Well, this is certainly not a post I envisioned when I headed out to the boat to prepare for the trip to the Bahamas. Up until recently I've been working hard to get the boat back into proper cruising shape and I think it is about there. There is one big item left...but more on that later.
Unfortunately, while I was busy working on the boat, the SARS-Cov-2 (Coronavirus or COVID19) virus was busy spreading across the planet. For a while, perhaps fueled by some of the mis-information that was available at the time, I had held out hope that the spread would slow or not reach the more remote places and small towns where I am or intended to travel. Unfortunately that turned out not to be the case at all.
Around the time the replacement standing rigging finally arrived at the boat, it was increasingly evident that the trip was not likely to happen. My help had gone back home several weeks prior while we awaited the creation and delivery of the rigging and it was obviously unwise for him to return to the boat once the rigging made it to the boat. It also seemed like a bad idea for me to pack up, drive more than half-way across the continental United States and return home. The idea of all that public contact by staying in hotels (if they were even open), eating fast food, and getting gas and supplies for the trip would only increase my risk of coming in contact with the virus and possibly spreading it with me. So, I decided that I would "shelter in place" and take the time to continue working on the boat...albeit at a slower pace.
In some aspects, the cruising lifestyle lends itself rather well to physical isolation. If you are on your boat and are well provisioned, it is fairly easy to isolate yourself from society for a relatively long period of time. Unfortunately, if like me, you have not yet provisioned for a trip, all of the panic hoarding of supplies has made it almost impossible to provision now. Trying to get groceries and supplies for a week or two can be an exercise in frustration. Not only are you met with bare shelves, but physical isolation seems nearly impossible as everyone seems to crowd the stores trying to find coveted items like fresh meat, canned goods, cleaning goods, and toilet paper. Fortunately I was partially stocked for a trip with four people, so I do have enough to get by...at least until our supply chain can catch up and some of the panic hopefully subsides.
Amid all the bad panic behaviors, there is also what seems like a sizable contingent (at least here in relatively rural North Carolina) that still believe this is a hoax, or just another flu, or will somehow disappear in a few weeks, or for other reasons that escape me, seem to ignore hygiene and physical distance recommendations of the scientific community. While I'm not at anchor and completely isolated, I am glad that I am at the farthest slip out at the far end of the marina, so there is very little traffic around my boat.
My hope is to reschedule this trip once all of this blows over. In the meantime, I have a number of projects to work on...guess that is another advantage of owning a boat in these times...there is always something to fix or improve on a boat. I should also have a bit more time to catch up on blog posts.
Hope you are all staying safe and finding good ways to pass the time.
Showing posts with label lifestyle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lifestyle. Show all posts
Saturday, March 28, 2020
Monday, November 30, 2015
Marina "Wildlife"
In case you didn't figure out from the lack of posts the past few days, it has actually been nice here. From Thanksgiving through yesterday it has been relatively warm during the day (the 60's and low 70's) and not raining. So we have been working hard trying to get the finish on the top...er...finished. I could tell you how we spent the last several days repeatedly applying gelcoat and then hand-sanding most of it back off, but I won't. I think I've previously mentioned all the issues with hand-applying gelcoat to make a smooth surface and don't want to bore you with more of the same.
The marina I'm staying at is in a bit more rural part of Virginia. It isn't the west's version of rural where your nearest neighbor is 50 miles away, but there is some forested land here and there in between the houses. The homes I see on the roads here seem to sit on somewhere between 1 and 50 acres if I were to take a guess and there isn't a lot of empty land wedged in between them and the roads on this peninsula. Farm fields are still a bit further down the main highway and technically I think this is a town, but it isn't as densely packed as bigger cities or their suburbs.
The reason I'm telling you this is because it is hunting season, something we are painfully aware of as we work out in the boatyard. Off in the not-so-distant distance we hear a regular smattering of gunfire. I think someone mentioned it was deer season, but I don't know what they are hunting for sure. All I know is that they don't seem to be too good at it. Often the shots are heard in groups of 6 or more, and one time I think I even heard a semi-automatic weapon of some sort being fired. The theory of being a good shot, making a clean kill, and not wanting the animal to suffer seems to be lost here. And given the proximity of homes, property, and even this marina, I'm a bit concerned with what seems like less than good marksmen nearby. They recently put up no hunting signs at a local city park in the area. Fortunately we are surrounded by boats that should act as shields from most directions. But it still amazes me how people are hunting on relatively small plots of land in close proximity to civilization.
Back at the marina there isn't much in the way of wildlife (out of the water). There is the kitty that has adopted me and my project and I think has taken up residence in the tent when I am gone. She is definitely more comfortable with us than she was, and a guy with a boat two down from our project in the yard is trying to befriend and adopt the stray. That same guy painted his boat a couple days ago and ran afoul of the other bit of wildlife we've encountered in the yard: bugs. I don't know how these beetles did it, but they managed to get their backs stuck to his paint...which begs the question of how these bugs fly that they get stuck to a vertical surface on their backs.
Today it is cold and rainy so I don't know how much work will be done...and I had time to write a post. We have a couple spots we sanded too thin and will need to reapply some gelcoat at least one more time. After that, we just need to apply the non-skid gelcoat pattern to the topside body of the hardtop and we should be ready to move it to the boat. So close, yet so far away.
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| About as smooth as we can apply this gelcoat. |
The marina I'm staying at is in a bit more rural part of Virginia. It isn't the west's version of rural where your nearest neighbor is 50 miles away, but there is some forested land here and there in between the houses. The homes I see on the roads here seem to sit on somewhere between 1 and 50 acres if I were to take a guess and there isn't a lot of empty land wedged in between them and the roads on this peninsula. Farm fields are still a bit further down the main highway and technically I think this is a town, but it isn't as densely packed as bigger cities or their suburbs.
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| Across the Severn river a couple mornings ago. Not densely populated, but not that sparse either. |
The reason I'm telling you this is because it is hunting season, something we are painfully aware of as we work out in the boatyard. Off in the not-so-distant distance we hear a regular smattering of gunfire. I think someone mentioned it was deer season, but I don't know what they are hunting for sure. All I know is that they don't seem to be too good at it. Often the shots are heard in groups of 6 or more, and one time I think I even heard a semi-automatic weapon of some sort being fired. The theory of being a good shot, making a clean kill, and not wanting the animal to suffer seems to be lost here. And given the proximity of homes, property, and even this marina, I'm a bit concerned with what seems like less than good marksmen nearby. They recently put up no hunting signs at a local city park in the area. Fortunately we are surrounded by boats that should act as shields from most directions. But it still amazes me how people are hunting on relatively small plots of land in close proximity to civilization.
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| Our new cat friend resting on her favorite scratching post. |
Back at the marina there isn't much in the way of wildlife (out of the water). There is the kitty that has adopted me and my project and I think has taken up residence in the tent when I am gone. She is definitely more comfortable with us than she was, and a guy with a boat two down from our project in the yard is trying to befriend and adopt the stray. That same guy painted his boat a couple days ago and ran afoul of the other bit of wildlife we've encountered in the yard: bugs. I don't know how these beetles did it, but they managed to get their backs stuck to his paint...which begs the question of how these bugs fly that they get stuck to a vertical surface on their backs.
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| It's hard to take pictures of the stupid bugs with their backs/wings stuck in the paint. |
Today it is cold and rainy so I don't know how much work will be done...and I had time to write a post. We have a couple spots we sanded too thin and will need to reapply some gelcoat at least one more time. After that, we just need to apply the non-skid gelcoat pattern to the topside body of the hardtop and we should be ready to move it to the boat. So close, yet so far away.
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
The Best and Worst of the Project Thus Far
Anyone who has ever installed fiberglass insulation has experienced the itchy nature of said material. Well, it has nothing on fiberglass dust. And that has been what we've been dealing with the last couple days.
After finishing the layers of glass on the edges of the top (two layers of 10 oz fabric with chopped strand around the complex curves at the corners and end caps), we were trying to figure out the best (read fastest) way to smooth some of the rough fiberglass edges where layers of the 1708 fabric overlap. Since we will be applying a texture, the top shouldn't need to be completely smooth, but the ridges at the edges of the fabric do need to be smoothed out a bit.
So, the last couple days we've been grinding off part of that fiberglass we spent so much time applying to the top (and then spending a lot of time in the shower trying to wash the irritating dust off...glad we have access to a shower with unlimited water right now). We have been feathering the rough edges, mostly where the beams were applied to the bottom side using 40~80 grit sandpaper. Today we will be putting a single layer of 10oz cloth over them to further smooth out the surface and provide the final layer for the beams. After that, we will use a small amount of resin to help smooth the pattern in the various fabrics (or as they call it, filling in the weave).
Once all of that is complete, it will be time to add the cutout for the sail viewing window and applying the gel coat. Sounds easy...but I suspect it will take a bit of time. Time is one thing we are running out of in a hurry. The weather is getting cooler, so we need to get moving to get this project done.
As I think I mentioned briefly in a previous post, my friends over at The Retirement Project came by for a visit and to see my little project just before the threat of hurricane Joaquin popped up. While I wish it had been under better circumstances, it was really nice getting to spend a little time with them (despite most of the recent content of my posts, we do occasionally take a break from the top). But as is the case with cruisers, the wandering heart and lure of warmer waters beckons and they departed this morning. Safe Travels Deb and TJ.
Their visit has given me a bit if a lift though, and with any luck we will have the new top installed and be following them south soon.
If you haven't checked out The Retirement Project, I highly recommend it. Deb and TJ are good writers and it is one of my favorite reads.
