'Cause I bought the myth of simple life aboard. I'm seriously thinking of selling my beloved CS 36T, which I've owned a paltry three months.
So here's the sob story. I'm a writer, and the more junk/trouble/money problems in my life, the less art/love/time for what's really important. So after fulfilling my biological imperative, we pushed the kids out, sold the whopper of a headache house, and paid off four-fifths of debts. Compared to the rest of 99% of our compatriots we are well off, living downtown with a lovely waterfront view with minimal expenses.
I thought I had found my dream.
And then that damn rope slipped off the bow. Nothing stupid like running onto rocks or blowing up the engine or anything like that, just a poorly flaked length of rope slithering off unnoticed in a chop.
After all the dust clears, even with insurance, it looks like we could have as much as 4 grand worth of stuff we will have to pay for, as we found previous crummy repairs that need to be set right. The insured portion could be in the range of 10 grand.
Just a f***** rope.
We have to come up with the ten grand, and then submit receipts to the insurance company. Could take a few weeks to a month to see a cheque.
So at this point we have to provide 15 thousand dollars to take care of a prop wrap. If I had run her aground (like the other CS 36T in the yard) what would I have to come up with then? $40,000.00? $50,000.00?
And I haven't even begun on the part of where the hell do you live while your home is pulled apart for 6 weeks?.
I'm not sure about those who follow this forum, but I'm not a retired boomer with a quarter million in his bank account to draw on when hell breaks loose. We are not impoverished by any means, and I've had a few previous boats and know they cost money, but this is insane. I left the heritage house behind because I was sick of the bills, and the sheer cost of living in the suburbs. But I've never been handed a bill for 15 grand before, not even anywhere close.
So where's the simple life in that?
I love sailing and I'll always own some kind of sailboat, but now I'm thinking do I even want to take this boat out again (when it's finally fixed) if an easy afternoon sail can set you back 15 grand or possibly much more? I don't know how people do it. No offense intended, but are most of us well-off folks pretending to be hippies or what?
I'm seriously thinking of selling this and buying and converting an old wooden troller or tug, and just leaving it tied up 99% of the time. Calming my sailing demons with a dinghy or small sloop.
Thoreau had it right when he said that most men lead lives of quiet desperation, and go to their graves with their song still in them. I'll be damned if that's gonna be me. I know what I want, and I'm afraid I haven't found it.
Maybe I'm not looking at it right (a definite possibility), but if so, I would sure like someone to show me how I've got it wrong.
So here's the sob story. I'm a writer, and the more junk/trouble/money problems in my life, the less art/love/time for what's really important. So after fulfilling my biological imperative, we pushed the kids out, sold the whopper of a headache house, and paid off four-fifths of debts. Compared to the rest of 99% of our compatriots we are well off, living downtown with a lovely waterfront view with minimal expenses.
I thought I had found my dream.
And then that damn rope slipped off the bow. Nothing stupid like running onto rocks or blowing up the engine or anything like that, just a poorly flaked length of rope slithering off unnoticed in a chop.
After all the dust clears, even with insurance, it looks like we could have as much as 4 grand worth of stuff we will have to pay for, as we found previous crummy repairs that need to be set right. The insured portion could be in the range of 10 grand.
Just a f***** rope.
We have to come up with the ten grand, and then submit receipts to the insurance company. Could take a few weeks to a month to see a cheque.
So at this point we have to provide 15 thousand dollars to take care of a prop wrap. If I had run her aground (like the other CS 36T in the yard) what would I have to come up with then? $40,000.00? $50,000.00?
And I haven't even begun on the part of where the hell do you live while your home is pulled apart for 6 weeks?.
I'm not sure about those who follow this forum, but I'm not a retired boomer with a quarter million in his bank account to draw on when hell breaks loose. We are not impoverished by any means, and I've had a few previous boats and know they cost money, but this is insane. I left the heritage house behind because I was sick of the bills, and the sheer cost of living in the suburbs. But I've never been handed a bill for 15 grand before, not even anywhere close.
So where's the simple life in that?
I love sailing and I'll always own some kind of sailboat, but now I'm thinking do I even want to take this boat out again (when it's finally fixed) if an easy afternoon sail can set you back 15 grand or possibly much more? I don't know how people do it. No offense intended, but are most of us well-off folks pretending to be hippies or what?
I'm seriously thinking of selling this and buying and converting an old wooden troller or tug, and just leaving it tied up 99% of the time. Calming my sailing demons with a dinghy or small sloop.
Thoreau had it right when he said that most men lead lives of quiet desperation, and go to their graves with their song still in them. I'll be damned if that's gonna be me. I know what I want, and I'm afraid I haven't found it.
Maybe I'm not looking at it right (a definite possibility), but if so, I would sure like someone to show me how I've got it wrong.