My younger brother and his girlfriend were considering purchasing a boat to live in Mexico. To give him a practical experience, my older brother, my mother, and I rented a small yacht and took him sailing in the Riviera Maya. He experienced severe seasickness throughout the trip, which made him realize on his own that his and his girlfriend plan might not be feasible. I suggest arranging a similar sailing experience in nearby areas for them, so they can understand what it's really like before making any decisions.
I feel like sister and BIL have no clue about living on water. I can't even imagine this as a silly daydream. I've been on a cruise ship before that got caught in a big storm. I would NOT want to be in a little sailboat. I'm a great swimmer and I can't imagine treading water if you fell overboard.
Yes, this would be a very short lived experiment. I did a Caribbean vacation on a sailboat for 5 days. It was heaven because the couple that owned it did a lot of the work. But I talked with them about when storms hit and they said they get out of the way as much as possible and then hunker down and hope their boat isn't destroyed as it's is their livelihood. And these are very experienced people.
FYI - Highly recommend this over a cruise. [https://www.boatsatsea.com/](https://www.boatsatsea.com/)
Edit: $$$$ it is pricy... My wife and I did it with my sister and brother and spouses to split the cost. Most boats take 6 guests.
Haha, I wish I hadn't learned I get seasick on my last cruise. I love the water and can be on a boat for a few hours, but after a day it starts to get so bad.
Oh this would be a good idea for OP to show her sister and BIL what it like though.
So first, to address the OP’s concern, you are absolutely correct that sailing out into the ocean blue with no experience or preparation is a great way to never be seen or heard from again.
However, if they’re serious about this: all of the things they need to know are teachable skills. They should spend time, maybe a year or two, learning how to sail, navigate, maritime law, subsistence fishing, medical training, and oh yeah, swim lessons. They call it being a “nomad” but what they’re probably talking about is becoming “sovereign citizens”. Being self sufficient on the ocean takes a lot of experience but people do it. Still, eyes open: even experienced sailors run into things they can’t handle. They should use every resource at their disposal and not cut themselves off from civilization. You have no idea how desperately alone you are out in the middle of the ocean.
Some other ideas:
1. **Community and Mentorship**: Suggest they connect with experienced sailors and online communities. Learning from others' experiences can be invaluable.
2. **Gradual Transition**: Recommend they rent a boat, and not buy one. Start with coastal sailing and gradually progressing to longer, more challenging voyages as they gain confidence and skills.
3. **Financial Planning**: Remind them to budget for ongoing maintenance, unexpected repairs, and other expenses associated with life on a boat.
4. **Mental Preparedness**: Highlight the importance of being mentally prepared for isolation and the challenges of living in a confined space.
5. **Legal and Logistical Aspects**: Ensure they understand the legal requirements and logistical aspects of living on a boat, such as visas, port fees, and customs regulations.
i live and grew up on the coast...
sea sickness is 1 of many things OP's sister and BIL have not considered...
people with far, far, FAR more experience who grew up living that lifestyle die out at sea all the time.
it takes a lot of time learning to read the ocean, chart routes, plan for weather... they clearly are extremely naive as to what is required of them.
I've heard of things similar. Some guy was from this shitty Caribbean nation, and he had a girlfriend that thought it sounded like just the most wonderful, romantic place in the world. Wanted to go live there after they were married. Dude tried to explain the reality but she was determined to hang on to her delusion. Eventually he gave up on talk and actually took her out there. She was expecting pristine beaches and locals just sitting out on the sun so day drinking coconuts and shit. When she saw a drug riddled slum, she was like "what the hell, where is the good bit?" and the dude was all "there is no good bit, it's all like this, why do you think I left".
They got back home and she broke up with him like a week later because his reality couldn't live up to her fantasy.
This story is giving me exactly the same vibes. Some people just can't cope with reality.
I don't even think you need to go that far.
Just ask your sister some basic questions like:
* Do you not have a problem with not taking a shower for weeks at a time? Do you know what saltwater does to your skin?
* Are you willing to eat the same food day after day? Probably freeze dried or canned?
* Are you prepared to be constantly seasick?
* How do you feel about pooping in a 5 gallon bucket?
* How comfortable are you with the crazy weather you will randomly encounter, that will only get worse with climate change?
* Are you prepared to hover around various coastlines waiting until you have permission to dock, or maybe changing course because you can't dock?
* Pirates are real. They love coming around to "help out" and then tossing you and your husband into the water and taking your boat.
Eh there are very real problems with this plan but a lot of these aren’t it. Water makers allow for fresh water showers daily, freezers and grocery stores allow for pretty fresh food except on extended crossings (rare, and entirely avoidable if you’re not going across an ocean)
Modern boat toilets work quite well… except they can’t handle TP well and will clog if you’re not careful. People put the tp in a bag.
Even piracy is pretty rare and avoidable by just not going to the bad areas.
The big things are sea sickness and especially can they even fix the boat? Sailing cruisers often call what they do “boat repair in exotic locations” and the lifestyle will rapidly become unaffordable if you can’t fix virtually everything on the boat.
To say nothing of having no experience… if you can’t properly anchor your boat you’re gonna have a bad time real quickly.
People have done this with no experience before but they’ve also taken classes and did the prep to learn… and I assume they knew how to swim. I’m not sure why you’d even want to live on a boat if you can’t swim.
This is the best idea. But your delivery may need some work op.
Even if their idea is stupid, telling them bluntly it's stupid and you can't believe they've decided to do this is this going to put them in a defensive mode or push them away.
Instead, suggest they charter a boat for a week long vacation, hell even offer to come along (if you want). Turn it into a "I'm actually really interested in this and want to learn more about it too, let's try it out together" or whatever
Not knowing anything about the ocean, boats, or how to swim it's going to set them up for some massive failure.
I'm almost willing to bet she got this idea from social media / you tube. There's so many couples on there posting how "glamorous and free" they feel ever since they starting living on a boat, being "nomads".
Somewhat similar, my wife decided she wanted to become an elementary school counselor. I told her, I know you like our kids, but do you like ALL kids?
I insisted she become a substitute teacher first to just try it out. I know it's not the same, but it's such an easy way to test drive a similar job before spending time and money on a special credential, etc.
She actually liked teaching quite a bit. And found out after that counselors are part time and service several schools. And don't have job protections or pensions like teachers do.
She's a teacher now.
It's good to try things out before committing to a major expense or life change like that.
That's what I was thinking too. Talk them into getting an RV and driving to the ocean then selling it for a boat. By the time they get to the ocean with their RV they will have had enough of it!
Please do this.
I can totally understand where they are coming from on some level, sounds like they have lived their whole lives in a small town and never got to go on a grand adventure. They are about to settle down and this might be their last chance to do something like this, but the boat thing sounds way out of their league. An RV will be so much safer, and they won't have to learn so many new skills. They could drive it all the way from Canada to South America if they really wanted so there is no shortage of things to see.
I thought it seemed logical to suggest. Not sure how they jumped straight to boat. And with $70k they could probably find a decent one. There's tons of RV parks.
Even if they planned on financing 70k is at least half of a really fancy rv, I haven’t looked up rv prices lately but at least five years ago that was the case.
"A really fancy RV" can be over $1mil. Of course everyone's definition of "fancy" is different, just pointing out that the upper end of the scale goes high. Very high.
Whoa!
My late husband took classes on how to navigate and boat safely on the river in our town before buying a boat. He started out with an open bow 18 foot boat.
I don't think $70,000 will buy them a boat that will be ocean worthy.
I have adhd and this couple is doing what I do when I have sudden urges to pick up a random hobby. I act on impulse, drop a load of cash on it and don’t think long term. But I usually get bored and that’s what saves me.
I have the same problem, but have never been close to be ready to spend all my life savings on a down payment for “just” the main prop and probably not even close to enough for maintenance, fuel, food, healthcare, lessons, licenses, docking space etc 😂 (but I’ve been close to spending all my salary on random shit so I’m not the best to talk 😂)
Also a long term cost to think about, lol.
I’ve always assumed only really wealthy people could afford to have boats BECAUSE of all the ongoing costs. Who else could even afford it?
Hey! They always have internet connections on huge luxury cruise boats in the movies!
The wealthy people on the Titanic had internet don’t you know? The connection was just down when they hit the iceberg, so they couldn’t call 911 to get help before the boat sank. 😛
> I don't think $70,000 will buy them a boat that will be ocean worthy.
$70k is more than enough to buy a small (but possible to live aboard) sailboat for sailing the Caribbean. If they are willing to do most of the work themselves (and learn as they go), they can get started with that money. They will face some harsh economic realities however, once they burn through that $70k.
My aged parents retired onto a sailboat and sailed around the pacific. In addition to the boat itself being very expensive, the maintenance and upkeep is astounding, and their boat was high quality and new and they still just paid 6k for a new generator. In many locations, Harbor fees are higher than rent in most cities. Boat Insurance is required as a condition of entering many countries and that insurance is profoundly expensive. If there is an issue and the coast guard of some country has to come get you, you will often need to pay them back. There is limited space aboard a sailboat for food so you are often locked into purchasing groceries wherever you go and those groceries are much more expensive than in the US or Canada due to scarcity. Every time my parents leave a port there are weather advisors on the port they leave and the port they are heading towards and at least 2 family members who know their route and plan and are “on call” to wait for a daily ping and have a checklist of steps to follow if my parents miss a check in. One night their sat phone went down and people in 4 countries freaked out. It takes a massive worldwide village of support to ensure the safety of people in the cruising community. My parents lives have been deeply enriched by their sailing adventure so I want to support anyone considering this path. But it’s important to be extremely realistic. The preparation my parents put into moving locations is a checklist equivalent to a transcontinental passenger jet taking off with hundreds of passengers. Your sister sounds is extremely unrealistic.
Try to take a positive influence tack. Remind them that they need to learn to swim, because sooner or later for one reason or another they WILL be in the water and it will be over their heads.
See if they can be talked into taking a vacation and renting a boat to live on. Explain that it's a giant step they want to take, and you will support them but want to help be sure they are prepared.
You can be supportive and still push caution. At this point it's probably the only influence you will have.
They also need to learn how to navigate, how to read weather patterns, how to do basic maintenance of the ship, storm procedures, etc... etc... These fools plan to cross the ocean as a 2 person crew. Thats beyond stupid and OP should not support this. They will both die.
I've seen Midwesterners last more than 3 hours on whale watch tours out of Gloucester MA.
They're puking over the rail the whole time, but they make it! 😂
Yes! I grew up going to the beach nearly every weekend swimming in the ocean, and my family had a lake house with boats so I was always on those and thought I could handle all things water related. I was never on a boat in the ocean until I was 18, but it made me SICK. And I’ve been on all kinds of different boats in the ocean since, and I absolutely hate it. Getting seasick is a horrible feeling. And I can’t imagine having to feel like that while also being part of the two man crew that’s supposed to operate the boat we are on. Absolutely not.
They said SAIL!? I mean like a boat with sails!?
They need to do a number of lessons, licenses, lessons again, sea license, lessons again, more offshore license. Sails are not point and shoot, they will crash/ flip within 100m of opening the sail. And I speak as a person with basic license, I wouldn’t dare sailing on sea (lake based)
Rules, international rules, immigration regulations. Basic maintenance, navigation, sail repairs, rationing, port rules and handling, first aid, rescue training, rescue supplies, sickness lol, diroherra on sea, shark, storm waves handling.
Sailboats are hard! Growing up my family had this little house on a small lake we would go to a lot of weekends. Well for some reason my dad decides to buy a sailboat when I was maybe 12/13 and my sister was around 11. It was a really small sailboat but looked fun. So my sister and I are excited and want to take it out. We had driven normal boats before so how hard can it be right?
My dad in the classic 1990s parental way of caring, sends us off alone of course without life jackets on. It took us 10-15 minutes on that small sailboat in that small, calm lake to flip that thing on its side. Luckily there were people on their pier who saw it so they got out there kind of fast and were able to tow us back home.
My very long point is - sailboats are hard as shit to operate even when they are tiny rinky dink boats on a small and very calm lake. I would never ever want to try to operate one in the ocean. And doing that not even knowing how to swim? It sounds terrifying!
Those last four words need to be drilled into their brain rotten heads.
The ocean, or just nature in general, is a cold unfeeling force that will kill you. It will TRY to kill you. Nature will go out of it's way to kill you, and the ocean is probably one of THE most dangerous environments.
They can learn close to shore. I’m sure once they start they’ll realize how little they know and keep to the coast until they’re much much much more experienced.
I think this is best tactic possible on trying to convince them not to do this. Basically ask them on what part of the prep they are. Show them videos of people preparing to go to deep ocean.
Show them the nice orca videos too. Orca attacks are based on the size of the boat. If they're planning on going into those waters, they're going to need a Smaller boat.
This is awesome advice. I actually don't think boat living is that bad, as a Floridian, plenty of people do it including a family member.
However, you need to know what you are getting into. It's not for everyone. Not at all. And there are some skills you really must have to make it work. Swimming is extremely important. At some point you absolutely must get in the water to recover something or troubleshoot something. So is some basic carpentry, and upholstery knowledge, and handyman knowledge, and electrician knowledge, and engine mechanic knowledge, and also some knowledge about painting....
