# Is cruising only for my parents? sorry, posted this one is general discussion too



## Newport41 (Jun 30, 2006)

I've been reading forums and articles here for months and there's something that they all have in common. Why is it that everyone talking about cruising is double my age? I understand the obvious reasons. Can't go because of kids, career, finances, ect. But tell me, is there anyone here planning on going cruising before they're retired? And those of you who are retired, and have been to the South Pacific, across the Atlantic or even just to the Caribbean, have you seen anyone out there under thirty? I'm 24. I wasn't born into money or given anything. I've managed to make it happen. I own a boat, she's well outfitted and I'm in the planning stages of leaving for the South Pacific next season. So, I've proven that if someone wants to do it while they're young, they can. Am I the only one? And another question for those seasoned cruisers. How do you think your experiences would have been different if you'd done it when you were 24? Looking forward to hearing back, you all seem like a good group of people with a lot of knowledge and even more opinions. Thanks, Chris,


----------



## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Well, I'm not twice your age, and I'm outfitting my boat to go shortly. I'm in my late 30s.  I don't think I would have done it back in my 20s, as I had a lot on my plate back then... but now is the right time, so I'm going.


----------



## PBzeer (Nov 11, 2002)

There is no age limit on cruising. All that is required is the determination to do it.


----------



## sailorjim99 (May 1, 2006)

*Just do it*

 Hi Newport.
True, most of us are 'oldies'. Most of us are baby boomers. Most of us were raised in times when things were changing fast. We had a lot on our plates then.
I had a good childhood, a little "police action" in an unpopular place in the 
60s thru into the 70s and raised six kids from two marriages. Now got 13 grandkids. Most of us went thru a couple of recessions when things got tight and survived. Suddennly we are 'twice your age' and now it is our turn to kick back.
A lot of people I have met are like me and all thru our lives we have had a few adventures. I tried to do something outside of Australia every few years.
Been to a lot of countries with a pack before it was popular.

Just as the world stood still untill the industrial revolution and then boomed, so to with boats. We had to wait untill fibre-glass was invented so we could have our boats. Then, surprise, surprise, we had to wait untill they became affordable.
That made it to the 70s or 80s. Since then there has been a lot of cruising.
The crunch came when the gps was invented.(God bless it).
That mean't that people who could not work out maths while standing on a heaving deck, holding on for dear life, could go for a sail almost anywhere.
That brings us up to the late 80s and early 90s where the gps became affordable.
Now we are out there, clogging up the Pacific, Atlantic and every sea that we can reach.
I am about to start soon. Next year I am sixty.(Yep, an oldie) and I am going to cruise the Pacific from the States back to Australia. This will be my first serious boat and it will be all paid for.

I am what is called a SKIN. (Spend Kids Inheritance Now) 
So you can see why some of us are a tad elderly.(Old is a BAD word)

But my advice to you ,go now. Don't wait untill you do what a lot of us did.
You can always do things when you come back.
If what you do does not hurt anyone close to you, do it.

Then, if you are lucky, you can answer a letter from someone younger who asks why most of the cruisers are ELDERLY or older than you.

Go for it matey and good luck.


----------



## seabreeze_97 (Apr 30, 2006)

Recently, while talking with a patient (retired physician---had money), we were discussing boats. He'd always had powerboats, still had 4 of them, despite no longer being physically able to enjoy them. He said he never got into sailing, but quickly followed with an understanding of why I did...."It's a p****-wagon." Now, trying to maintain composure, I nearly bit my lip off to control the howling laughter. It's just not every day you get that (or expect it) from a 70-something year-old man. He's a character, to say the least.
Anyway, even if that's not your goal, understand that other people (primarily outside the sailing community) may see you that way. Good, bad, or otherwise.
I think this has been touched on somewhat, but sailing isn't cheap. The majority of sailing community has dealt with other expenses first, and only after kids, etc, do they have room for sailing, or other major marine-related expenses. There are always exceptions, but if you look at the younger crowd, they tend to be more caught up in short-term issues like clothes and cars, etc., not boats. Don't let it throw you. It just means you have that much more time to sail.


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*Part of the "younger crowd"*

There is no time like the present - I have never been one for "waiting until..." I recently bought a boat and as it would be suicide to cruise it very far (it is really wobbly), I still enjoy it immensely and can't wait to get back to it everyday.

I have a lot to learn and lots of people thought I was nuts to buy and live on a boat as a younger, single women - but who needs to listen to people with no sense of adventure or imagination.

Live it up, Newport Dude!

And take me for a cruise one of these days while you are at it!!!


----------



## SeaStrutter (Oct 10, 2006)

*Old enough to know better, Young enough to do it anyways*

Glad I found this thread... I've wondered the same thing, Newport... And unfortunatley, your questions (and mine) have not really been answered. How many people under 30 are out there doing it?

I'm planning a cruise down the East coast to Florida. One of the biggest issues I have is whether or not I'll feel "excluded" because of age (25 in a week). I love the idea of the cruising community, meeting new people, etc. but again, how many will be around my age? Maybe we should start a club!

Sonnie


----------



## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

SeaStrutter...you will be excluded...we geezers need all you young whipper-snappers hard at work and paying your FICA so we can continue to cash our checks. Get back to work...you owe it to us! <grin>


----------



## SeaStrutter (Oct 10, 2006)

I don't expect to be excluded - I'm an easygoing guy and get along pretty well with anyone. I'm just talking about the social environment - I don't want to sit around listening to how you walked to work uphill both ways in sleet and three-foot snow . I suppose age is not such an issue as the actual "Scene".

Sonnie

PS - At 25, I don't think I can be refered to as a "Whippersnapper" anymore. Perhaps a "Hooligan" or MAYBE a "punk-kid", if you accompany it with your fist shaking in the air.


----------



## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

Hey Sea Strutter, when one is an old fart who ain't gonna see 50 again anyone under 40 is a bloody whippersnapper. 

ps - the young guns have either already buggered off to the south seas and therefore can't be bothered with this nonsense or they are hard at work paying the taxes to keep me and my ilk in social securities which is where you should be. Whip Crack. 

Seriously, if you have made your bundle then get out there and enjoy yourself. You'll find plenty of people in your age group out there. Oh they may not be out there in the fanciest of plastic fantastics but they are out there nonetheless. After all, ignoring shipwreck fire famine and pestilence about the worst thing that could happen to you is that you get back in a few years time thirty and broke but with more memories than you can shake a stick at. Enjoy !


----------



## sailingmoby (Oct 11, 2006)

We sold our house and bought a boat last year. Have been living on it since then whilst getting it together and sorting out our cruising budget.
I'm 32 - husband is 38 (so not under 30, but we think we are young). We are not in an ideal position of having loads of cash behind us, but think life is for living and so will set sail in May. We are based in the UK so plan to cruise down to the med for a couple of years before heading across the pond. If we can't make ends meet we may have to leave the boat for a few months each year and return to the UK for work etc but have enough for the 1st 18months. Truthfully I think that most people are generally too sensible to set off until they have their lives sorted - kids grown up, house paid for etc, hence it is possibly slightly easier to do when you are older. Good on them, thats what makes the world go round. 
We plan to cruise for a while and then when/if we have had enough, set ourselves up for our dotage by starting a business or something - we should still be young enough.

