Stuff

          I'm further along on this whole tiny house / downsizing venture than I had realized. Right now, we don't have a/c, a washer or dryer, a dishwasher, cable, car payments (paid my car off 2 months ago!), or a mortgage and I don't plan on having these things again any time soon if not ever. We do have free internet where we live but if we did not then we wouldn't pay for it. Before I moved in I spent 6 months living without internet and I got so much other stuff done. Jon talked me out of renting a storage unit when I moved in (I thought, 'Where am I going to put all my stuff?!?!') and I'm so glad he did. My shopping trips for new clothes, which I justified by telling myself they were work clothes so they were OK, have decreased in frequency significantly, and my closet is still overflowing! These are all things that would take a huge chunk of cash out of our income if we had them. For us, renting a small apartment for the moment works while we work towards our goals. Now I just need to cut down on all the lattes!

          Yesterday I went through my books and DVD's and was able to pull out a few more to give away or sell. The eventual goal is to be rid of 90% of them in a year. Jon asked me to think about what books I want to have on the boat with me and I immediately said, "Harry Potter 1 through 7." This is pretty much non-negotiable. I also have some great comic collections, i.e. the entire Fables and Sandman series, and some of these are signed. For these, as well as other valuable items, we may have to splurge a bit and store them somewhere. I love movies and will watch my favorites over and over, as well as The Office, so I think I'll have to back them up on an external hard drive to take with us.

          I think clothes will be next on my purging list. I have lots I don't even wear, but every time I go to throw them out I think to myself, "But they still fit!" and talk myself into keeping them. I do hate wasting money so maybe that's part of it. Yesterday while at the gym they had a show on about extreme couponing, and one woman just about lost it over spending $2,000+ at a K-Mart but miscalculating her purchase so that it was not a zero balance. The store actually owed $1.58 to her but to her this was unacceptable, and she cried, "Oh God oh God my life is over!" while she frantically searched the store for an item of the exact value. I think a large part of this type of behavior is driven by our culture's obsessions with consumerism and "always getting a good deal." I'm sure hoarding is on the rise too. There is a very healthy and fast-growing storage unit industry that is taking off because we all are so driven to consume consume consume mass amounts of crap that 1) we can't afford, 2) we don't need, 3) makes us unhappy, and 4) keeps us locked into jobs where we work long hours. We have so much that we don't even have the room to store it all. Apparently a lot of stores did a "Black Friday in July" type deal last week. It's really not surprising; what's surprising is that they haven't done it sooner. Maybe eventually the department stores will degrade into monthly Black Fridays, or every day will be Black Friday, and then we'll never have to miss another deal again. Perhaps that is my cynical side talking but I do know that getting rid of extra items and cutting down my spending has made me feel freer and more in control of the stuff that surrounds me.

Teaser Trailer

          I received a DVD from the current owner (2005-Present) of a previous owner. The video at one point states that it was summer 1987 (which means I'm still months off being born). Here is a little teaser of what the boat looked like +26 years ago... I cut out a lot, but in general there is some sailing footage, exterior walk around, and some interior shots. Enjoy!

No Longer a Rich Man's Game

I am still in graduate school, which means I live by many standards as a pauper. I've never noticed; especially with the ability to sail. I used to assume that owning a boat was super expensive, and when I bought new kayaks five years ago, I confirmed my suspicion. Cost is relative I guess, but for me this was a major purchase at 10% of my yearly income for the pair of them. Why go new though? It never occurred to me to check Craigslist for some kayaks, or to see if there were any in the local classifieds. I was lucky enough to grab last season kayaks, but I could have saved a few hundred a pop if I had grabbed them used.

          Sailboats work just the same, and I had learned my lesson. My first dingy cost me a quarter of the cost of my kayaks, which included the trailer. I did look for a while, but to be honest, even with it being a little run-down, as long as it floats and has sails you can have fun sailing it. I've noticed since looking at other used boats, lots of folks don’t use their boats as much as I would have suspected. Sails, even those with rust stains and mold can be cleaned by hand and can have a ton of life left in them. I sailed for 8 months paying only for gas to get to the river. It was fantastic! When I upgraded to a bigger boat the costs were still reasonable (and less than the kayaks), but I've had to put money into the boat. Worth it? Only if you use it! So I can say I am very happy with the results. The only real issue with the boat was having almost new, mouse ravaged sails. I've fixed one of the three and will fix the other two before I sell the boat, but I found a very nice local with a matching set of sails (he has a Mac 25 that he no longer sails her, having switched to a one design), and am borrowing them until he sells his boat. All the other work and money I put into the boat is so that it looks nice and is nice to “live” in.

          If the hull is solid, the deck and rigging in good condition, and the sails will work; you've found yourself a fantastic opportunity to learn the art of sailing. A “how to” book is also useful… but a little guts and a soft breeze can be just as educational. Take a chance! Find a boat! I’ll see you on the water!