The basic ingredients

Now is the right time. Having sailed a dingy for many years, we always dreamed of sailing a live-aboard cruiser. Caught up in life with young children, and active careers it was never quite time. Three years ago we took our first keel-boat course but work, sports, family, and cottage life was always a bigger priority.

Being closer to 50 than 40 and with our eldest off to university after another school year, it really is now…otherwise it would likely be much later. So we sold the cottage and most of our more mobile assets and started boat shopping.

There are lots of guides to help determine your needs and the likely costs. My favourite has been “The Voyager’s Handbook,” by Beth Leonard. Beth answers most questions and makes cruising accessible. It was the best $55 spent so far. We used this book to gauge the costs and determine we could afford this trip.

Selling the cottage meant we could buy the boat and last a year with no income. By the time we finish preparing the boat for cruising, we will have spent a little more than we had estimated but we opted to add radar, complete some repairs recommended by the surveyor, and redo the interior cabin cushions. We could have reduced some of these costs if needed. We’ve also been able to rent out our home while we are gone so that will cover much our daily life expenses. So we have the boat, a budget for unexpected costs, and a traveling budget. Those are the basic ingredients.

Kevin