20 years from now you will only regret the things you haven't done


----------



## ceberon (Jun 23, 2006)

*Retiring early?*

I'd say that people here (especially the young crowd) would be interested in the retire early home page:

http://www.retireearlyhomepage.com/

It has some nice message boards there as well where you can discuss finances, etc. The important point is that you could theoretically become financially independent early enough to have a long time sailing, especially if you're careful with your spending.

My wife and I have been somewhat careful with our spending, and are hoping (if things go well) to retire around age 40, and hopefully a boat will be involved


----------



## keck314 (Dec 2, 2006)

Yay for finding other people who aren't my parents' age!

I just turned 25 two weeks ago, and am in the process of building my kitty. Hope to set sail before I turn 30, if I can.

While I find the idea of a "club" rather exclusionary, I think the idea of us getting acquainted with each other around here is a good one. You never know when those older "establishment types" are gonna come knocking around.

You know the kind...the ones who actually have conscious memories of the Reagan administration 

/I kid, I kid
//Yes, I remember those years
///...but just barely


----------



## CaptKermie (Nov 24, 2006)

Funny, one of the first things I noticed around the marinas was the average older age of folks. But don't be fooled by age, baby boommers are about the fittest generation to ever come along. I am 50+ and only got my first boat 4 years ago (except for the 15' catamaran I had in my 20's) and like others my age there were just too many other things taking priority when we were younger. Another factor influencing the later in life purchase is that it is right about this time that we start to inherit our parents wealth to add to our own. Baby boommers hold the largest portion of the nations wealth so they are naturally the ones with the big boys toys. Still many of us are just big kids, we may look older but underneath we are not old, we are as young as we feel and I get on just fine with folks half my age and never exclude them from conversation. It is time, money & committments that put off the cruising life but as long as one stays fit you don't have to be young. I tend to learn from others and find that even the younger sailors have something to learn from especially concerning hi-tech stuff, they seem to have a better understanding of it than older folks. I wish I could have done extensive cruising when I was younger like you but I didn't and I don't regret it, I just had to wait a bit. Who knows what the future holds.


----------



## LWinters (Nov 16, 2006)

I am glad to see this thread. I am on the cusp at 30, but still seem to be one of the younger generation pursuing this dream. I think that this may be a growing contingent of the sailing community and may be a big reflection on the differing viewpoints the younger generation has than the boomers. 

Specifically, we kids are waiting longer to marry, have kids, and no one is dilusional enough to think that our companies are going to look out for us. Urban commnities are not as tight nit as they used to be and families tend to be more scattered. I think all of the above has allowed some us to begin questioning earlier what it is we really want out of life. The younger generation seems to be more willing to buck the status que and go a different way. Personally, I am excited to see it and meet others who are choosing this path earlier. With the advent of groups like ASA and BoatUS sailing isn't the exclusive "old boys club" it used to be. Now if we can just save up the moula flipping burgers to afford that Raymarine ST 60 instrument pack we'll see you in Tahiti!


----------



## snider (Jun 26, 2006)

*Spot on!*



LWinters said:


> Specifically, we kids are waiting longer to marry, have kids, and no one is dilusional enough to think that our companies are going to look out for us. Urban commnities are not as tight nit as they used to be and families tend to be more scattered. I think all of the above has allowed some us to begin questioning earlier what it is we really want out of life. The younger generation seems to be more willing to buck the status que and go a different way.


I think this is spot on! It's pretty much my case anyway. Whoever came up with the Mon-Fri 9-5 idea anyway, three weeks vac if you're lucky! That's not my idea of living! Heck, I can't touch my 401k until 69 1/2! What a racket. I'm 26 and in the last year of a five year plan WOOHOO. I can almost taste it. Also I've been lurking around here for a while and want to thank everyone for the great environment and wealth of info here.

CD you did no wrong. Very tactful and you made me proud! There is a time to speak up.

This is an older thread, I wonder if the OP is still on schedule, if I'm not mistaken the " next season" is hear. Snider


----------



## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

Snider...Good luck to ya! The fact that you made a five year plan at your age and stuck to it bodes VERY WELL for your success! What are you going on and where to? Duration?

As to the OP...Newport hasn't posted since August...another "dream deferred?"


----------



## snider (Jun 26, 2006)

*Liveaboard*



camaraderie said:


> Snider...Good luck to ya! The fact that you made a five year plan at your age and stuck to it bodes VERY WELL for your success! What are you going on and where to? Duration?QUOTE]
> 
> Well, I didn't plan on it taking five years, that's just how long it has taken to leave my previous career and go back to school for one that would allow me to travel and have the autonomy to cruise while working. I knew there was very little chance of buying a very inexpensive boat and just going, hoping to find work and pay for the cruise. So I went to school for nursing, where I can take travel assignments for three month contracts with housing paid for, tax free. I'll live on the boat and use the housing stipend plus my hourly wage to triple up on the boat payment and pay it off in three or so years. I figure take three travel assignments a year, leaving three or so months to just cruise, and either work my way from the east coast to California and work there untill the boat is paid for and head West to the south pacific-Australia, or stay on the east coast and sail east round the cape of good hope to Australia for work, then the south pacific and California. I've been looking at boats for about five years also and have pretty much settled on a Pacific Seacraft 34, cutter rig. I'm not married so unless I find a 1st mate in the next two years I'll prob go it alone, taking crew as needed. They are building a tallship, sail training vessel, where I live (Charleston, SC)and I I've thought of doing a four month assignment with them(down to south america), if I can get hired. My plan is flexible. Putting the condo on the market early next year and buying the boat to live on for a year while working to outfit and get the required time and experience needed to travel nurse. It works out great becuase I've been working in an ICU for the last two years and I really enjoy it also, it's great helping people. I graduate in May 07( if I can study and stop drooling over boats), I can almost taste it! I can't wait. Sorry so long, I'm just excited! Snider


----------



## LWinters (Nov 16, 2006)

Snider, great story and congratulations. Awsome to see someone else around my age really going after it. Great plan as well working as the traveling nurse. Definatley a take I had not thougt of before. I've heard several stories about members of the healthcare community going cruising and using thier skills along the way. Seems like a really cool opportunity to help out some along the way. Now if I can just figure out how to keep selling software from my boat I'll be set.


----------



## EscapadeCaliber40LRC (Sep 25, 2006)

Here are the chronicles of a couple of younger whipper snappers that have pulled off a serious dash around the world. Looks like they've got a little less than one more puddle to cross...

http://www.bumfuzzle.com/Pages/Main Pages/Dates.html


----------



## snider (Jun 26, 2006)

*Wow!*



EscapadeCaliber40LRC said:


> Here are the chronicles of a couple of younger whipper snappers that have pulled off a serious dash around the world. Looks like they've got a little less than one more puddle to cross...
> 
> http://www.bumfuzzle.com/Pages/Main Pages/Dates.html


Now there's a first mate! Wonder if she has any sisters?


