The best age to go sailing?

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Cerddinen

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Given the balance between being young enough to handle the boat and old enough to risk a career break that may prove permanent, what is the best age to go blue water cruising? For someone who is not wealthy enough for the question to be important, nor "alternative" enough for it not to matter, there are some serious issues involved which other people on this forum must have addressed.
 
Age is completely irrelevant. The issues are "Do you have the motivation to make it work?" "Are you resourceful enough to overcome the problems you will encounter?" "Can you cope with being totally self-reliant?"
 
Yep, i'd say do it when you have the bug and feel the fire to do it and don't let an opportunity pass you by. You'll know when it's the right time.

But my motto these days is that it's never too soon.
 
seems to me its a gamble,

stay on at work long enough to not worry about income thanks to big pension only to find you are too weak and frail to handle the boat or illness takes away the dream and you left it to late.

or

Leave now jack in a good job and clear off with the minimum amount of money and no regular income and rely upon your skills to eek a small sum from others as you travel safe in the knowledge that youth is still on your side.

I know which side of the fence Im on :-) roll on 2012
 
Gupa is probably correct - any age, its the attitude to life that is important, not ones position along that mortal coil.

I sailed from very early in my life went to school, went sailing offshore with a teacher (when you could still do that sort of thing), went sailing all summer with voluntary organisations, went to college, sailed all summer again but as first mate, completed college, took up professional sailing, sailed some oceans then at 25 decided I had better start working "in a proper job". Got a few "proper" jobs. Charted and taught sailing on vacation and then at 43 bought my first yacht at 41'.

So I did the big sailing stuff young. Started a family and built a career later. I didn't invest my money but ploughed the lot into reducing mortgage debt to zero. That happened last year and I bought the boat on a marine mortgage. Now I am ploughing my cash in to paying that off ASAP.

I am 8 years away from the youngest flying the nest, then I am off again, on my own boat. As for pension - I have my home, the boat, parents and parents in laws houses as assets - so I am not worrying about that too much - it wont be a lot but it will be enough. I intend to earn a crust for as long as I can.

None of the above was planned, it just sort of happened. I am of modest income.

That's how I have done it. There are plenty of blue water cruising yachty blogs around. That could give you a good lead as well. What you may notice is that there are all sorts, at all ages and all stages sailing about.
 
BlowingOldBoots said:
I am 8 years away from the youngest flying the nest, then I am off again, on my own boat. As for pension - I have my home, the boat, parents and parents in laws houses as assets - so I am not worrying about that too much - it wont be a lot but it will be enough
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carpe diem and all that but that's the most blatant bit of ski-ing i've come across in a wee while! will your kids not need help through uni ? parents and inlaws houses as YOUR assests? they may need to go into care which will have to be paid for from their estates. plus boats are not so much an asset as they depreciate in value and have a high upkeep (compared to property......and that's not looking to rosy at the moment either).
 
ninky said:
carpe diem and all that but that's the most blatant bit of ski-ing i've come across in a wee while! will your kids not need help through uni ? parents and inlaws houses as YOUR assests? they may need to go into care which will have to be paid for from their estates. plus boats are not so much an asset as they depreciate in value and have a high upkeep (compared to property......and that's not looking to rosy at the moment either).
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That's how I am doing it. My kids Uni is taken care of. If all the assets go t$ts up, so what, its my problem. I am off sailing. The OP asked for tips, I gave him an example of what I have done and what I am planning on doing. Please don't interpret how my immediate family assets are owned or allocated, because you cant from my posting. Thanks for your observations and comments.
 
BlowingOldBoots said:
That's how I am doing it. My kids Uni is taken care of. If all the assets go t$ts up, so what, its my problem. I am off sailing. The OP asked for tips, I gave him an example of what I have done and what I am planning on doing. Please don't interpret how my immediate family assets are owned or allocated, because you cant from my posting. Thanks for your observations and comments.
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You lucky s*d, I thought when my kids went to uni, that was it no more bills, how wrong, they both left home and still cost me a bl**dy fortune!!
 
TQA said:
The answer is GO NOW.

The time when the grim reaper calls for us is getting closer one day at a time, do not wait.
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About the only thing we can be absolutely sure of. I took a year out to go cruising when I was 40. Best decision I ever made. Never regreted it, not ever, not once. Not sure if I will go again, now nearly 60 with kids still at school, but I can still dream. Go for it.
 
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