Recently got a mortgage on a house 144km from Sydney where i run a business and work. Client base is spread all over in sydney and nearby where i live. where i live now is absolute paradise. This summer season ive harvested about 20kg of tomatoes, same with potatoes, about 10kg Zuchini, lotsa corn, lettuces, beetroot, radishes plus much more. Have established apple, peach, plum, apricot, feijoa, lemons, nectarines and pears and drink really nice southern highland rainwater filtered from the tank. Its been a dream of mine to live like this forever, but one thing is suffering. My sailing. Im going less and havent been in nearly 2 weeks. Id normally be out everyday. Another thing thats getting hard is tolerating Sydney when i go there. THe less time i spend there, the more i loathe the place when i go there.
So i was home the other day and a revelation hit me. I can go long term cruising on my tophat after about 12k of additions and about a year or even less of prep/work on boat. Rent the house out on an interest only loan leaving a bit of cash left over for the house kitty and just go.
This has now taken over my life and ive already started to prep. The intended route would be Syd to NZ, maybe via lord howe for a look. In nz id like to anchor at Taipa(top of north island) where ive got a beach house to use, then bay of islands, GReat barrier island, Kawau island, other islands around auckland, then over to Coromandel, right around to Mount Manganui and to east cape where ive got friends.
After this head north east to tahiti. Still not sure which islands i want to visit. Def the cooks. Need to do alot of prep beforehand and need to learn about weather systems and prevailing winds etc so not too much sailing on the nose. I think my boat can do this, and they have proved theyre a robust vessel that the ability to circumnavigate and handle some surprises.
I just feel like life is too short to not do this and this has been a dream for a really long time - even before i started sailing. Sailing is really important to me and every time i go, i get sad when the day is over. In the last year ive had a heart attack and some organ failure and if times short, i dont want to waste it working. I find when you make a decision thats "right for you" things fall into place to help that happen. This has already been happening so i feel it is the right path. Pretty lucky really to be able to make such a choice. Im sure many would love to, but life can get in the way of such dreams making it hard to make something like this happen.
May Good luck, Fair winds & following seas, be with you on your quest for freedom
Yes if everything is falling into place and you feel like doing it then happy sailing and good luck.
Don't forget about thorough preparation though. The trip will be all the more enjoyable if you are well prepared.
Select to expand quotezilla said..
Yes if everything is falling into place and you feel like doing it then happy sailing and good luck.
Don't forget about thorough preparation though. The trip will be all the more enjoyable if you are well prepared.
Yes thanks Zilla. Need to prep alot. It does freak me out a bit. especially the tasman crossing.
Good stuff Sectorsteve!
My wife and I are just starting our cruising life living onboard our yacht.
Rent the house out chucked the jobs in and just doing it. I was actually made redundant (which is what I wanted) so that helps financially.
Too many people wait too long before living the dream.
Select to expand quoteNowandZen said..
Good stuff Sectorsteve!
My wife and I are just starting our cruising life living onboard our yacht.
Rent the house out chucked the jobs in and just doing it. I was actually made redundant (which is what I wanted) so that helps financially.
Too many people wait too long before living the dream.
excellent!! where are you now and whats your intended route?
Thats awsome, go for it, cant wait to hear about all your adventures, it'll be a few years before I get to do it
Select to expand quoteSectorsteve said..NowandZen said..
Good stuff Sectorsteve!
My wife and I are just starting our cruising life living onboard our yacht.
Rent the house out chucked the jobs in and just doing it. I was actually made redundant (which is what I wanted) so that helps financially.
Too many people wait too long before living the dream.
excellent!! where are you now and whats your intended route?
We are currently in Batemans Bay marina.
In about 3 - 4 weeks, we will be heading north, mainly doing day trips and anchoring at night time.
We intend to get to Hervey Bay around about the middle of June and make that our base for a couple of years while having a good look up and down the coast from there.
Select to expand quoteMeg1122 said..
Yay! 
Ditto
I've got another coupla years yet - then ....................:)
Select to expand quoteNowandZen said..Sectorsteve said..NowandZen said..
Good stuff Sectorsteve!
My wife and I are just starting our cruising life living onboard our yacht.
Rent the house out chucked the jobs in and just doing it. I was actually made redundant (which is what I wanted) so that helps financially.
Too many people wait too long before living the dream.
excellent!! where are you now and whats your intended route?
We are currently in Batemans Bay marina.
In about 3 - 4 weeks, we will be heading north, mainly doing day trips and anchoring at night time.
We intend to get to Hervey Bay around about the middle of June and make that our base for a couple of years while having a good look up and down the coast from there.
sounds great!! i rode my motorbike from my place down to merimbula on the weekend checking out anchorages on the way! Narooma looks good, as did Ulladulla. really nice bit of coast. are you up the river a bit at BB? i probably saw your boat
Like to live in a washing machine for a while Steve?
Check this out! Between Aug.2006 and Aug 2009 this guy sailed around the world in a19 feet long tub built for the lakes in Switzerland in the early seventies.
www.meder.hu/?lang=en
Nothing is impossible!
Select to expand quoteSectorsteve said..NowandZen said..Sectorsteve said..NowandZen said..
Good stuff Sectorsteve!
My wife and I are just starting our cruising life living onboard our yacht.
Rent the house out chucked the jobs in and just doing it. I was actually made redundant (which is what I wanted) so that helps financially.
Too many people wait too long before living the dream.
excellent!! where are you now and whats your intended route?
We are currently in Batemans Bay marina.