----------



## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

All,

We started (wife and I) doing pretty serious sailing around mid-20's. We got very comfortable with sailing on a 320, then had a kiddo, and put him on the boat at age 5 days. By 29 or 30, we were living aboard a Catalina 380 and cruising as much as possible. Now, 6 years later, we have a Caalina 400 and are about to embark out again, hopefully for a lot longer and further this time with the improvement in technology.

All that being said, let me tell you that your perception of the marinas being primarily an older generation is quite true. If you are under 50, I would say, you will be in the minority. (PS, the exception to the older generation is California, especially Southern, where there seems to me to be a lot younger croud. I wonder if others have seen this like we have? Are there other areas?). This might seem bad, and there is the obvious generation gap, but it really is not bad at all. The 50's and 60's year old we met were as cheerful and vibrant as anyone in their 20's and 30's. Age, race, sex, nationality... you will not find it a negatively defining characteristic. In fact, we often seek out other flags. The absolute funniest people we have ever met were Jamaicans and Australians, especially the Aussies! The most family oriented were probably Brazilians. Canadians were often the most open and friendliest and Americans often the quickest to help with problems. With a few exceptions, you will "click" really well with all of them. Many may want to keep your kids (if you have them), and you will find every weekend another boat party, in general. I would not say a boat party is a drinking party, big exception. We would get together and scream at each other over a friendly card game, or the proper way to grill fish, some politics (very little, suprisingly), and a lot of talk about neat places to cruise. You will become a close family and will not realize they are older. We did meet a young couple (mid 30s) that became our best friends in the world (and still are), but the younger generation, as it was put, is more far and inbetween. Family's cruising is even further from the norm.

Most of the people you will meet are very intelligent, educated, and were very successful in their pre-boating life. But when they hit the water and were on a boat, all those frustrations were left behind and you will see them for what they really are: Just great people. Funny, I am not sure I know what most of them did to earn a living?? We rarely talked about it. Bird identification and boat troubleshooting were more likely topics.

I will say that the reason the younger generation is absent is not a lack of adventure or being too tied down. Boating and cruising is very expensive, and not getting any cheaper. Most of the people are older because they are retired or spent much of their life doing very well and now have the money to go cruising. I think that is what stops younger generations. Many may ask how we did it (and are about to do it again) and I will tell you that we have been very bleesed with our careers and we also have fairly unique positions that allow us to work remotely anywhere with an internet connection.

All that being said, I agree with Cam and am in the minority: Save up and go versus just jumping out there on a wing and a prayer (financially speaking). Take your boating budget and double it. Ask PBeezer about how quickly things can go wrong and get expensive! Also, I have painted a Cruising World type picture of how "rosie" cruising and living aboard is... it is not like that all the time. Life is still life, whether from a boat, a house, or a camping trailer. In fact, I will say it is much easier from a house than a boat and the frustrations are considerably less. Want an example? Next time a really big storm rolls through, sail out to meet it. You will get stuck in one sooner or later. Try sitting down below in your boat for a weekend and hardly leaving it.... fronts come through and restrict your ability to do anything. 

Tom Neale wrote a book called All in the Same Boat. It has been said that it has a lot of negative connotations... well, yes, maybe it does. However, it paints a much more realistic picture of what it is like in my experience. I would highly reccomend it. Having the right mindset and expectaions are better than getting surprised around the first marker.

It is not always fun. It is not always boat parties. The younger person(s) is more the exception than the rule. Still, it is worth it and you will find that the generation gap is not a big deal. Save your money. Read, read, read. Then make the pluge and find out for yourself. You will be glad you did.

- CD


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

LWinters said:


> ... may be a big reflection on the differing viewpoints the younger generation has than the boomers.


The current young generations, be they called X, Y or whatever, haven't invented the early departure to pursue dreams. I would think that this urge has been followed by individuals from each generation throughout history. Call it wanderlust, adventure-seeking, an exploratory nature or simply restlessness, it has always sent the self-selected off into the world beyond their known circle.

At age thirty, I took a two-year sabbatical from the Navy to drive across Europe and Asia, primarily to climb virgin peaks in the Hindu Kush of Afghanistan. Then I bummed around the French and Italian Alps putting up some new routes, before returning to Canada to set-up and conduct leadership development programmes at an outdoor education school. These two years taught me much more about myself than had the preceding thirty.

I again put on my naval cap, but this time with a purpose clearly in mind. In 1981, at the age of thirty-six I resigned my commission and set up a small business that within ten years gave me a seven-digit bank account. I've been playing ever since.

It takes guts to pull the pin and leave the comfort of the known to set off in whatever vehicle, be it shoe leather or sailboat. I know, I only half pulled it the first time, and then went back to regroup for a few years. There is nothing wrong with a step backwards along the way, as long as the mind remains on the goal.

While there certainly is a predoninance of gray hairs in most marinas, I would think this has more to do with the resources required to "gain admission". Also, many of the young boat owners are off sailing, rather than hanging around.


----------



## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

Nice writeup Dawndreamer.

I think this is on subject, but let me give a personal view point, to affirm what you have said: If you want to get ahead, it requires taking chances and learning to live UNDER YOUR MEANS! If I have one complaint about many of my countrymen, it is that. We have become a society of credit that lives from paycheck to paycheck. Learn to break that cycle, drive a old chevy if you can afford a Cadillac, and take some chances to be your own boss. 

Just my thoughts and others may dissagree. And remember, it is NOT how much you make, it is HOW MUCH you have left over.

- CD


----------



## Jim H (Feb 18, 2006)

Great posts on this thread.

CD, a question for you. You advocate an "save up and go" approach, but it doesn't seem like you saved up all you needed in your 20s before taking off. Have you had to stop and work again to build up funds (for larger boat, for kitty), and did you find that difficult?

Dawndreamer seems fully financed and ready to go, and apparently leveraged his experience traveling into confidence for a strong business venture (cool) during his working break. 

Thanks!

Jim H


----------



## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

Yes and no Jim. I will answer fully soon but am running around like crazy right now. Will either write back here or PM.

- CD


----------



## ShrfuZen (Feb 23, 2006)

*Oh please*

Well, If I can get these old asre fingers to type a couple of things. 

1. There are and have been many youngbloods out there.

2. Stop looking for permission kid and be like Nike, just do it! So what if you are the first ( which you are by far not!!)


----------



## LWinters (Nov 16, 2006)

Dawndreamer,

That line out of context is certainly a dangerous one. I nor any of the other young cruisers, or aspiring for that matter, think they are the first to pursue such a goal. This life seems to draw very literate folks and most I've met are well versed with those who went before including Slocum, Dumas, Knox-Johnston, Chichester, to the 100's of blogs one can find from small boat captains sailing today. Looking only at the sailing life also draws too small a picture. The boomers were "the" generation to redefine what life was all about. I've got no romantic notions about the 60's and 70's generation, but they certainly made it thier own more than any other that comes to mind.

In almost all persuits today I think we are standing on the sholders of giants. I'd just like to see more people my age pursue a life outside the norm earlier rather than later. I am not sure I believe that thier has to be a big bank account to "gain admission". With the number of aging, but solid fiberglass boats on the market there is a vessel that can fit the budget of any desire.

