This really scares me!
During the earliest days of planning our escape from land life, long before we ever owned a boat, we came across the blog of Seth and Jaime on Slapdash. In our minds at least, these two were kindred spirits and they were kind enough to reply to several of our emails before we set sail, patiently answering our newbie questions.
The adventures that Slapdash went on to post on their blog without a doubt made for entertaining reading but for me, they did much more than that. With no experience of our own, the stories they shared proved to us that what we were planning was actually possible.
That was several years ago and Seth and Jaime have since gone on to circumnavigate the globe on their tiny Gemini catamaran, no small feat! Now however, like several of our other cruising friends, they have returned to North America and have their boat up for sale.
I’m going to be honest… the thought of being required to do something similar scares me. “It’s obvious we’re no longer fit or qualified for land life” is what Slapdash wrote in their last post. I’d have to concur (that’s for us, not for them). I truly believe that cruising changes you and I can not imagine returning to a regular 9-5 routine with a house in the ‘burbs,’ not that we ever really had that lifestyle before we went cruising. No, our future holds something else for us. Exactly what, I’m not sure, but guaranteed, it will be different.
Our best wishes go out to Seth and Jaime, and our sincerest thanks for inspiring us when we needed it most. I humbly hope that at least in some small way, we are able to do something similar for our readers.
I always loved their blog and videos………I guess for some, returning to land one day is like planning for death……..
For many the cruising thing was always meant to be short term. Not us though.
Nice to see your new blog is now live, John. Best of luck with it.
KEWLCHANGE.com
Thanks Mike…….I look at it the same way……I will take my time and make it last a liftime if all goes well……
‘Zactly! Have you done this before?…
🙂
I ASSURE you that you are inspiring others. My husband and I, for sure! Keep up the good work, and I certainly hope we’re able to meet up one day. (the sooner the better 🙂
Thanks. I hope so too! 🙂
I agree with Jennifer. No question you two are stepping into the shoes of “slapdash” and some others leaving the cruising life as online mentors (intentional or not) for future cruisers and sailing entertainers. Thank you!
Sailing entertainers… I like that, as long as by entertainers you’re not thinking of clowns. 🙂
Slowly working up to spending 6 months of the year on the water. Grandkids grow too fast, so I’m told by my lovely wife that we aren’t ready to sail away. Besides, I’d miss summer here on the lake in NH.
Haven’t had a real job since ’93. My wife hasn’t worked for 2 years. She used to quit her job for the winter travel months and reapply late spring. Then never promised to rehire her but always did. Now we don’t even worry about that anymore.
We used to travel through the southern US in the winter, living out of a tent. Campground prices have climbed so much that we couldn’t do that on our current income. However, living on a small sailboat has proven to be more economical than living out of a tent. Go figure.
Sounds great.
Same here! The only way I’m ever selling is if w decide to upgrade to a bigger boat some day. The closest we’d ever come to being landlubbers again, is buying a small place in paradise…with a dock and a smaller boat. Looking at how the world is going down the toilet, though, I think we’ll stick to the boat!
Waterworld, Man! 🙂
Your adventure is day to day, and you share your new lifestyle better than anyone else in my blogosphere, MHO. Your just as entertaining and actually more informative than Seth and Jaime. And I think but not totally sure, because I’ve met them and not you, their a tad crazier than you guys. That could change once you start making longer passages.
We like “Crazy!”
Mike, just want to add my thanks – you have definitely done for others what Slapdash did for you. The “Zero to Cruising,” “Slapdash,” “Bumfuzzle” cruising style is definitely not for everyone – but for some of us, it’s the best way to go.
To be included along with Slapdash and the Bums is an honor!
Mike
We start our down island adventure in December 2012 and although we have lots of experience we always like to tune in to your blog to see what you guys are up to, its generally informative and entertaining.
Best Regards
Thank you for the comment and for following!
Mike, watching you go from “zero” to “cruising” has been a great inspiration. I read several sailing blogs and yours is as good as any and better than most. In fact, it has been a while since I donated. I will do that now as the entertainment and educational value you give is worth it.
Thank you very much for the kind words, Larry and a HUGE thank you for the donation!!!!
I agree with the others here. My wife and I have been reading your blog since you and Rebecca arrived in Grenada. I have spent the last week reading your blog from the beginning! All of it! Besides Bumfuzzle, we also followed along with the Texas Navy-Kaleo, Storyville, Pipe Muh Bligh, and Sitton on the Beach. We are in Kemah,Texas (our boat, anyway) which is where these guys all started out. We also follow Plodding in Paradise and a few others.
Of all these bloggers, I have to say that you guys, Mike and Rebecca, are the ones we’d most like to meet in person. I think that really says alot for the effort that you have put into your blog.
Currently, we are waiting for our home in San Antonio, Texas to sell. We’ve been at it for nearly a year now. Ugh! We had an offer but they backed out at the last minute, otherwise we’d be liveaboards already. We are still hoping to be in the Florida Keys by Thanksgiving, and in the Exumas by Christmas. It’s looking unlikely at this point though.
We are about where you were in 2008. We do have a boat though, that we bought 3 years ago. A mono (blush)… and we have been selling stuff off for a year now. We don’t plan on having anything in storage, and have obviously gone through much of the same decisions that you guys went through, about cutting the ties to land and going cruising. We will even be leaving our pet behind. Max is a 24lb cat.