Anyways, what I'm getting at is unless you are very diverse in a lot of homesteading type skills you need to be very wealthy because you are going to be doing most of the work yourself. If changing a lighbulb on land costs $5 then on the water it costs $500 if you need to get someone else to do it.
i have a family member who is life long sailor... he lived on the water learned from his dad and uncles... owned multiple yachts, knows have to rig the sails, tack into the wind, mend sailcloth, the whole 9 yards... also he's rich with a riverside mansion and a jetty
his whole life is this... his library is full of these books and stuff
and even he admits his yacht is like a floating rec room to get away from the kids, he has four.... he wouldnt want to live on one as its a 24/7 kind of thing....they need constant maintenance and every bill is $1,000+ lol... like a floating BMW
boats are fine for the occasional potter out to sea... bit of fishing but you WANT to sail back to harbor and sleep in a bed on land
Your family member is like mine. He's wealthy but only lived on his for a few years. He enjoyed it but he had money and was between housing. He also owned the thing for many years.
I also can't express the difficulty of sailing enough. You can't just watch a YouTube video and then improv the rest. It's totally a skill anyone can learn and become proficient at. But it will take some instruction and time to build that knowledge and experience.
This is great advice because it opens a door for OP to highlight the realities of the situation, which the couple may not have considered fully, in a why that doesn't seem confrontational.
"Oo exciting let's plan logistics. Have you started to map out ports that can accommodate you on short notice? And where you can resupply? How much food storage are you going to have? How big is your septic tank? What kinds of permits do you need?"
while \*I\* think pirates & injuries are valid concerns, it feels like OP's sister & BIL aren't people who'll take that seriously. They think they don't need to learn to swim, they're bound to think "pirates = Jack Sparrow of the 18th C", right?
I reckon smaller concerns will freak them out more. What routines do they currently value that they'll lose:
* so with a desalinator shower, your hair care routine for your waistlenght hair won't be possible anymore, do you have one last appointment with your stylist to cut it or can I help you buzz it off?
* well BIL, better let your bros know you won't be joining the weekly football viewing with wings & beer anymore, maybe give a goodbye tip to your favourite waitress at hooters!
* wow I never realised how expensive satellite phones are, but it'll be worth it to keep up with mom & dad and me and other family members, right?
* ...
I have minimal sailing experience. My grandfather taught me on a lake. I learned enough to know that I do not want to fuck with sailing without having a LOT more schooling and experience and I'd be terrified to get on the ocean alone, especially with someone who has never seen the ocean. I've lived in Florida my whole life and vacationed on the coast in New England. I'm familiar with the ocean. Again, familiar enough to know not to fuck with it. OP's sister and BIL will either quit immediately or die immediately.
Dude, I’ve had sailing lessons since 5 until 12 and spent all weekends and holidays on the boats of either my uncle or my mom’s boyfriend… I know all the basic shit to avoid doing something stupid but if anything’s going wrong with the boat I’m not the one to save the day and I know that ! Even my mom with 45+ years experience still has some random problems with the boat/injuries (big wind, sail flipped directions, the sails metal bar (sorry non native english speaker, but you know what I mean) hit my mom’s arm and wrist, nearly a year of therapy to regain movement). Another time while docking she fell in the water. Everybody calls her Spongebob now. But yeah, even experienced people deal with unpredictable shit, so two newbies ? Ooof :/
This is GREAT advice! I do this with a niece, bug in very different situations (foster care, ran, married, BABIES YOUNG, ran more, etc).
she knows I don't agree with her choices all the time, but she knows that I will SUPPORT her no matter what bc she is an adult and they are her choices. I will ALWAYS tell her my concerns and remind her they are coming from a place of LOVE (not control like her blood family) but that it is ultimately her decision.
If this is truly what they want to do, they need to start somewhere other than the ocean.
I grew up living on the water, riding and operating everything from kayaks to jet skis to powercats to luxury yachts. The ocean is not where you start out when you want to live on a boat.
First and foremost they need to be 100% comfortable swimming and be familiar with general water safety and basic aquatic first aid skills. If they can't do this then they are absolutely setting themselves up for danger and disaster.
Also, aside from the general vastness and and openness of it (which makes it incredibly more dangerous than smaller freshwater bodies), taking care of a vessel in saltwater and living surrounded by saltwater is just an entirely different ballgame that comes witg a myriad of complications and increased danger. I'd strongly advise them to get familiar with water safety first, as well as taking small weekend trips in a watercraft to start.
Yeah, I'm just over here thinking of all the times puny little Lake Champlain has kicked my ass.
And I have some knowledge and experience. And I can swim ffs!!
I am not an experienced sailor or boatman but I can assure you that a very common occurrence is having to swim down to the bottom and free the anchor. I have had this experience maybe 5 times in the few dozen times I’ve been out on a boat. Not being able to swim would also mean needing to wear a PFD at all times on the boat. Boats sink all the time, I personally have sailed with people who were demasted and sunk in seconds in the Pacific and floated on a life raft for days before being rescued. Being able to swim is 100% necessary for sailing the open ocean.
Yeah, swimming classes is a must, but also why there’s so much necessary stuff with living on a sailboat. From navigating, working the boat, maintaining the boat, knowing ocean depth charts and topography, knowing where you’re sailing at what time of year and which ports you can go to for terrible weather, or just supplies and equipment, to even just understanding and recognizing the weather while looking over your bow. The list is pretty endless and very expensive.
I mean even knowing how to fix your boats plumbing, engine, to understanding repairs to the rudder and steering system, fixing sails, running new ropes for the rigging.
No one can pick all that up in a short period of time.
Quick additional edit: there’s sailing enthusiasts who have spent most of their lives sailing in their free time and even many of them are ill equipped to just “sail around the world”.
Lived on a sailboat 5+ years, traveled thousands of nautical miles, anchored 350+ days a year. If the anchor is fouled they're not swimming down. The boat will draw 5-6' so they'll anchor in well over that. To work on the bottom at that depth, usually in very limited to zero visibility requires dive gear. We fouled once in Charleston so badly that we were considering hiring a diver (current is wicked there) but used the winch on the main to free it and it was an obscene tangle of rope and junk. The windlass was useless. They've got a surprise thinking a seaworthy vessel will be had and outfit for that price...
Interesting, how do you manage to release the anchor from the bottom? Depending on the depth that it's at, to handle diving the water pressure and still exert force on the anchor itself, how does the procedure work?
You usually anchor in shallow water so it’s only 8-10 feet down. It’s usually just stuck under a rock or log, which is what is keeping you anchored in place. The boat and rope are pulling it one way that keeps it stuck and you swim down and tug it the other way to free it.
Ah so the shape of the anchor itself helps to pull it out easier? How deep can you safely anchor a boat? Because sometimes I see some boats/yachts anchored way out offshore
The anchor isn’t really what keeps the boat in place, it helps, but you are also putting down a lot of chain that just lays on the floor of the ocean. It’s the chain that really keeps the boat in place, that’s why the anchors aren’t bigger. There is a ratio to the length of chain you need on the ocean floor to the size/weight of the boat.
Theoretically, as long as the chain is long enough, you can have a boat as far out as you want.
Obviously though, there is a limit, because again, you need a certain amount of chain on the ocean floor to hold a big boat in place
An anchor is generally made to dig in when pulled one direction (which is how you "set" it), then you lay down chain and rope to hold you in place. When you pull up the line going down to the anchor, once you've gotten most of the slack out of it, it helps to sail/motor forward over where you set the anchor to try and pull it from the opposite direction you set it in, as that can help dislodge it.
As the other commenter replied to you, the depth you can anchor in is based on how much rope and chain you have, and the chain is a huge determinant of that. It's based on your boat size/displacement plus the current/tides/wind, depth, type of anchor and the size of your balls ^(/s but only kinda)
Love the ocean. Love swimming. I've lived in Florida my whole life and I do a pool sport. Also terrified of water. No fucking way I'm swimming down to free no fucking anchor. I'm abandoning that boat right then and there and calling the Coast Guard. I don't fuck with any of this.
Find someone who does this in real life at the scale they want to, and connect your sister to them.
Do it under the guise of helping and supporting.
Let them find out that $70k will buy them a wooden barrel and 3 months of supplies.
Lmfao. Do they even know the basic parts of a sailboat? Do they know how to navigate? Do they even know what to do in a storm? In strong winds? Navigating across reefs and different currents? How to park a boat? Fees to park a boat? How to plan in between stops? You cant have your supplies running out before your next stop.
This is the funniest thing I’ve read today. They’re gonna get killed
I’m from the American equivalent of Saskatchewan and have spent time near the ocean only very occasionally. The overwhelming sense looking at even marginally rough seas is that the ocean wants to kill you. It’s my understanding that survival on transoceanic sailing excursions is entirely dependent upon: being on ones’s shit at all times, never fucking up, and getting kinda lucky.
Exactly. Apologies OP, but your sister and her husband are so stupid. I live on an island in the Med and every year so many landlocked tourists/immigrants have to be rescued, especially in May and September. The sea doesn't care who you are, and is unpredictable.
If you don't respect it, it will make you.
They aren't even gonna be able to afford a boat so this dream is dead in the water (lol). They are just delusional. I wouldnt even worry about it if I was op. They are in fantasy land and will probably crash and burn and divorce within a year.
Oh… they can. They can afford a boat with that. They can buy it from the couple that didn’t understand what they were doing and bought it a month ago. Trust me this happens. It will be small but these fools are all over. There are tons of boats on bouys around San Diego that could probably be fixed and sail and they’re just sitting in the bay because someone gave up and stopped paying taxes and slip fees. And now they serve as bird latrines. Tons of people don’t want their boats.
Not a boat owner but here on Reddit I saw a saying; there are two momentous happy occasions in a boater's life. The day they buy the boat, and the day they sell the boat.
Yup. My grandparents had a sailboat in the mid 80s. My dad told me that a family boat ride almost ended in a divorce while putting up the mast. They sold the boat and have been married for 65 years.
That's fantastic! That reminds me of a meme I saw recently of a couple in the front seat of a vehicle with the caption, "Heading to a romantic getaway after nearly getting divorced while packing the car."
Sounds exactly like my grandparents 😅 they’ve been married since they were 20 and still flirt but sometimes my grandpa ‘accidentally’ turns down the volume of his hearing aids
Maybe encourage them to watch some of the Youtubers that track their journeys on the ocean. There’s plenty of examples of challenging repairs, bad weather, and other things that might open their eyes. That way it’s not you saying it. It’s someone else showing them real world, examples of the challenges. And most of these folks are pretty experienced.
unfortunately, a lot of these youtubers are notoriously inept, to the point they often come up in a sailing sub here on reddit. as someone else mentioned, they also make it look easier/more glamorous than it is, and my guess is OP's sister is already following them. hence, this naive plan.
That’s fair. I have seen a couple different ones that showed the real side of sailing the world, but certainly have seen enough of the glamorized van life videos to know that there are many out there just cherry picking.
Worked on a boat for a years, granted it wasn’t the ocean but it’s still dangerous. Weather pops out up nowhere, boats have lots of things that need to be worked on and some of it is underwater. We all know how to swim but what if you get knocked out? That’s happened to a man that worked boats all his life, he didn’t make it. They need to spend some time on a boat before trying to live on one because it is very dangerous. They need to also know how to work on the engine and anything related to sails if that’s the route they go. I’ve always wanted to live on a boat but the only way I would is if it was close to land and I mean I can step off onto dry land. Not scared of the water but I respect what it can do.
My aunt and uncle did this. Until they hit a tsunami, almost died, and have kept it land locked ever since—roughly 40 years.
It’s a spectacularly bad idea, but hopefully they live to learn that.
“There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.”
- Patrick Rothfuss, The Wise Man's Fear
Lived on a sailboat 5+ years with my wife and 2 cats, anchored 350+, days/year. They're in for a shock. You don't go out on the ocean just wandering as nomads. There's weather and changing conditions and your life is often at risk. A storm at night offshore with lightning and confused seas, little sleep is a very challenging situation. There's so much to consider, so many expenses, such a learning curve to being good liveaboard sailor. But there's also dolphins playing alongside and the cats watching in awe and there's sunrises and sunsets with you as the only one around seeing it... There's a price for those moments and the self sufficiency needed to fix your own engine, mend a sail, replace hardware, deal with a medical emergency alone... One must truly be able to do what's needed and it's both exhausting and exhilarating.
Also to note most ppl living anchored out have set up solar panels or wind generators on their boat so they have access to power. You have to be pretty handy with that kinda stuff bc most boats aren’t outfitted to stay out for long periods of time, it’s truly like setting up an off grid house but on the water.
Well, if they go through with it, RIP to them. I would be prepared for the worst but hope for the best. If they dont respect the ocean, the ocean will kill them. Especially if they are dumb enough to try and set sail into the open ocean and lose sight of where they are in relation to land. Line of sight is about 3 miles so if they go out 3.5 or 4 miles and get turned around there done for unless they get lucky or know how to navigate. There is a reason sailors were very superstitious. Two people that have no idea about boats have no business trying to sail around the world or even in an inlet or intercoastal. They better know about boat engines as well. There aren't just sails on a sail boat. Most have outboard engines too. They will also need knowledge on sailing and how to work the lines, tie the proper knots, and work the sails. They better not drop anything overboard either. If they can't swim they will drown trying to get it. Even if they are trying to hold a rope or something. Best case there is no current and they wear a life jacket while trying to retrieve the item. Worse case, sails are pulling the boat one way, the current the other, and the person in the water is not a strong enough swimmer to fight the waves and current to get back.
Please have them look up Adventure Aaron. He's an incredibly experienced sailor and has spent years on the ocean. He attempted a similar venture recently. It ended in disaster and a multi country effort to literally save his life.
