GO NOW!

[Wolverine]

I used to think when I retire I would have all the time I needed to sail to those places on my bucket list:
Apostle Islands
Lake Champlain
Bahamas
Past the Statue of Liberty
The Chesapeake
Dry Tortugas
Green Bay and Door County, Wisconsin
Nova Scotia

And the places I want to sail again:
North Channel
Florida Keys
Florida Gulf Coast
 
Not so. I've been retired almost 6 years now and haven't hit a single one. Something always comes up. A move. A graduation. A wedding. A funeral. A knee replacement. A conflict with the wife's schedule. (x100 with that one) This year will be our 15th year attending CLR (carlyle lake rendezvous) in southern Illinois. It's a blast, you really should attend. (june 16-20) There is a bunch of us interested in sailing the Apostle Islands, but we can't get our dates to line up. I would like to go back to the North Channel after CLR, but my wife spent $$$$ on Rod Stewart tickets and a hotel too close to CLR, so that won't work. Plus, I have a DDS appointment I already rescheduled once. See? It's always something. I'm not getting any younger and if I don't go now, when? My town is populated with too many old sailors with stories of adventures that almost happened.
This was going to be the year I sailed away to anchorages far and near, but a surgery, 2 funerals, and boating items that haven't arrived yet have kept me land bound. I'm not saying I haven't been on the water, I just haven't left a 30 mile radius of home. I realize it's only the end of March, but that's how it begins. You think, the nice weather has just arrived, I have all year to sail away. Soon you're winterizing the boats.

Even The Moody Blues knew this. You better go now! Do it! Go! Stop reading this and go!       

[Timm R Oday25]

Spot on analysis . I've been fortunate to have sailed the the Apostles Islands several years ago with Tom Parrent .
We've dragged our Oday 25 to Kentucky Lake and Door County .
I was set to retire this May . Hip surgery may well delay it . We'll see .
I've learned ,we need to "make time" to go .
If we don't put it on a calender ,it just doesn't happen.
As an after thought.. we love the Moody Blues in our house .

[Grith]

Well I have been retired just over three years with my previously non boating new partner. We have just lost 12 months not sailing to a renovate of our hopefully forever retirement home on the water.
Having said that in the just over three years we have now spent over 6 months living on our trailer sailer over a number of extended cruises despite the recent loss of twelve months!
You just have to plan your trip and go regardless of distractions!
Our trips have included living out in The Whitsundays for 9 weeks cut short by buying our new home sight unseen whilst out in the islands but rushing back to see it before irrevocably committed.
The renovation has taken twice as long and cost twice as much as anticipated but a home with its own jetty/pontoon and drive in forward launch and drive out forward is a real rarity and it was ridiculously cheap!
Having finished the renovate we have just been cruising on the Gippsland Lakes for 4 weeks returning to our new home yesterday.  You cannot view this attachment.You cannot view this attachment.]" src="https://trailersailor.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;attach=7350;type=preview;thumb">You cannot view this attachment.

[Doug SC]

I have managed many kayaking and canoeing camping trips since retiring and a couple of sailing overnighters. Last year was a bust for many of the reasons you have mentioned. I am hoping to do better this year and have my Scamp ready to go but realize how often age and life gets in the way. I am currently dealing with some of those issues. Still, I do have plans. Time will tell. I do get on the water and crewing on a race boat at least requires a commitment which helps in that respect.

PS Two thumbs up for the Moody Blues

[rfrance0718]

I retired in Aug of 2017. Tami was still working but we worked things out where I would go for longer trips and she would join me for parts of the trips. We did a three week Chesapeake trip that summer and then Florida trips of 4 to 6 weeks in 2018, 19, and 20. We also did a lot of Lake Erie sailing, Thistle regattas, coaching trips, and ski trips, as well as trips that had nothing to do with boats.  Covid hit at the end of my Florida excursion in Mar. of 2020. So we didn't sail the Oday anywhere other than Lake Erie in 21,22,or 23. Covid had passed but I just didn't plan any big trips with the boat. But now I'm back!  And having a few trips under my belt has boosted my trailing confidence.

Last summer we did a 3 week trip where we towed the Oday up to Northern Michigan and then sailed it back to Lake Erie, and I just got back from a 3 week tow to Florid. This summer I'm planning on some longer trips on Lake Erie and then a Trailer Sailor trip in August. Maine? Back to the North Channel? St. Lawrence River? Tami has retired, but now she's taking care of her father, and her travel is somewhat limited, so we're back to her doing part of the trips. Next spring I'm thinking about dragging the boat to Port Everglades. They have a nice ramp there and cheap parking for truck and trailer. I'm thinking that the Keys and the Bahamas would be in play.

I've done a lot to improve the Oday's seaworthiness, and I need to do some longer, overnight sails to boost confidence and experience. Big plans.

[noelH]

Dec 31, 2024 was 7th full year of retirement.  Bit opposite of what I though I would be doing.  More time, less family obligations, more flexible schedule. Thought was more trips. Instead it has been becoming a "home body".  Wake up in the morning and then do whatever seasonal activity nature allows. Go snowboarding, go windsurfing, go sailing, go hiking.... Veggie and fruit garden to tend to. Always a pile of firewood to split and stack if I get really bored. Had to renew the passport in '20.  Haven't used it once since.  Outside of family get togethers, the past trips have have been activity oriented.  Basically just windsurfing and snowboarding adventures.

Not really into cruising. Prefer just day sailing. Most days sailing I don't get really anywhere. Long days may break 30nm of getting to nowhere to where I haven't been to before.  Lake Superior is a bit on the large side.  Always thought if into cruising a trip from Bayfield to Saxon Harbor to Black River Harbor to Ontonagon Harbor to Houghton Harbor to Copper Harbor would be fun. Even with a faster cruiser like a trimaran similar to a Dragonfly 25 or Farrier F22 the distances between harbors with minimum number of safe anchorages if not reaching the harbors would make for an interesting cruising adventure. My brother-in-law tried to make it to Copper Harbor in a 49 footer. Just him and a sailing buddy.  They experienced which was typical L. Superior conditions. That is, everything from drifting in F1 to pucker moment. Sailed some days for +24 hours out of necessity. Didn't make to Copper Harbor. Had to come about and head back to Bayfield to get back to work in time.

Life and aging just happens. Sometimes my hesitation pays off. SSNHearingLoss in late Dec'23. Was an invalid for a month. Wobbly the rest of the winter. '23-24 winter plan was to purchase a season lift pass at the Big Mountain in NW Montana during their early season sale special pricing. MT snowboard road trip.  Spend a month or so in WhiteFish. 11 days was the break even point for the season pass plus you get 5 days at Red Lodge. Between Big Mt. and Red Lodge stop by at SnowBowl, Bridger. Everyone I know who would consider such a trip has aged out of skiing and snowboarding.  Maybe I have also. At least I'm still snowboarding and trying to take out a tree or snow fence laying down a Euro carve.