# Cruising Advice



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

We are a married couple, educators, in our late 40''s with a 28'' sloop. We keep reading, "Don''t wait, go now." In our hearts were READY, looking for solid advice. Thanks,
"Graycie"


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

First step. First ride without training wheels. First dance. First kiss. First cruise; ready to add it?


----------



## gnorbury (Mar 27, 2002)

My wife and I are planning leave for a 1yr cruise later this year. The bit that daunts me most is packing up the house and storing everything for when (if?) we return.

Scary stuff! 

Graham


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I encourage you to read Don Casey''s "Sensible Cruising" book. Besides lots of great tips from a reasonable, non-extreme man (there are so many extremists among cruisers), and the last section is a fictional first cruise for a couple going down the ICW to the Bahamas. It details highs, lows, and lessons learned.

I left in my mid-30''s, and everyone I met said the same thing, "I wish we''d done it when we were young like you are." I never once met anyone who said "I wish we had waited..."

GO NOW!


----------



## TrueWest (Jul 5, 2001)

We chronicled most of our trip on our web site http://members.cox.net/robkerr

Hope it helps. 
We''re in our 30''s and not independently wealthy. we just quit and went...in retrospect, best thing we''ve ever done.
But scary.


----------



## trampsailor (Jan 8, 2002)

i would like to say to you go......

i am a 56 year old trampsailor, as the name implies, left the corp. world 19 yrs ago with a wife and still 3 children at home. my only regret, we did not do it when we started sailing, (we started in our early teens).

the boat doesn''t have to be a million dollar luxury liner, all she has to be is sea worthy. you don''t need all the fancy gizmos, all you need is the dream, and a willingness to work, it was the best thing we could have done for ourselves and our kid, (note, no money, no fortune, just a solid wooden boat and a desire to be free)

go


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Howdy!
As a captian of a cruising vessel that takes children that are in trouble with the law.I can tell you my experience in this way.Make a plan(where you want to go).Then think of what it will take to get there is good shape.Travel light, but make sure you have enuff of what you need for the time you plan to be gone.Always plan for the worse,that will ensure you have a great time.Make sure you have all your boat documents in line and passports or raised seal birth cert.Always check the weather before you leave safe water and you will be just fine.I dont say go,cause you know when your ready,but you are not getting younger)
FAIRWIND & FOLLOWIN SEAS 
Sail4Kids President Capt. Jim


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Graycie,

Oh, go. You will most likely regret it forever if you don''t. 

As for what trampsailor says, I have met many, many women with young children aboard who would have killed their husbands if given half a chance. I recall in particular this one woman I met at a marina in the Catskills. They were on a wooden, about a 45 footer. She had one on the breast, one on the hip, and one on the run. I helped her to load the last few bits she had gotten from the market (her husband was no help, preferring to chat with a dockhand). I said to her, "What a lovely boat, it has such..." And she stopped me, put her hand on my shoulder, and said, "If you say ''character'', I''ll have to hit you" and laughed. They left for their trip up the Hudson and to the Canals. About 5 hours later, while sitting in the bar enjoying dinner after distepping the mast, we saw them tow her back in. She came in to the restaurant/bar, kids in tow, while her hubby sat on the dock chatting with the mechanic. I offered to watch the kids for her while she talked on the phone (was for about an hour). Anyway, next day, wife and kids were gone, he was passed out out in the cockpit and they were trying to rouse him to help move the boat so others could get in to be distepped. SO - as long as this is not your scenario (and I have also seen many, many happy families living aboard, too) go for it!!!!

Best Wishes,
MaryBeth


----------



## Guest (Jun 5, 2002)

You don''t have to do it all at once. Plan a 1000 mile trip for several months. You''ll get a good feel for it and should know if you want to take the big plunge after that.
Norm...


----------



## halyardz (Sep 2, 2000)

Advice will vary considerably. The situation MaryBeth describes seems full of problems. My approach is to take the "step" approach. First, one week out, then three,
then...etc. Much to be learned at each step including living in close quarters. In my humble opinion, one of the biggest factors to get under your belt is learning to change your shoreside(home) routines.

You need to learn to get along without the morning paper and fresh bagels. Those regular Thursday visits from friends or children. Its also amazining how much trip
planning changes once underway. You have to waitout storms, get weather from other sources, and read alot. If you get along on shore, you need to learn if you can get along in close quarters without a lot of personal space.