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| A bit hard to tell, but the edge is glassed. |
After finishing the layers of glass on the edges of the top (two layers of 10 oz fabric with chopped strand around the complex curves at the corners and end caps), we were trying to figure out the best (read fastest) way to smooth some of the rough fiberglass edges where layers of the 1708 fabric overlap. Since we will be applying a texture, the top shouldn't need to be completely smooth, but the ridges at the edges of the fabric do need to be smoothed out a bit.
So, the last couple days we've been grinding off part of that fiberglass we spent so much time applying to the top (and then spending a lot of time in the shower trying to wash the irritating dust off...glad we have access to a shower with unlimited water right now). We have been feathering the rough edges, mostly where the beams were applied to the bottom side using 40~80 grit sandpaper. Today we will be putting a single layer of 10oz cloth over them to further smooth out the surface and provide the final layer for the beams. After that, we will use a small amount of resin to help smooth the pattern in the various fabrics (or as they call it, filling in the weave).
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| Edges of the fiberglass feathered mostly smooth |
Once all of that is complete, it will be time to add the cutout for the sail viewing window and applying the gel coat. Sounds easy...but I suspect it will take a bit of time. Time is one thing we are running out of in a hurry. The weather is getting cooler, so we need to get moving to get this project done.
As I think I mentioned briefly in a previous post, my friends over at The Retirement Project came by for a visit and to see my little project just before the threat of hurricane Joaquin popped up. While I wish it had been under better circumstances, it was really nice getting to spend a little time with them (despite most of the recent content of my posts, we do occasionally take a break from the top). But as is the case with cruisers, the wandering heart and lure of warmer waters beckons and they departed this morning. Safe Travels Deb and TJ.
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| The Kintala crew preparing to depart. |
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| Heading off into the sunrise. |
Their visit has given me a bit if a lift though, and with any luck we will have the new top installed and be following them south soon.
If you haven't checked out The Retirement Project, I highly recommend it. Deb and TJ are good writers and it is one of my favorite reads.
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Being Slug-ish
A week or two ago one of the blogs I regularly read did a monthly recap. In the recap they had mentioned that they spent a couple days as "complete and utter slugs" while waiting out some bad weather. According to their account they didn't do anything except read, work on their blog, snack and catch up on some TV shows. Usually tossing out the term "slug" implies a negative connotation, that somehow they should have been doing something more with their time. So, naturally (and with tongue-in-cheek), I had to respond. I quipped something about the virtues of the slug lifestyle and that it must be OK because you never hear of slugs having heart attacks.
While my comment was intended with a hearty veil of humor, there was also a little bit of a lesson that life has been trying to teach me mixed in. You see, my career in the software industry has always been fast paced and fairly stressful. It was pretty rare when I would have the chance to unwind and it seems I had just about forgotten how to do that. When I used to go on vacation, at best I may have just started to unwind a bit by the time the vacation was over. And I'm pretty sure I am far from alone on this. Otherwise this clip from CitySlickers might have been left on the cutting room floor...
For me, the worst part is the irony between what my industry was supposed to do and what it has actually done. Remember how these "computing devices" I've worked on my whole life were supposed to make life easier? It doesn't really seem they have done that, have they? Sure, it makes some things easier. You can make phone calls more easily, and check your email, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pintrest, and other things at any time from virtually anywhere. You now have the internet at your fingertips and can instantly find the answers to most of our questions. Yes, we have certainly made communications easier. But making communication easier doesn't seem to have made life any easier...instead it seems to have made life more fast-paced and hectic. Now that you can receive calls and email from just about anywhere, your boss or your customers now expect instant answers at any time. As a society, we seem to have lost patience. And the stress from all of this seems to be killing us.
So, back to the idea of the slug. I don't think there is anything wrong with being a slug, if that is what you want to call it. A little slower paced, more deliberate lifestyle is something I think we all could use. It is something I continue to struggle with but keep striving for in my own life. My friends over at The Cynical Sailor & His Salty Sidekick just completed another post on "The Art of Being a Slug" and, while being another humor infused post, I think it does have some pretty good lessons to offer if you just think about it. So I will ask you to go and embrace your inner slug...the life you save may be your own.
And I'll leave you with something appropriate from the Eagles...
Learn To Be Still by siouxnavajo
| (image from quintessentialruminations) |
So, back to the idea of the slug. I don't think there is anything wrong with being a slug, if that is what you want to call it. A little slower paced, more deliberate lifestyle is something I think we all could use. It is something I continue to struggle with but keep striving for in my own life. My friends over at The Cynical Sailor & His Salty Sidekick just completed another post on "The Art of Being a Slug" and, while being another humor infused post, I think it does have some pretty good lessons to offer if you just think about it. So I will ask you to go and embrace your inner slug...the life you save may be your own.
And I'll leave you with something appropriate from the Eagles...
Learn To Be Still by siouxnavajo
Monday, March 9, 2015
Waitress I Need Two More Boat....Cards?
Sorry Jimmy, I know that's not how the lyrics go...but we could really use some boat cards.
Boat cards are like business cards for cruisers. In this lifestyle you meet people and become friends so quickly that it is very handy to have these little gems. And with my less than perfect memory (I am notoriously bad at remembering names) I've found that boat cards can be a great aid to my lacking gray matter. Unfortunately I have not had ones to hand out.
I had been procrastinating about creating cards because one of the items I wanted to include on the cards was a picture of us, the crew of s/v Rover including our furry members, sitting together on the transom or some other appropriate sort of scene. The reason for the picture is that I've found it to be one of the most beneficial features of some of the boat cards I've received...so I can match cards to faces (I can generally recognize a face as someone that I'm supposed to know...even if I can't remember their name). So, I definitely wanted to include this feature for others like me that can't always remember names. But as of yet, the whole crew has not been on the boat together.
I was also trying to figure out if I wanted to have cards printed or just print them myself with a color inkjet printer. I've been finding some need for a printer on-board (as I've had to print out forms for things like dinghy registration or letters when my credit card information was compromised), so it seemed to make sense to just print them as we need them and they would remain relatively up to date that way. Unfortunately, having owned an inkjet printer before, I also know how cantankerous they can be if not used regularly (and I don't see me using the printer on a monthly, much less weekly, basis). Looking into having business cards printed, I also found that I could have 250~500 cards done for about the same cost as a single inkjet cartridge set for most printers. So, it seems to me that having them done is a better option for us.
So, fast forward to my current trip back to Denver. As we wrap up our land-based life here in Colorado, one of the things we would like to do is have a Bon voyage party of sorts before we leave. I came to the realization that it would be handy to have some boat cards for that party so I could give people our contact information since we would soon be without some of our classic means of contact (our home address, home phone). Getting this task done now would also alleviate the need to deal with it once we got back to the boat. We also thought about how small the portrait image would be on a business card and decided that a more close up picture or pictures would be better than trying to have one that was more "sailing oriented". In the end, there doesn't seem to be a good reason to wait any longer.
This weekend, as I continue to get over my "Denver sinus infection", I decided to design our boat cards. Typically, people have the name of their boat, maybe a picture of their boat or themselves, the name of the crew, email addresses and phone numbers, possibly a mailing address or a blog link. In our case, we almost have two different personas that need to be represented on the card. There is the classic information about boat and crew that is on most cards. In our case there is also the blog that existed well before we had the boat. Unlike most sailing blogs, it doesn't bear the name of the boat and goes beyond just our time on the boat so I felt it deserved a bit of a showcase on the card. In the end, we decided that a two sided card was in order where the blog and email contact was on one side, the boat and crew information was on the other. Here is the result of our design efforts:
I think the design turned out fairly well. So, what do you think? Hopefully the printed cards will look good. Now...waitress, where's that drink.
Boat cards are like business cards for cruisers. In this lifestyle you meet people and become friends so quickly that it is very handy to have these little gems. And with my less than perfect memory (I am notoriously bad at remembering names) I've found that boat cards can be a great aid to my lacking gray matter. Unfortunately I have not had ones to hand out.
I had been procrastinating about creating cards because one of the items I wanted to include on the cards was a picture of us, the crew of s/v Rover including our furry members, sitting together on the transom or some other appropriate sort of scene. The reason for the picture is that I've found it to be one of the most beneficial features of some of the boat cards I've received...so I can match cards to faces (I can generally recognize a face as someone that I'm supposed to know...even if I can't remember their name). So, I definitely wanted to include this feature for others like me that can't always remember names. But as of yet, the whole crew has not been on the boat together.
I was also trying to figure out if I wanted to have cards printed or just print them myself with a color inkjet printer. I've been finding some need for a printer on-board (as I've had to print out forms for things like dinghy registration or letters when my credit card information was compromised), so it seemed to make sense to just print them as we need them and they would remain relatively up to date that way. Unfortunately, having owned an inkjet printer before, I also know how cantankerous they can be if not used regularly (and I don't see me using the printer on a monthly, much less weekly, basis). Looking into having business cards printed, I also found that I could have 250~500 cards done for about the same cost as a single inkjet cartridge set for most printers. So, it seems to me that having them done is a better option for us.
So, fast forward to my current trip back to Denver. As we wrap up our land-based life here in Colorado, one of the things we would like to do is have a Bon voyage party of sorts before we leave. I came to the realization that it would be handy to have some boat cards for that party so I could give people our contact information since we would soon be without some of our classic means of contact (our home address, home phone). Getting this task done now would also alleviate the need to deal with it once we got back to the boat. We also thought about how small the portrait image would be on a business card and decided that a more close up picture or pictures would be better than trying to have one that was more "sailing oriented". In the end, there doesn't seem to be a good reason to wait any longer.
