What to do?

[SvenglishTommy]

I think I've finally decided to throw in the towel at work and take a year or 2 off work and hit the water. What I'm having trouble is how to go about doing this, so was hoping to get some insight from those who have taken this step themselves.

My main concern is financing the operation, boat + living expenses etc etc. I currently have a 28'er, and the thought of just jumping aboard and heading off is pretty tempting, although in all honesty I think it's probably a bit unrealistic, and would certainly limit my options in terms of destinations. My current thinking is to sell the current boat (probably get about 10K for her) and get something bigger for about 40K (including any prep work required for the trip).

This would leave me about 15-20K a year for everything else. Does this sound like a realistic option? I dont intend to be spending a lot, but I dont want to be strapped for cash and always worrying about what I'm spending money on.

Another option would be to sell my apartment, which would free up about another 150K, this would allow me to get a very fine yacht indeed and leave plenty of cash, but I'm reluctant to go this route as I wouldn't have a pot tio piss in when I got back.

So how did tyou guys finance your missions? Did you make plans for returning, or just go all out and hit the sea?

 

[Yacht Castor]

There is no easy answer to all your questions, everyone of us has a different story to tell and they are very diverse from the final salary pension rich to those struggling to make ends meet by making and selling trinkets and postal cards. We have meet those taking a year off to sail the Atlantic circuit with new plastic boats and pockets stuffed with money and those who have found their utopia living the simple life in an old wooden boat moored in a Spanish river.

Boats ranch in size, price and suitability but the common thread is that we all have a strong desire, no I would say a passion to do something different. If you have that you will find a way, good luck.

 

[Kimmo]

Hey

Me and my wife area leaving in 2 months, for a one year cruise. It will take us to South Spain and back...hopefully

Our boat is 30ft, has a birthday this year and is now 40 year old. We've had it for several years and during that time, we have been constantly planning the trip and fixing, rebuilding, changing parts, equipping the boat for this journey.

I would say, go with the 28ft boat you have (assuming it's otherwise suitable), save the money for equipment, living and so on.

With 28ft boat, you will save a lot in marina fees and you can find berth even in crowded marinas. That's at least the advice I've heard for my 30ft boat.

I don't think you are limiting yourself with destinations with 28ft boat, depends of course where you want to go. Would I cross Atlantic with my boat? Perhaps not, would prefer a heavier boat. Would I cross Biscay, yes, would I visit Madeira, Canary Islands, yes. Perhaps even Cape Verde. In any case, in one year you are not going to get too far, if you want to see the world, and not just sail. In two years, you could explore Med and then head back to home. There is a lot to see, even if you don't travel far.

We will be following the European Atlantic coast, getting familiar with the Dutch channels, checking the lovely French towns, getting familiar with the Basque area and Rias in NW Spain. Wintering somewhere East or West of Gibraltar. Then back to home. I think we will see and experience a lot and looking forward of leaving in exactly 2 months.

Our (2 people, 1 dog) total budget just for living is somewhere around 35k for 13 to 15 months. I've read about similar cruises, with bigger boats and I don't think we will be spending all that money, especially since we wont be flying to home during winter. Something will be left for coming cruises.

Myself, I've resigned from my job, as I'm in a private company, which doesn't know any absence from work, other than resigning yourself My wife will have a 13 month absence from work without salary and she is welcomed back to work after that. We also gave up our rental apartment and will rent a new one, when we are again at home.

And finally, the favorite quote of everybody: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

Just go

 

[SvenglishTommy]

...from the final salary pension rich to those struggling to make ends meet by making and selling trinkets and postal cards.

Thanks Yacht Castor, my problem is I doun't know which end of the spectrum my current plan would put me.

Our (2 people, 1 dog) total budget just for living is somewhere around 35k for 13 to 15 months.

Sounds similar to the amount I'm looking at then. My real worry with my current boat is not her seaworthyness, but more the lack of space. After reading many other threads on this forum I've come to the conclusion that the ability to stand up inside is pretty crucial - and I cant quite do that it mine.

 

[r_h]

This would leave me about 15-20K a year for everything else. Does this sound like a realistic option? I dont intend to be spending a lot, but I dont want to be strapped for cash and always worrying about what I'm spending money on.

It's very hard to give a definitive answer on this - just as onshore, where one person might live quite happily on, say, 25k but another person might tell you they would never be able to manage on so little.

If you spend a lot of time in marinas (especially in the western Med) and have an expensive eating ashore habit that needs to be regularly fed it's easy to spend lots of money. However, if you have a well-mantained and relatively simple boat, spend the majority of time in parts of the world in which you can predominately anchor for free and eat out only occasionally, your 15-20k should cover this very comfortably.

Two other things to bear in mind: it's worth having a contingency fund for unexpected expenses such as a dead engine. The second is the time needed to sell your existing boat, find a new one and then sort that for the purpose -- it's easy to loose several months in that process: time that could be spent cruising in the boat you already have.

 

[annamals]

Lots of good advice here. I'd say go for it with what you have, keep your bolt-hole ashore and spend as much time outside as possible so you don't bang your head!

Fair winds.

 

[Kimmo]

My real worry with my current boat is not her seaworthyness, but more the lack of space. After reading many other threads on this forum I've come to the conclusion that the ability to stand up inside is pretty crucial - and I cant quite do that it mine.

Well that is true. Perhaps we are somewhat blessed to cruising a smaller boat, as we aren't very tall and in Scampi30 we can stand easily, although in the fore peak that is not possible. Also it has enough storage, although still some compromises are needed.