As a side note, on the desire to go adventuring John Anderson refers in a seminal book by the same title to what he calls the Ulysses Factor and says that it: «…is a complex of impulses in an individual prompting him to seek first hand physical experience of something hitherto unknown (to him) that has aroused his curiosity. It must include the impulse to learn firsthand through physical action: what, is immaterial; it may be to discover what lies beyond a range of hills, to see new stars by traveling to some new part of the earth’s surface to observe the heavens, to find the source of a river, to discover if there is a far side to an apparent limitless ocean. This is the main force - the physical satisfaction of man’s curiosity. »


----------



## ShrfuZen (Feb 23, 2006)

I think the Pardey's started cruising at a young age. They also subscribe to the do it now theory!


----------



## Zanshin (Aug 27, 2006)

LWInters - that quote is a mistranslation but even grander in the original "Was immer Du tun kannst oder wovon Du träumst - fang damit an. Mut hat Genie, Kraft und Zauber in sich." The last sentence is a classic and the word "Action" should read "Bravery" - but in German it denotes "bravery to do something" so is a bit to translate without losing the Teutonic brevity of Goethe.
Somehow tumumltuous seas or skies always bring thoughts of Goethe, Heine, Nietzsche instead of the more staid French or English writers/thinkers. It is the German "Sturm & Drang" ethos at sea.


----------



## PBzeer (Nov 11, 2002)

To cruise or not to cruise, in many ways isn't really a rationally arrived at decision. It's more of an emotional one, tempered to some degree or another by our own present realities. Young or old isn't really germaine to the question. Nor is how much or how little money you have. Not even what boat you have. For cruising is much more than going places in a boat. It's adopting a new lifestyle, one that most would not consider "normal". In the end, it comes down to if that's what you want to do......do it.

One thing I learned from my first little jaunt, one great day can make up for ten bad ones. It's not all sandy beaches and balmy weather. It's not always easy. But....it can be the most rewarding thing you'll ever do.

Regards,


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

My you fellows sure are well read: Slocum, Dumas, Knox-Johnston, Chichester, Goethe, Heine, Nietzsche.  While I did read Slocum last year, I must admit that much of my time has been spent doing, rather than reading about doing.

Though, now that I'm getting a tad longer in the tooth, it is probably a good time to start laying in a library to help me through the times when doing will become less easy.


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*What's Important*

Would like to share this site with ya'll http://www.macnaughtongroup.com/living.htm
It takes a long time and many miles for some to discover the truly important things in the world and life.
Capt'n Cliff


----------



## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

Nice posts and and a great discussion to keep going.

Jim, only have a quick moment, but watned to answer your questions a bit: 1) I was able to maintain my position, kept income. Kris (my wife) and I can work remotely, with an internet connection and a little luck. 2) Regarding the $$ and returning, let me just explain why I say be financially prepared: It can get really expensive really fast. THings happen and the boat breaks. Just tying up to a slip right now can break the bank. But I also do not think there is a magic number... if there is such a thing. In a best case scenario, you can totally live off the interest and never have to return. That is where we would like to be (who wouldn't), but not there yet. In reality, that is not going to happen for most people. And I also remember some of the happiest days of my life were when we were in school and she and I litterally would search under the sofa cushions to scrape together enough change to buy a soft serve cone from McDonalds (that is no exhaggeration, at all, no lie). That was our night out. A lucky find in the parkinglot (head's up, of course) could be the beginning of an awesome weekend. Believe me, I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth!!

The money is not going to make you happier, it is the people you meet and the places you go that do that (including finding a bit of yourself inside too). However, a nice security net sure does make it a lot more relaxing and fun.

Hope that helps. Always enjoy hearing from you Jim. YOU KNOW that you and your family will get there, and that in itself must be reassuring in itself. 

You are a good poster Jim and a nice contributor. Please excuse if this was a bit rushed... I am trying to finish up a book I have been working on for 2.5 years. Maybe with a little luck and the right connections, I can get a publisher to use it as a door stop! I am always the optimist.

- Brian


----------



## WinterRiver (Oct 20, 2006)

I'm really enjoying this thread. It's a good one to read and reread when my head starts spinning from all the sailing and boat information I'm trying to stuff in there. There's a positive vibe that you can make it work and cruise at any age.

Nearly 20 years ago, when I was interviewed for my first "real" job out of college, I was asked what I expected to be doing in 5 years. My reply was, "Sailing around the world." Jobs and house and 2 kids later, we're on the hunt for a boat and counting down. 

I have to admit that we're clearly no longer in the "cruise young" stage -- do the math. I do sometimes feel that we are planning to cruise earlier than many, since we are not planning to wait until the kids are out of the house. Middle school seems like an ideal time to get away.

I continue to appreciate your advice, Cruisingdad, even when it's not directed at me. The "good" car has 150,000+ miles and the other one is 17 years old. Hoping they last until we leave.


----------



## Jim H (Feb 18, 2006)

*Super thanks!*



Cruisingdad said:


> Jim, only have a quick moment, but watned to answer your questions a bit.


Hey, you answered more than a bit-- as usual you offered a detailed and complete response. I know exactly what you mean about the "good old days" when money was extremely thin but life incredibly enjoyable. My wife and I started in one bedroom flat over a bicycle shop, with me making $500 a month as a writer, and we rode our bikes more than we drove our car. Top Ramen, day-old bagels, and marked-down meats were the staples of our diet. They were great days, but almost 20 years have passed.

The part of your answer that was most important to me is that you continued to have work (at least some) over the Internet as you cruised. With some planning and prep, I think that could be an interesting avenue, and I'm happy to hear it worked for you. The most recent Goodlander article in Cruising World this month notes that his ongoing work operates on a similar basis.

Good luck on your book, and don't worry about writing for us too much or too often. I'd be happy to see an article or even a letter from you in Latitude 38 or Lats and Atts, if you haven't done so already.

Jim H


----------



## Cruisingdad (Jul 21, 2006)

Hey Jim & all,

I appreciate the kind comments. 

Actually, the book I am writing (and have been for a little over 2 1/2 years) is a children's book about Santa Clause! St. Nicholas was actually one of the patron saints of the sea for mariners... thus, the book has a very strong nautical theme (no surprise from me, huh?). A lot of twists and things I have tried to bring together that bridges the gap between our perception of Santa Clause and other cultures; a happy ending, feel-good book. If you cannot guess, finding a commonality is a theme I try to relate.

I have been writing since I was 15, but have NEVER attempted to get something published. I have written several books and short stories. My wife finally got frustrated with me for not attempting to publish, so she sent a copy of one of the Chronicles of Cruising I wrote on Sailnet to Latt & Att yesterday ( I have actually written many more that have not been posted on Sailnet). I told her that she should have sent it to the cheap paperback novels that end up as packing material instead, but I got some comment about, "Shut up and mind your own business." We will see what happens - but I have no doubt that they get soooo many articles from great writers that it is unlikely. No problem. I write because I enjoy it and have fun at it. I enjoy moving and motivating people and making them feel a little better (at least, I hope... Waverider might comment to the contrary!).

