...can be pretty damn hard. The dream is to 'check out' to some degree. Sail away, drive away, some combination of the two. The used boat market is such that shopping can take years. And, you really need to see what the space feels like. Particularly if you are going to live on the thing full time.
We've seen several boats. Each time, the emotions are similar. Today though, I was ready to double down, and I don't mean eat one of those KFC heart destroyers either.
Our price range, under 50,000, limits our boat selection, but not as much as you might think. This afternoon, we took a leisurely drive to Edenton, NC to check out a Gulfstar center cockpit ketch. This is ten feet longer than boats we have been seeing, well within the price range, and damn was it roomy. When you are spending less than 50,000 on a boat, you are accepting that it will need work. Since I'm comfortable with the work, I tend to look for things that cannot be altered later. So, if the boat has space, and is well built, I can polish the rest later.
These plans are long term, so while baby Quinn is a compact little peanut right now, I'm not naive enough to think that she will remain that way. The center cockpit design dictates the presence of a spacious aft cabin. A master suite with a head, and get this--a door!! Isolation! yes that is right, on a small boat, in the middle of the ocean with your loved ones, I'm told isolation becomes important. Twenty five or so square feet dedicated to serenity. Sign me up.
Also, there was a cockpit dodger, so, that would be nice in the rain.
The boat needed cosmetic work, and certainly I'd get a survey. But standing there looking at those empty lockers, my wife, and that cabin. I could see it. I could see leaving. Leaving it all behind.
The problem with being a grown-up is that you can actually make your wildest dreams come true. I could walk into the bank with a smile on my face tomorrow, and walk out with enough dollar bills to buy that boat. No questions asked. I've got a good credit rating, I've lived a responsible adult life, until now!!!
This isn't the first time this has happened. It happens every time we see a boat. Well, almost every time. Also, there is wisdom in the position that a careful man could wait forever. When will the time be just right? Who knows. Sell the damn house. Top of the market, bottom, who knows? More importantly, who cares. My comfortable life, building houses, eating out, spewing carbon in every direction. It's a sin, no matter what the dirty money provides. Wake up, get gone!
Daughter, health insurance, education, retirement. . . Dirty money or not, it buys the freedom from burdening others. Combine the two? Live on the boat with a tiny footprint; accept the evil of the job? Don't know, can I make that dream come true. That one would actually take effort, not just cash.
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