Felt this feeling once before. The transition from dreaming to actually doing something.
Today I told the real estate agent to write up an offer. Going to buy a little townhouse not far from Whistler. Easy to rent out for the ski season. Which means we can occupy it during the northern hemisphere hurricane season.
Then a small matter of launching the boy, selling the bigger house and going sailing. It will take a few years because Foster still has a year of high school to go. But it takes a while to fit out a boat and go.
Sailing the C34 in Mexico taught us that we can live like kings on a sailboat for a quarter of the price of what we can live here in the city, with two cars, cell phones, insurance for everything, etc. So why not check out early and live frugally in the lifestyle we enjoy?
Of course in the southern hemisphere cyclone season, we will have to return home to go skiing, but that's OK. The turquoise beaches, palm trees and white sand will be appreciated more with a little break now and then.
It's all a race against the ologists. Need to live life as fully as possible before some ologist, (cardiologist, oncologist, etc.) develops an intimate relationship with us.
(A little freaky how spell check corrects ologist to eulogist)
Dreaming is done. Now it's on to planning and executing.
Yup, better sooner than later, besides, watch out for those ski hills... :shock:
Stu, we have found that we arrive in new cities and people just lend us their minivans to drive around in! It is practically free living the life a sailor. No cars to pay for.
There are two ways to reach escape velocity: higher speed or less gravity.
Will you be taking your repowered Dragon again?
Steve, if you anchor anywhere near Phoenix, AZ. I would be happy to loan you a car. :thumb:
Quote from: Mike and Joanne Stimmler on January 29, 2015, 11:22:57 AM
Steve, if you anchor anywhere near Phoenix, AZ. I would be happy to loan you a car. :thumb:
Awesome!
Quote from: Jeff Tancock on January 29, 2015, 10:52:47 AM
Will you be taking your repowered Dragon again?
Stretching Blackdragon into a 42 to 45 foot centre cockpit is going to be a little bit more of a refit than we are comfortable with. Nextdragon might be an Amel Santorin or maybe a Beneteau 42 CC.
Somebody is going to get an awesomely equipped 1988 C34 in the next 2 to 5 years. But I am not ready to post a classified just yet...
Can I still hang out here when I don't have a C34 any more?
Not a Fraser 41? Where's the loyalty to B.C. craftsmanship?
Quote from: waterdog on January 29, 2015, 01:31:20 PM
Quote from: Jeff Tancock on January 29, 2015, 10:52:47 AM
Will you be taking your repowered Dragon again?
Can I still hang out here when I don't have a C34 any more?
You''d better... :abd: :shock: 8) :clap :clap :thumb: :D :D :D
Steve,
I have been contemplating cruising during retirement. What kind of monthly budget do you plan? I know it depends on how much anchoring out vs marina hopping. Eating out and entertainment on shore can change thing drastically. If I am retired I don't want to be on a shoestring but not looking for luxury either.
Would be interested in hearing from others that have done similar types of cruising, ie: Great Lakes to the Intercostal Waterway.
Quote from: Footloose on January 30, 2015, 10:17:16 AM
If I am retired I don't want to be on a shoestring but not looking for luxury either.
Would be interested in hearing from others that have done similar types of cruising, ie: Great Lakes to the Intercostal Waterway.
Dave,
There are some good links available:
Noodle around here: http://cblights.com/cruising/alisios.html (http://cblights.com/cruising/alisios.html) The left pane has links to their cruise log and a great Appendix for "stuff."
One of our C34 brethren did that trip: http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~harringd/gallery/WealSeaMenu.html (http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~harringd/gallery/WealSeaMenu.html) Dan on Weal Sea
Also poke around on www.cruisersforum.com, they have a LOT of "How to Cruise on Minus $4,578.99 per day" articles in their cruising and liveaboard forums.
Steve : Put a bunch of steroids in the bilge water and you might grow your C34 into a C42!!
I like the idea of steroids in the bilge. A C42 would do just fine.
We are in San Diego right now enjoying a long weekend. Tracey is not a shopper, but boats are OK. Saw a terrible Amel Maramu and an absolutely gorgeous condition 10 year old Beneteau 423 with 50 hours on the engine. The newer Beneteaus don't really work for me.
Catalinas of course are always Catalinas. Beneteau lost their way.
Quote from: Footloose on January 30, 2015, 10:17:16 AM
Steve,
I have been contemplating cruising during retirement. What kind of monthly budget do you plan? I know it depends on how much anchoring out vs marina hopping. Eating out and entertainment on shore can change thing drastically. If I am retired I don't want to be on a shoestring but not looking for luxury either.
Would be interested in hearing from others that have done similar types of cruising, ie: Great Lakes to the Intercostal Waterway.
That's a really interesting question. Tracey swears we cruised Mexico on $800 / month and maybe $1500 / month in California where marina stays were more prevalent. Never felt like we were suffering although I confess we bought cheap wine in California. (When you come down from Canada, all California wine is cheap.)
That does not include refit and boat maintenance costs. I think we spent something like 30K refitting the boat and then sold off the water maker, ICOM 802, liferaft, and drogue after a year of cruising for 6 or 7. The net would have been an additional 2K per month, but I am still enjoying the solar panels, upholstery, ground tackle, radar, plotter, new rig etc. today so some of it was a longer term investment.
We plan to live for between 20 to 30K per year on our next leg depending on geography. This is a bit of a longer term budget and includes a bit of boat maintenance and flight now and then.
Quote from: Footloose on January 30, 2015, 10:17:16 AM
Steve,
I have been contemplating cruising during retirement. What kind of monthly budget do you plan?
Dave,
Here's a link to a loooooooooong Cruisersforum discussion, which includes links to other discussions on "How Much?"
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f2/3-000-month-cruising-budget-planned-135407.html
This link starts "high" and some others start "low" but there are long answers and short answers to the same issue.
"As much as you have"
"As long as it lasts"
"PPP - piss poor planning..."
"Start saving now"
"Shoulda started saving when I was seven years old"
"The power of compound interest"
"I didn't get my allowance this week"
"Best way for me to save is to give my wife all the money"
and other variations on the "Mom was right" theme! :D
Stu,
Thanks for the links. They are making for entertaining reading whilst riding my stationary bike to nowhere. At least I can dream that I am riding in the Caribbean. Right now I am jealous of those of you in warmer places although skiing has been quite good. Boat club opening is only 3 months away. :clap
So, to cruise endlessly all I need is a bottomless bucket of money and time. I could do a lot of stuff it it weren't for work :cry4`