Living Aboard a Sailboat - Do Not Wait Too Long

Living Aboard a Sailboat - Do Not Wait Too Long

We lived aboard our sailboat in the Caribbean for 8 years. I was 49 to 57, my bride 42 to 50.

Could we do it again right now, ages 64 and 57...sure, but with the following caveats. These will not be a surprise:

1) You are less physically able to do things as you age. Not an earthshaking statement but if you are say 45 now and want to go cruising. Do it now. If you are waiting to accumulate more money to buy a special boat... you are most certainly making a mistake. The docks in the US are full of folks saying... one day I am heading to the Caribbean and go cruising. They never leave the dock.

2) The reason the above is a mistake if you really want to go cruising, is that there will always be something holding you back... you have to make the decision and go with what you have at the present.

3) If you hesitate, you will end up swapping time for dollars. The longer you wait the older you get and your ability to enjoy cruising will decline. For instance, the masthead light has a burnt out bulb... grab the bosuns chair and up you go to change it... no problem right? 53 feet above the deck is a little different at 45 vs. 55. At 55, you will strongly consider finding a young kid and you winch him up to change the bulb. Now cruisers do help each other, and a real good younger friend might go up the mast for you, but you cannot always count on it.

Living aboard a sailboat is a great way of life. In the Caribbean, it is a cheap way of life as well. Do not make the mistake of swapping years for more money, go now with what you have and enjoy. We did and so can you.

Frugal Living - Living Aboard a Sailboat - Do Not Wait Too Long

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Living on a Sailboat - Choose and Use Your Anchor Windlass Wisely

Living on a Sailboat - Choose and Use Your Anchor Windlass Wisely

Living on a sailboat was something we did for 8 years, all in the Caribbean. Anchoring out for free was our favorite way of spending the night. The ability to come into an anchorage drop the hook, with no yelling, was the mark of the pros that had done it well many times.

Part of the necessary equipment was a good anchor windlass. Why?... because in the Caribbean, I do not cruise anywhere I cannot wear swim trunks, 200 feet of all chain rode, a 35 lb (minimum) CQR anchor, all handled by a motor driven windlass was a necessity. If you wanted to sleep well...anchor drill at 2AM is not fun...trust me.

We had a vertical Lewmar and were well pleased. About the only catch was occasionally the breaker would trip and the chain jamming in the locker...should not happen often if you are paying attention. We had hand signals, no yelling, me on the foredeck, the bride manning the helm.

The key to using the windlass as a back saver was not to abuse it. An anchor lock a few inches in front of the windlass is a necessity. Never ever install a windlass without one...it takes all the stress off the windlass. A lot easier to replace a bent pin than a windlass. A snubber, is a must have as well, it will provide a backup to the chain lock to relieve stress on the windlass...it will also mean better sleep as the rode can get noisy at night.

When using the windlass make sure you never use it on taut rode. The chain should always be slack as you are pulling it up. The exception is when you are breaking out the anchor. If it does not come up easily, put the chain lock on, give yourself some slack, and try to get it out using the engine... a few times back and forth and you can usually get it up easily. I had to dive on a fouled anchor once...no problem in 12 feet of water.

Living on a sailboat is a lot of fun...keep it that way with a good anchor windlass that you respect and take good care of... It will save your back. Enjoy.

Frugal Living - Living on a Sailboat - Choose and Use Your Anchor Windlass Wisely

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Living on a Sailboat - A Fun and Frugal Way to Retire

Living on a Sailboat - A Fun and Frugal Way to Retire

Living on a sailboat may be an option for you to look at. If you are contemplating retirement, and are looking for a fun frugal way to do so, consider living on a sailboat.

We did so for 8 years in the Caribbean. What did we know about sailing ...not much, so don't let lack of knowledge or experience stop you.

We were introduced to sailboat living in a 4 hour shore excursion from a cruise ship that stopped in St Thomas. A 36 footer with 6 guests and captain and mate.

It was love at first sight; we talked to the boat owners, a young couple having fun. They gave us the initial push and 5 years later we toasted the cruise ships as they left St Thomas harbor from our cockpit.

So you don't need to have salt water in your veins to enjoy living aboard a sailboat. You pick it up as you go. We had a ball for 8 years, never leaving the Caribbean... Venezuela to the Virgin Islands. You can do it too.

