thinking of taking the helm...

[vveerrgg]

here's my story... and my hello.

A couple of weeks ago my GF and I had a vacation in the Turks & Caicos.... I loved it. I loved it so much that while there I started thinking about making it my home. Of course... that would mean selling the house.. uprooting my life and going south.... and not really good for the relationship either.

Having learned to sail in highschool... and again... while in the Turks I sailed a beach cat for an afternoon... since then I've been bitten by the bug.

Since I've been back I can't stop thinking about it. I lay awake at nite imagining what it would be like to sail from the Caribbean to the Mediteranian and back.

I've researched and read and learned; although it's all very OVER my head right now. I was hoping that this forum would help sooth my itch... and provide a community where I can learn about the cruising experience.

As a web developer, I know I can do my job from anywhere. I'm fulltime right now, but moving towards being a gun for hire contractor. I figure I'd buy/build something to live aboard and travel around the islands with... do the snorkeling I had never tried before this trip and just live the life I thought was only a fantasy. I'm thinking of taking the helm... getting a cruiser and seeing the world by boat...

And that's where I'm at now.

[Hud3]

No hope for you now! You've got the Bug, so go with it. Try some chartering in the BVI or the Grenadines, and see if that does it for you. Those are two sailing grounds that your GF is likely to enjoy, too.

[GordMay]

Greetings, and welcome aboard vveerrgg.

Originally Posted by vveerrgg

... As a web developer, I know I can do my job from anywhere. I'm fulltime right now, but moving towards being a gun for hire contractor. I figure I'd buy/build something to live aboard and travel around the islands with...
And that's where I'm at now.

Who knows where you'll be (at) by the time you complete a home-built boat (10 or 20) years from now.

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Verg,
Welcome aboard! Yes, we've all been bitten. Hope you can find your boat and fulfill your dreams.
Kind regards,
JohnL

[Talbot]

This is a dream we all have, some are more likely to achieve than others.

A good start for you would be to confirm the method by which you would maintain your dream, and the costs involved - from use of internet cafes to Bgan connectivity.

[vveerrgg]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Who knows where you'll be (at) by the time you complete a home-built boat (10 or 20) years from now.

after alot of thinking and calculating... there is no way I'll be able to build a boat. I'd be much more useful using that time as billable hours and find a well priced boat. Not that I'm rushing into things... but I'd like to sail sooner then 10+ years from today, if I started building this weekend.

Thanks for the warm welcome.... as much as I love Toronto and our Lake Ontario... I can't wait to trade it for couple of seasons in the Caribbean.

[Hud3]

vveerrgg,

There's a book you should read. "An Embarassment of Mangoes", by Amy Vanderhoof. She's from Toronto, like you. My wife and I read the book before cruising the eastern Caribbean, and we thoroughly enjoyed experiencing the places she describes.

[First Mate]

Hello vveerrgg,

we just sold the house and the things and are studying which boat to buy but getting close to the choice.

Huge market to choose from. Even with the prices the way they are now, I'm told it's a buyer's market now. Good timing.

Go with your gut and live aboard in the tropics. Tomorrow truly may never come - and besides, why not?

F.M.

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by vveerrgg

after alot of thinking and calculating... there is no way I'll be able to build a boat. I'd be much more useful using that time as billable hours and find a well priced boat.

<snip>

Thanks for the warm welcome.... as much as I love Toronto and our Lake Ontario... I can't wait to trade it for couple of seasons in the Caribbean.

Good call. Nothing wrong with boat building - I just love good craftsmanship. But building isn't sailing and I prefer to sail.

Don't let the feelings subside. A few weeks in the cube and the vacation will seem like a dream. Find a way to get on the water at least every couple of weeks. I am sure there is great lake sailing out of Toronto.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by vveerrgg

after alot of thinking and calculating... there is no way I'll be able to build a boat. I'd be much more useful using that time as billable hours and find a well priced boat...

Unless one is a professional boatbuilder, or a burger-flipper, this would be an accurate appraisal for most of us.
For most of us, our most productive use of time is at our paid occupation.
Those who could earn more as boat-builders might be wise considering a career-change to that occupation.

There’s nothing wrong with Toronto (I’m a refugee) that a few years absence, preferably in tropical climes, can’t cure.

[waterworldly]

We think it is important to put a plan in place. Make the decision (check), sell your stuff (check) sell the house (check) find a rental, month to month (check) sell your business (check), get out there and talk to boat folks and get a good broker recommendation (check), then do it. IN the meantime, read all you can, Jimmy Cornell, Hal Roth, Beth Leonard etc. Go to the shows, read on line too, get magazines. Then when the time comes to buy, you will have a good knowledge of the trends and what you will actually need to do this. We did it in that order and have not been disapointed to date. Don't rush it but don't sit on your hands either. Oh, and also, SAVE SAVE SAVE! It will be good practice for when you get out there.

[imagine2frolic]

I will sing my favorite song now!!!!!! Start with yachtworld.com, or a similiar site. There you can see photos, and prices. You can get an idea of what your budget will purchase you. After you see some likes, and dislikes you will have some meaningful questions. There is a millinium of knowledge here so take advantage, and BEST WISHES...............

[vveerrgg]

if I wasn't half way through renovating my house I prob. would have put it on the market and started the move. But thankfully that's caused me to read the forums, sailors blogs, articles and anything I can find related to the sailing experience.

The positive stories and general attitude to the sailing life of this forum has helped me stay focused and keep believing it can be done. This is an amazing community!

[imagine2frolic]

More like family. We fight one day, and make up the next....hehehehehehehe

[vveerrgg]

having spent the bulk of my online life in messageforums I know how the online "family" experience works. The fact that ppl still share their time and experiences here means the passion is more then just time of life based.

Part of what brought me to sailing... and excites me so much about it. It really is a lifestyle. A lifestyle that is sustainable with some ingenuity and effort. And most importantly, one I can live until there's no more life in me.

I recently realized my motorcycle passion has been more time of life based rather then lifestyle based. 5 years into owning a motorcycle I don't have the core interest to wrench on it like i use to. Add to the fact most of my friends have sold their bikes due to family commitments... and attending motorcycle events never really excited me. Next spring the bike goes up for sale...

Sailing has the balance that I'm looking for. The alone time of sailing is so much like motorcycle riding... Even more liberating and limitless! The community of people sharing knowledge is just as strong.

I've had friends try to dissuade me from a boat telling me it's too expensive. But having had to participate in maintaining a family cottage for 3 generations, I'd rather have a boat then a cottage. Property taxes, insurance, upkeep, and having to head up every 2 weeks to cut the lawn has a cost I think a boat easily balances out. Plus I can't sail the cottage to another lake if I don't like the "partiers" who bought the property 2 doors up...

thanks for listening... sharing and encouraging. I feel like this is the best kept secret going...