How Did You Downsize Before Moving Aboard ?

[Doodles]

Originally Posted by sck5

we are moving aboard for our first 8 month cruise in a month - the house is going on the market too. How are we downsizing? The dumpster is in the driveway as I write this.

That's serious!

[Sea Yawl Later]

Done! We have moved out of the big house. The absolute worst experience of my life, barring illness with family. We even bought TWO houses for the kids, had an estate sale and it still took countless truck loads to Goodwill and we completely filled at commerical waste disposal (20') container.

[Astrid]

Funny thing is, moving aboard has allowed me to upsize a bit, after having lived in dormitory rooms and small caravans.

[High Heels]

I am going freak'in crazy people with this process! I have turned the corner and have been able to really embrace this new lifestyle, but there are some things I just can't bare to get rid of...I know, I know...some might say that I am then not fully committed to this dream...etc, etc...it is hard to be committed to this new Life when one has never lived it and may not like it.

I Love my car and it is paid for. I drive cars forever...I am not sure I can sell her.

I Love many of my books...

I just keep looking around this house asking myself, seriously, how are we going to get rid of all this stuff and make this happen...

At least we have pushed the date off, bought another new-to-us boat that needs a little TLC before we put her in the water so Chris will be preoccupied for awhile and I can keep plugging away at this downsizing our lives to a 8X10 storage unit.

I am just worried that I will be moving from 'committed' to this dream to 'commit-able' to an institution!

[mrohr]

Hi all: I have always believed that a cruiser needs a shore based storage/supply depot. To be considered: a familymember basement,rental garage ,friends or some such;after all you will return to something resembling land life at some point and at least some of your lifes' accumulations will be wanted at that point. Furthermore,there is always boat equiptment that is not needed for the current leg of your cruise but down the road those engine spares ,woolies ,hiking boots,fish gear, anchors ,books,tools, you name it, might be just the things you need and can be waiting to be sent in labeled boxes while you are wasting away in margaretaville.
Admitadly,this approach will require some aditional prep before departure ,but can pay big dividens when you now need that extra sail etc. and of course some of the household items you stored will ease your return to land life.
You were not planning to die at sea were you?

[RainDog]

Originally Posted by mrohr

Hi all: I have always believed that a cruiser needs a shore based storage/supply depot.

I think it depends on what you start with. A storage shed of a reasonable size is $100 / month. For 5 years that is $6000. The furniture I had was not worth $6000, and I could easily be gone longer than 5 years.

If you are lucky enough to find free storage, I could see keeping it. If you have to pay for storage I do not see any way it makes sense to store your stuff unless you have really expensive furniture. It is just far cheaper to sell everything and buy new stuff when you get back.

[Stillraining]

This is one of my favorite threads.

Not being where you people are at in casting off dock lines and in terms of downsizing. I find it fascinating to find out which ones of you I am more like then others.

The two previous posts really hit the nail on the head for me....Im starting to see the difference in really setting yourself free and not....The difference from slipping the dock lines, from ripping out the dock cleats.

When I was single I could easily rip out the dock cleats...not true for me now....My priorities have changed and this thread has reinforced that for me more then ever.

We will cruise someday but we will rest in the knowledge that come wind , wave or loss of will....we will have cleats to retie to....We will indeed miss out on that true sense of freedom , that true sense that each day is really new and all there really is.....But with debt free land ties we feel the little we miss from that experience is out weighted buy withholding that little bit of security....I know that definitely for my wife, but Im just as sure it is the same for me....I may not be able to grind a winch handle on a pitching deck at 75 but Im sure Ill still be able to grind my table saws adjustment handles...My sense of planning and always looking ahead has been both my spark of adventure and fun as well as my riding sail at anchor.

I have become two people really one that loves adventure and wants to experience the cruising lifestyle but another as well that just wants long safari's to go on, not one who wants to jump in with both feet ....all in.... tell its not fun anymore.....starting anew on land is just to dang hard for me to do that.

The land, house and Shop I could not afford to re-buy today...selling it is not in any of my plans..

I admire those of you I'm my position that can...Im a little envious of you youth that never care to get where I am at, and remain totally free.



