It's tough planning a future when life gets in the way.
I look back and see that the last post was back in 2016, before the election. I'm not going to delve into politics here, as I would rather have a separate forum dedicated to things of that nature. During that period from then to now, there have been a great number of changes to our world irregardless of political turmoil:
1) Our crew has grown by one. My son, previous to the relationship with my Love, has been with us since December of 2016. Our world was mildly chaotic, however things (with a few exceptions) have been smooth sailing. He's even interested in the liveaboard lifestyle, but hasn't really been aboard a boat for any real length of time. This means that in order to verify if we are truly liveaboard material, we will definitely need the experience of renting a boat for a 3-day weekend at some point. Which brings me to...
2) We need lessons. I've been mute here, but a lurker on many boating/cruising/liveaboard forums around the internet and have been listening to various problems. Most issues are due to inexperience of one type or another, and it behooves us to learn as much as we can before we set one foot aboard a vessel of our own. It also helps that getting certifications can reduce the insurance cost when the time comes, so there's a fiscal component as well. Most importantly, we have been working as a family to get ourselves into a mindset of working together on tasks as if we have a chain of command. With two headstrong boys, this is often easier imagined than done. Nevertheless, we're planning on eventually (prior to renting the boat for that 3-day weekend) getting lessons from someplace local that will offer us what we need to get our certification. That brings me to...
3) The world is a different place since 9/11/01. Not only is it a more dangerous world for Americans in particular, but it is also a more strict, more information-centric time we live in. Our location, if we are living in the United States, needs to be more stable if we are to be recognized as a valid person within society (and not seen as a terrorist intent on destroying the society at large). Liveaboards, because they live aboard a boat that has no physical address that can be recognized outside of a berth number, are almost seen as a step away from homelessness no matter what financial situation the liveaboards may be in. Therefore we also have come to the realization that we will need to get our financial "house" in order, and that will include establishing a permanent mailing address for us stateside that isn't a P.O. Box. I don't want to go into specifics of our plans at this point, but instead would rather detail them in subsequent posts as we achieve our personal milestones. This, I believe, would be the way to illustrate to anyone in the United States how to go from nothing to living the dream of the liveaboard lifestyle because the South Bay area of Los Angeles County ain't exactly the textbook definition of "affordable". That finally brings me to...
4) We're just too good at what we do. My Love and I have been at our respective positions for a bit now, as my 3rd anniversary is approaching in the autumn. Yeah, our familial obligations are there, but our work obligations (and, in the case of my Love, her commute from Hell) have been leaving us exhausted. We have been working on our own creative endeavors and should anything pan out in those arenas it could change our timeline - but we're not relying on it. Our spare time has gone towards doing what we can to further our chances of success in that but I have also done my fair share of overtime, handling holidays and various family outings (we had a trip to a local lake last weekend that was a complete surprise for one member of the family) and dealing with emergencies that cropped up.
So, yeah, we've been busy living our life. We haven't forgotten our dream, though. We still have our "dream boat" on our refrigerator and our bedroom mirror for inspiration. We still cruise Yachtworld listings, but now our specifications have modified slightly. My son will be turning 18 in October and there's no guarantee that he'll still want to be joining us when we do begin cruising, however we always want the option there for him. I still read threads on various forums, I still miss the big Los Angeles Boat Show every January because I'm always too busy trying to get into NAMM, I still dream of the time that I can be rocked to sleep by the constant roll of the ocean...
That time can't get here too [CENSORED] soon.
Sunday, July 22, 2018
Sunday, October 2, 2016
Exploring The Ads, Walking The Boat
After the boat show, I was reinvigorated. Feeling the desire to get onto a boat stronger than ever, we were interested in finding more boats to walk on that were in our price range, and I had an hour to kill each morning.
This is what many consider to be a bad combination.
Although this was my Love's idea to begin with, I have thrown myself behind this wholeheartedly. Not only is it important for us to both be on the same page about the lifestyle of a liveaboard (really all three of us, but Kiddo is all-in as well, as will be discussed later), but the whole concept of lifting anchor and heading towards someplace other than here has really begun to appeal to me on a level unlike anything other than my family and music.
Therefore, I was online Tuesday morning and checked Craigslist's ads for boats and found a $1 listing. Normally when I'm on Craigslist and see $1 ads, I'm in the musical instruments section and that's just to get their much-more-expensive-than-$1 shtuff to the top of the lists of those who sort in ascending price order (like, uh, me). There's usually some who offer charter fishing at $1, but this one ad was for a boat for sale. Could be $100,000... could be $1 million... but I'd never know unless I check the ad out.
Lo and behold, I was right. It wasn't $1.
It was, actually, free.
Caveats:
1) No working engines. Apparently they won't turn over, but the seller assures that it's relatively minor.
2) Hole - Apparently there's a hole that has been patched temporarily.
3) Needs to be out - Apparently it's unwelcome in its current condition where it is currently berthed.
Did I mention it's a wooden hull, too? Harder to insure and repair?
Well, I figured it would still be a fun ad to send to my Love. So I did after she got to work and we resumed our workweek email conversations. I also sent her my search, via a link.
I ended up getting a quick response letting me know that she had struck gold, in a way.
When we were at the boat show, there was a part of the dock that was blocked off from foot traffic, probably because those boat owners didn't pay the extravagant prices the boat show was charging. When we were walking to and from the docks, my wonderful Love had kept having her eye drawn to a boat with a stained glass window that she believed I would like. She had mentioned the desire to check out a boat she saw over there and I was game at breaking the nearly-invisible barrier (it was a folding sign, like you occasionally see in construction areas, with a printed sign attached) and venturing forth, but we didn't want to set a bad example for Kiddo. So we left the boat show without any sort of wrongdoing.
Lo and behold, she found the boat in that Craigslist search I had sent to her.