My wife doesn’t have any offshore experience yet, but I do. I’ve sailed one offshore race down the Texas coast, and also sailed from Jaxsonville, Florida to Cartagena, Colombia with some friends on their 45′ Simpson catamaran. Unfortunately, John died from cancer earlier this year. His wife Melanie, is trying to sell IMAGINE. She is moored in Panama currently, if anyone is serious about wanting a big catamaran (for about 100K us $). Here are some pix and stories of John and Mel’s travels- http://sailingwithcancer.blogspot.com/
I have thought about what it would be like to move back on land once having been cruising. The thought just depresses me, so I’ll just concentrate on getting out there, and see what happens. Sorry for rambling on. Keep up the great writing Mike and Rebecca! We’ll be following along with you.
Ralph and Beverly
s/v Fugue
Kemah, Tx.
Ralph, thanks for mentioning the other blogs you read. I checked them out and they look interesting. My wife and I live in Dallas (McKinney) and are still a few years out from taking off. I found Z to C a little over a year ago and did the same ad you, read it all the way from the beginning. Mike and Rebecca are an inspiration to wannabe cruisers like me.
Larry Jenkins
Hi Ralph and Beverly
Thanks very much for writing. Hopefully the house sells for you soon so that you can get down here to the warm water.
And don’t worry, your monohull will be in good company down here… the vast majority of boats in Grenada are still monohulls.
M & R,
You two have really done an excellent job of documenting the cruising lifestyle (so your mentors are to be complemented). You provide a realistic commentary on the fun things without glossing over the little day to day things that create hiccups in paradise.
Not everyone is cut out for the crusing lifestyle, two things that some may overlook both of you party but also keep in good condition (and work at it). The second you excel at and that is explaining how necessary it is to become adept at “jury rigging” since the parts dept might days or weeks away.
One thing that might help your followers wondering about taking “the plunge” is to mention any fun folks that you’ve met doing charters. It’s a great way to find out if cruising is something that works for you, and it’s really not for everyone. Don’t get too carried away as it’s still great to find those once in a lifetime deals from that couple that sailed into the sunset only to go “WTF were we thinking?”
Carry on, reading your adventures from the office cubical makes the day so much better…
Best to both of you…
Btw: I guess we better start planning the PDQ get together, Annapolis boat show is getting closer…
Hi guys
Thank you!
Interestingly we have met very few people doing charters. As someone once pointed out here, those on a charter are usually traveling with their friends and thus are much more likely to keep to themselves when on shore. Thats obviously not true in every case but much more so when compared to cruisers, especially single-handers or couples.
As for the boat show, yeah, it’s just around the corner, and following it, a fresh crop of cruisers heading south.
Tim and I often think about this because we’re starting our cruising adventures so late in life (56 for me and 57 for Tim). We’ve decided that when we aren’t physically able to cruise anymore we’ll buy an old houseboat and we’ll be those crochety old long-beard and wrinkled couple at the end of the dock in a working fishing marina somewhere. You know, the one with houseplants and hanging underwear all over the deck. We’ve also decided if we get to the place where we need a nursing home, we’ll point whatever boat we happen to have at the time toward the largest hurricane we can find and send the kids a goodbye letter.
I’ve already made the break from land-life in my mind and my heart and I just can’t imagine going back.
Deb
S/V Kintala
http://www.theretirementproject.blogspot.com
Not a bad plan!
Perfect post to have finally caught up on. I’ve been working my way through your posts “from the beginning” since I found your site. Your story is very similar to ours and you have done a spectacular job of writing about it. Don’t worry, you and Rebecca are definitely providing inspiration, and valuable information, for those of us that hope to follow you soon.
This topic scares my wife and I a bit too. While our intention is the same as yours (to make cruising a permanent lifestyle change…at least as permanent as anything in life is) finding information on folks that have done this long term seems to be very sparse. Seems that most of the stories I’ve found are people with specific goals such as sailing around the world or for other reasons found their way back to land after just a few years. In the end we just have to keep the faith.
So, here’s to us running across each other in the future, having a couple of beers (first rounds on me), and laughing about the whole idea of returning to a land-based life.
Mike
Hi Mike
We’re pretty thirsty so please hurry up and get down here so we can share that beer!!!
Awww thanks guys. I love the post. And I love that we’re all RUINED! ha HA! Enjoy you guys. We’ll meet you one of these days out in paradise. Keep on making everyone totally jealous. It’s a key indicator that you’re doing things right I think…
RUINED!
By the way, I heard several radio checks this morning and I couldn’t help but think of you guys. 🙂
I’ve only recently come across your blog and you do a great job with it. My wife and I spent 7 years in the Caribbean on our sailboat, Destiny. We came back to the “real world” because of several things but it isn’t the end of the world, although it felt that way sometimes. The adjustment coming back was difficult but we’ve adapted. Actually, I complained several times that we were “ruined” and couldn’t face going back to the 9-5. Well, I solved it by being a consultant although my wife, better adjusted than me, has gone into the “cubicle nation”.
Interestingly, most of our cruising friends also moved back to land, even people that were out there longer than us. We still hear from some though, that still anchor in our favorite place. I say do it until you don’t want to anymore (which might never happen) – then start thinking about coming back.
I had a website, (a blog before the term got so popular) but the provider, Geocities, closed its virtual doors and I never bothered to get it hosted anywhere else. Good luck in your travels.
Larry
Hi Larry
Thank you.
Obviously many (most) people do find themselves back on land at some point and like you, they probably transition just fine. We plan to do as you suggest and continue on this path until it either stops being fun or more likely, we run out of money. 🙂