So, if any of you want to throw in a good word for me at Latt & Att, it would be appreciated! Who knows what will happen? But, with the right attitude and the right intentions, anything can be accomplished. 

Take care. Please excuse me if you don't hear too much from me as I try and finish everything up on this end. I will check in/out periodically.

Thanks.

- Brian


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*Between too soon and too late*

I think that there is some difference between cruising after (Long-term) vs. cruising during/before (a year or two long cruise)your peak earning period that needs to be addressed. Being younger makes it easier to pick up and push off for a year or two. If it don't work then I can always come back home, albiet tail between legs, get a job maybe making a little less than before, have to get another apartment, etc. Point is, at this point in life, things are more flexible. It's very popular for kids out of highschool or uni to take a year to travel - I've had lots of friends who took off to backpack through Vietnam, Europe, Africa. Why not take a boat with you instead of a backpack? Why not spend $5-10k on a little pocket cruiser instead of spending the same on fleabag hotels/hostels in a year? Sure, you may not make it to Europe, but the carribean can and has been done in boats that cost WAY less than 10k. And at the end of the trip, you've got a boat that can be sold off to finance getting re-established. This may sound like I'm "pushing" the short-term cruising idea on people, but really I'm just trying to sell myself on it, and if I bring anyone else along for the ride then that's good too. 
 Who else has the same idea of short-term cruise and what are your thoughts? For those of you who where in that spot at one point or another and did or didn't go, care to lend us whippersnappers any words of wisdom?

Cheers.


----------



## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

Sea Strutter...You make excellent points. Even if you can't go "globe-trotting" on a small boat you can go lots of places most people don't and enjoy life a bit before "settling down". If you can live in a camper type R/V without complaint for a year or so...a boat is not much different! 
I think it is easy to go cruising when you are quite young or ready to retire. It is much harder when you have a good career, kids, house, parents to take care of etc. ... so if you don't want to wait another 30 years or so and the idea sounds appealing...go before life ties you down. Just remember that it will be that much harder to work and settle down once you return! 
You'll be miserable till you're 60!! <grin>


----------



## sailaway21 (Sep 4, 2006)

Hey sea strutter!
You've got it just right. My first ship carried twelve passengers as well as cargo and they were all too old to enjoy fully where we were going. If you are only going to be in Singapore for two days you have to view sleep as optional! The ABs on board said, "they're studying for finals" an illustration I'm sure someone of your age can appreciate.
When I was in the Med. I'd run in to a lot of young people just out of college doing the hostel thing with a backpack and a Eurorail pass. Made perfect sense to me. They had the energy to see and do anything and weren't too particular about their accomodations or dining places. And they can spend the rest of their life talking about what they have seen and done, instead of what they want to see or do when.....
We used to have a saying on the ships, "what are they gonna do, send me to sea?" and it expressed perfectly that what's the worst that could happen attitude. We try, futilely, to plan our lives out to the enth degree and it never works out exactly as planned, and then, as my friend Cam states, reality intrudes and our options seem to close down.
And who knows, you could end up some place you like and go "native". Some people get set on being a "suit" only to discover that what they were really programmed for was flip-flops and baggies. Either way you'll recognize them; they're the ones with the grins on their faces.
The "grind" and "normal" life will still be here when you get back and you can jump back in any time. Down the road, a year or two seems like no time at all. For a lot, or maybe most, people life is like the Hotel California, "you can check in, but you'll never check out." Go for it.
I was lucky, they paid me to go to sea. And now my wife's dreams consist of all the places I've been.


----------



## keck314 (Dec 2, 2006)

_The "grind" and "normal" life will still be here when you get back and you can jump back in any time._

That's what I need to hear.

I'm 25, no kids, finishing up a master's degree, and I'm not enjoying the idea of sitting at a desk for another 35-plus years working my butt off for three weeks of vacation a year *if* I'm lucky. For me, I feel like it's now or...well...a LONG time from now.

I just wish I'd been bitten by the cruising bug a few years earlier, so I'd have more saved up. Optimistically, if my GF and I both save a LOT, we might be ready to go in three years. Assuming a four year maximum cruise length, then I'd be 32.

Now I know I'll catch hell for this, but to me that seems OLD. Just a few years ago, it feels like, I was 18. I'm having a hard time realizing that I now round my age UP instead of down. The "conventional" part of my brain says that I should be settling down soon, and that 32 is just too late to get started on a career. Luckily I have you guys and my parents (children of the '60s that they were), who are more than happy to disabuse me of this notion at every opportunity; my mom switched tracks and became a lawyer at 40. So I know it can be done.

I guess I just need to hear it from someone else occasionally. Listening to oneself can be hard, and the voice is often contradictory.


----------



## mandovai (Nov 28, 2006)

I went cruising the world at 30. I am now 40 and I am still cruising the world.
I couldn't have made a better choice except that even in my case I am convinced that I could have started at 20! What I think is that when you plan a cruise of three or four years, be aware of the fact that for many of us, going back home and restart a normal life is really not desirable. If you travel the world with curiosity and interest towards other countries and their people and not only traveling from a marina to another marina together with folks of your own country, you will find unbearable the way of living and the way of thinking of those who never traveled outside of their country. Those who think they know the world because they watch tv.
Go now and meet the people of other countries. If you are smart you can live on 300-400 usd a month and will manage to earn that on your new life, mostly working on the boats of retired people...


----------



## PBzeer (Nov 11, 2002)

keck314 said:


> .....and that 32 is just too late to get started on a career.


I didn't start the job I retired from till I was 34. I did retire 3 years early, but did retire with what bennies were available. As mandovai says though, you may find you don't want to go back. So if's it what you really want to do, do it.


----------



## Newport41 (Jun 30, 2006)

I haven't looked in on this thread for quite a while. I'm enjoying reading everyones posts. I spend so much time reading about technical things that I think I forget why I decided to do this in the first place. Maybe I was looking for some validation when I started this thread. It isn't an easy choice to make at 24. Especially when you can't get most 24 year olds to do much of anything outside starting a career or finishing a degree. Going against the flow is never easy. The biggest issue I have from reading this thread is, how difficult is it going to be to come back? I'm kind of hoping that someday, when I've been at sea for a few years, I'll just decide I've had enough. Maybe that will never happen. Well, what if I don't come back? Moitessier spent most of his life at sea and I envy his freedom. I think people are afraid of doing something different from the usual program. But if we stop and consider this I believe most of us would agree that people that do something different often live very full and interesting lives. Maybe once I've done that I'll start writing too. As it stands now, I feel I'm doing the right thing at the right time. Coming back in your late 20's is not to late to get going. If I'm going to expand my horizons I thing it's best to do it now so I can get the most benifit from my experiences. If I discover the meaning of live at 60 I'll wish I figured it out at 25. And, as it is said above, it doesn't work out who cares. Coming home broke at 26 doesn't seem like a problem. Most 26 year olds are broke anyway. I have no debts so as long as I don't die I figure I'm bound to come out ahead. I am blessed to live in an age where the world is both big enough and small enough to explore.


