What AGE are you planning or indeed DID retire... and if pos.. how.. ?

Re: What AGE are you planning or indeed DID retire... and if pos.. how

Living aboards not very different to living in a house.You will furnish your house according to your wishes & pocket aboard its the same.

Id like a Furono?as the display looks great in the shop,but i have a Garmin 120 because its a great user friendly affordable and fits the boat well,i did upgrade to a 126 but thats gone.

We spent several days last year once again choosing material to cover the the cabin and forward sitting & sleeping cousins(thats how spell checker spells them)then sewing backing material on and fitting them in the warm autum sun useing two sewing machines!

There arnt many woman about small boats as im "only a man"i cant say exactly why woman dont always make boats their first interest?However from what ive heard & seen men/skippers finding themselves in stressful situations shout at the crew?in port the boat can become to small & hot

I myself have had woman aboard that thought i shouldent drink Gin i disagread & spent the next week by myself!Another time Gin again i returned aboard in the pouring rain having been away all night.Id learnt to listen by now even though i felt like death woman very often give good advice even if it dosent seem so at the time

Ive met all my girlfriends in town never near a boat,they all look at the boat as if they wish it wasent,it then depends on how well you get along together,its wonderful for both when you find someone you really get on with.

On a boat honesty & openess is the only way there isent room for anything else never pretend to be what your not.

Always take a boat you can aford as unlike a car it will be your home,never incure debt.As you sail about you will very soon be know the sailing community's very small!!What ever skills you have will also soon be known & sort,no liveaboard should ever find themselves without means

If the cruising fund dips because youve just bought a "new" secondhand main & almost at the same time a tender & GPS you will soon find income standing in as a TEFL teacher antifouling(in season)or sewing a sun shade or repairing sails for someone else

In the case of near disaster forgeting where youve left your boat buying another which sinks & then is lost & finaly being given a wreck will strengthen ties with your woman providing you both work at the cleaning untill she tells you to do something else and leaveit to her

A times when you seem lost a woman will be a tower of strength she will guide you support you and protect you in return they ask to be listened to treated with respect and love

very quickly a boat allows you to choose your surroundings to some extent you can decide to tie up to a canal or anchor in a safe bay choose an Island Corsica Sardinia for example but where exactly will depend on either your pocket or location or safe secure anchorages or place to tie up on a canal

Today i have promised my girlfriend to sand & varnish a table then were spending the rest of the day together walking along the river then drinking a coffee in a cafè??

Anyone that wants to liveaboard can i will take a while to see whats best for you the boat you leave in even if sailed ofter at weekends may in the end not be the one you want to live aboard and cruise with
 
Re: What AGE are you planning or indeed DID retire... and if pos.. how

Decided during my first year in the Army that I would try for maximum rank in minimum time giving me maximum pension to retire after 25 years - ended up with maximum rank after 19 years 2 months and left in 1977 at age 42. Flew to UK and bought boat (27 footer) and have been Med ever since although I now have a much modified Dufour 29.

Had pension of £300 per month for 17 years before cost of living increase kicked in. Used to divide monthly income by five and spend 20 % weekly leaving fund accumulate for larger expenses. Divided weekly sum in two - half for domestic and half for boat. Worked well.

Eating on board is much better then "dining out" and far, far cheaper. Used to eat out on Sunday if there were any funds remaining but not a big deal

I read many threads which seem to plan on retiring on their home grounds where expenses are high - head for some place less expensive which probably means out of the EU area - maybe Adriatic or Turkey.

Work is usually available but it takes time to find or for locals to learn of your skills and develope trust in you. I have done everything from working on construction site to managing a flotilla company including delivery and charter skippering using skills I did not have when I retired. Secret is settling for a while and getting to know locals letting them know you are interested in working. Of course, if you are a loud mouthed prat you won't be offered anything.

Have now settled in a fantastic marina with all mod cons at hand in Turkey working on web sites which is as much fun as sailing used to be but after 29 years even that became boring.

PM if any specific questions.

Cheers

Squeaky
 
Planned to do at at age 51 due to happy coincidence ( can't spell serendipixxx) of mortgage being paid up and daughter leaving university in the same year. Sadly due to daughter taking too long at university and Gordon's regular raids on pension funds I'm still working.

But, in 6 days time at the age of 53 and 364 days (or is it 365 as it's a leap year), the end of full time employment arrives and the start of 'retirement' begins. I won't be entirely without work as I'm going to skipper my boat on charters out in the BVI. I don't think that will feel like work though.
 
Re: What AGE are you planning or indeed DID retire... and if pos.. how

Well, I'm in my early 50s and planning to set sail next spring. This year is a "get to know the boat", do some local cruising and fit her out for the longer term (oh and finish my medical treatment).

