Oh how the ocean life calls me
Posted by ATLUTDisMe@reddit | sailing | View on Reddit | 37 comments
I've been without really a home all my life. Even when I lived in a house, a really nice house even, I never felt at home. I lost my job, apartment, and really everything I owned not too long after graduating high school and started traveling, riding the rails to get wherever I please.
In that time, I found a home in San Diego that I've never really had anywhere else. Community, love, and a city and neighborhood that I feel proud of. Once I get back to the West Coast this summer, I plan to work in a cannery in Washington long enough to afford a nice sailboat (probably off the ol Facebook marketplace) and learn to sail in those treacherous waters off the coast of the Columbia, transitioning to sailboat life.
I will sail down to San Diego from Washington by winter time one way or another. But even more so than Daygo, the ocean is my home. Those pearly blue (or scarily black) waters, the wonderous, teeming life beneath her restless tides, the love that I feel from earth upon her grasps. Oh, how I'm ready to begin this new chapter of my life. But first, I must arrive back on the West Coast. For now, I'd love to hear whatever advice and stories y'all would love to share.
And I am dead set on doing this and you can't really talk me into the otherwise. I plan on just selling fish, ocean related artwork, making music, and living off the land as much as possible to get by, which I've already thrived doing. Would love to hear if any of y'all have similar stories.
DarkVoid42@reddit
what happened to responsibility - you know to better your life, but a home, build a net worth and earn enough to afford a decent vessel ?
must the default Gen Z attitude always be - i will be a homeless bum living in my own filth and like it.
P.S. pooping in the ocean on a floating homeless tent doesnt make you "thrive". not even a little.
OldGaffer66@reddit
I believe in following a dream and living life now rather than waiting decades until all the sap in you has been dried out. My problem with OPs plan is thinking he can buy a boat dirt cheap and sail the pacific ocean to California with it. Now he is talking about saving enough in 2 months working in a cannery for the boat and the trip!
ATLUTDisMe@reddit (OP)
I mean food is free, especially in the PNW summer. And canneries work you 12-16 hour days so lots of overtime. Also Washington. Highest minimum wage. I can live comfortably off 10 bucks a day or even none and I just go sleep in the woods. I don't have to worry about paying rent or for really anything if I so please, so no, I won't have issues making that money.
Advanced_Link_5753@reddit
You might want to research SoCal… they are making it difficult to live on the hook there. You need much more money than you think. Things will break, and parts for boats are ridiculously expensive.
OldGaffer66@reddit
I can't imagine a cannery job paying enough that you can support yourself let alone support yourself and save enough for even a modest boat in one lifetime, but I don't know everything.
ATLUTDisMe@reddit (OP)
I mostly work for nobody but myself, but a month or 2 of cannery work will surely have me enough to get a decent vessel and some money put aside. Those canneries are great for those of us without much.
Plastic_Table_8232@reddit
What are you budgeting for a vessel?
What size boat are you considering?
I apprentice your grit and have had people my entire life I can’t live the sailing life I aspire to but I’m concerned your setting yourself up for either failure or a dangerous situation.
ATLUTDisMe@reddit (OP)
Probably gonna look for a late 80s boat in the 5-10k range, hopefully 30ft ish. I'm also comfy sacrificing creature comforts for a good quality vessel as I'm already used to living out of a pack. I'm also willing to do all the work needed as I'm sure I'll need to learn her ins and outs. I won't hit the open waters solo until I'm sure I'm and she's ready ready, and I plan on going sailing with other people as much as possible until I actually have my own vessel.
Plastic_Table_8232@reddit
I think a $10k Catalina 30 with a 5k refit budget would be as minimal as you can get. Might find a 15k boat that needs nothing. It’s always cheaper to let the previous owner spend the money and upgrade the boat even if doing the work yourself.
A 27 will be a lot cheaper but they are so for a reason. They feel much smaller, not proportionately smaller.
Right now it’s a buyers market so you have that advantage.
If I were in your position I would be looking for boats down on the sea of Cortez. Seems like you can find some really well kept vessels at a descent price down that way. It’s alway a low cost area to live in. Not sure why you want or need to be in so-cal living the life you want to live.
I can’t think of the port that’s on the north end of sea of Cortez but it’s a popular area for US cruisers.
ATLUTDisMe@reddit (OP)
Yeah well even in San Diego they're straight up giving away boats, some of them even seaworthy; or selling them off at low costs. Down south definitely seems cheaper, though I bet the meeting the right people/connections game and getting an actually good, well maintained vessel for a good price would be easier up north. I've thought about going down to Mexico though, it'll depend on what the market looks like when I actually come time to purchase, but I really just wanna go back home to Daygo for a while also.
Plastic_Table_8232@reddit
Ive never seen anything of value for sale in so-cal cheap that I would consider seaworthy. The only old boats I see for sale seem to command a price because they are sold with the slip. I’ve seen a lot of abandoned boats get auctioned off and they were not what I would consider seaworthy.
