Sailing away.....how is it possible?

[Neil_Y]

Down size your house, move to cheaper area of country and cash the difference in for a yact and sailing fund, work on route at whatever you can do, girl friends painted I fixed engines on one trip. Last trip was more of a long holiday. Getting back I sold the yacht and used that cash to set up in business. Next trip may be buy yacht or possibly barge for an inland water ways trip we'll see how we feel in a year or three. You can do it at all levels from £10k for a boat if you like but you will probably come back poorer happier and wiser.

 

[tel1]

well im 22, i co own a moody 38 with my mum. i have a long term partner and a stable job within the royal fleet auxiallary. my routine is 4 months on and a litlle over two months off. in 2011 in march/april we plan to set sail, i unfortunatly, will still have to work, but the boat will only move when im on leave. my mum will either sell the house and keep the money in an account or buy a flat and rent. this may not be the best way to do it, but id sooner be sat on a yacht for my 2 months leave 'which is soon going to 3 months at a time' than sat at home watching jeremy kyle. my partner has never sailed, and its a big gamble im takeing with her, because if she doesent like it then a re think is needed. my mum is 50 and doesent want to leave it any longer, however she does still need a little push from me, just to get the ball rolling.

everything is possible. of course you could do with loads of money but who couldent?

it all depends on how much you want to do it and how much you are prepared to sacrifice!

 

[Edwin]

Depending on your experience and your interest I suppose a travelogue of where you go with appropriate photography and navigational information might be saleable to a sailing magazine or other magazines to get a steady return as you progress.For instance ,how many articles/books are there that have been about touring Scandinavia; serialised, and going to off the normal track would make them readable,informative, and addictive! start a new cruising area !.
Making a boat your home must take a lot of nerve and of course some commitment by yourself and your partner, not least the size of boat you are boh happy to sail/motor but which gives space and privacy when needed. Family contact too is important
I know that many of the forumites have let their homes whilst they take a sabbatical so they always have a place to come back to.
In an ideal situation you would probably be in your 40's,50's; after this you would have to consider how you might arrange for your medical needs,and pensions, and coping with occasional ills,whilst on passage for instance.
I wish I could say I'd done this but I haven't had the finances for the boat,nor the like-minded partner to do it with,and that is probably the most important factor in my opinion.

ianat182

It is actually an age problem I think. Your family needs to have grown and flown the nest. Your career or work has reached the stage that it no longer interests you that much. Or, as in my case' you are freelance/self employed and can opt out for a while.

Letting out the house is of course a way of funding it but that too depends on your mortgage liability and is not a 100% certain. Having property 'buy to rent' is not a bad way forward I think.

The idea you can make money out of journalism or films etc is somewhat misplaced. I have sold a hundred or so articles to sailing mags in the USA and UK and made films (my trade) and sold them also in the UK and US. Over a decade they have probably grossed a few grand but no big bucks. Oddly the one 'success' is a book about the French Canal Routes to the Med which sells hundreds of copies a year and has little to do with circumnavigation. The book I wrote 'Living Aboard Around the World' I now only sell as a download.

I did my circumnavigation in a well built but old and relatively inexpensive Angus Primrose Moody 36... I lived modestly but did 'site see' everywhere I went.

There are always some younger people out there taking a few years out and doing an Atlantic circuit and a few people working their way around. For the latter it is very hard as 'local ' labour is often very badly paid with massive unemployment and they need to spend at least 6 months to a year in one place in order to 'save' for the next leg.

There are an awful lot of 'grey heads' out there.....

 

[temptress]

.... Any time in between, if you have a normal life, would be irresponsible.

That is your opinion and I completely disagree with it. What is a normal life anyway? Why do you wnat to be the same as everyone else? IMO your attitude suggests you are scared of the change so perhaps the life is not for you.

Life us what you make it. We have sailed of twice, run out of money or got bored and come back to something (although not necessarily in the UK). Now we are planning a 3rd escape soon. I have a wife and family although now the kids are self-sufficient. We stayed put while they took their exams but went sailing while they went to UNI.

How did we finance it? Effort and sacrifice. The first time I used savings and credit, second time we sold the house and this time we planning to rent out the house.

It’s up to you. IF you want to do it then you can find a way it just depends on how much you want it and what you (and your partner) ar prepared to give up.

It is a way of life that is different to the NORM. If you see it as an extended holiday then you need lots of income. Get the mindset right and go for it……….

 

[HinewaisMan]

This is an adaptation to a post I did a few months ago to a similar question. We’ve been liveaboard cruising from Australia for the last 3 years.