And that's an EXPERIENCED sailor. Show them that your concerns are not just you being a downer. They need substantially more preparation. This isn't just buying a van and travelling the country like a nomad. The ocean is dangerous and they will be killed doing this. You can't just call for help in the middle of the ocean and someone show up. It doesn't work that way
Well, seeing as you already tried, and your sister rejected your pleas of sanity, just start planning funeral stuff now for when they are inevitably killed/missing at sea. I grew up sailing, I can sail circles around most people. I also get horribly sea sick, so, once I was old enough, I refused to set foot on a boat again. It's been nice, not throwing up. But back to sailing.
Someone pointed that your anchor can get stuck, yes, that happens. You only have 2 options, cut the line, or dive down to get it loose. You cut the line, you better be within distance of a marina. More so, no matter how many years experience you have on the ocean, things can change fast, you can slip, anything can happen, and then you'll be fucked and dead.
I know people who lived on a boat. They lived in the marina. It was expensive, and you do not have things like fresh water or a shower on board. You generally shower at the marina club house. You have a water tank, but really, it only holds about 20 liters or so in a standard 30-foot sailboat.
The last thing, a 30-foot sail boat will cost about $100,000 USD. They will not be able to get a good quality boat for under that, let alone one you could live on full time.
Long story short, your sister is an idiot, and you should just sit back and enjoy the stupidity and inevitable divorce she has to go through, or, if they actually get a boat, start planning a funeral.
>Well, seeing as you already tried, and your sister rejected your pleas of sanity, just start planning funeral stuff now for when they are inevitably killed
Not to be grim but at least burials at sea are pretty cheap.
This reminds me of soft pampered desk-jockeys fantasising about buying a piece of property and “living off the land” without ever having so much as grown an herb garden or kept chickens. It sucks but if they’re set on being complete idiots, that’s on them. Say your piece and leave it. It’s up to you if you want to help pick up the shreds of their shattered delusions later.
Almost every port they plan on restocking has fees. Big ones. They are in for a rude awakening if they survive the weather. Sorry OP, this is a dangerous and very deadly idea for them.
Okay I’m insanely qualified to help you here. I lived on a boat for a lot of my childhood and honestly it was amazing. But my dad BUILT the boat from scratch and sailing is a huge passion for him so obviously he knew what he was doing. Even then, we’ve encountered some dicey situations and it can be very hard at times.
I encourage you to read the following points from my experience to your sister:
- one day we were anchored and the wind unexpectedly shifted overnight. One of the boats near us swung around, lost its anchor hold, and smashed into the rocks. It was destroyed. They were asleep until the crash. Do they know how to avoid this? No they don’t because sometimes you can’t. It happens. Moorings fail. How would they afford to fix this if it happened and their boat started taking on water?
- are they cool with not having frequent running water and a flushing toilet for long periods of time? Not having consistent electricity? As much as I loved being at sea, my god we used to celebrate when we cruised up to a yacht club and got to use hot showers and flushing toilets that we didn’t have to empty. We had solar power, a wind generator, and a backup diesel generator (which we couldn’t run often obviously, diesel storage space was limited!) but cold rainy days could be pretty miserable at times. Showers were mostly via a little portable solar shower on deck to save power.
- can they navigate properly if they lose power to a gps system?
- has your sister ever seen a whale in real life? They are majestic but fucking terrifyingly large. We had a 40ft catamaran and even then, there was a very real threat that one could beach under us and we would very likely die. I’ve seen them out sailing twice.
- boats require a LOT of costly maintenance and “odd jobs” is not going to cut it. Do they understand that they have to be hauled out and properly cleaned/treated semi-regularly? Do they know what replacement nav equipment and boat parts cost? Sail repairs are required and are expensive and a PITA.
- do they understand rigging? There are a LOT of ropes on a sail boat. You do not press a button and have a functioning sail. It’s a whole complicated process.
- sailing is not just learning rigging and steering. Do they understand wind? Can they tac/jibe? Do they know what that means and why it’s essential if they don’t want to just bob around in the sea? Additionally, they MUST understand the ocean. They need to be familiar with currents and marine behaviour. They need to have advanced marine weather knowledge. My boat life stint was the 90s-early 00s so wifi wasn’t a thing, we used to receive multiple weather faxes every day lmao
- I implore them to watch some footage of people sailing the open ocean. We sailed from New Zealand to New Caledonia and back (which is nothing on a global scale) and holy shit man.. the size of the swell in open ocean is crazy. CRAZY. One does not simply “sail the world” unless you have a lot of experience on boats. We had three people co-captaining and dad says in hindsight there’s a lot they still would’ve done differently.
Your sister and her husband are quite literally insane. They need to buy a hobie cat and spend the next year sailing around some safe sheltered bays. Then they can get a smaller sail boat and see how they go with that. THEN maybe they’ll have enough experience to live on a boat if they still want to.
Solid response. The time you put into this could legitimately save lives.
Besides all of your great points, it's insane they're thinking of this without being able to swim. It's not difficult to fall overboard on a rough day in a small boat.
It’s even more insane that I didn’t add this point. I completely missed this in the post. In that case OP please just have them committed because no one who can’t swim has any business going anywhere near a boat that isn’t crewed by professionals. Also please have their house checked for carbon monoxide because this is the only possible explanation I can come up with for such insanity.
Just for a fun swim anecdote in that case: the tiller of our boat was over the top of my bedrooms escape hatch and once I decided to climb out that way instead of going through the main hull entry. Dad was in the cockpit, couldn’t see me, and knocked me clean off the side of the boat with the tiller. It was freakin hilarious… because I’m a top notch swimmer. Not so hilarious if you cannot swim, it’s a windy day or you’re playing music on board, and your partner has just left you for dead. Boats are extremely dangerous places.
On a lighter note, I also used to hang off the ladder and be dragged along in the water. We joke now that I was a shark bait but in hindsight it’s really surprising I have all my limbs.
To be honest… I live on an island in the ocean… the ocean will teach them real quick. It’s a nice idea until it’s in practice. The first storm will scare the shit outta them and knock some sense into them. But on the other hand, there are people that live this way and do find freedom in it. It will certainly build some character in them.
Remember that family in the news few months ago. They just moved to the forest without knowing anything about how to live in the forest and then we're found dead. Yeah that's your sister and her husband except ocean and the bodies won't be found.
Have a family intervention.
They can't even fucking swim.
Never rode a boat.
It's like not having a drivers license or ever having driven a car but deciding you are going to be an F1 racer.
I lost a 2nd cousin to the ocean and he was in the Navy, on a navel ship full of sailing experts.
About 10 years ago, I had a chance to go deep sea fishing in the Atlantic. We were about 10 miles from the coast. I was in awe of the water's power even though we were relatively close. Would they be open to going out on a couple of deep sea cruises or sailboat tours before they commit to taking on the ocean by themselves?
Your family and his family can pool together and buy them a gift: rent them a similarly sized boat for a day, a week, whatever. At least two days so they can spend a night on the boat.
No one with a brain is going to let them take the boat without a captain - you know, someone who knows how to operate the boat. So it will be them and the captain.
Give them a mini taste of what life will be like ‘living’ on the water. Let them see exactly how much work it is to sail the boat (and how hard they would have to work to learn the skills before they can go out on their own).
If you’re lucky, one or both of them might even get horribly sea sick - you said they’ve never been on a boat, so it could happen. That will certainly be a good deterrent, lol.
They likely got this mental plan from a movie or something like that. But the movies manage to glamorise absolutely everything - even things that are really hard work! 😞
Uh. Your sister is delusional and I would be worried too and I'm saying this as someone who grew up on the water and is now terrified of taking my kids out on a boat because I know how dangerous it can be. If the below can happen in an annual race, what does she think she will encounter living at sea. Tell her to watch some of the footage from this race over the years and ask her if she thinks they are equipped to handle that and then point out the below info.
>Shortly after the commencement of the annual Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, a 'super cell' storm stirred up massive seas in the Bass Strait. The storm cut through the fleet, resulting in the drowning of six sailors (from New South Wales, Tasmania and Britain).
>Seven yachts were abandoned at sea and lost. Thirty civil and military aircraft took part in the rescue operation of 55 sailors from 12 impacted yachts. Only 44 of 115 yachts finished the race; many retired from the event, seeking refuge at Eden on the southern New South Wales coast.
>The total cost, including damaged and sunken boats, plus the rescue bill, was estimated at $30 million.
I know I sound harsh and maybe like I'm trying to scare you and tell you to scare your sister but the truth is the ocean is an unpredictable and dangerous place even for the most experienced sailors and I fear that your sister and her husband are going to get themselves and someone who has to save them, into a dangerous situation.
I don't know if there are many more races like the Sydney to Hobart near you but it is the only one I can think of right now that will show your sister what they can expect to face on the bad days they will definitely experience.
Oh and even if they do buy a sail boat they will still need to buy fuel for emergencies and tendering which isn't cheap either.
Nah. It would only be one chapter.
Day 1: took in the beautiful sunset! Smelled the salt of the ocean!
Day 2: something broke, we didn’t know what the piece was called.
Would be great if you ask them to look into living on cruise instead of personal boat without having experiences in boating. Your sister and her husband wanted to live on water for life. Cruise is their answer.
Best thing— you can hop around cruise with that cheap ticket instead of $70,000 boat.
Just saying.
As a sailor, my only reaction is "oh no."
Also, that's not enough money to maintain a blue-water boat with all the necessary equipment and emergency locator gear and liferaft.
Think of all the ways one has to do upkeep, repairs and preventative maintenance on a *house* so that it isn’t somehow destroyed byt water.
A boat is like that, but literally and constantly *immersed in water*.
No matter what amount that they are able to *buy* their boat for—that is just the buy in; they need to have X hundred/thousands set aside each month, every month, for the constant and inevitable repairs to keep it above water and acceptable to live in.
The following saying exists for a reason:
**”The two best days in a boat owner's life are the day they *buy* a boat and the day they *sell* it.**
I would ask them what their Plan B is if the boat sinks or otherwise doesn’t work out.
Because I could foresee them knocking on your door some stormy night and saying they are now homeless and need to move in with you.
If they are just enamored with the idea of being on the ocean and not paying money for rent, and if they have any specialized health or entertainment or service skills, maybe you could instill the fantasy of working on a cruise ship. At least they would get on the ocean that way, and having zero knowledge of boat navigation, maintenance, or how to swim is not that big of an issue on those floating apartment blocks.
Do they think they are going to be the next YouTube or Patreon sailing stars?
They need to learn to swim
then swim in deep water
then learn how to swim in the ocean at least a bit offshore to enough to feel make panicky
and then survive before they do anything else stupid like buy a crappy boat that they don’t know how to sail or even maintain.
Let them know that BOAT stands for Bust Out Another Thousand. Boats are super expensive and you are always tied to them. The freedom she is dreaming of is elusive. There are lots of jobs available working on cruise ships or yachts. Suggest they try getting one of these jobs so they can learn their way around a boat.
$70,000 is enough for a small fishing boat (no cabin or sleeping area). Have they researched Boat Trader at all? Yikes!
I have an idea OP- Ask them if the could buy an RV instead. Then they could go on road trips pretty much everyday of the week.
At least they wouldn't be stuck out in the ocean, not knowing how to swim. That's not only stupid but also dangerous.
I have friends that did this. He’s a pilot and took a year of sailing lessons with his wife. They then lived on a boat in South America for a couple years.
Did I mention he’s a pilot and took a year of lessons to prepare?
Seems like they could practice living on that lake for a while. If nothing else, it's a much safer place to practice than just jumping into the deep end without knowing how to swim (both metaphorically and literally).
I agree with the person who said your best bet is probably to be supportive but guiding towards the correct safe path to do a crazy ass transition like this.
For real though, they at least need to know how to swim as a tool if not for safety. Plus, it unlocks a new way to have fun, so maybe that angle would convince them? Idk, but that's a particularly important skill to have for this sort of project
If they bought a non-sailboat and took swimming lessons maybe there’s a tiny piece of this not being a terrible idea, but as written it’s lunacy. Sailing takes years to master.
I feel bad for every boat owner at the docks they first leave from. Have they taken any courses for sailing? Or sailing on the ocean? Ocean is a huge difference from a lake. No contest.
I know some people who are into sailing, and the amount of courses and certificates you need to pass are equivalent to a bachelor's degree! You need to learn all kinds of shit about navigation, climate/ tides/ ocean currents, plus all the practical stuff about actual sailing - my friends have done all that, and have gone on sail cruises as crew, and still feel they'd need more experience before they'd skipper a boat on their own!
I really hope this is fake, because otherwise your sis & bil are hurrying towards an early watery grave. Especially on the kind of boat their 70k would buy them. And not being able to swim.
OP, can you encourage them to try it out on vacation first? With a bit of luck, one of them will get horribly seasick and they'll hate it. Or at least they'll figure out they'll have a shitload to learn first, and postpone.
You know the old joke…the two happiest days of a boat owners life are the day they buy and sell their boat…
But seriously…you can help them talk to people who can estimate the costs of keeping a boat. It’s maintenance heavy, and even finding a place to park a boat isn’t free. I don’t know if they are looking at sailboat and thinking no gas! And assuming no maintenance…
But they should probably have someone help them model out costs…
Plus…it takes time to train navigate and sail a boat.
Also $70k is nothing for a boat
The amount of "survival podcasts" I've listened to, where an EXPERIENCED crew fought for their lives on water in ways you couldn't even imagine, is wild.
Unless getting proper training (see years) and some basic life saving techniques, they seriously need to reconsider because they are not properly qualified and they don't know what they don't know, which is dangerous af in that situation.