She contacted the seller that day and made an appointment for us to look it over the next evening. We ate a quick dinner and fought through the traffic (and the idiots, rude arseholes, and hazards to life in general) to get to the marina and meet with the owner. When we finally reached the marina, we could see the boat and met with the owner just as I was getting ready to call him and let him know we made it.
The boat, a 36-footer from 1973 (my birth year, incidentally), was great to behold. We climbed aboard and explored the vessel, inside and out. Kiddo went down to the v-berth, the cabin that would be his should we purchase it. He proceeded to lay down and try out the bed while I looked around the place. I was barely able to stand up inside (I'm 6'2") and the galley, near the v-berth, was dated (it reminded me of my grandmother's kitchen) but that could be upgraded in the future if we wanted to. The v-berth's door was missing, something we would need to fix soon after we were to purchase... if we were to purchase.
I'm not falling in love. I'm not.
I walked the boat while my Love talked to the owner and Kiddo climbed around in a safe and impish manner. He had a tendency to stick close to me, especially when I climbed up onto the flybridge. There was a small grill, sans propane, nearby and I counted at least four spots to place fishing rods. It wasn't perfect, but few things from 1973 are. I can attest. Even so, I realized that it would be a good starter boat for us - or for someone else. The marina is close to the freeway for Love's commute, the berth is close to the gate, which is right next to the showers and restrooms (so no need to use the head onboard) and the parking lot. All in all, it has a lot going for it.
We wound up our discussion with the owner and, although he was busy this weekend, invited us out sometime within the next week/weekend to take the boat out beyond the breakwater. Although he's a motivated owner and holds a clear title, we have literally zero money to put towards anything at the present. That being said, we are discussing a couple of options to offer him to possibly allow us to move onto a boat before the end of the year. Conditional upon a lot of factors, some beyond our control.
We've got a lot of talking to do before we schedule that trip past the breakwater...
This is what many consider to be a bad combination.
Although this was my Love's idea to begin with, I have thrown myself behind this wholeheartedly. Not only is it important for us to both be on the same page about the lifestyle of a liveaboard (really all three of us, but Kiddo is all-in as well, as will be discussed later), but the whole concept of lifting anchor and heading towards someplace other than here has really begun to appeal to me on a level unlike anything other than my family and music.
Therefore, I was online Tuesday morning and checked Craigslist's ads for boats and found a $1 listing. Normally when I'm on Craigslist and see $1 ads, I'm in the musical instruments section and that's just to get their much-more-expensive-than-$1 shtuff to the top of the lists of those who sort in ascending price order (like, uh, me). There's usually some who offer charter fishing at $1, but this one ad was for a boat for sale. Could be $100,000... could be $1 million... but I'd never know unless I check the ad out.
Lo and behold, I was right. It wasn't $1.
It was, actually, free.
Caveats:
1) No working engines. Apparently they won't turn over, but the seller assures that it's relatively minor.
2) Hole - Apparently there's a hole that has been patched temporarily.
3) Needs to be out - Apparently it's unwelcome in its current condition where it is currently berthed.
Did I mention it's a wooden hull, too? Harder to insure and repair?
Well, I figured it would still be a fun ad to send to my Love. So I did after she got to work and we resumed our workweek email conversations. I also sent her my search, via a link.
I ended up getting a quick response letting me know that she had struck gold, in a way.
When we were at the boat show, there was a part of the dock that was blocked off from foot traffic, probably because those boat owners didn't pay the extravagant prices the boat show was charging. When we were walking to and from the docks, my wonderful Love had kept having her eye drawn to a boat with a stained glass window that she believed I would like. She had mentioned the desire to check out a boat she saw over there and I was game at breaking the nearly-invisible barrier (it was a folding sign, like you occasionally see in construction areas, with a printed sign attached) and venturing forth, but we didn't want to set a bad example for Kiddo. So we left the boat show without any sort of wrongdoing.
Lo and behold, she found the boat in that Craigslist search I had sent to her.
She contacted the seller that day and made an appointment for us to look it over the next evening. We ate a quick dinner and fought through the traffic (and the idiots, rude arseholes, and hazards to life in general) to get to the marina and meet with the owner. When we finally reached the marina, we could see the boat and met with the owner just as I was getting ready to call him and let him know we made it.
The boat, a 36-footer from 1973 (my birth year, incidentally), was great to behold. We climbed aboard and explored the vessel, inside and out. Kiddo went down to the v-berth, the cabin that would be his should we purchase it. He proceeded to lay down and try out the bed while I looked around the place. I was barely able to stand up inside (I'm 6'2") and the galley, near the v-berth, was dated (it reminded me of my grandmother's kitchen) but that could be upgraded in the future if we wanted to. The v-berth's door was missing, something we would need to fix soon after we were to purchase... if we were to purchase.
I'm not falling in love. I'm not.
I walked the boat while my Love talked to the owner and Kiddo climbed around in a safe and impish manner. He had a tendency to stick close to me, especially when I climbed up onto the flybridge. There was a small grill, sans propane, nearby and I counted at least four spots to place fishing rods. It wasn't perfect, but few things from 1973 are. I can attest. Even so, I realized that it would be a good starter boat for us - or for someone else. The marina is close to the freeway for Love's commute, the berth is close to the gate, which is right next to the showers and restrooms (so no need to use the head onboard) and the parking lot. All in all, it has a lot going for it.
We wound up our discussion with the owner and, although he was busy this weekend, invited us out sometime within the next week/weekend to take the boat out beyond the breakwater. Although he's a motivated owner and holds a clear title, we have literally zero money to put towards anything at the present. That being said, we are discussing a couple of options to offer him to possibly allow us to move onto a boat before the end of the year. Conditional upon a lot of factors, some beyond our control.
We've got a lot of talking to do before we schedule that trip past the breakwater...
Sunday, September 25, 2016
Kicking Around on a Piece of Ground Near My Hometown
Sometimes it's difficult being broke.