That aside, the fun part is planning, ships stores, preparing boat, and so on. I too wish I would have done this earlier in life but I didn''t, so now want to go off while in good health and positive mental attitude.
Jim


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Graycie,
We''ve been on the two year plan toward our dream of a sailing life, for two years now. We''re ages 51 & 53 and left our jobs and careers behind last week! The house closes in 1 week and everything but just our bedroom furniture has sold after the third garage sale which ended today. Some friends say we''re crazy, but most are so happy for us. Heading for Fl tomorrow to find a tiny apt and to begin the boat search (looking for the perfect 42-50'' live-a-board. We''re certainly not rich or expert sailors, but are not going to look back some day and wish we would have followed our dream! 
LL & CL


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Now, I also know a couple in their sixties who have built (and rebuilt, upon sinking in New Jersey) a 32 foot ferrous cement boat. They are very happy currently bopping along the Hudson and the Sound and northerly (up to Rhode Island, as far as I know) in the summer and then spending the winters in Bermuda and the Bahamas. He has also rigged a way (we thought it would be impossible, but it does work) to singly distep the mast on her so that they could go up the canal or down the ICW at any time. So, there are ways around any obstacle you may think will come up.

Fair Winds,
MaryBeth


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Graycie,

We shared your dream. We shared your fears. And, we found very little information to help us with the transition.

We took the leap two years ago, retiring in our mid-30s, and never looked back. As a thank you to all those who did provide information and as a way to ensure there was more information out there, we chronicled the whole affair on our website. Some things provoked humor, some provoked terror, others just became non-events even though we thought it was going to be difficult. Janet, my wife, captured the feelings and process of packing up our home in several articles on the subject. 

We may not be the best writers in the world, but we are now cruisers who don''t mind sharing our personal experiences with the world. You can check out the site at http://www.SailCharbonneau.com. If you need encouragement or just an answer to a question, drop us a note at the email address on the site.

We hope to see you on the water soon.

All our best,

Blaine, Janet, Max & Bailey Parks


----------



## Sailormon6 (May 9, 2002)

If I had "retired" in my 30''s and sailed off for an idyllic life, I would have had two problems. First, I would not have really been able to convince myself that I had earned it. Secondly, I would not be able to afford to educate my son, as I am now doing, with a considerable burden. I am approaching 60, my son has two more years of college, I enjoyed a fulfilling career that served a useful purpose, I have taken care of life''s important business, and I enjoyed sailing and cruising on weekends and vacations along the way. Looking back from where I am now, I do not regret that I didn''t chuck it all and go sailing. If I make it for another couple years, and get to buy a bigger boat and go cruising, that will just be the icing on the cake. 

The question you should be asking is, have you taken care of life''s important business?


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Sailormon6,

You shouldn''t be so quick to judge others about their life choices. For us, "life''s important business" is to live our lives to the fullest before it passes us up and we look back with nothing more than "I wish we would haves". However, that doesn''t mean that we''ve "chucked" it all. 

Like you, we have important people in our family who depend on us. Also like you, we support not one child, but three separate nieces in their college endeavors. Where we differ is in our inability to have children of our own. I guess that part of life''s important business was decided for us. 

We worked hard and invested for 18 years -- I started at age 19 -- and instead of watching it wither over the last two years, we''ve been sailing and charting our own course. My wife had a brother who passed away suddenly in his mid 30''s and there is a strong run of heart disease in my family which tends to impose a shorter lifespan on my side of the family. That, and our ability to pull it off through tough sacrifices and work, is what lead us to this fork in the road. Our earlier post was to help the two who posed the question about cruising, not to debate when one should retire or how they should live their lives. 

I hope that after achieving almost sixty years of life''s experiences, we don''t find ourselves as close minded and bitter as you appeared in your post.

Good luck to your son in college. I spent ten years chasing my college degree while working days, nights and weekends with no help from others. He''s lucky to have a father with the ability to help him with his education costs.

Wishing you many more sunsets and peaceful anchorages....


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Gracie,
I am doing about the same thing you are, taking the next step. I plan to cruise and live aboard for 3 months this winter. My house is a valuable rental property so I need to keep it. This restrict the price I can pay for a boat, but its sound. I am 47, both kids will be in college, I am not married nor have have responsabilities as such. I can single hand the boat, now, maybe not in 10 years, who knows. Point is like everyone said, follow the dream. The posting about responsability, although sounding bitter, makes some sense. If you have some unfinished business, finish it. Ones life should have no regrets. Raising my kids till they are in college is done. I am ready to go! just need a boat, and I''m working on that.
Paul


----------



## Sailormon6 (May 9, 2002)

Charbonneau and Paul,

The substance of my previous post was to suggest that if people take care of life''s important business, then God bless them if they decide to go cruising. That is a common dream of many sailors, myself included, and there is nothing wrong with doing it, if you have prepared for it in every respect. It would be tragic to see someone realize, after it is too late, that they made a huge mistake that they cannot correct.

