Yes, I need help. I've wanted a boat for years now, but knew it just wasn't prudent. I even went as far as doing my day skippers license two years ago but haven't sailed since.
Money wise, I'm FI for the life I have now. The post FIRE life I want though, could be variable, so I'm planning to work for at least 3 more years, which will also get my pension to a decent level so I never end up living in a cardboard box. That will take me to the wise old age of 39 years 364 days. I'd like to do a lot of traveling then, so it's hard to calculate costs. Part of that life includes me living on a boat and touring the islands/the med. My dream is to have a cruising Catamaran, so that my wife and I can go see the world. I can't wait!
So after looking at boats for over 2 years now, I've found one that ticks all my boxes. It's a Woods Sango, home built, like most Woods cats. It's the same type as this
http://www.boat24.com/uk/Sail+Boats/Richard+Woods+Sango/detail/212281/ but it's not pink, and also not $27 000, the owner is asking for only $7000... I've done the research on these boats, and ignoring the hours needed to build one, it would cost twice that to get it finished.
Sadly the owner is too old to sail the boat after spending 5 years building it, so the equipment is practically new. That includes a dingy with trolling motor, an outboard, practically new sails etc. It has been on a mooring for a year now, so it's likely it'll need some painting and probably a little other work, transport to the nearest decently sized dam, plus I'd need to pay for a mooring around $300 a year. I'd estimate that in the first year it would cost me $10 000. Which in my terms is another two months worth of savings, or two months extra work. From then on the costs should drop to mooring and maintenance, and car costs for the clownish 140 mile round trip to get to the dam.
Amazingly for a smallish cat, it can sleep 6 quite comfortably. The table drops down to form an almost queen sized bed, and there are two single beds in the hulls, plus a toilet in one of them, so overnighting on the boat is definitely an option.
Also being trailerable helps, as the boat is about 300 miles from where I need it to be, and once I FIRE, I plan on moving it once more to the coast as I'm a poor land locked sucker.
Part of my FIRE life might include jobs I think are fun, and I though it would be fun having a summer job as being a sailing instructor, but to do that, I need to be a yacht master. Getting a yacht masters in South Africa will probably cost me $10 000 just getting enough ocean time, so having my own boat could save me that.
I know this is a big expense, but I know I can afford it. I'm trying to sell it to myself as a way to potentially make money, ie work as a sailing instructor post FIRE, and as a way to save money ie sailing sucks I'm not going to spend $100 000 plus on a big cat one day.
That said, my quest for FIRE will be longer with a boat than without, but more enjoyable (hopefully) with a boat. What am I to do???