This weekend, as I continue to get over my "Denver sinus infection", I decided to design our boat cards. Typically, people have the name of their boat, maybe a picture of their boat or themselves, the name of the crew, email addresses and phone numbers, possibly a mailing address or a blog link. In our case, we almost have two different personas that need to be represented on the card. There is the classic information about boat and crew that is on most cards. In our case there is also the blog that existed well before we had the boat. Unlike most sailing blogs, it doesn't bear the name of the boat and goes beyond just our time on the boat so I felt it deserved a bit of a showcase on the card. In the end, we decided that a two sided card was in order where the blog and email contact was on one side, the boat and crew information was on the other. Here is the result of our design efforts:
 |  |
I think the design turned out fairly well. So, what do you think? Hopefully the printed cards will look good. Now...waitress, where's that drink.
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
It's Not Home Anymore
Coming back to the house in Colorado this time has been a very different experience than the previous trips. Yes, it was great to see my wife and the dogs again. But it just didn't feel like home.
Since I was last here my wife has continued to get rid of all our "stuff" and the house is pretty empty. In addition to everything that found a new home during the estate sale, now several other larger pieces of furniture were now gone. A large entertainment center, the piano, a coffee table, and even the entire bedroom set were no longer here. It almost reminds me of our first apartment...you know, the one you move into before you ever owned any furniture.
The family room is empty except for a couple boxes. The kitchen is the most furnished with a card table and couple of ratty chairs taking the place of our old dinette set (however, the cupboards are pretty empty, so no entertaining or complex cooking can be done). There is one sectional sofa in the living room...and it is promised to a friend once we are ready to leave. My computer sits on a TV tray stand that is also promised to someone else. The lamp, the dog beds, and the computer are all that is really still ours.
In our bedroom there is only the mattress laying on the floor, an old tube television set with HD converter box, and some boxes and laundry baskets that contain some clothing and serve as makeshift nightstands and dressers. The only other items that can be found in the house are a few odds and ends we need to take to the boat (like clothing and some tools) and stuff that will be donated to various charities or given to friends over the next few days.
Having been my home for the past 18 years, this space now seems quite foreign to me. It feels like we are camping in the ghost of our previous home. But it definitely isn't home anymore. I can't wait to get back home...to the boat.
Since I was last here my wife has continued to get rid of all our "stuff" and the house is pretty empty. In addition to everything that found a new home during the estate sale, now several other larger pieces of furniture were now gone. A large entertainment center, the piano, a coffee table, and even the entire bedroom set were no longer here. It almost reminds me of our first apartment...you know, the one you move into before you ever owned any furniture.
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| The ghost of living-room past. |
The family room is empty except for a couple boxes. The kitchen is the most furnished with a card table and couple of ratty chairs taking the place of our old dinette set (however, the cupboards are pretty empty, so no entertaining or complex cooking can be done). There is one sectional sofa in the living room...and it is promised to a friend once we are ready to leave. My computer sits on a TV tray stand that is also promised to someone else. The lamp, the dog beds, and the computer are all that is really still ours.
In our bedroom there is only the mattress laying on the floor, an old tube television set with HD converter box, and some boxes and laundry baskets that contain some clothing and serve as makeshift nightstands and dressers. The only other items that can be found in the house are a few odds and ends we need to take to the boat (like clothing and some tools) and stuff that will be donated to various charities or given to friends over the next few days.
Having been my home for the past 18 years, this space now seems quite foreign to me. It feels like we are camping in the ghost of our previous home. But it definitely isn't home anymore. I can't wait to get back home...to the boat.
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Ups and Downs
I've been writing a lot recently about the projects I've been working on because...well...that is what I've been up to task-wise. But a number of things have been going on behind the scenes as well. All of this has combined to feel like I've been on a roller coaster these days.
The day after ordering the acrylic replacement windows, I get a call from the fraud monitoring service for my credit card. They wanted to check with me on a couple of charges and, indeed, we found two charges for over $1400 that I did not make. They blocked my card and had to issue me a new one. Of course, I'm not at the "billing address" for the card, so it was fun to convince them to send me a card at the marina. And since the charge for the acrylic hadn't cleared yet, I called them to give them a heads up and hopefully prevent any further delay in getting my windows back in.
Cards were having a bad week with me. About 5:15 pm one evening, just after the marina office closed, I found that the pass card that allows me access to the marina facilities stopped working. While at a marina, I tend to use their facilities because it is a bit less of a hassle than going for a pump out of the small holding tanks on a regular basis. I was able to borrow cards from fellow residents, but still a hassle until I could get the card replaced the next day.
I finally emptied one of my propane tanks on the boat. Naturally, it happened in the middle of cooking breakfast. This is not a big deal since the boat has two 10# tanks and, with a few minutes with a wrench in the propane locker, the gas was flowing again. There are two reasons this is actually noteworthy though. I filled these propane tanks back when I was in Hammock Beach and it has taken me this long to use one up. That is a longer span than I expected. This is also of note because this tank was found to have a problem with one of the safety features of the valve and I've been waiting for it to empty so I could have the valve replaced. So, with the tank empty, I was able to find a company to replace the valve and refill the tank for about $30...not bad at all given these aluminum tanks are pricey to replace.
Right next door to the propane place, there was a metal fabricator/machine shop. I was happy to find this because of my anchor roller project. You see, the anchor roller was mounted to the fiberglass with only 1.25 inch washers as backing and I think the lack of a proper backing plate may have contributed to the failure of the mounting structure. So, with a rough sketch of a template in hand, I had the place make me a big stainless steel backing plate. It was $45, but well worth it if it prevents future problems with the anchor roller mounting structure.
And this leads me to one of the worst things that has happened in the past week. While re-drilling and test fitting the anchor roller and new backing plate, I found a couple drips of epoxy that were preventing the backing plate from seating properly against the fiberglass. I grabbed my Dremel tool and made quick work of getting rid of the drip. What happened next was surprising and depressing. I can only guess that it was the combination of the epoxy dust on my hands and the fact that I've lost some weight, but my wedding ring slipped right off of my finger. And it didn't land on the deck nor the trampoline, but fell right through the gap between them and into the murky water under the boat. To say I felt bad would be an understatement. Fortunately some friends I met through the blog know of someone who might be able to retrieve it if they can get a hold of him. Given the silty muck I don't know what my chances are, but I hold out some small hope that it might be retrieved.
Today the acrylic for my replacement windows came in. Excited to finally be closer to getting rid of the plastic covering the big hole in my boat, I ran the old window over so they could cut the new ones. Unfortunately, the promise that they could cut the windows just like the old ones wasn't realized. The shape is correct, but apparently the shop used a jig saw to cut the shape and then rough sanded the edges. This wouldn't be so bad, but they sanded an uneven chamfer into the edge and this would look pretty bad with the windows only mounted in sealant. I debated rejecting the parts, but I really just want to get my windows back in and get out of Brunswick, so I decided to take them and clean up the edges myself. I guess Lee and Cates Glass has never heard of a router and so I will have a couple days of additional work to clean them up for mounting.
This past week kind of reminds me of this scene from the movie Parenthood...
The day after ordering the acrylic replacement windows, I get a call from the fraud monitoring service for my credit card. They wanted to check with me on a couple of charges and, indeed, we found two charges for over $1400 that I did not make. They blocked my card and had to issue me a new one. Of course, I'm not at the "billing address" for the card, so it was fun to convince them to send me a card at the marina. And since the charge for the acrylic hadn't cleared yet, I called them to give them a heads up and hopefully prevent any further delay in getting my windows back in.
Cards were having a bad week with me. About 5:15 pm one evening, just after the marina office closed, I found that the pass card that allows me access to the marina facilities stopped working. While at a marina, I tend to use their facilities because it is a bit less of a hassle than going for a pump out of the small holding tanks on a regular basis. I was able to borrow cards from fellow residents, but still a hassle until I could get the card replaced the next day.
I finally emptied one of my propane tanks on the boat. Naturally, it happened in the middle of cooking breakfast. This is not a big deal since the boat has two 10# tanks and, with a few minutes with a wrench in the propane locker, the gas was flowing again. There are two reasons this is actually noteworthy though. I filled these propane tanks back when I was in Hammock Beach and it has taken me this long to use one up. That is a longer span than I expected. This is also of note because this tank was found to have a problem with one of the safety features of the valve and I've been waiting for it to empty so I could have the valve replaced. So, with the tank empty, I was able to find a company to replace the valve and refill the tank for about $30...not bad at all given these aluminum tanks are pricey to replace.
Right next door to the propane place, there was a metal fabricator/machine shop. I was happy to find this because of my anchor roller project. You see, the anchor roller was mounted to the fiberglass with only 1.25 inch washers as backing and I think the lack of a proper backing plate may have contributed to the failure of the mounting structure. So, with a rough sketch of a template in hand, I had the place make me a big stainless steel backing plate. It was $45, but well worth it if it prevents future problems with the anchor roller mounting structure.
And this leads me to one of the worst things that has happened in the past week. While re-drilling and test fitting the anchor roller and new backing plate, I found a couple drips of epoxy that were preventing the backing plate from seating properly against the fiberglass. I grabbed my Dremel tool and made quick work of getting rid of the drip. What happened next was surprising and depressing. I can only guess that it was the combination of the epoxy dust on my hands and the fact that I've lost some weight, but my wedding ring slipped right off of my finger. And it didn't land on the deck nor the trampoline, but fell right through the gap between them and into the murky water under the boat. To say I felt bad would be an understatement. Fortunately some friends I met through the blog know of someone who might be able to retrieve it if they can get a hold of him. Given the silty muck I don't know what my chances are, but I hold out some small hope that it might be retrieved.
Today the acrylic for my replacement windows came in. Excited to finally be closer to getting rid of the plastic covering the big hole in my boat, I ran the old window over so they could cut the new ones. Unfortunately, the promise that they could cut the windows just like the old ones wasn't realized. The shape is correct, but apparently the shop used a jig saw to cut the shape and then rough sanded the edges. This wouldn't be so bad, but they sanded an uneven chamfer into the edge and this would look pretty bad with the windows only mounted in sealant. I debated rejecting the parts, but I really just want to get my windows back in and get out of Brunswick, so I decided to take them and clean up the edges myself. I guess Lee and Cates Glass has never heard of a router and so I will have a couple days of additional work to clean them up for mounting.
