Cruising and the Coming Storm ~ Recession, Depression, Climate Change, Peak Oil

[MoonlightShadow]

Sorry, apologies to OP and all, for wandering off thread.

Specific answers IMHO:

Watermakers will sell more - and those with auxiliary manual handles will be the best option.

Provision for longer periods between ports of supply, as we may have to detour around trouble spots.

Solar panels and windgenerators will be boom markets to invest in.

The best investment portfolios will include a big anchor and plenty of chain.

[bmiller]

Our plans have definately changed.
We were going to wait a few years and save but it looks like we will buy now. Lots of people wanting to cut costs, boats are one of the first luxuries to go. Bargains to be had out there, we'll find ours.

[jtbsail]

Originally Posted by MoonlightShadow

Sorry, apologies to OP and all, for wandering off thread.

Specific answers IMHO:

Watermakers will sell more - and those with auxiliary manual handles will be the best option.

Provision for longer periods between ports of supply, as we may have to detour around trouble spots.

Solar panels and windgenerators will be boom markets to invest in.

The best investment portfolios will include a big anchor and plenty of chain.

Those are some good ideas, MoonlightShadow. We were def. thinking more provisions, barring any weight limits (we are contemplating going on a Cat). I agree, solar and wind gennies are going to be the major source of our power. Sailing as much as possible, not relying on the engine. Learning to sail really, really, well, in tight situations so as to not have to rely on the engine.

Investing in skills, knowledge, and crafts will be necessary (not just for water-borne people). I am handy at doing alterations, mending, and even creating simple pieces of clothing. I plan on taking a sewing machine on board.

Also, thinking about the possibility of dehydrating food, to not be as heavy. I read Sailing the Farm and he made a solar dehydrator that worked pretty nice. They also sell them and they are not too expensive so that may be an option, esp. if we go with the cat. That book, btw, is a rather interesting read, written after the oil embargo of the 70's.

Something we need to do is learn how to properly clean saltwater fish without making a huge mess on board. I've been watching You-tube videos

[jtbsail]

Originally Posted by bmiller

Our plans have definately changed.
We were going to wait a few years and save but it looks like we will buy now. Lots of people wanting to cut costs, boats are one of the first luxuries to go. Bargains to be had out there, we'll find ours.

I know! We've been keeping our eye on the market and have watched prices steadily go down, some selling for major bargains. I wish we could go now. Husband is in the military and will retire in 7 years. Counting down the years....But his pension is going to be our income

[MoonlightShadow]

Originally Posted by jtbsail

Learning to sail really, really, well, in tight situations so as to not have to rely on the engine.

Investing in skills, knowledge, and crafts will be necessary (not just for water-borne people). I am handy at doing alterations, mending, and even creating simple pieces of clothing. I plan on taking a sewing machine on board.

Wow. Yes. That's the best and most important quote I have seen on all these pages of discussion on the subject. Skills must be THE most important aspect of all.

Some of us take our abilities for granted, even inflate them in our own minds. Prepping up on the skills, will better place us in almost any environment, but none more so than at sea.

[bmiller]

Originally Posted by jtbsail

But his pension is going to be our income

I'm a few short years away from a pretty secure retirement myself. But why not get the boat when the market is in our favor. A little more incentive to get on the water in the meantime plus all the prep work can be done in advance of cutting the lines!

[maxingout]

Originally Posted by Ram

I dont see getting away with $500 a month anymore these days- unless your mostly in very remote and poor countrys like Africa, India and the like- I watch every penny and im still well over $1200 a month- and thats with out any repairs- food , fuel , ect

I think it would be hard to do the med on $500 a month. But I can do Langkawi and Thailand on $500 for most months anchoring out. We are quite self-sufficient in places like that. We've got our solar panels working, our wind generators spinning, we eat the same foods as the locals, and our anchor is down in paradise. We do our own maintenance scrub the bottom, swim, snorkle, read, write, and fish. I never had a sense of lack- I never felt deprived living on a little when I could sit in my cockpit watching the palm trees sway in the breezes and swimming in turquoise waters. I feel deprived here in Phoenix going to work every day when I could be out sailing on the ocean of my dreams. I'm making myself depressed just thinking about it. Mental depression can be worse than financial depression for many people.

