Buying a yacht and sailing away ?

[Redarress]

aged 53 . I have run the family engineering company for 30 years working long hours and weekends My wife is the Finance Director for the same business. Both kids have been put through Public School, Uni and now have good jobs . Margins have become harder and harder to achieve Legislation when employing nearly 40 persons is a,massive burden. Uncertainty with Brexit and the fact that we have been working this long and now mentally knackered.

The thought of selling up , renting out our house and buying a yacht to see the world is mighty tempting. Learnt to sale in Optimists when I was 10 then Toppers, Lazers, Larks etc though my teenage years and then some sailing in French seagoing yachts up and down the French coast but many years ago. Do not have any sailing qualification but don't see and issue in getting them really

Although we love good food and wine we do not need it... Getting rid of the modern day financial burdens and fact living on the rental income of the house and having to budget it is rather exciting.

Do we give up on the business...if we sell it we will clear all debts associated with the business and also have 15,000sq foot factroy we can sell or rent out.

Is it time to start enjoying a less stressed life living on a smaller budget or am I having a mid life crisis

[Ayahuasca]

Go for it. Wish I could.

If you find your way to Panama (head south, turn right when the butter starts to melt, then keep the wind at your back) give me a shout and I will buy you a beer.

Next stop for you would be the Marquesas.

[Shuvi McTupya]

if I was in your position I wouldn't even stick around long enough to check the responses.

You have worked most of your lives away and done right by your kids, it's time to do what you want with whats left of your lives if you can afford to do it!

[Ayahuasca]

https://youtu.be/Bw9gLjEGJrw

Play this while you have a think about it.

[LimaDelta]

Do it.

There may be a point in the future when this is no longer an option. You have clearly worked hard to get into a position where you have the choice. This where you will see the real return on your investments.

[Steve_D]

Do it.
You've earnt it.
Would love to do it myself but at 70 I've left it a little late.

Steve

[Captain Smerc]

Make it so , as the good captain Picard would say .

[AndrewCrown]

+1 for just doing it...
Mrs C and I are planning exactly the same...

[KrissKross]

It's funny, I am in a similar position, a bit younger but looking towards future options. I found this post looking for tips.

My main issue, I have absolutely zero yacht/boat experience!

So my question would be, where is the best place to look and go try out something to gain experience. I would even be happy to be employed in some capacity to help out and understand things hands on.

[Jevvy]

Redarress said:

aged 53 . I have run the family engineering company for 30 years working long hours and weekends My wife is the Finance Director for the same business. Both kids have been put through Public School, Uni and now have good jobs . Margins have become harder and harder to achieve Legislation when employing nearly 40 persons is a,massive burden. Uncertainty with Brexit and the fact that we have been working this long and now mentally knackered.

The thought of selling up , renting out our house and buying a yacht to see the world is mighty tempting. Learnt to sale in Optimists when I was 10 then Toppers, Lazers, Larks etc though my teenage years and then some sailing in French seagoing yachts up and down the French coast but many years ago. Do not have any sailing qualification but don't see and issue in getting them really

Although we love good food and wine we do not need it... Getting rid of the modern day financial burdens and fact living on the rental income of the house and having to budget it is rather exciting.

Do we give up on the business...if we sell it we will clear all debts associated with the business and also have 15,000sq foot factroy we can sell or rent out.

Is it time to start enjoying a less stressed life living on a smaller budget or am I having a mid life crisis

Have you looked up all the channels on youtube of people doing exactly as you describe. There are plenty to chose from from all walks of life and intentions which should give you at least a flavour of what that sort of life brings.

I say go-for-it! You only live once and it sounds like its time for you to be a bit selfish and follow your adventurous heart and not your sensible head.

[anonymous-user]

They do say the best days of yacht ownership are the day you buy it and the day you sell it, and in between you could just burn tenners.


But if money isn't a worry, do it.