I’ve been sailing since the Sea Scouts, dinghy & land yachts in the UK, cruising, on and offshore racing in Oz. SWMBO - Jean - had never sailed before meeting me.

14 years ago, we first considered the idea of heading off to the horizon (on a sheet of butcher’s paper covering the table in our local wine bar – it turned into a very long lunch). I’m 52 (Jean’s a little older) so I would have been 38ish when we made the decision.

Took 6 months off to act as crew to deliver a Swan 57 from Christchurch to Bali – proved to ourselves we’d like the life.

Then worked our butts off and saved for 5 years.

Bought a 45ft 18 year old steel boat – c. 50kGBP equivalent – spent 5 years and another 50k fitting her out. Meantime, grabbed any chance to get more experience – racing, deliveries etc. Spent time (unpaid) working with local shipwrights, mechanics, sailmakers, sparkies. Carried on working our butts off.

Paid off the house, got it rented out. Waved bye-bye to our daughter who’d finished college.

The hardest thing was finally letting that last line go in our nice safe comfortable pen.

The second hardest thing was sitting in Darwin during the Build-up because I’ve been dill enough to ride the dinghy into a (unlighted) yacht in Fannie Bay and bust 5 ribs – (or maybe it was being belted in a three day thunderstorm in the South China Sea).

The best bits – way too many to mention.

Good books:

Advice to the Sealorn – Herb Payson (ISBN 1-57409-002-X)
Slow Travel – Mari Rhydwen (ISBN 1-74114-068-4)
Changing Course – Debra Ann Cantrell (ISBN 0-07-136087-5) – Jean tells me this is a must for your girlfriend/wife to read
Two in a boat – Gwyneth Lewis (ISBN 0-00-71204-8)

Bottom line – before you leave, everything will take twice as long as you think – and everything will cost twice as much.

But once traveling, it’s pretty much up to you what you spend. Live in Marina’s and you’ll go bust pretty quickly – but that’s why God invented anchors. Having said that, Hinewai’s now in Alanya Marina up on the hard while Jean and I do duty visits to our elderly parents until April – me here in the UK, her back in Oz.

Our budget got blown after my accident – we had 8 months stuck in a marina in Darwin while I recovered and it cost us. We’ve still enough in the kitty for another couple of years sailing (although can’t get over how expensive the Med is) – but somehow we just know that we’ll find ways to earn more money as need be.

Income is hard though - been lucky enough to flog a few articles and photos, but everyone and their dog are bombarding editors with stuff and very few cruisers not called Pardey or Cornell can make a living from it – beer money at best. While I’m doing the duty visit here in the UK, I’m hoping to do some work – such great timing - optimism is a useful trait when cruising. (Ex-Advertising - my rates are very cheap – anyone can PM if they want a copy of the CV).

At the end of the day, don’t look for problems, look for the good things. Take the kids, what an education, what a start in life for them – think of the money you’ll save on glasses once not staring at computer screens, no rates, no petty little bureaucratic rules (well, few that can’t be sorted by a small bung), no lawns to mow – the list goes on.

And ask yourself, when you finally log off this mortal coil, do you want your last thought to be “OH, I wish I’d…….”

Peter

 

[dulcibella]

Don't knock the retirement option. I had a great working life, retired at 63 and celebrated by spending a year sailing the Atlantic islands with crews composed of old sailing friends. Looking forward to many more adventures now I'm back.

 

[Sandyman]

Well put Peter. Concur with your every word.

 

[1bobt]

Hi all
I raised two children on a yacht in the Med. I posted a thread in about 2001 "Education" I raised concerns about the children living aboard a small yacht
I am happy to say the eldest is now in Uni doing History and latin The youngest training to be a chef . Ime having to work for a few years to pay for the Ed then back on the boat

cheers bobt

 

[Lakesailor]

I'm so glad a couple of you who are doing it have mentioned the "could always sell an article or book" is a non-starter. Maybe you'll make a few quid, but it can't be relied on.
I read an article recently on commercial photography in which it said that some of the very top travel and wildlife photographers cannot make a living from it. Mainly they use the pictures to self-publish, and that is where they may make some money. But not from a boat.

By the way the shagging Kyle was a disappointment so you may find the "real stuff like sailing an Ocean with my son, horse riding across mountains with my daughter, doing a road trip with my wife" might not live up to it either.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

....... By the way the shagging Kyle was a disappointment so you may find the "real stuff like sailing an Ocean with my son, horse riding across mountains with my daughter, doing a road trip with my wife" might not live up to it either.