This past week kind of reminds me of this scene from the movie Parenthood...
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
It Has Been an Interesting Year
A couple days ago it was a year since I first left Colorado to start living aboard and fixing up the boat. It started with a three day marathon drive from Denver Colorado to Hammock Beach Florida. Since that time I have done a lot to get the boat's systems working and get it up to shape for both living aboard and traveling.
Spending time in Hammock Beach getting basic systems like the port electrical, refrigeration, water, and propane systems working while still working at my day job as a software engineer. Fixing lights and updating to LED as I go, patching up some issues in the gel coat and rebedding hardware. Fixing and servicing engines, learning how to maneuver the boat in tight spaces, and generally learning a lot about my new home. It was, and still is, a steep learning curve.
Then moving the boat up to Georgia to continue work while avoiding the tourist un-friendly tax policies of Florida. Arriving at Brunswick Landing Marina strapped to a SeaTow boat after an engine overheat mishap. Resealing boat hatches well into the dark one evening. Disassembling, servicing, and reassembling the neglected line winches. Dissassembling the outboard motor to replace the impeller destroyed by my surveyor. More engine issues and various other odds-and-ends kept me quite busy.
Then taking the boat to Virginia to get some work done while going back to Colorado to "retire", help out with the estate sale, and wrapping up my land-based life. Getting the sails reconditioned and a new stack pack and UV strip installed. Replacing the black water lines that had started to smell. Eventually going back to Virginia to get at least some of the work done that the yard failed to complete. Removing a through hull, painting the bottom, and hunting down replacement parts for my running rigging and anchor roller, and installing a better anchor. Attempting to patch a slow leak in my dinghy and slowly making progress.
Finally moving the boat back to Georgia to escape the cold weather in the Chesapeake. More battles with lights on the mast, water pumps, and the outboard motor. Trying to figure out the best way to care for, protect, and fix 15 years worth of charter-abused and neglected gel coat. Fixing the fiberglass arch. And finally getting all the lights on the mast to work for the first time.
Throughout all of this, I've spent a lot of time on Google. Researching the best ways to bed hardware and hatches and the salon windows on the boat. Looking into water makers, sanitizing fresh water tanks and keeping the water fresh, adding a hard-top bimini, adding solar and wind power to the boat, reducing power consumption, learning new skills like creating eye splices in lines, and many other subjects. And, of course, I've even managed to squeeze in a little time writing blog posts.
Even though the focus has been on working on the boat, it hasn't all been work. I've met a lot of nice people and made new friends along the way (despite my rather embarrassing inability to remember names). Spent last new years with Pete watching the fireworks in St. Augustine. Had a great time at both the cancelled renaming ceremony turned impromptu gathering and the official renaming ceremony for Rover. Got to see a space launch from a distance. Experienced one of the best sunsets I had ever seen. Laid out on the trampoline and looked up at a star filled night on passage. Played tourist a few times, checking out what various locations up the coast had to offer. Spent time at anchor and others at parties at the marinas I've visited. And I've met a number of people through my blog and I appreciate all those that reach out, provide encouragement, give me helpful tips on tasks I'm trying to complete, or even just say hi.
It hasn't always been easy, but I wouldn't have traded the past year for my old life living behind a computer 50 weeks a year. My only wish is that my wife and dogs could have spent more time with me during all of this. Knowing that this should change, I am looking forward to the upcoming year.
Here's to a fantastic 2015. Happy New Year!
Now I'd better go figure out what appetizer to take to the marina New Year's party..
Spending time in Hammock Beach getting basic systems like the port electrical, refrigeration, water, and propane systems working while still working at my day job as a software engineer. Fixing lights and updating to LED as I go, patching up some issues in the gel coat and rebedding hardware. Fixing and servicing engines, learning how to maneuver the boat in tight spaces, and generally learning a lot about my new home. It was, and still is, a steep learning curve.
Then moving the boat up to Georgia to continue work while avoiding the tourist un-friendly tax policies of Florida. Arriving at Brunswick Landing Marina strapped to a SeaTow boat after an engine overheat mishap. Resealing boat hatches well into the dark one evening. Disassembling, servicing, and reassembling the neglected line winches. Dissassembling the outboard motor to replace the impeller destroyed by my surveyor. More engine issues and various other odds-and-ends kept me quite busy.
Then taking the boat to Virginia to get some work done while going back to Colorado to "retire", help out with the estate sale, and wrapping up my land-based life. Getting the sails reconditioned and a new stack pack and UV strip installed. Replacing the black water lines that had started to smell. Eventually going back to Virginia to get at least some of the work done that the yard failed to complete. Removing a through hull, painting the bottom, and hunting down replacement parts for my running rigging and anchor roller, and installing a better anchor. Attempting to patch a slow leak in my dinghy and slowly making progress.
Finally moving the boat back to Georgia to escape the cold weather in the Chesapeake. More battles with lights on the mast, water pumps, and the outboard motor. Trying to figure out the best way to care for, protect, and fix 15 years worth of charter-abused and neglected gel coat. Fixing the fiberglass arch. And finally getting all the lights on the mast to work for the first time.
Throughout all of this, I've spent a lot of time on Google. Researching the best ways to bed hardware and hatches and the salon windows on the boat. Looking into water makers, sanitizing fresh water tanks and keeping the water fresh, adding a hard-top bimini, adding solar and wind power to the boat, reducing power consumption, learning new skills like creating eye splices in lines, and many other subjects. And, of course, I've even managed to squeeze in a little time writing blog posts.
Even though the focus has been on working on the boat, it hasn't all been work. I've met a lot of nice people and made new friends along the way (despite my rather embarrassing inability to remember names). Spent last new years with Pete watching the fireworks in St. Augustine. Had a great time at both the cancelled renaming ceremony turned impromptu gathering and the official renaming ceremony for Rover. Got to see a space launch from a distance. Experienced one of the best sunsets I had ever seen. Laid out on the trampoline and looked up at a star filled night on passage. Played tourist a few times, checking out what various locations up the coast had to offer. Spent time at anchor and others at parties at the marinas I've visited. And I've met a number of people through my blog and I appreciate all those that reach out, provide encouragement, give me helpful tips on tasks I'm trying to complete, or even just say hi.
It hasn't always been easy, but I wouldn't have traded the past year for my old life living behind a computer 50 weeks a year. My only wish is that my wife and dogs could have spent more time with me during all of this. Knowing that this should change, I am looking forward to the upcoming year.
Here's to a fantastic 2015. Happy New Year!
Now I'd better go figure out what appetizer to take to the marina New Year's party..
Thursday, June 19, 2014
Sometimes Loss is a Good Thing
Since I got back to Colorado, I've had a few interesting losses.
When I started this adventure, one of my hopes was that a more active outdoor lifestyle would improve my health. Well, I didn't think too much of needing to buy a belt while I was in Brunswick (I just figured the waistbands on my old pants were stretching). But, after arriving in Denver, I did step on a scale (I didn't have one on the boat). To my surprise I had lost about 35 pounds without any attempt to diet. My only difference was cooking at home more and working on the boat more than sitting behind the "glowing boxes" (computers, televisions) most of the day. One benefit I had hoped for seems to be realized. A big win for me.
I've also suffered from a couple kidney stones in recent years. I apparently have a genetic predisposition for them as my father suffers from them periodically as well. Over the past dozen or more years I've had a couple "procedures" to remove stones. Late last year, before I left to go live on the boat, my doctor found another stone and an ESWL procedure was performed to break up the stone in hopes that it would pass. Shortly before leaving, they did an x-ray and found that most of the stone had passed but there was a small stubborn fragment that was still stuck in my kidney. We tried using an inversion table and a few other techniques to try to get it to pass, but it would not budge. So, I left for the boat with the fragment and instructions to "keep an eye on it".
Since I am back in Colorado, it seemed like a good time to go to the doctor to check up on the stone. I went to the doctor a few days ago, got the usual X-ray, and waited for the doctor. Imagine my surprise when the doctor came in and told me that they saw no signs of the stone fragment. Apparently I had passed the thing. Woohoo! I hadn't really thought of it until now, but I didn't start having stone issues until I was firmly settled in my software engineering career (and associated sedentary lifestyle). I now wonder if it is the lack of movement while sitting behind a computer all day is a big part of stone formation. Getting out and moving about...and maybe hanging from the mast a time or two...definitely seems to help them pass. Regardless of the reason, I'm very happy to be stone free again and I hope it stays that way now.
It really seems to me that our, or at least my, modern lifestyle is not a good thing for long term health. Being sedentary isn't good, sitting for long periods isn't good, stress isn't good...and the list goes on.
Speaking of stress, I've lost something that was causing a lot of stress in my life as well. My job. During the last boat move from Southport to Deltaville, it became very apparent to me that my wife and I really need to shift things into high gear and move on with our lives. The reason I came back to Colorado is to help in that regard. Working full time has limited the amount of time I've been able to dedicate to our new life. Add in that the working conditions, management, and morale have continued to degrade at the job over the last year and it made the decision to leave a fairly easy one. I submitted my resignation, including a two week notice, when I returned to Colorado. The company apparently decided that they didn't want me to transfer any additional knowledge of the projects I was working on to anyone else and released me the next day. Guess it was good for them that I had already been transferring knowledge so my departure would be reasonably smooth and there are only a few systems that people will have to go figure out on their own. At least one of us was professional about it.
So, over the past weeks and months I've lost a few things...and all for the better. I can't wait to get back to the boat and my new, healthier, life.