----------



## Jim H (Feb 18, 2006)

Newport41 said:


> Coming home broke at 26 doesn't seem like a problem. Most 26 year olds are broke anyway.


I think you're right. There was a _Cruising World_ article a few months ago about young cruisers, and maybe more than half of the twenty-somethings were enjoying primo cruising rounds on OPBs (other people's boats). If my own son wants to follow in your footsteps in his twenties, even after sailing with us, I might suggest that he selectively crew for others for awhile before buying his own boat. At the least, experience would be gained. At the best, funds and experience would be gained. Meager funds might go a lot further.

Fair winds!

Jim H


----------



## Newport41 (Jun 30, 2006)

This is true Jim. That's a route I considered for a long time. For me, it's about relying on myself and going where I want to go. But having talked with people who have crewed on OPB I know they don't regret it. My boat's paid off now but had I gone the crewing route I would have been sailing three years ago.


----------



## Jim H (Feb 18, 2006)

Thanks for the thread, Newport.

Your comments remind me of two web sites I've been enjoying.

The first site is done by the Hacking Family, which is dense and richly detailed about their current and past cruising experiences. The "Pre-history" section tells about their original crewing and delivery experience, and about the purchase of their first tri:

http://www.hackingfamily.com/Jon/Pre-History_Stories/pre-history_stories.htm

The second site your comments remind me of (about relying on oneself) is done by a Norwegian couple in their thirties who are circumnavigating on a Contessa 26. You should see their latest travel entry about crossing the Atlantic. It's an honest (and haunting) account of the trip, and relying on themselves:

http://www.freewebs.com/sybika-eng/travelarticles.htm

I wish you the best with your plans.

Jim H


----------



## sailaway21 (Sep 4, 2006)

Newport,
Don't worry too much about the future. You'll quit going to sea when you're ready. It could be two weeks after casting off or never. One of the good things about being older is realizing what is truly not do-able and what is merely unconventional. I think you've got that down. You're not leaving a wife and three kids on the dock with $2500 to tide them over! The one thing that you can never reclaim is your youth and theopportunities it holds.
I quit going to sea, as a profession, when I woke up one day and felt it just wasn't the same and I wanted something different. Some of my classmates did that after one year, I did it after 20 years, and some of them are still out there.
Do not worry about the future, beyond say six months, as none of us know what will be. The only thing we can do is take what, for us, seems to be the correct path at the time. Most of us, at 25 years of age, had plans and ideas of where we'd be at 50. Most of us are not where we thought we'd be. I don't mean that in either a good, or bad sense, only in a sense that we are all amazed at the twists and turns our lives have taken. Things that meant everything to us 20 years ago now mean little and the things we thought little of are now the most important things in our lives. None of us are Nostradamus, and able to see the future, and all we can do is what feels right now.
Even at 50 years of age I find that most of what inhibits me is actually b.s. I can sell my house and move, I can change careers, I can do just about anything I want if my imagination is big enough and I want it. My only constaints are a wonderful wife (irrepaceable, given my personality) and 4 years of help with college expenses. Everything else is negotiable. And, you know what? The more I remember that the happier I am, because I'm not going to stay one day longer in a situation that does not fulfill my dreams. I wished someone had told me that it is ok to be frivolous and deal with "life" later when I was your age. Do you know what makes God laugh? People making plans. Think about that one. Good luck.


----------



## SeaStrutter (Oct 10, 2006)

That's very inspiring Sailaway, thanks...

Found a blog about a couple of young guys who embrace the philosophy of "just go" better than anyone else I have ever seen. In brief, these two twenty-somethings with very minimal sailing experience take a 25' club racer down the ICW, to the bahamas and Cuba, without charts for a good part of the way, and on a tight budget. The lifestyle they live is not for everyone, but it is really a story that makes you think "If they did it, in that boat, with that budget, I can do it!" These guys say it was the best time of their lives.

http://www.sailaway.us/

And for anyone interested I'm also adding a link to my page that I'm just getting started. Check back after a few months to see the preparations being completed! http://seastrutter.googlepages.com/home


----------



## T34C (Sep 14, 2006)

Go now. Don't wait to build your kitty for another 3 years, especialy if you have a gf that is game to join you. In 3 years she may not be as interested, you may have kids, or the two of you may have gone your seperate ways. I think the reason so many of us don't end up cruising until later in life is that there is alway a hang-up. As soon as I build-up up $xxx,xxx, or as soon as I finish xxxx. Its not until later in life that we realize that our tomorrow's are getting fewer and fewer, and the xxxxx just isn't as important as we thought it was. Everyone comes up with the xxxx because we are scared to change the status quo. Just don't wait until it is too late. 

If you feel that cruising is what you want to do, then do, right now or you will spend a lot of years wishing you had.


----------



## keck314 (Dec 2, 2006)

_Go now. Don't wait to build your kitty for another 3 years, especialy if you have a gf that is game to join you. _

Well, there is the technicality of getting a boat first...that takes SOME saving 

Though she's quite open to the idea, and loves to travel (spent her junior year of college in Moscow), she's actually never been on a sailboat before, and wants to make sure she likes it before diving in all the way. Since we live quite a ways from the water right now, the general plan is to move back to the Baltimore/Washington area next year and get some experience on my Dad's 25-foot friendship sloop while continuing to save.

When the kitty and our sailing skills are a bit more mature, we would then take off...in our own boat. Dad built "Amnesty" together from planks, and I doubt he'd just let us go bouncing off in her. Besides, she's not much of a blue-water boat, from what he tells me.

In the meantime, though, I fantasize about the life by putting "Old Bay" on _EVERYTHING._ Yum!


----------



## hericsson (Oct 1, 2004)

Chris, 
My wife and I are out cruising right now, we're both under 30, as is our boat (well, the boat is over 30 years in age, but under 30 feet).
www.under30undersail.blogspot.com
Hans


----------



## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

hans-

welcome to sailnet. I look forward to reading your blog.


----------



## redcorvette1995 (Jun 16, 2005)

You should read the articles in Latitudes & Attitudes magazine writen by Captain Woody about his cruises. He was your age when he left and isn't that much older now. I myself am 35 so I am not ancient. I think it is easier to go when you are young or retired, because both of these points in your life are about changing comittments so it is easier to make the "leap" and leave the dock. People who are of retirement age typically have more disposable income than people at age 25 so I think that would be the main reason that people go later in life as it makes it easier to purchase and outfit a boat. People your age who do go tend to go as crew for someone else.

Also some, but not all gradually work themselves up to going by amassing experience over time. I am one of those who is comfortable diving into a project and immersing myself in it. Most prefer to work up to something over time and gain experience. By the time you gain experience, you realize that you have a wife and kids who aren't into sailing (there are of course exceptions) and the dream gets put on hold until you retire and/or divorce .