Myths about cruising:

·         Pirates, never saw any, never heard of any in our 8 years

 

·         You have to be a great sailor...wrong... 99% of the time you are stopped and enjoying life

 

·         You need to be mechanic to cruise...just some basic skills

 

·         You can't get spare parts...some islands can be a customs hassle, but you can get what you need

 

·         It's not safe...not only did we not hear of pirates, we never had an uncomfortable situation

 

·         It's expensive...wrong, wrong...we spent about ,000 a month and lived the life of Riley

 

·         Hurricanes...during the summer we pulled the boat out of the water and went back to the US

 

Living on a sailboat is none of the above. You find you have a lot of company and the cruising community is a tight knit bunch.

Are you running out of objections  to this great way to retire frugally? You can do this.

The lifestyle in the islands is just what you think it would be, very laid back...no one in a hurry. If you expect things to be done like they are at "home" you should stay "home". If you want to enjoy life surrounded by locals who are 24/7, come on down.

You may want to visit some docks and talk to the liveaboards . I bet you can find someone who has cruised in the Caribbean. Pick their brain. Most cruisers are friendly and helpful to newbie's.

Living on a sailboat... a great fun and frugal way to retire. Enjoy 

Frugal Living - Living on a Sailboat - A Fun and Frugal Way to Retire

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Living on a Sailboat in the Caribbean - How to Stay Safe

Living on a Sailboat in the Caribbean - How to Stay Safe

Living on a sailboat, especially in the Caribbean can be a tremendous amount of fun. In all of our 8 winters we never had a security issue or felt uncomfortable...neither did our cruising buddies. It was and is mostly common sense.

The locals tended to look at cruisers much differently than the cruise ship passengers or guests at the ritzy resorts on their island. There are many reasons for that:

· Cruisers are not in a hurry

· We look alike, find me a cruiser without Teva sandals, I'll show you a rookie

· We take local transportation, buses, 14 passenger vans (maxi taxi)

· We do as the locals do, eat street food, and blend in

The general "rules" we followed in the islands:

· No jewelry

· Wear plastic watches

· Smile...duh

· Be on board at dark

· Wear a fanny pack worn in the front

On the rare occasion you might be out at dusk or dark:

· Go with other cruisers

· Be polite

· Save your heavy partying for the boat

Following these suggestions we never had a problem. But this is no different than what you should do in the US. It is just common sense. Living on a sailboat does not mean shutting off your brain.

I am constantly asked about pirates. Never saw any, never heard of any. Sorry, if piracy is holding you back from living on a sailboat, you'll need another excuse. Think about it...if you were a drug smuggler would you steal a sailboat that goes 5 knots or a cigarette boat that will do 80?

On board the boat, the dinghy was pulled up on davits. This not only made the dinghy harder to steal it eliminated the sounds the water makes when hitting a tethered boat...you don't want to detract from cocktail hour. That's why you are living on a sailboat in the first place...to enjoy yourselves.

Lock your dinghy when going ashore. That will never deter a determined thief with bolt cutters, but it will help. I noticed a lot of cruisers engraved the name of their boat on the dinghy's motor support.

Your attitude is of utmost importance. If you expect something bad to happen it just might happen. On the other hand if you are friendly the natives will respond back to you in kind. I am not talking groveling or being condescending. Just be polite and act like a guest.

Some attitudes to avoid:

· Compare their island to the US

· Point out the poverty you may observe

· Expect things to be done like it is at home

In summation ,living on a sailboat in the Caribbean is a tremendous amount of fun. Use your common sense and it will be as safe as your easy chair back home. Enjoy you lucky people, enjoy.

Frugal Living - Living on a Sailboat in the Caribbean - How to Stay Safe

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Living on a Sailboat - What Do You Do All Day?

Living on a Sailboat - What Do You Do All Day?

The idea of living on a sailboat may appeal to you at first glance. But then you think...What would I do all day?

We lived on a sailboat for 8 years in the Caribbean and I can assure you that boredom is not a problem. Here is your typical day.

Let's put you in English Harbor in Antigua...at anchor, the one time home of Lord Nelson, England's greatest admiral. He was living on a sailboat here in 1795.

Upon arising you grab a paperback that you got 2 days ago at the cruiser book exchange...your cost, nada. You start the coffee, being careful not to wake the first mate. You go up top, drink your coffee and watch the harbor come to life. A mega yacht comes in and anchors...must be Oprah's, there is a helicopter on top.