Check that. Most of the time it's difficult being broke. You set up a budget and work on reducing expenses and widening the gap between the income in order to make things happen in your life...
It will sometimes make it hard to justify an experience that is purely educational.
We're not making any money off of doing something like attending the Southern California Boat Show. It was close by, but $30 for tickets (we were $15 each and Kiddo was free) and money for food was an expense that could perhaps be better utilized towards the purchase of a first boat.
I did my best to analyze what we would get out of it, whether we would just blow our cash and feel like we were at some kind of timeshare seminar. Admittedly, when purchasing tickets online we ended up with subscriptions to Sea Magazine and Boating World. Two free magazine subscriptions... what was it that Long John Silver said about silver platters? Oh yeah, never trust 'em.
Having free parking was cool (they had a parking lot with a shuttle every 7 minutes or so) and most everybody we interacted with was absolutely awesome, but winding your way through the vendor tent was like a baitfish swimming through a slew of hammerhead sharks. Friendly, but only because they're planning on devouring you. Having tried that type of selling before, I can respect their dedication to their craft. There were also some awesome products, especially a reusable heating pad that would heat instantly after snapping a device inside the gel filling.
The next tent ended up being home to the seminar area, and just in time to catch the seminar I had thought I'd miss. I grabbed a seat and waited to learn about traveling by boat to Mexico. One of my personal dreams is to "follow" (stay away from the actual pods) the California Gray whales on their migration to the Gulf of California and, perhaps (within any and all regulations) swim with whale sharks. Well, in order to do that, it would require going to Mexico. I've only ever been to Mexico once in my life. A day trip that ended with me purchasing a blanket. Yeah, my "wild years." I was curious as to what we would require, especially because my ultimate dream would involve us staying there over a summer break and immersing ourselves in the culture and life. Learning about nature and our neighbors to the south firsthand rather than through books or media. I ended up learning a lot, and getting a valuable handout that. Some of the information will be out-of-date by the time we wind up on a boat, but the handout will still point us in the right direction when our time comes.
After the seminar, my wife and son swept me away to the boats that were for sale that they had been out looking at while I was being educated. The two yachts, one of which we have the specs for (50 feet, over $940K asking price), were both fabulous for different reasons. I was drooling over the one with two grills (one by the swim deck, one on the flybridge) and Love was enamored of one with the better layout of the saloon (living room, for you landlubbers). Either way, they were way out of our current price range. Once the salesmen realized it, we were lucky to dodge their garlic and holy water as they escorted us back to the dock.
We took a break, regrouped, let Kiddo play with a sailing simulator for a bit, and ventured off to find some vessels that were geared towards what we were considering for our first boat purchase. We ended up finding two that were far more realistic. A 42-foot boat had a California King (the same size that we have in our home) in the master stateroom was going for $125K, and another, that I got excited to see was listed at $55K. That excitement ended up being killed by the musty smell throughout as well as the dual twin beds in the master stateroom that couldn't (read: shouldn't) be modded due to the presence of an exit in between said beds. I'd never be able to share a twin-sized bed with my Love and that just won't do.
After that foray, and seeing the boat at the end of the dock with the price tag of nearly $1.2M, we decided to call it a day. We caught the next shuttle, hopped in the car, and headed back home. We discussed a lot on the way home, and it resulted in some great insights.
Takeaways:
1) Get On The Boat - If you're like what I've described in our lifestyle (shoestring budget, paycheck-to-paycheck, but getting better and finding ways of reducing expenses), take the bit of money and go to one of your local boat shows. This one was smaller than the one that should be coming up around January, but was local and only required we buy two adult admissions for $30 total. Price was a valid concern for us, but we took the chance and were grateful that we did. We stepped onto boats that were suited to our current needs and ones that would be a future dream. Ones that would be a nightmare and ones that would be an alternative (Love and Kiddo took a look at a sailboat that, although curious about, I was reluctant to see since I'd prefer to have more powerboating experience before I began to sail.) Although I've looked at hundreds of boats on all the different websites, actually stepping on decks was far more educational.
2) Don't Let Rude People Win - There was a boat that my wife and son checked out while I was in the seminar that they weren't going to take me to see, simply because the salesman followed them around and wiped down every surface Kiddo touched in a very obvious manner. As a former salesman, I can understand the urge to present a perfect product to prospective customers, but there's a point where certain things cross over into genuine rudeness. This, I believe, would be one of those instances. As far as I'm concerned, he can go take a flying leap. It seemed like these were almost a group of "open boat" presentations by a collection of brokers, so if it was anything like an open house on land then I don't expect these were intended to sell specific yachts. The best way we, especially as consumers, can change this type of mentality is to not give business to these rude salespeople.
3) Kid-Friendly, And Not - Kiddo ended up quite disappointed when he discovered he was too young to get on a paddle board that was propelled by an elliptical-like device built into it. Being extremely active and fearless is a horrible combination for 8-year old boys and insurance agents alike. Although Kiddo seemed like he took the rejection in stride, we believe it ate away at him a little bit every time we passed someone else enjoying a test-drive on the paddle board. We did find a sailing simulation put on by the American Sailing Association that he played six different times, with a very nice and helpful man. He even got a bag/backpack and sticker for his effort.
His enthusiasm onboard the boats we were looking at... wow. He was so excited to show me all his discoveries. Where he'd sleep (even to the point of arguing with one of the salespeople why Mommy and Daddy should have the Main Cabin and why the cabin he wanted was better because of all the windows to see the stars out of), and the complete ease in which he was able to navigate on and off the boats despite occasional large gaps between the stairs and dock. We were always right there in case anything happened, but he would look at us as if we were being over protective. As evidenced by the sighs from the salespeople as we departed, some people appreciated our behavior.