Years ago, I was so serious about living aboard and cruising that I started selling all my "stuff," but I changed my mind. Now, I have a retirement income, health care, savings, property (that will help buy a boat, provide security and maybe even leave enough for a nest egg for my son''s first home), and the satisfaction of a meaningful career. When my son''s education is finished, all my important business will be done, and I will be ready to go cruising. I could not make the break until all those things were taken care of, and I am perfectly content with my choice. For me, it was the right choice.

When I read all the messages urging the original poster to go, it seemed to me that someone should pose what I believe is the most important question.


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Sailormon6

I understand what you are saying, but I am afraid that you sound just like my father, in that until we all concede, things will not be right. Infact, each of us does what we do because we are different. I sense that my imediate responsabilities to children and family are satisfied. My children are in college, their mother lives close by in consideration of "kids home for the week end". I will be home during the summer months here in the Adirondacks, and cruise during the rest of they year. The only obsticle is financial, and buying a slightly bigger boat. I am working on that. 
At some point, and we are all different, we need to achive life goals . Sailing encompasses several. I have a lot more good reasons to go sailing then not!
Paul


----------



## Sailormon6 (May 9, 2002)

Charbonneau and Paul,

I haven’t presumed to tell you, or anyone else, where to draw the line when deciding whether to stay ashore or cast off. It appears that you have already given serious thought to the subject. All I said was that it was not the right choice for me. I did not mean to criticize you for making the decision. I have absolutely no idea what your circumstances were, and I really don’t want to know. I have said that, for me, my obligation to my son did not end when my legal obligation of support ended. The law forces us to support our children up to a point, and after that it is a matter of personal conscience. Each of us has to make those choices, based on our ability, and other personal circumstances. If people think those things through, and follow their consciences, they can leave with no regrets. 

You say I am “close-minded,” that I “sound bitter,” that I “sound just like your father,” and that “until we all concede, things will not be right.” I regret that you misconstrued what I said. Perhaps I should have anticipated that my comments might be misunderstood, but sometimes I tap out a message on the keyboard, and if it looks o.k. to me, I post it without realizing that someone else might read it differently.

I think people should search their souls, and make the hard choice between their responsibilities and their dreams. It’s not pleasant to think about those things, or to make those choices, especially when you want, so much, to do something, but anyone who makes the break without thinking about those things will likely regret it.


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Paul,
You are so right. I believe that everyone who has a dream should pursue it at all costs. To live one''s life always on the safe side blocks the path to one''s dreams. That is not to say that we do not need to fulfill our obligations to those around us and to contribute equally to society''s demands, but to have a true dream and to not at least try and achieve it would leave one to look back in later life with regret. And by this time it would be too late. I am 32 and I too am planning to go cruising in the next few years but like many my only obstacle is time and money. I have spent quite a long time looking for ways to get more of both of these and I believe I have found the perfect solution. If you''re interested in finding out more go to my website at www.unitoday.net/cirka 
Let me know what you think. Hope this helps.
Todd, Lisa and Madelaine Cirka


----------



## cfmike (Nov 28, 2001)

Graycie,

Not to bring us all back on point, but I''ve got some strong recommendations for research. If you''re both educators, then I imagine you are looking to rifle through as much solid information as I am.

The aforementioned "Sensible Cruising" book is definitely a must, as is Jim Trefethen''s "The Cruising Life" and if your book budget plump, grab Liza and Andy Copeland''s "Cruising for Cowards". These books are great foundation-builders and will give you direction on other areas you will want to study.

My personal favorite source over the past year or so has been the weekly logs of Ithaka. The editor of Cruising World opted to go cruising with her husband, and they have written and posted online their log which started with their decision through to preparation, launch, and adventures under sail. It''s a real-life window into one couple''s experience, and I urge you to start at the beginning and work your way to the present.

The log is broken into two pieces (Cruising World updated their web site along the way, leaving 70 or so logs behind), but you can still see them all. First, go here:

http://old.cruisingworld.com/ithaka/articles/001_were_going/

When you are done there, go to:

http://www.cruisingworld.com/cw_archive.php?sectionID=201&offset=20&totalFeaturesNum=31

[you''ll have to reconstruct that web address, above, as it is wrapping]

And, well, once you are hooked you''ll find the rest on Cruising World''s site.

