I lost my job... so I'm going sailing

[hellosailor]

All depends on what you want to do, and how you want to do it. You can live big, or frugal. Plan to take off a year, or ten. Six figures put aside will generate enough income to pay for cruising expenses, but that's no different from saying you want to put it aside to pay for retirement, or anything else.

The only way to make sure you won't get in trouble, is to run up some numbers for what you want to do, see what the expenses will be, and then see how your kitty can or can't match that versus your long term plans.

The math boggles a lot of folks, but if you get the raw numbers together, any financial planner or accountant can run them for you. Sun Office (similar to MS Excel but freeware) or any other spreadsheet software can do the grunt work, and your local library has DVDs on how to use that, if you're not familiar with it.

[Dutch1951]

"Money's purpose isn't to buy you things, it's to buy you time away from making money..."

Better words have never been said......

[sailhagg]

You're doing what I've been thinking about! I read an interesting book written by a cruiser with information on making money while cruising, something he's done for years. Here's a link if your interested.

How to support cruising on your sailboat

Keep us up to date as you can. I'll be following along leaving drool in my wake.

[mussnot]

Wow… Thanks for taking the time for providing the excellent suggestions and links. Omatakos’ 16 commandments for the frugal sailor will certainly be followed ardently!
Fortunately I own my well equipped little boat so I’m off to a good start (I have somewhere to live).
Rent is paid ‘till the end of May which leaves me just enough time to sell my furniture, my car and the other trappings of my current life, (all of which goes to the kitty) and then I weigh anchor.
Perhaps I’m foolishly optimistic but I’m looking forward to it. As i2f says “The sunsets are just as beautiful” without money.
Touche!

[Winderlust]

Must,

You got me thinking: if one can go off cruising and make it, after losing their job, then why am I still in a job and not cruising? Then I remembered, I don't have a boat. You are way ahead of me man. From your website, I can tell you have real potential in your new endeavor. Good luck.

[Omatako]

Originally Posted by sailhagg

You're doing what I've been thinking about! I read an interesting book written by a cruiser with information on making money while cruising, something he's done for years. Here's a link if your interested.

How to support cruising on your sailboat

Keep us up to date as you can. I'll be following along leaving drool in my wake.

I read the book review and one thing rang a little alarm bell. There is mention made "Who would have thought of treasure hunting?"

If you take a metal detector onto the beach in most counries you'll attract the attention of the authorities, if you find some other guy's Rolex that's probably OK for you to keep/sell/trade it.

But if you find "treasure" and try to keep it, you'll find most places will have strict covenants on treasure and you'll end up falling foul of some draconian laws if you try to keep it.

A "for instance" was a guy I met in Seychelles who had a metal detector and who was a serious treasure hunter, was forbidden to even take the metal detector off his boat. When the customs guys went aboard his boat upon his arrival, they gave him a very stern warning. This is not uncommon.

And it's no different with diving for "treasure". If you find stuff, it is not yours, don't just take it. You could end up in jail.

[kjango]

Welcome to Sailnet Mussnot . Last year I was in such a knot over getting robbed at the end of a 14 month marriage & the court making awards of amounts of money based on things that never existed in the 1st place that I took the last of what I had worked for all my life , bought a sailboat , & disappeared . If I could kiss that shoe clerk of a judge on the lips .....I would . This has turned out so well for me . I'm right at the end of my first winter living aboard , I'm pretty poor but don't hardly have the words to describe how happy I am . I guess I'm Skipjack happy . My point is if you want to do something....maybe the thing to do is just do it & pick it apart as you go . My life now is a whole tapastry of new smells , sounds , & sights . I now have swans & osprey for friends & sleep every night like a baby & just considering the prospects of my new life makes me smile . I hope you look back at some point as the day you lost your job as the best thing that ever happened to you . Good luck

[shawmac]

Originally Posted by Omatako

[*]Try and charge strangers for knowledge/assistance/labour. Let them know up front.

Wow, that sounds to me like an open invite for karma to bite one in the arse. Labour perhaps, if it is significant, but if someone told me I would have to pay for some advice on something I would write them off as a first class jerk.

But boy, would it be sweet justice if I found that royal jerk adrift with a dead motor. Sorry, that usualy friendly tow into the harbour is going to cost a few hundred.

[Joevacs]

Originally Posted by shawmac

Wow, that sounds to me like an open invite for karma to bite one in the arse. Labour perhaps, if it is significant, but if someone told me I would have to pay for some advice on something I would write them off as a first class jerk.

But boy, would it be sweet justice if I found that royal jerk adrift with a dead motor. Sorry, that usualy friendly tow into the harbour is going to cost a few hundred.

I would agree with that too. What goes around, comes around.
The rest of the list i would agree with though

[jrd22]

Muss- good luck to you. I've found that people that think they can make it, usually do. My son (builder, developer) took off like you are going to, he figured there wasn't going to be any building going on for a couple of years so he wasn't going to lose much by going cruising. He's on a tight budget, but he's doing OK and it will be the trip of a lifetime. Fair winds.