It’s possible that we are looking at different boats and have different concepts of seaworthy.
It seems the general consensus making the masses is that a cheap boat just needs elbow grease to be a good cheap boat. Once you learn more about sailing you realize that it’s far from reality.
I’m concerned your experience or lack of may lead you down an unsuspecting path.
You need to find someone who has experience to guide you through the purchase process. Not just someone who lives on a boat, someone who has refit a boat, sailed 1000’s of miles and refit again. Preferably on boat two or three.
It’s easy to glance past high dollar and tons of work.
Trust me when I tell you this, you’re better off paying more for a boat that sails and has been well maintained than a fixer upper. All boats are fixer uppers, even those that present as well maintained or even worse, a new boat.
You may consider working a bit longer and buying something more expensive.
Often times the difference between a 17,000 Catalina 30 and a 7,000 Catalina 30 is that the latter will cost 20k in parts, materials, tools and yard time to get to the same condition as the 17k boat.
C19shadow@reddit
As someone that works in supply chain some of the senior/specialists machine operators make a good wage $30-$50 range at some places maybe they are a licensed machine operator.
svsonora@reddit
It sounds like you have underlying mental health issues you need to take care of, based on how you describe how you didn't fit at home and lost your job etc.
Sailboats cost a lot of money to keep, maintain, fix, and continue to keep draining your pockets even if you do all of the work yourself. They are also one of the most post-industrial, war-technology, capitalist and excess consumerism driven product out there, only possible because of the booming post war economy. Its not a rich guy hobby but you need at least middle class income to do it. But you are dead set on doing this and can't talk you into anything otherwise, so we'll just let you make a massive financial mistake and not talk you out of probably helping turning yet another used sailboat into a rotting environmentally damaging hulk.
Source - middle class guy who have refit 2 50 year old boats.
ATLUTDisMe@reddit (OP)
Yeah I'm not interested whatsoever in owning a vehicle with rubber wheels on the bottom, though I do appreciate the warning. Yes, the underlying mental health things are very real, but I feel I'd be better focusing on such in an environment I'd rather be in, away from the railway life. And I understand all the maintenance and hell that goes into keeping your vessel in seaworthy shape, but damn it I'm down for anything.
svsonora@reddit
whats so wrong about a car vs a sailboat?
OldGaffer66@reddit
Opposites! With Van Life you are tied to a gas guzzling vehicle and the roads it must stay on. You will spend most of your time in the worst of civilization - highways and Walmart parling lots. If you want to go somewhere to really get away from it all, see some naturea and live the Van Life dream, it's going to cost you hundreds to get there.
With a boat...well we all know. I'm in PNW and 20 minutes out of my marina I'm anchoring in little coves and bays all by myself but for the eagles and seals, otters and kingfishers, peach and quiet but for the bird song, starry nights and glorious sunrises and sunsets plus swimming in certain seasons...
ATLUTDisMe@reddit (OP)
Thank you. I just didn't wanna type all that lmao.
ATLUTDisMe@reddit (OP)
I hate rubber tramping with a passion. Living in a car is just not it for me. Even if I do live in a car, I'll still just stay by the ocean wishing I had a boat to go out on the water.
dwkfym@reddit
He's asking why and you just restated what you said earlier
Huckleberry181@reddit
This is beautifully written, thank you for sharing.. really. I grew up on the coast, always dreamed about sailing, and then stupid life got in the way for ~30 years. Making strides to getting back on the water this year to hopefully make it a reality within a couple.
ATLUTDisMe@reddit (OP)
Yeah I hear ya. I've been doing my best to not have those life responsibilities, children being the biggest one I'm trying to avoid. Figured I should get this show on the road now while I can.
Huckleberry181@reddit
Sometimes I wish I did that, but fatherhood has also made me into a much better person, so there's that.
Your life is yours, bud so do it while you can! Sounds from here that you're being responsible enough about it, just be sure to have $ set aside for slip fees, then another couple hundo every month into an account for boat repairs. It's good that you've lived in smaller spaces before so as long as you're comfortable with that, that's all that matters.
ATLUTDisMe@reddit (OP)
Yeah I'm living out of a backpack riding freight trains rn so a sailboat really that bad to me. Of course people on here are telling me how cramped and terrible it is to live on one but like dude I dont care lmao
Huckleberry181@reddit
Stay safe out there 🤙❤️
Intelligent-Salt-362@reddit
Zihuatanejo…
johnbro27@reddit
Sailing is wonderful. Living on a sailboat is difficult. For one thing, you're always going to be looking for somewhere to keep her. Especially if you have to work, and everybody who's not independently wealthy has to work. Every coastal city has its share of derelict liveaboards they are trying to force out. Marinas, which are expensive, generally don't want them or prohibit them. People on the water don't want their beautiful bay views cluttered with ratty old boats at anchor.
