Click for Delta Click for Perko Click for YF Listing Service Click for Mulder Click for Ocean Alexander

Can a retired Airman own a yacht?

Discussion in 'Hatteras Yacht' started by Retire2Cruise, Sep 15, 2015.

  1. Retire2Cruise

    Retire2Cruise New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 15, 2015
    Messages:
    7
    Location:
    Germany
    Hi all,

    I've been creeping a few weeks now through the boards. I've seen different takes and opinions on a variety of MYs between 43-70'. I'm a diesel mechanic, HVAC certified, sharp with electrical systems. The typical jack of trades Uncle Sam has trained me to be. Out side of that, he doesn't pay Jack Doodle!

    I'll have served 24 yrs at the end of it all and my retirement check is no secret, $2400 pm. I will continue to work, due to necessity. My wife and I were thinking of owning a home for 10 years first, then selling to invest in a Hatteras CPMY, or aft deck.

    My questions are:
    1. Should I just get a bass boat and forego the dream?
    2. If I doc for months on end to scrimp and save for a day cruise, is it worth it?
    3. I understand there's only so much maintenance I can do...what say you?

    Thanks for your no-holds-bar inputs!
    Newb to cruising
  2. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 2008
    Messages:
    11,205
    Location:
    Long Island, NY
    I'd go for the bass boat and the home. If you can do that and save enough to buy that yacht in 10 years, you might be able to afford the upkeep (given what your skills may save you). You can easily spend upwards of $100K a year on that size boat, especially if you actually cruise. Maybe you'll even eventually sell the home and retire onto it. Plus, you could well be dead in 10 years. Dreams are wonderful, but they're no substitute for enjoying today.

    P.S. The bass boats are more fun and you'll use them a lot more than you will any yacht.

    P.S. Given that you have to work and your skill set, why not work to become a captain. For the past almost 30 years I've gotten to cruise way more boats than any owner, didn't have to pay the bills, and made a decent living. Now, after almost 60 years total on boats I won't mind if I never set foot on a deck again.:rolleyes:
  3. olderboater

    olderboater Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 2, 2013
    Messages:
    7,132
    Location:
    Fort Lauderdale
    Your plan may make sense. Yacht implies different things to different people. However, you can get some very decent liveaboard boats in the 40-50' range for a reasonable price. Nycap says to become a captain. Well, there are other things to do. Use the 10 years to learn more about boat engines and doing mechanical work on them. Start with basic STCW for you and your wife and try to get deck and/or interior jobs on boats to allow you to build sea time and enjoy.

    The fact you have a lot of mechanical and electric skills will aid you in doing some work yourself and saving money.

    Now, the other word of advice is purchase within your budget for initial expenditure and for annual costs and maintenance. If that means a bass boat, fine, although I have seen bass boats which sold for what you could purchase an older cruising boat. If it means 30' instead of 50', then fine. Smaller boats will get you on the water and while they may be a bit cramped with a military background I don't imagine that would be something you couldn't tolerate.

    You're thinking of this well in advance so time will help you figure it out. However, I won't discourage you from the possibility of owning a boat of some size other than a bass boat. Some may depend on where the two of you locate.

    Is your wife also military? Or will she be ready for retirement when you are ready for your second retirement? You don't need to disclose here, but a missing piece of the equation is her monthly income at the time you get ready to do this.

    Then back to the boat. There are a lot of retired military people I know who have become trawler owners. They're interested in minimizing their annual costs, including fuel and dockage. Others have chosen cruising boats that are neither yacht nor trawler, such as Bayliners, or by the time you get ready perhaps Meridian, boats that can be obtained at very modest prices and are fine for coastal cruising, just not for crossing oceans, but then few people ever cross oceans.

    Continue to follow and think and then you'll see over time where it will lead.
  4. Retire2Cruise

    Retire2Cruise New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 15, 2015
    Messages:
    7
    Location:
    Germany
    I guess I was a millionaire in my previous life...lol!!

    I'm not looking for anything above$250K, but I understand the feedback and my budgetary constraints.

    Coastal cruising is very appealing and I don't have desires to cross the big ponds. Done that enough already, by air. So maybe a Searay or the like, 40-50'.

    Thanks guys for your experienced responses and feedback.
  5. olderboater

    olderboater Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 2, 2013
    Messages:
    7,132
    Location:
    Fort Lauderdale
    Similar to Searay perhaps but not an express boat as they are. Instead something with more usable space and probably a flybridge.
  6. K1W1

    K1W1 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 30, 2005
    Messages:
    7,388
    Location:
    My Office
    When I hang up my hat in a few years and take it easy after what will be close to 40 yrs of making my living from my involvement with things that go to sea I will buy a boat myself.

    After seeing so much and being on such fine vessels I will buy a very good quality maybe custom made 5 or 5.5m Aluminium runabout with a high standard of outfit in regard to functionality and safety , it will live on a trailer in my garage and be powered by a 4 stroke outboard. I will take it out and use it as and when I want and when finished bring it home , clean the fish, open some scallops if I have some then put it away after a washdown and go in the house have a shower, a few beers and sit on the porch looking at the cows in the back paddock as the sun goes down or on the other side of the house if it is coming up.

    I have previously looked at a larger motor boat, the lack of a decent place to keep it and the difficulty of moving it from the east to west coast if the wind is in the wrong direction when I want to fish or just go for a hoon in it soon showed me the best way forward for my situation.
  7. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 29, 2008
    Messages:
    8,120
    Location:
    Miami, FL
    A bass boat more fun? Getting more use? Come on...


    I d say that with your skills, you will be quite a few steps ahead of most people who want to live aboard and have to pay close to $100 an hour labor to Ac guys, diesel mechanics and marine electricians...in fact you should probably consider a career in one of these fields when time comes.

    I ve been living aboard for 13 years and my only regret is not having done it earlier...

    But the most important part of the decision is where will you be. Living on a boat in places where the word winter only means being able to turn off the AC and put on a sweater once a week is great... Up north where it s cold, where it rains for days, where snow and ice makes the docks slippery, i m sure it s no fun!

    As to boats, I personally consider 50 to 60 being the best live aboard size. Under 50 it s more like camping aboard... Over 60, cost do go up and dockage becomes more of an issue.
  8. Retire2Cruise

    Retire2Cruise New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 15, 2015
    Messages:
    7
    Location:
    Germany
    I guess I should've said I'm a Florida native. I took a peak at the Meridian, thanks Olderboater, I like it from the PC screen. I'd be running out of either Panama City or Port St. Joe. I'd like to be able to run to the Keys at least, Bahamas at max...but no loss if the Bahamas is out of reach.
  9. olderboater

    olderboater Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 2, 2013
    Messages:
    7,132
    Location:
    Fort Lauderdale
    There are plenty of moderately priced boats that will run the area you're talking about quite well. Some with excellent layouts and plenty of room to live comfortably. There are many others doing exactly what you're talking about in that area.
  10. NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 2008
    Messages:
    11,205
    Location:
    Long Island, NY
  11. Norseman

    Norseman Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 24, 2005
    Messages:
    2,905
    Location:
    Ft. Lauderdale
    Used boats can be very expensive to maintain, upgrade and repair.
    Buy the smallest boat you can live with (on)
    My boats keep getting smaller as my checking account gets bigger.
    On a fixed income and without a rich uncle pushing 100 years of age with you as the only heir, you need to be very careful buying a big boat.
    Been there, done that. :(
  12. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 29, 2008
    Messages:
    8,120
    Location:
    Miami, FL
    Well the hatt doesn't leave the dock right because ...

    1)- I m in the middle of a complete refit including new galley up & aft, ripping out the forward bunks and converting to a centerline full, combining the master and twin guest in a proper master and much more...

    2)- port detroit is done and I will be repowering with factory remans cummins

    3)- nowadays I d rather be sailing than put-putting around

    4)- we spend so much time powering as a job that I really dont care ftp power for pleasure... My motto is "I power 2 sail" ... We also get a lot of down time between charters in the exumas that I don't need to use my own boat see days.

    Until all this happened, I would take the hatt out at least twice a week... Why the heck would I want to be burning in the sun, with no galley, no AC and no comfort when a properly set up dirty footer really takes no more effort or time to leave the slip than a small boat? Plus bass boAts are usually trailer, need I say more ? ;)
  13. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 29, 2008
    Messages:
    8,120
    Location:
    Miami, FL
    The keys are ok.. But heed this warning: once you make it to the Exumas nothing will be worth cruising.
  14. Norseman

    Norseman Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 24, 2005
    Messages:
    2,905
    Location:
    Ft. Lauderdale
    Truer words have never been spoken.
  15. olderboater

    olderboater Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 2, 2013
    Messages:
    7,132
    Location:
    Fort Lauderdale
    Well, we love the Exumas and all the Bahamas, but that doesn't mean we don't still love Key West.
  16. Norseman

    Norseman Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 24, 2005
    Messages:
    2,905
    Location:
    Ft. Lauderdale
    Love Key West too, but last time we were anchored there my liver sent up a white flag and wanted to divorce me. :D
  17. Retire2Cruise

    Retire2Cruise New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 15, 2015
    Messages:
    7
    Location:
    Germany
    LOL! I live in Germany currently and I've had plenty of those moments!

    I'm off to Okinawa for the next four years. I'm planning on stuffing away some coin for the house while collecting the COLA (cost of living allowance).

    Thanks guys! I'm really glad I joined this forum and spoke up. Not a bad batch here
  18. Norseman

    Norseman Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 24, 2005
    Messages:
    2,905
    Location:
    Ft. Lauderdale
    Say hello to Okinawa and the girls hanging out next to the main gate; They always greet you with "Hello Sailor".
    Cute little things. :cool:
  19. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 29, 2008
    Messages:
    8,120
    Location:
    Miami, FL
    Obviously it all depends on what you are looking for and what you prefer. If you re into eating out, marina life with strangers just a few feet on each side and no privacy, not having access to a real beach, then yes KW isn't bad :)

    But you re better off going by car and stay in a nice hotel as there aren't even any nice anchorages and beaches on the way. The keys are gat with a small boat but anything over 60 and 5' draft and your options are very limited.

    And from broward or Palm beach counties it s the roughly the same distance to KW as Staniel...
  20. olderboater

    olderboater Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 2, 2013
    Messages:
    7,132
    Location:
    Fort Lauderdale
    Car? Did you actually say "Car?" No, we'd never do that. We've been to Key West 9 or 10 times in the past three years but never by car. Next you'll be suggesting one should go to Bimini or Cat Cay by car. Of course, we don't go to Miami or West Palm by car very often. Perhaps one out of every 25 trips.