Regarding your house, I wouldn't sell it. Rent it and you get an income for living.

 

[Sandyman]

Hi

If you intend to just liveaboard for a couple of years then I would say put up with the boat you have and dont sell your property. Cant see its worth going to the time & trouble selling your boat and buying another one when you could be out there enjoying yourself.

If in the future you find you prefer our way of life you will then be in a position to ''sell up and sail'' and 'live the dream'' .............who the hell ever called it that ? lol

Good luck in which ever method you choose.

 

[SvenglishTommy]

Thanks guys. I wouldn't need to sell my property to get a bigger boat, I could still get something reasonable and have enough to allow myself the 15-20k a year.

Interesting a lot of you are recommending I just up and go on my boat, and the thought is very tempting indeed. Are there many people doing this kind of thing on 28'ers?

I also have a bit of love/hate relationship with my exisiting boat, and would probably need to spend quite a bit to get her up to scrtach.

 

[Bajansailor]

Interesting a lot of you are recommending I just up and go on my boat, and the thought is very tempting indeed. Are there many people doing this kind of thing on 28'ers?

Lots of people are doing it, and have done it!

I know an American couple who went around the world on a Cal 25 (google them, propbably half the room that your 28'er has) and had 2 kids on the way as well......

Re Kimmo's 30' boat mentioned above, if you are happy going across Biscay in her, sailing the Atlantic would be a doddle - you would just take a day or two longer than a 'bigger' boat would.

 

[phantomlady]

My advice would be (and we've been 'doing it' on and off for the last 8 years) don't spend loads of money on an expensive boat but make sure you are comfortable and the boat is seaworthy and suitable for what you want to do. Then spend the money you saved on having a great time!!

 

[BobnLesley]

Another vote for going with what you've got.

"...a lot of you are recommending I just up and go on my boat, and the thought is very tempting indeed. Are there many people doing this kind of thing on 28'ers?"

Especially if this is likely to be a 'career break' cruise, rather than a lifelong decision.

We've been cruising off and on since 2003 (UK to Turkey) on a twenty-seven footer and only now have we started considering upsizing and that's just because Lesley feels she's too small to cross oceans on.

Of course there are disadvantages with the little-uns, the biggest being that they can get claustraphobic during the winter, though I'm not convinced that doesn't apply to larger yachts too. Conversely, there are shed-loads of advantages, besides the obvious financial savings on your mooring and maintenance costs. The most significant one to me is that on a small yacht you'll always find a gap in the anchorage of your choice and in high summer, when the marinas/harbours are 'full' that generally means the 11 - 13m berths are full and most times they can still squeeze in a little-un (that really pees-off those with bigger toys ) and if they really are full-full, the local fishermen whilst generally protective of their quay-space, will often find a spot for you; I think it's because they don't pigeon-hole you as 'another flash-yachtie/foreigner'.

So don't waste any more sailing-time worrying about it, just drop your lines, get going and see where you end up; it's not that difficult (Hell, even I can do it!) and it's lots of fun.

 

[duncan99210]

Well, we've been doing this for getting on for 2 years now, on board a 40' boat. That's well big enough to be comfortable for the 2 of us but then there's 2 of us not one and we intend to keep on living on board for some years yet, so the bigger boat makes sense. If you're happy with the one you've got and are only planning on running away for a couple of years, then stick with it and use the money on other things. If you find that you can't give the life up and need a bigger boat later, then you can always trade up then!

As regards how much money you need, we've seen all sorts from a couple who make do with 12k between them to those who have some sort of enormous pot of dosh for whom money is no object. I think we fit somewhere in the middle of the 2 extremes and get by on about 23k; this gives us enough to put money aside for big expenses (new sails this year) and 6 months of marina fees for the winter. During the summer, we spend very little on marinas, anchoring off most of the time, so fuel, food and drink account for much of the cost!

If you're really interested, I can let you have more detailed figures if you care to PM me. See the blog for what we've been up to so far.

All that being said, really there's nothing like throwing caution to the winds, waving the proverbial 2 fingers at the establishment and setting sail for wherever you want. Good luck and enjoy yourself.

 

[Kimmo]

We've been cruising off and on since 2003 (UK to Turkey) on a twenty-seven footer and only now have we started considering upsizing and that's just because Lesley feels she's too small to cross oceans on.

I would be really interested of knowing how you have solved some practical issues with a smaller boat, I mean storage and especially boat equipment that you need. Perhaps this is altogether a separate issue and a new thread would be in place.

But for example, our biggest problem is the anchor chain. With no anchor locker, storage of the chain is difficult and I couldn't buy a full chain rode, have to do with half chain half rope.

I could have build the locker, but as our forestay is supported through the deck and into the hull, the chain would have been in the same space, where the forestay has it's support structures and I just didn't like that idea. It's also a bit cramped space for the chain.

Also the dinghy is a bit problematic, as I wouldn't like to drag it behind of us constantly.

There's also similar, but smaller issues that we have.

This is why I commented, that I wouldn't cross Atlantic with our boat, as stuffing things for 4 weeks I think is impossible. Also the motion in a smaller boat is quite violent in heavier weather and I could perhaps put up with that for a week, but not for four weeks

 

[V1701]

In your position I'd rent out the flat and go. If you want to change boats along the way you can. You could keep going as long as you want if you're careful. Enjoy...