I just went to google maps and checked out Langkawi, Kedah, Malaysia and visited my old anchorages. I could spend a year cruising there.

[David M]

Don't we have a Y2 10 bug coming up?

[Reckless]

For as long as I can remember there has been someone yelling the end is coming. We have been through tough times before and we will go through tough times again, regardless of who is political power so I don't see politics coming into this discussion.

The true criminals are the media, who love to glorify the demise of the world, they love to report on all the negative and horrible things that happen, 30 minute piece on a man who kills his family due to job loss, and a 30 second piece on the innovations another man makes to save his family.

Times are tough, we don't have our boat yet, but we have a sold 10 year plan, I am still young 33, our plan it to have our kids finish school first then travel once we are empty nesters.

Technoligy is helping with electric or hybrid motors coming into the marine world. People will overcome, it may get worse before it gets better, but the world is full of smart people.

I personally am focusing on educating myself, over planning, over budget. Plan for the worse hope for the best.

We plan to have a passive income higher than our needs, as well as income from my business which I am transitioning to allow me to work from anywhere in the world, advancements in communication and internet will make this even easier when I am ready to go. VPN, wireless networks, cellular coverage, all dramatically improved over the last 10 years, I look at what I had as a kid, and what my kids have. I still remember the first computer my school got, now my son has computer class in grade 6 and the entire class is given laptops to use.

Sure the current conditions can cause people to get desperate and do things that they would not normally do.

But if you are smart you can protect yourself from being a victim, stay away from known areas or trouble travel in groups. Stories of pirate attacks and transmitting within minutes rather than weeks or days, this allows everyone to be up to date on what is happening out there.

As far as the weather goes, you hear stories larger storms, but funny how to compair them to past storms, worse storm since 1943 etc etc, so what was happening in 1943 to make that storm so bad. The planet changes, it has been and will continie to change. If there are more storms do what you do now, avoid them, prepair for them. Who here rushes to get to a storm? You check the information you have, then make you decision, stay or go.

Life is short, I learn a while back it is to short to stress out over what you can't control, I don't have a crystal ball or a time machine, if someone does can I get next weeks lotto numbers, that will certainly help with my plans.

Relax enjoy life, as sea or on land, have fun, don't sweat the small stuff and learn to laugh when life kicks your ass, it will make it much easier.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by dferringo

.

The true criminals are the media, who love to glorify the demise of the world, ....
you hear stories larger storms, .

Thanks for your wise comments and welcome to the forum!

Part of the world demise is the global warming caused by stuff we have no control over and can't see or feel but can be blamed for.
More storms and stronger storms are said to be happening now! Fear tactics again!


"Trends in tropical cyclone activity in the Australian region (south of equator; 105 - 160°E) show that the total number of cyclones has decreased in recent decades. However, the number of stronger cyclones (minimum central pressure less than 970 hPa) has not declined."

Tropical Cyclone Trends


OMG! DECREASED??????? Its Anti-Global Warming! Run for your lives its an Ice age! Remember the 1970's? Thats when all the scientists were predicting a comming ice age. How quickly it all changes.


By the way: "has not declined" means has not increased either!

[maxingout]

You Ozzies are lucky. You can hedge your bets by purchasing a hole in the ground in Coober Pedy. You get to go cruising until global collapse happens, and then hide out in Coober Pedy until prosperity returns, global warming cools, global cooling warms, or all of the above. Some people have all the luck.

Or you could just go cruising and enjoy your life.

[Ram]

Originally Posted by maxingout

You Ozzies are lucky. You can hedge your bets by purchasing a hole in the ground in Coober Pedy. You get to go cruising until global collapse happens, and then hide out in Coober Pedy until prosperity returns, global warming cools, global cooling warms, or all of the above. Some people have all the luck.

Or you could just go cruising and enjoy your life.

What Happened to the pictures?

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by maxingout

Coober Pedy until prosperity returns,

And dig opals!!!!! And sell the opals to tourists

[Ram]

sO ARE COOBER pedys common down under?

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Ram

sO ARE COOBER pedys common down under?

My oath they are!! Theres one of them.

Its a town in the outback where its so hot the town lives underground in old opal mines... you keep chipping away while having dinner hoping to strike it rich. Its a real 'end of the road' sort of town where the men are men, few women and lots of beer is drunk...