Sorry to resurrect an old topic, but has anyone who posted in this thread gotten any closer to their goals? It's something I've been immersed in over the past few weeks and plan on learning to sail this summer. After a Thru hike of the AT, and a year spent traveling the US by RV, a sailboat seems like the perfect next step to see more of the world cheaply.
Still dreaming of an AT thru, maybe RV year or so and greater maybe sailing. Last hurricane season watching all those boats get destroyed really made me question the sailboat thing though.
I hear you, but I think it's a risk I'm willing to take =)
Check out Sailing Totem and some of their friends' blogs for a clear-eyed look at the world of cruising on a sailboat, including the financial aspects.
I have. There are dozens of great cruising youtube channels and blogs right now.
We're still working and still saving, but sailing is still a prospect the wife and I. As stated above, the last hurricane season was eye opening.
In 2016 we learned how to sail on a local lake. Then we did a 3 day sailing trip on Lake Superior. In the spring of 2017 we went to the Caribbean to do the ASA bareboat certifications and sailed for 7 days with an instructor. We're going to continue to sail locally, but aren't really sure what are next steps are. If I can find the time I would like to crew on a crossing or ocean race.
Yea, this would be something we do in like 5 years, I would like to get ASA 101, and see if my local yacht club needs crew for any of the boats. I would like to get some experience under my belt to make sure it's enjoyable and I can get the hang of it.
I'm dreaming of doing this...as DW and I both love sailing. But the timing and logistics are pretty substantial hurdles right now. We'd both have to leave what we are doing now, possibly sell the house, and I can't imagine doing it with the dogs we have now (I know it can be done, but it is as much about the particular dogs we have, as it is just having dogs on a boat).
So I vacillate between cruising on a boat (likely Maine north...), and doing a camper van with all our terrestrial toys (skiing, biking, backpacking). The latter is much less of a leap, and I could get the ball rolling without moving to the coast.
In the meantime, I want to get a sailing dinghy to just get on the water and in the wind...
We are doing the Van/Camper thing first for a year around the US, as well as a year in Europe/SE Asia backpacking and slow traveling. Once we finish our travels by land, the plan is to go back to work for a few years, and then the next "mini retirement" would be the sailing adventure for a few years.
This is our plan too. I took local sailing classes here on the great lakes to get ASA certified, then went to Caribbean to get my bareboat captains certification on both monohull's and catamarans. It was freaking awesome and only got me more excited for that to be the plan. Subsequently I've chartered boats in various locations to make certain this is a life choice I'd really like to give a shot at. Please do not think it is all margaritas and sun filled days on beautiful beaches, yes there is a lot of that but it is also a ton of work. Very rewarding work, but still I suggest spending a bunch of time on the water before plopping down $400k on a cruising catamaran and taking off...there are a bunch of used ones out there to be had cheap because others have thought the same as you. If you go into it with no expectations, no timeline, and expect nothing other than an adventure and a bunch of amazing (and a handful of not so amazing/oh shit moments) then you'll be fine.
You will spend as much on water as you do on land, in all my travels that is the once common truth from people who have been doing it, so don't enter into it thinking it is a cost savings...it is a cost burn owning a depreciating asset. The best I can describe it is it's like a fancier version of camping in really cool spots. My GF and I are planning to do this as well, but waiting a couple of years before she can retire from the airline industry with free flight benefits for life. Since that equates to about $30~$50k a year of after tax dollar benefits for a couple that loves to travel and explore the world, it is kind of a no-brainer! Plus in the mean time we fly around first class to go charter somebody else's boat in exotic locations. This year will be Sweden, Greece, and The Grenadines.
Oh the other thing that every single person/couple/family has told me that has done it or is currently doing it is...don't hesitate, go now, you never know what life is going to throw at you down the road.
Wow, free flights for life sounds AMAZING!
Is it an airline that flies international? You are a lucky man.
I don't think it will be a cost savings per say, just spending on different things than living on land. The money that would normally go to cars/housing gets spent on boat maintenance and upgrades + mooring and dockage.
As far as your last comment, We are 31/27 years old, and have a few things to take care of before we can ditch our jobs. But soon enough, the land expedition will start in 2020 for us (April) and last 12 months or so, then back to work for another 2-3 years (during which time we will likely start looking at boats more seriously and savings for a multi year cruising adventure).
I posted the plan in my journal in a bit more detail, but we would make sure we had the funds for Boat + maintenance + 2 years of cruising in liquid funds (outside of retirement accounts) to feel comfortable to do it. And by then we will be ~35/31 years old, with significantly more in retirement savings (10-15X expenses)