# Who is truly hoping to do this indefinitely?



## pwillems (Feb 8, 2010)

I just finished reading Anne Vanderhoof's "An Embarassment of Mangoes". Her and her husband set out from Toronto and cruised to Trinidad and back for a couple years. The last section of the book was all about coming home and getting back into their old life. The tone of the last chapter was almost like a bit of a sad ending with her describing how the busy city life seems like everyone there is really missing the point.

This made me wonder, my goal will be to set out one day (15 yrs away at least  ), but at this point, I think I will be doing it with the intention of finishing off my life that way. This is not an issue for me as I grew up living a fairly nomadic life. My family was very close, but at heart only. My parents taught my sister and I to live our lives and not miss out on our dreams due to not being close by.

How many people considering this life actually do it with the intention of truly sailing indefinitely?


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## Zanshin (Aug 27, 2006)

I decided that in order to pursue cruising indefinately I needed to balance it with shorebound life. I have met several sailors (both individual and couples) who have been cruising so long that they've really lost contact with what I'll call 'mainstream' society that their chances of successfully re-integrating are almost nil. In order to avoid that situation and not lose the few social skills I've got left, I decided to spend 4-6 months out of the year on land and working. Fortunately this blends in well with the type of work I do and I feel that I get the best of both worlds, both ashore and afloat. 
So for me the cruising time is indefinate but interspersed with times in the real world. Alternating between the two lifestyles also makes the advantages and disadvantages of each seem more pronounced and thus much more flavorful!


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## MARC2012 (Mar 17, 2008)

Zanshin is probably right.but difficult to get back in mainstream.Or possibly mainstream just s***S.MARC


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## PBzeer (Nov 11, 2002)

Though I'm currently working to rebuild the cruising kitty, once out again, I intend to keep cruising until physically unable.


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## wind_magic (Jun 6, 2006)

Pwillems, your question is at the root of many of the debates that we have here on the forums, though it rarely comes up for discussion directly. It'll be interesting to see what people write.


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## kd3pc (Oct 19, 2006)

we are like John, intend to be liveaboard cruisers, until we can't then buy a trawler and live at the marina...

I see no need to move back shoreside...maybe visit kids, or do some sightseeing.


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## marianclaire (Feb 4, 2010)

I am torn on this question. I spend 4 to 6 months a year on a long cruise and the rest of the year on land with a lot of short 3 to 7 day trips to/on the boat. Problem is I have a deep connection with the area here in NE TN/NW NC. “Cruisers bliss” is real and I often think of how simple life is when I am out there. It is not all sunny days and cocktails but it is simpler IMHO. So to answer the question: No I do not plan to cruise full time. But check back in a few years. Dan S/V Marian Claire


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## night0wl (Mar 20, 2006)

One thing that often gets overlooked...your body. Physically, most cruisers will reach a point in time where doctors visits, medical procedures, proximity to home care, or even just mental faculties will make it impossible to cruise. Not to mention the physical rigors of sailing. Heck, even short term cruising may become impossible without electric winches and other expensive, failure prone mechanics. 

Fact is, most cruisers do the lifestyle for only a few years and then eventually reintegrate back into life/reality.


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## eryka (Mar 16, 2006)

Well, financially, we're set up so we can keep going forever. Neither of us has close family (parents deceased, no kids), and "home" has been wherever Uncle Sam tells us it is for so long that we have no ties to a particular place. That said, we've also found that after exploring for a while we like to come back and "rest" at a location, tie up in a marina and have a car again, not need a map all the time, and appreciate towns for something other than groceries and laundromats. You can probably count us in the group who has/will travel for a few months, then settle for a while, then go again. One thing, though, we have no plans to move ashore. We'll go from a sailboat to a trawler in a marina as we age, maybe an RV, but no house!


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## damies (Jul 8, 2009)

My long term plan is to do this indefinitely, but I need 2 things to make that a reality:
Plan Part 1) An income stream that will allow it to be possible (allowing for food, expenses and regular airfares home for my wife)

Plan Part 2) A bigger boat that is more comfortable for living aboard, about or a little after part 1 is in place.

I'm years away from part 1, will update when (if) I get there. It's not likely to happen while the kids are at home (the youngest is 8 now) so I have a few years to make the plan happen.

Dave.


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## TQA (Apr 4, 2009)

I plan to spend the rest of my days on my boat. If physical infirmities mean sailing is near impossible then the Rio Dulce beckons and a marina berth might be an alternative I would consider. 

I have met several octegenarians still moseying around the Caribbean on sailboats.


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## smackdaddy (Aug 13, 2008)

In thinking about our future, I'm with Zanshin. I enjoy what I do enough to want to stay involved in it intermittently. And I've been away from "the mainstream" enough in my life to realize and appreciate the benefits of it.

So, maybe half the year cruising (for as long as we enjoy it) and half land-based traveling and working.

Anything and everything can get monotonous.


