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Throwback to the time I decided to live on a boat and wander among tropical islands instead of in a house and go to work.

Posted by foilrider@reddit | sailing | View on Reddit | 80 comments

Throwback to the time I decided to live on a boat and wander among tropical islands instead of in a house and go to work.
I'm having a hard time trying to remember why I came back.

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80 Comments

ElProfeGuapo@reddit

How much did your boat cost is the real question? Trynna figure out my budget.
View on Reddit #59518382

foilrider@reddit (OP)

I paid $61,00 for that boat. I think it was a deal.
View on Reddit #59518585

Electrical-Contest-1@reddit

What kind of boat? It looks pretty well equipped for the price
View on Reddit #59518870

foilrider@reddit (OP)

It was a 2001 Beneteau Oceanis 411.
View on Reddit #59518903

IGHOTI907@reddit

We just purchased an Oceanis 321! We're leaving Alaska and moving to Seattle. I can't wait to meet her!
View on Reddit #59960921

torenvalk@reddit

I have it's little sister, 2003 361 Clipper. Completely in love with this boat.
View on Reddit #59520078

the_fresh_cucumber@reddit

Should have paid more so you could say you paid 69k
View on Reddit #59547269

clamdever@reddit

If you come to the r/sailing subreddit, expect some seaman jokes
View on Reddit #59622287

rodericj@reddit

Nice
View on Reddit #59551379

deltamoney@reddit

That is a good deal. Where did you buy ,it?
View on Reddit #59534863

foilrider@reddit (OP)

Tortola
View on Reddit #59536034

Accomplished_Wall615@reddit

You mean $61,000?
View on Reddit #59534485

foilrider@reddit (OP)

yes, edited.
View on Reddit #59534925

stillsailingallover@reddit

No doubt!
View on Reddit #59527550

ElProfeGuapo@reddit

Hell yeah it was.
View on Reddit #59519925

caeru1ean@reddit

It's a tough life out here sometimes but then I remember; I don't think I'd be any happier sitting in traffic going to work everyday just to afford rent.
View on Reddit #59518166

tech-001@reddit

I hate traffic so much.
View on Reddit #59536841

richgate@reddit

After a long non trafic life I have enjoyed sitting in traffic for an hour going to work. Kind of like sailing, you can not get out, there is not much to do, and how fast you are moving depend on outside conditions :)
View on Reddit #59899365

tech-001@reddit

Haha nice. I can see that!
View on Reddit #59921864

thx1138inator@reddit

I cruised for half a year and went back to work. But I bike to work. No complaints against either cruising or work!
View on Reddit #59591197

tech-001@reddit

I plan on working remote while sailing once I get enough experience at the helm
View on Reddit #59852497

AstraAurora@reddit

Looks like a dream. Hope to one day also spend a summer in such a way. What did you do for a living? Is remote work in such conditions possible?
View on Reddit #59518231

foilrider@reddit (OP)

Software engineering. Yes, it's possible but it can be tough. With Starlink now though connectivity is better than it used to be.
View on Reddit #59518405

tippmann32503@reddit

If you don’t mind my asking, what did your typical schedule look like? When did you travel vs being moored up and working? I switched from real estate development to SWE to be able to do this very thing.
View on Reddit #59691973

foilrider@reddit (OP)

We did this in the Caribbean so there were no exceptionally long passages. We did them on whatever day worked for the weather. We spent most of our time moored up somewhere, whether in a marina, or on anchor in a cove somewhere. It’s easy to make 4 hours available to get back from the pretty secluded cove to the marina to get groceries or whatever. If we wanted to sail between islands mid-week, I’d take a day or two off.
View on Reddit #59693927

tippmann32503@reddit

I gotcha. Do you think you would’ve been able to do a crossing while working or would you feel like you would’ve had to take a chunk of time off to do so?
View on Reddit #59801336

foilrider@reddit (OP)

I wouldn’t have tried to do any significant amount of work on an ocean crossing. Maybe responding to emails and answering questions
View on Reddit #59802371

CalvinsStuffedTiger@reddit

Did you end up selling the boat?
View on Reddit #59525632

foilrider@reddit (OP)

I did. I frequently browse for replacements, though.
View on Reddit #59525761

rodericj@reddit

Roughly what was the sale price? Did it lose a lot of value in the time you owned it? I need to know everything?
View on Reddit #59551442

foilrider@reddit (OP)

I sold it for $72,500. I spent more than the $11,500 difference on upgrades and repairs though. But still, I did sell it for more than I paid.
View on Reddit #59552849

rodericj@reddit

Out. Freaking. Standing.
View on Reddit #59553237

overthehillhat@reddit

Do you get those flashback pics to remind you where you were-then?
View on Reddit #59534452

SlashRModFail@reddit

I got into sailing last year. Spent 20 days on a 40 footer sailing the coast south of France/Spain. I have been dreaming of retirement already as I cannot wait to spend years sailing around the world. But I need to work to afford a boat. I'm in my 30s so It's going to be a painful long wait.
View on Reddit #59733518

Jeffoxy@reddit

based
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BoxSlingingSlasher@reddit

See you in another life, brotha.
View on Reddit #59662462

Konstantin_G_Fahr@reddit

Probably… finances? School for the kids? Other responsibilities?
View on Reddit #59518149

foilrider@reddit (OP)

Honestly having four people including two young kids on a boat and trying to do remote work did get kinda tough in a small space at times. I kinda miss it now, though.
View on Reddit #59518294

lightreee@reddit

what on earth??? wow thats incredible actually. you WFH, what was the internet like usually? so interested in your story
View on Reddit #59568342