4) Network! - We ended up making a connection with a broker, Charlotte Carbaugh. She was showing the $125K, 42-footer, and made sure to take her card. Unfortunately, we didn't take very many pictures. We were tremendously overwhelmed with our first time there that we didn't really think about some of the most basic things. Networking, though, was one specific goal we had going into the show. Even though it was a focus, we ended up coming home with two cards, one of which we threw away. So make sure that you get out there and make connections with vendors, brokers, whatever you may be looking for!
All in all, it was educational, fun, and more. We've been feeling discouraged, as if the day-to-day concerns are overwhelming us and we can't find the exit. Going there, getting out onto a boat, sitting in the Captain's chair...
Home, home again... I'd like to be here, when I can.
Check that. Most of the time it's difficult being broke. You set up a budget and work on reducing expenses and widening the gap between the income in order to make things happen in your life...
It will sometimes make it hard to justify an experience that is purely educational.
We're not making any money off of doing something like attending the Southern California Boat Show. It was close by, but $30 for tickets (we were $15 each and Kiddo was free) and money for food was an expense that could perhaps be better utilized towards the purchase of a first boat.
I did my best to analyze what we would get out of it, whether we would just blow our cash and feel like we were at some kind of timeshare seminar. Admittedly, when purchasing tickets online we ended up with subscriptions to Sea Magazine and Boating World. Two free magazine subscriptions... what was it that Long John Silver said about silver platters? Oh yeah, never trust 'em.
Having free parking was cool (they had a parking lot with a shuttle every 7 minutes or so) and most everybody we interacted with was absolutely awesome, but winding your way through the vendor tent was like a baitfish swimming through a slew of hammerhead sharks. Friendly, but only because they're planning on devouring you. Having tried that type of selling before, I can respect their dedication to their craft. There were also some awesome products, especially a reusable heating pad that would heat instantly after snapping a device inside the gel filling.
The next tent ended up being home to the seminar area, and just in time to catch the seminar I had thought I'd miss. I grabbed a seat and waited to learn about traveling by boat to Mexico. One of my personal dreams is to "follow" (stay away from the actual pods) the California Gray whales on their migration to the Gulf of California and, perhaps (within any and all regulations) swim with whale sharks. Well, in order to do that, it would require going to Mexico. I've only ever been to Mexico once in my life. A day trip that ended with me purchasing a blanket. Yeah, my "wild years." I was curious as to what we would require, especially because my ultimate dream would involve us staying there over a summer break and immersing ourselves in the culture and life. Learning about nature and our neighbors to the south firsthand rather than through books or media. I ended up learning a lot, and getting a valuable handout that. Some of the information will be out-of-date by the time we wind up on a boat, but the handout will still point us in the right direction when our time comes.
After the seminar, my wife and son swept me away to the boats that were for sale that they had been out looking at while I was being educated. The two yachts, one of which we have the specs for (50 feet, over $940K asking price), were both fabulous for different reasons. I was drooling over the one with two grills (one by the swim deck, one on the flybridge) and Love was enamored of one with the better layout of the saloon (living room, for you landlubbers). Either way, they were way out of our current price range. Once the salesmen realized it, we were lucky to dodge their garlic and holy water as they escorted us back to the dock.
We took a break, regrouped, let Kiddo play with a sailing simulator for a bit, and ventured off to find some vessels that were geared towards what we were considering for our first boat purchase. We ended up finding two that were far more realistic. A 42-foot boat had a California King (the same size that we have in our home) in the master stateroom was going for $125K, and another, that I got excited to see was listed at $55K. That excitement ended up being killed by the musty smell throughout as well as the dual twin beds in the master stateroom that couldn't (read: shouldn't) be modded due to the presence of an exit in between said beds. I'd never be able to share a twin-sized bed with my Love and that just won't do.
After that foray, and seeing the boat at the end of the dock with the price tag of nearly $1.2M, we decided to call it a day. We caught the next shuttle, hopped in the car, and headed back home. We discussed a lot on the way home, and it resulted in some great insights.
Takeaways:
1) Get On The Boat - If you're like what I've described in our lifestyle (shoestring budget, paycheck-to-paycheck, but getting better and finding ways of reducing expenses), take the bit of money and go to one of your local boat shows. This one was smaller than the one that should be coming up around January, but was local and only required we buy two adult admissions for $30 total. Price was a valid concern for us, but we took the chance and were grateful that we did. We stepped onto boats that were suited to our current needs and ones that would be a future dream. Ones that would be a nightmare and ones that would be an alternative (Love and Kiddo took a look at a sailboat that, although curious about, I was reluctant to see since I'd prefer to have more powerboating experience before I began to sail.) Although I've looked at hundreds of boats on all the different websites, actually stepping on decks was far more educational.
2) Don't Let Rude People Win - There was a boat that my wife and son checked out while I was in the seminar that they weren't going to take me to see, simply because the salesman followed them around and wiped down every surface Kiddo touched in a very obvious manner. As a former salesman, I can understand the urge to present a perfect product to prospective customers, but there's a point where certain things cross over into genuine rudeness. This, I believe, would be one of those instances. As far as I'm concerned, he can go take a flying leap. It seemed like these were almost a group of "open boat" presentations by a collection of brokers, so if it was anything like an open house on land then I don't expect these were intended to sell specific yachts. The best way we, especially as consumers, can change this type of mentality is to not give business to these rude salespeople.
3) Kid-Friendly, And Not - Kiddo ended up quite disappointed when he discovered he was too young to get on a paddle board that was propelled by an elliptical-like device built into it. Being extremely active and fearless is a horrible combination for 8-year old boys and insurance agents alike. Although Kiddo seemed like he took the rejection in stride, we believe it ate away at him a little bit every time we passed someone else enjoying a test-drive on the paddle board. We did find a sailing simulation put on by the American Sailing Association that he played six different times, with a very nice and helpful man. He even got a bag/backpack and sticker for his effort.
