Only two days left until Zane and I head up to Annapolis, MD for the 2008 United States Sailboat Show. The pre-travel anxiousness has set in, and I'm already having a hard time focusing on work. The goal for the show is to see all of the boats in our target range; that means catamarans around 40' as well as certain monohulls. Once we've seen those we'll of course dream a bit and look at as much as we can. I'm taking my new camera and will hopefully have plenty of pictures when we return.
Photo by StreetFly JZ
Deciding to upset the status quo of your life in such a drastic fashion as liveaboard sailboat crusing can be unsettling. Often people use the things in their lives to create a feeling of security. It is reassuring knowing that you can come home to a house with a familiar bed, couch, big screen tv, etc. Though many people may dislike their job, it's comforting knowing that you'll receive a paycheck for your hard work. When life tries to bring you down, you turn to nearby friends and family to help you cope. Each of the three, material comforts, income, and relationships need to be thoroughly analyzed when making a significant decision. I feel like I'm continually thinking about these things, and the rest of this post are my current thoughts.
My identity has never been very tied to my possessions. Sure, I like my toys, but I could just as easily replace them with different toys. The boat will replace my house. An extensive iTunes library and a surplus of books will replace the radio and television. Internet connectivity is the one thing I think I could miss, although more marinas are offering Wi-Fi than ever and there are even Broadband-at-Sea type solutions available; however, they are still quite expensive. Which leads me to the money issue.
I am fortunate that my chosen career in the IT field makes it fairly easy to work from remote locations. While I'm trying to build a 'cruising kitty' before setting sail, I am confident that I can find sources of income, with regular internet connectivity that is. Working while cruising may not be the perfect fantasy dream that cruising while independently wealthy is, but if you're working in an island paradise, you're still in an island paradise. The only thing better than an island paradise is sharing it with friends and family, right?
My relationships with friends and family is probably the most difficult matter to resolve, primarily my son. My son, Corey, just turned fourteen, and is a big part of my life. I try to see him as often as possible, and I'd like to think I'm an important part of his life too. Currently the plan is to wait until he's off at college doing his own thing, but even then I know I'd feel guilty if he needed me and I was halfway across the world on a sailboat. The best solution for this I've come up with so far is having enough money set aside for emergency plane flights, and making sure there is decent communication, email, satellite phone, etc.
I'm certain I can easily adapt my current accumulation of "stuff" to the "stuff" of a liveaboard cruising life. I'm fairly confident that I can find ways to afford it. The only potential sticking point is my relationships. Two out of three, majority rules, I go cruising. After all, I've still got at least 4 years to work out the last issue.
So what exactly is the plan?? Well, I feel its time to clarify exactly what our intentions are.
The main goal is to buy and outfit a sailboat in the next 5 to 6 years with some kind of residual income or savings, and start a live aboard life style that will hopefully last at least 2 years. In this time we plan to create a circumnavigation hitting as many different countries and ports of call as we feel necessary. To accomplish this grand plan the following has to happen:
1. The boat!
- We intend to buy a 35+ sailing catamaran. We haven't picked a model yet but we've got a few in mind. We don't know exactly what size we need but I'd feel much more comfortable on a larger boat in heavy seas. Not to mention we need enough space to be able to get away from each other from time to time so we don't kill each other. We're hitting the Annapolis boat show in October to have a look at some. We'll narrow the selection down there and then hopefully charter some in the near future.
2. Money!
- Yeah.. going to need plenty. Depending on buying used or new and 30 to 47 feet, the cost of purchase and outfitting could cost anywhere from $200,000 to $1,000,000. Living aboard could likely be accomplished very comfortably on $30-40k a year. We've got some ideas in mind on how to make the money we may discuss later. If we reduce our cost of living enough we could totally save enough for the lower end of the scale within 5 or 6 years between the 2 of us. That's not the preferred method but that brings me to my next point.
3. Reduction!
- You can't take a whole lot between 2 people onto a 40 foot boat. I've already got a big start on this. My home is all but sold, I've thrown away a TON of stuff and sold some. Outside of furniture I don't need on a boat, all my belongings now fit in a very small area. We're working on Chris's home next. Part of reduction is reducing the cost of living as well. We both work in Atlanta. Once this house is ready we'll put it up for sale and try to move in town. This will reduce living expenses greatly by cutting down gas consumption, parking expenses, bus passes (gwinnett county bus fees are ridiculous), and wear and tear on the cars.
4. Prep!
- This is mainly some personal things like getting different certification for sailing as mentioned previously and various other things.
We'll get a full checklist up with all the details at some point that we can check off with dates so we can see exactly what's left.
So that's the plan. If all goes well, in 5 years we'll be writing this blog from a nice cove at some secluded tropical island.