_Schrodingers_Gat_@reddit

Starlink is a bit of a game changer.
View on Reddit #59618133

Legitimate-Gift-1344@reddit

Wow.
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drunkensailorgirl@reddit

I feel for you. Do you plan on getting back to it someday?
View on Reddit #59534752

fred_runestone@reddit

It’s not too late to go back!
View on Reddit #59595785

erbush1988@reddit

Man... Looks great. Currently saving up for this right now. I think I'm about 80k away from my goal. So hopefully I'll be looking for boats this time next year.
View on Reddit #59520404

jugbrain@reddit

I think the Pardeys would say « Go simple, go small, go now »
View on Reddit #59573261

erbush1988@reddit

I agree with this, but I also need buy-in from my wife. And she has a slightly different set of standards than I do, haha.
View on Reddit #59577705

oldschool-rule@reddit

Any regrets?
View on Reddit #59551604

foilrider@reddit (OP)

Sometime I regret selling it. There are always other boats, though.
View on Reddit #59552902

oldschool-rule@reddit

True, but the memories are what’s important!
View on Reddit #59575127

scbiker21@reddit

I spent 3 years living on a Hunter 30 best time of my life. Sold it when I got divorced and then moved for work. I'm now retired and looking to get back on the water permanently soon. Looking for a similar sized boat. As soon as I liquidate all my cars and property I'm outa here.
View on Reddit #59526853

putzncallyomama@reddit

Its about the only way to do it in US anymore- keeping a house and a boat is $.
View on Reddit #59567817

laei6@reddit

How long did you leave in the boat?
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NotIt2024@reddit

I can’t wait to do this!
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rodericj@reddit

I assume this is from a drone. Do you have any more like this? It’d make a nice wallpaper so I can stay inspired
View on Reddit #59551361

Jote_Creative@reddit

I would love to hear your story of how you made this a reality.
View on Reddit #59529362

iSmurf@reddit

Work in tech pulling 150k+/yr where your whole team is remote already.
View on Reddit #59550255

Shiggins01@reddit

Yea, me too. My wife and I talk about this a lot. Just doing a summer. We think it would be an amazing experience for the kids too.
View on Reddit #59544092

Until_then_again@reddit

Must have been nice!
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TopFox555@reddit

Definitely should have stayed. What was the boat, and length? Looks great!
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Armand28@reddit

Probably those 3am hatch drills when it rains like hell for 5 minutes and totally drenches your bed.
View on Reddit #59545686

WickThePriest@reddit

I'm still a year and a half out. On my way though. Got my first sailing lesson tomorrow.
View on Reddit #59543077

richwest3@reddit

Coming back from cruising was so hard for us. We left to go cruising three times. On the first two attempts (Hawaii then Sea of Cortez from Los Angeles), royalty sources we had in place dried up and we had to go back to work. This time we made it. We left 13 years ago. Right now we're on a 25 mile motor to a calmer anchorage on Lombok, Indonesia. This life is magical even when everything seems to go wrong. Our autopilot quit yesterday and my computer won't turn on. The autopilot issue was a bad depth sounder. I unplugged it from the nmea buss and everything (except the sounder, of course) is working again. The computer is at a repair shop - fingers crossed. Mary all your crap continue to work flawlessly! Rich, s/v Legacy www. click-n-learn.com twoatsea.com
View on Reddit #59537351

Legitimate-Gift-1344@reddit

Living the life, man.
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rhavaa@reddit

I keep thinking of finding a good good one as my new apartment vs buying a house up here with all the property tax. That and the nice meandering it would provide.
View on Reddit #59520496

Low_Individual7789@reddit

Excise tax would like a word
View on Reddit #59538272

Legitimate-Gift-1344@reddit

What’s a ballpark %? Thx.
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PckMan@reddit

You're fortunate to have even had the choice.
View on Reddit #59518742

Legitimate-Gift-1344@reddit

This.
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Legitimate-Gift-1344@reddit

Yes, please.
View on Reddit #59540954

WaterChicken007@reddit

I took a several month sabbatical a while back and had a REALLY hard time re-engaging with work life. I struggled for a couple of years, took another sabbatical, tried again and had a REALLY REALLY hard time re-engaging. So I retired and my wife kicked our retirement account balance over the finish line a couple years later. Once I had tasted freedom, there was no going back. Thankfully retiring early was always the plan so we had all of our bases covered properly. I haven't yet pulled the trigger on buying my own boat yet. Am waiting for the kids to leave the nest first. Today was their last day of school for the year so it is getting closer. You had a nice setup in the pic above.
View on Reddit #59519573

ReelNerdyinFl@reddit

I’m having these thoughts at the end of a 3week vacation…
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Low_Individual7789@reddit

Damn dude? How old are ya and did you win the lottery?
View on Reddit #59538139

capitali@reddit

Doing my best never to live on land again. So far so good.
View on Reddit #59531725

captainkinevil@reddit

I managed to do the same a few years back. Kids and finances brought me back to reality. 50k "Plastic classic" Pearson 365 ketch, some funds (around 20k) and about 15k per year for full time cruising for a family of 3. Made it 2 years until an injury and reupping the "kitty" made return to work inevitable. We were 30 somethings and not inherantly wealthy, but worked had and saved to make the life happen. It was great while it lasted.
View on Reddit #59529778

strangefolk@reddit

Cool boat
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bigmphan@reddit

Are you glad you did? I gotta believe that’s a yes.
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americanarizona@reddit

My dream
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jh937hfiu3hrhv9@reddit

Missed interacting with humanity?
View on Reddit #59522548

Efficient_Waltz_8023@reddit

To those of us who never had the balls to do this, we salute you.
View on Reddit #59519969

basfne0@reddit

Yeah you should have stayed there mate
View on Reddit #59518141