# If you had 11 years to plan...



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

We are planning to go cruising full-time - until our bodies give out - in 11 years. Coming with us will be our then-13-year-old daughter and then-11-year-old-son. We will be 46 and 47 when we cast off. Retirement vehicles that are not accessible until we're 59 1/2 are fully funded. Financially, we're now focusing on gathering funds for early retirement. Equity in our home will probably provide a big chunk of those funds. We hope to be able to afford a nice sailboat (40-50'?) with separate berths for each child. (Can't expect a teenage daughter to share a bunk for five years with her little brother!) It'd be nice if we could handle the boat ourselves after our little crew moves off for college. (They will move off, right?!) Initially, we expect to cruise mostly along the U.S. shores, Caribbean and Mediterranean. We have sailed for years, but live inland where it's all reservoirs and lakes. We love where we live and intend to live here until we push off. We own a small daysailer and intend to teach the children young how to handle it. I'll be homeschooling the kids from the get go, so they'll be used to it when we go afloat. Before we go afloat, we intend to take several week-long or multi-week charters to get a taste of the cruising life. I've also historically had some troubles with seasickness, so I'm anxious to see if I can overcome them!

So, them's our plans as they stand now. Of course, with 11 years to go, they'll probably change. I'd appreciate any and all advice on how to make good use of the decade of prep time we get to have.


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## PBzeer (Nov 11, 2002)

One thing you can do right now is to simplify your life. Buy only what you need to have (realizing we all have to splurge once in a while), be thrifty and value concious when you do spend, and sock away as much as you can. Learn skills that will be of use afloat. 

Those are some things you can do now, and will stand you in good stead even if your plans change.


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## chris_gee (May 31, 2006)

Live your life in the meantime.


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## Capnblu (Mar 17, 2006)

Sounds kinda like us. 12 years ago, or so we started along with the same dream. We started by purchasing a catalina 22 with a swing keel and a trailer. We droped her in a large lake and kept her moored there until the lake froze over every year. We learned to sail, dock, and repair everything that went wrong with everything that was onboard (just like a REAL boat) we took all of our nieces and nephews and family and friends. We spent every weekend, and every holiday at the lake and had the time of our lives. Once you know what you are doing, look at this forum and find someone who would like crew, and get on the big water for a week night, weekend, or for a week. IMHO go buy a sound small boat, and start next week, the 11 years will be here in the blink of an eye, and by then you will already be competent. Your search for a boat will probably be long, as you try to learn what you want, and what you need.


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

You're gonna pull kids out of school for their high school years so you can go sailing? Suggest you go soon...or wait for them to finish high school. Why mess with their future and development? 
I am not saying that there aren't plenty of good reasons to go cruising with kids and plenty of bad things that can happen at home...but once kids hit their teens...they become people too. They have a right to their own dreams...to the best education possible...to play on sports teams...to make lasting friends...to play in a rock band...whatever etc. 
Suppose your son loves to play soccer...suppose your daughter wants to become a scientist. Your choice will supercede their choice. I always thought that the parents job was to help their kids become the best they can be and fulfill *their* dreams by providing discipline and opportunity.

My suggestion is to defer the dream for a few years. Then if the kids want to hop on before attending college for a bit...great. But let it be their choice.


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## Maine Sail (Jan 6, 2003)

Having seen many dream and few complete I would suggest taking a two to four month sabbaticle from your current jobs and trying it out first. 

Many dream, but very few take a test drive. They then they find they don't like the vehicle because they never test drove it... Bay sailing on weekends or for two week vacations is VERY, VERY different than 24/7 with four people on the same boat no matter how big and is NOT a real world test drive. 

I've seen more folks deck out a boat over a three year period only to be back in three months wishing they never sold the house and then they eat thousands of dollars in non-recoverable losses due to the upgrades they put into their boat that they never recoup. S/V Flight of Years is a recent example of this..

Dreams are nice but the realities of a 24/7 three or four month test sail will confirm if you're ready, wiling and able..