When I started this adventure, one of my hopes was that a more active outdoor lifestyle would improve my health. Well, I didn't think too much of needing to buy a belt while I was in Brunswick (I just figured the waistbands on my old pants were stretching). But, after arriving in Denver, I did step on a scale (I didn't have one on the boat). To my surprise I had lost about 35 pounds without any attempt to diet. My only difference was cooking at home more and working on the boat more than sitting behind the "glowing boxes" (computers, televisions) most of the day. One benefit I had hoped for seems to be realized. A big win for me.
I've also suffered from a couple kidney stones in recent years. I apparently have a genetic predisposition for them as my father suffers from them periodically as well. Over the past dozen or more years I've had a couple "procedures" to remove stones. Late last year, before I left to go live on the boat, my doctor found another stone and an ESWL procedure was performed to break up the stone in hopes that it would pass. Shortly before leaving, they did an x-ray and found that most of the stone had passed but there was a small stubborn fragment that was still stuck in my kidney. We tried using an inversion table and a few other techniques to try to get it to pass, but it would not budge. So, I left for the boat with the fragment and instructions to "keep an eye on it".
Since I am back in Colorado, it seemed like a good time to go to the doctor to check up on the stone. I went to the doctor a few days ago, got the usual X-ray, and waited for the doctor. Imagine my surprise when the doctor came in and told me that they saw no signs of the stone fragment. Apparently I had passed the thing. Woohoo! I hadn't really thought of it until now, but I didn't start having stone issues until I was firmly settled in my software engineering career (and associated sedentary lifestyle). I now wonder if it is the lack of movement while sitting behind a computer all day is a big part of stone formation. Getting out and moving about...and maybe hanging from the mast a time or two...definitely seems to help them pass. Regardless of the reason, I'm very happy to be stone free again and I hope it stays that way now.
It really seems to me that our, or at least my, modern lifestyle is not a good thing for long term health. Being sedentary isn't good, sitting for long periods isn't good, stress isn't good...and the list goes on.
Speaking of stress, I've lost something that was causing a lot of stress in my life as well. My job. During the last boat move from Southport to Deltaville, it became very apparent to me that my wife and I really need to shift things into high gear and move on with our lives. The reason I came back to Colorado is to help in that regard. Working full time has limited the amount of time I've been able to dedicate to our new life. Add in that the working conditions, management, and morale have continued to degrade at the job over the last year and it made the decision to leave a fairly easy one. I submitted my resignation, including a two week notice, when I returned to Colorado. The company apparently decided that they didn't want me to transfer any additional knowledge of the projects I was working on to anyone else and released me the next day. Guess it was good for them that I had already been transferring knowledge so my departure would be reasonably smooth and there are only a few systems that people will have to go figure out on their own. At least one of us was professional about it.
So, over the past weeks and months I've lost a few things...and all for the better. I can't wait to get back to the boat and my new, healthier, life.
Friday, June 13, 2014
Moving Forward
For the next couple months my posts may be a bit more sporadic. I have returned to Colorado to help my wife with our house. We have lived in the home for over 17 years so there is a lot to go through before we can put it up for sale. A lot of stuff to sell and even more to throw away...er recycle. I don't think we will have to do as much work on the house as we did with my father in law's place, but it still will take a little time. The local housing market seems to be pretty good right now, so I hope we can get the house up for sale soon.
Meanwhile, the boat is on the hard getting a little work done. I'd prefer to do most of the work myself (particularly due to some of my recent experiences with "professionals" in the boating world), but many folks in the Deltaville, VA. area have good reviews for their work so I am hopeful. Unfortunately I simply cannot be in two places at once.
So, I'll post when I have something interesting to report, but I'll assume you all know what it is like cleaning up a house so I won't bore you with that. Wish me luck.
Meanwhile, the boat is on the hard getting a little work done. I'd prefer to do most of the work myself (particularly due to some of my recent experiences with "professionals" in the boating world), but many folks in the Deltaville, VA. area have good reviews for their work so I am hopeful. Unfortunately I simply cannot be in two places at once.
So, I'll post when I have something interesting to report, but I'll assume you all know what it is like cleaning up a house so I won't bore you with that. Wish me luck.
Monday, May 12, 2014
Jekyll Island
The islands outside of Brunswick are known as the Golden Isles and are a reasonably popular tourist and sightseeing destination in the area. I took a few hours off from the boat work to visit Jekyll Island the other day. There is a $6 charge to get to the island and they apparently use the money to work on biking and hiking trails and other support for tourist activities. It is a more natural island than St. Simons (which is
I went and took a walk on driftwood beach. I took my good camera, unfortunately I didn't check the battery before I left and as a result found the battery dead after trying to take a picture. So, I only have a few images I snapped with my cell phone.
It was a nice walk and a good chance to see some of the more natural beauty of the area. Wish I had my mountain bike with me, this island seems like it would be a good place to ride around.
I went and took a walk on driftwood beach. I took my good camera, unfortunately I didn't check the battery before I left and as a result found the battery dead after trying to take a picture. So, I only have a few images I snapped with my cell phone.
It was a nice walk and a good chance to see some of the more natural beauty of the area. Wish I had my mountain bike with me, this island seems like it would be a good place to ride around.
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Friends I Haven't Met Yet
This is a term I've seen a couple other cruising blogs use and I think it is very appropriate. Via this blog I've met a number of people online that either are out cruising or share the dream to go cruising. We've traded emails or had discussions via the blog and have been a source of inspiration for chasing this dream. In a few cases I've even been able to meet them "in real life".
This weekend I was able to meet a couple that are working toward the goal of going cruising. They reached out to me after recognizing the location of the holiday picture posting (It was St. Augustine, Florida). As it turns out, they live only a few minutes away from the Hammock Beach marina where I am currently located. After a few emails we were able to setup a chance to check out each others boats.
The couple, Dieter and Britton, are in the process of restoring a 1968 Newporter 40 Ketch. And when I say restoring...well...maybe a more appropriate term would be rebuilding. They are taking on a project that simply has me in awe. I can tell they truly love the boat and have no doubt it will be gorgeous when finished. Take a wander over to their blog and have a look:
http://www.divingintocruising.com/
After the boat tours, we went into St. Augustine and had dinner at the Conch House. Dinner and conversation were great and it was a well needed break from "the list" of repairs. Definitely improving the fun to work ratio of the recent week. Like so many I've met so far in this adventure, they are great people. The cruising community definitely seems to attract my kind of people.
And to Dieter and Britton, we will have to do that again...and next time dinner is my treat.
If you have ever wanted to learn to scuba dive and run into them during your travels, they are certified scuba instructors and I'm sure you would have a blast learning from them.
I should have some pictures to go with this post. You would think by now I would remember to take them, but alas my mind seems to fail me. So, sorry, no pictures again. I promise I'll try to do better...if I can remember. Of all the things I've lost, I do miss my mind the most. ;-)
P.S. If you have ever thought of saying hi, I'd love to hear from you. In addition to posting comments to the blog (which are always appreciated), you can send me e-mail by using "ThisRatSailed" followed by the at symbol, and the server "gmail.com".
This weekend I was able to meet a couple that are working toward the goal of going cruising. They reached out to me after recognizing the location of the holiday picture posting (It was St. Augustine, Florida). As it turns out, they live only a few minutes away from the Hammock Beach marina where I am currently located. After a few emails we were able to setup a chance to check out each others boats.
The couple, Dieter and Britton, are in the process of restoring a 1968 Newporter 40 Ketch. And when I say restoring...well...maybe a more appropriate term would be rebuilding. They are taking on a project that simply has me in awe. I can tell they truly love the boat and have no doubt it will be gorgeous when finished. Take a wander over to their blog and have a look:
http://www.divingintocruising.com/
After the boat tours, we went into St. Augustine and had dinner at the Conch House. Dinner and conversation were great and it was a well needed break from "the list" of repairs. Definitely improving the fun to work ratio of the recent week. Like so many I've met so far in this adventure, they are great people. The cruising community definitely seems to attract my kind of people.
And to Dieter and Britton, we will have to do that again...and next time dinner is my treat.
If you have ever wanted to learn to scuba dive and run into them during your travels, they are certified scuba instructors and I'm sure you would have a blast learning from them.
I should have some pictures to go with this post. You would think by now I would remember to take them, but alas my mind seems to fail me. So, sorry, no pictures again. I promise I'll try to do better...if I can remember. Of all the things I've lost, I do miss my mind the most. ;-)
P.S. If you have ever thought of saying hi, I'd love to hear from you. In addition to posting comments to the blog (which are always appreciated), you can send me e-mail by using "ThisRatSailed" followed by the at symbol, and the server "gmail.com".
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Happy New Year!
Boy, so much has happened this past year...and for that fact, the past 5 days. I packed up some stuff (and forgot a bunch of other stuff), drove 1820 miles in my little Toyota Celica, moved aboard our boat, started working my current job from the boat, and started getting settled in to this new life. Finding more to add to the list of projects I need to start working on to turn it from a boat into our home, but I have started a couple of them. Met a lot of nice people and I even made to the St. Augustine Beach new years celebration (that, in true cruising fashion, celebrates the new year at 8:30pm). With all that has happened this week, I was pretty exhausted and crashed before midnight. I did awaken at midnight when some local fireworks were set off (the un-insulated hull of a boat doesn't dampen the sound...was a bit like the inside of a drum when the loud ones went off).
I need to get into a better groove for these posts as I have so much to write about...but need to tend to some more urgent issues so I will just wish you a happy new year and leave you with a little video of last nights fireworks finale.
That was only the very end...the whole show was quite a bit longer. They put on a pretty good show. Thanks again Pete (coolest boat broker in the world), for inviting me along.
Happy New Year! May 2014 be all you can dream it can be.