I would but the missus hates sailing, probably something to do with a forestay failure when under full sail, resulting in a roller reefer swinging round trying to decapitate us as we headed toward rocks

[Jevvy]

Heres a list of a few I've bookmarked over the years to get you going:

Sailing La Vagabonde - YouTube
Sailing SV Delos - YouTube
The Adventures of Tarka - YouTube
Sailing Project Atticus - YouTube
Abandon Comfort - YouTube
Sampson Boat Co - YouTube
Sailing Uma - YouTube
Life is Like Sailing - YouTube
Finding Avalon - YouTube
Sail Life - YouTube
kav911 - YouTube
Sailing Soulianis - YouTube
Geoffrey Croker - YouTube
Sail Cloudy Bay - YouTube
Sailing Miss Lone Star - YouTube
MJ Sailing - YouTube
Sailing Yacht Florence - YouTube
Sailing Nandji - Frothlyfe - YouTube
Sailing Yacht Ruby Rose - YouTube
Captain Rick Moore - YouTube
RAN Sailing - YouTube
Bums on a Boat - YouTube
Dangar Marine - YouTube
Sailing Creo - YouTube
Sailing Millennial Falcon - YouTube
Salt & Tar - YouTube
Distant Shores TV - YouTube
WhiteSpotPirates - YouTube
Vet Tails' Sailing Chuffed - YouTube
SailingBritican - YouTube
Hilma Sailing - YouTube
Tula's Endless Summer - YouTube
Sailing Good, Bad, and Ugly - YouTube

[Krikkit]

Do it! That's the kind of thing bucket lists are made of.

[Sonie]

A friend and partner both quit their jobs in the city, rented out their places and are in the carabean sailing and island hopping. They are now selling their boat to return to the UK. If you are interested let me know

[MB140]

I’m RAF. Learning to sail through the military. It’s something that my wife and I are considering as a long term goal.

I will have my pension. About £12k a year. A house that would be mortgage free by the time to rent out.

My mum and dad are separate and both own a couple of houses. I know I can’t plan on a rental income from them as they may go to pay for there elderly care.

My wife has always earned a good salary and has just started earning very good money via setting up her own business (£150k-£200k a year).

If we decide to go. I’m early 40s so aiming for 10-15 years time.

We keep saying that at the moment it’s working to pay the bills and we would like to live a life more working to live life.

I have watched a couple of the YouTube channels. ‘Sailing Kittiwake’, ‘sailing lady K’, teleport, etc based on normal people doing it with a normal budget.

I’m not interested in SV Delos or such likes we’re they make there money by having women titivate around in bikinis all day on £500k Amal’s etc.

Go for it you only live one life. Having just lost a family member at a young age to cancer. It’s definitely made us re-evaluate what our plans for the future are.

[Cheeky Jim]

Same here... although we are also considering the Camper Van route... as neither of us has a great deal of sailing experience (me some, wife none).

Its interesting that so many of us are feeling the urge to sail off.... am sure there is something psychological about this.

But good luck, you've very much earned the right to spend your days doing what you really want to do!

[wolfracesonic]

Ayahuasca said:

Go for it. Wish I could.

If you find your way to Panama (head south, turn right when the butter starts to melt, then keep the wind at your back) give me a shout and I will buy you a beer.

Next stop for you would be the Marquesas.

With that level of expertise Ayahuasca, I’m nominating you as PH’s resident sailing expert. Are you a sailisterer yourself?

[R8Steve]

keirik said:

They do say the best days of yacht ownership are the day you buy it and the day you sell it, and in between you could just burn tenners.

When you say 'they' i take it they are people that have never owned a yacht? It only seems to be people that have never owned or even been on a yacht that say this.

From my experience and most yachties i know this is nonsense.

[Cheeky Jim]

Not sailing... but on the BBC website this morning... Might be of interest...

Overlanding Retirement

[Labradorofperception]

R8Steve said:

When you say 'they' i take it they are people that have never owned a yacht? It only seems to be people that have never owned or even been on a yacht that say this.

From my experience and most yachties i know this is nonsense.

Agree. One of the best things I ever did was buy a boat.

I stalk my old yacht* on the internet like someone would stalk their ex.

• It's an offshore racer ,so still out there competing.