Just my .02


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## ehmanta (Sep 12, 2006)

I agree with Cam to a large degree, but many people cruise with teenagers. Kids do adapt and a good source for information is Tom Neale. He and his wife raised two daughters aboard and have written extensively about their life cruising. I am a high school teacher and as such, I see the interaction between the kids as a valuable aspect of growing up. Of course, many kids growing up cruising are often well adjusted, can make friends easily and are often not as materialistic as kids I see in high school.
Good luck, Tom


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## Freesail99 (Feb 13, 2006)

I also have to agree with Cam. Having coached football, and softball and taken my children to numerous activities I could never take that away from them. Just to see the smiles on there faces and the brightness of there eyes, taking about what they just did. My children had many friends and different likes. It would bother me to take that away from them. I know that they will see things that they couldn't ever dream of seeing cruising on a sailboat. But I have to ask is it worth taking away the bonds and friendships they make which can never be replaced.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*Responses*

We are working on simplifying our shore lives some. In fact, this is a process we're going through right now. But, part of the reason we're delaying is so we can enjoy some of the complexities of shore life, including land pursuits and hobbies.

We have owned a couple of more complex boats, both West Wight Potters. The 19' was in a local marina. But, while we love sailing, we decided that was more boat than we wanted to fuss with during our landlubber years and it tied us to the local reservoir which isn't pretty and is full of powerboats. We'd rather spend weekends camping in the mountains, bicycle riding, hiking, backpacking - and using our daysailer at various places. We hope to live on a sailboat for a couple of decades at least! We are trying to become fairly self-sufficient around the house, handling repairs ourselves, etc. My husband did do some upgrades and repairs, including fiberglass work, on our WWP19.

We will not be pulling the kids out of school. They'll never be in school. They'll always be homeschooled, before and after we set sail. But, they will indeed have a strong community here. They will have friends. That'll be tough, but it'd be tough when they left for college, too. I believe that we are doing this for them. We picked 11 years to ensure that our daughter got several years aboard. Sure, they won't get to play high school soccer, but they'll have a far more exciting and enriching experience. As for my daughter wanting to be a scientist, I don't see why that's incompatible with sailing? She will be schooled by us. We both have genius IQs and college degrees. I think we'll do OK schooling her - probably better than the local high school. (She's already ahead of her peers in learning at age two.) Nowadays colleges respect and actively recruit homeschooled children. We'll even have a microscope (got one all picked out) aboard. Our nieces and nephews are spending their high school years hanging out at the mall, smoking, doing drugs, worrying about pregnancy and wrecking cars. (One niece was quite popular with lots of friends and she's a train wreck with a bunch of problems. She's also superficial, irresponsible, materialistic and unfocused. She graduated from high school, but I wouldn't consider her particularly well educated.) Ours will be crew members on our boat, learning much more about the world, having responsibilities and learning foreign languages. Everything I've read about cruising kids has nothing but the highest praise for them. Few things I read about your average high school kid in America is so glowing.

I like the idea of a longer term sabbatical. It's not impossible, but might involve quitting the job completely and hoping to get a replacement if we come back ashore.


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## Stillraining (Jan 11, 2008)

*Different Thought*

GO FOR IT !!!

I have friends doing it right now...The Rard family..with twin teenage girls. Below I will post their website you can read about them and even email them and ask them some questions.

This is a family from my church, and they are very nice people. They are in Australia right now....As you read you will see the girls are not missing a thing but gaining and giving to others so much more then most.

I have 3 teenage girls...all home schooled from day one..this is the first year my wife decided to try something a little different ( we dont have Guinness IQ's ) and entered them into a home school CoOp run by our local school district...enrolment is oh, maybe 50 kids. Anyway I have mixed feelings about this but we dont want or kids to peak out scholastically either even though we have them scoring at a 3.5 gpa. They do like the new interaction with the other kids but we have always gotten lots of compliments on how well adjusted and engaging our children have been with out school interaction, I have to say though that they have always been really active in youth group at church and sports which gives them friends.