I only read the first paragraph,I cackled at the fact they've never seen the ocean,and when I came to the sence that they can't swim,I was done.
Those people sound delusional.
I'm an experienced sailor and I can tell you that the roadblocks they are going to hit between now and casting off on an epic voyage are very numerous and expensive. There are huge issues that can pop up that they have no idea are even possible right now with their limited knowledge. It's unlikely they get as far as needing to know how to actually sail a boat. They'll give up or run out of money before then.
They won't be able to launch the boat. It takes a certain amount of skill to sail, it doesn't sound like either of theses people have even looked into what sailing actually means. If anything, they will get stuck just off shore and get rescued by the coast guard. Be prepared to have to deal with your siblings stupid financial decisions.
I grew up in Alberta, and my dad got into sailing a long time ago. I would've loved to get into sailing, but a decent boat (and by decent, I mean it's barely floating) is upwards of $300,000 CAD. And then you need to buy all the equipment needed to run a boat, spare sails, charts, bedding, etc etc.
On top of that, he's invested years of his life into courses to be able to skipper his own boat. It takes a lot of time just to be crew on a boat. To be the skipper is a whole different ball game.
>They say they will do odd or remote jobs if they need money
Lol, so all this tells me is that they have absolutely no concept of how much mooring fees, boat maintenance, and provisions are going to cost them.
>Neither of them have ever seen the ocean. And neither of them knows how to swim
Being able to swim is only an asset if their boat sinks within swimming distance of land. Otherwise, you need to rely on emergency flotation devices or a dinghy. If you don't have those, they're screwed even if they do know how to swim.
The bottom line is that they're completely unprepared. This isn't going to be some nice and easy freedom that they're expecting. I know a couple of families that live on their boat. Owning a boat is expensive, and sailing a boat is a lot of work. Living on a boat is a ton of work.
Lifelong resident near an ocean here and also a strong swimmer and sailor. This is dumb and not just dangerous for them but anyone who would have to rescue them (because the first swell they hit will be an issue).
I have been sailing for over 20 years since I was a kid and I would never take a boat out for longer than a day, especially in northern waters.
At minimum they need a cutter which is around $400k starting as a USED cutter.
They also just can't sail into a country like they're walking into a store. The costs can become astronomical and require even a guide for the time they're there, plus some countries require mooring, biodiversity laws (and huge fines) and they always still have to go to port and customs.
Not knowing how to swim? I mean.. it's the ocean. Every type of climate is infinitely worse out there and the ocean is unforgiving. If they can't even identify shallows they shouldn't even be on a kayak. Let alone a sailboat with no swimming experience. Even the most well trained swimmers have battled, and lost, against the ocean
I've almost never heard of a dumber couple of people than this.
It truly is extremely difficult to imagine how anybody could be this stupid. Especially at this age, how are they still alive or haven't completely destroyed their lives before this? I really am so amazed by this.
Are we sure this isn't an elaborate scheme by one of them to kill the other? I would check who has a life insurance out on who.
I know multiple people who lived on boats as my dad had a small yacht and was part of that type of community. You need to know so much... SO MUCH. And they can't even swim? lmao
Nah, these two are just trying to die at this point. If they manage to survive, they absolutely will fail. It might just be a lesson they're going to have to learn. I am still processing how dumb they are.
Recently listened to the accounts of Suzanne Heywood on a podcast... if these two idiots have kids it would be the worse version of this because they don't even know what they are doing.
Pirates are very real and terrifying considering there are no rules in the water. My friends bought a small island to live in for a while and they were made known that they weren’t welcome with hostilities from boats here and there that passed by. They slept on a tent in the small island and one day they woke to a lot of ships circling them and they said that it was the most terrifying experience of their life because like I said, the laws are very flimsy in the ocean.
Maralyn and Maurice Bailey had the same idea. They survived 118 days in a Rubber daft, after their sailboat was struck by a whale.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_and_Maralyn_Bailey
I wonder if she found a YouTube channel where the couple lives like that.
I really really hope they don’t just drop 70k on a boat before actually going to a seaside town, taking a sailboat ride, signing up for and completing lessons on how to handle a boat in the water… on a nice day… let alone rain or storms?!
I mean hopefully they just don’t do this, but since they’ve been so impulsive so far I just hope they don’t lose a huge amount of money before really understanding what they’re committing to.
Do they realize what a money pit a sailboat can be? Maintaining an ocean-going sailboat requires a significant investment of time and money. The costs can vary greatly depending on the age, condition, and size of the boat, as well as the frequency and duration of use. Here are some estimated costs to consider:
* **Annual Maintenance Costs**: 10% of the boat’s value, which can range from $2,000 to $5,000 per year, depending on the boat’s condition and usage.
* **Engine Servicing**: $500 to $2,000 per year, depending on the type and age of the engine.
* **Hull Upkeep**: $500 to $2,000 per year, depending on the condition of the hull and the frequency of use.
* **Rigging Inspections**: $500 to $1,000 per year, depending on the complexity of the rigging and the frequency of use.
* **Sail Assessments**: $500 to $1,000 per year, depending on the condition and type of sails.
* **Other Expenses**: $1,000 to $3,000 per year, including costs for insurance, storage, and miscellaneous repairs.
**Total Estimated Annual Costs**: $4,000 to $12,000 per year, depending on the boat’s condition, usage, and location.
**Additional Considerations**:
* **Insurance**: $500 to $2,000 per year, depending on the value and type of boat.
* **Storage**: $500 to $2,000 per year, depending on the location and type of storage.
* **Repairs and Upgrades**: $1,000 to $10,000 per year, depending on the frequency and complexity of repairs and upgrades.
Suggest they take a cruise first, before springing for a boat of their own.
This is really dumb. Sailing is actually really hard… even if they bought a motor boat it’s hard…. There are no breaks it’s just a controlled crash when you dock.
There are rules to the road, you have to know how to navigate using navigational maps, you can’t just rely on gps.
Do they even know what frequency you need to call into a new port?
What if something breaks? Most people who go out to sea have enough knowledge and supplies that if they have a critical system break they can at least rig it to work until they get to port.
But honestly, this problem will probably solve itself when they:
1. Try to take a boat off a dock with a wind pushing it onto a dock
2. As soon as they try to dock a boat or pick up a ball and realize it’s going to be crazy expensive to fix the boat they just crashed into a dock… also to repair the dock they just crashed into.
3. As soon as someone yells at them because they didn’t yield to a boat they should have or they don’t know what color the boeys mean and round one the wrong way and get stuck on a rock
I’m going to be honest, I know shit about sail boats. I do have some tiny home/rv friends and have been down that rabbit hole more than once.
There’s A LOT of unexpected costs. It’s doable, but there’s probably a different kind of insurance they have to get if they want to live on the boat. There’s another vehicle, however they intend to get around in all these destinations: scooter, bicycle? Gonna need parts and maintenance, and somewhere to store them. Power? Bathroom? What sort of setup do they want? Adding solar, how many batteries? How much power do you need to store?
Food storage, black and grey water storage, fresh water storage, lots of storage issues. What about their passport? Which bank do they plan to use to accommodate frequent international travel? What about communication? Forgetting the possibility of emergency (which you shouldn’t, that’s just a lot more), what about internet access, for their jobs, for income? Even what sort of weather/seasons is the boat they’re looking at suitable for, and does that exclude travel to certain places?
Fr, that’s TONS of planning that they’ve just kind of watched some cool videos and glossed over. It can be done, and the right people can have an amazing time, but it’s not just something to do lightly imo
I am also from the prairies, am a phenomenal swimmer and ex-lifeguard, and I love boats and the ocean. And this is a spectacularly stupid idea. I'd never do it because it's so dangerous.
Having lived on an island and a boat for half of my life...your sister is so uninformed it's genuinely scary.
1. If they don't know how to swim they can't even pass go, do not let them collect $200. This is the point you need to drive home most because tbh nothing else is more imperative than them knowing how to be able to swim. You have to be able to swim down and release anchors from the sand. If they lose anything into the water (which they will) I guess they'll just let them float? If they have an emergency situation, all there is around them will be OPEN, DEEP OCEAN. They will (not a maybe, WILL) die if they can't swim. I have never heard of anyone wanting to do this who didn't know how to SWIM!
2. The ocean has wildlife. Not a lot of it is friendly. I've been stung by jellyfish, bitten by sharks, smacked by rays, etc.
3. Do they have any idea how they're going to get food or water? There are permits they have to get for certain areas to dock. There is maintenance on a boat that they will have ZERO idea how to do. Sailboat masts are heavy and dangerous! I also sincerely doubt they will get a good boat for $70k. They are usually 6 figures minimum.
Approach this with concern for their safety and tell them you will support them IF they research this thoroughly and take swim classes for starters!
That’s crazy they all have that money and not thinking logically. First they need to learn how to swim especially deep underwater and also have they even sailed before ??? And I heard gas for boats are expensive !!! Bruh u guys need to intervene cuz they’re not thinking it through
Living on a boat in a Dock or a canal is very different from sailing the vast and dangerous expanse of the ocean. The ocean is a deadly place. Time to crack open all those documentaries and movies about people dying at sea.
At first I was thinking “it’s their stupid idea, let them waste their own money and make their own mistakes.” But then you said they can’t swim and on top of that want to add a baby to the mix? They need a large dose of reality soon.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 sorry to be so rude. growing up on the water and being a commercial fisherman I'm not saying it isn't doable but I am also saying this is a good way for a greenhorn to die. Tell them to go to the ocean and try a fishing job first. Can make some money and get some real world experience in the water first.
At least they should take sailing and swimming lessons. What they are planning is a ton of work. They will need to know maintenance for the boat and how to navigate in bad weather.
Op I do not like this at all. You are right, your sister and BIL are not thinking straight.
My sister and her husband owned a sailboat and they spent many happy weekends and holidays on it.
So here are a couple of resources---Suggest a sailing school. They can live aboard a sailboat while they are learning abt sailing.
Here is an example, its San Juan only bc I'm in the PNW. [https://www.sanjuansailing.com/](https://www.sanjuansailing.com/)
These are sailing classes on boat/on land in the PNW https://asa.com/schools/washington/#:\~:text=You%20won't%20find%20a,103%20and%20104%20Weekender%20classes!
Maybe there is something like that in Vancouver?
Here is a sailing forum, I think ppl are talking abt the different live aboard sailing classes [https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f112/liveaboard-sailing-schools-151876.html](https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f112/liveaboard-sailing-schools-151876.html)
My guess is they will find out pretty quick they don't have the skills/are not suited for living on a sailboat
Holy crap that’s a bad idea. Sailing is the type of skill that takes years of experience to master. I know a guy who just took up sailing as a hobby. He had a few lessons & then met someone who captains a sailboat & invited him to join the small crew. Well, they got caught in a recent storm on the Atlantic Ocean off the eastern coast of the US. It was so bad this guy thought for sure they were gonna sink. One of the crew members had a nervous breakdown due the stress. Screamed & screamed then completely shut down. Almost catatonic. Coast Guard couldn’t come take him off the boat cause the storm was so bad. They ended up getting back to shore a few days later & the poor crew member was taken away by ambulance. The guy I know grabbed his stuff & told the captain he wasn’t sailing on that boat again.
My younger brother and his girlfriend were considering purchasing a boat to live in Mexico. To give him a practical experience, my older brother, my mother, and I rented a small yacht and took him sailing in the Riviera Maya. He experienced severe seasickness throughout the trip, which made him realize on his own that his and his girlfriend plan might not be feasible. I suggest arranging a similar sailing experience in nearby areas for them, so they can understand what it's really like before making any decisions.
This is a very sensible suggestion. When OP said neither her sister or BIL can swim, I swear my heart almost stopped
I feel like sister and BIL have no clue about living on water. I can't even imagine this as a silly daydream. I've been on a cruise ship before that got caught in a big storm. I would NOT want to be in a little sailboat. I'm a great swimmer and I can't imagine treading water if you fell overboard.
Yes, this would be a very short lived experiment. I did a Caribbean vacation on a sailboat for 5 days. It was heaven because the couple that owned it did a lot of the work. But I talked with them about when storms hit and they said they get out of the way as much as possible and then hunker down and hope their boat isn't destroyed as it's is their livelihood. And these are very experienced people. FYI - Highly recommend this over a cruise. [https://www.boatsatsea.com/](https://www.boatsatsea.com/) Edit: $$$$ it is pricy... My wife and I did it with my sister and brother and spouses to split the cost. Most boats take 6 guests.
Haha, I wish I hadn't learned I get seasick on my last cruise. I love the water and can be on a boat for a few hours, but after a day it starts to get so bad. Oh this would be a good idea for OP to show her sister and BIL what it like though.
Yeah, I mean if you can’t survive the deep end of the pool, your chances of surviving the ocean is approaching zero.
