GatewayRedbirds.com

I know I've mentioned this some, but its official. The fiance and I sat down and had a life planning daylong meeting. The only thing I really focused on was getting the kid)s) through school and sailing around the world. The future wifey knew this was a big deal to me and agreed.

As soon as the kids are out of the nest, the goal is to sell the house, buy a condo near the sea and 'retire' really though that's when my sailing career will begin. In the time bw now and then, I need to learn how to sail on the lake and learn how to fix diesel engines (I need to do this anyway). when we get to Fl, the plan is to get work as a mate or deckhand and work toward becoming a certified captain. When that happens, its time to buy a boat and sail around the area (either to the virgin islands or Hawaii depending on the coast) and then wait for the correct weather and then begin the circumnavigation. Finish a year or two later or so. After that it'll just be do and sail wherever...maybe charter the boat out or be a captain for hire if we live to be super old or need some $$. Anyway, this is awesome.

I'm so glad we sat down and formed a plan. Now I just have to execute it. And stay alive. I would recommend everyone at some point figure out what it is that makes them happy and figure out how to get it....whatever that takes.

Grb members of course invited.

The fact that you are even planning this says that you have huge balls. I only have a few fears and your trip includes the potential for a few of them coming true.

That's an awesome plan, man.

Have you ever read this?
http://www.amazon.com/A-Voyage-Madmen-P ... gy_b_img_z
I haven't read many sailing books but that one was great. About the first solo-circumnavigation race.

I haven't read any books on the subject (a lot on the internet), though I've emailed a wish list of books I got from a cruising forum to my mother for Christmas. Lookking back at it, that book was on there.

I spent about 5 hours last night reading through this website:

http://www.bumfuzzle.com/

It's about a couple from the Chicago/Minnesota area that over a Lou Malnatti's dinner 10 years ago decided to sell everything and sail around the world. Which they did. Then drove around europe. Then got pregnant. Then did some other stuff. Then got pregnant again and started sailing again.

I admire their courage because God knows it's not something you can just do. And they did. Of course, they apparently had the funds to offset a lot of their ignorance which must be nice.

I bring this up because I did a little research on the book you listed and its backdrop seems to be a man against the sea where the sea is heavily favored. And, I think back then, it was the sea that was favored. It took a seasoned, knowledgeable, crafty, steadfast individual to circumnavigate the globe using the tradewinds. Now, with recent technological advances such as GPS, radar, autopilot, diesel engines, better sails, watermakers, solar panels, etc, the backdrop has changed.

You can make water, refrigerate/freeze weeks worth of food, never be lost, motor your way to safety, and ports are seemingly never more than a week or two at most away. Multihull vessels offer stability and an ability to sail further upwind than before. On top of all that you have the security of knowing a phone call can get you airlifted out of the worst situations. Not to say it's an easy task, but it certainly isn't as daunting as it once was.

SB what are your fears?

I admire your planning and wish you only the best. I have a great admiration for people who can dream big things years away and can make them work. It's something I've tried to do many times, but whether it be my own fears and insecurities or something I can't quite put my finger on every time I try and come up with something grandiose to do when I finally retire for good I just can't seem to do it.

I hope GRB is still around when you do this so that we can get periodic check ins from your locations across the world.

I have my dream/plan for retirement. Substitute "golf" for "sailing" and it's about the same (with less traveling).

That's [expletive] bad ass, sir. Keep at it.

AWvsCBsteeeerike3 wrote:SB what are your fears?

1. Sinking a boat in the middle of the ocean.
2. Getting eaten by sharks after sinking a boat in the middle of the ocean.
3. Drowning after sinking a boat in the middle of the ocean.
4. Being raped by pirates.

Sutter'sBeard wrote:

AWvsCBsteeeerike3 wrote:SB what are your fears?

1. Sinking a boat in the middle of the ocean.
2. Getting eaten by sharks after sinking a boat in the middle of the ocean.
3. Drowning after sinking a boat in the middle of the ocean.
4. Being raped by pirates.

5. Getting trapped on an island and forced to enter numbers into a computer system every 108 minutes lest the world will be destroyed.

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