# Dreams of Sunsets, Rum & Island Life



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*Dreams of Sunsets, Rum & Island Life*

Ahooy! I am currently land-locked in Arkansas, but am planning to relocate to Florida''s West Coast in the next 3-5 Months.

I will be looking for a sailboat in the 25-35 foot range. I will be Single-Handing the boat, thus the small size.

After upgrading the boat and building the "Cruising Kitty", I plan on cruising the Bahamas... maybe a trip around the gulf to Belize for a Shakedown cruise.

My only boating experiences are ski-boats and the one trip that got me hooked on sailing, 2-3 years ago, I went out on a sailboat with some friends.

Standing out on the bow pulpit, the sun halfway hidden by the horizon, I watched as a pod of dolphins played alongside the boat. I stood there for what seemed like an eternity. It was almost spiritual. I was hooked.

I despise the "rat-race", traffic, the whole 9-5 scene, corporate America (I LOVE AMERICA, just hate climbing the corporate ladder, office politics, brown nosing, etc...), and all the general little things one must deal with to work and live in "normal" society.

I am rather Nomadic by nature, never caring to stay in one place too long. I love to travel, see new places, meet new people and experience new things.

I''m not foolish enough to believe it will be all white beaches, with rum drinks, sun and fun. I know there will be maintenance, break-downs and myriad other things I haven''t even considered. I know it will be a lot of work but it will be a great adventure.

Things I wonder about...

Can I earn a living abroad? - I have an Associate''s Degree in Electronics and can do a lot with circuit design and implementation. I am somewhat handy with tools and can do most maintenance on a gasoline engine. I have been a computer geek for more than 20 years. I can sew. I fancy myself a good cook. I''m not a carpenter but I can do some basic woodwork.

Is an Autopilot or a Self-Steering WindVane a better choice?

Where in the Bahamas are the best places for...
Fresh Water for tanks, 
Gasoline, 
Fresh Meat (Lamb, Beef, Poultry),
Good Rum - (Taste, Smoothness),
Computer Parts (Hard Drives, Printer Cartridges, etc...),
Paper Charts - if I decide to venture outside the bahamas,
Riding out storms/hurricanes,
Sodas - (Coke, Mt Dew, etc...),
Dry Dog Food

If I take a dog with me (Pit, German Shepherd, Lab, etc...) what complications will I run into? i.e. quarrantine, etc... I plan on having the dog immunized, documented, etc... The dog is for guarding the boat when I am ashore, companionship, etc.

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What I want on the boat...

Laptop w/ Charting/Plotting, DVD & MP3s
GPS - Handheld X 2 (1 for laptop, 1 backup)
Depth Sounder
Radar (highly unlikely to obtain)
Small Watermaker for when tanks run dry
Various Windlasses/Winches for anchor, sails, etc.
Inflatable Dinghy/Liferaft
Minimum of 3 anchors w/chain and rode

I don''t plan on having refrigeration or Air Conditioning. I am thinking of building a 12 Volt Ice Maker, capable of keeping an ice chest full and a little extra, if needed...

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Being a sailing Newbie, I am planning on many Daysails, Coastal Cruises, etc. before heading "Down Island". The middle of the Gulf Stream is a bad time to realize I don''t know how to ___________ (fill in the blank).

With any luck, I will find one or more "Buddy Boats" to head Down Island with, but I do not want Crew other than a trusty Canine.

I intend to leave when the "Cruising Kitty" is approximately $7500-10K. Ashore, I have lived on as little as $500/month, rent included, trying to learn to live on as little as possible.

Can anyone reccomend a book or website about tropical fish and other sealife that can be be caught/prepared for food and which are dangerous to humans and canines.

Many friends think I am nuts, my family thinks I should be committed to some mental health facility... I think I am fairly sane and have a pretty good plan... Do I sound nuts to you?

Everyone around me is trying to discourage me from pursuing the dream... Maybe its out of concern for my safety, envy that they can''t do it themselves, or just a general landlubber''s ignorance of the sea). With so much negativity around me, I can''t help thinking about all the possible negatives.

That being said, I intend to push forward and live the dream.

Sorry that is so long... It should probably be several different posts but here it is...

Oh, one other thing... If anyone has any Navigation Charts, Cruising Guides, etc. for the Bahamas and or Belize that you would care to donate, e-mail me at [email protected]


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## Irwin32 (Jul 1, 2001)

*Dreams of Sunsets, Rum & Island Life*

Read "advice on books for the VI" on the learning to sail forum. My opinion of your plans is summed up in my response there.

