A Pointless Post

[CodStewart]

I'm very much out of my depth and wonder if what I am attempting to do is possible for a person with a mere 300 or so nautical miles under my glitter belt. Soon I will have made myself jobless. Boatful. I have my own 45ft ferro, as some of you already know. Those who don't know will wonder why a solitary bint has such a big boat. It's best that you don't know why. Too miserable to rehash. But, not one to give up, I plod on, treading water that I've frozen by magic so as not to sink.
To be frank, I know [--word removed--] all about sailing. For sure, during fair weather, I can sail, I know what I am doing. What I lack is all the rest.
My story will start as a crew member on another boat that is partaking in this years EMYR. I should learn alot. By September, I expect to find myself in Mexico, on my boat, albeit on the hard, giving the hull a sprucing before relaunching her into the S of C, to start a solitary life afloat my big boat.
I wonder how far I will get with this absolutely shocking life change that came about within a year of thinking, "Ooh, I'll go and do a sailing course in Kobe instead of clubbing each weekend".
Now look. The perils of the internet have brought me a boat.
I'm not rich, although I have two flats that could bring in a little bit of money, and I mean 'a little'. Not flats in London. Flats in dinero countries where the money doesn't go far. I'll have about $12,000 in my backpocket, a few pounds elsewhere, but not enough to really feel secure about 'retiring' from land life at the unripe age of 37 and a half.
Oh dear, what am I heading for?
The reason for this post is no reason. I'm beyond understanding reason at this stage. I'm just here, on my tod, with a big boat and a rough idea about how to keep moving forward; very slowly, very deliberately.
Most of you liveaboards are couples or weird single guys with criminal records. There aren't many fools like me out there.
And the point? I'm trying to find the point. Is it about this being a personal and bizarre challenge? Is it about being unable to see the folly of this project? Is it about being jobless and virtually homeless, with that boat bobbing around San Carlos Bay as my only safe haven once I leave Japan.
Ah. There is no point to this post but to tell y'all that I have no idea how this is going to turn out.

 

[AliM]

I have no experience to help you with, but I recognise cold feet when I see them.

I have read your blog, and your previous mails, and I just want to give you encouragement and moral support. Stick with it. You will feel so good when you achieve each little thing. Good luck - please don't give up - and tell us all about it - most of us are not as brave as you.

Ali

 

[Poignard]

The following, written by Robert Louis Stevenson, usually cheers me up when neccessary [which forunately isn't too often!].

"Our business in life is not to succeed,
But to continue to fail in good spirits."

 

[charles_reed]

Be of Good Heart

For various reasons I had to wait until I could retire before setting off single-handing.
Neither psychotic or criminal, I resent having to come back to the UK and sincerely wish I'd started to do this earlier, before the entropy of old age set in.
Unless you dislike yourself, you'll probably find the opportunity of gaining greater self-awareness golden.
You'll not be lonely: people who arrive in boats are welcomed in most communities, after all they must have wanted to visit the community, they risked their life to do it: in stark contrast to your average tourist who's there for the milking.
You'll meet lots of other liveaboard cruisers, of all nationalities, interesting folk, almost without exception, highly sociable and usually extremely competent.

Your income is probably adequate for living expenses, but the big unknowns could be health-costs and costs of boat repair. If you have readily marketable skills such as medecine, nursing, accountancy, or woodworking, mechanical engineering, scuba diving you'll be able to supplement your income in most places.

I've met, in the five years I've been round the Med, two girls of similar ages to yourself and totally different backgrounds, both thoroughly happy with the life they'd adopted after 2 years in one case and 5 in the other.

 

[Cardo]

[ QUOTE ]
or weird single guys with criminal records.

[/ QUOTE ]
I resent that! I don't have a criminal record!
I don't have a boat, yet, either, but it's in the works! Aren't the craziest things in life the things we most cherish?

 

[absit_omen]

Re: Be of Good Heart

A few weeks ago we met a girl (41) who lives in a self built log cabin, in the woods, on the Algarve, with her three year old daughter. She left her partner during her pregnancy.

She has a well, a solar panel, a small (1kw) gennie and a battered van (which she had been living in for over 10 years before the log cabin). She lives on money saved from working and ( I guess) some allowances for the daughter.

She is happy, we think, because she does not give a toss what anybody may think. She has her own standards and respects them. She also has choices- she could go back to UK, get a job, put kid in school etc but has chosen her particular course. We respect her for having the guts to do what she is doing. You have the guts too. Plus, you have the boat in a nice place and are obviously an outgoing person. Don't worry about the sailing stuff, that will just happen. You are part way there, don't give up just yet.

 

[Cinnamon]

Having a criminal record (or being weird) doesn't make it any easier y'know!

 

[MYStargazer]

[ QUOTE ]
Most of you liveaboards are couples or weird single guys with criminal records. There aren't many fools like me out there.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm a 30-year old shipping lawyer, and I spent nearly five years living on a boat. Am thinking of going back to living on one, too. Single, yes (until very recently). Not that weird.

What are you doing in Japan. Are you lost?

 

[Bejasus]

I too have followed your blog with interest and I am pretty sure you have enough strength of character to stick with it. You also have a few supporters on here.

