We have been mulling over our upcoming plans for what feels like forever. With all of the options we are really struggling at choosing one, and our “let’s talk it out” time is running thin. Every time we sit down and have a big discussion about what we should do, it feels like we come out of the talk with more options rather than any concrete decisions. We are so lost within it all that maybe some fresh sets of eyes (and opinions please) could help us come up with a solid plan. By saying “a solid plan”, I mean we just need to make up our minds to go one way or another, if we find out soon after that, “nope this isn’t for us”, we have no problem going back to the drawing board. But we need a start point!
Let me start by being transparent. It’s rare you will find people discussing money, like how much of it they have, but for you to be able to help out in our decision making you need to at least have a general idea of where we are financially. Let’s still leave it somewhat vague, because that’s really on a need to know basis; but in our entire cruising career (6 years!) we have always bounced around between $24,000-$65,000. ($10,000 is what we call our absolute $0. This would be the scenario where we would have to heavily invest our time into making money, but still have that small cushion to survive on until a paycheque came in.) Most of the time we are on the lower end of the above mentioned money scale, and when our “financial alarms” go off because we are getting low we do something drastic to pad the account again (like sell our house, move to land and work for 6 months, or commit to dock life while we make some money).
We are now floating somewhere around mid-scale in our bank account. It’s a comfortable spot to be at for now, but with some of the options we are considering, upfront money would be required, and draining a bank account below $10,000 is not an option for us. So keep that in the back of your minds.
The commitments back in Canada: Eben’s sister Jaala is getting married to Eben’s first sailing buddy Jordan on May 23. This is an event we will not miss. End of July our friend Mark is getting married, and beginning of August Eben’s best friend Caleb is getting married and Eben is the Best Man.
Now for the plethora of options! You ready, get your thinking caps on because this is where you choose our next adventure (just like those books we used to read as kids.)
First off, going back to Canada means we have to do something with our boat. The options we are considering for the boat are:
-Haul the boat out in St Thomas. The upside to this would mean when we return our boat would already be in ideal sailing waters and near a lot of friends. Leaving it here would also mean that we don’t really need to stress for time, we can pack up the boat “at the last minute”, haul here and come back in half a year. The downside is the cost, around $5000 for 6 months, and when we haul out we need to choose a splash date. (Which for people as unplanned as us knowing what date we want to return to the boat in 6 months is insane!) But that could also be a positive, force us to come back by a certain date.
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| We’ve hauled out in St Thomas before. |
-Sail the boat back to the Dominican Republic and leave it in the hurricane hole there. The positive is that it is a lot cheaper than keeping the boat in the USVI and we have had our boat in that spot before and trust it. The downside is that I don’t feel like sailing the Mona Passage for a fourth time (we have done the “worst passage in the caribbean 3 times already) so Eben would have to find some sailing buddies at pretty short notice. This would also mean that when we return after Canada our boat is in the “middle ground”, 3 days sailing from the Virgin Islands, and 3 days sailing from the Bahamas. So what then!?
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| Our last time crossing the Mona, we all got a little sea sick. |
-Third option, the one that has been throwing us for a loop…sell our boat. After 6 years of sailing I am starting to see the allure to things like enrolling the girls in school, having a set group of friends that won’t sail off into the sunset on any given moment, to have plenty of activities, or even play parks closeby to help with entertaining little ones, becoming more settled, etc, etc. The upside to this is that we would move on to new adventure and have some money (from the sale of the boat) to back whatever adventure we embark on. The downside is that we would be selling our home, the one we have spent the last 6 years building and customizing. We would be giving up the island/nomadic lifestyle, and for what, we aren’t quite sure yet. Another downside is that boats don’t sell overnight, so it could take a while to find just the right person or family that would want to make our home their own. This option is a tough one. One day I am all for it, and others I am saying “No Way!” Saying goodbye to what we have built and become accustomed us to is tough, but change can be good.
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| Necesse, our 41ft 1989 Morgan Catalina. Our home. |
That covers the boat, now on to what WE are doing!
-Canada: Eben’s family have a large plot of land in the ROCKY MOUNTAINS that they have so kindly offered to let us build on if we so desire to be closer to family and friends. We have been considering the idea of a tiny home, a cabin, something small in the mountains of Canada. That’s quite the adventure in itself. The upside is that we would be closer to family, if we stay long enough (1 year) we would regain residency and be able to send our kids to school for free (which is saying a lot when school in the VIs is up in the $1000’s), we would be planting roots and building our own home that we could either live “long term” in, or have it as a seasonal home (6 months there, 6 months abroad). The downside is that building a home, no matter how tiny, is not cheap. Money is a factor for us so we need to consider this. We have no guaranteed source of income in Golden, BC. Canada also involve a lot of other costs, like flights, a car, food, travel/gas, higher cost of living, etc. The Rockies, although super cool, were not necessarily OUR dream, it is something we would appropriate because of the other benefits, but it is not tropical, and honestly after 6 years away, a Canadian winter is quite terrifying! But a cabin in the woods could be pretty cool.