Probably not, but they might and being home in Old Blighty is pretty good place to be too.

 

[jeanne]

We financed it with a 10K "home extension loan". We had no other savings, as they had already been spent to build ourselves a boat that was capable of what we wanted. The loan and renting out our house bought us a two year Atlantic circuit, as far as Brazil and back, and then we went back to work. We had no kids, and I suspected that any plan based on doing it when we retired would never happen, life would get in the way of it.
We have no regrets, and my suspicions turned out to be true, you cannot rely on good health when you retire.
But I would estimate that our two years cost about £250,000.
That is almost £100,000 for two years with no joint incomes, and about £10,000 a year for 15 years, that being the difference between a years money before we went, and what we could get on our return. Oh, and add the £10,000 plus interest that we paid back.
It sounds scary when you see those figures, but despite everything, we are retired in the sun, with no money worries, and our boat (the same one) is anchored at end of our garden.
I would vote for the " small, go cheap, go now " option.

 

[jeanne]

We financed it with a 10K "home extension loan". We had no other savings, as they had already been spent to build ourselves a boat that was capable of what we wanted. The loan, and renting out our house, bought us a two year Atlantic circuit, as far as Brazil and back, and then we went back to work. We had no kids, and I suspected that any plan based on doing it when we retired would never happen, life would get in the way of it.
We have no regrets, and my suspicions turned out to be true, you cannot rely on good health when you retire.
But I would estimate that our two years cost about £250,000.
That is almost £100,000 for two years with no joint incomes, and about £10,000 a year for 15 years, that being the difference between a years money before we went, and what we could get on our return. Oh, and add the £10,000 plus interest that we paid back.
It sounds scary when you see those figures, but despite everything, we are retired in the sun, with no money worries, and our boat (the same one) is anchored at end of our garden.
I would vote for the "go small, go cheap, go now " option.

 

[vyv_cox]

I'm so glad a couple of you who are doing it have mentioned the "could always sell an article or book" is a non-starter. Maybe you'll make a few quid, but it can't be relied on.

Absolutely right. My YM articles pay about enough to keep me in beer for the year. I never know in advance when they will be printed and, understandably, more immediate stories will take precedence.

 

[sailorman]

Absolutely right. My YM articles pay about enough to keep me in beer for the year. I never know in advance when they will be printed and, understandably, more immediate stories will take precedence.

Thats good pay then

 

[jonic]

Yup, we're in DEC PBO (about Martinique) should cover about 1/2 hour on this mooring I'm on tonight and maybe a beer.

 

[Bosun Higgs]

Will I have to wait until I am a 65 year’s old retired person with not many commitments?
.

Don't count on that one. You may well find (as I did) that you have aged dependant parents slowly dying, and new gradchildren that your wife can't bear to leave for months at a time.

Save up. Go now.

 

[Blueboatman]

Re Cmedsailor

I am going to turn your post around, since you give away very little information initially about whether you yourself might wish to follow all these sailors off into the sunset..

Do you have a plan? Do you have a family, a boat, a curiosity to see and explore at a leisurely pace way beyond the ritual summer holiday stuff? And is there family enthusiasm at such a bold move?

Cos what I wonder, in all seriousness, is just how can anyone give up their whole working life to staring at a screen for BigCo and Co at the end of a daily commute, and not go a bit Reggie Perrin ? You need a plan, Stan, so that Big Co and Co is working for YOU as well !

Easy to forget that like with most things, we get better at it if we practise, so those daunting initial steps in planning to head off ' outside the box' obviously become easier else no one would seriously do it for very long, and there are some very well adjusted, adept and happy cruisers out there. And you simply do not need all the bells and whistles that help to keep yotty mags and chandlers in business.
And if it proves a ghastly mistake, so what, try something else, but DO SOMETHING !

Good luck.. and meanwhile , how's about a nice tropical sunset as a screensaver on that damned 'puter?

 

[cmedsailor]

I am going to turn your post around, since you give away very little information initially about whether you yourself might wish to follow all these sailors off into the sunset..

Do you have a plan? Do you have a family, a boat, a curiosity to see and explore at a leisurely pace way beyond the ritual summer holiday stuff? And is there family enthusiasm at such a bold move?

Cos what I wonder, in all seriousness, is just how can anyone give up their whole working life to staring at a screen for BigCo and Co at the end of a daily commute, and not go a bit Reggie Perrin ? You need a plan, Stan, so that Big Co and Co is working for YOU as well !