All of my girls do and have competed in High school and Junior High sports, Soccer, track, volleyball, all the while being home schooled. Two are also in select club soccer, and one in rec soccer. I am only bringing this up because my oldest blew her ACL out the first game of the High School season this past November, and is out of the year now, even in her club play. We still hope to have one go on to collage on a soccer scholarship if she can stay healthy... but this brings me to my point... We/you cant know the out come of your kids futures even with the best intentions... My daughter may never realize a collage scholarship now...or be as confident on the soccer field again, learning that life is a mixed bag of wins and losses...I believe your kids would revel in the new challenges, experiences, conquests and advertises that the cruising life would provide.

HOWEVER!!!!!!!

I think it would be wise not to sell your home!( or at least downsize and keep a smaller but workable one ) The Rards didn't, It sounds like you have your finances more in control then most ( I for sure ). 
Rent the house out and give cruising a 2 year trial. With the option of cutting it short if things dont work out or continuing on. 
I also dream of a cruising life someday albeit a little less hardcore then most you read about, keeping a land base to "come home to" when ever we want. I think it is foolhardy for most to sell all and cut the ties unless it has been your way of live before and you know what your up against. I bet you dont have all your retirement investments all in one basket? Why would you put your life all in one basket so to speak? Your not going to recoup all your investment in your cruising endeavor to regain what you had. Maybe half.

Oh.... by the way the Rards were on a 2 year plan then sell the boat...The KIDS..however, now want to keep it and continue...

PS: The Twins post a lot to the web site so make sure you know whos doing the writing...enjoy
The Rards link:
http://rubyslippers49.com/wp/


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*Confidence*

I can appreciate the value of sports for children, but I don't think cruising children lack for opportunities for a sense of accomplishment. They're crew members. They'll take the helm, drive the tender, dock the boat, anchor the boat, help with provisioning, navigate, chart, plan trips, etc. And, they'll do all these things daily!


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*Selling the home*

Yes, I'm excited about homeschooling them. That plan predated the sailing plan! But, I will make a special effort to ensure they are engaged outside the home. This week, we'll be out of the house - with other children their ages - six days!

I'm not sure I agree about keeping the house.
Pros:
House rises in value, perhaps more than the equity might rise elsewhere.
Renters pay the mortgage which by that time will be noticeably less than the rent we could command.
Kick the renters out when you move home and you're back where you started.
You might make bad decisions and lose your investments. Can't (generally) lose the house.
Cons:
Managing renters from the other side of the world when you may not be able to be in regular contact. Paying a local firm to do it eats up a lot of money. I had two renters in the past. Both were terrible and cost me a lot of money and made it harder to sell the house later. We have no family here.
Home equity not available for adventures. (Some might consider this a pro!) You mention downsizing and that'd help this.
Precious house may have damage by renters that will need to be fixed when we return or sell.
If we love cruising, now we have to come back, fix up the house and sell it. Meanwhile, our boat is where? (We are eight hours from the nearest ocean and it's probably not the one we'll be sailing in initially!)

I think I'd rather sell the home and invest the equity. If we hate cruising, we move back "home" and buy another house. We are not especially attached to this house. (Although, we will probably be more attached as the kids grow up here!) We hope to fund our kitty sufficiently to do this, even knowing we'll lose thousands on the boat.


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## vega1860 (Dec 18, 2006)

FloatingFamily said:


> I've also historically had some troubles with seasickness, so I'm anxious to see if I can overcome them!


It's good you're getting started early. I had to wait until I was in my late fifties to make cruising a full time lifestyle (I hate that word). Mainly because I goofed off when I was young 

I get seasick. Usually it goes away after two or three days at sea. On another thread I covered our recent Pacific crossing but didn't mention that I had been seasick for the first twenty one days That's right, 21 days  

If you want to go to sea you will deal with it. Lord Nelson got seasick too.

Read the article at this link and check out the rest of the web site, especially our crusing pages.

Malie ke kai


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I say go for it. Not all kids grow up the same way.

As for the homeschooling: In some states the school system will actually help out and the kids can attend school for things like gym and music. Check with your school system.

Georgia is not one of them.


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## artbyjody (Jan 4, 2008)

Personally, forget the 11 year plan. Most people can't plan for the next week. Even if they can they are so interested in the results that happen that the adventure and what can be gained is lost...

While it is nice to look forward to the future - very few can muster the gumption to follow through what happens in two years versus 11....