''Hope this helps you and anyone else reading along.

Mike


----------



## whaleman (Jun 15, 2001)

hi graycie,
By all means go - and keepo it simple.
I have done a bit of crusing and I''m getting ready to do it again.

By the way: Most Europeans around the world
rent out their houses/apartments
to help make it happen!

Read Annie Hill''s :
''Cruising on a small budget''

your size boat is right.
Bigger is faster and a bit more comfy but also much more expensive to outfit and repair.
And while the big guys are hanging out in harbors waiting for parts etc 
you''ll be sticking your noses into places where bigger boats fear to tread...

In January of 2000 I sailed my ''Spatz''
into the fishing harbor of Lebu, Chile - the first foreign boat there EVER.
On the westernmost atoll 
in the Pacific Ocean
I was the first visitor
the four natives had seen in 2 1/2 years....(in 1996).


I wish you luck and fun!

peter, www.juprowa.com/kittel


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

peter,
you have an amazing website GOOD FOR YOU !!
eric
kimberlite


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Each of us have to decide what is life''s important business. Unfortunately many let other people tell them what is important or use our materially obsessed world as an excuse not to step out on faith.

There is safety in doing what everyone else does. No one will ridicule you for being "normal" and boring.

We are in our final stage of getting out there. We sold our house last month and are moving aboard our Mariner 39. Many people think we are nuts. Cannot understand why we want to give up all our "stuff" and go cruising. Actually getting rid of the stuff reduced a lot of the stress in our lives. Full closets cause stress. As we closed on the house sale and started closing accounts I was shocked at just how many people I was giving money to every month so I could live in my house "just like everyone else." We aren''t cruising yet and we have already reduced monthly expenses by 30%. It is sick how many people think you can''t live without TV.

My wife and I are in our early 50s. We have college educated 3 children and been able to buy what we think is the perfect cruising boat. We established a plan 10 years ago and stuck it on the refrigerator door. Believe it or not we have stayed with 6 months of the original plan.

So ask a lot of advise, but do what your heart tells you to do and make a plan. What are you really risking? Not much really, you can always move back ashore and be right back where you are today in no time. Taking a little risk and being unusual is what makes life interesting. 

Let everyone else live their lives through movie stars and soap operas. They may die old but they will die bored.

Tony


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

ANYBODY GOT SOME ADVICE ON FOLD UP BIKES, MAKES , COST AVAILABILITY AND SO ON THANKS IN ADVANCE

LUKE AND KIRSTY SHOTTS


----------



## SailorMitch (Nov 18, 2005)

There are a bunch of folding bikes out there, many of them quite expensive. I have a Dahon Mariner mountain style bike with 26 inch wheels. I wanted larger wheels for going a distance and for ease of going up hills. It has 21 speeds. It folds up pretty well and fits in a bag that I keep below when I have it along. I singlehand on a 27 foot boat so it''s easy for me to work around it. It''s not heavy but is bulky to get up the companionway.

The Dahon can unfold and be set up in about 3 minutes. it''s sturdy, too. People usually gather around when I''m setting it up. No one believes there''s a bike in that black bag.

I''ve had it for 2 years and bought it from Boat/US for about $300 as I recall. I used one of their 10 percent off coupons when I bought it. If you go to a bike specialty store you can buy even lighter ones -- for about $600-$1,000.


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

“For the truth is that I already know as much about my fate as I need to know.

The day will come when I will die.

The only matter on consequence before me is what I will do with my allotted time.

I can remain on shore, paralyzed with fear,

Or

I can raise my sails and dip and soar in the breeze.”


The quote above is haning on the wall in my office (aka prison). I caught the sailing bug relatively late at age 40. By that time, I had obligations that I could not in good faith walk away from. I would love to cruise till I didn''t want to any more but cannot at this time. None of my family shares this dream. Shall I leave them behind? I think not. 
I resolve myself to sailing in the lake every chance I get.... Imagining that as I round the next point, I enter the open sea. But alas, I am never more than a half mile from the shore.

If your desire is to go, and you have the buy-in from your spouse and the wherewithall to make it happen, by all means....GO


----------



## JohnYates (Feb 5, 2001)

The one mistake cruisers make is that they sell their house. After 2 or 3 years of cruising they run out of funds and go back to work. But, after this time, can''t afford to buy back the house they left. If you''re fortunate to have a good rental market, you''d be far better off in the long run to rent the unit. With a positive cash flow, you''ll even be able to extend the dream.


