Hi!

[jlcnuke]

So, I've got this crazy thought to retire and then go sail and dive the Caribbean. I really enjoyed sailing/boating when younger, and recently took up diving again. My most recent dive trip (diving the bahamas on a sailboat... albeit motoring most of the travels) really reminded me how much I enjoy being out on the water and how much I enjoy diving.

There's a couple problems with my plan currently however, so I'd love to get feedback on my plans to address those problems.

1. I don't know how to sail. I've been out on 3 sailboats, but never as anything more than a passenger. I figure this one is the easiest to remedy. I actually started re-reading a book on sailing I bought a long time ago (in my 20's) that I never got around to finishing - The Handbook of Sailing by Bob Bond. Additionally, not too far away is Lake Lanier which has some sailing. I figure this year or next I'll get over there and do the ASA 101 course, then progress to the 103 and 104 courses on vacations sometime in the next 2-4 years. Add in some local sailing with one of the clubs (probably?) for practice and I should be confident in my basic skills long before I face my #2 problem...

#2. I can't afford to retire (with my current comfort levels/lifestyle) yet. I have, however, been diligently saving/investing and planning for an early retirement anyway, so I should be able to afford to retire sometime in my late 40's to early 50's (turning 41 this year). I "could" go more spartan I'm sure and retire earlier, or maybe shift to doing part-time work, but that's not really my preferred plan (unless situations change significantly).

#3. Is a whole different issue, that I imagine is far from unique here. I'm single. That's great for being able to do what I want, but it doesn't necessarily lend itself to good "long-term" plans of being on the water... no one else to help crew the boat, no dive buddy (except when friends/family visit), no one to do long-term travel with etc.


So #1 seems like it won't be terribly hard to overcome, and #2 just needs more time. #3, however, I'm not sure how to completely deal with it. I'd be fine enjoying the calm bays and gorgeous waters for a while by myself and, I'm guessing, talking with other people cruising the same areas from time to time, but I'm not sure how I'd get/find any company outside of family/friends coming to visit for short vacations. I'm okay being "alone" quite a bit of the time, but I'm not sure how "lonely" such a life would really be or how hard it would be to find people to go diving with etc?

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, jlnuke.

[Don C L]

Welcome aboard jlnuke! To learn to sail: get a fun little small boat to take out every afternoon and learn all the basics. Look for more chances to crew or join sailing clubs. Once you start DOING all this stuff, and enjoying it you are much more likely to meet someone along the way who shares your passions and who would be really compatible... imo