His enthusiasm onboard the boats we were looking at... wow. He was so excited to show me all his discoveries. Where he'd sleep (even to the point of arguing with one of the salespeople why Mommy and Daddy should have the Main Cabin and why the cabin he wanted was better because of all the windows to see the stars out of), and the complete ease in which he was able to navigate on and off the boats despite occasional large gaps between the stairs and dock. We were always right there in case anything happened, but he would look at us as if we were being over protective. As evidenced by the sighs from the salespeople as we departed, some people appreciated our behavior.
4) Network! - We ended up making a connection with a broker, Charlotte Carbaugh. She was showing the $125K, 42-footer, and made sure to take her card. Unfortunately, we didn't take very many pictures. We were tremendously overwhelmed with our first time there that we didn't really think about some of the most basic things. Networking, though, was one specific goal we had going into the show. Even though it was a focus, we ended up coming home with two cards, one of which we threw away. So make sure that you get out there and make connections with vendors, brokers, whatever you may be looking for!
All in all, it was educational, fun, and more. We've been feeling discouraged, as if the day-to-day concerns are overwhelming us and we can't find the exit. Going there, getting out onto a boat, sitting in the Captain's chair...
Home, home again... I'd like to be here, when I can.
Monday, September 19, 2016
The Moments That Make Up A Dull Day...
I've been a bit delinquent in posting updates to this blog, mostly because life has been getting in the way of everything. Work, illness, a summer of stress from lack of funding... *sigh*
Time is currently our opponent. Our energy is put towards our daily agenda: getting to work, getting Kiddo to school, making sure we're all healthy, happy, and functioning. Being in a position where we are just barely getting by and unable to save any money towards a boat purchase...
Let's just say it's stressful and leave it at that.
The stress has been galvanizing, however. Our jobs have been pleased with our effort and I've received two raises since my last post, my Love has finished the first draft of her first novel and we're working on editing and getting it ready for submission. Her yearly pay raise is coming around, so our monthly incomes are slowly growing... and it's easing our financial burden a bit.
I think the financial consideration is probably the toughest thing for people in our situation to overcome. A boat requires a large sum of money up front, and that requires saving up. In our situation, which has been spending virtually everything that has been coming in, it has been impossible. Now that our incomes are increasing, we're working on paying off our loans and reducing our monthly expenses. Once that happens, we will finally have enough monthly incomes that will allow us to put away enough to get ourselves ready for the next step in our boat search.
We still haven't found out what our dog's reaction to being on a boat (or even on the dock, for starters) will be, we haven't spent a length of time (at least a weekend, including sleeping) on a boat, and we haven't taken a look at boats in person, excepting the trip we made to the auction. This has been primarily due to a lack of free time, but we also don't want to get a seller's hopes up only to be "just looking". Ideally, our best bet to look at boats would be to attend a boat show. Boat shows typically happen in the beginning of the year in our particular area, however I found out about one SUPER CLOSE to where we live (and where we'd prefer to berth) that's taking place this weekend that we'll most likely be attending. It'll be our first foray into the world of boat shows, and while we have no intentions of purchasing, it's still an excellent source of information and ideas as to what is out there (and what will be coming). Looking at the seminars and seeing conversations about diesel vs. electric engines, I have to say I'm quite intrigued! There's also a 45-minute sailing lesson that I think Kiddo would get a lot out of, but is prohibitively expensive at the present time.
Nevertheless, we are all set to go to the boat show and learn a bit more about our future floating home. We're realistic and understand that we're not equipped yet to purchase a boat, especially a brand new one, but we want to increase our knowledge of what's out there, what new inventions and innovations are being brought onto the ocean. It should be a fun adventure for us all, and we should return with a new look on things and a renewal of our desire to get out there and visit all the places we want to visit.
I just hope that time is more than just plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines. I guess it really is up to us, and this boat show should keep our inspiration alive.
Time is currently our opponent. Our energy is put towards our daily agenda: getting to work, getting Kiddo to school, making sure we're all healthy, happy, and functioning. Being in a position where we are just barely getting by and unable to save any money towards a boat purchase...
Let's just say it's stressful and leave it at that.
The stress has been galvanizing, however. Our jobs have been pleased with our effort and I've received two raises since my last post, my Love has finished the first draft of her first novel and we're working on editing and getting it ready for submission. Her yearly pay raise is coming around, so our monthly incomes are slowly growing... and it's easing our financial burden a bit.
I think the financial consideration is probably the toughest thing for people in our situation to overcome. A boat requires a large sum of money up front, and that requires saving up. In our situation, which has been spending virtually everything that has been coming in, it has been impossible. Now that our incomes are increasing, we're working on paying off our loans and reducing our monthly expenses. Once that happens, we will finally have enough monthly incomes that will allow us to put away enough to get ourselves ready for the next step in our boat search.
We still haven't found out what our dog's reaction to being on a boat (or even on the dock, for starters) will be, we haven't spent a length of time (at least a weekend, including sleeping) on a boat, and we haven't taken a look at boats in person, excepting the trip we made to the auction. This has been primarily due to a lack of free time, but we also don't want to get a seller's hopes up only to be "just looking". Ideally, our best bet to look at boats would be to attend a boat show. Boat shows typically happen in the beginning of the year in our particular area, however I found out about one SUPER CLOSE to where we live (and where we'd prefer to berth) that's taking place this weekend that we'll most likely be attending. It'll be our first foray into the world of boat shows, and while we have no intentions of purchasing, it's still an excellent source of information and ideas as to what is out there (and what will be coming). Looking at the seminars and seeing conversations about diesel vs. electric engines, I have to say I'm quite intrigued! There's also a 45-minute sailing lesson that I think Kiddo would get a lot out of, but is prohibitively expensive at the present time.