----------



## silentfaith (Jul 20, 2001)

For a weekend of information and knowledge you should go to WWW.SSCA.ORG and try to make it to Melbourne Florida Seven Seas Gam in November. You might even find your boat there as there will be about 600 cruisers there.
Cpt. Craig


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I have some good reasons. Keep doing what you are till you have a retirement nest egg. Next: there is Willie, who died at 50 from cancer. Also there is Maureen Pierce, Roberta Gallagher, Stan Jamroz, and a host of others who wish they could have gone, but are now dead. THen there are my sisters, Mary and SUe, both of whom had kidney implants to keep them alive. ANd that is all they are, alive. Mary, the healthier of the two, sailed with me once this year, and couldn''t get down the stairs to go to the bathroom. My point...You only will regret the things you didn''t do in life. But use common sense too.


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Sorry, we are new at this message board. We are currently discussing and deciding on taking our sailboat off shore cruising. We are unclear on one thing though. Is it required to obtain a Certification to cruise legally in our boat?

Any help will be appreciated,
Thanks,
Darrel and Christal


----------



## Sailormon6 (May 9, 2002)

You are not legally required to be certified, however, if you have not done much cruising, it is a good way to assure yourself that you have the knowledge and skill to do it safely. Certification is also helpful if you plan to charter. It assures the charter company that the boat will probably be safe in your hands.


----------



## Lin and Larry (Oct 22, 2002)

Many years ago in one of the very first articles we wrote, Larry suggested ending it by saying, Go small, go simple but go now. That saying became quite well known. Now I would really like to add the statement we use to end each of the seminars we give, "Don''t tell anyone you are going around the world." This is really important. If you tell everyone your long term goals, then for some reason don''t actually go that route, some one is bound to say, you failed. Instead, as you prepare to sail off just say, "We''re headed south for a few months to see what happens next." That is planning for success - because even if you just make a circuit of the Bahamas, then feel cruising wasn''t for you, you are a winner. When we first set off, Larry insisted we tell folks, "Headed for Mexico, got enough money in the bank for five or six months." That five or six months turned into 34 years of glorious sailing and grand adventures. You can take a look at our webpages at www.landlpardey, to see some of our recent sailing pleasures. We''ve done some adventuresome stuff I would never have dreamed of "back then" but I still find some of our gunkholing and day sailing and running into the mud in the Chesapeake to have been amoung the grandest days of our voyaging life. 

Fair winds,


----------



## Nereus32 (Jun 23, 2002)

This is a great thread! All the positive influence reaffirms the drive to go and the opposition keeps the dream based in reality. Our decision was made months ago, we are going - and soon.

The one thing that no one really talks about is the cost. Obviously, no one can tell me the price tag for sailing with my wife and infant daughter on our own vessel, but this stuff isn''t new. Many of you have cruised, some for a short while, others their whole lives.

Whether you recently raced with royalty or paddled with paupers, your experiences is valuable for helping us "dreamer/planners" make educated decisions on what to expect when we finally cut the lines. When and where did you cruise, for how long, and on what boat? What was your monthly budget? Perhaps most important, how did your actual expenses compare to your planned? Did you plan at all? Did you work along the way to help suppliment your cruising kitty? Now knowing what to expect, what would you do different if you did it again? 

For those of us in the planning stages, your advice may help turn a protentially disasterous cruise into a managable and exciting one. Please be specific. 

Thanks.

Steve


----------



## FTHOMSON (Mar 1, 2001)

Steve...

Crusing Budgets, that''s a real can of worms. It depends on your tastes; Do you plan to stay in marinas or live on the hook? Do you plan to dine out every night? Rent cars? What size your boat is (Bigger *usually* means more expensive for repairs etc...). Where are you going to cruise?
There are quite a few articles here by various authors of different age groups with different lifestyles. This should give you some sort of baseline and you should be able to figure out something to start with. Only advice I can add to these articles: Err on the side of caution.

Cheers,
Fred
s/y Polonaise


----------



## DuaneIsing (Jul 10, 2001)

Another thought that comes out of reading these books and articles on cruising budgets is how to apportion the available funds. In many cases you can elect to shorten the length of your cruise (3 months vs. 4 months) or the frequency (every other year for 5 months vs. every year for 4 months) in order to cruise in the amount of luxury you prefer. If you desire less luxury and more time on the cruise, you can do the opposite. I think it comes down to what you really want out of the experience. But it is YOUR experience, so make of it what you will.

Good luck with your plans!

