Checking the wheels.....

Did a little exercise today.  I looked up the varied costs of renting yachts/sailboats as well as the training that would be needed to head-off to the horizon with the best chance of success.  the process was supposed to show how it could cost less than you thought to "live your dream".

It was rather surprising how much simply rent is on those boats!

I now understand a little better why all the people I have seen who set out sell off everything and go.  Unless you have a lot in cash set aside, holding onto your house and other things of modern life in north america is going to be almost impossible.  A solid cruiser (used) costs between $150k and $800k, and these are not the mega-yachts,  just solid proven cruise designs.

Blech.  Putting wheels to this plan is going to be tough.

Not impossible though.

It seems to me that as a working class we are given "freedom" which simply means we get to choose our masters and which suburb we will live in.  Oh, we can make a shift, but it will require a lot of nerve and a willingness to discard a lot of the blue-collar mantras we have been raised and trained in.

But what is the alternative?  Hope to hit the loto?  Working extra hard will get one a bit more money, once the tax man has his cut.  But there will not be much left of me to enjoy any kind of change after a couple years of doing that.  I think that the only real way to transition is to decide to do it and then push through.  Build the new support system you need as you lay the groundwork.

So for a support system, some have used the mass market of the 'net to raise funds.  They post articles, videos and sell seats on the boat for different legs of the cruise.  I'll have to ask my future crew if they would be OK with that, but that could be a wonderful idea.

We could give someone the chance to "live the life" for a little while without having to jump off the proverbial bridge.  HD camera gear and drones are affordable enough that the whole thing can be documented for others to live vicariously along side us.  A satellite or SSB radio link would allow others to suggest research options at the destinations through e-mail, or the posting of pictures/video very close to the time of the events shown.

Things to consider for sure.

I'm going to try and do at least one thing every day to step towards the goal.  Tonight, I chose to go into work to deal with a breakdown.  It interrupted my long weekend, but it gives me extra $$$ and time off later that I can use to move ahead.

I do so want to meet my old friends out on the water someday.  :-)