The Belize bible is a book by Capt. Freya Rauscher. I plan on using mine again. Belize is very shallow and can be pretty tricky. Stay away from Belize city as I am told it is a crime pit. The Islands along the barrier reef are fabulous and the natives friendly. Don''t rely on GPS as the existing lat lon on available charts are not accurate.


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## Nereus32 (Jun 23, 2002)

*Dreams of Sunsets, Rum & Island Life*

Hi Yeshua,

I just spent the seven months cruising down through the Great Lakes, Erie Canal/Hudson River, down the East Coast to SW Florida with my wife and two year old daughter. It was the best seven months of my life (so far).

We, too, had a bunch of nay-sayers telling us what a big mistake we were making. In the end, it turned out they we all just envious of us having the chutzpah to make the discision and go. If it feels right to you, then it is probably the right thing.

Keep in mind, of course, that is far from ideal. I think my greatest reward is the fact the we did it successfully - we set our goal and achieved it. We would have loved to have kept going, but we couldn''t afford more than we''d planned for. No regrets.

As per your dog idea, we have black lab and decided to make other arrangements with family for her. We love her and she is part of our family, but the open sea is no place for a large dog, even one who loves the water as much as she does. We are now reunited with her, but surely realize that the trip would have been too much for us all to handle. It was a tough decision, one that you''ll have to decide for yourself.

Per your gear choices, well, they are a matter of personal taste. However, I can add that I used my radar all of 3 times during the trip, but wished ever week that I had a watermaker.

Good luck in what ever you decide. It is a great way to live.

Steve


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## Irwin32 (Jul 1, 2001)

*Dreams of Sunsets, Rum & Island Life*

I am not saying don''t go. What I am saying is that living long term aboard a sailboat is different than the pictures in the magazine. While there is , indeed, unmatchable pleasures, there are also downers and not everyone is willing to put up with the downers.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*Dreams of Sunsets, Rum & Island Life*

Steve-

What is the boat you are on? My wife and I own an Ericson 31, have two children (age 3 & 4) and are starting to think about a year or two of crusing in the future.

I''d be interested in your other thoughts on gear selection (such as your watermaker comment).

We would have a similar route, New England down to FLA, the islands, (Venezula?)

Regards - Doug


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## GordMay (Dec 19, 2002)

*Dreams of Sunsets, Rum & Island Life*

A trip around the Gulf to Belize is NOT a shakedown cruise.

The opportunities for a cruiser to acquire 'casual' work abroad are spotty at best. As one of the best sources of income might be other cruisers, boat-related skills are among the most useful.

An auto-pilot is more useful for short-haul or inshore work (Bahamas), whereas a wind-vane is more often used on longer passages.

Fresh water may cost anywhere from $0.25 to $1.00 per gallon in the Bahamas, and is readily available at any marina.

Fresh meat is harder to come by, in the Bahamas, and is often of lower quality than North America. Frozen meat is readily available throughout the Abaco's, in Nassau, Staniel Cay, and Georgtown (Exumas).

Good rum (all spirits) is cheap in Nassau (Luden's Liquor's will deliver your pre-purchased order to the dinghy dock).

Computer parts, Charts, Soda, Dogg Food will be harder to find outside of Nassau (etc) and very expensive.

A 12V Ice-maker is NOT a practical accessory on 30 Ft class sailboat.


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## bombayduck (Dec 14, 2004)

*Dreams of Sunsets, Rum & Island Life*

Yeshua,

I think you will want to learn how to sail first on a small boat like 25 feet or so. Keep that boat for a couple of years and learn on that one. Then, you will better know what you want and don''t want in a cruising sailboat and not have alot of money invested.

If you decide that cruising is not for you then you have not put all you eggs in one basket. Give yourself a few years to become familiar with sailing and cruising. Don''t rush into it. Take your time and check out all your options along the way. Sailing is a wonderful way to spend a life!

Just my two cents.