Duane


----------



## jack_patricia (May 20, 2001)

For Steve and anyone else who''s trying to deal with the practical, financial side of preparing to go cruising:

A lot has been written on this topic and, while it''s possible to say that none of it is sbsolutely definitive for a given crew, you should be able to find with some small effort a good deal of useful info on what others'' have learned about both the cost (important) and the financial planning & day-to-day practical finances (very important) of cruising. One source that continues to provide info on this topic is Latitude 38, which is free at all WM stores and contributed to by a huge number of active cruising sailors.

The best single write-up on the financial planning & costs associated with cruising that I''ve read was done by Beth Leonard in her first book, The Voyagers Handbook. She offers a sequential, logical approach to the whole process, starting with your net worth and working thru the boat acquisition, refurb or improvements, cruising costs, safety net for unforseen expenses, and the size nest egg you need when you begin re-entry. From straightforward discussions about money with fellow cruisers, we think she ballparks the range of cruising budgets accurately and ties them realistically to the type of boat being cruised.


----------



## magnusmurphy (Jul 7, 2000)

The latest Practical sailor has an article on the cost of cruising. of course it is one cruiser''s experience, but the article seems reasonable and honest.

The gist of it is this: It will cost more than you think, except if you deny yourself many things as well as skimp on maintenance. Insurance is a MAJOR expense. Maintenance and insurance work out to more than 5% of the boat''s value per year.

You can probably cruise on minimal finances. However you will probably only be able to live the same kind of minimalist life that is possible on land with minimal finances. If that will make you happy, all the power to you. If not, your expences will approximate that on land.

Anyway, this is the conclusion of the article in Practical Sailor; one of the most honest sailing magazines I''ve found so far

M. Murphy


----------



## dtfm (Sep 23, 2002)

Ok, apparently one more good reason to go cruising is so that you don''t end up 60 and bitter that life has passed you by like Sailormon6. In fact, I think his perspective is common amongst members of his generation: "I killed myself doing the ''right thing'' and realize maybe I went overboard. But goshdarnit you have to do the same thing too."

At some point in the next 10 years (I''m 34 now) I will take some time off to go cruising with my family. A year, maybe 2. When I get back, I''ll resume working. When I retire, I will certainly not regret those wonderful years I spent with my family, and the invaluable experience I gave them. Life is a journey, not a destination. I''m pretty sure that when it''s all said and done, my girls will look at those two years of adventure -- two years where they spent every single day with their parents -- as two of the best years of their lives, and not begrudge me the two years of missed college savings.


----------



## Nereus32 (Jun 23, 2002)

Thanks for the replies, however, I am looking for examples. I undertsand that no one can tell me how much it will cost me to cruise with my boat - that is not what I am asking. What I seek are people who are willing to share their experiences with specific examples. Did you circumnavigate? How much did it cost you per month? Sail the Chesapeake for a month? What did it cost? What''s the break down - how much for maintenance, how much for provisions, how much just plain spent on other stuff?

So far, there is only one person that I know of who has spelled out what his expenses where for his cruise and that''s Destiny Calls at http://www3.sympatico.ca/destinycalls/. This is just one example. I''d like to know what others spent and what they got for their money.

Steve


----------



## DuaneIsing (Jul 10, 2001)

Nereus32,

I can understand why you want specifics in addtion to the general good advice you''ve gotten so far. If you don''t wish to buy some of the many books out there which list costs amongst other things (BTW- I don''t own any either), can you do a search on the Internet to get more specifics? I would hope there would be more than just the one website you listed. 

I do know that there is at least one (and probably several) SailNet articles which detailed the cost breakdown and described the location and type of cruising that was done. Just do a search here for it/them.

Good luck with your planning.

Duane


----------



## rogerleslie (Apr 15, 2001)

My wife & I cruised for 12 years along the eastern seaboard. In those years we have formed some very strong opinions about other cruisers and the life style in general. My comments are not intended to burst anyone''s bubble, BUT.

It''s wonderful to have a dream; it''s significantly different to actually live it. Alot of the opinions I have read in this thread are based on nothing more than dreams. "Just do it" has done great things for Nike; unfortunately it is terrible advise. This is not to say that some people don''t manage to live the dream of cruising by dropping everything and sailing off into the sunset, some are successful, most aren''t. 

My wife & I just discussed how many cruisers we have met over the years that actually made this approach happen sucessfully. We could think of only 7 (3 families and 4 couples), yet I can remember at least 50 that tried and failed. There is one significant flaw with this approach = REALITY. 

WE know dozens of cruisers who ARE extremely happy with their chosen lifestyle and they all had one thing in common: they had a plan which began years before the cruising actually started. Almost everyone of them were financially secure when they made the move. Their boats are insured, they have medical coverage, they have a reliable source of income and they have an "escape" plan.