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## Kryssare (Mar 11, 2010)

I think I should read Thoreau again... My plots at life have been all but consistently mainstream, and so a LA lifestyle would be in keeping... though i do love horses and green hills... Being cliche': moderation I have found has been the way to extract enjoyment out of every opportunity the most consistently... 

My plan is this: once attached to the wind, follow whether over land or sea, knowing it will lead back to one and then to the other again- in effect: cruising, to live aboard, as a major component. This is the beauty i forsee- a freedom that we landrats have forgotten culturally, and sometimes only outside it will it be, that old instinct, realized. However, my likeness to Don Quixote maybe also be my final quest and the Final in itself: that once alive to the fact of reality, it will only push me back out to the sea that brought the only real life I was able to find.


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## Architeuthis (Mar 3, 2008)

pwillems said:


> How many people considering this life actually do it with the intention of truly sailing indefinitely?


We do think about it but decent jobs are hard to find along the coast, and of course working out of country is even harder.

The only ones I know really doing that have money coming in from some other source or have assets. Some do liveaboard with poor paying job but their standard of living is much lower than it would be on land...but then that isn't what they care about.

If we could get some money coming in we would do this for many more years, in fact we feel like we are just starting to get the hang of it after the first year or so. I should have the boat set up just about the way I want it for world cruising about the time we go back to work. That wasn't the plan but financial markets and legal thieves decided they needed my money more than I did.

So we hope to keep the boat and maybe do some sailing in the future but work will likely prevent that. When I work it has been crazy hours and locations but I'll try to avoid that, maybe even get some kind of part time work, who knows.

The lifestyle would not be for me when I'm older, unless I had a bigger more comfortable. likely powerboat.


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## BONESDILLIGAF (Mar 12, 2010)

My wife and I are now discussing this very thing. Our youngest graduates this year, so we are selling the house and getting ready for the change. Though I would love to cruise indefinitely, I will not be able to with my wife. She is more inclined to take some longer trips, but we are just beginners at this yet. And we are still only day sailing. If anything the plan is to go south, and possibly open a small pub/restaurant for six months, cruise the other six months.

If I am lucky, after cruising for a while she will come around to my way of thinking.


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## catamariner (Mar 3, 2010)

As long as we have planned this, and as much as we loved our 18 months of cruising last time, this next time we have only about three years "planned." Leaving shore careers for too long makes it much harder to re-enter, yes, also we happen to like what we do - including the parts where we interact with others - and are not wanting to do it only in relative isolation aboard our boat. Our son will be reaching the age of high school in another three years, and he may want to go ashore at that time, so there is a natural breakpoint. Also, one or the other of us may have parental health problems to deal with, necessitating being closer for some time. So, three years is about as far into the future as we feel we can reliably claim to be planning to cruise. If it turns into thirty, great, but it's just as likely to give way to a bout of land-living followed by another return to the sea.

Good thread!


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## LandLocked66c (Dec 5, 2009)

Me and my wife discuss this as well. I could easily leave for good, I don't think my wife could though. We'll be lucky to be able too, If the economy stays like it is, it will be a long time before we can make a break for it! For now it'll just have to be weekends and vacations...


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## nailbunnySPU (Apr 8, 2009)

Some chick I just met asked me if i was planning on living aboard forever.
"what," says i, "like the highlander?"

Morbid as the thought may be, I'm not sure i prefer giving up the ghost in a nursing home, as opposed to being lost at sea.

I'm fortunate to have plenty of time to change my mind. I'm slowly saving money with the intention of doing what we discuss, although with my limited experience it is strictly idealism. It never occurred to me that one's social skills may atrophy. Luckily, mine were never developed.


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## xort (Aug 4, 2006)

we'll be gone till we can't go any more. hopefully that will last 20+ years. I doubt it, but I'll take 10+.

when all the money is gone, you can take care of us!!!!


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## LandLocked66c (Dec 5, 2009)

xort said:


> we'll be gone till we can't go any more. hopefully that will last 20+ years. I doubt it, but I'll take 10+.
> 
> when all the money is gone, you can take care of us!!!!


Ha, no problem! Just don't ***** about the food!


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## wcsailor (Oct 30, 2008)

*my plan*

We're boatless and may never have a boat again but....I hope to die at sea. My dad died last november...Alzheimers but physical problems took his life. I'm sorry but I don't want the last years and days of my life to be like his. I don't want my kids to endure the what I did seeing my dad drift away. I've already told my kids that when I'm ready to go, we will all take a cruise, we'll have a huge party one night, and Gma (me) will do a midnight swan dive off the top deck. I'm only 48 so I hope this day is far off. I'd love to have a boat again, cruise again, (we spent a year 99-00 in mexico) but if not, that's my plan.

If I ever get the chance again to cruise, I'll never give it up again.

"Real life" ain't it's all cracked up to be...


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## pwillems (Feb 8, 2010)

It seems quite a few of you are actually doing the 6 months on/6 months off thing... How do you work out the 6 months on shore? Have you kept "stuff" (house, furniture etc...) for this? Or do you put the boat in a marina and use that as your base while building up your kitty?