Brad


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*Dreams of Sunsets, Rum & Island Life*

Thanks for your post, Yeshua. You remind me a lot of myself. Here is your rating:

*Enthusiams/vision:* 10.0
*Adaptability and willingness to learn while doing:* 10.0
*Actual sailing knowledge/experience:* 0.5
*Probable menace to navigation/slip neighbors learning by yourself on 30'' keelboat:* 9.4

I think your idea is great. But you know that your first job is to become a competent sailor, so that with your new set of skills and judgment, you can decide where it is safe for you to go, and in which conditions, in the boat you are captaining. Here''s my best advice for someone on the fast track:

Get a book on the subject of basic sailing skills. There are several. I cut my teeth on Bob Bond''s The Handbook of Sailing. There are several other excellent primers to be found at Barnes & Noble.
When you get to Florida, take sailing lessons from one of the many competent schools. If you will arrive in Florida in the next 3-5 months, you can get this done before this summer is over.
Continue the reading program over the winter. That shelf at Barnes & Noble has a lot to keep you busy and absorb. Let your sailing class become the jumping-off place for sailing topics to learn about.
In the spring of ''06, buy a small (20-24'') weekender for $3-4k. Sail the hell out of it next summer. Practice basic skills such as the "rules of the road" & sailing ettiquite, reading the wind & sail trim, heaving-to, anchoring, and tacking & controlled gybing. After you feel competent on daysails, plan and provision for a weekend mini-cruise (sleeping bag, ice chest, camp stove). By this time you should have basic navigation tools like local charts, a ruler, compass/dividers, and a hand-bearing compass. Don''t know what to do? You didn''t read the right books. Practice your piloting skills by going somewhere within the boat''s range, stay on the hook somewhere protected for a couple of nights. Though your boat may be small, figure out a way to display an anchor light. Remember, you''re practicing for the bigger boat. Take a few trips like this over the course of next summer, increasing your range as your skills and confidence to handle changing weather and safely control your boat single-handed grow.

During this period, make as many dockside friends as you can. Sail with them. Decide who is truly knowledgeable, and talk to them about your plans. You''ll get more opinion to sort through than you can manage, but much of it will be good, and based on real experience.

Your reading during this period should focus on cruising skills (everything from provisioning & water conservation to heavy weather single-handing tactics, and tender (digny) options. Dogs, lacking opposable thumbs aren''t good for deck crew, so it''ll be all you out there.
Next fall (or earlier), focus your reading on selecting a cruising boat (again, there are several good books, but the subject is replete with differing opinion, so get a good range of thought, and determine which philosophy most closely matches yours.
Now you have the right to have an opinion. Begin shaping your idea of what kind of boat will suit your needs. Compare those emerging ideas to the local market of used sailboats. See what actual available boats in your area seem likely choices for your intended purpose.
Take your short list to knowledgeable friends. Take their comments into consideration. Do more research on the models on your list.
It''s time to learn about systerms: diesel engines; electricity generating/storage/use; anchoring ground tackle/deploying/retreiving; communication choices; sailraising/dousing for single-handers (know what lazy jacks are? Find out); mast-climbing options; harnesses and single-handed safety; watch-keeping. And the list goes on.

Continue to sail your boat during this time, or sell it and put the cash into the new boat fund.
In the spring of ''07, enter the used boat market with a focused idea of which boats are both suitable for you and are within your budget. 30-35'' is reasonable, depending on the layout and ability to be single-handed. Shorter if you''re spartan and leave the dog behind. Plan on spending 20-50% of your purchase price on repairs/maintenance (as revealed in the *survey* you were smart enough to insist on before you bought the boat) and upgrades to systems (blown-out sails? Big expense).

This summer, get to know your boat: how she handles under power and sail, what her performance is, what you need to change, e.g., leading lines back to the cockpit can increase your convenience and safety. Repeat the mini-coastal cruise experience with this boat. Get to be her captain.

Assuming your cash flow is healthy, implement your upgrades/adaptations over the off-season as you plan your real trip.
Find out about documentation and customs requirements for where you are going. Make sure you have all the paperwork in order to avoid problems once you get somewehre. Those places are soveriegn nations, and regulate travel into/out of their territorial waters & soil. Then cast off and have an adventure.
This is a very ambitious plan which will consume most of your evening and weekend hours. It is heavy on reading. If you don''t like to read, add two years to the plan and make sure your insurance coverage never lapses.

Other thoughts:
Those electric/electronic devices for entertainment will require power which you may need to reserve for essential functions such as lighting, communication, water pumping, an autopilot, and maybe powered anchor weighing. Add refrigeration, and you may have to make some hard choices about pleasures that require electricity.

Refrigeration itself is a hotly debated topic. Take a hard look at what you will actually require, and the power it will take to support your need for cold soda pop. Ice? Some consider it a necessity, some a luxury, others laugh at the idea.