If you truely want to go you need to have a realistic plan (especially when it comes to finances). It may take years, but it is truely worth the sacrifices. We could have left years earlier then we did, but we never would have made it as long as we did.

bob


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Hello All,

I just spent the last hour reading all of your comments. This is very interesting to me. And obviously we are all somewhat in the same place. 

The intense desire to effect this change in lifestyle is one of my most important goals. We''re almost there. We own a beautiful Fair Weather Mariner/ Westsail 39, have adequate (I hope) passive income set up, and some equity in Real Estate. The thing we don''t have set up, to our satisfaction, yet is enough additional funds, so as to not have to sell our real estate, and yet be able to live a comfortable lifestyle in a 2nd or 3rd world country during our olden days. (USA-so cal) will be too expensive to return and not have substantial income. We are in our late 30''s, no children, 1 dog. Once we leave land life we do not want to have to return for the purpose of creating income.

This is really hard because I want to leave now, or as soon as the boat is cruise ready. I know that if we sold the house we could, but we don''t want to find ourselves in the position of getting priced out of the market, just in case. 

I''m finding these last 2 years to be extremely difficult. It almost hurts. I''m so ready to go. Patience and perseverance bring the greatest rewards.

So, long story short, I guess we''re trying to juggle that responsibility edge at the same time as electing to sacrafice a stronger financial level for later.

But the draw to go now is that each year we age, health dimishes. That''s reality. I want to be living this lifestyle with as much energy and passion as possible. And since none of us knows what''s going to happen in the future, I would rather regret doing something than regret not doing something.

May you all follow your bliss!

Pamela
s/v Cassiopeia


----------



## bob-m (Oct 30, 2002)

Pamela,

I would like to offer some advise which I hope will be helpful. My wife and I were in the same situation in our early 40''s. We wanted to go so bad, we could taste it. Every time we felt a breeze stiffin our minds would wonder. It took us about 2 more years until we could leave and not worry about our finances. Eventhough it hurt, we''re glad that we waited. Being able to pull up anchor and go on the slightest whim is GREAT and not having to worry about finances makes it that much sweeter. 

Both my wife and I consider "cruising" & "living-aboard" while you work to be two seperate life styles. Don''t get me wrong, they both beat what we were doing before.
The first time you sail away from some new friends that live-aboard & work and see the envy in their eyes, you will know exactly what I mean. Also, contrary to popular belief, life does NOT end at 40 (but it does seem to go down-hill a little faster). I''m 61 and my wife has been 40 for about 18 years. We actually seem to enjoy cruising more now than when we first began. We have slowed down even more and view events and places in a different way now.

Also, if you sell your house now and must return later, I seriously doubt you will want as much in a home as you do now. Remember, you will be going for a boat to a house. You will feel lost in even the smallest of houses.
Good luck!!

bob-m


----------



## staceyneil (Nov 4, 2000)

Hi Truewest,

Are you guys still cruising? I was very intriqued by your post since we are also in our 30''s, "not independently wealthy", and refitting a boat to take off in. Would love to hear more about your cruising. We are East Coast and will be heading to the Caribbean in one year.

Stacey
s/v Namaste


----------



## staceyneil (Nov 4, 2000)

We are 35 and we''re leaving in one year.

Going cruising was always a "far-off" dream until last year. I was diagnosed (out of the blue) with breast cancer. Facing my mortality at such a young age absolutely changed my perspective. We are not going to put off this dream, even though we are financially completely unprepared for such a thing. But we are going to make it happen. We are living a much more spartan lifestyle right now in order to save pennies for our cruising kitty (a movie in a movie theater is an unheard-of luxury); we bought a solid boat that needs much work -mostly cosmetic- and we are spending every single spare minute working on her. We''ll rent out our modest home while cruising, although the rental income will only cover the mortgage, which is high since we borrowed against the house to buy the boat....if/when we decide to return we''ll need to sell the boat in order to get back into the house financially. We''ll probably also have to start from square one job-wise. But we deem it a worthwhile risk.

We have a 6-year old daughter and we feel that this experience is more valuable than if we stayed here, worked, and saved for college. My parents took me and my brothers on long cruises and I can never thank them enough for doing so. The chance to see the world, see how other people live, meet people from other cultures, etc. was incomparable.

Although some people do think we are crazy to give up the little financial security and stabilty we''ve built by age 35, I think that LIVING life NOW is so much more important. 

So, one way or another, we''re going. We are going to live the dream.