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## Omatako (Sep 14, 2003)

To both my wife and I, the prospect of cruising is like everything else in life. We'll do it for as long as we can afford it (financially as well as physically) and for as long as we enjoy it, whichever ends first. And the cruising will end when either one of us reaches the end of the enjoyment. Neither one is going to insist on continuing after it becomes hell for the other.

The basic truth is that if you get too old to manage what you need to on a boat then the enjoyment will wane. Likewise, if you can't afford to cruise in a financial manner that provides the lifestyle you want, the enjoyment will wane. Maybe you just get to a point where you've had enough. Anyway you cut it, the end of the enjoyment is the sign. How long will that take? Who knows. Maybe decades, maybe one summer.

One thing is for sure: I won't be carrying on sailing to prove anything to anybody, not even myself. When I don't like it anymore, it stops, whatever the cause.

With respect to those who have made them, I believe that statements like "I'll cruise till I die" and "I'd like to die at sea" are more romanticism than reality. Dying is seldom a peaceful process and often not sudden and to do that on your own is going to be real tough - not something to look forward to.

Also, please just check with the folks that may be on the boat with you whether it's OK with them that you check out 2000 miles from land. They're going to have to nurse you until you die, then bury you at sea, then get the boat back to land then run the guantlet of authorities explaining what happened. That's not going to be a lot of fun either.


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## Zanshin (Aug 27, 2006)

pwillems said:


> ...How do you work out the 6 months on shore? Have you kept "stuff" (house, furniture etc...) for this?...


I have my things in storage, my place rented out and when I do return to shore to work I take a furnished flat/apartment in whatever city I end up in. Thus my shore-based lifestyle ends up very much like my boating lifestyle.

What I found that I really missed while on the boat were things I take for granted when ashore - good restaurants, museums, theatre (the kind with real people on stage), concerts and other cultural events. After I've got my fill of working and the big city then I enjoy the more simple life aboard the boat until it is time to switch from the sidestream back to the mainstream.


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## St Anna (Mar 15, 2003)

pwillems said:


> It seems quite a few of you are actually doing the 6 months on/6 months off thing... How do you work out the 6 months on shore? Have you kept "stuff" (house, furniture etc...) for this? Or do you put the boat in a marina and use that as your base while building up your kitty?


Hiya PW,
We live on the boat, work whilst marina bound during the cyclone season somewhere and maintain/repair etc.
We have some 'stuff' still in ,my parents garage shed - inc a car which we collect when it is needed.
We have a house as an investment/ fall back etc.
Its a 'on the fringe' kinda normal existance. Much less stress this way.
As for how long - as uncle omataka says - until we want to do something different.
regards


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## Bene505 (Jul 31, 2008)

We do summers only, staying on our boat for 2 months in summer, and very few weekends off-season, mostly due to kid's sports.

We have 4 kids. Our youngest is 4.5 years old and oldest is 12.5. I need to work to pay for everything (boat loan, boat maintenance/upgrading/repair, house mortgages, food, shoes, sports, medical needs, pre-school, clothes). The list seems really long, and I'm giving them the best school & social opportunities I can, which to me means land-based and in a great town.

Then there's colleges to pay for.

And then there's long term care for our 11 year old with autism. That's forever, even after we die.

My family stays on the boat during the summer while daddy goes home after the weekend/vacation and goes to work. This summer I'll do some 3 day weekends and take 2 separate weeks off. Then in the fall we migrate the boat 120 nm to a marina close to home, to go back on the hard. (I'm planning to start with in-water storage this fall or next. Looking forward to more sailing!)

Unless one of my books or inventions takes off, we're 15-20 years away from any real cruising. And sometimes I think I'm kidding myself at that. I'm 47 now, by the way. All suggestions welcome.

The plan is to succeed at work, help my autistic daughter, steadily develop inventions on the side, work on the boat, spend time with family, build sailing experience, eat well, get enough sleep, exercise some, surf with my son, teach all my kids how to sail (on my son's sailing dinghy), and have a beer with friends every once in a while. I'll get there on this slow-ish path.

Regards,
Brad


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## marianclaire (Feb 4, 2010)

Yes we still have a house and some stuff. A lot of stuff went with the kids as they moved out and Linda and I have tried to purge over the last few years. Linda still has and enjoys her full time job. So a land base is needed. I claim to be “part time retired”. This was our system three of the last four years. In the fall I head south from NC and end up in the Keys. When I get some place interesting Linda drives/flies in for a week or so. Other family and friends also do this. I work my way back north in the spring. If something comes up, parents health issues, I secure the boat, rent a car and drive back to NC. The boat stays in the water in NC for the hurricane season. We use her for short trips and as a base for my odd jobs around the marina. I bounce back and forth between the mountains and the boat depending on work. I did not get back into sailing until about 6 yrs ago when I was 47. So before that it was all about family and work. My hats off to those who can juggle all that and a boat. Dan S/V Marian Claire


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## joethecobbler (Apr 10, 2007)

forever is a long time, rent the house till the mortgage is paid, then sail till you don't want to anymore. then sell it or sink it and get a rockin chair.
disclaimer- plan subject to change w/out notice due to unforseen circumstances.