Although a couple we are about to take the plunge too, also with little practical sailing experience. Life is too short to sit and contemplate what might have been. We have seen what we want to do and who knows if it will work out. However, the house is on the market, boat picked out, although not ours yet, first trip with it will be transat to the Med and lets see from there.

We just know that we don't want to do what we were doing anymore, although I can continue with my job until we decide to leave the Med again and head who knows where.

Then again, it might all go tits up pretty quick. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[Talbot]

Good luck to you.

You certainly would not be the first to take this route. Try to do as much nav learning as possible, ansd also weather forecasting,pick up as much as you can from the other trips, and eventually you have to put it into practice for yourself anyway. Everybody has to start somewhere, and just build up experience in your local area by doing short trips in as many different weather conditions as possible to gain confidence and experience, and you will eventually realise you are ready to do exactly what you want to do.

 

[Blueboatman]

Quote....''
Most of you liveaboards are couples or weird single guys with criminal records. There aren't many fools like me out there. ''
I think that with that attitude,why bother''
How on earth can you make such ill informed preconceptions when ,as you say,you have gone 300 miles?
Get on with it,if it all falls apart you still have a choice of 2 places to live.You will be fine.
Agree, a rather pointless post.
Do Let the forum know how you get on as crew,that sounds GREAT.

 

[CharlesM]

Hey Codstewart

For some bizarre reason I strongly identify with you. I am not single, but probably weird and if no criminal record thats just because i aint been caught yet.

I too, as you know, have a 43' concrete boat. Purchased after many years of dreaming. I am lucky enough to have a woman that encouraged me to give the dream a go, and who is prepared to spend a few months a year on the boat.

I started with minimal experiance, but to do it is to learn - so I don't think any worries there.

Be strong. Show me it can be done and keep comming back here now and again.

It is really important for me that you (a total stranger) should succeed in the boating thing. At least give it a go. If it goes tits up then at least you tried. Imagine telling your grand-kids (if there are to be any) 'I nearly went and lived on a boat in Mexico once'. Imagine how dissapointed they would be in their granny!! I think much better to say I tried living on a boat in Mexico once, but found it was not for me. Of course even better to say 'I lived on a boat once, and by God am I glad I did!'

Go for it. One day we will raft up and preach to the converted about the benifits of ferro from our battered but functional boats ;-)

Charles

 

[snowleopard]

My advice is - Don't 'go for it'.

No, I'm not suggesting you wimp out, just that if in the early stages you scare yourself s***less by taking on too much you may shatter the whole dream and end up selling up.

Work up to it little by little and as your confidence grows, so will your abilities.

Frankly, 45 ft of ferro is a lot to handle on your own - I would be wary of it myself and I'm 6'4" and built like a brick outhouse. That means you'll be needing crew. Check them out first with short trial trips before committing to anything bigger and watch out for the blokes who will try to take over as skipper! If they do, put them ashore at the first landfall)

The idea of doing some crewing is good. Watch how other skippers do things, learn how to maintain boat systems, find out about ocean weather and how to plan passages.

 

[trouville]

Providing your boats well found and you provision food water and spares for the first 6 weeks and have enough water in the tank/s for at least one month without having to ration much ought to be ok, on the long haul and money in reserve you wont need lots but depends on you and your chosen area to cruise

After the first month or so you will know where your going and whats needed?

If your a bit out going you will meet lots of others when you find places you like and can stay youll generally find an income, by anything from teaching english(japaness!) to winter guarding servicing boats or becomeing part of a charter organisation.

If you enjoy something as a rule it will work well. There seem to be ever more joining during summer and more staying over winter at least in the med you will find somewhere fine to stay

Im not sure everyone crusing is really competant!! But most get along well enough! Some crusing i sometimes think just close their eyes and go!

Planing is important otherwise you could end uplike me in the wrong place? to continue your plans in a comfortable and unstressed way,or face a summer of discomfort in a med i cant aford then!!

Good luck and always enjoy where you are!

 

[CodStewart]

Thank you very much for all the sound advice and support. I needed to read words from people who know about this kind of life and it really does give me a lot of encouragement.
Thanks again.

 

[JPGruntfuttock]

Single handed female owner/skippers, particularly of larger boats, may be rare in Europe, but there are so many here, in the San Francisco area, that it attracts no comment.
But, with apologies to the author:
"Loneliness is the clay that binds your wheels, solitude is the fuel that powers you free."
Just substitute keels for wheels and enjoy the challenge.

 

[damo]

Re: A Pointless Post? Not at all

So you haven't got much experience; so you haven't got loadsa money; so you are getting cold feet(?). But hey, what an opportunity!
I wish I had discovered sailing 25 years ago, but then I maybe wouldn't have done all those other great things and been to all those other great places.
Yesterday my boy said that he had just thought of another great thing to do (this time it was the 2 of us motorbiking Route 66), so I said to write down these ideas so one day he could see all the things he had ticked off. Hell, you are only 37 - plenty of time to take your opportunities!
(Just make sure your deck hardware is big enough for you)

 

[PaulS]

Someone, I know not who, said it..."Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!"

Go for it!

 

[Bejasus]

wasn't it Hunter S. Thompson? However, totally agree with the sentiment.

 

[tcm]

May as well go, though.

Oh, you may as well go anyway. Skintish on boat, skintish on land, what's the difference? No shops on the boat, see, hence much cheaper.