I need to get into a better groove for these posts as I have so much to write about...but need to tend to some more urgent issues so I will just wish you a happy new year and leave you with a little video of last nights fireworks finale.
That was only the very end...the whole show was quite a bit longer. They put on a pretty good show. Thanks again Pete (coolest boat broker in the world), for inviting me along.
Happy New Year! May 2014 be all you can dream it can be.
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Thankful for a few Freedom Chips and the Wisdom to Use Them Well
It's Thanksgiving Day in the U.S., and we have been busily preparing to take possession of our future home afloat. While I don't generally like those "I'm thankful" messages that seem to be so pervasive (and not always sincere) and pop up in our social media society always connected conscience this time of year, today I decided to write one. So my apologies for writing this, and I do hope you find it interesting or at least sincere.
Actually, I hadn't planned on writing this at all. My intention was to try to catch up on some of the reading I've wanted to do but am terribly behind on. I was reading the Cost Conscious Cruiser (one of the books that was so generously gifted to me and that I plan to pay forward in the future) and in one of the stories, it made mention of the phrase "Freedom Chips". If you have been researching cruising much, you have probably heard this term used for money a number of times now.
I think it is a great term. In our society we seem to be well trained to try and collect money but not to really see what the true cost of that effort is. Sometimes there is a specific goal for the money and it is needed (food, shelter), but most of the time it seems it is just collecting money for the sake of trying to "keep up with the Joneses", to prove success or justify our existence. We trade it for the newer shiny car, the bigger house, the big flat screen TV, or other symbols of our success. At least that is what I feel I've spent most of my adult life doing anyway.
Calling money freedom chips makes the actual transaction much more clear. I've traded my freedom for these chips by sitting in a soft-walled container staring at a glowing box on my desk (OK, I was diligently writing computer software) for 40 to 60 hours each week of my adult life. I would then trade these chips that represented my lost freedom for the bigger house, the newer car, the 65" big screen TV, or even just putting them in storage (bank) for later use. Once or twice a year I may even trade my freedom chips in for a little freedom, a vacation from the other 50 weeks a year where I was trading my freedom away.
Since we started this idea of leaving it all behind and going cruising, we have been converting some of these symbols of our success back into freedom chips. We've spent some of our chips to learn to sail and will soon be spending a lot more of them to acquire our traveling floating shelter. Over the next few months we should have far fewer symbols of success and far more freedom chips. We intend to trade a larger percentage of our chips for freedom as we move forward. Freedom to spend our time the way we want.
We will always have to trade some of our freedom for chips and some of those chips for life's necessities, but we hope to find a balance that better favors our freedom and not symbols of our past "success". The realization of our role in the rat race and the desire to change that role is what I'm most thankful for this year. Hopefully as we move forward we will spend our freedom chips wisely.
Actually, I hadn't planned on writing this at all. My intention was to try to catch up on some of the reading I've wanted to do but am terribly behind on. I was reading the Cost Conscious Cruiser (one of the books that was so generously gifted to me and that I plan to pay forward in the future) and in one of the stories, it made mention of the phrase "Freedom Chips". If you have been researching cruising much, you have probably heard this term used for money a number of times now.
 |
| Freedom Chip |
Calling money freedom chips makes the actual transaction much more clear. I've traded my freedom for these chips by sitting in a soft-walled container staring at a glowing box on my desk (OK, I was diligently writing computer software) for 40 to 60 hours each week of my adult life. I would then trade these chips that represented my lost freedom for the bigger house, the newer car, the 65" big screen TV, or even just putting them in storage (bank) for later use. Once or twice a year I may even trade my freedom chips in for a little freedom, a vacation from the other 50 weeks a year where I was trading my freedom away.
Since we started this idea of leaving it all behind and going cruising, we have been converting some of these symbols of our success back into freedom chips. We've spent some of our chips to learn to sail and will soon be spending a lot more of them to acquire our traveling floating shelter. Over the next few months we should have far fewer symbols of success and far more freedom chips. We intend to trade a larger percentage of our chips for freedom as we move forward. Freedom to spend our time the way we want.
We will always have to trade some of our freedom for chips and some of those chips for life's necessities, but we hope to find a balance that better favors our freedom and not symbols of our past "success". The realization of our role in the rat race and the desire to change that role is what I'm most thankful for this year. Hopefully as we move forward we will spend our freedom chips wisely.
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Health Insurance
What is it they say about the best made plans? Well, in the middle of my search for a boat, life has thrown me a little curve ball. A few days ago I had to go in for a minor outpatient surgery. I'm at home recovering now and everything should be OK, but it has put my search on hold for just a little bit.
This got me thinking about healthcare again. Of course right now I, like many working stiffs in the U.S., have health insurance provided by my employer. Over the past years the portion of this insurance that the employee pays for has gone up considerably while the coverage seems to have gone down. While I haven't received the final bill, between all the deductibles and copayments and multiple billings. I expect I will owe several thousand dollars...for this outpatient procedure.
I'm pretty sure that for the cost I'll end up paying myself, I probably could have flown to one of a number of places where healthcare is both decent and affordable. If I had been able to think straight at the time, I should have looked into this. Maybe I could have been recuperating in some tropical locale where I could look at some boats instead of sitting at home. Oh well.
In the U.S. we always hear that we have the best healthcare in the world. (We should tout that we have the best propaganda and advertising in the world). While I'm sure we have some very cutting edge research and procedures that can better save lives here, I think the truth is that for most of the average working stiffs in the U.S. our medical care is determined mostly by an insurance company that works as a for-profit business. Their primary concern is to make a profit for their shareholders and their secondary concern is selling their insurance to the companies we work for as a reasonably cost-effective "benefit". The end result is that I doubt most of us actually have direct access to the "best" due to the prohibitive cost and lack of coverage by our insurance providers. When pitting my well-being against the profit of a corporation, I don't think I'll be betting on my well-being as the insurance company's primary motivating factor. So, this leaves most of us with more "average" healthcare.
I have a friend whose father retired to Mexico a number of years ago. As with most traditional retirement-aged folks, they have had somewhat regular experience with the medical care there. The father is happy with the healthcare he has received and finds that the quality of care is very similar to that found in the U.S., with many of the doctors and specialists actually U.S. trained. The difference is that the cost is significantly less, on the order of 25% to 33% of what comparable care costs in the U.S. By the time I calculate what I've paid in insurance premiums and what I'll pay in deductibles, co-payments, and co-insurance (a fancy term for a percentage that you will have to pay out-of-pocket anyway), I'm pretty sure I'll have paid for more than 33% of my U.S. priced medical care this year.
The only thing that the insurance companies seem to really do for us is to negotiate somewhat more reasonable rates with medical providers (you know, when the doctor charges you $100 for something, the insurance says they apply a "discount" and the charge is reduced to $10). Ironically, this isn't that different from the cost controls used in many of the public healthcare systems in the rest of the world.
When I was doing research on this subject a while ago, I ran across an insurance company that would provide international health insurance. I don't recall the exact figures but from what I could remember at the time, I could get insurance for my wife and me that would cover us everywhere except the U.S. and it seemed fairly reasonable. If we wanted to add coverage in the U.S., the cost of coverage was multiplied by a factor of about 8. So, apparently the U.S. does have the most expensive healthcare in the world.
It seems in most cases we plan to be in places that will have decent healthcare at reasonable prices. So, do we simply "self insure" (a.k.a. pay our own way)? Buy a policy with a high deductible that would cover more catastrophic issues? Should we consider some sort of evacuation plan (can fly you to somewhere with better medical care if you are not near facilities that can help)? Lots of questions to be answered. Depending on the cost, I think we will likely do some catastrophic/self insure combination. If we do include an evacuation plan, would we evacuate from the U.S. to find reasonable healthcare. Hmmm...
Here are a couple links for health insurance for cruisers/travelers:
Health Care International
International Medical Group
Diver Alert Network (DAN) - Scuba-oriented, but covers other issues as well.
This got me thinking about healthcare again. Of course right now I, like many working stiffs in the U.S., have health insurance provided by my employer. Over the past years the portion of this insurance that the employee pays for has gone up considerably while the coverage seems to have gone down. While I haven't received the final bill, between all the deductibles and copayments and multiple billings. I expect I will owe several thousand dollars...for this outpatient procedure.
I'm pretty sure that for the cost I'll end up paying myself, I probably could have flown to one of a number of places where healthcare is both decent and affordable. If I had been able to think straight at the time, I should have looked into this. Maybe I could have been recuperating in some tropical locale where I could look at some boats instead of sitting at home. Oh well.
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| General Hospital in St George's, Grenada |
I have a friend whose father retired to Mexico a number of years ago. As with most traditional retirement-aged folks, they have had somewhat regular experience with the medical care there. The father is happy with the healthcare he has received and finds that the quality of care is very similar to that found in the U.S., with many of the doctors and specialists actually U.S. trained. The difference is that the cost is significantly less, on the order of 25% to 33% of what comparable care costs in the U.S. By the time I calculate what I've paid in insurance premiums and what I'll pay in deductibles, co-payments, and co-insurance (a fancy term for a percentage that you will have to pay out-of-pocket anyway), I'm pretty sure I'll have paid for more than 33% of my U.S. priced medical care this year.
The only thing that the insurance companies seem to really do for us is to negotiate somewhat more reasonable rates with medical providers (you know, when the doctor charges you $100 for something, the insurance says they apply a "discount" and the charge is reduced to $10). Ironically, this isn't that different from the cost controls used in many of the public healthcare systems in the rest of the world.
When I was doing research on this subject a while ago, I ran across an insurance company that would provide international health insurance. I don't recall the exact figures but from what I could remember at the time, I could get insurance for my wife and me that would cover us everywhere except the U.S. and it seemed fairly reasonable. If we wanted to add coverage in the U.S., the cost of coverage was multiplied by a factor of about 8. So, apparently the U.S. does have the most expensive healthcare in the world.