Nevertheless, we are all set to go to the boat show and learn a bit more about our future floating home. We're realistic and understand that we're not equipped yet to purchase a boat, especially a brand new one, but we want to increase our knowledge of what's out there, what new inventions and innovations are being brought onto the ocean. It should be a fun adventure for us all, and we should return with a new look on things and a renewal of our desire to get out there and visit all the places we want to visit.
I just hope that time is more than just plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines. I guess it really is up to us, and this boat show should keep our inspiration alive.
Sunday, March 6, 2016
Red Sky in the Morning...
Sometimes it feels as if I'm permanently living a "sailors take warning" lifestyle.
What I mean is that despite two incomes, we're still not even treading water yet. We have just begun to pay back our outstanding debts but still have a bit to go before we are to the point of "saving for our starter boat". Along the way, we have the joys of summer where Kelly must work at two jobs to make up for the income of her 10 1/2- month employment and Kiddo is going to the Y while we work to afford their rates. We work to pay off the title loan on Kelly's car that we had to take to afford the time before I became gainfully employed. On the bright side, the truck is able to pass smog and get current on the registration up to this year. We have internet and home phone again. Our ability to function within the "normal world" is back.
Although we are undergoing trials and tribulations that test our commitment to this dream, we are resolute in our desire to take to this lifestyle. We have our pictures of a "dream" boat tacked to our bedroom mirror and our refrigerator to inspire us on each time our eyes drift towards the image. We continue to look through Yachtworld and Craigslist and see what has sold from the last time we checked, what has become available, what layouts would be good enough to get us on this path towards ownership. I run ideas past Kelly and Kiddo, actively involving each of the people whose lives will be dependent upon our research. I check the forums on various sites (TrawlerForum.com and CruisersForum.com as examples) to learn more about the potential home we purchase. Which home that is, who knows as of yet. We are currently leaning towards a Bayliner 38XX (38-something) at present, but will be flexible enough to look for more options as our nest egg grows.
As someone who has not been predisposed towards saving and purchasing, it feels difficult putting aside the scratching of the instant-gratification-itch to (eventually) set aside enough dinero to purchase a home that is ultimately mobile. If nothing else, the current election cycle has lit a fire under my behind to ensure the option of us leaving for another country should the situation stateside require it. I certainly hope it is not the case, but I like to be prepared. I leave political discussion out of this blog because this isn't a blog about the political course of the United States, but a blog about the difficulties in transitioning from living on land to leaving it behind.
From what I have read, the actual liveaboard lifestyle could easily be just as filled with various trials and tribulations as to compare with what we are going through. Our temporary financial issues will be exacerbated aboard a boat, and the fiscal situations will potentially cost life instead of money. Mind you, our research involves purchasing a floating home that is totally sound for our purposes. That is, we purchase a boat that we could live on for at least ten years comfortably. Like I've said, we're looking at a "starter" boat in order to save enough to purchase our eventual cruising home. It will enable us (potentially) to make purchases and lifestyle decisions to add residual income to our life portfolio. Successful or not, we have a plan and we're sticking to it.
After all, the alternative is living a life just like everybody else. And I can't abide that in the slightest.
What I mean is that despite two incomes, we're still not even treading water yet. We have just begun to pay back our outstanding debts but still have a bit to go before we are to the point of "saving for our starter boat". Along the way, we have the joys of summer where Kelly must work at two jobs to make up for the income of her 10 1/2- month employment and Kiddo is going to the Y while we work to afford their rates. We work to pay off the title loan on Kelly's car that we had to take to afford the time before I became gainfully employed. On the bright side, the truck is able to pass smog and get current on the registration up to this year. We have internet and home phone again. Our ability to function within the "normal world" is back.
Although we are undergoing trials and tribulations that test our commitment to this dream, we are resolute in our desire to take to this lifestyle. We have our pictures of a "dream" boat tacked to our bedroom mirror and our refrigerator to inspire us on each time our eyes drift towards the image. We continue to look through Yachtworld and Craigslist and see what has sold from the last time we checked, what has become available, what layouts would be good enough to get us on this path towards ownership. I run ideas past Kelly and Kiddo, actively involving each of the people whose lives will be dependent upon our research. I check the forums on various sites (TrawlerForum.com and CruisersForum.com as examples) to learn more about the potential home we purchase. Which home that is, who knows as of yet. We are currently leaning towards a Bayliner 38XX (38-something) at present, but will be flexible enough to look for more options as our nest egg grows.
As someone who has not been predisposed towards saving and purchasing, it feels difficult putting aside the scratching of the instant-gratification-itch to (eventually) set aside enough dinero to purchase a home that is ultimately mobile. If nothing else, the current election cycle has lit a fire under my behind to ensure the option of us leaving for another country should the situation stateside require it. I certainly hope it is not the case, but I like to be prepared. I leave political discussion out of this blog because this isn't a blog about the political course of the United States, but a blog about the difficulties in transitioning from living on land to leaving it behind.
From what I have read, the actual liveaboard lifestyle could easily be just as filled with various trials and tribulations as to compare with what we are going through. Our temporary financial issues will be exacerbated aboard a boat, and the fiscal situations will potentially cost life instead of money. Mind you, our research involves purchasing a floating home that is totally sound for our purposes. That is, we purchase a boat that we could live on for at least ten years comfortably. Like I've said, we're looking at a "starter" boat in order to save enough to purchase our eventual cruising home. It will enable us (potentially) to make purchases and lifestyle decisions to add residual income to our life portfolio. Successful or not, we have a plan and we're sticking to it.
After all, the alternative is living a life just like everybody else. And I can't abide that in the slightest.
Saturday, September 19, 2015
Waiting for it
I'm exhausted.