The big house and land my go someday...but I'm looking forward to new cleats in a little wharf town somewhere if that happens.


Carry on.

Thought to add:...

Something tragic in my life can always set any of my plans or priorities on its ear and out the window...I have come to know this as true...Baring that we plod on...Thanks for sharing parts of your dream with me.


And sorry...No I wont store your stuff for you...but your welcome to come tie on to a cleat now and then............

Scott

[RiverRat]

We've got several years before we go aboard and then we'll be doing 3-6 month cruises with a land base. Just a much smaller land base. But, we're starting to de-clutter now. At least my husband would like us to do so! We don't have nearly as much extra stuff as he thinks we do...

In the 24 1/2 years of marriage we've owned 5 houses and lived in an additional 7 apartments in 5 states and 2 countries. And we're not in the military!! I promise you that moving that often keeps crap to a minimum, but doesn't alleviate it. We've been in our current house almost 6 years (which is the longest time in one place) and we're starting to accumulate.

One small problem is my Mom likes to give us 'things'. Usually things she doesn't want, but seems to think we should want. sigh... We've also lived a plane ride away for the last 24 years and she insists on giving us large bulky items to bring home at Christmas. Two years ago she gave us a HUGE lead crystal domed cake plate with pedestal... What.Was.She.Thinking?

A few more comments...

Originally Posted by First Mate

I must have 50 t-shirts, one dating back to 1974 - it doesn't fit anymore. I can't give it up because it was the t-shirt I wore when I was a bartender at the Armadillo World Headquarters - I could probably sell it on E-Bay (groan).

Call around to local Quilt shops or look on ETSY.com and see if you can find someone to make a quilt for you out of your t-shirts. That way you'll get rid of something you don't use and get something you can use.

Originally Posted by Doodles

Another ticks I heard about, but never actually used, was if you can't let go of some stuff yet, box it but don't label what's in the box. In a year or some time frame of your choice, if you haven't had to go into the box donate it. That way you don't know what you got rid of and it won't bother you ... so they say.

I've done this with memorabilia I didn't want to sort through or display but didn't feel I could get rid of. I taped it up and labeled it Time Capsule. It goes in the back of a closet or in the attic and doesn't take up mental space.

[RiverRat]

Also...

“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”

- William Morris

[High Heels]

Hey, Scott, we'll be over with the U-Haul this afternoon ;0)

We have been together 17 years, have lived in two apartments, a log cabin that was small, and three houses. My Mom LOVES to give us stuff. In fact, during our first move I was going through boxes in the basement (we had not been planning on moving at all and then suddenly a job opportunity meant we were moving many states away in two weeks). One of the three HUGE boxes I was sorting through was from my Mom complete with three pairs of her old underwear...at that point I called her immediately and told her I no longer wanted any of her 'mystery boxes' - that was funny!

I am sentimental to a fault. Yesterday, I was trying to feverishly scan old love letters, friend's letters, cards, etc...I am recycling the majority of them but not without scanning them first. I think my husband thinks we will never leave, but I am not negotiating on just pitching some things.

I really should have been keeping track of what we have gotten rid of so far...a couch, two chairs, 350 + books, 8 bags of clothing, a tremendous amount is tagged and ready for yard sale, we plan on selling/giving away all of our furniture minus three pieces that are small, our fifteen year old television...

I am not attached to furniture, it is just the books, letters, my writing, and school books and writing. Clothing and shoes....

It is definitely an interesting process....

There have been a couple of blogs that have been great RowdyKittens and About | zen habits

I also like Peter Walsh's books about decluttering. It really hit home when I read that basically when we have stuff and are paying a mortgage that one needs to understand that money for the mortgage is actually going towards 'storing stuff' frequently if you have more than you really need. Of course, it once was a good investment frequently to purchase real estate...but if you are in a bigger house than you really need just to store stuff...well, that is just crazy I think for me...

[First Mate]

we've been on our boat for 3 weeks now, finally becoming the live aboards we have planned to be for 3 years. took us awhile.

I no longer miss or even remember where I stored the 1974 Armadillo World Headquarters t-shirt.

