The View from the Top of Morgan's Bluff

When planning for our voyage, we ran into many opinions and philosophies “Go cheap and go now” turned out to be the one that made the most sense.

We looked at taking sailing and cruising courses from the American Sailing Association, but the cost was prohibitive. For the both of us to take the classes that would bring our skills up to the level of cruising would have cost as much as the purchase price of our 27 foot Albin Vega sailboat ($6,000)! So we decided to use that money to get the boat instead. Better in our view to learn by doing and afford to have a boat and cruise it than to pay for such an expensive class and have no money left over for a boat or cruising!

One of our friends went to the British Virgin Islands for a week, and he spent more on airfare and renting a boat there for one week than we spent on our entire voyage of a half a year so far!

We’ve met many people along the way who have told us how they would love to do what we are doing. Many plan to go cruising “in a few years.” Some have been planning for far to long and may never actually get to it. Often people have a three year plan to get off of land and onto a boat. Surely a mortgage, career, children and pets can all bind you to a life on land.

Still, houses can be rented. Careers can be closed or changed. Children can be “boat-schooled,” and pets can be brought or given away. There is no guarantee of the future, and no one will make your dreams happen but you. So whatever it is that you dream of, let us encourage you to “go cheap and go now.” Your dreams do not have to be expensive, and Lord knows that what gets put off to tomorrow may never happen!