The main goal is to buy and outfit a sailboat in the next 5 to 6 years with some kind of residual income or savings, and start a live aboard life style that will hopefully last at least 2 years. In this time we plan to create a circumnavigation hitting as many different countries and ports of call as we feel necessary. To accomplish this grand plan the following has to happen:
1. The boat!
- We intend to buy a 35+ sailing catamaran. We haven't picked a model yet but we've got a few in mind. We don't know exactly what size we need but I'd feel much more comfortable on a larger boat in heavy seas. Not to mention we need enough space to be able to get away from each other from time to time so we don't kill each other. We're hitting the Annapolis boat show in October to have a look at some. We'll narrow the selection down there and then hopefully charter some in the near future.
2. Money!
- Yeah.. going to need plenty. Depending on buying used or new and 30 to 47 feet, the cost of purchase and outfitting could cost anywhere from $200,000 to $1,000,000. Living aboard could likely be accomplished very comfortably on $30-40k a year. We've got some ideas in mind on how to make the money we may discuss later. If we reduce our cost of living enough we could totally save enough for the lower end of the scale within 5 or 6 years between the 2 of us. That's not the preferred method but that brings me to my next point.
3. Reduction!
- You can't take a whole lot between 2 people onto a 40 foot boat. I've already got a big start on this. My home is all but sold, I've thrown away a TON of stuff and sold some. Outside of furniture I don't need on a boat, all my belongings now fit in a very small area. We're working on Chris's home next. Part of reduction is reducing the cost of living as well. We both work in Atlanta. Once this house is ready we'll put it up for sale and try to move in town. This will reduce living expenses greatly by cutting down gas consumption, parking expenses, bus passes (gwinnett county bus fees are ridiculous), and wear and tear on the cars.
4. Prep!
- This is mainly some personal things like getting different certification for sailing as mentioned previously and various other things.
We'll get a full checklist up with all the details at some point that we can check off with dates so we can see exactly what's left.
So that's the plan. If all goes well, in 5 years we'll be writing this blog from a nice cove at some secluded tropical island.
So I'm not particularly fond of my day job. I honestly can't think of too many people who absolutely love theirs'. I know there are a few but most people I know would much rather be doing something much more fulfilling. So at 5 o'clock when the whistle to knock off sounds, we all rush out into traffic to sit for an hour or so in an attempt to hurry up and get home. And when we finally get home... we sit on our asses (donkeys make great couches) all evening watching TV. They could've stayed at work!
I know not everyone behaves this way. Some of us actually go home and do something productive. I find myself in this category more often than not lately. Work feels really strange now. Walking in with the knowledge that I will not be working there in 5 years, of my own decision this time, feels fantastic. All the little things that used to bug me don't really phase me anymore. I think its short-timers complex with a twist. I honestly find myself working harder at work than I used to. It makes the time feel like it passes faster and I can actually get home and get to the real work that is going to put me out there in the Caribbean much sooner.
Its a great feeling to know that my future at my current occupation is already decided. Every once in a while if I lose that feeling and get angry or frustrated, I just pull up a blog about living aboard, a boat manufacturer's page, or even just some photos of some of those lesser known destinations in the south pacific. Afterwards.......
So yeah... I'm short timing with 5 years to go.
I know not everyone behaves this way. Some of us actually go home and do something productive. I find myself in this category more often than not lately. Work feels really strange now. Walking in with the knowledge that I will not be working there in 5 years, of my own decision this time, feels fantastic. All the little things that used to bug me don't really phase me anymore. I think its short-timers complex with a twist. I honestly find myself working harder at work than I used to. It makes the time feel like it passes faster and I can actually get home and get to the real work that is going to put me out there in the Caribbean much sooner.
Its a great feeling to know that my future at my current occupation is already decided. Every once in a while if I lose that feeling and get angry or frustrated, I just pull up a blog about living aboard, a boat manufacturer's page, or even just some photos of some of those lesser known destinations in the south pacific. Afterwards.......
So yeah... I'm short timing with 5 years to go.
Photo by gsbrown99
As Zane mentioned, learning to sail is a primary step in our plan. After all, it wouldn't be very smart to sell everything and buy a sailboat without knowing how to use it. There are many ways to learn to sail including just getting a boat and winging it. To make sure that we set off with as much knowledge and experience as we can get, we are both going to go to sailing school. There are also several options for sailing school, for example: Which certification organization? Which school? Go local or travel?