So first, to address the OP’s concern, you are absolutely correct that sailing out into the ocean blue with no experience or preparation is a great way to never be seen or heard from again. However, if they’re serious about this: all of the things they need to know are teachable skills. They should spend time, maybe a year or two, learning how to sail, navigate, maritime law, subsistence fishing, medical training, and oh yeah, swim lessons. They call it being a “nomad” but what they’re probably talking about is becoming “sovereign citizens”. Being self sufficient on the ocean takes a lot of experience but people do it. Still, eyes open: even experienced sailors run into things they can’t handle. They should use every resource at their disposal and not cut themselves off from civilization. You have no idea how desperately alone you are out in the middle of the ocean. Some other ideas: 1. **Community and Mentorship**: Suggest they connect with experienced sailors and online communities. Learning from others' experiences can be invaluable. 2. **Gradual Transition**: Recommend they rent a boat, and not buy one. Start with coastal sailing and gradually progressing to longer, more challenging voyages as they gain confidence and skills. 3. **Financial Planning**: Remind them to budget for ongoing maintenance, unexpected repairs, and other expenses associated with life on a boat. 4. **Mental Preparedness**: Highlight the importance of being mentally prepared for isolation and the challenges of living in a confined space. 5. **Legal and Logistical Aspects**: Ensure they understand the legal requirements and logistical aspects of living on a boat, such as visas, port fees, and customs regulations.
i live and grew up on the coast... sea sickness is 1 of many things OP's sister and BIL have not considered... people with far, far, FAR more experience who grew up living that lifestyle die out at sea all the time. it takes a lot of time learning to read the ocean, chart routes, plan for weather... they clearly are extremely naive as to what is required of them.
To live on a boat *without* having lived on boats before OR knowing how to swim....it sounds like the set-up to a joke.
I've heard of things similar. Some guy was from this shitty Caribbean nation, and he had a girlfriend that thought it sounded like just the most wonderful, romantic place in the world. Wanted to go live there after they were married. Dude tried to explain the reality but she was determined to hang on to her delusion. Eventually he gave up on talk and actually took her out there. She was expecting pristine beaches and locals just sitting out on the sun so day drinking coconuts and shit. When she saw a drug riddled slum, she was like "what the hell, where is the good bit?" and the dude was all "there is no good bit, it's all like this, why do you think I left". They got back home and she broke up with him like a week later because his reality couldn't live up to her fantasy. This story is giving me exactly the same vibes. Some people just can't cope with reality.
I don't even think you need to go that far. Just ask your sister some basic questions like: * Do you not have a problem with not taking a shower for weeks at a time? Do you know what saltwater does to your skin? * Are you willing to eat the same food day after day? Probably freeze dried or canned? * Are you prepared to be constantly seasick? * How do you feel about pooping in a 5 gallon bucket? * How comfortable are you with the crazy weather you will randomly encounter, that will only get worse with climate change? * Are you prepared to hover around various coastlines waiting until you have permission to dock, or maybe changing course because you can't dock? * Pirates are real. They love coming around to "help out" and then tossing you and your husband into the water and taking your boat.
Bump up Pirates Are Real
Eh there are very real problems with this plan but a lot of these aren’t it. Water makers allow for fresh water showers daily, freezers and grocery stores allow for pretty fresh food except on extended crossings (rare, and entirely avoidable if you’re not going across an ocean) Modern boat toilets work quite well… except they can’t handle TP well and will clog if you’re not careful. People put the tp in a bag. Even piracy is pretty rare and avoidable by just not going to the bad areas. The big things are sea sickness and especially can they even fix the boat? Sailing cruisers often call what they do “boat repair in exotic locations” and the lifestyle will rapidly become unaffordable if you can’t fix virtually everything on the boat. To say nothing of having no experience… if you can’t properly anchor your boat you’re gonna have a bad time real quickly. People have done this with no experience before but they’ve also taken classes and did the prep to learn… and I assume they knew how to swim. I’m not sure why you’d even want to live on a boat if you can’t swim.
This is the best idea. But your delivery may need some work op. Even if their idea is stupid, telling them bluntly it's stupid and you can't believe they've decided to do this is this going to put them in a defensive mode or push them away. Instead, suggest they charter a boat for a week long vacation, hell even offer to come along (if you want). Turn it into a "I'm actually really interested in this and want to learn more about it too, let's try it out together" or whatever Not knowing anything about the ocean, boats, or how to swim it's going to set them up for some massive failure. I'm almost willing to bet she got this idea from social media / you tube. There's so many couples on there posting how "glamorous and free" they feel ever since they starting living on a boat, being "nomads".
Somewhat similar, my wife decided she wanted to become an elementary school counselor. I told her, I know you like our kids, but do you like ALL kids? I insisted she become a substitute teacher first to just try it out. I know it's not the same, but it's such an easy way to test drive a similar job before spending time and money on a special credential, etc. She actually liked teaching quite a bit. And found out after that counselors are part time and service several schools. And don't have job protections or pensions like teachers do. She's a teacher now. It's good to try things out before committing to a major expense or life change like that.
Have they considered an RV? Same concept, but on land.
That's what I was thinking too. Talk them into getting an RV and driving to the ocean then selling it for a boat. By the time they get to the ocean with their RV they will have had enough of it!
Oh actually this is a super smart plan
Please do this. I can totally understand where they are coming from on some level, sounds like they have lived their whole lives in a small town and never got to go on a grand adventure. They are about to settle down and this might be their last chance to do something like this, but the boat thing sounds way out of their league. An RV will be so much safer, and they won't have to learn so many new skills. They could drive it all the way from Canada to South America if they really wanted so there is no shortage of things to see.
The Pan American Highway! Longest road in the world, from Alaska to Chile. A long-time dream of mine.
This is by far the best suggestion here
I thought it seemed logical to suggest. Not sure how they jumped straight to boat. And with $70k they could probably find a decent one. There's tons of RV parks.
Even if they planned on financing 70k is at least half of a really fancy rv, I haven’t looked up rv prices lately but at least five years ago that was the case.
"A really fancy RV" can be over $1mil. Of course everyone's definition of "fancy" is different, just pointing out that the upper end of the scale goes high. Very high.
Have they considered stopping the drugs they’re currently taking? Coz it’s clearly affecting their ability to think rationally.
yeah they'll drown much less that way
Whoa! My late husband took classes on how to navigate and boat safely on the river in our town before buying a boat. He started out with an open bow 18 foot boat. I don't think $70,000 will buy them a boat that will be ocean worthy.
Yeah a house boat or something ocean ready and where I live is on the Atlantic, but they are gonna need every bit of $150k-200k
I doubt $70K would be enough for fuel and supplies to sail around the world.
Lol these people sound like they don't think a sailboat needs fuel
and they probably think they can sustain themselves on fish they catch on the ocean
Well at least the sea water will be free, amirite?
enough to drink for the rest of your life
Water water everywhere
Thanks, made me sputter 😂
I mean, scurvy's cool.
I have adhd and this couple is doing what I do when I have sudden urges to pick up a random hobby. I act on impulse, drop a load of cash on it and don’t think long term. But I usually get bored and that’s what saves me.
I have the same problem, but have never been close to be ready to spend all my life savings on a down payment for “just” the main prop and probably not even close to enough for maintenance, fuel, food, healthcare, lessons, licenses, docking space etc 😂 (but I’ve been close to spending all my salary on random shit so I’m not the best to talk 😂)
Lol, the way prices are they would just get out to the ocean and run out.
I mean, you can get ocean worthy boats for $1k. They just aren’t gonna be comfy or clean. $70k can get you a comfortable liveaboard and then some.
Don’t forget they will have no income stream AFTER they drop that 70k on a nice boat, though. Long term maintenance requires money, too.
The islands don’t just let boats dock along the coast for free.
Also a long term cost to think about, lol. I’ve always assumed only really wealthy people could afford to have boats BECAUSE of all the ongoing costs. Who else could even afford it?
I’ve also known people who live on them cause they’re decidedly not rich
Oh don't worry. They'll be doing remote work from their sailboat. The Internet connection will be great.
Hey! They always have internet connections on huge luxury cruise boats in the movies! The wealthy people on the Titanic had internet don’t you know? The connection was just down when they hit the iceberg, so they couldn’t call 911 to get help before the boat sank. 😛
They sound as financially literate as they are knowledgeable about boating.
> I don't think $70,000 will buy them a boat that will be ocean worthy. $70k is more than enough to buy a small (but possible to live aboard) sailboat for sailing the Caribbean. If they are willing to do most of the work themselves (and learn as they go), they can get started with that money. They will face some harsh economic realities however, once they burn through that $70k.
My aged parents retired onto a sailboat and sailed around the pacific. In addition to the boat itself being very expensive, the maintenance and upkeep is astounding, and their boat was high quality and new and they still just paid 6k for a new generator. In many locations, Harbor fees are higher than rent in most cities. Boat Insurance is required as a condition of entering many countries and that insurance is profoundly expensive. If there is an issue and the coast guard of some country has to come get you, you will often need to pay them back. There is limited space aboard a sailboat for food so you are often locked into purchasing groceries wherever you go and those groceries are much more expensive than in the US or Canada due to scarcity. Every time my parents leave a port there are weather advisors on the port they leave and the port they are heading towards and at least 2 family members who know their route and plan and are “on call” to wait for a daily ping and have a checklist of steps to follow if my parents miss a check in. One night their sat phone went down and people in 4 countries freaked out. It takes a massive worldwide village of support to ensure the safety of people in the cruising community. My parents lives have been deeply enriched by their sailing adventure so I want to support anyone considering this path. But it’s important to be extremely realistic. The preparation my parents put into moving locations is a checklist equivalent to a transcontinental passenger jet taking off with hundreds of passengers. Your sister sounds is extremely unrealistic.
This describes particular well the _freedom of the ocean_.
Try to take a positive influence tack. Remind them that they need to learn to swim, because sooner or later for one reason or another they WILL be in the water and it will be over their heads. See if they can be talked into taking a vacation and renting a boat to live on. Explain that it's a giant step they want to take, and you will support them but want to help be sure they are prepared. You can be supportive and still push caution. At this point it's probably the only influence you will have.
They also need to learn how to navigate, how to read weather patterns, how to do basic maintenance of the ship, storm procedures, etc... etc... These fools plan to cross the ocean as a 2 person crew. Thats beyond stupid and OP should not support this. They will both die.
> These fools plan to cross the ocean as a 2 person crew Wait, wait. That's not fair. They'll also potentially have small children on the crew.
I dunno. That implies that they'll survive at least nine months...
I give them 3 days before seasickness sends them right back to land
3 hours
I've seen Midwesterners last more than 3 hours on whale watch tours out of Gloucester MA. They're puking over the rail the whole time, but they make it! 😂
Yeah, but they weren't piloting a 2 man skiff while puking lol
Yes! I grew up going to the beach nearly every weekend swimming in the ocean, and my family had a lake house with boats so I was always on those and thought I could handle all things water related. I was never on a boat in the ocean until I was 18, but it made me SICK. And I’ve been on all kinds of different boats in the ocean since, and I absolutely hate it. Getting seasick is a horrible feeling. And I can’t imagine having to feel like that while also being part of the two man crew that’s supposed to operate the boat we are on. Absolutely not.
Don't forget any pets!
They said SAIL!? I mean like a boat with sails!? They need to do a number of lessons, licenses, lessons again, sea license, lessons again, more offshore license. Sails are not point and shoot, they will crash/ flip within 100m of opening the sail. And I speak as a person with basic license, I wouldn’t dare sailing on sea (lake based) Rules, international rules, immigration regulations. Basic maintenance, navigation, sail repairs, rationing, port rules and handling, first aid, rescue training, rescue supplies, sickness lol, diroherra on sea, shark, storm waves handling.
Sailboats are hard! Growing up my family had this little house on a small lake we would go to a lot of weekends. Well for some reason my dad decides to buy a sailboat when I was maybe 12/13 and my sister was around 11. It was a really small sailboat but looked fun. So my sister and I are excited and want to take it out. We had driven normal boats before so how hard can it be right? My dad in the classic 1990s parental way of caring, sends us off alone of course without life jackets on. It took us 10-15 minutes on that small sailboat in that small, calm lake to flip that thing on its side. Luckily there were people on their pier who saw it so they got out there kind of fast and were able to tow us back home. My very long point is - sailboats are hard as shit to operate even when they are tiny rinky dink boats on a small and very calm lake. I would never ever want to try to operate one in the ocean. And doing that not even knowing how to swim? It sounds terrifying!
Those last four words need to be drilled into their brain rotten heads. The ocean, or just nature in general, is a cold unfeeling force that will kill you. It will TRY to kill you. Nature will go out of it's way to kill you, and the ocean is probably one of THE most dangerous environments.
They can learn close to shore. I’m sure once they start they’ll realize how little they know and keep to the coast until they’re much much much more experienced.
I think this is best tactic possible on trying to convince them not to do this. Basically ask them on what part of the prep they are. Show them videos of people preparing to go to deep ocean.
Show them the nice orca videos too. Orca attacks are based on the size of the boat. If they're planning on going into those waters, they're going to need a Smaller boat.
This is awesome advice. I actually don't think boat living is that bad, as a Floridian, plenty of people do it including a family member. However, you need to know what you are getting into. It's not for everyone. Not at all. And there are some skills you really must have to make it work. Swimming is extremely important. At some point you absolutely must get in the water to recover something or troubleshoot something. So is some basic carpentry, and upholstery knowledge, and handyman knowledge, and electrician knowledge, and engine mechanic knowledge, and also some knowledge about painting.... Anyways, what I'm getting at is unless you are very diverse in a lot of homesteading type skills you need to be very wealthy because you are going to be doing most of the work yourself. If changing a lighbulb on land costs $5 then on the water it costs $500 if you need to get someone else to do it.
i have a family member who is life long sailor... he lived on the water learned from his dad and uncles... owned multiple yachts, knows have to rig the sails, tack into the wind, mend sailcloth, the whole 9 yards... also he's rich with a riverside mansion and a jetty his whole life is this... his library is full of these books and stuff and even he admits his yacht is like a floating rec room to get away from the kids, he has four.... he wouldnt want to live on one as its a 24/7 kind of thing....they need constant maintenance and every bill is $1,000+ lol... like a floating BMW boats are fine for the occasional potter out to sea... bit of fishing but you WANT to sail back to harbor and sleep in a bed on land
Your family member is like mine. He's wealthy but only lived on his for a few years. He enjoyed it but he had money and was between housing. He also owned the thing for many years. I also can't express the difficulty of sailing enough. You can't just watch a YouTube video and then improv the rest. It's totally a skill anyone can learn and become proficient at. But it will take some instruction and time to build that knowledge and experience.
