The House is on the Market !

[Don1500]

Well, it's been a year since I decided that I would be going to sea for a while (a long while I hope). At the time I figured 18 months before I would cast off and live the life I want, and I am on schedule and still within budget (in other words I haven't touched the ** money.)

There was one major hurdle to get over and that is past. Now I just have the regular stuff, sell the cars, the toys, the furniture, everything. And today the house went on the market. What's really cool is that I planned this without the money for the cars, toys, and junk being added to the ** money, so I could leave that and still be OK (I won't, but I have a lot of latitude in the selling price.)

I am in the process of buying a small live aboard trailer (about $4000) to:
1. get me used to the confined space, it will be smaller than the boat.
2. give me a place to stay while boat hunting/fixing/launching.

Once launched I will just need to sell the van and the trailer and I'm done.

[boatman61]

Nice one Don...
isnt it great when a plan comes together... and the strange sensation of time compressing....

[Reality Check]

Where are you intending to do this? Lots of places and they all can be very special.

[Don1500]

Originally Posted by Reality Check

Where are you intending to do this? Lots of places and they all can be very special.

Right now the plan is, sell the house, etc. and get on the road. First stop Corpus Christi, Large number of boats for sale in the Padre Island/Corpus area. No luck? Move on to Galveston bay, again, large numbers of boats, plus a large bay to hone my skills before following the coast to Ft. Myers and into the trans-Florida Canal, Up the East coast to Chesapeake Bay. I expect to arrive in the Chesapeake Bay in June 2012. Or I could skip the whole Texas thing and go straight to Maryland and find a boat there (I have a line on a 37' Tartan that really looks good.)

After the summer on the Chesapeake Bay, I plan to go back to Florida to a hidey-hole I know of that likes live aboards. I let you know where once I set up, I want a spot available when I finally get there. You have to be hardcore to WANT to stay there.

[Ocean Girl]

Try clear lake (north of Galveston ) it has one of the largest concentration of boat on the US. Good market to buy right now.
Cheers,
Erika

[Don1500]

Originally Posted by Ocean Girl

Try clear lake (north of Galveston ) it has one of the largest concentration of boat on the US. Good market to buy right now.
Cheers,
Erika

Clear Lake and Kemah were the places on Galveston Bay I was going to look. Lots of boats at the Boardwalk Marina. It looks like that's the place the toy sailors put their boats to sell. (The people that got 125% equity loans on their house to buy a boat when the bottom fell out).

[Ocean Girl]

Let me know what you are thinking of for a boat and I will keep an eye out for ya.
Erika

[Don1500]

Originally Posted by Ocean Girl

Let me know what you are thinking of for a boat and I will keep an eye out for ya.
Erika

33-40' like a Tartan, Catalina, Westerly or Hunter is OK, I don't expect to go across the pond, but I would like to go to the Bahamas and maybe BVI, USVI and The Caribbean. But mostly up and down the East Coast, off shore sometimes, not ICW all the time, where I'm comfortable.

Two musts:
1. Less than 5 foot draft, CB OK.
2. Less than 54' bridge clearance.


Price is in the 25-40K range. The 40K boat better have very little to do before I can leave, that's the top of my purchase budget. I figure 60K with repairs and mods. Even a perfect 40K boat will need something.

[Mimsy]

Don, I'm in Kemah so if you see a boat you are interested in shoot me an email- ceol_mor at yahoo
I'd be happy to go poke my nose in the bilges for you. Not a surveyor, but boy oh boy do I have a nose for rotten deck core.

[Don1500]

Mimsy,

You're ON! When I get home from work tonight I'll send you a couple at the Boardwalk. See if they're still for sale and if the pictures match the boat.

If the Boardwalk Marina is too far I can find others. It's just that The Boardwalk is easy to find and there are LOTS of boats for sale there.

[Mimsy]

DOn our boat is currently at the boardwalk.

[Don1500]

Great, I was worried that you may be further away.
Thanks again. I'll email the contacts and pictures tonight.

[Don1500]

Originally Posted by Mimsy

DOn our boat is currently at the boardwalk.

I have not read many favorible reviews on the Boardwalk marina, what are your feelings? (You can e-mail me at thenomad (at) ca (dot) rr (dot) com)

[Pete7]

Don,

sounds exciting making the break, good luck and hope the house sells quickly. Keep us up to date with what you find and take the camera along. Oh and the ones you reject, well we like those too, you know the ones for sale with stuff still in the fridge and clothes in the lockers, always good for a discussion of how not to.... Anyway fair winds

Pete

[PamlicoTraveler]

Must be exciting! Good luck on the boat search.