Since starting a new job nine days ago, I've worked eight of 'em. It was totally my decision, and I loved doing it. Not only was it helping our finances get back in order after a looooong time of un/underemployment, but I've got a sense of purpose, of value. Not that I wasn't valuable to people, mind you. My loving family has always thought of me as valuable, but it's nice to feel it while producing positive results for your employer. I've even developed a mantra that I've been repeating for a while now: "Every day I prove my worth to earn our berth", which is my way of focusing on our goal of getting our vessel within the next two years. I know this isn't really about becoming a liveaboard, but it's one of our major steps along the path. And right now, the next part involves lots and lots of time getting our money straight.
While we wait for our nest egg to get started, we've been trying to decide whether we should purchase a boat outright or save up for a down payment and take out a loan. The option of a loan, from what I have followed on the subject, is difficult because of two specific factors:
1) Banks don't want to lend money on older boats, even if the boats are quality-built. They're (justifiably) skittish over boats more than 20 years old.
2) Banks don't want to lend money to people who don't have a home address. It's like there's nothing that ties them to any particular place if the mood hits them or something...
Mind you, there are banks out there who DO work with liveaboards, but those are limited in number and there's usually a large down payment (20% would be minimum, 25% and higher is recommended) and higher interest rates to eat up monthly income. What it comes down to is whether we want to have a "rent" for a while longer or settle for an older boat? I'm leaning towards purchasing a boat outright, however that would have us doing a nice amount of repair/maintenance that we may be underqualified (read: definitely underqualified) to perform.
At least I'd be enthusiastic about the attempts to repair the thing. Just what we need, an enthusiastic repairman who knows virtually nothing on the subject. In all seriousness, I know I'll be learning how to maintain and repair all the systems on the boat that I possibly can. It's not just convenient; it could potentially save our behinds.
Despite these difficulties, we're more dedicated to the dream than ever. We have two pictures of a "dream yacht" posted in our house, one on our bathroom mirror and one on our refrigerator, to inspire us every time we look at it. I feel like it's working, as I'm using it to keep me focused on what I need to do in order to achieve this dream. It may sound silly to some, but a good friend once told me that positive breeds positive, and negative breeds negative. I'd rather look at a boat than a bunch of other papers while I'm waiting for our dream to come true. It's just that the waiting really is the hardest part.
Darn you Tom Petty for being right!
Since starting a new job nine days ago, I've worked eight of 'em. It was totally my decision, and I loved doing it. Not only was it helping our finances get back in order after a looooong time of un/underemployment, but I've got a sense of purpose, of value. Not that I wasn't valuable to people, mind you. My loving family has always thought of me as valuable, but it's nice to feel it while producing positive results for your employer. I've even developed a mantra that I've been repeating for a while now: "Every day I prove my worth to earn our berth", which is my way of focusing on our goal of getting our vessel within the next two years. I know this isn't really about becoming a liveaboard, but it's one of our major steps along the path. And right now, the next part involves lots and lots of time getting our money straight.
While we wait for our nest egg to get started, we've been trying to decide whether we should purchase a boat outright or save up for a down payment and take out a loan. The option of a loan, from what I have followed on the subject, is difficult because of two specific factors:
1) Banks don't want to lend money on older boats, even if the boats are quality-built. They're (justifiably) skittish over boats more than 20 years old.
2) Banks don't want to lend money to people who don't have a home address. It's like there's nothing that ties them to any particular place if the mood hits them or something...
Mind you, there are banks out there who DO work with liveaboards, but those are limited in number and there's usually a large down payment (20% would be minimum, 25% and higher is recommended) and higher interest rates to eat up monthly income. What it comes down to is whether we want to have a "rent" for a while longer or settle for an older boat? I'm leaning towards purchasing a boat outright, however that would have us doing a nice amount of repair/maintenance that we may be underqualified (read: definitely underqualified) to perform.
At least I'd be enthusiastic about the attempts to repair the thing. Just what we need, an enthusiastic repairman who knows virtually nothing on the subject. In all seriousness, I know I'll be learning how to maintain and repair all the systems on the boat that I possibly can. It's not just convenient; it could potentially save our behinds.
Despite these difficulties, we're more dedicated to the dream than ever. We have two pictures of a "dream yacht" posted in our house, one on our bathroom mirror and one on our refrigerator, to inspire us every time we look at it. I feel like it's working, as I'm using it to keep me focused on what I need to do in order to achieve this dream. It may sound silly to some, but a good friend once told me that positive breeds positive, and negative breeds negative. I'd rather look at a boat than a bunch of other papers while I'm waiting for our dream to come true. It's just that the waiting really is the hardest part.
Darn you Tom Petty for being right!
Thursday, August 13, 2015
Beginning the process, step 1: Living the Dream... through Research!:
So we went to a boat auction.
Several months back I signed up for several notifications of local auctions, but as it turns out the internet is full of misleading information. As an example, I was recently made aware of an online auction of a cargo ship, approximately 210 feet in length. Although roomy, I'm wagering that the slip fees would be a bit beyond our current income. There have been better notifications, but that one was one of my favorites.
But we did receive notification of a live auction close to home, so on an early Saturday morning we woke up and headed out to Long Beach. We eventually ended up in a parking lot a bit of a distance away from the auction site, forcing us to make our way by walking along a path that taunted us with beautiful boats that would make our liveaboard dreams come true. Forty-plus foot yachts (yeah, that's the word I'd use to describe most of these bad boys) beckoning with signs that posted the information of the boat brokers hired to get these money pits sold...
It made me think.
It made me question the viability of our dream, the fact that these people whose annual income would double the income I've managed to bring in within a decade are attempting to sell these majestic vessels. I could've literally passed out from the beauty of some of these "potential" homes. It was almost too much to bear. I began thinking about the reduced space, the lack of growing space (I got my green thumb due to my maternal grandfather's love of gardening - my son and I are currently working on a portable herb garden), the potential for homelessness... It all weighs on my conscience, on my thoughts regarding this lifestyle. I continually weigh the pros and cons, making a real concerted effort to NOT influence my decision with idle daydreams of scuba diving amongst the coral reefs of the world, of swimming with whale sharks around Baja California, of the amazing experiences I can bestow upon Kiddo...
