the beginnings of a liveaboarde dream....

Dream to leaving-less than 2 years.
We had the dream on a holiday in the sun, came home and started looking for a bigger boat.
Bought the boat within 6 months, got some major refit work done (nothing cosmetic, just safe and seaworthy. We still need cosmetic!).
Sold the house, pulled the kids from school & moved aboard.
Set sail 10 weeks after moving aboard.
Been away for 7 years, no complaints.

We are now in the Caribbean, after spending time in Ireland, Spain,Portugal, Balearic's, Sardinia, Sicily, Ionian, Malta, Morocco, Islas Canarias, The Gambia, Windward & Leeward Caribbean and Trinidad.

Go for it, time waits for nobody!
 
Beware you could be forever tinkering with the boat to have it "ready!" We bought the boat a year and a half before we set off, with most weekends and holidays spent working on her, and I still had a list of jobs as long as my arm when departure date came! And every time I cross off a job, two more take its place!

The biggest problems are those hidden until you start on something else which then opens to reveal further hidden stuff.

I would much rather do the work myself, but can earn more by working and employing a project manager to do the boat stuff.

Biggest downside is the learning of your boat system is done by someone else.
 
The biggest problems are those hidden until you start on something else which then opens to reveal further hidden stuff.

I would much rather do the work myself, but can earn more by working and employing a project manager to do the boat stuff.

Biggest downside is the learning of your boat system is done by someone else.
I actually rather enjoy working on the boat. And as you said, it means you can learn about the boat system.

However, the point I was trying to make is you should set a departure date and try your best to stick to it. Jobs will never end and I have heard of people never setting sail as jobs always keep coming up. If it's not a catastrophic failure, get going when you can!

Another thing I found is some jobs actually changed after we set sail. Some things broke fairly quickly, once we started using them full time, and other things dropped down the jobs list or were taken off entirely, whilst other things we hadn't even thought about suddenly came to notice.
 
We are in the planning stage. Endowment to pay for the boat out about two years. Hope to sell the house next year. Told my wife we need to start selling 'stuff' now, but she doesn't seem to keen yet. Hasn't sunk in what we'll be able to take. She is keen, but!

I plan to put the sentimental objects around the family, and a new shed in someones garden if we need to.

We're just enjoying looking for the right yacht, hope we don't see it too soon, or I am not sure what I'll do. Toss up at the moment for a Moody 376, or an Alan Pape 42(ish) type.

Sold my shotguns, selling the motor bike, and ebay here we go.

Dave
 
well, last night the tv, my beloved corbusier chaise longue and our bed went. Now it has really hit home.

we are currently camping in the house. Blow up bed, cushions on the floor, minimal kitchen gear. Have just collected the van to take the stuff to storage tomorrow and next week we move out. We are staying with family over the summer until the boat is ready for liveaboard (electrics and plumbing improvements) and then by end of September will be be liveaboards. Then it will take us YEARS to be able to quit work and afford to go anywhere but, like I said, this is just the beginning...
 
We started to sell too, when we spend weekends on the boat I do not want to go home, it's literally feels more like home then home, absolutely loving it.
 
It's about 12 years since we realised it could be a reality. Darling daughter is now 21, mortgage is paid, boat is bought and just about ready (Countess 33), previous boat is with the brokers, I have a small pension coming in so we can cruise the summers if we both work the winters.
And we have ailing in-laws, so have to just do a couple of weeks or a month at a time this year, then back for a couple of weeks. Better than nothing, though.
We start on Monday. Seen the forecast?!
 
I have a small pension coming in

Ha!
Gold plated, more like! (Unlike mine, which has just been shafted!)

But enough of that.

As I keep saying, get out there as soon as you can! Missus and I have done it all the other way round. We don't yet have a family or ailing parents to deal with, so we're getting away whilst we can before She decides to build a nest.
 
Good luck...

We didn't sell up and dump everything, and we are now very glad of it... Living on the bost is much harder work than we thought it would be (though it keeps us fit).. We found that it was not really for us, certainly not over winter. But still so glad we did it...

As to having "stuff" our time has taught us how much you really need and how mush is simply junk to get in the way... We walk through towns with lots of shops selling kipple .. and people buying it... and ask each other what is it for? I am not sure I would go as far as just a pair of shorts and flip flops, but we have learned to live with less and be happier for having less..
 
The happiest people I ever met had nothing or less. However they ware living in paradise.
Some 13 years ago, the farmers fishermen living in the Turkish bays did not even have matching shoes. Always laughing, playing with there kids, working just a few hours a day for food. Olives, goat cheese, chay, vegetables and fruit.
Even there, times have complicated life. Now they work more hours than all of us, they need gas, chainsaws, outboards, they have a “proper “ house in some village.
My choice of liveaboard life on a small low tech boat turned my life the other way.
Especially doing only what I want to do had to be learned. Ditching old habits.
Cruising, I find little paradises from time to time.
I like the simple liveaboard life, have nothing to come back to ( I sometimes wonder where “ Home “ would be for me ) Having nothing left behind means a lot less worries.
From time to time I remember my son who has build a big new house that one day I will be knocking on his door and say “ Here is your old poor dad, where can I bunk? “
When I see the fear and dismay in his eyes, revenge is sweet for all those sleepless nights when he was a baby. He knows I´m joking but still......
I believe the only things worth keeping are memories. Go cruising and you will have a lot of those.
 
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