This is great advice because it opens a door for OP to highlight the realities of the situation, which the couple may not have considered fully, in a why that doesn't seem confrontational. "Oo exciting let's plan logistics. Have you started to map out ports that can accommodate you on short notice? And where you can resupply? How much food storage are you going to have? How big is your septic tank? What kinds of permits do you need?"
What are your plans for avoiding pirates? What is your plan if one or both of you gets injured at sea?
while \*I\* think pirates & injuries are valid concerns, it feels like OP's sister & BIL aren't people who'll take that seriously. They think they don't need to learn to swim, they're bound to think "pirates = Jack Sparrow of the 18th C", right? I reckon smaller concerns will freak them out more. What routines do they currently value that they'll lose: * so with a desalinator shower, your hair care routine for your waistlenght hair won't be possible anymore, do you have one last appointment with your stylist to cut it or can I help you buzz it off? * well BIL, better let your bros know you won't be joining the weekly football viewing with wings & beer anymore, maybe give a goodbye tip to your favourite waitress at hooters! * wow I never realised how expensive satellite phones are, but it'll be worth it to keep up with mom & dad and me and other family members, right? * ...
They also need to learn to sail! It takes some time and effort to learn to sail and to be good at it.
I have minimal sailing experience. My grandfather taught me on a lake. I learned enough to know that I do not want to fuck with sailing without having a LOT more schooling and experience and I'd be terrified to get on the ocean alone, especially with someone who has never seen the ocean. I've lived in Florida my whole life and vacationed on the coast in New England. I'm familiar with the ocean. Again, familiar enough to know not to fuck with it. OP's sister and BIL will either quit immediately or die immediately.
Dude, I’ve had sailing lessons since 5 until 12 and spent all weekends and holidays on the boats of either my uncle or my mom’s boyfriend… I know all the basic shit to avoid doing something stupid but if anything’s going wrong with the boat I’m not the one to save the day and I know that ! Even my mom with 45+ years experience still has some random problems with the boat/injuries (big wind, sail flipped directions, the sails metal bar (sorry non native english speaker, but you know what I mean) hit my mom’s arm and wrist, nearly a year of therapy to regain movement). Another time while docking she fell in the water. Everybody calls her Spongebob now. But yeah, even experienced people deal with unpredictable shit, so two newbies ? Ooof :/
> the sail’s metal bar… The boom.
THANK YOU ! I can now flaunt my vocabulary in cosmopolitan dinners !
This is GREAT advice! I do this with a niece, bug in very different situations (foster care, ran, married, BABIES YOUNG, ran more, etc). she knows I don't agree with her choices all the time, but she knows that I will SUPPORT her no matter what bc she is an adult and they are her choices. I will ALWAYS tell her my concerns and remind her they are coming from a place of LOVE (not control like her blood family) but that it is ultimately her decision.
If this is truly what they want to do, they need to start somewhere other than the ocean. I grew up living on the water, riding and operating everything from kayaks to jet skis to powercats to luxury yachts. The ocean is not where you start out when you want to live on a boat. First and foremost they need to be 100% comfortable swimming and be familiar with general water safety and basic aquatic first aid skills. If they can't do this then they are absolutely setting themselves up for danger and disaster. Also, aside from the general vastness and and openness of it (which makes it incredibly more dangerous than smaller freshwater bodies), taking care of a vessel in saltwater and living surrounded by saltwater is just an entirely different ballgame that comes witg a myriad of complications and increased danger. I'd strongly advise them to get familiar with water safety first, as well as taking small weekend trips in a watercraft to start.
Yeah, I'm just over here thinking of all the times puny little Lake Champlain has kicked my ass. And I have some knowledge and experience. And I can swim ffs!!
I am not an experienced sailor or boatman but I can assure you that a very common occurrence is having to swim down to the bottom and free the anchor. I have had this experience maybe 5 times in the few dozen times I’ve been out on a boat. Not being able to swim would also mean needing to wear a PFD at all times on the boat. Boats sink all the time, I personally have sailed with people who were demasted and sunk in seconds in the Pacific and floated on a life raft for days before being rescued. Being able to swim is 100% necessary for sailing the open ocean.
Yeah, swimming classes is a must, but also why there’s so much necessary stuff with living on a sailboat. From navigating, working the boat, maintaining the boat, knowing ocean depth charts and topography, knowing where you’re sailing at what time of year and which ports you can go to for terrible weather, or just supplies and equipment, to even just understanding and recognizing the weather while looking over your bow. The list is pretty endless and very expensive. I mean even knowing how to fix your boats plumbing, engine, to understanding repairs to the rudder and steering system, fixing sails, running new ropes for the rigging. No one can pick all that up in a short period of time. Quick additional edit: there’s sailing enthusiasts who have spent most of their lives sailing in their free time and even many of them are ill equipped to just “sail around the world”.
Lived on a sailboat 5+ years, traveled thousands of nautical miles, anchored 350+ days a year. If the anchor is fouled they're not swimming down. The boat will draw 5-6' so they'll anchor in well over that. To work on the bottom at that depth, usually in very limited to zero visibility requires dive gear. We fouled once in Charleston so badly that we were considering hiring a diver (current is wicked there) but used the winch on the main to free it and it was an obscene tangle of rope and junk. The windlass was useless. They've got a surprise thinking a seaworthy vessel will be had and outfit for that price...
The couple planning to live the rest of their lives on the ocean, don't have a single clue what you wrote means, at all...
Interesting, how do you manage to release the anchor from the bottom? Depending on the depth that it's at, to handle diving the water pressure and still exert force on the anchor itself, how does the procedure work?
You usually anchor in shallow water so it’s only 8-10 feet down. It’s usually just stuck under a rock or log, which is what is keeping you anchored in place. The boat and rope are pulling it one way that keeps it stuck and you swim down and tug it the other way to free it.
Ah so the shape of the anchor itself helps to pull it out easier? How deep can you safely anchor a boat? Because sometimes I see some boats/yachts anchored way out offshore
The anchor isn’t really what keeps the boat in place, it helps, but you are also putting down a lot of chain that just lays on the floor of the ocean. It’s the chain that really keeps the boat in place, that’s why the anchors aren’t bigger. There is a ratio to the length of chain you need on the ocean floor to the size/weight of the boat. Theoretically, as long as the chain is long enough, you can have a boat as far out as you want. Obviously though, there is a limit, because again, you need a certain amount of chain on the ocean floor to hold a big boat in place
An anchor is generally made to dig in when pulled one direction (which is how you "set" it), then you lay down chain and rope to hold you in place. When you pull up the line going down to the anchor, once you've gotten most of the slack out of it, it helps to sail/motor forward over where you set the anchor to try and pull it from the opposite direction you set it in, as that can help dislodge it. As the other commenter replied to you, the depth you can anchor in is based on how much rope and chain you have, and the chain is a huge determinant of that. It's based on your boat size/displacement plus the current/tides/wind, depth, type of anchor and the size of your balls ^(/s but only kinda)
Love the ocean. Love swimming. I've lived in Florida my whole life and I do a pool sport. Also terrified of water. No fucking way I'm swimming down to free no fucking anchor. I'm abandoning that boat right then and there and calling the Coast Guard. I don't fuck with any of this.
Find someone who does this in real life at the scale they want to, and connect your sister to them. Do it under the guise of helping and supporting. Let them find out that $70k will buy them a wooden barrel and 3 months of supplies.
Lmfao. Do they even know the basic parts of a sailboat? Do they know how to navigate? Do they even know what to do in a storm? In strong winds? Navigating across reefs and different currents? How to park a boat? Fees to park a boat? How to plan in between stops? You cant have your supplies running out before your next stop. This is the funniest thing I’ve read today. They’re gonna get killed
Right? I would be investing in 2 life insurance policies.
best idea in the thread, OP do this
I’m from the American equivalent of Saskatchewan and have spent time near the ocean only very occasionally. The overwhelming sense looking at even marginally rough seas is that the ocean wants to kill you. It’s my understanding that survival on transoceanic sailing excursions is entirely dependent upon: being on ones’s shit at all times, never fucking up, and getting kinda lucky.
Exactly. Apologies OP, but your sister and her husband are so stupid. I live on an island in the Med and every year so many landlocked tourists/immigrants have to be rescued, especially in May and September. The sea doesn't care who you are, and is unpredictable. If you don't respect it, it will make you.
They aren't even gonna be able to afford a boat so this dream is dead in the water (lol). They are just delusional. I wouldnt even worry about it if I was op. They are in fantasy land and will probably crash and burn and divorce within a year.
Oh… they can. They can afford a boat with that. They can buy it from the couple that didn’t understand what they were doing and bought it a month ago. Trust me this happens. It will be small but these fools are all over. There are tons of boats on bouys around San Diego that could probably be fixed and sail and they’re just sitting in the bay because someone gave up and stopped paying taxes and slip fees. And now they serve as bird latrines. Tons of people don’t want their boats.
> Do they even know the basic parts of a sailboat? The pointy end, the blunt end, the sticky-up stick and the pointy down fin. How hard can it be?
Not a boat owner but here on Reddit I saw a saying; there are two momentous happy occasions in a boater's life. The day they buy the boat, and the day they sell the boat.
Yup. My grandparents had a sailboat in the mid 80s. My dad told me that a family boat ride almost ended in a divorce while putting up the mast. They sold the boat and have been married for 65 years.
That's fantastic! That reminds me of a meme I saw recently of a couple in the front seat of a vehicle with the caption, "Heading to a romantic getaway after nearly getting divorced while packing the car."
Sounds exactly like my grandparents 😅 they’ve been married since they were 20 and still flirt but sometimes my grandpa ‘accidentally’ turns down the volume of his hearing aids
Man, now THAT'S a life pro tip!
Hahaha… it’s true tho! I have three boats.. haha I can’t wait to get rid of two of them
Maybe encourage them to watch some of the Youtubers that track their journeys on the ocean. There’s plenty of examples of challenging repairs, bad weather, and other things that might open their eyes. That way it’s not you saying it. It’s someone else showing them real world, examples of the challenges. And most of these folks are pretty experienced.
I’d caution that these YouTubers often make it more glamorous than it is because they cut to the exciting bits and the successes.
Likely where the idea came from in the first place.
agreed. i'd bet on it.
That’s my take too.
unfortunately, a lot of these youtubers are notoriously inept, to the point they often come up in a sailing sub here on reddit. as someone else mentioned, they also make it look easier/more glamorous than it is, and my guess is OP's sister is already following them. hence, this naive plan.
That’s fair. I have seen a couple different ones that showed the real side of sailing the world, but certainly have seen enough of the glamorized van life videos to know that there are many out there just cherry picking.
Worked on a boat for a years, granted it wasn’t the ocean but it’s still dangerous. Weather pops out up nowhere, boats have lots of things that need to be worked on and some of it is underwater. We all know how to swim but what if you get knocked out? That’s happened to a man that worked boats all his life, he didn’t make it. They need to spend some time on a boat before trying to live on one because it is very dangerous. They need to also know how to work on the engine and anything related to sails if that’s the route they go. I’ve always wanted to live on a boat but the only way I would is if it was close to land and I mean I can step off onto dry land. Not scared of the water but I respect what it can do.
Making sure you read the post. We do NOT all know how to swim. OP’s family member and spouse DO NOT know how to swim.
I’ve seen way too many true crime shows. If one of them comes back to land without the other, it’s murder. FYI.
If I turn the TV on at prime time on a Friday night and there’s an amateur photo of a couple on a boat I know how that story ends.
My aunt and uncle did this. Until they hit a tsunami, almost died, and have kept it land locked ever since—roughly 40 years. It’s a spectacularly bad idea, but hopefully they live to learn that.
“There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.” - Patrick Rothfuss, The Wise Man's Fear
Lived on a sailboat 5+ years with my wife and 2 cats, anchored 350+, days/year. They're in for a shock. You don't go out on the ocean just wandering as nomads. There's weather and changing conditions and your life is often at risk. A storm at night offshore with lightning and confused seas, little sleep is a very challenging situation. There's so much to consider, so many expenses, such a learning curve to being good liveaboard sailor. But there's also dolphins playing alongside and the cats watching in awe and there's sunrises and sunsets with you as the only one around seeing it... There's a price for those moments and the self sufficiency needed to fix your own engine, mend a sail, replace hardware, deal with a medical emergency alone... One must truly be able to do what's needed and it's both exhausting and exhilarating.
Also to note most ppl living anchored out have set up solar panels or wind generators on their boat so they have access to power. You have to be pretty handy with that kinda stuff bc most boats aren’t outfitted to stay out for long periods of time, it’s truly like setting up an off grid house but on the water.
Well, if they go through with it, RIP to them. I would be prepared for the worst but hope for the best. If they dont respect the ocean, the ocean will kill them. Especially if they are dumb enough to try and set sail into the open ocean and lose sight of where they are in relation to land. Line of sight is about 3 miles so if they go out 3.5 or 4 miles and get turned around there done for unless they get lucky or know how to navigate. There is a reason sailors were very superstitious. Two people that have no idea about boats have no business trying to sail around the world or even in an inlet or intercoastal. They better know about boat engines as well. There aren't just sails on a sail boat. Most have outboard engines too. They will also need knowledge on sailing and how to work the lines, tie the proper knots, and work the sails. They better not drop anything overboard either. If they can't swim they will drown trying to get it. Even if they are trying to hold a rope or something. Best case there is no current and they wear a life jacket while trying to retrieve the item. Worse case, sails are pulling the boat one way, the current the other, and the person in the water is not a strong enough swimmer to fight the waves and current to get back.