Water desalinatorrs are very expensive and are sometimes less than reliable. Adequate freshwater tankage and good conservation practices may suit you better.

It''s been done, but I''d consider and re-consider taking a dog that size, after talking to a few people who have done it. If you do, make sure you know the customs regulations for bringing in animals in the countries you plan to visit.

GPS is great, but having one in your hand doesn''t make you a navigator or a pilot. And many (most?) charts were drawn to survey data that is quite old and error-ridden: things are not exactly where the charts say they are. Consider GPS a convenience, but don''t trust it blindly.
___

I''m sure others will have more to say and may disagree with me on several points, especially on the need to develop basic skills on a daysailor/camper. But if you want to be a sailor, not just a boat owner, this is the fastest way, IMHO, to truly develop the required skills to sail wherever you want to go safely and confidently.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*Dreams of Sunsets, Rum & Island Life*

Thank you all for the wonderful responses...

JeffC_ - I love your rating system!!!

I have pretty much have given up on the idea of taking the dog... I found a pretty good website (sorry I dont have the address atm...) with lots of info about taking animals sailing and the red tape involved in many of the places I want to travel.

It looks like it will be late July - mid August before I am ready to go to Florida. I still have several things to take care of here.

I had already planned on getting a small sailboat 20-25'' to learn the basics of sailing. I had already considered the menace factor (to other sailors) of learning on a larger boat 8^)

Thanks again to all of you for your great posts and encouragement. Please continue with the posts, I will be checking in here as often as I can.

____________________________

Yeshua
You can''t sit on the beach drinking rum all day if you dont get started early in the morning...


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*Dreams of Sunsets, Rum & Island Life*

Ok, my 2 cents...I started on a Chrysler 22, an excellent boat by the way. Two years, and not less than a few mishaps, later, we bought a 33'' yawl. While I love the way she sails and she will be ideal for our plans in the future, I still miss sailing the Chrysler.

I bought two books to begin with..."sailing Basics" and "Sailing for Dummies". Both are excellent. I got a great deal on Amazon.com on them as a package deal. I recomend them both.


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## Denr (Feb 7, 2001)

*Dreams of Sunsets, Rum & Island Life*

Maybe you should start out with a Trawler!


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*Dreams of Sunsets, Rum & Island Life*

Twenty years ago, I dropped out of "the race"to become a sailor. I had a twenty-three foot Columbia sailboat. After I gave away my suits and ties,and sold my car,tv, steroe, and everything else that required 110vac power, I moved on board my little boat. While waiting to find a boat that needed crew, I worked in a ship''s store to learn the proper nomenclature of boat parts. All the while, sailing my boat under all kinds of conditions. And I told everyone that I met that I wanted to go sailing. Wasn''t it Tristan Jones that said, "Never sail your own boat when you can sail someone elses." I sailed as crew for awhile, then as captain. That was twenty something years ago. I am still playing with boats, living aboard a boat, and the remarkable thing is that as I get older, people assume I get smarter. What a life!


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*Dreams of Sunsets, Rum & Island Life*

First of all, JeffC is right about the "Handbook of Sailing" by Bob Bonds.
My husband, coming from farmland in Oklahoma, dreamed of sailing. It was his biggest most desired dream a man could ever contain. He never really thought he would do it. He read that book and learned SO much. The day we set out for the first time together for a sea trial on our first sailboat, I, like you, was hooked. It took a month before it hit him. He had his sailboat and was about to fulfill his dream.
We are now in Guatemala and love it!
Of course our family and friends, even to this day, think we are nuts and clueless. But the day we arrived at Isla Mujeres, after a 7 day crossing from Pensacola Florida, the joy and achievement my husband felt was priceless and made my heart soar. His comment was simple, "No matter what happens after this, that can''t be taken from me." The ''that'' he spoke of was living his dream...sailing his boat, across the Gulf, through everything dealt to us during that passage. Beat to hell, more bruises than we could count, tired, grungy, and hungry suddenly didn''t seem so bad when we sailed upon something we thought was a wad of floating seaweed and turned out to be a huge seaturtle. We were just five yards from it when it dove under. We could not have gotten that close in a power boat, and we could not have seen that beauty if we had listened to our family and friends. You tell me who the clueless ones are.
Now, as far as the dog issue goes. There are several people who have brought their dogs along on their voyages. If you have the right health certificate, you shouldn''t have a problem. Email different Countries'' Embassies to see what they reccommend. Dogs are actually great security (especially when anchored).
As for the ice maker, you may want to look at a 110/12v refrigerator/freezer.
Finally, to the question you posed about making a living abroad. Even here in the Rio Dulce there are cruisers making livings by utilizing their trades. There are sail repairers, canvas makers, computer geeks, electricians, etc. Also, look at the possibility of managing a marina. There are many marinas around here and other places that use cruisers as managers of the marinas. In some cases you just get a free slip, and some others offer a commission or pay along with the free slip.
Look at the places you want to visit, then plan around your budget. Some places cost a lot more than others. The Western Caribbean is cheaper in Mexico, Guatemala, and farther south. Belize can be about US prices (and more for US products). There are ways to stretch the budget.
Either way, it''s your choice to sit on the sidelines and ''coulda-shoulda-woulda'' in your later life or live the dream that burns inside you.
Here''s to dreaming,
Christal