In about 3 - 4 weeks, we will be heading north, mainly doing day trips and anchoring at night time.
We intend to get to Hervey Bay around about the middle of June and make that our base for a couple of years while having a good look up and down the coast from there.
sounds great!! i rode my motorbike from my place down to merimbula on the weekend checking out anchorages on the way! Narooma looks good, as did Ulladulla. really nice bit of coast. are you up the river a bit at BB? i probably saw your boat
Nah, we are at the marina which is pretty much at the start of the river.
Reading this makes me slightly jealous
Follow your heart and make it count, you only live once as they say!
Absolutely go for it mate it costs a bit more to set your boat up to do it but you can't take it with you
Two year max for me before I'm off aswell
Way to go Steve,
If the Mitchell's could do it with 2 adults and 2 children, you will have a ball!
Envious! Envious! Envious! Envious!
Its a great idea, but one has to DO it I took off and sailed around NZ for a year and a half a few years ago. It was great fun and experience. I lost my GF who abandoned ship during the voyage but too bad. The replacement ones better. Took up smoking and beer, now only do beer thankfully.
When I got back to my home sailing club in Oz nearly 2 years later the same sailors were sitting on the same stools in the bar still saying (very convincingly) what they were gunna do!!!
Go for it Steve.
It's a great idea to go, Steve, but can I ask how often you've done something like a Trans-Tasman trip? Could you go overseas by heading up the east coast and then to the Solomons etc? The people I know who have gone to Tahiti from Sydney say there's not really much chance of getting favourable winds..... certainly I never seemed to get the fabled tradewinds between here and Noumea.
Select to expand quoteandy59 said..
live the dream Steve you never know what might happen tommorrow 
Select to expand quoteChris 249 said..
It's a great idea to go, Steve, but can I ask how often you've done something like a Trans-Tasman trip? Could you go overseas by heading up the east coast and then to the Solomons etc? The people I know who have gone to Tahiti from Sydney say there's not really much chance of getting favourable winds..... certainly I never seemed to get the fabled tradewinds between here and Noumea.
That's fantastic Steve, and I was going to suggest this same thing. It's what I have in mind to do... sail up the East Coast first. I just did the first leg north yesterday... Coffs Harbour to Yamba... now I'm at work straining at the bit to be on my boat again. I'm addicted to being on her.
you are right, life is not a dress rehearsal
may the force be with you
we plan to do a similar thing in about 3 years
Life is too short
Standard line in sales pitches " due to health reasons"
dont leave it too late
invest in your health and hope to enjoy life
Once again its a compromise ,Recent grandparents , business has been fair , no debt , somewhere to return , weight for age could continue to save but realistically probably have enough
Time too to enjoy whats left
My compromise involves going to windward at 100 kms / hr as I still cannot justify keelboat and associated costs not to mention my partners comfort (not really a sailor)
so i understand sector steve's choice
hopefully we can all catch up somewhere sometime and share our experience
ps great clip hg just proves how old i have got
only done the trip on a motoryacht twice. itd be from syd - auckland, then north to tonga.
its all about prep i guess. wouldnt be for a year. Nothings off the cards in terms of route. That might be the way to go Chris, but i really wanna sail nz. yeah the winds a bit wrong. might have to do some big tacks.
Tahiti is just so amazing...been before on the way to europe on the motor yacht. MOTORYACHT. really wanna spend some time there. makes sense to go north though Chris. I rode my motorbike down your way and the anchorages and coast line looks pretty special. Ill do some sea trials up and down the coast first. need to do alot to boat to set up for this. the tasman scares the hell out of me, but the reward is sailing in nz which i really wanna do. Its just awesome going down the coast to Auckland, and having a beer on arrival. Just from Cape reinga down to Auckland theres heaps to do. I really wanna explore the islands around auckland. kinda did it growing up, but theres alot ive not seen. Then theres coromandel...theres just alot over there! bit cold but oh well. my black hull will be a good thing then!
Jessica Watson on risk taking :
"I think you need to appreciate that to do nothing is also risky, so youve got to put yourself out there"
Select to expand quoteMcNaughtical said..Chris 249 said..
It's a great idea to go, Steve, but can I ask how often you've done something like a Trans-Tasman trip? Could you go overseas by heading up the east coast and then to the Solomons etc? The people I know who have gone to Tahiti from Sydney say there's not really much chance of getting favourable winds..... certainly I never seemed to get the fabled tradewinds between here and Noumea.
That's fantastic Steve, and I was going to suggest this same thing. It's what I have in mind to do... sail up the East Coast first. I just did the first leg north yesterday... Coffs Harbour to Yamba... now I'm at work straining at the bit to be on my boat again. I'm addicted to being on her.
awesome!
Select to expand quoteSectorsteve said..
I really wanna explore the islands around auckland. kinda did it growing up, but theres alot ive not seen.
Then theres coromandel...theres just alot over there! bit cold but oh well. my black hull will be a good thing then!
The Hauraki Gulf and it's islands are a cruising paradise.
Coromandel.................All I can say si that Coromandel Green is the finest I have ever had. 
Select to expand quotecisco said..Sectorsteve said..
I really wanna explore the islands around auckland. kinda did it growing up, but theres alot ive not seen.
Then theres coromandel...theres just alot over there! bit cold but oh well. my black hull will be a good thing then!
The Hauraki Gulf and it's islands are a cruising paradise.
Coromandel.................All I can say si that Coromandel Green is the finest I have ever had.
Damn right Cisco. The cops used to pull the stuff up with helicopters dropping seeds everywhere...