But you have to be able to "commute" to your job, so the boat has to be close enough to places with employment or tourists ("marine art? selling fish") that you can get there in your dinghy, which some kids are going to vandalize while you're trying to unload some 3 day old Ling Cod.
Whenever the weather gets bad, you're going to be anxious about your boat, especially if you're away from her. You'll spend way too many cold damp nights aboard, dealing with the results of condensation due to the fact that most modern boats lack adequate ventilation. Mold, rot, and worse.
GL. If you really want to do this, invest in yourself to get a good paying career, save and then enjoy.
Mehfisto666@reddit
It sounds like you are among those that know how to follow the tides and winds of life so I wish you all the best for your dream.
I will tell you a little tale of my own, trying to keep it short. It's not pretty, but it's all I got.
I started working on tourist ships in the nort of Norway some years ago. Fantastic place. Every day we'd navigate through barren islands not reachable if by sea and every day I'd dream to anchor beside them with my very own little sailboat and explore and climb them.
Eventually, I did. But living on a boat in the arctic with not fixed place is not easy. Every season I'd desperately look for marinas with some spare place, moving the boat north and south at every equinox to the places i like for that upcoming season.
I remember the first time my employers got an apartment (used to sleep on the working boat). Man it was so noisy. Hot and cold and the electricity buzz always in the back of the ears and music on the weekends and loud people outside.
Soon enough I moved back to my tiny little thing on the sea. Far from noise and hugged by the tides. I loved it.
Now i bought a slightly bigger boat and I've been off for a long solo trip to move it back north. It's been brutal. I have always sailed solo but single handing a bigger boat on the coast of the north sea in winter is no joke. I am so tired. The winds are always higher than forecasted. It rains pretty much every day. The good thing is that i have most of the way behind me and I can take it a bit more easy. No more forced 8-10 hours of sailing every day. Once the forecast messed up badly and i just got beaten up by 5m waves on the beam while the tailwind was barely enough to keep the sails full. Once I had to wait 4 days for the sea to calm tf down and then head out for longest unsheltered passage of the coast for 6 hours with up to 4m waves and wind gusting 36kn. But then I had following seas and surfing the waves on a broad reach with 2 reef and the staysail was fantastic. I love the motion of this boat and how well it sails. A couple times the log showed 11.5kn of speed surfing down some waves with a hull speed of 7.
Now I'm tired. The wind is pretty much always over 20kn, and every day something breaks. And I'm here by myself while looking at the pictures of my friends and family and cat back home enjoying the sun and company.
I will have friends coming up and sail and climb with me on the next leg in may and throughout the summer and I think it will be great, but at the moment I still have a harsh journey ahead. I could use some nicer weather, but at least it's been downwind sailing pretty much all the time.
Huckleberry181@reddit
Hope the following winds continue but give you a bit of a break soon, stay safe out there 🤙❤️
ATLUTDisMe@reddit (OP)
Haha sounds just as comfy and well restful as trainhoppin. There's no feeling quite as helpless as going through a nasty storm with perilous consequences.
H0LD_FAST@reddit
" I plan on just selling fish, ocean related artwork, making music, and living off the land as much as possible to get by, which I've already thrived doing. Would love to hear if any of y'all have similar stories"
Based on what you're describing you want it will be 100x easier to do that from a cheap hut on the coast of coasta rico or mexico than buying a boat as a place to sleep and cook. Get a small boat then and sail/fish when you want.
ATLUTDisMe@reddit (OP)
Yeah but I do eventually wanna sail around the world and all that, I just need to chill tf out for a bit cause I been nonstop traveling for the last couple years.
H0LD_FAST@reddit
Then pick a place you really want to sail, join a crew finder or sailing hitchhiker site, and find a boat to jump on that needs crew. Its the best way to gain experience and figure out if its for you, without throwing numerous tens of thousands of dollars at a boat.
Pocket_Aces11@reddit
Sailboats in California are unbelievably cheap right now. I’m a long time sailor in San Diego and I have never seen so many people just trying to get out of their boat slip rent(averaging $850 a month). Good luck on reaching your nautical goals.
Anon_819@reddit
Learning to sail by crewing on someone else's boat would help you figure out what you need/want in your own boat and give you a chance to try out the lifestyle without the financial commitment of your own boat repairs.
alskdjfhg32@reddit
Do you have much boating experience? I get trust fund or family money vibes, is that correct?
ATLUTDisMe@reddit (OP)
Hahaha couldn't be further from the truth. And not much boating out in the ocean, but I'll be in Ilwaco long enough and have the tenacity to figure it out.
WestCartographer9478@reddit
I live aboard with my wife and dog. Hvac/r is what i do and it pays well, you can make money anywhere you go…. Careful what boat you buy, theres things to look for and brands to avoid entirely… You wont find a better community of folks, just be honest and always be ready to lend a hand. I wish you the best, fair winds and calm seas my friend.