Live here and now - and use the light so to speak to guide you... 11 years is a long way to go..not saying its not achievable but - life is aways about what is here and now and honestly - nothing ever ends up according to our plans anyways - which is what makes it worth living....Just go for it.....


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

While I don't agree with the whole teenager thing, I do think it is both possible and important to plan ahead and have specific goals along the way rather than some vague notion of leaving in 11 years. We dreamed of sailing away for 30 years...but had a firm plan 15 years out that (if achieved) would allow us to cruise comfortably and meet our family obligations and be competent at sea. Things to consider:
1. Kids college education fund
2. Nest egg required to allow cruising budget
3. Learning to sail in increasingly more difficult situation...both parents.
4. Navigation/Weather and systems repair skill building
5. Initial cruising plans and data gathering required
5. Buying the right boat and deciding how to outfit. 
6. Downsizing and making arrangements to live on the move (mail, banking etc.)

Each of these points (and more) require a plan and some goals along the way and adjustments. There will be setbacks and surprises but without such planning, the likelihood of ever being able to leave AND be safe AND sustain the cruising lifestyle goes way down. 

Example: It will be 16 year until your son attends college. Public University annual costs average $13K today. In 16 years we can reasonable expect that cost to be $30K or $120K for 4 years at the LEAST expensive type of college. How will this be funded. Lots of possible answers including..."if he wants to go he will find a way" and "he can join the army and get educated there" and "we need to set aside $10k per year for the next 11 years in order to fund his education" . Point is...a plan is needed. You are right to start putting one in place now if you ever hope to go.


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## ReverendMike (Aug 1, 2006)

If I had 11 years to plan for dropping the docklines... I'd go nuts!

Actually I *do* have 11 years (+/- a few) to plan, but I maintain some semblance of sanity by not thinking about it that way. I have small, short term plans that involve education and practice and more education and more practice, all of it fun and all worth doing for it's own sake. Mostly, with that sort of time frame, I feel it's necessary to not even think in terms of "sailing away in 11 years". Too much can (will) happen to change your plans.


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## billyruffn (Sep 21, 2004)

A couple of thoughts re the original question (11 yr plan) and some of what's been said in the posts above:

-- I think people are different. Some plan, some don't. Some have short term plans, some dream longer term. I was a long term planner. I started dreaming about it 20 years before I bought the boat. I was "in the market for the boat" vicariously for 15 years before I bought it. The dream provided a focus, a reason for saving, a motivator for learning (mostly through reading, but also lots of sailing on OPBs -- other people's boats. I don't know if I'd have gotten to 'live the dream' without the planning.

-- Trying it first is a good idea. Even if only a few weeks of chartering now and then when the budget can afford it. You'll quickly get an idea of who's dream it really is. My girls didn't like it -- one stayed in her cabin and read all the time. Initially, my wife did it only because she loved me. Later she would confide that she came along because she'd met a lot of second wives on sailboats (first wife didn't share the dream). About ten years into the planning for the great escape, I learned it was really my dream, not theirs. So, I adjusted the long range plan accordingly -- we waited until the kids were through college, we started cruised locally several summers before going away to get my wife comfortable, we spent two years in the Caribbean poking around for more comfort building. Eventually we discovered my wife didn't like long offshore passages (she's done several, including an Atlantic crossing, but as she keeps reminding me, it's not her dream). I now know that when long passages are in the plan, I needed to find crew and airfare for my mate.

-- I never met a "boat kid" who was anything but well adjusted, smart, engaged in life, confident and interesting to talk to. Great kids, every one of them. Family cruising seems to be a great experience for kids. They learn a lot about life and themselves. They become real contributing members of the family's endeavous far faster than would it they lived ashore. It is true that it's hard to uproot teenagers, but if they're up for the program, they will probably do fine. Most boat kids I've met are probably younger than yours at the time you're planning to leave, but there are a few teenagers out there. All that said, it's important that the kids want to do it -- that it is their dream, too. If not, you'll all probably be miserable.

