Doldrums

The "Doldrums" are an area around the equator in the intertropical convergence zone that are known to sailors for their light and variable wind patterns, often resulting in the boat having to motor through, or wait for a favorable wind shift.

While we are some 42 deg. North of the equator, that is what it has felt like around here lately.  We haven't made any forward progress on the sale of the house, and while we have looked at some boats we haven't found any particular one of interest.

So here we sit, seemingly adrift and waiting for a favorable shift in the wind...

What do you do to keep your spirits up when you get stuck in the Doldrums?

Always Wanting More

"I want to be a billionaire so freakin bad"

On my way to work today I heard a song on the radio with the above line as the catchy chorus.  The rest of the song went on about all the things he could do if he was a billionaire, and the fame he would get, though I should mention he said he would probably adopt a couple of kids.  Growing up, people always wanted to be millionaires, now apparently that isn't enough, you have to be a billionaire.

Immediately after the song, the DJ came on saying how times were rough but that was okay, you should enter his contest because you deserve a new car, and that would make you feel better!

This stuck in my head all day and got me thinking about how we are driven to always want more. The media, pop culture, our neighbors, family; all expect and push this ideal that everything would be easier and more glamorous with more.  More cars, more money, more house, more parties, etc.  We spend so much time thinking about what we could do and have if we had more, that we don't pay attention to what we have, or think about how great our lives could be with less!

What if you had less?

The Minimalist Path

If you had a smaller house (or a sailboat) it would cost less money to maintain, and you couldn't fill it with as much.  If you had fewer bills you wouldn't need as much money.  If you didn't need as much money, you wouldn't need to work as much, or stay in a job you don't care for just because the pay is decent.

The way I see it is that there are two options if you want to be able to enjoy your life and not work forever:  

You could become a millionaire (or a billionaire).  

Or you could choose to live a minimalist life with fewer possessions and fewer expenses and live on much less. 

In between these extremes lay the majority of people who are just trying to get by saddled by debt and the desire to always want more. I was on this path, and in some ways still am (the house hasn't sold), but am trying desperately to break free. 

To me, the easiest path is the minimalist path.  It is a path that you can control, that doesn't require you to win the lottery, or to be a movie star, or a Wall Street tycoon.  I think the odds are definitely in your favor if you have less.

The Search Continues

It was a little depressing to find what we though was "the boat" and then to have to let it go once the survey turned up some issues.  But, just like riding a bike, if you take a spill the best thing is to get back on and keep riding (barring serious personal injury of course).

So last weekend we visited Newport, RI, and Salem, MA, to look at some more boats.  In all we managed to look at four boats on Saturday, they were, in order of viewing:

Southern Cross 31
Pearson Vanguard 32
Bristol 29.9
Ericson 28

We really liked the SC 31 and Bristol 29.9.  The Vanguard, while a beautiful boat, was just not set up in a manner that would allow us to live aboard, and the Ericson was a mid-1980s model with a pleather cabin top.  Not happening!

It was good to see that many boats in one day and we are learning a lot about ourselves and what we are looking for in a boat.  We tend toward the traditional, with a full keel, nice lines, and sloop or cutter rigged.  We are also looking for a boat with a less than 5' draft, as we would like to go to the Bahamas and the water can get "skinny" there as they say.

We also have found that we really love the state of Rhode Island, and decided that if we find a boat there it wouldn't be half bad to have to stay through a winter to get the boat in shape for the eventual sail south.  Another bonus is that if you keep the boat with a hailing port in RI, the purchase is tax free!  You've got to love a place that supports the boating community that much.

To that end, we are heading back to RI this Memorial Day weekend to look at a couple of other boats.  In searching on Craigslist this week, we stumbled upon a listing for a Down Easter 32, which is the same type of boat that we had the offer in on, but this is listed for about half that price.  So we are going to check it out.  We are also going to take another look at the Southern Cross 31, we really love the look of the boat, the practical layout, storage space, and great reputation.

One other item of note:  While in Newport last Friday evening, I surprised Trish by taking her on a sunset sail aboard the schooner "Aquindeck".  The really cool thing about that was that one of the crew members is a blogger that I follow, over at I Hate Shoes.  Scott, the blogger, recently quit his job working in a "cube farm" in Boston, sailed his boat down to Newport and is now working on the schooner.  A bold move and one I hope to follow shortly!  Anyway, check out his blog if you have the chance, it is well written and pretty funny at times.

Finally, a picture from our sunset cruise: