If I Were in My 20's and Knew What I Know Now...

I'd still go sailing, but I wouldn't wait until I was 46 to do it! My misconception about going sailing (and actually for most of my dreams) was that it was going to be really expensive. I thought I needed thousands and thousands to acquire my dream (the sailboat) and that I would need thousands each month so I could go sailing. I don't know specifically where those messages came from, but they stuck and I held off pursuing my dream for years.

Actually you can get set up on a boat and go sailing for about $10,000, possibly less. (And again, I use sailing as an example, but the following holds true when applied to many other dreams)

There are literally thousands of unused and unloved sailboats sitting in marinas all over the world. Every marina we've ever been to has a row of forlorn less than 30 footers sitting there which obviously haven't been touched by their owners in months, if not years. I spoke about this in an earlier post, but how many of those owners (particularly in this economy) would jump at a few thousand for a boat which they no longer have a use for and no longer wish to pay marina fees on? If the boat is structurally sound with good sails, you can get it going for very little.

Much of the expense in going sailing (and a whole lot of other things) is complexity. Our boat is more expensive because it has systems on it which increase the complexity and the cost. Engines and electronics are expensive. But you know what? You don't have to have an engine or electronics on a boat. Poof, there goes all that cost!

A sailboat has sails, that's what you are supposed to use to move the boat around. For thousands of years, sailors have moved their boats all around the world without engines and electronics. You can sail a boat onto and off of an anchor and if you have a fairly small boat, you can use a sculling oar to maneuver.

Without engines and electronics, your ongoing costs are fuel for your stove and food. Many people can quite easily earn enough for that along the way.

Larry and Lin Pardy have spent the past 20 years cruising the world on their sailboat and they have focused on making it unstoppable. For them, unstoppable is never having a system which can break down and stop the trip. They've eliminated the majority of systems that most boaters would consider essential (engines, electronics) or replaced them with non-technical solutions. They work along the way, usually by taking odd jobs and writing books / articles. They've developed skills in sailing, weather forecasting, boat repairs, navigation so that they don't need technical solutions to supplement missing skills. A book that we really enjoyed was Self-Sufficient Sailor
which discusses how to build the necessary skills and make your boat unstoppable.

My misconception kept me from even exploring my dreams for many years, I could have gone when I was in my 20's, I just didn't know it...