At 8AM you go below and fire up the Single Side Band Radio. You connect with your buds you last saw in Venezuela. They are in Grenada heading north; you are in Antigua heading for Trinidad. You make plans over the radio to meet in Dominica in a couple of weeks, if the weather is cool...there is no hurry, there never is.

After that you listen to the weather net and get caught up on winds and sea conditions. You are going to go to Guadalupe in a week or so if the weather is OK. Its 40 nautical miles south of Antigua.

You read some more, the wife awakens, has coffee makes some toast and asks what is happening today. You need to go ashore to the ships store and get some electrical connectors. So you lower the dinghy from the davits and you both zip in.

Ashore you run into some mates and make plans to go to St John, the capital of Antigua, tomorrow...in a maxi taxi, Antigua's answer to NASCAR. You get your connectors, return to the boat at noon. Your bride fixes a light lunch and you take a short nap. Ah living on a sailboat.

At 1:30 you start your project, the 12V refrig is running a lot and you don't know why. You discover the power wire feels stiff. You see the corroded connector and cut the power cable back a foot and see bright copper. Using the connectors you bought you do the simple wiring job. Took an hour and a half to figure what was wrong, 2 minutes to fix the problem. Murphy was a sailor you know.

It's now 3 you both read for an hour or so and wonder why you ever thought you needed TV. At 4:30 you both shower, Navy kind, wet, soap, rinse, using little of the precious fresh water you have aboard.

At 5PM every day you watch the sun get lower in the sky with a cold Caribe beer and maybe some Anniversario rum (the cognac of rums, bar none). It cost .00 a bottle in Margarita Island last year.

Dinner is a hunk of wahoo cooked on the small grill on the rear rail. You have fresh veggies you bought yesterday by the side of the road.  Last night you went to your friend's boat for dinner. Ah, life living on a  sailboat.

Well it is 7:30, been dark over an hour, you hit the vberth read a little and turn in. You have a busy day tomorrow; you are going across island, probably at mach 1, with 9 locals in a 14 passenger van. A real big day indeed.

Can you feel the stress...living on a sailboat. Can you see yourself doing this? Enjoy.

Frugal Living - Living on a Sailboat - What Do You Do All Day?

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Cheap Living on a Sailboat Is Fun and Smart Living

Cheap Living on a Sailboat Is Fun and Smart Living

Cheap living on a sailboat is something we know about... for eight years we cruised the Caribbean...bounded in the North by the Virgin Islands, both US and British... bounded in the South by Trinidad and Venezuela... visiting all islands in between, the Windward's and Leewards.

Not only was it a lot of fun, living out the lifestyle that Jimmy Buffett sings about... It was very cheap, we have all this fun and spent around 00 a month in doing so.

How could it be that cheap?

First lets look at clothing costs...for the guys swim trunks, a T-shirt,, hat, sunglasses and flip flops. For the ladies, a swimsuit, cotton cover up,, sunglasses, and flip flops. How expensive do you think such a simple wardrobe would cost? The answer is not much...

How about rent? Occasionally, especially in Trinidad we paid around 0 a month for a slip that included electricity and fresh water...that was living high on the hog to a sailboat cruiser. About 80% of the time we were anchored, close to shore, and paid nothing. We felt especially smug when we anchored close to a fancy resort, charging 0 a night...we paid nothing, had a better view, and roamed around the resort at no charge.

How about food? When you cruise, you avoid the tourist spots...like the resorts referred to above. When having lunch, we would eat where the locals ate. These places were easy to locate, we had two rules:first, we had to be the only white people in the restaurant and second, the menu had to be on a chalk board. If we followed these two criteria, we knew it would be cheap and that the food would be fresh. Except for rare or special occasions, our breakfast, dinners and most lunches were on board, our own boat or someone else's...that's cheap folks.

How about transportation costs? We did have to buy diesel for the sailboat and gasoline for the outboard motor on our dinghy, which got us from the sailboat to the shore. The price we usually paid was about the same as you would pay at a marina in the US... Unless of course you were in Venezuela, there we paid $.37 a gallon for diesel or gas. Getting around the island we used public transportation, ranging from seven cents in Venezuela for the bus to a dollar a person for a taxi, usually a 14 passenger van, in the US Virgin Islands.