I separated from my hubby three years ago (or rather he b****ered off with my friend!). He wasn't interested in sailing (one flotilla holiday was enough to put him off for life). Within two months I was out with my brother sailing in the Caribbean - supposedly as a "recuperation" holiday, but completely got the sailing bug! Started to dream about the liveaboard life and a new man to do it with...

We sold our marital home (divorce settlement) early last year and I was faced with a big decision... buy another house, go back to work to support the lifestyle, and continue looking for my "prince" with a boat.. or... sod the house- spend some of the sale proceeds on a bluewater boat and make plans to go off anyway, prince or no prince.

As it happened, I met up with a new friend through sailing who has also just got divorced. She too had dreams about a man and a boat. Several late nights and bottles of wine later, she decided to join me on the journey. She's going to rent out her house- the boat lifestylewill be supported in part from her rental income and part from the remainder of my savings- and we also plan to develop our artistic talents and set up a floating art gallery. Maybe also massages, refloxology etc. but time will tell!

BTW, We have had lots of discussions over what happens if and when one of us does meet "the man with (or without) the boat"- we resolved that we needed two completley separate cabins and that we'll just have to be discreet- but trying to plan for every eventuality is silly... otherwise we'd never get on with it.

Anyway- bought the boat (and rechristened her "Wild Bird" - she was called Fair Game, but ... two women on boat called Fair Game... ??!!). We're just getting to know her...having great fun, and just starting to move things aboard with the intention of partly living on her from the summer... then off next spring.

(PS. We'll wave at you, Centaurpipedream- hope to come and wave off the boats starting the Jester Challenge on the 31st- have a friend also doing it.)
 
Re: What AGE are you planning or indeed DID retire... and if pos.. how

Me and Mrs Chox did the sell up and sail thing in 2004. I was 47 and she was 40. We bought the boat, re-fitted as required then set sail early 2005.

By Feb 2007 we had returned to UK and back to a 'normal life'

I am happier now than I have ever been. Fantastic job, great salary, money in my pocket, see the kids any time.

We will return to sailing in a few years time but even then it will not be 12 months a year. I really think that there is more to life than just boats.

One big down side to a web site like this is that it is TOO EASY to be carried away on a crest of a wave.........'go for it'......... 'life is too short' ........... 'you only live once' .......... 'life is a rat race' ........blah blah blah......

Well maybe so, but I think many people are running from something, a life half lived perhaps.

Life is what you make it, how about being happy with work?

So then, hard hat on, ducking for cover

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Re: What AGE are you planning or indeed DID retire... and if pos.. how

Really interesting reading. I am truly amazed that so many people plan for retirement at such an early age. I have been so busy with keeping a roof over my head and raising kids I've barely given it a thought.

Until recently. I've toyed with the idea of renting house and sailing off to somewhere warm and living on a combination of the rental income, my microscopic pension, the state pension - when it kicks in - my paltry savings and whatever I might earn by doing odd jobs.

I don't think it's the low income that's holding me back. By what's been said by others in this thread it seems my instincts are correct and you can survive on very little. What's holding me back is the balls to actually do it, and the concern that I really wouldn't want to do it on my own.

It seems from reading the thread that most liveaboards do so as partnerships.
 
Re: What AGE are you planning or indeed DID retire... and if pos.. how

Hiya Chox, well done, if you are happy, you have found the answer to life the universe and everything..
I realised many years ago that, instead of 42, it was simple - be happy.

So, nice one.

As for running away etc.. it really does take all kinds to make a world as they say.. thank gawd we are NOT all the same.
I think many do run away - but not in the sense of being unable to cope, quite the opposite..
you are born into a pre dictated path to a certain degree.. onw which society tends to control. Some, are not prepared to live in that specific society. me included. its having the bottle to get out of perceived security and try something new. many people find that all they wanted was to get away from social control and standards - advertising, accumulating and inevitable debt.

This life offers that for many.. for some, it doesnt. Personally, I NEVER had a 'normal' land based job I could honestly say I enjoyed.. yes, I had moments of fullfillment.. as a Paramedic for 14 years in earlier life it was mostly dealing with dross and brothheads, but occasionaly you felt you had made a difference.. saving a life is a most rewarding experience, unfortunately, it doesnt happen often.. I hate kids lol, but, assisting in a difficult birth is a memory to treasure.
Round peg sqaure hole is a good analogy for many.
I also suppose it can be 'in your blood' and that can be a very powerful stimulant.
I was lucky enough to be born into a lifeboatman family - Spurn Head 1957 - dad was crew on the humber lifeboat and we lived in the lifeboat cottages.. was playing in the sea as a tot.. after attempts at normal life mom n dad moved to the Isles of Scilly in 1968 where I spend my teens, and again spent most days on the sea.. ie - at 14 years old going out before school to check dad's lobster pots and long lines - same after school.
That certainly gives you a love of the sea that never left me.. even onto fishing out of Newlyn in the winter and working the island boats in the summer.. then the Navy etc..
After many years of 'normal life' I knew what I liked and didnt.. so here we are.. happy as larry.. The thought of going back to bricks n mortar and all the ties is simply not in the equation


Many thanks to all the respondents on this thread.. thak you for the openess and honesty shown. Hopefully it will help many if they want to do this.. or at least give food for thought.