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| More time in Canada would mean more time for the girls to spend with their cousins. |
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| This is the property, look at that view. And look at those cute little faces. |
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| Ellia was not a fan of the cold the last time she experienced Canada in the winter! |
-Move to the Dominican Republic: We really enjoyed our time in the Cabarete area of the DR. The upside is that they have good international schools there, a ton of activities, kiteboarding daily, they speak Spanish (mastering a 2nd language is a huge plus), the people are kind, and we already have the lay of the land. The downside is that this area of the DR is still slightly pricier than what would be “ideal”, and a source of work there is not clear. We would not live on our boat, because from the hurricane hole to the town we enjoyed is about a 2hr drive, so we would be left either renting or buying property there, again $$$.
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| We enjoyed the DR. |
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| This pic was from St Thomas, but its to show that with 2 kiters in the family now, an area where they can kiteboard is a plus. |
-Move to Mexico: Just two days ago we were Skyping with friends that we met in the DR, and they have recently moved to Todos Santos, Baja. From all their travels and living abroad they said that this town “checks a lot of the essential boxes”. The upside is that we would already have friends there, it is completely unknown, there is a good/cheaper Montessori school in the area, work is a possibility although vague, they speak Spanish, and it would be a totally new adventure. The downside is that we have never been there, so how to know if we would love it, and we would find ourselves either renting or buying something to live in. This is new on our plates and my brain hasn’t fully processed this possibility.
-Go back to the boat in the Virgin Islands: We could choose to keep the boat, and either haul it out in the USVI or sail it to the DR and then sail it back to the USVI after hurricane season. So when hurricane season is done we could come straight back here to our boat home. The upside is that sailing here is so much easier than any other sailing we have done. We have made an awesome group of friends here that we really enjoy. We are living in the tropics on our sailboat. And we know that plenty of friends/people could use Eben’s sewing services for cash. The downside is that we could not afford to enrol the girls in school here, our work here is “temporary” and not actually moving us towards a specific dream or career but rather sustaining where we are currently, and lastly, sadly enough, I have sort of lost my “fizz” for sailing, so I am much more content with dock life than sailing life.
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| Hard to consider giving up a view like this. |
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| These guys (plus their newest addition Graiden) are what MAKE st thomas for us. |
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| Our beach bums quite like it here. |
All of this is why our brains are working non-stop, and with this wedding fast approaching it leaves us with about 4 weeks to decide what we want to be doing with our lives…or even shorter if we choose to do the passage to the DR, then Eben would have to sail out sooner. This is why we are feeling like maybe an outsider’s view may help us out.
-oh yes, and then there is also the opportunity for Eben to go and work in Tanzania again this upcoming July, with the next Ngalawa race. That would be 3 weeks of work, and this time he would most likely go on his own, because the cost of bringing our family of 4 was quite high. But that could be a little burst of income.
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| The first Ngalawa Cup where Eben and Ryan participated as guinea pigs. At least now Eben is getting paid for it! |
So there you have it, 3 boat possibilities to choose from, 4 lifestyle scenarios to choose from. WHAT WOULD YOU CHOOSE? And are we missing anything, is there another affordable haul out or hurricane hole we should be considering? Is there a life destination or job we should be gearing towards? If so, let me know, if only to throw more confusion into our decision process!!! I look forward to what you think.
Wow, you guys have your plate full! Jason and I were struggling through a lot of those same decisions a couple of years ago – minus the schooling for kids and all. While it is absolutely your life, I say don't sell the boat right away! Haul out, or hurricane hole it for the summer while you head north. See if you guys like it back up in Canada semi-long term and then make a decision.
I was going to say the same thing. Even if you decide to sell the boat, rent a place and try out Canada for a year. Take a trip to Mexico to try that out and revisit the decision in a year. (Or vice versa, try Mexico for a year after the summer in Canada.)
It doesn't sound like the lifestyle in the USVI is something you really want long term. If that's the case then just selling the boat and spending a year or two trying out your options might be the easiest thing. But if you think you might do 6 months between the boat and somewhere else, then keep it.
Whatever you decide, you'll be able to change your mind at some point if you don't like it. You don't have to decide what you're doing for the rest of your life right now.
I like that line "You don't have to decide what you're doing for the rest of your life right now"! So true!!! It is probably also smart to not let go of our only home just yet if we have no idea what we are moving towards, or if the options we are considering are even viable! So many options its dizzying!