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## Architeuthis (Mar 3, 2008)

Selling house and most everything raised money for the venture as for the transfer back to land....._You want to know how I did it? This is how I did it,........ _ Well not quite, we can always sell the boat in a pinch.


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## Sabreman (Sep 23, 2006)

Neither my wife nor I yearn for the "lifestyle". Ideally, we'd cruise for a couple of months in the summer and then come ashore. The problem that we both have is that we actually *like* land stuff such as museums, theater, our house, and our land friends. I do a lot of furniture building and my shop isn't exactly portable. But we also love the outdoors. So it's a balance. I also love my work which fortunately takes me to sea from time to time, so I'm cheating a bit too.

In the next couple of years, the house, boat and prepaid college tuition will be paid off and then I plan to relinquish my throne at work and work part time; woodworking, volunteering, and sailing the rest of my hours. I'm 52 and have been in my industry over 30 years. I love what I do, am not having a mid-life crisis (but I do have the sports car), my wife and I just want to change the focus a little.

It's a balance.


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## nailbunnySPU (Apr 8, 2009)

Omatako said:


> With respect to those who have made them, I believe that statements like "I'll cruise till I die" and "I'd like to die at sea" are more romanticism than reality.


I'll concede that it's romantic. Very understandably, this is a controversial subject and offensive to the majority of religions and cultures. Pity those who come to see pain where this an option, and those at that same awful point whose beliefs or incapacitation rule it out.

Instead of discussing approaches, I'll describe constraints.
- Primary concern: path of minimum trauma for all parties.
- Do not cause public or private resources to be wasted for search effort.
- Establish verifiable statement of destination to survivors.
- Minimize amount of those directly involved. Cooperating participants and witnesses may become persons of interest in criminal inquiry. Also subject to psychological trauma.
- Existence of slow-onset detectable untreatable condition that leads to unendurable quality of life, without impairment of person's ability to perform complex tasks in early stages.

I am sorry if I have caused offense. In the age of "death panel" hysteria, I feel that a frank discussion of end-of-life care, living wills, wills and such post-life concerns should be conducted early and often, in order to minimize confusion and suffering in the event of unexpected circumstances.


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## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

*Good THread*

Good thread. It reminds me, on a side note, that I need to start a forum or at least a running thread for parent cruising with kids (hehe... assuming they did not leave them at the dock).

Ok - my wife and I can work and live anywhere in the world. We really need an internet connection, that is it. We saved and sacrificed for years. Last September-ish, we decided to sell and liquidate everything and go live aboard and cruise again (our oldest has done it with us but the youngest had not). Well, our house sold in almost 2 hours. My wife saw that as a sign.

Here we are in SW Florida waiting for my mom and dad to come (they are going cruising with us on their Tayana 42) and trying to earn a little change along the way. I have lived here and cruised here before so I find my eyes straying a little too long on the distant horizon versus the local seashore. We are trying to get the pieces in place to just go ahead and go to the carribean and Bahamas. I have had a lot of support from the community here (many of which have responded on this thread and thank you).

I though all of that might be helpful to know and understand my comments. Please understand, I have done this before too.

I think to plan it all out - how long you are going to go, when you are going to come back, when you are going to go because you now have enough money to stay forever... etc.... well, that can set up bad expectations. I have seen people (and see people) who save up their whole lives and get ready, only to not go because something happens to them or someone they love or any other thousands of reasons that can keep you from your dreams. I want to point out that when your last days on this earth come, you will not sit around thinking about wishing you had not done something but rather wishing you had. I firmly believe that adage. I also think it is a mistake to go before you are fully prepared mentally and with a buffer in the bank for the shoreside excursions and marina visits. It is a very rare person that can live aboard and cruise, a rarer person that can do it for many years, and an even rarer person that can do it without enjoying some of the comforts of technology or that land can provide (and I am not talking about air conditioning!!).

Very few of us have been raised on a boat. I never had. My kids have, more or less, but they still have spent a lot of time in a house. So when you talk about go cruising, imagine on planning to live in a confined area about as big as your master bedroom at your house... with a closet off the side. Even that is much bigger than most (yes, most) of the boats I have been on for those that actually are cruising. Many people (no, most people) simply do not adjust. This does not make them failures, but we are all built different and to say you are going to do it for X without actually having done any real long term live aboard is unrealistic at best.

My advice to anyone that cares or might take my opinions seriously: go. Make the sacrifice. Sell your house. Put your crap in storage for the first X-months. Put the pieces in place to walk away from life... for a little while. See some of the world. Plan on coming back. Be happy if you do. Be happy if you don't. But try and make the sacrifice. Your bedroom might be a bit cramped and might leak, but your backyard will be to die for. Hopefully you don't before you get a chance to see it.