Joe Jayne and Molly..
Capt'n S. Master under god of the good ship Ruddles.
 
Re: What AGE are you planning or indeed DID retire... and if pos.. how

Absolutely the same reason, Bernie - when I went to France to look at canal boats, it seemed pretty dull to mooch around on my own. And I certainly wouldn't sail on my own - the idea with canals was that at the least, I could swim for the shore!

S x
 
Re: What AGE are you planning or indeed DID retire... and if pos.. how

[ QUOTE ]
our shared slogan: "retirement is wasted on the old". So true.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well Lady Jessie, I hope it's not a given! Our retirement plans had to await both the arrival of state pensions and staying put to enjoy the early years of four grandchildren from our three daughters.

Now, Jill (65) and I (67) , are heading for the Eastern Mediterranean at the end of May. Neither of us has eons of sailing experience, although I have crewed for a number of years, more recently taken the RYA Yachtmaster theoretical and Day Skipper practical, and Jill has taken competent crew practical.

We've had a shake down sail from the Medway to Falmouth two weeks ago, with a mixed bag of weather and sea conditions which, hopefully, have shown up any major glitches. Now we are waiting for a sensible weather window, and the arrival of our delivery skipper - to guide us through the next leg of our journey, to Biscay, Gibraltar, and to Mediterranean Spain. After that we're on our own!

At our advanced age(s) I guess we'll never get to be real seamen, but we both love learning new skills and meeting new people: so if I find retirement is wasted on me I'll come calling on you and demand a dram.
 
I am planning to retire in 4 years time at 57. A ripe old age compared to some of the posters, but I actually quite enjoy my job, I live in a beautiful village in the heart of Somerset in a great house that I have spent years extending and developing and see no mad rush to disappear over the blue horizon.
My plan then is to sell up and buy a fairly large boat, as my wife suffers a little from claustrophobia and I would never get her on something confined below, do a leisurely circumnavigation and then live aboard in various places around the world. My wife will not do the oceans, but she wants a motor home to explore Europe in while I and the boat are anywhere out of sight of land.
We will not be particularly well off, but I will not need to worry if I want to go into a marina or eat ashore occasionally.
I do not see it as an escape, but just the next adventure. I have travelled widely, both by sea with 8 years in the merchant navy and to remote parts of the world particularly the Himalayas and Andes. A lot of people seem to see a life living aboard a boat as somehow opting out of the pressures of everyday life. I just want to enjoy the experience. I am not being critical and I hope that those who do liveaboard and those who hope to liveaboard find what they expected and hoped for. I also hope that it will be up to my own expectations.
Best of luck to all of you.
 
Cool thread, a bit of soul-baring going on.....

Money really isnt the question for a lot of people, though I agree it can be for some. I am 51, always wanted to sail more,but had a partner who was just not into it (maybe a function of other problems/issues?). But now divorced, a lot poorer but I have a great boat, even if not the ideal long term cruiser. If I'm honest, I have 'enough' money, equity in the house a little bit of savings etc. Even doing it the simplest way ie total cash/life expectancy in years I could do a bit better that Trouville's numbers ( ! )

But there are other questions. I have 3 kids, youngest is 13 and no way am I going to disappear just yet. I have a very vague idea of working towards a date some time ahead, but this is a bit scary as I just had a knee cartilage operation that wasnt 100% success. Is it all downhill from here?

And how much fun would it be to do it alone? That I think is a worrying thing. After a fairly unhappy marriage I am quite happy on my own for now, but not sure if thats always going to be so.

And the real bagger is that for probably only the second time in my 30 years of working I am really enjoying my job. Poo. What I really need is another 50 years....

Not really a complaint, just that its not always so simple. We do have the choices. It's choosing one that is hard.
 
We are both still working. Don't see the oppertunity to stop working. No pension to speek of, so we go where the work is. Nita is a very good Special Needs Teacher, I am a Chef, Boatbuilder, RYA Instructor, One or the other of us is allways in work, either on the boat or on a contract. Just had to do it NOW!
Still in the UK as soon as we get a contract else where, then off we go.

Simes
 
My 2.nd post into this thread I'm afraid but just had to come back again as I'm finding this so interesting.!

As I'm still working in stinking Cairo all this talk today from you folks either already off cruising or hoping & planning to go soon, has triggered a feeling in me that I can only describe as 'heart-sore'.
I miss my boat & I want to go.!