It seems in most cases we plan to be in places that will have decent healthcare at reasonable prices. So, do we simply "self insure" (a.k.a. pay our own way)? Buy a policy with a high deductible that would cover more catastrophic issues? Should we consider some sort of evacuation plan (can fly you to somewhere with better medical care if you are not near facilities that can help)? Lots of questions to be answered. Depending on the cost, I think we will likely do some catastrophic/self insure combination. If we do include an evacuation plan, would we evacuate from the U.S. to find reasonable healthcare. Hmmm...
Here are a couple links for health insurance for cruisers/travelers:
Health Care International
International Medical Group
Diver Alert Network (DAN) - Scuba-oriented, but covers other issues as well.
Sunday, June 2, 2013
If you're going to live on a boat, you should know how to swim.
Makes sense doesn't it? If you are going to live surrounded by water, might make sense to know how to swim. Of course, my wife and I know how to swim (we are actually PADI certified divers) but our two dogs haven't been raised around water. So, how does one introduce dogs that don't even like baths to swimming? Lessons, of course.
When our oldest dog had surgery on her leg a number of months back, the doctor recommended physical therapy and gave us the name of a place that actually does PT for pets. They did conventional stretching and exercises and they also had water treadmills and a pool. We found that, in addition to their clinical work, they offered open swimming and private swims for dogs as well (like a public swimming pool for pets). So, while we work on other aspects of our plan, we figured that we might as well get them introduced to the water. This weekend we did just that...our dogs had their first swimming lesson.
The "lesson" was reserved private pool time with one of their employees. We weren't sure how the dogs would do. Our oldest dog has had exposure to their water treadmills during her treatment and in general is more of an adventurous free spirit so we figured she might do OK. Our other dog is very timid and we wondered if he would even get in the water at all.
So, we start off by just introducing them to the pool area. It is an above ground pool with a ramp leading up to a deck that partially wraps around the pool. While I was walking our timid dog around the pool deck to get him comfortable and my wife was talking to the employee, we hear a splash and there was our older dog in the water flailing around. She didn't look happy and was trying to get out so I run over and grab onto the handle of the life vest as the employee (wearing waders in the pool) comes over to get her. The employee then leads her over to the ramp across the pool so she could easily get out on her own. Not the best start, but at least she was swimming. I can only presume she fell in, but I wonder what she was doing. The employee thought maybe she was trying to sniff at the water and lost traction on the slippery edge of the soft sided pool.
We managed to coax our older dog into the pool a couple more times, and she was picking up the whole swimming thing pretty fast. When she wants to head to the ramp to get out, she can swim faster than the employee can keep up walking in the waders. Overall, I think it went well, at least she found out she can swim (and hopefully when to hold her breath).
Our younger, more timid dog was another case. In the half hour we had the pool, it was all we could to to coax him to walk down the ramp towards the water. We did manage to get him, of his own accord, to step into the water. We consider this a win (did I mention that he's timid?). I think it will be a few more lessons to get him comfortable, but hopefully he'll get there.
Overall I think it was a good thing to do. Introducing them to water and swimming in a reasonably safe and controlled environment seems like it should pay dividends down the road.
When our oldest dog had surgery on her leg a number of months back, the doctor recommended physical therapy and gave us the name of a place that actually does PT for pets. They did conventional stretching and exercises and they also had water treadmills and a pool. We found that, in addition to their clinical work, they offered open swimming and private swims for dogs as well (like a public swimming pool for pets). So, while we work on other aspects of our plan, we figured that we might as well get them introduced to the water. This weekend we did just that...our dogs had their first swimming lesson.
So, we start off by just introducing them to the pool area. It is an above ground pool with a ramp leading up to a deck that partially wraps around the pool. While I was walking our timid dog around the pool deck to get him comfortable and my wife was talking to the employee, we hear a splash and there was our older dog in the water flailing around. She didn't look happy and was trying to get out so I run over and grab onto the handle of the life vest as the employee (wearing waders in the pool) comes over to get her. The employee then leads her over to the ramp across the pool so she could easily get out on her own. Not the best start, but at least she was swimming. I can only presume she fell in, but I wonder what she was doing. The employee thought maybe she was trying to sniff at the water and lost traction on the slippery edge of the soft sided pool.
We managed to coax our older dog into the pool a couple more times, and she was picking up the whole swimming thing pretty fast. When she wants to head to the ramp to get out, she can swim faster than the employee can keep up walking in the waders. Overall, I think it went well, at least she found out she can swim (and hopefully when to hold her breath).
Our younger, more timid dog was another case. In the half hour we had the pool, it was all we could to to coax him to walk down the ramp towards the water. We did manage to get him, of his own accord, to step into the water. We consider this a win (did I mention that he's timid?). I think it will be a few more lessons to get him comfortable, but hopefully he'll get there.
Overall I think it was a good thing to do. Introducing them to water and swimming in a reasonably safe and controlled environment seems like it should pay dividends down the road.
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Starting to Purge
Among all the looking for a new boat, there was also an important step that I made a couple weeks ago. I started getting rid of things since we need to purge much of our current lifestyle in order to begin the cruising lifestyle. Actually, to be truthful, I got rid one big item...probably my prize possession.
I think this is the first time I've mentioned it on the blog, I am a pilot. While I didn't learn to fly as a profession, I found flying to be very fun and relaxing. My prize possession, as you might guess, was my airplane. Now, before you think I'm rich, this was a small, single engine, 4-seat aircraft which costs about as much as many cars, used campers, or small (non-live-aboard) boats. Right about the time we were going thru the survey on the Lagoon 37 was when I sold the plane. I'm happy to say that I sold the plane to a nice gentlemen who I think will take good care of her.
After selling the plane I had a hangar full of stuff that needed to go, so I had the first of what will undoubtedly be many garage sales in our future. I wasn't entirely sure how an aviation specific garage sale in a hangar would go over, but I was able to get rid of a fair amount of stuff. This was a particularly good thing as I didn't want to haul a bunch of the bigger or aviation specific items home (it's amazing how much stuff you can collect in 8 years).
It felt good to be getting rid of stuff and putting some extra cash back in the bank. I will also be getting rid of the hangar rent bill at the end of the month and that will result in more cash in the bank while I still have a job. I will miss the plane though.
I think this is the first time I've mentioned it on the blog, I am a pilot. While I didn't learn to fly as a profession, I found flying to be very fun and relaxing. My prize possession, as you might guess, was my airplane. Now, before you think I'm rich, this was a small, single engine, 4-seat aircraft which costs about as much as many cars, used campers, or small (non-live-aboard) boats. Right about the time we were going thru the survey on the Lagoon 37 was when I sold the plane. I'm happy to say that I sold the plane to a nice gentlemen who I think will take good care of her.
After selling the plane I had a hangar full of stuff that needed to go, so I had the first of what will undoubtedly be many garage sales in our future. I wasn't entirely sure how an aviation specific garage sale in a hangar would go over, but I was able to get rid of a fair amount of stuff. This was a particularly good thing as I didn't want to haul a bunch of the bigger or aviation specific items home (it's amazing how much stuff you can collect in 8 years).
It felt good to be getting rid of stuff and putting some extra cash back in the bank. I will also be getting rid of the hangar rent bill at the end of the month and that will result in more cash in the bank while I still have a job. I will miss the plane though.
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Charter Day 5 - Last Sail and more on the Catalina 309
It was the last day of our charter of the Catalina 309 and the weather continues pretty much as it has the last couple days. Moderately strong winds from the North. But the Catalina is a bit expensive just as a hotel room so we go out for another sail.
We don't go far since we don't have a lot of time, but we again set sails, do maneuvers, and continue to get more comfortable with the boat and more sailing practice. Since we have to return the boat with full fuel, we stop by the fuel dock and "fill up". With all the motoring between the docking lessons, the motor running the majority of the time during the infamous day two, and the steaming thru the channnel at the anchorage and back the prior day, we still used less than two gallons of fuel. Those diesels are efficient.
This was the last sail we took on our boat-tel. After this we cleaned up, packed up and were on our way to a hotel...spending our first night on solid land in 10 days.
Now that we had spent several days on a boat by ourselves, here are some thoughts about the whole experience. As I mentioned in a previous post, spending time on both a catamaran and a mono-hull we've decided that a catamaran is the way we'll likely go. I'm not completely sure it is a fair comparison, a 30ft mono and a 40ft cat, but the cat definitely seemed more stable and comfortable. I can only assume a smaller (35ft?) cat will only be slightly less stable of a platform and that a 40 ft mono would only be a little more stable than the 30ft. Anyone out there have any thoughts on this assumption?
The Catalina 309 was quite a comfortable boat for our stay. In the aft of the boat tucked under the cockpit was a "mostly" queen size berth. I say mostly as it tapers slightly at the foot. We found all but the headroom to be comfortable (you can't sit up on the side of the bed under the floor of the cockpit). The bed was actually the same size as the one we had on the catamaran and the cabin was definitely more private.
Moving forward from the main berth you enter the main saloon with a small U shaped galley on the left. The galley has a bar-sized refrigerator, a two burner propane stove and a single basin sink. The refrigerator is DC, but I don't know how long that would last on batteries. Ditto on the hot water, though it has an engine heat exchanger as well (I think).
In front of the galley is the main seating area. This boat also has a LCD TV mounted on the forward bulkhead, a reasonable place for it. The whole saloon area is actually quite spacious, bright and airy, for sitting "down in the hull" of a 30ft boat. The light interior and woods do help.