One thing you will find as you get older is that time moves faster.
I find that my appreciation of the passage of time is now about half of what it was in my early 20s. Time just seems to move at twice the speed, oddly I am not any more busy than I was 10 years ago, but there are more distractions/responsibilities. When you are in your early 20s or retired there is a lot less distraction or rather you are in a better position to ignore it. It gives you the chance to sit back and think about what you really want to do, plan it, and implement it. Along those lines, my one piece of advice: Make sure you go! Every month/year that you put off leaving the dock the harder it becomes to go, until you realize one day that 10 years are gone.

FYI: I am envious!


----------



## JustinC25 (Sep 13, 2006)

This is an excellent thread and contains a lot of information I've wondered about as well. I'm 24 and bought my 1982 Catalina 25 (same birth year as myself ) the first week of January this year (2006, since some may read this in a few days, 07). It has been a childhood dream that I made happen. It doesn't seem like I've been sailing her for a year already, but I have had some awesome times sailing out on the Chesapeake. I have also learned so much and it is funny to look back at my early days.

I too have always been wondering why there aren't more people of my age range into sailing. I agree it isn't exactly cheap to own a sailboat, but it doesn't have to be that expensive either. Those bar tabs that so many people my age rack up monthly can cost the same as it costs me to own my C-25. Personally, I would much rather being sailing than partying every Friday and Saturday night. I think some of us just have different priorities, but I still do enjoy going out every so often. I know I'm fortunate to be where I am today, but it took hard work, especially when I worked two jobs and went to college full time.

I am now seriously thinking about cruising full time. I have an alright job, it pays, but sitting in an office really isn't that appealing. Then factor in I only get 5 days of vacation a year?! I think there is a lot more to life and this year I have found how much I love sailing. If I cruise, I most likely will upgrade to a larger, stronger boat, but after reading about "AfterBlue Sailaway" in their blog, maybe starting out in my C-25 could work since their's was a 25 footer too. If I started my cruising in my Catalina, I would remain coastal and take the ICW down to FL. Maybe down there I would then choose to buy a larger boat for cruising offshore if I really enjoyed it. I am doing lots of reading and trying to plan things out. At the earliest I think it would be in about a year, but to buy a larger boat then it probably wouldn't be for maybe 3 years from now. I'm setting my goals now and trying to figure it out. The main problem is the financial aspect. I don't want to cruise and then have it screw over my future.

If I do cruise full time, I may end up single handling most of it. I might try to meet some others to help me crew. I have also thought about if I would be a minority being young at most cruising destinations. I want to meet other people in my age range that sail, but it's hard when you live in northern VA and the bay is 1.5 hours away. Rarely will you meet someone that sails, not to mention even being in my age range. As someone else mentioned forming a club. I've thought of maybe trying to create some kind of organization and promote sailing to the younger generations.

Well, I'm definitely enjoying reading many of the blogs/sites and these forums to learn about pursuing my sailing dreams. If anyone wants to check out my sailblog, here it is:
http://www.sailblogs.com/member/justinc25/

Happy New Year!
-Justin


----------



## Tartan34C (Nov 21, 2006)

Justin,
I was 13 when I started cruising and made my first solo trans-Atlantic when I was 21 in 1974. I have been living on my own boats since then and still manage to sail quite a bit. My most recent trip was to Bermuda last year and in 07 I am sailing to Greenland. Over the years I have run across a lot of young people sailing and your age is not that unusual.

I think it's important to have a job you enjoy and forget about the money. I make a living in a boating related business and I have since I was a kid. You might learn to do repair work on engines and boats and earn money while sailing by working on other boats and doing some yacht deliveries.

Some of the things I do now are teaching sailing and boatbuilding to children. Our web site is www.fisheriestrust.org 
Good luck and all the best,
Robert Gainer


----------



## JustinC25 (Sep 13, 2006)

Robert, thanks for the input. Having a job that I enjoy is something I am trying to find. I realize I'm young and can easily have a change of career. I was also thinking that cruising may help me decide what I want to do and possibly lead to career options in the sailing world. I've thought about teaching sailing, yacht deliveries, maintenance/repair work as ways I may be able make a living in the future. It would take more experience and training, but I'm sure I could do it someday. I've always been one for working on and building things, starting with all the wooden model airplanes and boats I built as a kid. That's one of the reasons I love sailing and working on my boat.

In college I wasn't sure what I wanted to get into. Originally I wanted to get into yacht design, but I wasn't sure about that being a wise decision. I ended up going the business management/information technology route that was popular and seemed to be a good choice. Now I've been in my career field for a couple years and I'm realizing that it sure would be nice to have a job that I loved, compared to just being a "job" that pays the bills.


----------



## Tartan34C (Nov 21, 2006)

Justin,
Yacht design is a tough field to make a living in, lots of very qualified people and very few jobs. Over the years I have had the opportunity to design several boats ranging in size from 13’ to 39’ and it’s really something to take an idea and a piece of paper and turn it into something as close to living as anything made by man. 

The funny thing is that I regret not having some formal education especially in business management. I am very happy with my lot in life but I sometimes wonder what might have happened if I had a better education. When I was a kid I saw a lot of people that worked all there lives trying to make it to retirement and do things like sailing around the world. They retired and found that they were too old for things like that so I decided to sail first and get a real job later. I keep meaning to get that real job one day but I am having too much fun to stop now. However if I had it all to do over I would have taken some collage instead of setting out right after high school.

Hang in there and keep an open mind so you will be in a position to take advantage of opportunity when it comes by. I think it’s better to try lots of things to find what you really enjoy instead of feeling stuck and working at one thing until you give up and die. Just make sure you can recognize a mistake when the time comes and always jump ship when it’s time.
All the best,
Robert Gainer


----------



## PBzeer (Nov 11, 2002)

One other thing to remember is that cruising is as much an attitude and a lifestyle as it is sailing. Something you do because it's what you want to do, not what you have to do.


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I just wanted to say that Im really enjoying this thread. Im 22 and purchased my boat ( a sabre 28) almost a year ago. Im finishing up the first of 2 years of grad school so im almost broke but im still planning on sailing off for a month or 2 this May.

Its really good to see that there are some other people out there that are into sailing and my age.


----------



## Jim H (Feb 18, 2006)

William Bruce said:


> Im finishing up the first of 2 years of grad school so im almost broke but im still planning on sailing off for a month or 2 this May.


Luckily, I was done after two years of grad school... Your trip sounds like a blast, and I hope you post some pics here or on a page somewhere.

Jim H


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Wanderer



A Quote From Sterling Hayden's Book, Wanderer


To be truly challenging, a voyage, like a life, must rest on a firm foundation of financial unrest. Otherwise, you are doomed to a routine traverse, the kind known to yachtsmen who play with their boats at sea... cruising it is called. Voyaging belongs to seamen, and to the wanderers of the world who cannot, or will not, fit in. If you are contemplating a voyage and you have the means, abandon the venture until your fortunes change. Only then will you know what the sea is all about.

I've always wanted to sail to the south seas, but I can't afford it." What these men can't afford is not to go. They are enmeshed in the cancerous discipline of security. And in the worship of security we fling our lives beneath the wheels of routine - and before we know it our lives are gone.