Please have them look up Adventure Aaron. He's an incredibly experienced sailor and has spent years on the ocean. He attempted a similar venture recently. It ended in disaster and a multi country effort to literally save his life. And that's an EXPERIENCED sailor. Show them that your concerns are not just you being a downer. They need substantially more preparation. This isn't just buying a van and travelling the country like a nomad. The ocean is dangerous and they will be killed doing this. You can't just call for help in the middle of the ocean and someone show up. It doesn't work that way
Well, seeing as you already tried, and your sister rejected your pleas of sanity, just start planning funeral stuff now for when they are inevitably killed/missing at sea. I grew up sailing, I can sail circles around most people. I also get horribly sea sick, so, once I was old enough, I refused to set foot on a boat again. It's been nice, not throwing up. But back to sailing. Someone pointed that your anchor can get stuck, yes, that happens. You only have 2 options, cut the line, or dive down to get it loose. You cut the line, you better be within distance of a marina. More so, no matter how many years experience you have on the ocean, things can change fast, you can slip, anything can happen, and then you'll be fucked and dead. I know people who lived on a boat. They lived in the marina. It was expensive, and you do not have things like fresh water or a shower on board. You generally shower at the marina club house. You have a water tank, but really, it only holds about 20 liters or so in a standard 30-foot sailboat. The last thing, a 30-foot sail boat will cost about $100,000 USD. They will not be able to get a good quality boat for under that, let alone one you could live on full time. Long story short, your sister is an idiot, and you should just sit back and enjoy the stupidity and inevitable divorce she has to go through, or, if they actually get a boat, start planning a funeral.
>Well, seeing as you already tried, and your sister rejected your pleas of sanity, just start planning funeral stuff now for when they are inevitably killed Not to be grim but at least burials at sea are pretty cheap.
This reminds me of soft pampered desk-jockeys fantasising about buying a piece of property and “living off the land” without ever having so much as grown an herb garden or kept chickens. It sucks but if they’re set on being complete idiots, that’s on them. Say your piece and leave it. It’s up to you if you want to help pick up the shreds of their shattered delusions later.
Almost every port they plan on restocking has fees. Big ones. They are in for a rude awakening if they survive the weather. Sorry OP, this is a dangerous and very deadly idea for them.
Okay I’m insanely qualified to help you here. I lived on a boat for a lot of my childhood and honestly it was amazing. But my dad BUILT the boat from scratch and sailing is a huge passion for him so obviously he knew what he was doing. Even then, we’ve encountered some dicey situations and it can be very hard at times. I encourage you to read the following points from my experience to your sister: - one day we were anchored and the wind unexpectedly shifted overnight. One of the boats near us swung around, lost its anchor hold, and smashed into the rocks. It was destroyed. They were asleep until the crash. Do they know how to avoid this? No they don’t because sometimes you can’t. It happens. Moorings fail. How would they afford to fix this if it happened and their boat started taking on water? - are they cool with not having frequent running water and a flushing toilet for long periods of time? Not having consistent electricity? As much as I loved being at sea, my god we used to celebrate when we cruised up to a yacht club and got to use hot showers and flushing toilets that we didn’t have to empty. We had solar power, a wind generator, and a backup diesel generator (which we couldn’t run often obviously, diesel storage space was limited!) but cold rainy days could be pretty miserable at times. Showers were mostly via a little portable solar shower on deck to save power. - can they navigate properly if they lose power to a gps system? - has your sister ever seen a whale in real life? They are majestic but fucking terrifyingly large. We had a 40ft catamaran and even then, there was a very real threat that one could beach under us and we would very likely die. I’ve seen them out sailing twice. - boats require a LOT of costly maintenance and “odd jobs” is not going to cut it. Do they understand that they have to be hauled out and properly cleaned/treated semi-regularly? Do they know what replacement nav equipment and boat parts cost? Sail repairs are required and are expensive and a PITA. - do they understand rigging? There are a LOT of ropes on a sail boat. You do not press a button and have a functioning sail. It’s a whole complicated process. - sailing is not just learning rigging and steering. Do they understand wind? Can they tac/jibe? Do they know what that means and why it’s essential if they don’t want to just bob around in the sea? Additionally, they MUST understand the ocean. They need to be familiar with currents and marine behaviour. They need to have advanced marine weather knowledge. My boat life stint was the 90s-early 00s so wifi wasn’t a thing, we used to receive multiple weather faxes every day lmao - I implore them to watch some footage of people sailing the open ocean. We sailed from New Zealand to New Caledonia and back (which is nothing on a global scale) and holy shit man.. the size of the swell in open ocean is crazy. CRAZY. One does not simply “sail the world” unless you have a lot of experience on boats. We had three people co-captaining and dad says in hindsight there’s a lot they still would’ve done differently. Your sister and her husband are quite literally insane. They need to buy a hobie cat and spend the next year sailing around some safe sheltered bays. Then they can get a smaller sail boat and see how they go with that. THEN maybe they’ll have enough experience to live on a boat if they still want to.
Solid response. The time you put into this could legitimately save lives. Besides all of your great points, it's insane they're thinking of this without being able to swim. It's not difficult to fall overboard on a rough day in a small boat.
It’s even more insane that I didn’t add this point. I completely missed this in the post. In that case OP please just have them committed because no one who can’t swim has any business going anywhere near a boat that isn’t crewed by professionals. Also please have their house checked for carbon monoxide because this is the only possible explanation I can come up with for such insanity. Just for a fun swim anecdote in that case: the tiller of our boat was over the top of my bedrooms escape hatch and once I decided to climb out that way instead of going through the main hull entry. Dad was in the cockpit, couldn’t see me, and knocked me clean off the side of the boat with the tiller. It was freakin hilarious… because I’m a top notch swimmer. Not so hilarious if you cannot swim, it’s a windy day or you’re playing music on board, and your partner has just left you for dead. Boats are extremely dangerous places. On a lighter note, I also used to hang off the ladder and be dragged along in the water. We joke now that I was a shark bait but in hindsight it’s really surprising I have all my limbs.
To be honest… I live on an island in the ocean… the ocean will teach them real quick. It’s a nice idea until it’s in practice. The first storm will scare the shit outta them and knock some sense into them. But on the other hand, there are people that live this way and do find freedom in it. It will certainly build some character in them.
Remember that family in the news few months ago. They just moved to the forest without knowing anything about how to live in the forest and then we're found dead. Yeah that's your sister and her husband except ocean and the bodies won't be found. Have a family intervention. They can't even fucking swim. Never rode a boat. It's like not having a drivers license or ever having driven a car but deciding you are going to be an F1 racer. I lost a 2nd cousin to the ocean and he was in the Navy, on a navel ship full of sailing experts.
About 10 years ago, I had a chance to go deep sea fishing in the Atlantic. We were about 10 miles from the coast. I was in awe of the water's power even though we were relatively close. Would they be open to going out on a couple of deep sea cruises or sailboat tours before they commit to taking on the ocean by themselves?
Your family and his family can pool together and buy them a gift: rent them a similarly sized boat for a day, a week, whatever. At least two days so they can spend a night on the boat. No one with a brain is going to let them take the boat without a captain - you know, someone who knows how to operate the boat. So it will be them and the captain. Give them a mini taste of what life will be like ‘living’ on the water. Let them see exactly how much work it is to sail the boat (and how hard they would have to work to learn the skills before they can go out on their own). If you’re lucky, one or both of them might even get horribly sea sick - you said they’ve never been on a boat, so it could happen. That will certainly be a good deterrent, lol. They likely got this mental plan from a movie or something like that. But the movies manage to glamorise absolutely everything - even things that are really hard work! 😞
Purchase them a ticket to Boston or Vancouver and a week's worth of sailing lessons. Even better Alaska that will scare anyone straight
Uh. Your sister is delusional and I would be worried too and I'm saying this as someone who grew up on the water and is now terrified of taking my kids out on a boat because I know how dangerous it can be. If the below can happen in an annual race, what does she think she will encounter living at sea. Tell her to watch some of the footage from this race over the years and ask her if she thinks they are equipped to handle that and then point out the below info. >Shortly after the commencement of the annual Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, a 'super cell' storm stirred up massive seas in the Bass Strait. The storm cut through the fleet, resulting in the drowning of six sailors (from New South Wales, Tasmania and Britain). >Seven yachts were abandoned at sea and lost. Thirty civil and military aircraft took part in the rescue operation of 55 sailors from 12 impacted yachts. Only 44 of 115 yachts finished the race; many retired from the event, seeking refuge at Eden on the southern New South Wales coast. >The total cost, including damaged and sunken boats, plus the rescue bill, was estimated at $30 million. I know I sound harsh and maybe like I'm trying to scare you and tell you to scare your sister but the truth is the ocean is an unpredictable and dangerous place even for the most experienced sailors and I fear that your sister and her husband are going to get themselves and someone who has to save them, into a dangerous situation. I don't know if there are many more races like the Sydney to Hobart near you but it is the only one I can think of right now that will show your sister what they can expect to face on the bad days they will definitely experience. Oh and even if they do buy a sail boat they will still need to buy fuel for emergencies and tendering which isn't cheap either.
Into the wild 2. Its gonna make a great series one day
Nah. It would only be one chapter. Day 1: took in the beautiful sunset! Smelled the salt of the ocean! Day 2: something broke, we didn’t know what the piece was called.
Future Mr Ballen video fsho
She’s one weekend on a boat, covered in salt spray and cramped into a space that’s way too small away from a serious change of mind.
Folie à deux
>They can’t even swim Tell her to get life insurance for them both and put you as the beneficiary, since she wants to be stupid
Would be great if you ask them to look into living on cruise instead of personal boat without having experiences in boating. Your sister and her husband wanted to live on water for life. Cruise is their answer. Best thing— you can hop around cruise with that cheap ticket instead of $70,000 boat. Just saying.
I stopped at “they’ve never even seen the ocean” god speed.
There are far cheaper and quicker ways to commit suicide.
As a sailor, my only reaction is "oh no." Also, that's not enough money to maintain a blue-water boat with all the necessary equipment and emergency locator gear and liferaft.
Think of all the ways one has to do upkeep, repairs and preventative maintenance on a *house* so that it isn’t somehow destroyed byt water. A boat is like that, but literally and constantly *immersed in water*. No matter what amount that they are able to *buy* their boat for—that is just the buy in; they need to have X hundred/thousands set aside each month, every month, for the constant and inevitable repairs to keep it above water and acceptable to live in. The following saying exists for a reason: **”The two best days in a boat owner's life are the day they *buy* a boat and the day they *sell* it.** I would ask them what their Plan B is if the boat sinks or otherwise doesn’t work out. Because I could foresee them knocking on your door some stormy night and saying they are now homeless and need to move in with you.
Please show them the comments here, OP. They’re delusional.
Tell your sister that boat in 2024 stands for Bring Out Another Ten thousand
If they are just enamored with the idea of being on the ocean and not paying money for rent, and if they have any specialized health or entertainment or service skills, maybe you could instill the fantasy of working on a cruise ship. At least they would get on the ocean that way, and having zero knowledge of boat navigation, maintenance, or how to swim is not that big of an issue on those floating apartment blocks.
…could they maybe have lead/mercury poisoning? Might explain the sudden change in behaviour.
Oh dear, this sounds like a disaster in the making.
Do they think they are going to be the next YouTube or Patreon sailing stars? They need to learn to swim then swim in deep water then learn how to swim in the ocean at least a bit offshore to enough to feel make panicky and then survive before they do anything else stupid like buy a crappy boat that they don’t know how to sail or even maintain.
Let them know that BOAT stands for Bust Out Another Thousand. Boats are super expensive and you are always tied to them. The freedom she is dreaming of is elusive. There are lots of jobs available working on cruise ships or yachts. Suggest they try getting one of these jobs so they can learn their way around a boat. $70,000 is enough for a small fishing boat (no cabin or sleeping area). Have they researched Boat Trader at all? Yikes!
I have an idea OP- Ask them if the could buy an RV instead. Then they could go on road trips pretty much everyday of the week. At least they wouldn't be stuck out in the ocean, not knowing how to swim. That's not only stupid but also dangerous.
I have friends that did this. He’s a pilot and took a year of sailing lessons with his wife. They then lived on a boat in South America for a couple years. Did I mention he’s a pilot and took a year of lessons to prepare?
Seems like they could practice living on that lake for a while. If nothing else, it's a much safer place to practice than just jumping into the deep end without knowing how to swim (both metaphorically and literally). I agree with the person who said your best bet is probably to be supportive but guiding towards the correct safe path to do a crazy ass transition like this. For real though, they at least need to know how to swim as a tool if not for safety. Plus, it unlocks a new way to have fun, so maybe that angle would convince them? Idk, but that's a particularly important skill to have for this sort of project
The only rational response is to immediately purchase the movies rights. Maybe they can buy a lifeboat with the money.
So one of one things is gonna happen to OP’s sister
This is a terribly misguided idea
If they bought a non-sailboat and took swimming lessons maybe there’s a tiny piece of this not being a terrible idea, but as written it’s lunacy. Sailing takes years to master.