We made the sacrifice with kids, certainly you can too - especially those of you without them. We have not looked back.

Brian

Here are some pics from my backyard... first, a pic of what you leave behind...










Some new friends that go along...










... and more friends you meet along the way...










... and here is the limit to where you can go and how far you can dream...


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## eryka (Mar 16, 2006)

Nicely stated! Brian, hope to see you somewhere where we can raft up and compare notes.


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## tomwatt (Dec 11, 2009)

Well, I would have stated that once I finish the boat and cast off, I would. But ya'll are depressing and discouraging me. So I'm going to be too old and stuff to go sail off into the sunset. Wonderful.


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## danielgoldberg (Feb 9, 2008)

That's got to be the ugliest, cheapest looking dink I've ever seen. If cruising means having to load my family into that hunk-a-junk, I'll stay shoreside.


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## danielgoldberg (Feb 9, 2008)

Architeuthis said:


> The lifestyle would not be for me when I'm older, unless I had a bigger more comfortable. likely powerboat.


Not to hijack the thread (but if anyone moves the Moderator gets it), but how about moving to a catamaran instead of a terminal trawler? As far as I can tell, they give you just about all the benefits of a powerboar, yet still give you the option to sail when the conditions are right. And of course, they don't roll the way a stinky does. Just a thought.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

This is CD we're talking about... compared to his mug, that dinghy is gorgeous.   :laugher



danielgoldberg said:


> That's got to be the ugliest, cheapest looking dink I've ever seen. If cruising means having to load my family into that hunk-a-junk, I'll stay shoreside.


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## 2Gringos (Jan 4, 2008)

CruisingDaddio, you stopping in the TCI this time?


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## Bene505 (Jul 31, 2008)

CD - your pictures have me asking "What the **** am I doing working in an office my whole life?"

Daniel - The caption to the dinghy picture said "a pic of what you leave behind". Besides, aren't dinghy's supposed to be ugly? Otherwise you have to worry about them.

Regards,
Brad


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## Superpickle (Oct 17, 2009)

If "Mainstream" Life didnt SUCK so bad, I wouldnt see makeing the change as the *HUGE IMPROVEMENT* that it IS.. 
Wouldnt you peeps Agree with that ?
Paul...


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## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

danielgoldberg said:


> That's got to be the ugliest, cheapest looking dink I've ever seen. If cruising means having to load my family into that hunk-a-junk, I'll stay shoreside.


DG - wanna race? Not only will I outrun you, I will hoist it on my davits and be heading on to the next anchorage before you (all of this with dry gear in the boat)!! HEHE! Just wait till I get my center console for it... then we will see who is laughing (the anchorage probably)!

Quit screwing around and head south. What was it NY **** do in the winter? HEHE! (Inside joke b/t me and DG).

Talk soon my friend. Loved your writeup on the bahamas. We have it on our list.

Brian


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## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

eryka said:


> Nicely stated! Brian, hope to see you somewhere where we can raft up and compare notes.


You too! Where are you guys now? Post some pics on here for this thread! WOuldn't that be perfect!!! How long are you there for?

Brian

PS How's the grill working for you? I bet you are using it to keep warm. Isn't this weather nuts! I bet you think you are still in the Chessy!


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## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

danielgoldberg said:


> Not to hijack the thread (but if anyone moves the Moderator gets it), but how about moving to a catamaran instead of a terminal trawler? As far as I can tell, they give you just about all the benefits of a powerboar, yet still give you the option to sail when the conditions are right. And of course, they don't roll the way a stinky does. Just a thought.


I don't know Dan!!! You are still restricted by bridge height, the trawler has more room, and less cost to park it in a marina. Try finding a marina for your fat-cat down here! After you find one, your CCard will be burning like you just filled up a Nordhavn with Diesel!

You going to Bermuda this year?

Brian


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## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

sailingdog said:


> This is CD we're talking about... compared to his mug, that dinghy is gorgeous.   :laugher


Watch out dog... Fuzzy is coming....


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## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

2Gringos said:


> CruisingDaddio, you stopping in the TCI this time?


Most likely - we will see. Hope to be heading to the Bahamas no later than this summmer. Tortugas in a couple of weeks. Maybe the keys a bit after that.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Are you threatening to sic a big fuzzy rat on me??? Ooooh... I'm just so scared..   :laugher :laugher :laugher


Cruisingdad said:


> Watch out dog... Fuzzy is coming....


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## smackdaddy (Aug 13, 2008)

Great write up CD. It's cool to see you guys going for it.

That takes some stones.


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## danielgoldberg (Feb 9, 2008)

Cruisingdad said:


> I don't know Dan!!! You are still restricted by bridge height, the trawler has more room, and less cost to park it in a marina. Try finding a marina for your fat-cat down here! After you find one, your CCard will be burning like you just filled up a Nordhavn with Diesel!
> 
> You going to Bermuda this year?
> 
> Brian


I hear the bridge height point. That's a fair comment, though I think there are plenty of cats in the 40+ foot range that have rigs less than 65'. In terms of room, I'm not sure I agree with you. A 40 something cat is going to have a whole lot of room compared to a trawler of comparable length/size.