I so desperately want to stop work & get out there & meet up with fellow cruisers all over the place & start enjoying life again that today...it hurts.

Not so sure that any of us are 'running away from something', but I AM running out of time.!

I can't wait to get away from all the rampant commercialism, consumerism & corporate greed of modern day life, but can't, as I still have a few more things to buy for the boat.!!!
Jock
 
In my twenties I used to sail for a living but it was unfair on my then wife to come home and find a note 'On a delivery. Back in 3 weeks' or whatever. I moved inland in 1982 in a bid to settle down, get a proper job and make the marriage work. I never read a sailing magazine, went to the seaside or anywhere near a boat from that day on. I joined the police (as near to a proper job as I could stand) and we had two sons, followed by a divorce!

Then I met SWMBO. Life rebuilt despite heavy CSA payments. I started painting and one day bought Sailing Today just to see how the shadow should go on a sail. I rang SWMBO and said 'You know how I always said we'd sail away one day. Well, it's not a dream, listen to these prices. They haven't gone up since I was a kid!' When she came home she wanted to sell up and sail immediately. I was very tempted but my sons were young and lived with their mum.

We did a weeks charter in the Med, she loved it and I remembered how to sail. Then a week in the western isles in the rain in May and she still loved it.

Since then, we've bought a boat to sail in the UK and plans are well afoot to retire at 55 (or less) I'm 50 and can retire in just over 2 years, daughter is 16 so should be able to look after herself by then, we'll have a small house or flat in the UK and a boat of 30-36ft to sail until we're bored. My pension should be about £1,000 a month so we should be comfortable. We 're not very materialistic, we enjoy our own company and the company of others for short periods. We hardly ever go out for meals etc and live pretty much hand to mouth now, so that won't be a change! As I told my daughter, I've spent the last twenty five years trying to conform. It doesn't work and I can't wait to be free to be me again!

There are so many places we want to go; Round Britain, Iceland, St Petersburg, the French canals, Turkey, North Africa, Guatamala, the Panama canal, Bermuda, the Gulf of Mexico, the South Sea islands, NewZealand. The list could be endless!

Maybe we'll last six weeks, decide it's not for us and then pack it in. But at least we'll have tried!

The worst thing that could happen is for a grandchild to arrive on the scene. That could well stop us from going.
 
Re: What AGE are you planning or indeed DID retire... and if pos.. how

Your absolutely right to go for it, you have the boat and some one to sail with, what could be better. If people wait until everything is lined up and ready something else will go wrong. Sometimes you do have to take the plunge, that is not to say we are not happy at the moment. In fact today we had a great day looking at boats at Conway, lovely walkfollowed by a good meal, we are just ready for the next phase of our lives - take care and best wishes Neil
 
Re: What AGE are you planning or indeed DID retire... and if pos.. how

Age is just a number. Assuming reasonable mobility it is attitude which counts.

A few years ago, wintering in Gozo, the next boat was manned by a liveaboard couple. He (80) She (78); boat 25ft, no frills. They spent a whole day lugging provisions and water in preparation for their onward trip to Tunisia.

Probably one of the cheeriest couples I have met.

Have faith in your own ability. You know more than you think.
 
Re: What AGE are you planning or indeed DID retire... and if pos.. how

Just retired at 55. Spent waay too much on the boat, but wtf, it's home! I have a budget of £700 per month, bit tight if you include insurance. Sold up in the UK/Guernsey, bit strange saying cheerio to old friends/family not being too sure when I'll see them again. Solo at the moment, but who knows? Planning stops in NZ, not because I plan on settling there but because I'll need to take a breath. I have a planned itinery but plans are there to be changed /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Re: What AGE are you planning or indeed DID retire... and if pos.. how

[ QUOTE ]
'Retirement is wasted on the old'. Well Lady Jessie, I hope it's not a given!

[/ QUOTE ]No, of course not! I hope you noticed a 'tongue in cheek' comment here. But it has a serious side; You are the standard, most people wait until they reach retirement age of 65 before they set off. What I just wanted to point out is that there might be a lot of opportunities for you to set off earlier and that everybody who has done that are blissfully happy that they did.

For me personally: I think it is a better idea that I ride the oceans of the world now that I am in my early fifties than when I get into my seventies. Then I would probably rather sit in a nice a garden in the south of France..... or would I still cross the oceans, who knows? In this way I know I have already done it and can stop if I wish to. It is a lot harder to start up something new when you are getting older, lets be honest about that.
 
[ QUOTE ]
As I told my daughter, I've spent the last twenty five years trying to conform. It doesn't work and I can't wait to be free to be me again!



[/ QUOTE ]

So right - I've spent the last 30 years trying to be good corporate person/wife/mum, al of which were "me" at the time. Am now in the process of discovering another "me".
Recently involved going off solo to sailing school in Greece, bit scary at first, but the start of a whole new future.
 
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