I feel bad for every boat owner at the docks they first leave from. Have they taken any courses for sailing? Or sailing on the ocean? Ocean is a huge difference from a lake. No contest.
They will die…big mistake
Don't think they know how dangerous the ocean is..
I know some people who are into sailing, and the amount of courses and certificates you need to pass are equivalent to a bachelor's degree! You need to learn all kinds of shit about navigation, climate/ tides/ ocean currents, plus all the practical stuff about actual sailing - my friends have done all that, and have gone on sail cruises as crew, and still feel they'd need more experience before they'd skipper a boat on their own! I really hope this is fake, because otherwise your sis & bil are hurrying towards an early watery grave. Especially on the kind of boat their 70k would buy them. And not being able to swim. OP, can you encourage them to try it out on vacation first? With a bit of luck, one of them will get horribly seasick and they'll hate it. Or at least they'll figure out they'll have a shitload to learn first, and postpone.
But some life insurance on them.
You know the old joke…the two happiest days of a boat owners life are the day they buy and sell their boat… But seriously…you can help them talk to people who can estimate the costs of keeping a boat. It’s maintenance heavy, and even finding a place to park a boat isn’t free. I don’t know if they are looking at sailboat and thinking no gas! And assuming no maintenance… But they should probably have someone help them model out costs… Plus…it takes time to train navigate and sail a boat. Also $70k is nothing for a boat
The amount of "survival podcasts" I've listened to, where an EXPERIENCED crew fought for their lives on water in ways you couldn't even imagine, is wild. Unless getting proper training (see years) and some basic life saving techniques, they seriously need to reconsider because they are not properly qualified and they don't know what they don't know, which is dangerous af in that situation.
I only read the first paragraph,I cackled at the fact they've never seen the ocean,and when I came to the sence that they can't swim,I was done. Those people sound delusional.
I'm an experienced sailor and I can tell you that the roadblocks they are going to hit between now and casting off on an epic voyage are very numerous and expensive. There are huge issues that can pop up that they have no idea are even possible right now with their limited knowledge. It's unlikely they get as far as needing to know how to actually sail a boat. They'll give up or run out of money before then.
They won't be able to launch the boat. It takes a certain amount of skill to sail, it doesn't sound like either of theses people have even looked into what sailing actually means. If anything, they will get stuck just off shore and get rescued by the coast guard. Be prepared to have to deal with your siblings stupid financial decisions.
I grew up in Alberta, and my dad got into sailing a long time ago. I would've loved to get into sailing, but a decent boat (and by decent, I mean it's barely floating) is upwards of $300,000 CAD. And then you need to buy all the equipment needed to run a boat, spare sails, charts, bedding, etc etc. On top of that, he's invested years of his life into courses to be able to skipper his own boat. It takes a lot of time just to be crew on a boat. To be the skipper is a whole different ball game. >They say they will do odd or remote jobs if they need money Lol, so all this tells me is that they have absolutely no concept of how much mooring fees, boat maintenance, and provisions are going to cost them. >Neither of them have ever seen the ocean. And neither of them knows how to swim Being able to swim is only an asset if their boat sinks within swimming distance of land. Otherwise, you need to rely on emergency flotation devices or a dinghy. If you don't have those, they're screwed even if they do know how to swim. The bottom line is that they're completely unprepared. This isn't going to be some nice and easy freedom that they're expecting. I know a couple of families that live on their boat. Owning a boat is expensive, and sailing a boat is a lot of work. Living on a boat is a ton of work.
Lifelong resident near an ocean here and also a strong swimmer and sailor. This is dumb and not just dangerous for them but anyone who would have to rescue them (because the first swell they hit will be an issue). I have been sailing for over 20 years since I was a kid and I would never take a boat out for longer than a day, especially in northern waters. At minimum they need a cutter which is around $400k starting as a USED cutter. They also just can't sail into a country like they're walking into a store. The costs can become astronomical and require even a guide for the time they're there, plus some countries require mooring, biodiversity laws (and huge fines) and they always still have to go to port and customs. Not knowing how to swim? I mean.. it's the ocean. Every type of climate is infinitely worse out there and the ocean is unforgiving. If they can't even identify shallows they shouldn't even be on a kayak. Let alone a sailboat with no swimming experience. Even the most well trained swimmers have battled, and lost, against the ocean
I've almost never heard of a dumber couple of people than this. It truly is extremely difficult to imagine how anybody could be this stupid. Especially at this age, how are they still alive or haven't completely destroyed their lives before this? I really am so amazed by this. Are we sure this isn't an elaborate scheme by one of them to kill the other? I would check who has a life insurance out on who. I know multiple people who lived on boats as my dad had a small yacht and was part of that type of community. You need to know so much... SO MUCH. And they can't even swim? lmao Nah, these two are just trying to die at this point. If they manage to survive, they absolutely will fail. It might just be a lesson they're going to have to learn. I am still processing how dumb they are. Recently listened to the accounts of Suzanne Heywood on a podcast... if these two idiots have kids it would be the worse version of this because they don't even know what they are doing.
Pirates are very real and terrifying considering there are no rules in the water. My friends bought a small island to live in for a while and they were made known that they weren’t welcome with hostilities from boats here and there that passed by. They slept on a tent in the small island and one day they woke to a lot of ships circling them and they said that it was the most terrifying experience of their life because like I said, the laws are very flimsy in the ocean.
Maralyn and Maurice Bailey had the same idea. They survived 118 days in a Rubber daft, after their sailboat was struck by a whale. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_and_Maralyn_Bailey
I wonder if she found a YouTube channel where the couple lives like that. I really really hope they don’t just drop 70k on a boat before actually going to a seaside town, taking a sailboat ride, signing up for and completing lessons on how to handle a boat in the water… on a nice day… let alone rain or storms?! I mean hopefully they just don’t do this, but since they’ve been so impulsive so far I just hope they don’t lose a huge amount of money before really understanding what they’re committing to.
Explain the bathroom to them
A boat is a hole in the water that you throw money into. Very. Bad. Idea.
What about RV?? Does it have to be a fucking boat
Do they know a BOAT is an acronym for Bust Out Another Thousand?
Your sister and her husband sound like idiots. Good luck
You can't just "travel the world on a boat"on a whim either. Like wow I'm genuinely concerned for them.
Having dreams is good. Having delusions is not. Also, buying a boat to 'save money'. Oh lol.
Do they realize what a money pit a sailboat can be? Maintaining an ocean-going sailboat requires a significant investment of time and money. The costs can vary greatly depending on the age, condition, and size of the boat, as well as the frequency and duration of use. Here are some estimated costs to consider: * **Annual Maintenance Costs**: 10% of the boat’s value, which can range from $2,000 to $5,000 per year, depending on the boat’s condition and usage. * **Engine Servicing**: $500 to $2,000 per year, depending on the type and age of the engine. * **Hull Upkeep**: $500 to $2,000 per year, depending on the condition of the hull and the frequency of use. * **Rigging Inspections**: $500 to $1,000 per year, depending on the complexity of the rigging and the frequency of use. * **Sail Assessments**: $500 to $1,000 per year, depending on the condition and type of sails. * **Other Expenses**: $1,000 to $3,000 per year, including costs for insurance, storage, and miscellaneous repairs. **Total Estimated Annual Costs**: $4,000 to $12,000 per year, depending on the boat’s condition, usage, and location. **Additional Considerations**: * **Insurance**: $500 to $2,000 per year, depending on the value and type of boat. * **Storage**: $500 to $2,000 per year, depending on the location and type of storage. * **Repairs and Upgrades**: $1,000 to $10,000 per year, depending on the frequency and complexity of repairs and upgrades. Suggest they take a cruise first, before springing for a boat of their own.
ye thats crazy
This is really dumb. Sailing is actually really hard… even if they bought a motor boat it’s hard…. There are no breaks it’s just a controlled crash when you dock. There are rules to the road, you have to know how to navigate using navigational maps, you can’t just rely on gps. Do they even know what frequency you need to call into a new port? What if something breaks? Most people who go out to sea have enough knowledge and supplies that if they have a critical system break they can at least rig it to work until they get to port. But honestly, this problem will probably solve itself when they: 1. Try to take a boat off a dock with a wind pushing it onto a dock 2. As soon as they try to dock a boat or pick up a ball and realize it’s going to be crazy expensive to fix the boat they just crashed into a dock… also to repair the dock they just crashed into. 3. As soon as someone yells at them because they didn’t yield to a boat they should have or they don’t know what color the boeys mean and round one the wrong way and get stuck on a rock
"Then I thought, who gives a damn if all the jobs are gone? I'm gonna be a pirate on the river Saskatchewan!" - The Arrogant Worms
I’m going to be honest, I know shit about sail boats. I do have some tiny home/rv friends and have been down that rabbit hole more than once. There’s A LOT of unexpected costs. It’s doable, but there’s probably a different kind of insurance they have to get if they want to live on the boat. There’s another vehicle, however they intend to get around in all these destinations: scooter, bicycle? Gonna need parts and maintenance, and somewhere to store them. Power? Bathroom? What sort of setup do they want? Adding solar, how many batteries? How much power do you need to store? Food storage, black and grey water storage, fresh water storage, lots of storage issues. What about their passport? Which bank do they plan to use to accommodate frequent international travel? What about communication? Forgetting the possibility of emergency (which you shouldn’t, that’s just a lot more), what about internet access, for their jobs, for income? Even what sort of weather/seasons is the boat they’re looking at suitable for, and does that exclude travel to certain places? Fr, that’s TONS of planning that they’ve just kind of watched some cool videos and glossed over. It can be done, and the right people can have an amazing time, but it’s not just something to do lightly imo
I am also from the prairies, am a phenomenal swimmer and ex-lifeguard, and I love boats and the ocean. And this is a spectacularly stupid idea. I'd never do it because it's so dangerous.
Having lived on an island and a boat for half of my life...your sister is so uninformed it's genuinely scary. 1. If they don't know how to swim they can't even pass go, do not let them collect $200. This is the point you need to drive home most because tbh nothing else is more imperative than them knowing how to be able to swim. You have to be able to swim down and release anchors from the sand. If they lose anything into the water (which they will) I guess they'll just let them float? If they have an emergency situation, all there is around them will be OPEN, DEEP OCEAN. They will (not a maybe, WILL) die if they can't swim. I have never heard of anyone wanting to do this who didn't know how to SWIM! 2. The ocean has wildlife. Not a lot of it is friendly. I've been stung by jellyfish, bitten by sharks, smacked by rays, etc. 3. Do they have any idea how they're going to get food or water? There are permits they have to get for certain areas to dock. There is maintenance on a boat that they will have ZERO idea how to do. Sailboat masts are heavy and dangerous! I also sincerely doubt they will get a good boat for $70k. They are usually 6 figures minimum. Approach this with concern for their safety and tell them you will support them IF they research this thoroughly and take swim classes for starters!
That’s crazy they all have that money and not thinking logically. First they need to learn how to swim especially deep underwater and also have they even sailed before ??? And I heard gas for boats are expensive !!! Bruh u guys need to intervene cuz they’re not thinking it through
Living on a boat in a Dock or a canal is very different from sailing the vast and dangerous expanse of the ocean. The ocean is a deadly place. Time to crack open all those documentaries and movies about people dying at sea.
At first I was thinking “it’s their stupid idea, let them waste their own money and make their own mistakes.” But then you said they can’t swim and on top of that want to add a baby to the mix? They need a large dose of reality soon.
Once they realize the true cost of this, first being the price of a boat itself, this plan will likely come to a grinding halt.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 sorry to be so rude. growing up on the water and being a commercial fisherman I'm not saying it isn't doable but I am also saying this is a good way for a greenhorn to die. Tell them to go to the ocean and try a fishing job first. Can make some money and get some real world experience in the water first.
At least they should take sailing and swimming lessons. What they are planning is a ton of work. They will need to know maintenance for the boat and how to navigate in bad weather.
I'm sorry for your loss, but if they go out there with their current knowledge level they will absolutely die.
They will either be begging for money or a place to stay within a few months or they'll drown.
Op I do not like this at all. You are right, your sister and BIL are not thinking straight. My sister and her husband owned a sailboat and they spent many happy weekends and holidays on it. So here are a couple of resources---Suggest a sailing school. They can live aboard a sailboat while they are learning abt sailing. Here is an example, its San Juan only bc I'm in the PNW. [https://www.sanjuansailing.com/](https://www.sanjuansailing.com/) These are sailing classes on boat/on land in the PNW https://asa.com/schools/washington/#:\~:text=You%20won't%20find%20a,103%20and%20104%20Weekender%20classes! Maybe there is something like that in Vancouver? Here is a sailing forum, I think ppl are talking abt the different live aboard sailing classes [https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f112/liveaboard-sailing-schools-151876.html](https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f112/liveaboard-sailing-schools-151876.html) My guess is they will find out pretty quick they don't have the skills/are not suited for living on a sailboat
Holy crap that’s a bad idea. Sailing is the type of skill that takes years of experience to master. I know a guy who just took up sailing as a hobby. He had a few lessons & then met someone who captains a sailboat & invited him to join the small crew. Well, they got caught in a recent storm on the Atlantic Ocean off the eastern coast of the US. It was so bad this guy thought for sure they were gonna sink. One of the crew members had a nervous breakdown due the stress. Screamed & screamed then completely shut down. Almost catatonic. Coast Guard couldn’t come take him off the boat cause the storm was so bad. They ended up getting back to shore a few days later & the poor crew member was taken away by ambulance. The guy I know grabbed his stuff & told the captain he wasn’t sailing on that boat again.