You got me on the marina thing. We don't spend a whole lot of time at marinas, so I'm not all that sensitive to that point. We usually are on the hook or take a mooring, and go dockside only when there's no other option or it's so bleeping hot/cold that we want ac/heat.

In the end, I certainly won't argue that a cat is a compromise like everything else and that a trawler will do some things better, but if you're looking to move from sailing to power because of age, it strikes me that a cat might be a good compromise.

And yes, I'm sailing to Bermuda this coming June. I actually need an extra crewmember who's got bluewater experience (new insurance carrier being a pit of a pain). You want to come along? You can see how one of the _good_ production boats sail. Serious offer btw.


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## bljones (Oct 13, 2008)

tomwatt said:


> Well, I would have stated that once I finish the boat and cast off, I would. But ya'll are depressing and discouraging me. So I'm going to be too old and stuff to go sail off into the sunset. Wonderful.


Aw, bullschmidt.

1. A boat is never DONE. Cut the lines when YOU are ready, and the boat is capable. Capable and done ain't necessarily the same thing- Work on the systems, worry about finish later. It is a hell of a lot more fun to varnish in Bimini than it is in a boatyard.

2. If you ain't dead, you ain't too old. yeah, you get stiff, and you get sore, and you need a prescription for this and scrip for that and you can't eat this and you can't eat that and if that is your excuse for not leaving, then guess friggin' what, you weren't leaving anyway. If you want it bad enough, you find solutions.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

I'd point out that most of the cats that are 40'+ with a rig less than 65' air draft are undercanvassed, charter trade, motorsailers with really poor sailing performance.

Also, would point out that a catamaran with a shoal draft often can get into anchorages and slips that a monohull of the same LOA would not, and that there are often shallow areas where the marina might allow a catamaran to tie up that a deeper draft monohull could not use.



danielgoldberg said:


> I hear the bridge height point. That's a fair comment, though I think there are plenty of cats in the 40+ foot range that have rigs less than 65'. In terms of room, I'm not sure I agree with you. A 40 something cat is going to have a whole lot of room compared to a trawler of comparable length/size.
> 
> You got me on the marina thing. We don't spend a whole lot of time at marinas, so I'm not all that sensitive to that point. We usually are on the hook or take a mooring, and go dockside only when there's no other option or it's so bleeping hot/cold that we want ac/heat.
> 
> ...


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## Stillraining (Jan 11, 2008)

Cruisingdad said:


> Good thread. It reminds me, on a side note, that I need to start a forum or at least a running thread for parent cruising with kids (hehe... assuming they did not leave them at the dock).
> 
> Ok - my wife and I can work and live anywhere in the world. We really need an internet connection, that is it. We saved and sacrificed for years. Last September-ish, we decided to sell and liquidate everything and go live aboard and cruise again (our oldest has done it with us but the youngest had not). Well, our house sold in almost 2 hours. My wife saw that as a sign.
> 
> ...


Ah ya newbie...tell us all about it after you have been out there 5 years..

Good to have you posting again Brian!..


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## CaptainForce (Jan 1, 2006)

Stillraining said:


> Ah ya newbie...tell us all about it after you have been out there 5 years.......


Nancie and I don't spend much time thinking about the original question in this post. We never sold a house to go cruising,- we never had a house. Back when we were fresh out of school and all we owned would fit in our volkswagon we bought our first liveaboard boat, November of '71. We moved aboard in June of '72 on the same day as the notorious Watergate break-in. We are now anchoered in Sunsert Cove off Key Largo and headed south to meet our daughter who grew up aboard with her brother. We'll be taking our grandson sailing. There are other terminal cases out here who are not looking for ownership of anything ashore. 'take care and joy, Aythya crew


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## Stillraining (Jan 11, 2008)

I have shared what I know of your life story with a few friends and relatives..Kind of one of thoes... "I know this guy" stories...its hard for some of them to fathom how you have managed to keep the desire going all theses years....I have to admit I would not have been able to do it either.

You are a true Sailor/Cruiser through and through no doubt about that..


Im just giving our Hideous looking Moderator ( pore wife, can you imagine being stuck on a boat with that mug...this could have the reverse ending to the Natalie Wood/Robert Wagner story) his due is all..


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## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

danielgoldberg said:


> I hear the bridge height point. That's a fair comment, though I think there are plenty of cats in the 40+ foot range that have rigs less than 65'. In terms of room, I'm not sure I agree with you. A 40 something cat is going to have a whole lot of room compared to a trawler of comparable length/size.
> 
> You got me on the marina thing. We don't spend a whole lot of time at marinas, so I'm not all that sensitive to that point. We usually are on the hook or take a mooring, and go dockside only when there's no other option or it's so bleeping hot/cold that we want ac/heat.
> 
> ...