-- If at all possible do not sell your house. Find a realiable realtor to monitor tenants and a good handyman to look after things while you're gone. Expect problems, but don't think you'll eliminate all the problems by selling the house. First, you'll have to buy back into the market when you return. Consider how you'll do that -- boats generally don't appreciate in value and cash on hand tends to get spent. Second, think of the house as an insurance policy, a safety valve -- a place to run to if something goes wrong. What happens if someone develops an serious illness in year two and you need to be near medical care on a full time basis for a while? Where do you live? The house can be a psychological comfort to members of the family. Just knowing that they can "go home" helps them "go on".

-- Keep planning (and dreaming)! But stay flexible in how the plan evolves. Anticipate potential problems, work out solutions. And recognize that in the end, it won't be exactly the way you planned or dreamed it would be. 

It will be better!


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## shooter13 (Sep 20, 2007)

We plan to leave in roughly 10 years with our 10 year old (who is now one month) and our other child who will be ~8ish. 

I think your planning is great. I look forward to reading more about your plans as you go along. We have only recently begun planning. For me however the dream of leaving is what keeps me going at a high paying but very miserable job. We plan to sell the house which will give us a very large kitty and keep it invested in the market which I enjoy tinkering with anyway already. My wife still isn't sure that is what we will do but time will tell. Right now we are buying a very inexpensive boat that we can weekend on some (though I agree it isn't the same.) It is also going to be our ticket to much reduced cost vacations as we can spend a week cruising locally for much less than a week in the mountains would run us. 

We are planning on setting a 2 year cruise. We both agree that we can extend it or cut it short if either of us is truly unhappy with no regrets and total respect for the others decision. We plan to give it a go for at least 6 months though so we know we really hate it before we quit if that is what we decide. In my line of work, I can't take a leave of absense but I can find employment pretty much wherever if need be. 

I'd love to be in touch with you guys some and hear more of your plans. Ugg I have to get to work and don't even have time to run spell check on this. Sorry!


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Given what I've seen with today's youth in this country... I think taking the time off and going cruising with your children and exposing them to other cultures, societies and people is probably a good idea. Getting away from the rampant commercialism and selfishness of today's modern society might not be a bad idea.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Be careful who you tell your dreams to.
Those who haven given up on thiers,
will eagerly point out the folly of your's.

My ex has my children in every activity imagineable. They never talk about it.

What they do talk about are the things we have done as a family (biking, camping, kayaking and sailing.

It is why I own a camper, bicycles and a boat. I do not care to leave them money. I want thier inheritance to be a million memories we all share.

In five years they will not be able to remember the first names of most of the kids in thier team picture.

They will tell thier grandchildren about sailing by the USS New Jersey at night on a broad reach...with the man that taught them to do it.

Damn what a childhood!!!!


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## wind_magic (Jun 6, 2006)

Having "waited" the short amount of time I have waited, I don't know if I could personally plan 11 years out. At first I had a lot of trouble with the idea of planning 1 1/2 years out, even that has been very hard to bare. It is difficult to live totally for something that is that far out in the future.

Like someone said earlier in the thread, I agree it's best to live your life in the meantime if you are going to have to wait that long to go somewhere. Even having a year invested makes me feel like I have wasted significant amounts of time I might better have spent pursuing something else with a closer payday.

"Time is the fire in which we burn"


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## Omatako (Sep 14, 2003)

Ellen MaCarthur passed her Yachtmaster exam in 1995 and came second in the Vendee Globe single handed round the world yacht race in 2000.

With this as backdrop, 11 years seems like a lifetime.

Against the advice of this forum, we prepared a new-to-us boat for a trans-Pacific voyage in just 2 weeks and the voyage went really well. Not that I would recommend that time window to everybody but, again, 11 years is a looooong time.

Andre


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## danielgoldberg (Feb 9, 2008)

I won't comment on the lifestyle-type issues. Every family is different, and you probably aren't looking for life advice on a sailing board.

Here's something boatwise to think about. A catamaran. Many traditionalists think them anathema, but for cruising, particularly with kids, it's a very good platform. I'm a monohull sailor myself, so I'm speaking from limited experience (not none, but not extensive) and a decent amount of research (we're considering a cat for our next boat for our own sabbatical a number of years out, but we haven't yet decided, and still haven't decided whether we even want to give up our Miracle). Here's some of what you get with a cat:

1. Privacy for all. The typical owner's version layout puts an owner's master in one hull, and then the other hull has two private cabins, on opposite ends, both sharing a head or some with two heads. If you've got two kids, particularly of the opposite sex, you can't do better than that. All of you will having cabins in opposite ends of the boat with plenty of space between you. Don't underestimate that.

