Retire and live aboard

Become a real liveaboard needs 100% commitment. Severe all links with shoreside.
Far as I recall our only active link with shore is a bank account.
We don't worry about money. Enough to live on is all you need + reserve for those large emergencies. Life is care & worry free. No pressures & no stress.
To be recommended if you have the guts to commit.
 
ProDave said:
I think you are all approaching this the wrong way.

The ethos of the thread is really "how can I get rid of my debts and commitments, and have sufficient money to live on and retire early without having to work"

You are trying to tackle that by selling your house and buying a large boat to live on.

I presume (given the forum we are on) you already have a boat, just perhaps not one that would be big enough to live aboard permanently.

So why not look at the alternative of sell up and move to somewhere where property prices and cost of living is substantially cheaper than where you are now, and probably downsizing to a smaller property at the same time.

That in many cases would free up enough of a lump sum to invest and live from, and you still have your boat to go sailing as much as you want.
Click to expand...

There is no one way that suits everybody, simply because both our circumstances and objectives differ. So the strategy we adopt will inevitably vary. Some like Sandyman might aim to become permanent liveaboards and sell up everything, but more commonly it is a few years living and cruising abroad is followed by a return to land based living. This can be achieved in a number of ways of which downsizing to a smaller property to finance the boat etc is only one alternative. Some rent their house, others can afford to keep the house. Often family commitments influence the choice.

So the only general advice is what I suggested earlier. Decide on your objectives, look at your finances and choose the appropriate strategy that meets those needs. Inevitably there will be compromises just as in any other major decision in life.
 
Sandyman said:
Become a real liveaboard needs 100% commitment. Severe all links with shoreside.
Far as I recall our only active link with shore is a bank account.
We don't worry about money. Enough to live on is all you need + reserve for those large emergencies. Life is care & worry free. No pressures & no stress.
To be recommended if you have the guts to commit.
Click to expand...


Good post :cool:
 
At an age where people are more likely to need shore side services its a big step to throw off a life liv3d ashore a.People have a lot of baggage both physically and mentally.Certainly a transition not to be taken likely especially regarding shore side accommodation etc.
 
Wansworth said:
At an age where people are more likely to need shore side services its a big step to throw off a life liv3d ashore a.People have a lot of baggage both physically and mentally.Certainly a transition not to be taken likely especially regarding shore side accommodation etc.
Click to expand...

Health has to be considered especially if like many you plan to liveaboard
once you retire in your mid-60's. My own opinion is that to do so at that age is to late to adjust & fully benefit from what the lifestyle offers. By default the lifestyle is a healthy one, unless you're the type that's just going to sit in marinas of course.
Part of the enjoyment of moving onboard is getting rid of the baggage of life.
Getting rid of all that junk & rubbish that you build up as you move through life.
The loft & garage full of rubbish & junk you will never use, though you say to yourself it might come in handy one day.
Any mental baggage soon disappears once you move onboard.
Choosing the right kind of boat means you don't have to worry about shore side accommodation. That is where many folk go wrong. Seen it so many times.
In 10 years living onboard 24/7/365 I can say hand on heart that I/we have not regretted it for even one moment. Every day is different & brings something new.
Baring some severe physical disability, we have lived on this boat & we will die on it.
Happy? You bet. Like a pig in **** and that's exactly the way I planned it.
Bom Dia.
 
Sandyman said:
Health has to be considered especially if like many you plan to liveaboard
once you retire in your mid-60's. My own opinion is that to do so at that age is to late to adjust & fully benefit from what the lifestyle offers. By default the lifestyle is a healthy one, unless you're the type that's just going to sit in marinas of course.
Part of the enjoyment of moving onboard is getting rid of the baggage of life.
Getting rid of all that junk & rubbish that you build up as you move through life.
The loft & garage full of rubbish & junk you will never use, though you say to yourself it might come in handy one day.
Any mental baggage soon disappears once you move onboard.
Choosing the right kind of boat means you don't have to worry about shore side accommodation. That is where many folk go wrong. Seen it so many times.
In 10 years living onboard 24/7/365 I can say hand on heart that I/we have not regretted it for even one moment. Every day is different & brings something new.
Baring some severe physical disability, we have lived on this boat & we will die on it.
Happy? You bet. Like a pig in **** and that's exactly the way I planned it.
Bom Dia.
Click to expand...

Amen!
If you worry---you die!
If you DON'T worry---you die.
Why worry?
 
Sandyman said:
Health has to be considered especially if like many you plan to liveaboard
once you retire in your mid-60's. My own opinion is that to do so at that age is to late to adjust & fully benefit from what the lifestyle offers. By default the lifestyle is a healthy one, unless you're the type that's just going to sit in marinas of course.
Part of the enjoyment of moving onboard is getting rid of the baggage of life.
Getting rid of all that junk & rubbish that you build up as you move through life.
The loft & garage full of rubbish & junk you will never use, though you say to yourself it might come in handy one day.
Any mental baggage soon disappears once you move onboard.
Choosing the right kind of boat means you don't have to worry about shore side accommodation. That is where many folk go wrong. Seen it so many times.
In 10 years living onboard 24/7/365 I can say hand on heart that I/we have not regretted it for even one moment. Every day is different & brings something new.
Baring some severe physical disability, we have lived on this boat & we will die on it.
Happy? You bet. Like a pig in **** and that's exactly the way I planned it.
Bom Dia.
Click to expand...