Dan,

I just PM'd you on Bermuda. Please take a look.

Regarding the tralwer, I like them. You know that... but I am pretty selective on them too (strongly prefer the Nordhavn). It is a top notch, go anywhere in teh world boat.

The marina aspect is a real problem down here, especially in season. The shallow water is a HUGE plus of a cat. THe other huge plus is that it sails. That adds enormous safety. The bridge aspect is a huge negative. Forget 65 feet. Down here you better be concerned about 55 feet.

For liveability, I guess it depends on the Trawler and the cat. The trawler, typically, will have more space. The Krogen 42, for example, feels very much like a condo inside and is bigger than most 40's that I have been on (IMHO). However, teh Nordgavn 46 is probably comparable in space and size to a 40' cat. I think a 46' cat would be even larger. But their boats are made a little tight by design.

Anyways, I certainly would seriously consider a cat. I am not opposed to them at all. But like all things (like you said) everything is a tradoff.

Brian


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## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

Stillraining said:


> I have shared what I know of your life story with a few friends and relatives..Kind of one of thoes... "I know this guy" stories...its hard for some of them to fathom how you have managed to keep the desire going all theses years....I have to admit I would not have been able to do it either.
> 
> You are a true Sailor/Cruiser through and through no doubt about that..
> 
> Im just giving our Hideous looking Moderator ( pore wife, can you imagine being stuck on a boat with that mug...this could have the reverse ending to the Natalie Wood/Robert Wagner story) his due is all..


Ahhh... and your comments did not fall on deaf ears! I will just keep posting pics of me drinking coctails (at 1130 am on Moday mornings off some deserted and beautiful island) to get even!

Take care!

Brian


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## danielgoldberg (Feb 9, 2008)

sailingdog said:


> I'd point out that most of the cats that are 40'+ with a rig less than 65' air draft are undercanvassed, charter trade, motorsailers with really poor sailing performance.


If you're talking about an older couple looking to go from sail to a terminal trawler, I suspect having an undercanvassed cat probably would not be deterent. Also, our charter a few weeks ago was on a Leopard 40, and that rig has less than 65' air draft, and she seemed to sail OK to me, particularly considering that the sails were well-exercised and I'm not an experienced cat sailor so I surely didn't get the most out of it. Obviously I wasn't racing her or counting tenths of knots (not even close), but that's how most older cruising couples probably sail anyway.


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## Bene505 (Jul 31, 2008)

sailingdog said:


> ...there are often shallow areas where the marina might allow a catamaran to tie up that a deeper draft monohull could not use.


And I suppose that puts you closer to the showers, pool and laundry too.

Regards,
Brad


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## 2Gringos (Jan 4, 2008)

We were seeing 11.5 kts. on a chartered Leopard 42 in December. it was pretty light, with just the two of us and a skinny little ASA instuctor on board...


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

And if you're on a mooring or anchored, the dinghy ride is often shorter...



Bene505 said:


> And I suppose that puts you closer to the showers, pool and laundry too.
> 
> Regards,
> Brad


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## damies (Jul 8, 2009)

sailingdog said:


> And if you're on a mooring or anchored, the dinghy ride is often shorter...


I hear you on that one. At High tide I have a 1km row, at low tide I row 500m and carry the ducky 500m, My Tri sits in under 1m of water at low tide on its mooring (so I can jump in the water and walk around it  ). The Mono's around me either are further out or healed over with keels on the bottom at low tide.

So it really is something to think about, could be the difference between a 1km row or a 2km row. I don't usually use an outboard on the tender even though I have one because the ducky is hard enough to carry 500m on sloshy sand, the outboard just means an extra round trip over the sloshy sand.

Here's a photo at 1/2 tide, I don't know how deep this mono draws, but this photo was taken about when the water was at least 1m above low tide and with 2m highs as usual.









Dave.


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## Livia (Jul 20, 2006)

pwillems said:


> I just finished reading Anne Vanderhoof's "An Embarassment of Mangoes".
> ...
> How many people considering this life actually do it with the intention of truly sailing indefinitely?


I really enjoyed that book.

It seems like, of people cruising indefinitely, there are two camps of indefinitely:
1) until you can't physically or die
and/or
2) until it is no longer fun

We fall into category #2 which, if we keep at it long enough, could turn into category #1. I have a hard time imagining that it will stay fun for a half century (should I be so lucky to have that much life left) so I imagine that we won't get to #1...but who knows.


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## damies (Jul 8, 2009)

Another low tide example:

3 Photo's taken standing in the same place ~120º from each other.

Small Mono sort of close to Shore:









Big Cat sort of close to Shore:









The Shore:


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## Bene505 (Jul 31, 2008)

damies,

Not sure you just sold me on cats as much as on getting a hovercraft. 

That shore looks really tough to cross dragging a dinghy. No wonder you want to skip the engine and being close to shore is of value.