Easy to forget that like with most things, we get better at it if we practise, so those daunting initial steps in planning to head off ' outside the box' obviously become easier else no one would seriously do it for very long, and there are some very well adjusted, adept and happy cruisers out there. And you simply do not need all the bells and whistles that help to keep yotty mags and chandlers in business.
And if it proves a ghastly mistake, so what, try something else, but DO SOMETHING !

Good luck.. and meanwhile , how's about a nice tropical sunset as a screensaver on that damned 'puter?

I have a family (two kids age 5 and 7) and a wife that also likes sailing. I have a boat which for the Med is just fine (lots of places to visit as a first step before crossing any oceans) but not a plan. Just a dream at the moment.
No, let's face it, it's really difficult at this stage to make the sacrifices and hit the road (well ...the sea). Kids are at a stage where they need the basic education offered by primary school and the kindergarden. Yes, they have gained a lot of experience during the last two years just by cruising around the coasts (not many kids in their age have seen dolphins playing around the boat) but they are at a stage which need some kind of "stability" and "safety" (my point of view). My job also pays me quite a lot for the moment to grow up my family.
But reading all these interesting views and ideas well I like the "take it small" approach. Starting by a long vacation of 2-3 weeks and then see if this could be extended (not possible for the moment as I am an employee but who knows). Next step could be anything that could offer me a break from job, again a couple of months sailing around sounds good.
And eventually, hopefully earlier than after 26 years which I will become 65, start living the dream longer and longer.

PS: My screensaver shows a photo of my boat. I guess that's probably what drives me crazy.

 

[JayBee]

Don't count on that one. You may well find (as I did) that you have aged dependant parents slowly dying, and new gradchildren that your wife can't bear to leave for months at a time.

Save up. Go now.

How very, very true.

 

[saxonpirate]

Dream on....

I have a family (two kids age 5 and 7) and a wife that also likes sailing. I have a boat which for the Med is just fine (lots of places to visit as a first step before crossing any oceans) but not a plan. Just a dream at the moment.
No, let's face it, it's really difficult at this stage to make the sacrifices and hit the road (well ...the sea). Kids are at a stage where they need the basic education offered by primary school and the kindergarden. Yes, they have gained a lot of experience during the last two years just by cruising around the coasts (not many kids in their age have seen dolphins playing around the boat) but they are at a stage which need some kind of "stability" and "safety" (my point of view). My job also pays me quite a lot for the moment to grow up my family.
But reading all these interesting views and ideas well I like the "take it small" approach. Starting by a long vacation of 2-3 weeks and then see if this could be extended (not possible for the moment as I am an employee but who knows). Next step could be anything that could offer me a break from job, again a couple of months sailing around sounds good.
And eventually, hopefully earlier than after 26 years which I will become 65, start living the dream longer and longer.

PS: My screensaver shows a photo of my boat. I guess that's probably what drives me crazy.

Well, after reading your first post again and your quoted post above, I think you've pretty much answered your own question cmedsailor.

The thing is, we are all different beings. One persons safety, is another's imprisonment. The bottom line is, you have a well paid job and a boat. For many that's a nice position to be in. And as with all nice positions that are comfortable and safe, they are incredibly difficult to step away from. People make up all sorts of excuses and put barriers in their way (usually the kids) because at the end of the day it takes a lot of balls to step into the unknown. Plus society encourages this sort of thinking....stay a wage slave like the majority, your country needs you......

It's a little like jacking in a well paid secure job to take up self-employment. So many people, no matter how miserable and hacked off they are with a job, will continue with it because they are scared to death of stepping out of that comfort zone. Only those who have the desire and guts to do it will actually put themselves on the line and change it. The majority will continue to whinge and moan but stay put.

Ok, anythings easy to achieve if you're a person who's stinking rich, or even one who's poor with nothing to lose, there is little risk. It's those who are comfortable that get the collywobbles. As I said earlier, we are all different beings with different values and ways to attack life. There are those that dream and do and there are those that just dream....end of.

26 years to retirement at 65 ??? I wouldn't bank on it. It's already nailed on 66 and 70 is being bandied about by the politicos. Some very relevant points made about the health of elderly parents etc too. Who on earth knows what the next 26+ years has in store for us. We live in the here and now, you have a window of opportunity with your children being so young.....but I'm pretty sure you won't take it. As I said earlier, your last post answered your first.....dream on......cmedsailor......dream on.

cmedsailors question : I admit it’s a very nice dream but how can it become true? Answer : Step outside your comfortable rut, feel the fear and do it anyway.