Empty your inbox and send me your PHONE NUMBER!!
aLL OK.
 
tcm said:
hahaha. I can can register YOUR boat as mine on SSR, so it's not all impossible to lie.
Click to expand...

I find that marinas have their own sources of information. For mine, (looking in their little book) they said that the real length (notional 9m20) was a tad over 9m50 taking into account standard overhangs such as the pulpit. I told them that I had a non-standard one. On checking, they found LOA to be 9m48 which brought the charges down by a category.
 
Sandyman, love your post.
All I would add is that if you are living aboard with partner, both must have 'signed up' to the plan, lifestyle and the budget.
Staying in marinas overwinter brings pressure to eat out, go for a coffee, socialise, and if one of you feels deprived by not eating out several times a week then it won't work.
We have a budget, we stick to it. We both agree we will and we both knew this is what we signed up for.
We would rather have the lifestyle and not eat out, go for coffees etc with others who obviously have much more disposable income than us.
A friend who stayed with us said he couldn't do our lifestyle as he would need at least £500 a month for coffees and eating out and if he couldn't have this then he wouldn't do it.
It's all about what you want and how you want to live your life within the budget available.
We love it, wouldn't change it and have not regretted it even once since leaving in April 2015.
Www.rivalady.wordpress.com
 
Thats absolutly right.

We live on our boat for months at a time-and then go to NZ and live on a boat there for a while.

Note the word live-just as we would if we stayed at home. We cant afford to be on holiday!
 
Exactly, it's not a holiday, it's a lifestyle. However when you are out and about you are generally in holiday places with all the temptations of nice restaurants etc. We remind ourselves we never ate out before we lived aboard and therefore we don't now. Food is cheap and plentiful here in Portugal, we're spending less than we ever have done and eating very well, not going without, and not feeling deprived. We have time to cook and enjoy our food.
A family member just couldn't imagine living in the space we live in and not eating out, it horrified him. He loves a very different lifestyle to us.
We just think it's important both parties sign up to it if it's going to work. If one of you feels deprived then resentment will build and it won't work.
 
Thank you for reingforcing that point.

Our trip this summer is now known as the five lobster trip-two for free, two for a tenner and a big one from Newlyn for £20.00. We also had two large smoked Whiting fillets given to us in Strangford-thanks Mac! They were delicious. Along with the Mackerel I caught, the fresh Langoustine and crab from Tarbet it was a seafood extravaganza.
 
Sandyman said:
Health has to be considered especially if like many you plan to liveaboard
once you retire in your mid-60's. My own opinion is that to do so at that age is to late to adjust & fully benefit from what the lifestyle offers. By default the lifestyle is a healthy one, unless you're the type that's just going to sit in marinas of course.
Part of the enjoyment of moving onboard is getting rid of the baggage of life.
Getting rid of all that junk & rubbish that you build up as you move through life.
The loft & garage full of rubbish & junk you will never use, though you say to yourself it might come in handy one day.
Any mental baggage soon disappears once you move onboard.
Choosing the right kind of boat means you don't have to worry about shore side accommodation. That is where many folk go wrong. Seen it so many times.
In 10 years living onboard 24/7/365 I can say hand on heart that I/we have not regretted it for even one moment. Every day is different & brings something new.
Baring some severe physical disability, we have lived on this boat & we will die on it.
Happy? You bet. Like a pig in **** and that's exactly the way I planned it.
Bom Dia.
Click to expand...

What a great post, hope it carries on exactly as you want it to.
 
For six and a half year we spent £1,250 a month. But bear in mind breakages we had to buy a new 1,500 rpm generator £8,000 in Martinique. And we had the teak decks removed and the boat repainted with Awlgrip in Trinidad. With accomodation costs it was about 20,000 US dollars. We had rental income from a house in Muswell Hill and a flat in Crouch End in North London that covered the living costs. Other expenses came from cash reserves.
 
KellysEye said:
For six and a half year we spent £1,250 a month. But bear in mind breakages we had to buy a new 1,500 rpm generator £8,000 in Martinique. And we had the teak decks removed and the boat repainted with Awlgrip in Trinidad. With accomodation costs it was about 20,000 US dollars. We had rental income from a house in Muswell Hill and a flat in Crouch End in North London that covered the living costs. Other expenses came from cash reserves.
Click to expand...
No, you didn't HAVE to buy a generator---you CHOSE to buy a generator! Likewise the awlgrip. How did you manage to spend £1250 a month?!
 
Ludd said:
No, you didn't HAVE to buy a generator---you CHOSE to buy a generator! Likewise the awlgrip. How did you manage to spend £1250 a month?!
Click to expand...

The OPs question was 'how much?' The reply was a real life answer. How the money was spent was is irrelevant - everyone will spend differently on a boat as in life generally.

Our monthly outgoings this summer were a bit more than that BUT we chose to stay in Marinas and eat out 'normally'. I have no doubt that we could have spent far less but CHOSE not to.
 
Whilst money is of course an important issue, the principal issue is good health.

I've started the process of selling out of my business and I packed up full-time work in the spring (age 53). Over the summer I've been in front of the GP multiple times and the consultants a few times. Luckily I've just heard that I'm okay but at one stage I did think "here we go, another one who packed up work and was dead/incapable within three months". It sure does focus the mind and has told me that I'm doing the right thing.

Yes make sure you have enough money (however you judge that) but I am firmly in the camp of "go and enjoy yourself while you can", dont assume your good health will always be there, it might not be.

Finally, hurrah for BUPA (in my case)

rob
 
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