----------



## staceyneil (Nov 4, 2000)

Hi Steve
Read your post re: cruising costs. Everyone is right that it''s nearly impossible to give cost specifics but I will share what we learned. We are getting ready to leave for a cruise to the western caribean and beyond. We are sailing a 39 foot fiberglass sloop built in 1981. We are doing a MAJOR refit this year, and doing all the work ourselves. This is important to our cost projections because we will be intimately familiar with all of the boat systems (also my husband is a mechanic) and able to do all but very major repairs ourselves. Also, many of the systems on the boat (i.e. the entire electrical system from battereis to wire to solar panels) will be brand new. We are having a moderately complex boat in terms of systems: 12 volt refrigeration, windlass, GPS, etc. but NO air conditioning, watermaker, electric winches, bow thrusters, TV/VCR, large inverters, etc. This all has to be taken into consideration since, as I am sure you know, a larger and/or more complex boat will have significantly higher maintenance costs, especially if you are not a handy D-I-Y-er. Also boat material: my parents'' aluminum boat costs twice as much in yearly upkeep than our fiberglass one, adjusted for size.

OK, then you have to decide how you want to live. We feel that the lifestyle we want cruising is similar to what we have at home. That is, fairly simple. We don''t eat out at restaurants very often, never go to movies, we enjoy cooking good meals at home and a bottle of wine and a book. Cruising, we will eat at restaurants only if they are the less-than $5-per meal type, maybe a couple times a week at times, but not regularly. We have budgeted for only for very infrequent marina stays: we''ll anchor out. We won''t be staying in resort areas and hitting the bars every night. We won''t be renting cars or taking island tours unless by local chicken bus. We will choose our cruising destinations largely on the cost of living.

We''re getting our ham licenses so that we can use free ham email. This reduces long-distance phone calls to relatives.

Given the above considerations, our plan is: We will have $10,000 emergency fund for major repairs, medical emergencies, etc. We will carry travellers/major medical insurance and boat insurance (these costs are paid for, not part of the estimated monthly expenses). For our cruising kitty, our estimated monthly expenses (to include each county''s fees, food & household expenses, fuel, maintenance, incidentals) is $1000 for the two of us and our young daughter. 

I hope that this is of some help, although I realize it''s all conjecture as we''re not out there yet. However, I have done a lot of reading and research and spoken to other cruisers and i feel that this is doable.

Good luck!!!

Stacey
s/v Namaste
Portland, Maine


----------



## wmiii (Jun 28, 2002)

I have found a couple of good cruising cost sites. There are many out there. On is: http://www.sailcharbonneau.com/CruisingCosts.htm
and another is http://www.geocities.com/bill_dietrich/RetireSailboat.html
Hope this helps.


----------



## Lin and Larry (Oct 22, 2002)

Hi:
Bernard Moitessier said it, ''Cruising costs as much as you have". When Larry and I first set out, we spent the equivalent in todays dollars of about $800 per month to adventure on our 24 footer, eating out on shore at least two or three times a week when we were in port, only going in to marinas when we were working on other peoples boats (reparing, rerigging, doing woodwork). But we did spend a lot to keep our boat in top shape, buying the highest quality sails, and such. Now we are voyaging on 29 foot Taleisin, going to far flung destinations and spending the equivalent of $l700 a month. Difference? We''ve our writing has made it easier to earn the extra so now we do things like allowing me about $75 a month to telephone my friends and family cause I enjoy hearing their voices, buying gifts for neices and nephews, renting a car instead of taking a bus, eating at better restaurants,moving into cottages ashore for a few months every few years, ordering special books from the US, carrying and using a West Marine cataloge. Would we be able to cut back to the old budget, yes if it meant giving up our adventuring. We discuss a lot of this in details in our book Cost Conscious Cruiser and in fact several folks we''ve met along the way say our chapter, The game Plan,which gives the best assessment we can of the choices facing people who dream of going at different ages and stages in their life, has been helpful to them. 

Best thing we can say is, as a I once read in a simple little book by Allen Watts called the Wisdom of Insecurity, you can never cover every contigency, and trying to insure complete security before you set sail is an impossiblity. But, the easiest way to make it all affordable is to go smaller, go simpler and avoid trying to take all the conveniences of your shore based life with you. 

What kind of boat do we sail, where have we been? Classic Wooden cutter, no engine, no electronics, no problems, lots of grand adventures including about 175,000 miles of voyaging and 2 circumnavigations, working along the way but always keeping a security account equivalant to the replacement cost of our mast and sails and six months living in the bank.


----------