What does a man need - really need? A few pounds of food each day, heat and shelter, six feet to lie down in - and some form of working activity that will yield a sense of accomplishment. That's all - in the material sense, and we know it. But we are brainwashed by our economic system until we end up in a tomb beneath a pyramid of time payments, mortgages, preposterous gadgetry, playthings that divert our attention for the sheer idiocy of the charade.


The years thunder by, The dreams of youth grow dim where they lie caked in dust on the shelves of patience. Before we know it, the tomb is sealed.


Where, then, lies the answer? In choice. Which shall it be: bankruptcy of purse or bankruptcy of life?


----------



## marinesniper (Aug 2, 2006)

*31 and lovin sailing...*

I am 31 years old and love to cruise. I am a sales engineer out of Miami. I am very athletic, I drive a Hummer and go night clubing...

I had a choice to buy an Sailboat or an SeaDoo 410 HP...I thought about it, took some sailing lessons and bought a boat 3 weeks later....

Never a regret and I go to work on or perform upgrades on it every other day or so...!!!


----------



## deckhanddave (Oct 22, 2006)

I hear you William. I'm 22 and graduating in a few months. After that its an extensive rebuild of my T30 and off I go (hopefully). Great thread.

But sniper, I have to say; a hummer and a sailboat... well I guess you could _think_ that they cancel each other out... a different frame of mind from most of the posts at the very least.


----------



## Garett (Jan 7, 2007)

*Hey, I'm Only 16!*

Don't lose hope for the sailing youth yet~ I'm 16 and I've already built two boats and am preparing to possibly work on a tall ship during the summer!


----------



## kananumpua (Jan 2, 2006)

First off, thank you Newport for starting this thread, and thanks to all you other members for keeping it going and as always providing insightful knowledge.

I too have been struggling with this cruising idea sense Christmas of ‘05 when I went with my girlfriends family as they chartered a ketch in the BVI's for 10 days. It was the best time of my life. Well no **** as I am sure most of you are thinking. Beautiful weather, scenery and water, how could one not enjoy it. While all this is true it was the beauty of sailing and simplicity of the lifestyle of the captain as well as the other folks that we met that really took hold of me. Coincidentally, Just before I went on that trip I stumbled across a great deal on a 25ft “gunkholer” that I intended on turning for a profit. Needless to say I couldn’t part with the boat and still have it. I had no real experience sailing other than sailing a Prindle when I was much younger, and by boating experience has only been with motorboats my whole life. My parents had me “cruising” up and down the ICW @ 8 months of age in a wee little 21ft sea ray and for the last few years I have been working on a local party/charter boat on the lake. Anyhow, I hooked up with some local club racers and have been crewing in every possible regatta or race for anyone in the need. Talk about a crash course in learning to sail. Thankfully I have crewed for some great skippers and they have proved to be a great source of knowledge as well as great friends.

I am 20 now and I feel the pressure more now than ever to start seriously preparing for the infamous “plunge”. However I still have two more years of college which is now my main priority. Here lies one of my dilemmas. As an engineering student all the profs and recruiters really emphasize how important real world experience is and employers want at least 3 years experience before they will even talk to you. So I plan on working for at least 5 years after I graduate to build up my “kitty” because I would rather err on the safe side as far as the financial aspect goes as well as give myself some more time to research, learn, test and retry. Thankfully I have a girlfriend of 3 ½ years who is just as enthusiastic as I am about this whole sailing lifestyle.

Newport
How did you do become financially sound if you don’t mind me asking? Also I too have been considering the crewing possibility but how does one get involved? I have enough time to get a 100ton master captains license (in shore though), is something like that necessary?

SeaStrutter
Your post about taking a boat and traveling around instead of back packing really hit home with me. Thanks.

Longwaterline
Your post also impacted me. I use to fear bankruptcy as I knew it to be in later life but now I fear a bankrupt life.

And best of luck to JustinC25, Deckhanddave, & Garett

WOW, Sorry that this has become a rant and I don’t really know where I was going but I appreciate all of your input and maybe someone can slap me out of this dream or some advice would be nice.


----------



## snider (Jun 26, 2006)

*Good plan*



kananumpua said:


> So I plan on working for at least 5 years after I graduate to build up my "kitty" because I would rather err on the safe side as far as the financial aspect goes as well as give myself some more time to research, learn, test and retry.


You sound like me five years ago...lol. I did the same with school because I always wanted to have something solid to fall back on. Four more months until graduation...woohooo! Then It's, buy a boat, outfit for a year, and off I go! It has flown buy, and I have spent almost every day since researching boats and reading books. Between semesters and on the weekends I've been sailing as much as possible. Started out racing every other weekend to, and you're right, what a great crash course in sailing. From the people I've met racing have come some great offshore opportunities, deliveries up and down the coast, Daytona-Charleston race and it's looking like I've got a ride for Charleston-Bermuda this year. I'm glad I waited, It has only solidified the decision to liveaboard and cruise. It's funny, five years ago when I told everyone my plan to quit a well paying job to go back to school so I could by a boat to live on and cruise. No one belived me, and everyone was skeptical, even my Dad, he thougth I was crazy! He sure is proud now, and everyone else is envious. Funny how it worked out. Good Luck, Brandon


----------



## Newport41 (Jun 30, 2006)

Kananumpua,
The reason I can afford to buy a 41 ft boat and refit it for offshore at 24 is because my Mommy and Daddy are rich and give me everything. Just kidding. I'm a Forest Firefighter. I work for the provincial government in British Columbia, Canada. Because of the terrain we have in B.C. our forest firefighters are a little better trained than most other fire crews and thus a little better paid. There's nothing complicated about it. I have a good job,I work hard, I'm good at what I do, and I'm good with my money. As far as crewing, well if you're serious about taking a boat offshore is sounds like you might want to get some more relivant experience but that's easy to find. You might not be able to get paid for it but there is no lack of opportunity in any well cruised area for a young guy to get some bluewater experience. I've been sailing my whole life. I'm a Canadian Yachting Association instructor but I don;t have any other tickets or licenses other than that. I believe sailing is partly experience and knowledge but largely your ability to deal with things as they come up. Common sense and inginuity. I think if you're even thinking about cruising in a few years you should go for it. I was a little unsure about taking off when i should be starting a career but now I'm confident in my decision. Thirty isn't what it used to be.


----------



## LWinters (Nov 16, 2006)

*Don't Wait: Even if you start now it could be a years before you go....*

I just turned 30, bought my boat, and have loved every minute of the pain and expense of running her aground, dealing with the leaking packing gland, breaking the proplock, and almost taking out a million dollar catamaran. The point is, owning my own boat and going through the growing pains are really the only way I am going to get ready for cruising. A friend sent me an email from a blog of a guy who waited a little too long. He missed his window. http://westerlynomad.blogspot.com/ I used this blog as even more motivation to get going.

I've been exploring how people make the decision personally to take trips like this be it cruising, mountain climbing, or backpacking. Steve Jobs of Apple said it about better than anyone else I've found. A little long, but worth the read.

_When I was seventeen, I read a quote that went something like "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right". It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself, "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been no for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything - all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure-these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long form now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. _
-Steve Jobs


----------