Can you just get groceries at high tide?

Regards,
Brad


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## damies (Jul 8, 2009)

Bene505 said:


> damies,
> 
> Not sure you just sold me on cats as much as on getting a hovercraft.
> 
> ...


It's not such a big deal for me, I don't live aboard. There aren't many live aboard's in this area, there was a guy living on a 21' Wharram for a while, he just anchored close to the shore and sat on the sand at low tide. It's a lot easier to do this in a cat than a mono. I guess that makes the groceries easier at low tide too, just walk there across the sand, no need for a dingy


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## magnusmurphy (Jul 7, 2000)

Livia

You might be interested to know that Anne Vanderhoof has a new book out "The spice Necklace". My wife is reading it at the moment and has made some yummy dishes from the recipes. We listened to Anne present her book here in Calgary a few weeks ago. She is now back on the boat in the Lesser Antilles.
Magnus


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## zeehag (Nov 16, 2008)

lived on board since 1990. will no tlive any other way--donot need house or land based junk--lol----have 41 formosa and a cat to guard her--lol....sail other peoples boats for the moment --between repairs of formosa--lol...needs many but i wouldnt trade for the world!!!


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## catamariner (Mar 3, 2010)

Zeehag, what a wonderful cat! We are hoping our adult female will make the transition. She is pretty devoted to all of us and I think she would be unhappy left behind, also it's a catamaran so heeling should not be a source of discomfort to her. Formosas are such a traditionally gorgeous boat, I'll bet you need the large cat to keep the gawkers at bay!


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## zeehag (Nov 16, 2008)

i like the room the formosa offers inside--i am sailing on a 37 seidelmann at present--is what kat is sitting on--is sooo different from formosa--i like the formosa's set up better--this has fin/spade-i prefer the full keel with attached rudder lol--doesnt turn worth a dang but is stable and kat loves it!!! kat will probably enjoy wherever it is that family is--lol --they are soooo social--mine wont eat unless i am also eating lol....a multihull will spoil the kitty !! is a nice stable platform for kat to run and play and catch birdeez..lol....kitties are so much happier with their family than when left at home--hom eis where the family is....mine tried to "kill" me when i came back after leaving him home--so he goes with me when i travel ....is sooo much happier with his family!!! and the company is goood...fun to watch as they adjust to new places ....


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## remetau (Jan 27, 2009)

We have lived aboard in Florida now for 5 years. Although we don't know what will happen in the future, we plan to be on our boat cruising until we are too old to do so. Then we hope to "retire" to a grass hut on a beach in some remote third world country.

We also have a guard cat aboard:
Re Metau - Hans Christian 33 - Cruising Kitty Neptune


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## zeehag (Nov 16, 2008)

catamariner said:


> Zeehag, what a wonderful cat! We are hoping our adult female will make the transition. She is pretty devoted to all of us and I think she would be unhappy left behind, also it's a catamaran so heeling should not be a source of discomfort to her. Formosas are such a traditionally gorgeous boat, I'll bet you need the large cat to keep the gawkers at bay!


he actually brings out the gawkers lol--is difficult to take him in and out of usa so i will be keeping myself out..ll..when i finally get my formosa out of sann diego i will not return, i do not plan on reverting to land life--the water is soo much better!!!!


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## CaptainForce (Jan 1, 2006)

Livia said:


> ........It seems like, of people cruising indefinitely, there are two camps of indefinitely:
> 1) until you can't physically or die
> and/or
> 2) until it is no longer fun
> ...


I think everybody falls into category #2. All the ones that can't physically or are dead aren't having fun! 'take care and joy, Aythya crew


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## Yofy (Aug 15, 2007)

We've been living aboard and cruising whenever we can for over 20 years now. For a short stint we lived on land between boats and that was really tough. We cruise when we have the funds and we stop to build the cruising kitty when we need to. 

If we had more funds we'd go cruising more often, but the necessity to stop and work means that we get to know different places and cultures intimately.

We plan to continue as long as our health allows. We know several cruisers who are still out there in their 80's.  

Robyn


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## leliu5th (Aug 25, 2008)

*In consideration...*



pwillems said:


> I just finished reading Anne Vanderhoof's "An Embarassment of Mangoes". Her and her husband set out from Toronto and cruised to Trinidad and back for a couple years. The last section of the book was all about coming home and getting back into their old life. The tone of the last chapter was almost like a bit of a sad ending with her describing how the busy city life seems like everyone there is really missing the point.
> 
> This made me wonder, my goal will be to set out one day (15 yrs away at least  ), but at this point, I think I will be doing it with the intention of finishing off my life that way. This is not an issue for me as I grew up living a fairly nomadic life. My family was very close, but at heart only. My parents taught my sister and I to live our lives and not miss out on our dreams due to not being close by.
> 
> How many people considering this life actually do it with the intention of truly sailing indefinitely?


I actually want to do this full time! I just need to buy a boat, or better yet find a compatible mate with a boat! Cheers ;D


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