There are two major sailing instruction organizations in the US, the American Sailing Association (ASA) and the United States Sailing Association. Both organizations provide a full range of instruction and certification from Basic Keelboat sailing to Offshore Passage Making. Neither certification is considered "better" than the other, although the US Sailing certification is sometimes favored among racing crews. Since Zane and I only plan to race dolphins, and I already have experience with ASA, we'll be pursing ASA certification. The ASA website has a directory of schools throughout the US and the world, and there are four schools in our area to choose from.
When choosing a school, it's good to visit them so you can get a feel for the boats they use as well as the personalities of the instructors. It's also good to talk to previous students if you can. I had taken the out of the water, or 'ground school', portion of the Basic Keelboat sailing course several years ago with my father, so I am already familiar with Windsong Sailing Academy. I've also done a few of their 2-hour on-the-water sessions, and the people there are great. If you can't find a school in your area that you feel comfortable with, there are also several schools that offer vacation style courses.
Blue Water Sailing School and Offshore Sailing School both offer options for vacation style courses. With Blue Water Sailing School, you can take multi-day live-aboard courses and obtain instruction and certification while on the boat. Offshore Sailing School offers week long course at some resort locations that includes morning classrom sessions and half-days of on-water instruction leaving plenty of time for other activities at the resort. A quick Google search can find you several other similar options.
Whether you choose ASA or US Sailing and take courses at a local school, or take a vacation to learn to sail, sailing schools provide many great opportunities to learn to sail. For us, they are a way to ensure that we learn the skills required to safely cruise the world's oceans. If you don't already know how to sail, take a course and maybe we'll see you on the water someday.
Photo by jimtsap
The whole idea of breaking free of the rat race and the oh so cheesy “sailing off into the sunset” is obviously a very involved process that requires a TON of preparation. There is crap loads to think of including finances, health, getting rid of personal belongings, and choosing a boat. There is plenty more to think of but my mind is still in off mode from work. I’m sure we’ll post a check off list at some point as we work our way there to see how far we’ve come and how far we have to go. But where to start?
For me one of the most important parts is learning to sail! Putting me with my current experience in a cruising cat that costs two to three times more than my house would be the equivalent of, letting a toddler get behind the wheel of an Italian sports car. Ok, so maybe it wouldn’t be that bad. But it’d be pretty close.
Most of my boating experience has been power boating. I’ve been sailing all of four times in my life, and obviously I’ll need a ton more experience with it. Chris has had more than I’ve had I’m sure. So what kind of experience is needed? It may not be news to you, but there are actually certifications available from the American Sailing Association (http://www.asa.com). I won’t go into them here, just check out their site. I've been told a book on basic sailing with all the terminology and theory behind basic sailing is also a good place to start and that if you take the classroom part of sailing classes you'll be getting one.
The K.I.S.S. Guide to sailing by Steve Sleight is a great book. I’m about halfway through it and it’s far more colorful and enjoyable of a read than the standard than the ASA book Sailing Fundamentals. I’m told the written part of the certification tests come straight from the ASA books though so both have their advantages but its pretty much the same information in both.
I've taken the first step and started educating myself. In the next couple of weeks I'm going to sign up at an ASA certified school for a basic keel boat 101 sailing class. You can find the full list of ASA certified schools on their site. I'm planning on signing up for the boating part only as its much cheaper and I can hopefully gain what knowledge I need for the written part from the books.
There's a long ways to go to see this to the goal, and tons more to do. Hopefully I've chosen a good way get started with sailing.
Photo by djukami
I know what you're asking. "Why the heck is the blog named Broken Fishstick!?" I'll tell you about the name in a bit. First I want to explain the reason behind this blog.
It started sometime around the close of the year 2007. Well technically it started long before that, but that's when it REALLY started. You see, I've had an off-again on-again dream to live aboard a sailboat and cruise the world for many years. I've talked about it at various times in my life, and it's always just been one of those fanciful dreams that "I'd like to do someday." So sometime last year, it resurfaced, only this time I found support.
When I started talking about it with my best friend Zane, he started talking about catamarans. After some research, I agreed that cruising on a cat would be pretty sweet. The dream quickly transitioned from fanciful to realistic, and we started planning how to make it happen. I want to be around at least until my son graduates high school, so that means 2012 at the earliest. Four short years to get everything in order, and we're going to keep a journal of the process using this blog.
The decision is easy part, and that goes for the blog too. We've both enjoyed reading blogs and travel logs from various sailing cruisers, and we both agreed we wanted a blog to keep track of our journey too, starting from the planning stage. The hard part comes when deciding what to call it.
It seems that whenever we try to think up names, everything we come up with ridiculous and unrelated. Inevitably one stands out and keeps coming up whenever the discussion comes back around. After a few days of this, we give up and just embrace the absurdity of it.
There you have it. The Story of the Broken Fishstick blog in all its truthful absurd glory!
