Living on a Sailboat…it is Frugal Retirement Living
When you mention frugal living some immediately think of sacrificing and denial…frugal living does not have to be like that at all. Think of life living on a sailboat…that’s fun not sacrifice.
Retirement plans have been shaken recently by the current poor economy. Some are saying, my IRA’s and 401K’s just won’t fund retirement. We open our statements with trembling hands. You are not alone. Just do not totally give up on retirement yet.
Have you thought of retirement lifestyles that are not only cheap but fun as well? We lived aboard a sailboat, in the Caribbean, for eight years…I know, someone had to do it. It was the highlight experience of our 35 year married life. We had a ball and did not spend much while we had fun.
How is sailboat life frugal or cheap? We lived on our boat, a 35 foot Island Packet, in the Caribbean. From the British Virgin Islands to the north, to Venezuela and Trinidad in the south. We spent around $1,000 a month while we were on the boat. We lived quite well and spent next to nothing. How are you going to spend a lot of money when you are anchored? The closest thing to spending money is a fisherman coming up with a lobster, conch or fish. Sometimes you can barter, fishermen need cold beer just like you and I.
Living aboard a sailboat is lots of fun. What is not to like? We had experiences that were different on every island. Boat folks stick together and we would hike with other boaters all over the place. We interacted with locals and did things the tourists never experienced.
Please do not think you have to have been a life long sailor to enjoy this lifestyle. I did not know that the pointy end of the boat was called the bow until a few years from sailing away. Navigation in the Caribbean is easy, thanks to the GPS. All the islands, except Anguilla and Anegada are very mountainous and easy to see. Your longest passage between islands is 90 miles or 18 hours of sailing.
Frugal retirement living…have you considered living on a sailboat. We did for eight years and had the time of our lives. Enjoy.
To get information on living on a sailboat. Gary P Pierce is the webmaster of frugal retirement living , he has enjoyed sailboat life and alternative fun, frugal ways to retire.