2. Level. One of the biggest draws to some. No healing.

3. Stability. This is related to "level," but a little different. The boat won't roll. It will have a different motion, and maybe a little herky-jerky, but it won't roll and have exaggerated yaw. That motion often (not always of course) is what makes people sick. It may very well help limit seasickness. Likewise, if you're in a rolly anchorage, you'll be stable while all the monohulls are all over the place. I've been there, and know I will continue to be, and that part ain't fun.

4. Space. The cockpits are huge, the saloons are huge, the decks are huge. If you're living aboard and cruising, you'll spend the overwhelming majority of your time on the hook, and having that kind of space will be very important, particularly considering you will have kids.

5. Speed. If you really load down a cat it's performance will suffer greatly. But, if you're reasonably careful and get a boat designed to handle the payload you plan to have, you will sail a lot faster. That means less time at sea, which means you will have less exposure to adverse weather.

6. Draft. Most cruising cats draw 4' or less. That will get you into a lot of places you wouldn't be able to go in a prototypical monohull. If you want to go to the Bahamas, that's a key consideration.

There are other plusses, and certainly there are minuses, but this thread is not about cats v. monos.

Just something to consider. Here's a link to friends of ours who sold up and went cruising on their Manta 42 with two kids. http://mapsjohnson.com/index.html.

Good luck.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Bravo Dan... Bravo... I'd have to agree with the idea of a Catamaran, but then again, my opinion is clearly biased, being a multihull sailor myself.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*As long as 11 years...*

Eleven years is a long time, we know. But, we don't think we'll be ready to go until then. The current plan is that cruising will be our lives from 47 until 77 or beyond! So, we'll have 30 years afloat. Unless we end up hating it or something major happens, we should have at least a decade or two. We're waiting 11 years because there are shoreside things we wish to pursue. We live in the mountains and love camping. We want to explore the inland United States. Hobbies like woodworking and gardening need space and/or land to pursue. We are not spending the next 11 years living under a rock, waiting for life to begin when we can go cruising. We're going to live life to the fullest over the next 11 years - and then go cruising.


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## LarryandSusanMacDonald (Apr 3, 2005)

Lots of conflicting advice - so I won't give any - except to listen to all of the advice and choose what applies to you. (A man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest - Paul Simon (The Boxer))



> -- I never met a "boat kid" who was anything but well adjusted, smart, engaged in life, confident and interesting to talk to. Great kids, every one of them. Family cruising seems to be a great experience for kids. They learn a lot about life and themselves. They become real contributing members of the family's endeavous far faster than would it they lived ashore. It is true that it's hard to uproot teenagers, but if they're up for the program, they will probably do fine.


I couldn't agree more! We've lived aboard for 11 years and cruised some and worked some. We've met many kids living on board and I'll take any one of them over the best of the mall kids with the 'attitude'.

We, too, climbed aboard with teenagers. Twin daughters - fresh out of high school. We were never rich (I'm a five figure guy in a six figure world) and had to sell the houses, the cars, etc. to finance the boat and the voyaging. At first, neither of my daughters felt they wanted to go to college. One changed her mind after about a year - and decided she wanted to be a teacher. We told her that we had not prepared to send another off to college. (Son had already graduated - he's a news reporter/photographer and is doing well). She said - "That's okay, Mom and Dad, I'll figure out something myself." And she did. She applied for loans, grants, scholarships. She is now a junior high teacher in Annapolis with a special ed. background. We're extremely proud of her.

Twin two stayed with us a little longer, then got married. The guy turned into a jerk so she left him and put herself through College. She is now an architect working in Baltimore. Married to a wonderful guy and very well adjusted. We're extremely proud of her also.

My point is that living aboard and cruising helps make the kids resilient, self-sufficient, responsible, sensible.

I like your 11 year plan - it gives you plenty of time to take "baby-steps." Teaching the family to sail, practicing living aboard for short periods of time, learning all it takes to be self-sufficient on a boat. You get out on the ocean, and there are no 'off-ramps'. If something breaks, you have to know how to fix it.

Sell the house if you want and make the commitment - or don't and have a back-up. Whatever works.

And watch the movie, "*Captain Ron*." This is _mandatory_ if you intend to go cruising.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I must say, this is one of the most enjoyable posts I have read in a long while.

I am on an eleven year plan as well.... My daughter turns 1 tomorrow.. I turn 38 next Thursday. I am leaving my job on my 49th Birthday. No matter what..

I love to read about others planning and others input... We are looking for an older mono-hull for learning and checking out the Bahamas, but will probably switch to a cat for our extended cruising.. Only time will tell.. As will input from my wife, daughter, and myself..

Good luck on your plans!

kregar


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## cardiacpaul (Jun 20, 2006)

an 11 year plan, God love ya.
I'm having toruble palnning b'fast in the morning. 
In a week, I'll be 49 years old. 

And, unable to do what I'd planned.~big garage sale~ leave for one of those "E" islands... Bimini, Tahiti, Bali... (health issues) 
Go big, do it. 
We've got no license for tomorrow morning. 
The only caution I would give is "settling" on a boat decision. 11 years ago, it was 1997. The choices then vs. now are almost totally different. Materials, Builders, Construction techniques, not to mention hardware and fitments improvements will drive you bonkers. 

Figure that anything that "plugs in" will be so far outdated 11 years from now, its almost not worth looking at todays state of the art. Who knows where solar, batteries, wiring, wind, gensets, just to mention a few will be a decade from now. 
Remember, for you geeks in the crowd that in 1997, the Intel Pentium II 233 MHz processor was THE hot chip, and AOL took over Compuserve.


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## sgkuhner (May 5, 2002)

*cruising with Kids*

I strongly disagree with Cam on this one. We took our kids out of school when they were 9 & 11 and did a four year circumnavigation getting them back when they were 13 & 15. We home schooled them. Both graduated in the top 5% of their class and both went to an IVY league college. There will be many other kids out there so they will meet and have friends. However, you must always be of a mind to meet and sail with others who have kids rather than just wandering off by yourselves.

I also strongly agree with Stillraining about NOT selling your house but rather renting it. In that way you will always have your anchor to windward when you return. We had friends who sold their house and were sailing when we were; but, were unable to afford a house when they got back because prices went up so much. We rented our house when we left and when we returned to the same same house and neighborhood, the kids reconnected easily with their old friends.

To see a slide show of our trip with the kids (1987 to 1991) go to:

http://www.pbase.com/akuhner/greatescape

From there, click on the first image, then scroll down to read the
text. Click on "next" when you are ready to go to the next slide.
With this format you can stop where ever you need to, then come back
to the show and start again where you left off.


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## Robby Barlow (Apr 23, 2006)

Me personally I'm a very spontaneous person, so too much planning ahead as far as the route & things to do is concerned would kill the fun for me. 
Try to adapt your day to day living now as if you were on a boat in order to keep later adjustments to a minimum. 
When you finally get going, choose a general direction and follow the wind, and make the most of where it takes you.


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## sgkuhner (May 5, 2002)

I forgot to add that the experrience of cuising with our kids for the four years has made our family extremely closs knit. We are still close today even almost 20 years later. Also, the kids were at an age that we were able to impart an excellent set of value to them. They also learned to take responsibility at an early age as by the time they were 10 & 12 they were standing night watches. Today the older son is a project manager for a software company and the younger is the captain of a Swan 53 in the Caribbean. We are extremely proud of both of them and they both love and are proud of their lives. 

We bought the boat we sailed on in 1982, because we had always had the dream of taking the kids off sailing and the perfect boat for us (a Valiant 40) presented itself at that time. It gave me 5 years to adapt it tour own needs and to update the windvane self steering, SSB, propane stove, and many more upgrades etc.


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## kwaltersmi (Aug 14, 2006)

Good for you! The real trick to an eleven year plan, or any plan for that matter, is to stick to it and reach your goal.

