Community, Projects, and Prices

The medallion calls to us... 

My brother gave me this medallion & chain when I bought Broad Reach. Back in high school, both of us had a pretty big obsession with Pirates of the Caribbean. I love looking down into the cabin and seeing this thing hanging from the old 1985 lamp on the bulkhead, swung to starboard or port, showing how far I've got the boat heeled over.

As the title says, this post will be about the community that I found in San Diego & within the marina, some of the boat projects that I've been spending my plethora of free time on, as well as some of the financial aspects of purchasing a boat. 

Community 

The feeling of having a community is unlike anything else. After being so isolated for so long in Colorado - simply having people to talk to and see in person everyday has been a real joy for me. From day one, when I first sailed on Broad Reach with the previous owner - I felt like I had found a community. Just living in the marina, I've been able to meet so many people that have sailboats or boats in general. There's a guy named Mark, who flies for Southwest Airlines that bought a motorboat just a boat over from my slip. There's Fai, who owns a Bayliner - she's from Thailand. Her boat is called "Mai Thai Home" and she makes Mai Tai's on it. Fai also had Sara and I over for dinner on it! Through Fai, I met a couple of her friends, Cara and Chris, and had the pleasure of taking them out sailing. I also met another couple from Boulder, CO. James and Ashley, who live on their boat down the dock.

Mai Thai Home! Fai!

Yum

Mark's Boat "Crew Rest" 

I started dating a wonderful woman, Sara, who is a high-school teacher. She used to race Broad Reach - working the spinnaker sail. She is still on the team with the previous owner, who just purchased a much faster boat. 

Through Sara, I've been able to meet so many wonderful people that I've been able to share my passion for sailing with. Whether we're just going out and sailing around for a relaxing cruise, or with a bunch of people that want to help and learn more about sailing - we always have a good time and learn new things. The learning we've done has always been different - either about the boat, the sea, or communicating with one another. Having the community and friendships here has been the most important part about moving to San Diego for me. 

Projects

I've had a lot of projects on this boat. I have a nice list of things that need to be repaired or upgraded. One of the first things I built was a mini-fridge stand out of mahogany. It took quite a while to find the right wood and to get it all cut right and varnished, but it turned out pretty good! 

In addition to the mini-fridge stand, I started working on the transmission in the boat. When I bought it, it shifted into reverse fine, but sometimes struggled to shift into forwards. So after learning a lot and with the help of a boat mechanic across the way, Mike, we replaced the shift cable, the coupling that holds the throttle and transmission lines separate, and we learned that the clutch in the transmission needs to be replaced. But the boat shifts into forwards sometimes. So that's nice. Next up will be pulling the transmission out and getting the clutch replaced. I think I'll be known as the guy that drives his boat backwards through the marina for quite some time. 

That turquoise bit is the propeller shaft - and the transmission sits to the right of it

The engine in Broad Reach is a Universal M-30 27 horsepower diesel engine

There is quite an extensive list of projects that continually gets updated. 

The one highlighted is going to be... really expensive 

In addition to that list, I also need to get a microwave, figure out how to work the stove, sand and varnish the wood on the boat exterior, continue cleaning the inside of the boat, get the termite problem treated, etc. I have so many projects to work on, but I'm not in a huge rush for most of it. Some things are more important for others, and some things just too prohibitively expensive for me to get done right away. 

Many of the things on that list from above will have to be done with the boat out of the water. The mast will have to get taken down, and the bottom will get re-painted. 

It's really nice spending my time and money on something that I love and care about so much. I'm guessing one day, throwing all of my money into the ocean might get old, but for now, I'm loving it. 

What happened to all that money? 

So, when I first started learning about buying a boat/what it's like to live on a boat, I was watching the YouTube Channel, Sailing Yacht Ruby Rose - and in that channel, the couple has a few great explanatory videos about what the costs are of buying a boat and living on it. 

The first thing that surprised me, was that they said, "When you buy a boat, expect to spend about 150% of what the for sale price is. So if you're buying a boat for $100,000 - expect to actually spend $150,000 when all is said and done. Boats are always in need of maintenance. Things break. The ocean is not a very forgiving environment. The more expensive the boat, the more expensive it is to get fixed. 

So buying my boat for $25,000 - I was basically planning on spending an additional $12,500 to get it all fixed up - for a total of $37,000. 

I've already put few grand into getting things fixed and upgraded, and I'm expecting to put quite a lot more in. 

Every month, you should save $10/ft of boat you own. So every month, I save $380 just to go towards boat maintenance. That's not saying that I spend that every month, but it's what I save to put towards maintenance costs that will inevitably take place in the future. 

All in all, I made a monthly budget for myself and it's as follows: 

Boat slip/storage: -------$840

Boat Loan: ---------------$350

Boat Maintenance:------ $380

Electricity:----------------$25

Boat Bottom Cleaning--$100

So I'm spending just a little over what it cost me to have a one bedroom apartment in Colorado. 

And you know what?   

I love it. 

Here's a video compilation of the last two months that should sum up how awesome owning/living on a boat is for ya. 

I know things have gotten a little (a lot) crazy recently with the Corona Virus. I started writing this blog a few weeks ago when I was bored in another hotel, basically finished it while in Sara's apartment, and now finally got around to editing it in my hotel in Newark, New Jersey. 

I honestly think that the world is doing a great job at trying to beat this problem. There has been an extremely notable difference in the amount of people I see out and about everywhere I go. Hotels and airplanes are all but empty. The streets are as well. I think that everyone is honestly trying their best to do their part during these difficult times.

I know it'll be a struggle for many people to adjust to the life of "quarantine" or "social isolation". I can totally empathize with that. 

My previous position at my company forced me into essentially the same situation. I sat around "on call" for a year and a half. 

Here is my advice to you, whether you want it or not: 

Make a list for the next day - No matter how big or small, just make a list. Write it down on paper. ie: "1. Get out of bed. 2. Shower. 3. Make breakfast. 4. Work out. 5. Call grandma. 6. Grocery shop. 7. Play video games. 8. Be lazy and eat pizza. 9. Facetime parents. 10. Make dinner"

Something like that - check things off as you go through the day.

GO OUTSIDE. Definitely get out of the house as much as you can. Even if you're just going for a drive. Get out of your house. You'll be fine and safe in your car. The evil Corona virus can't get you there. Go drive away from where you are. Go for a walk. Go OUT. Not with people (since that's not allowed) but GO. 

Make lists of things you want to read/watch. Make lists of things you want to learn/do. Make them doable. Say, "I want to learn this song on the ukulele, I'm going to buy one for $30 on Amazon, buy this sheet music, and use my phone as a tuner, and I'm going to practice an hour a day." BOOM. You will do it if you put realistic goals like that for yourself. 

Other than that - don't put yourself down for not feeling like you've done as much as you used to do. These are extraordinary circumstances. This is a time for you to take a break, take care of yourself, be mindful of what you eat, what you do, what you touch, where you go. This is a time for all of us to spend a little more time at home with our families. Be safe. Be smart. Keep your chin up.