We do have a storage unit on land - a niece has a detached garage where all our ... stuff... we couldn't let go now remains. Like dead bodies in a coffin.

I will never care about that t shirt again. I'm glad my brother has my mother's antique china and crystal, not me. etc etc

I am down to 3 changes of clothes, weather gear">foul weather gear, plastic tableware for 4, a pressure cooker, 2 frying pans, and way too much non perishable food crammed into bilge lockers. I also have some art supplies and writing supplies crammed into two cabinets and haven't opened them in two weeks. I have 4 china plates wrapped in foam that I should have left in the storage unit.

I figure my husband is the owner of all the computers, DVD's, CD's, and necessary boat gear and spare parts. Our boat's capacity for 19 tons net is nowhere near full yet. I like it that way. I just don't need anything else.

when I move onto land someday, I hope it's a cabin in the woods or something along those lines. At that time, I'll figure out what I need for that habitat and unload my boat gear. Who cares?

I enjoy used book stores and have no problem reading books, then getting rid of them. As for the old letters and memorabilia, there is always a relative that is a budding genealogist and doesn't know it - I mail that stuff to them now. Maybe I should just pitch what is left and save the postage money.

Minimalism is not for everyone. Either you like being lightly loaded with stuff, or you don't. I think it's brain wiring. No need to apologize for either kind of brain that you have. Just go with it. Why fight your basic personality? Pointless really.

[JanetGroene]

Quoting:" I enjoy used book stores and have no problem reading books, then getting rid of them. "

This is from St. Janet, the Patron Saint of Used Books. Save used books for a book swap with anyone you meet. I take almost anything in trade because it's trading fodder even if it's stuff I don't read. Someone will take it. I also urge everyone to create a "Take One, Leave One" box anywhere you possibly can. This could be in laundry rooms, marina offices, chickee huts, anywhere sailors gather. In most cases, the honor system works and in many cases more books are left than are taken. Question: has anyone noted a shortage of paperbacks for swapping in the age of Kindle? I note that many charterers now bring Kindles instead of paperbacks.

[Sea Yawl Later]

Rusty on Seawind 1000 #37

The tee shirt blanket idea is a cool one. Turning memories into useful stuff makes good sense to me. I enjoy going to the boat every evening from work. I used to go home to an empty boat during the week (the boat is close to my remote work location) but now that we sold the big house.... it's great to go home in the evenings because Linda is there too.

We are prepping for another extended Bahama run. We leave the end of November or in March

Either way is fine with me.... I would prefer earlier but the later we leave the longer we can stay out.... Kemah Exumas
www.SittonOnTheBeach.com

[livinthedream]

my grandfather told me this when i was only 5 years old and i still remember to this day! just live by these words and you wont feel any guilt about getting rid of stuff or not having a lot of possessions...

"THE MORE STUFF YOU OWN, THE MORE IT OWNS YOU"

[First Mate]

Originally Posted by livinthedream

my grandfather told me this when i was only 5 years old and i still remember to this day! just live by these words and you wont feel any guilt about getting rid of stuff or not having a lot of possessions...

"THE MORE STUFF YOU OWN, THE MORE IT OWNS YOU"

there was some suffering getting rid of everything, but now I like it this way. I wouldn't have thought so while shedding 2500 sq ft of packed rooms however.

I like the idea of the tshirt blanket also. but considering I barely seem to get it together to do the laundry at the dock, I probably won't get it together for that either. Would be nice to have an industrious relative or friend do it for me though....


Actually, we are not really so light - we have a boat that is 42' long now packed with boat stuff. the 19000 pound net capacity (uh, I said 19 tons above - must have been 3 beers to the wind) is a lot of stuff too. It's just much more utilitarian and different. But the boat and its contents do own us. If we leave it for any period of time, we will have to find a very good marina. We are also slaves to maintaining it. Boats do enslave their owners.

I wouldn't miss any of it if it sunk - as long as insurance covered the replacement cost.

It's just a new phase in our lives really. at some point we will put this phase behind us as well. There is always some kind of separation anxiety when our lives change dramatically. We'll probably have some kind of anxiety when we quit cruising and living aboard.