I also fully support the idea of taking children with you cruising, regardless of their age. Yes, they'll miss out on some of the shoreside "things", as will the parents, but they'll gain more than they lose. Actually, the only downside I see to bringing children along is that a larger boat will be required.

I'm a parent of two daughters (ages 3 and 5) and also plan to cruise with them sometime in the future. I don't have an exact date in mind, but my wife and I are hard at work saving money, paying off debts and gaining the skills we'll need.

Check out the Hacking family's website (Hacking Family Home) for good practical advice for cruising with kids. They've also always been very helpful and prompt when responding to emails.

Best of luck!


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*Family Sailing*

One thing I've learned over the last 8 years is that EVERYONE will have an opinion about your plans. Taking your kids sailing is such a radical change from the "norm" that it seems to strike a chord in everyone for different reasons. We've been in the plannig stages for a while and we've heard ALL the negatives... kids will suffer, what about their friends, what about their education, what about college, what about their safety, what about your retirement... the list goes on and on. Just remember that none of these opinions come from people who really know you, what you want out of life for you and your kids, and what you are and aren't capable of. I personally believe that negative comments only come from narrow-minded people. It's one thing to give advice, but quite another to respond negatively with criticism. My family and true friends have bombarded us with concerns and questions, but they have all been supportive. Nobody knows all the answers, so why would anybody feel like they can criticize another person for following their dreams and doing what they feel is best for their family? Don't let anybody make you feel guilty for wanting the best for your kids... we sure don't.

That being said... there are a lot of sailors out there with GREAT advice on how to prepare and get started. We are doing everything we can to prepare ourselves for cruising, but sometimes you just have to take the leap of faith so to speak and go. Don't be afraid of making a mistake (financial or otherwise), because in the end.. no matter how it turns out... you followed your dreams and tried... which is more than most people do. And whether you stick to the coast for a year and sell the boat, or circumnavigate... I believe your kids will be better for it... and so will you.


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## Stillraining (Jan 11, 2008)

*Do it while they are young*

I could have raised my kids in a igloo if I started out befor they knew the differance...My life's path has lead me away from the water and now back again...but with teenage girls now anything more then a week or two on the boat is all the time they want to be away from friends , Soccer, Horses..etc..So my advice is dont plan to long or you may well be planning longer...

Did you ever check out the Rard's website?...The two 14 year olds are finally getting tired after 2 years and sounds like they would like to return home...

Edit to Add: I am on an 8 year plan for different reasons...

1) I know my kids dont want to go.
2) So I will stay and get them through collage and out of the house.
3) My Wife dosent want a full time boat life
4) So I will stay and finish paying off the house so she can have both worlds
5) I dont have a retirement
6) So I will stay and work 6 months out of each year to pay for 6 months at sea once we get there

If everyone was on board the boating life or my kids were 2-4-6 years old instead of 13-15-17 I would start the 6 and 6 schedule today...even if it was at the dock or local waters only...just to get them boat ready..


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## Jim H (Feb 18, 2006)

Good posts on this thread. 

Only a couple of thoughts. Things can change fast. Home values change. Peace and war occur. People get sick and have accidents. Some are literally gone overnight. If change can happen that fast, waiting for some grand plan may be more than expensive. It may simply undo all.

Thus, I'd rather sail than plan, right now. The family likes it now, may not in the future. In the end, maybe a long series of smaller trips might add up to being "more" than that of a big trip at some point in the future when all the stars align. As someone more wise than I once advised-- the sailing you do with the kids when they are younger, on a cheap boat you might be embarrassed to admit even owning, may be the best sailing of your life no matter what you have or do in the future. 

So, maybe any plan is best, as long as it involves sailing...


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## gypsysailing (Apr 14, 2008)

It seems you have thought through this plan and I say.....go for it. Your kids will face challenges and life experiences that will enrich them no end.
I might suggest that you and your spouse try some open water cruising soon...plenty of sailors never leave the comfort of their home port, and never get offshore, and that's great. But I've known a few who plan for years, sell the house, quit the job, etc only to find that open water sailing is just not for them.
Commercial deleted
Best of luck


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