Greek dreamer

[Guest]

Here’s my 18 year plan (keeps me sane while child-funding) ...

Move up through the ranks from my 20’ Norman until I’m competent-ish in a big boat.

Get trained (day skipper and beyond) to the point where I could skipper a day-trip boat.

Flog valuable gaff in the suburbs, buy bolt-hole flat somewhere nice and spend the rest on a cheap-but-sound day-trip vessel ( e.g. http://www.ships-for-sale.com/small_day_passenger_vessel_for_sale.htm).

Spend a year fitting her out/doing her up.

Take day-tripper down to the Ionian sea and run a small excursion business (with Mrs.) with enough combined income (flat rental and boat passengers) to live aboard drinking wine and eating olives and Greek Salad.

Send occasional postcard to envious offspring.

Anyone done it? Any tips, recommendations, warnings?

 

[Guest]

Not bad. I'd suggest that the boat could be a sailing catatman 70-80ish feet, thereby reducing running costs and increasing revenue with massive deck space, and can go inshore for beach barbecue. Also the YEAR? doing it up - change that to a couple of weeks with a roller brush on a long stick.

 

[jfm]

Re: Online reservations

Fantastic idea, really. To get started, I hereby book the first week's charter please. Lemme know the dates and how much deposit needed.

Do it, good luck

JFM

 

[Guest]

Re: misunderstood

It's a day trip boat - not a weeks charter jobbie. So it's 60 quid each, and you get off at the end of the day after drinking too much free booze, and have sunstroke. Also, the only electronics is a cd player and one CD with "Favourite greek themes" whicnly repeats "Zorba the Greek". You should be able to blag your way on free as I will have bought tickets the day before, but not woken up in time.

 

[jfm]

Re: sorry

Ah right, like that Greece Uncovered stuff on Sky? OK day trips fine Dreemer, stock up ouzo but I'll bring my own CDs. Still a fab idea, I would love to live in Med climate when retire

JFM

 

[hlb]

Re: Dream On!!

I've been having the same dream for the last 20 years and just when I thought it was safe to go back in the sea.
A big fat shark jumped up, snarled a bit and made it quite obvious that it was a bad idea.

By the way. What dose your wife think about the idea??

Haydn

 

[ArthurWood]

With 18 years to go before retirement, talk to a financial planner, put in place a financial plan which will involve investing wisely as much as you can, then you might be able to do what you dream of without having to bother with passengers to support your way of life.
AW- retired in Florida

 

[ToMo]

You mustn\'t talk about Byron like that NM

nm

 

[byron]

Re: You mustn\'t talk about Byron like that NM

Esseesay Ellinos pedya
well as much as I am anyway.

©2001
www.education-jobs.co.uk
www.alexander-advertising.co.uk

 

[Guest]

Thanks Arthur. I'm not thinking of retiring in 18 years time - it's more of a career change. At the moment I sit in dull offices designing computer systems and I quite like the thought of running an Ionian excursion business instead. Even so, financial planning sounds like a good idea 'cos it might take the weight off. Completely alien to me though - my bank manager would think I'd turned Schizo!

 

[Guest]

Re: Dream On!!

Actually my wife's as keen as I am. Dare I ask how the shark manifested itself and why you now consider it a bad idea?

 

[Guest]

Re: Online reservations

Sadly the intention is simply to run day trips (coffee, lunch, swim, beer, sunburn ..) but if you wanted to book a whole week then the date could be significantly brought forward (e.g. next Monday) if you were prepared to pay something like £300K. Other than that we're looking at summer 2019.
Thanks for the encouragement.

 

[Guest]

Re: misunderstood

I think you get the picture ... except the music will be better and other electronics will include a fridge to keep the beers cool. Who needs all those radios and radar thingys anyway ... they clutter the bridge.

 

[Guest]

Re: getting better

praps there can be a live band sometimes. You're right about the electronics for a boat that will do the same trip a zillion times. You just need a mobile phone. Isn't this exciting? Ionian, yes? Which bit is best? Have you been?. Sounds worth going anyway

 

[ArthurWood]

Paying $1000 to a fee-based(important) financial planner for a financial plan about 15 years ago was the best $1000 I ever spent. (It also costs me money for an annual review and he now manages most of our retirement funds.) My wife called him "The Thousand Dollar Man" and insisted that I could have read a book and got the same info. True, but I would not have persevered with a book. Don't bother with the bank manager; use a qualified financial planning company which specialises in that kind of work. Good luck with your dreams, anyway. I'm sure you can fulfill them.

 

[stefan_r]

I'm planning on doing a 6 month Greek trip April next year...if anything interesting comes up during passage planning I'll keep in touch!

mailto: stefan@athito.com

 

[Guest]

Sailing Catamaran? Sails, ropes and unpronouncable bits of rigging? Hmmm, not really what I had in mind (too complicated). I take your point about running costs though and I will ponder this subject. The idea was to live aboard - hence the year to do it up ... I'd want to make sure it was 'Bristol fashion' for my own benefit.

 

[Guest]

Re: getting better

Live bands without a doubt (I play in one!) - this would be a sure-fire way of getting a regular gig! Went to Kefalonia and it sparked this whole idea. It's stunning there and not too far from the mainland, Italy and other islands. Don't tell everyone though ... or there'll be no moorings left!

 

[Guest]

Re: eh?

Ooh no, sorry, can't be all lovely: lots of horrid northern types will throw up on the deck, and that's even before they have a drink. The cat is the way to do these things - big ones in the carib, loads of deck space, shallow draft for getting close insore, trampoline fun up fwd, and not the usual drenched in diesel fumes underway.

 

[Guest]

Re: eh?

I'm intreagued. Never really considered it. Need to live aboard though. Can't see that a cat would provide the reqd space. Where would the band play? Where would I hang the disco lights?