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*Dreams of Sunsets, Rum & Island Life*

Sorry, forgot about the cruising guide.
You don''t want to cruise the western caribbean without Freya Rauscher''s crusing guide to Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala.
The charts say they aren''t for navigation, but most cruisers wouldn''t be this far down here in the Rio without them. They are great charts in her book!
Christal


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## starcresttoo (Aug 30, 2004)

*Dreams of Sunsets, Rum & Island Life*

leave the dog home.it may look like a tasty meal wherever you go,if they dont eat their dead.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*Dreams of Sunsets, Rum & Island Life*

Heheheh!
:O)


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## sneuman (Jan 28, 2003)

*Dreams of Sunsets, Rum & Island Life*

marcellario:

Through life, you will always encounter the naysayers and the stay-at-homes. Unfortunately, those people are often part of your own family. But their skepticism makes your triumph even more sweet.

When I was 28 and decided to go live and work as a freelance journalist in India, my family thought I was nuts too. A decade later, I am still living (and making a living!) in Asia. The experience has been life changing. If I''d listened to family and friends, I''d still be in Indiana.

That isn''t to say some ventures aren''t risky - they are. But too many Americans have lost touch with their past. Was it the naysayers who left the Old World behind (family, friends, country, culture ...) and settled the American West? Not. So, why have so many Americans turned into risk-averse panzies?

There''s nothing wrong with calculated risks -taking them, and the satisfaction of overcoming them, are among the few real joys in life.


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## captronb (Oct 9, 2000)

*Dreams of Sunsets, Rum & Island Life*

Forget the watermaker. They cost more in maintenance than the water you could buy with the money. In Georgetown Exuma, water was $.10 a gallon at the marina and free at the Exuma Marketsdinghy dock...both good R/O.

Forget the ice maker ... small refrigeration units are much lower battery drain especially in a well insulated box.

Rum is cheap in the Bahamas and Caribbean.

Learn to sail on a small boat ... i.e. Hobie Wave (great learn to sail boats), Sunfish, Pram. Then try a bigger boat. I used to teach a Learn to Sail class on Hobie Waves ... less than 10 hours of instruction would get most people soloing.


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## Fareast (Nov 15, 2006)

Christal,

Your husband is a lucky man, and your post was powerful. I agree with you 100%.

Mike and Paula
S/V Tivioli


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## Kuhntar (Jan 7, 2007)

I just wanted to say that this is a GREAT thread. Yeshua, I am in the same boat as you (kewl pun huh?). I grew up in Illinois and I have been on a sailboat for all of 2 hours in my life. I am now in Iraq hording away and dreaming of the day when I too can cast off. 

To everyone else this has been really informative as to the process of moving aboard and eventually sailing away. However, I still have a question. When I come back to the states I will hopefully have a job in Tampa and I would like to live aboard. Is it really a bad idea to just buy one boat say 28-32' to learn and live on?


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## trecksail (Dec 2, 2004)

Yeshua,
I know alot of people including myself that share your thoughts on the rat race completely. I am currently doing what you are planning and would not change it even if someone was holding a gun to my head! You will find many family, friends, and even other boaters who have different beliefs/dreams but stick to yours. Here are some quotes I read regularly to keep my mind "right". ("right" to me anyway) 

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn''t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.


-Mark Twain


Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing--absolutely nothing--half so much worth doing as messing about in boats. Simply messing about in boats...

Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows



We are a systematic people. We have a systematic approach to almost everything- from raising children to getting buried. Somehow it is the male's duty to put the best years of his life into work he doesn't like in order that he may "retire" and enjoy himself as soon as he is too old to do so. This is more than just the system- it is the credo. It is the same thing that prompted Thoreau to say in 1839: ''The majority of men lead lives of quiet desperation.''
To be truly challenging, a voyage, like a life, must rest on a firm foundation of financial unrest. Otherwise you are doomed to a routine traverse, the kind known to yachtsmen, who play with their boats at sea - "cruising" it is called. Voyaging belongs to seamen, and to the wanderers of the world who cannot, or will not, fit in. If you are contemplating a voyage and you have the means, abandon the venture until your fortunes change. Only then will you know what the sea is all about.
Little has been said or written about the ways a man may blast himself free. Why? I don't know, unless the answer lies in our diseased values. A man seldom hesitates to describe his work; he gladly divulges the privacies of alleged sexual conquests. But ask him how much he has in the bank and he recoils into a shocked and stubborn silence.
I've always wanted to sail to the South Seas, but I can't afford it." What these men can't afford is not to go. They are enmeshed in the cancerous discipline of "security" And in the worship of security we fling our lives beneath the wheels of routine - and before we know it our lives are gone.
What does a man need - really need? A few pounds of food each day, heat and shelter, six feet to lie down in - and some form of working activity that will yield a sense of accomplishment. That's all - in the material sense. And we know it. But we are brainwashed by our economic system until we end up in a tomb beneath a pyramid of time payments, mortgages, preposterous gadgetry, playthings that divert our attention from the sheer idiocy of the charade.
The years thunder by. The dreams of youth grow dim where they lie caked in dust on the shelves of patience. Before we know it the tomb is sealed.
Where, then, lies the answer? In choice. Which shall it be: bankruptcy of purse or bankruptcy of life?

-Sterling Hayden (1916-1986)






If you dream of cruising start today. Take the small cruiser you have now and go cruising. The perfect boat is not the one you dream about. It is the boat that takes you cruising.

Don Casey and Lew Hackler from Sensible Cruising



When I was living aboard Independence in Key Largo in the late 1980s. I bumped into an old friend, also a sailor who sailed back from the Bahamas to restock his cruising funds. But he couldn't get a job, any job. He was down to eating ramen noodles and balogna which was about all he could afford. After telling me his situation he said."It's getting so bad it looks like I'm going to have to go back to eating lobster and swordfish!" 

The point - all one has to do was dive over the side to pick out a lobster or throw a line in to catch the freshest seafood in the world! Civilization - pah!

Anonymous


A New York City businessman goes to *Mexico*. While wandering along the beach he sees a fisherman pulling his boat up onto the shore early in the day. 

The New Yorker says to the fisherman, "Hey, why are you stopping so early in the day?"

The fisherman says, "Well, I just did a little fishing and now I am going home to play with my children, play some music, lay in the sun , and maybe later I will go out with my wife."

The businessman says, "Oh no, no, no! Take it from me, you should fish all day, then sell the surplus fish to make more money. Then hire some helpers to work with you and then you can get a bigger boat later on. Once you do this, you will be making even more money, so then you can buy more boats and get more people to work for you. Eventually you can move to New York and operate your business from the twin towers to sell your fish world wide and make even more money!"

The fisherman says, "Why would I want to do that?"

The New Yorker says, "Because in 30 years or so you can sell your company and make millions! You could retire to a little beach town in *Mexico* and just relax, do a little fishing, play with your children, play some music, lay in the sun , and go out with your wife at night!"

The fisherman just smiles at the New York businessman and walks away.

- Unknown author (slightly edited by me for length and to strengthen the point)


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## JagsBch (Jan 19, 2007)

I am looking forward to seeing the stars outside of all the light pollution.


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## Tartan34C (Nov 21, 2006)

JagsBch said:


> I am looking forward to seeing the stars outside of all the light pollution.


When you get away from the air and light pollution the number of stars is beyond description. You can sit on deck with your back against the mast and watch the phosphorescent tracks of dolphins streak by with that background of countless stars and only wonder why you didn't do the trip sooner. 
Sailed and sailing again,
Robert Gainer


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## ehmanta (Sep 12, 2006)

Yeshua, Before you take off from the states, make sure you have upgraded the boat as much as you can afford before you leave. The parts are pricey and slow to come by in most ports. The Bahamas will put a hefty tax on almost anything, so be careful.


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## rireefguy (May 30, 2006)

Sounds like you have a lot of work in front of you, but the rewards will be well worth it! I wish you good luck, and will be following along. Keep us posted.


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