We finally arrived, and Kelly went in to register for the bidding (we had a little bit of cash, but were not intending on spending it. If a boat that fit our parameters was found, however...) and I perused the lots. Everything from fishing tackle to lifeboats to a HDTV was sitting out looking for future homes. I glanced through and saw nothing that we could live without, and began to scan the available boats from a distance.
Many of the vessels were in a state of disrepair, as we expected. There was a mix of sail and power boats, fairly close to 50/50. None of them had the two private cabin requirement that we knew we needed, so we knew early on that this was more of a chance to network rather than look for a floating domicile. In fact, we learned from conversations that one of the boats up for auction was purchased for $10 and then registered here, giving us ideas for the future... as long as the boats aren't totally thrashed. Like the pre-1970 (I feel comfortable judging THAT much) wooden boat that literally had holes in the deck and scared the bejeezus out of us. Because of some back issues, I decided to opt out of the inspection "away team" and left it to Kelly and Kiddo. They proceeded to venture onboard several of the boats, with Kiddo being the only member on at least two of the boats.
Watching him jump on and walk around as if he was on land was amazing to behold. He walked around a couple boats like he was born to it, not losing his balance in the slightest despite the occasional choppiness. I honestly don't know if it's genetic (I always felt at home on board a boat and have never felt the slightest bit seasick) or if it's something that children are prone to do, but my boy was walking around like a pro, as seriously as you could imagine an inspector with at least ten years of experience would conduct himself. He was inspecting the interiors of boats that Momma and Daddy were not venturing on, giving us information on it ("It was real dirty") that we were able to utilize in our bidding decisions.When it was time for us to turn in our bidding number and roll, there were no complaints from him with regards to having to leave without purchasing a boat. He is normally an awesome boy, but he outdid himself this day.
I realized that if I was going to give Kiddo an environment conductive to a well-rounded education, onboard a boat would be right up there. He has a passion for nature in all its forms (he's as fascinated about outer space as he is with underwater) and the options for summer vacations for us can be pretty wide-ranging with boat ownership, giving us more of an opportunity to connect with our planet and each other that most people only dream about.
We are so getting a boat.
Several months back I signed up for several notifications of local auctions, but as it turns out the internet is full of misleading information. As an example, I was recently made aware of an online auction of a cargo ship, approximately 210 feet in length. Although roomy, I'm wagering that the slip fees would be a bit beyond our current income. There have been better notifications, but that one was one of my favorites.
But we did receive notification of a live auction close to home, so on an early Saturday morning we woke up and headed out to Long Beach. We eventually ended up in a parking lot a bit of a distance away from the auction site, forcing us to make our way by walking along a path that taunted us with beautiful boats that would make our liveaboard dreams come true. Forty-plus foot yachts (yeah, that's the word I'd use to describe most of these bad boys) beckoning with signs that posted the information of the boat brokers hired to get these money pits sold...
It made me think.
It made me question the viability of our dream, the fact that these people whose annual income would double the income I've managed to bring in within a decade are attempting to sell these majestic vessels. I could've literally passed out from the beauty of some of these "potential" homes. It was almost too much to bear. I began thinking about the reduced space, the lack of growing space (I got my green thumb due to my maternal grandfather's love of gardening - my son and I are currently working on a portable herb garden), the potential for homelessness... It all weighs on my conscience, on my thoughts regarding this lifestyle. I continually weigh the pros and cons, making a real concerted effort to NOT influence my decision with idle daydreams of scuba diving amongst the coral reefs of the world, of swimming with whale sharks around Baja California, of the amazing experiences I can bestow upon Kiddo...
We finally arrived, and Kelly went in to register for the bidding (we had a little bit of cash, but were not intending on spending it. If a boat that fit our parameters was found, however...) and I perused the lots. Everything from fishing tackle to lifeboats to a HDTV was sitting out looking for future homes. I glanced through and saw nothing that we could live without, and began to scan the available boats from a distance.
Many of the vessels were in a state of disrepair, as we expected. There was a mix of sail and power boats, fairly close to 50/50. None of them had the two private cabin requirement that we knew we needed, so we knew early on that this was more of a chance to network rather than look for a floating domicile. In fact, we learned from conversations that one of the boats up for auction was purchased for $10 and then registered here, giving us ideas for the future... as long as the boats aren't totally thrashed. Like the pre-1970 (I feel comfortable judging THAT much) wooden boat that literally had holes in the deck and scared the bejeezus out of us. Because of some back issues, I decided to opt out of the inspection "away team" and left it to Kelly and Kiddo. They proceeded to venture onboard several of the boats, with Kiddo being the only member on at least two of the boats.
Watching him jump on and walk around as if he was on land was amazing to behold. He walked around a couple boats like he was born to it, not losing his balance in the slightest despite the occasional choppiness. I honestly don't know if it's genetic (I always felt at home on board a boat and have never felt the slightest bit seasick) or if it's something that children are prone to do, but my boy was walking around like a pro, as seriously as you could imagine an inspector with at least ten years of experience would conduct himself. He was inspecting the interiors of boats that Momma and Daddy were not venturing on, giving us information on it ("It was real dirty") that we were able to utilize in our bidding decisions.When it was time for us to turn in our bidding number and roll, there were no complaints from him with regards to having to leave without purchasing a boat. He is normally an awesome boy, but he outdid himself this day.
I realized that if I was going to give Kiddo an environment conductive to a well-rounded education, onboard a boat would be right up there. He has a passion for nature in all its forms (he's as fascinated about outer space as he is with underwater) and the options for summer vacations for us can be pretty wide-ranging with boat ownership, giving us more of an opportunity to connect with our planet and each other that most people only dream about.
We are so getting a boat.
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