In front of the saloon, right behind the bulkhead where the TV hangs, is the head (bathroom). I labeled it "tiny" in the picture I previously posted (also below), and it is. There is enough room for the typical marine head (toilet) and a small sink basin. The room is a little larger than the typical airline bathroom. All in all it is workable, until you realize it is a shower as well. There is a shower curtain track in the ceiling that blocks water from getting out the door or all over the cabinet. The sink spigot becomes a handheld shower sprayer. I tried the shower once. When you get wet, you are essentially wearing the shower curtain. The separate shower on the cat was a much better option...although bathing off the back of the boat is a nice option too, and there's plenty of room there.
Finally, at the front of the boat is a V berth. We didn't spend any time in the V-berth, it was mostly used as storage for the cockpit cushions, some racheting recliner cushions, and some of our larger provisions (soda, etc.). I wouldn't think the berth would have enough leg room for two, but should be sufficient for one.
Overall the boat would be a good choice for a couple or a small family. I think it may be a be a bit small for a long-term live-aboard (not the largest tanks, and not enough storage space for long term provisioning), but would certainly be good for shorter coastal cruising trips (as well as bare-boat charters). Of course, take this analysis for what it is...someone with very little sailing experience telling you about 5 days we spent on one.
We don't go far since we don't have a lot of time, but we again set sails, do maneuvers, and continue to get more comfortable with the boat and more sailing practice. Since we have to return the boat with full fuel, we stop by the fuel dock and "fill up". With all the motoring between the docking lessons, the motor running the majority of the time during the infamous day two, and the steaming thru the channnel at the anchorage and back the prior day, we still used less than two gallons of fuel. Those diesels are efficient.
This was the last sail we took on our boat-tel. After this we cleaned up, packed up and were on our way to a hotel...spending our first night on solid land in 10 days.
Now that we had spent several days on a boat by ourselves, here are some thoughts about the whole experience. As I mentioned in a previous post, spending time on both a catamaran and a mono-hull we've decided that a catamaran is the way we'll likely go. I'm not completely sure it is a fair comparison, a 30ft mono and a 40ft cat, but the cat definitely seemed more stable and comfortable. I can only assume a smaller (35ft?) cat will only be slightly less stable of a platform and that a 40 ft mono would only be a little more stable than the 30ft. Anyone out there have any thoughts on this assumption?
Moving forward from the main berth you enter the main saloon with a small U shaped galley on the left. The galley has a bar-sized refrigerator, a two burner propane stove and a single basin sink. The refrigerator is DC, but I don't know how long that would last on batteries. Ditto on the hot water, though it has an engine heat exchanger as well (I think).
In front of the galley is the main seating area. This boat also has a LCD TV mounted on the forward bulkhead, a reasonable place for it. The whole saloon area is actually quite spacious, bright and airy, for sitting "down in the hull" of a 30ft boat. The light interior and woods do help.
Finally, at the front of the boat is a V berth. We didn't spend any time in the V-berth, it was mostly used as storage for the cockpit cushions, some racheting recliner cushions, and some of our larger provisions (soda, etc.). I wouldn't think the berth would have enough leg room for two, but should be sufficient for one.
Overall the boat would be a good choice for a couple or a small family. I think it may be a be a bit small for a long-term live-aboard (not the largest tanks, and not enough storage space for long term provisioning), but would certainly be good for shorter coastal cruising trips (as well as bare-boat charters). Of course, take this analysis for what it is...someone with very little sailing experience telling you about 5 days we spent on one.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Charter Day 3 - Our Boat-tel
It's nice to have some wind to sail...but this was getting a bit ridiculous. Hurricane Sandy was continuing to give us high winds, in the 25 gusting to 40 knot range. Probably just as well though...given yesterday's experience. No sailing today.
Now that we've had a chance to calm down and reflect on the prior days events, we talked about "the plan". While she wasn't 100% on the idea of living full time on a boat, she definitely wanted to go sailing again. The whole "when you fall off a horse, you have to get right back on" attitude. Just not today. One decision appears to have been made though. We will probably be getting a catamaran and not a monohull.
Since we were going to be in port all day and I have an old friend that kinda lives in the area, it made sense to see if we could get together. He hadn't been to St. Pete in a while so it was a good excuse. So after visiting the local farmers market, we met up with my friend and his daughter. We showed them our accommodations (my wife started calling our boat/hotel the boat-tel), took the $0.50 trolley tour of downtown, and then went out to the St. Petersburg Pier for lunch. It was good to see them again.
And to try to give this post a little sailing content, here's our "boat-tel". The Catalina 309 "It's About Time II" chartered from Sailing Florida.
Now that we've had a chance to calm down and reflect on the prior days events, we talked about "the plan". While she wasn't 100% on the idea of living full time on a boat, she definitely wanted to go sailing again. The whole "when you fall off a horse, you have to get right back on" attitude. Just not today. One decision appears to have been made though. We will probably be getting a catamaran and not a monohull.
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| St. Pete Pier with the Vinoy Marina Behind |
Since we were going to be in port all day and I have an old friend that kinda lives in the area, it made sense to see if we could get together. He hadn't been to St. Pete in a while so it was a good excuse. So after visiting the local farmers market, we met up with my friend and his daughter. We showed them our accommodations (my wife started calling our boat/hotel the boat-tel), took the $0.50 trolley tour of downtown, and then went out to the St. Petersburg Pier for lunch. It was good to see them again.
And to try to give this post a little sailing content, here's our "boat-tel". The Catalina 309 "It's About Time II" chartered from Sailing Florida.
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Saturday, August 4, 2012
I Just Couldn't...
Well, if any post does it, this one might just get some comments. Most of the people we've discussed our plan with thus far have been supportive, and more than a couple have said they wished they could do something like this. My usual response is "why not do it?"
It has been interesting to hear the responses. I've been able to group them into three basic responses and want to take a look at them.
"I can't afford it." Live-aboard boats can be had for relatively low cost. Certainly much lower than the typical house. While maintenance may be higher per square foot of livable space, the total amount of space is lower so the overall cost can be lower. In addition there is less space to furnish, so you save on the cost of furnishings. Certainly, just as there are houses of all sizes and costs, there are boats of the same...so affordability does depend on the choices made. Affordable choices are out there. When we were in the Florida Keys last, the live-aboards were often referred to as the low-rent district. I recall seeing a story a little while back about folks in several spots in California moving onto boats at marinas as a cost saving measure (here is one example).
"I have a family." There are a number of families that live aboard boats. There are a couple of examples here and here. If you are cruising, things like homeschooling may need to be addressed. But I think it would be far more educational for kids to actually visit other places and experience other cultures instead of just reading about it in a book. While this isn't a particular concern of ours, there is a fair amount of evidence to prove that this isn't a roadblock if you don't want it to be one.
"I have obligations." I think this actually means, "I have bills to pay" and I think that is closer to the real reason most people fear this sort of change. American society has trained us from birth that we need to have the biggest and the most and to be the ultimate consumers. Large homes with granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances. New cars every few years. Have you seen the 80 inch 3-D television. And who could live without a new cell phone every year or two. All of this comes with a cost, and we take out loans and run up credit card bills trying to buy this "American happiness". These are our obligations...and we really don't need most of it.
This is the real catch: you have to be willing to give up the idea of collecting a lot of "things". Do that, and the need to work 50 hours a week for 50 weeks a year to pay for those "things" disappears too. I'll be the first to admit, I was (am?) that way too. We own a house big enough that we don't really even use half of it. We own more vehicles than members of our household and a big damn TV too. But, not that long long ago I realized I was spending a lot of my lifetime earning the wages to buy these things. I believe I can give a lot of it up in trade for a simpler lifestyle and a lot more free time.
He who dies with the most toys does not win...he who dies with the most experiences does. The real question is how do you want to spend the majority of your life?
It has been interesting to hear the responses. I've been able to group them into three basic responses and want to take a look at them.
"I can't afford it." Live-aboard boats can be had for relatively low cost. Certainly much lower than the typical house. While maintenance may be higher per square foot of livable space, the total amount of space is lower so the overall cost can be lower. In addition there is less space to furnish, so you save on the cost of furnishings. Certainly, just as there are houses of all sizes and costs, there are boats of the same...so affordability does depend on the choices made. Affordable choices are out there. When we were in the Florida Keys last, the live-aboards were often referred to as the low-rent district. I recall seeing a story a little while back about folks in several spots in California moving onto boats at marinas as a cost saving measure (here is one example).
"I have a family." There are a number of families that live aboard boats. There are a couple of examples here and here. If you are cruising, things like homeschooling may need to be addressed. But I think it would be far more educational for kids to actually visit other places and experience other cultures instead of just reading about it in a book. While this isn't a particular concern of ours, there is a fair amount of evidence to prove that this isn't a roadblock if you don't want it to be one.
"I have obligations." I think this actually means, "I have bills to pay" and I think that is closer to the real reason most people fear this sort of change. American society has trained us from birth that we need to have the biggest and the most and to be the ultimate consumers. Large homes with granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances. New cars every few years. Have you seen the 80 inch 3-D television. And who could live without a new cell phone every year or two. All of this comes with a cost, and we take out loans and run up credit card bills trying to buy this "American happiness". These are our obligations...and we really don't need most of it.
This is the real catch: you have to be willing to give up the idea of collecting a lot of "things". Do that, and the need to work 50 hours a week for 50 weeks a year to pay for those "things" disappears too. I'll be the first to admit, I was (am?) that way too. We own a house big enough that we don't really even use half of it. We own more vehicles than members of our household and a big damn TV too. But, not that long long ago I realized I was spending a lot of my lifetime earning the wages to buy these things. I believe I can give a lot of it up in trade for a simpler lifestyle and a lot more free time.
He who dies with the most toys does not win...he who dies with the most experiences does. The real question is how do you want to spend the majority of your life?
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