Cheap living, cheap living on a sailboat, can be a lot of fun... Who says you have to have a lot of money to enjoy yourselves?

Frugal Living - Cheap Living on a Sailboat Is Fun and Smart Living

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A Good Way to Make Money Living Aboard Your Sailboat

A Good Way to Make Money Living Aboard Your Sailboat

Living aboard a sailboat certainly doesn't appeal to everyone.  For those who do appreciate the tranquility of the live-aboard lifestyle, the problem many deal with is how to make enough money to finance that way of life. Some folks who live aboard actually have regular jobs.  They live on their boat moored at a marina and get up every day and go to work just like normal people do.  Or, in some cases, they anchor in protected waters, take the dingy to the nearest dock and proceed to work from there.

The ideal live-aboard lifestyle is to be free from the shackles of employment.  This means either having enough residual income - a big check in the mail every month - or figuring out a way to earn income without having to leave your boat.  If you don't already have the big check coming in, then, at least for now, option number two is your only choice.

Taking advantage of any one of the many opportunities that are available on the internet can solve the problem.  The internet has evolved into one of the largest business platforms in history. There are countless ways to earn income online.  All you need is a computer and a good high-speed internet connection.  With today's technology, that is not a problem, even on a boat.

As an internet marketer, I am most familiar with Affiliate Marketing.  It doesn't cost a lot of money to get started, and doesn't require any background expertise. If you are willing to take the time necessary to learn the techniques that will enable you to build a successful internet marketing business, you can create the income that you will need to enjoy your seafaring lifestyle.

Developing a profitable affiliate marketing business involves commitment to gaining the required knowledge and consistently applying that knowledge to the growth of your business.  Most people who fail to build a successful and profitable internet business fail because they are unwilling to stay consistent with their efforts.  They become discouraged and quit too soon. It is simple process that anyone can master, but it necessitates a commitment that many are not willing to make.

The cabin of a sailboat would make an ideal office for an internet marketer.  Haul anchor, set sail to your favorite cove, and enjoy the creative atmosphere, pleasant working conditions, and tranquil environment of your enviable workplace. If you are willing to spend a couple hours a day building your own successful internet marketing business, you will be able finance your present lifestyle while you create long-term residual income.

Frugal Living - A Good Way to Make Money Living Aboard Your Sailboat

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Living on a Sailboat - Choose the Right Dinghy

Living on a Sailboat - Choose the Right Dinghy

Living on a sailboat is a great way to travel and live. Choose your dinghy careful. Also learn from our mistakes, we made a bunch of them.

We cruised the Caribbean living aboard a sailboat for 8 years. It took us 3 years to get the right dinghy motor combination. Do not let this be you. Get a hard bottom dinghy, with a large tube diameter (16" minimum), a 15 horse motor, and install dinghy davits on your boat to handle this combo.

Our first dinghy was a rollup dinghy we brought from West Marine that could be stowed in a bag. It weighed a 100 lbs. We combined that with a 5 HP motor that had no auxiliary tank. Dumb...you don't want the hassle of blowing up the dinghy after a passage. Your buds are on their second beer while you are manning the pump.

The 5 HP motor was totally inadequate and with no auxiliary tank had a limited range. Not enough power to plane which makes for a wet ride and bad language if you are dressed for a night ashore. Really dumb...

We did buy a 10 foot Caribe hard bottom dinghy that weighed about 130 lbs. Much more stable than the rollup. But we were not through making mistakes. I increased our motor HP to 8, with an auxiliary tank that increased the range we could go. It would not plane with 2 people. Still wet, still caused bad language...dumb, really dumb.

The only good thing was dinghy davits which enabled us to haul the dinghy up at night and on passage. Towing the dinghy on passage slows you down a half a knot...do not do it... get davits. Since the davits were on the boat when we bought it I can take no responsibility for this situation.

After 3 years I finally bought a 15 horse Yamaha. All was well, we could plane, and it was dry...no more bad language.

All I would have had to do to start off right would have been to open my eyes and look at the dinghy docks in the islands. What do you see but Caribe hard bottom dinghys and 15 horse Yamaha motors. The answer was there all the time.

Living on a sailboat can a lot of fun, learn from our mistakes in dinghys and motors and start off right.

Frugal Living - Living on a Sailboat - Choose the Right Dinghy

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