Later, Here We Ar

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Originally Posted by osirissail View Post
That is, IMHO, a very important consideration - Health. If you wait - and - you have a family history of bad health in old age, then waiting for more money is not very wise. Going cruising as soon as financially possible is a high priority in such circumstances.

In my personal case, I set sail at age 60 and had a decade of glorious, "it got better everyday" cruising in the Caribbean and eastern USA. The experiences and people we encountered were of the type we had for years thought extinct. Caring, considerate, helpful, friendly, and full of life and stories. The places we went and the things we did could only be compared to the mythical quest to return to the fabled "garden of eden." Nature, beauty, simple living, and reconnecting with your mate and the natural world was an experience that I am blessed to have experienced - because - now, I am just out of the hospital with terminal cancer and will never in this lifetime be able to do anything like that again. But I did do it, and can now R.I.P.

So, bottom line, you do need a certain amount of money and you do need good health to cruise. The key is to not wait around for more money until you run out of time in the good health department. It is a decision only you and your mate can make.
WTF ... I hadn't heard! I'm so sorry to hear this and don't know what else to say? You've always had well expressed and intelligent posts that I've appreciated. This is such a bummer ... stay strong we just never know our future. Something might turn around.
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Old 21-05-2012, 04:54   #39
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Re: " Honey, Let's Sell the House 'n Live on a Boat !" Three Weeks Later, Here We Ar

I lived aboard for 7 years in a 28' Powerboat... Made moving into a 400sf cottage feel like a PALACE! Now retired, I am about ready to move aboard again; albeit on a bit bigger boat. My S/O and I are in the hunt for "the" boat as I type.

That said, we are in Florida, not Canada! I have to say the thought of wintering up there while aboard gives me pause, as winters here kinda sucked aboard!
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Old 21-05-2012, 11:10   #40
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Re: " Honey, Let's Sell the House 'n Live on a Boat !" Three Weeks Later, Here We Ar

Your health will deteriorate over hte next ten years unless you are reasonably athletic now. Blood pressure, cholesterol above average levels are a good indicator that you need to learn to cook and eat fish as your staple diet.
Too late now for me to move away from the UK free health service, totally free now I've retired.
Go Now, or at least get the boat, live on it and find out if it's enough for you to sell the house. There'll be plenty of fixing, improving and polishing to do.
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Old 22-05-2012, 11:49   #41
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Re: " Honey, Let's Sell the House 'n Live on a Boat !" Three Weeks Later, Here We Ar

My thoughts exactly. I think $1000 a month at 55 is enough If we live frugally. Time is the only thing that we really don't have enough of so I am glad that most of your comments have been go now. I have a great boat already and I plan to have it tip top shape in Bristol fashion before shoving off in three years ( i will be 55 then) I am heading to the Bahamas in about two weeks for a three week trip. I live on the east coast of Florida and it will be my first gulf stream crossing. I am working on my experience every summer with a trip. I look forward to a great trip. Thanks everyone for your comments.
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Old 23-05-2012, 05:51   #42
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Re: " Honey, Let's Sell the House 'n Live on a Boat !" Three Weeks Later, Here We Ar

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My thoughts exactly. I think $1000 a month at 55 is enough If we live frugally. Time is the only thing that we really don't have enough of so I am glad that most of your comments have been go now. . .
Just to warn you, you never have enough - but you can make do with what you do have if you are scruplessly frugal. That means being very careful with the boat not to push it past it comfortable limits and break things. It also means spending extra time finding and checking out places to anchor where you will not be hassled and will not have your dinghy/motor stolen. (In fact if you replace the dinghy motor with a dinghy sailing rig you can serious save some money.)
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