I lean towards keeping the boat in the VI . . . whether you return to it or decide to sell it, it's in the best location. We spent 6+ years in the Sea of Cortez and traveled (by car) to Todos Santos a couple of times. I love the Sea and think La Paz would be a better fit for you — Eben could get TONS of work there, good schools, nice city with educated Mexicans and a big cruising community and good kiteboarding right there and one of the best places in the world about 1-1/2 hours away by car (La Ventana). Cost of living is low there and you could rent a nice furnished apartment until you got the lay of the land. Or sell your boat in the VI and buy a new one in LaPaz — there are lots of great boats there at very good prices and there is so much to do in the Sea that is wonderful but you can't do without a boat of your own. Having just left Illinois because of the winters, somehow going back to Canada and winters there just leaves me cold (bad pun, but we just don't want to deal with winter). I sympathize as we've frequently gone through the "what do we want to do when we grow up?" game (and at 56 and 78, you'd think we'd know).
Nice to hear a first hand opinion of Baja. when we originally started looking into the area we were looking at La paz as well. I think mostly because we had heard the name from fellow boaters. It did have many nice schools and a bit of a bigger city. Todos Santos just recently popped up on the radar thanks to our friends! So now we are looking into that too, but no online searching can prep you for the real thing. I like your option of sell this boat and buy something else on that side, hadnt considered that yet!
I have to second Carolyn after having our boat in La Paz for over a year. We've been through Todos Santos and heard local opinions of it. Our Baja shuttle driver told us Mexicans in Todos Santos aren't thrilled with the way tourism has changed that town. It's become a relatively expensive place. La Paz would be my choice. It is so beautiful. The local community and the sailing community there are both wonderful. We don't have kiddos yet, but I would raise mine there.
Only you can choose what's right for your family.
I know I've seen you say that you wanted a different boat eventually but I only know RV's because that's what we have.
Rockies of Canada- close to family, land and tiny house living is up your alley but cold winters.
Other ideas…. You need to choose.
PS didn't realize it took so long to be repatriated
An RV woudl be pretty cool, if they weren't so pricey, then we could stay in Canada for the summer and then drive down to Baja and check it out. As far as repatriation they told us that they will accept us as soon as we return but we would have to sign an agreement that we intend of sticking around for a full year.
Hmm, I think I would lean towards the Todos Santos option. I don't even know you, so I can only look at it logistically. 1) Maybe you just need a change of scenery? 2) Cost of living in Mexico is cheap. 3) It's less likely to be hit by a hurricane (Odile, notwithstanding) 4) It seems like it would be cheaper to visit family, being on the same coast. 5) The Sea of Cortez. Good luck!
Yes Mexico is super appealing for all those aspects. I think we should at least check it out and see if its a viable option
Sell the boat. Move to Mexico. Sounds like a plan to me.
-nick clark (night music)
Short and sweet. Love it.
Summer in the Canadian Rockies and Winter in the Caribbean sounds the best to me. A tiny house or cabin in the mountains and your boat in St Thomas or where ever you end up, how can you go wrong. Breaking it up is always the best way. Living in paradise still gets boring and living on a boat usually means your anchored to it (pun intended). Even though the weddings are forcing you, don't rush it, even if that means you have to go back a few times. Take a deep breath, with your new found stability, you can recoup the cost quickly. Find the right spot for the boat, Puerto Rico is close and with some research you likely can find a reasonable place to store the boat. Also, an easy sail to the Virgins from there. Doing it that way you still have the flexibility and freedom you enjoy but the feeling of some grounding that you may need. Work can be planned with some regularity in both places if desired. Pick a path and move forward but don't give it all up. Just give yourselves a little bit of stability to make it feel good but not to much to feel like the rest of us. We all dream through people like you who are doing.
Yeah if we could get some good contacts in PR to store the boat there it would be a happy middle ground. Not too far from the VIs, and also cheap flights to get back to her. I also like your line "Just give yourselves a little bit of stability to make it feel good but not to much to feel like the rest of us."!
BC is gorgeous perhaps just not year round living? I agree with first couple of posters…dock the boat try something new for 6 months….see how you feel. there is something to being close to family, kids growing up with family around etc. ive made a location choice myself based on that. dont love where I live, but I love the people im with. plus and minus to every decision. for me family and close ties won out.
yes plus and minuses come with every decision, and going to Canada this summer will help make some of those more clear, or complicated, who knows!!
Keeping in mind that I am a 'landlubber'… I think going home to Canada for a while sounds divine. Yeah, building a house could be costly, but think of the payoff of your girls developing deeper relationships with your families, and the house could be a source of income when you are away for 6 months of the year, if you choose to rent it out etc. I personally am so thankful for the relationships my boys have with their cousins and my sister… so I might be a bit biased. But they've been raised in the sun and sand, it might be fun to even them out with some snow and sledding! 🙂 Whatever you choose, good luck!!!
Growing the girls family bonds is something pretty important to us and that is why Canada, although much colder than we are used to, is a possibility in our futures.
Oof…so many options! Don't get analysis paralysis! Your gut will guide you. And the fact that you are nomadic and quite used to change, it will help you to avoid being stuck if you decide the course of action taken is/was not right for you.
Have you thought about leaving your boat in the water and renting it as an AirBnB/VRBO option? Or how about finding a family or nice couple that would want to take a sabbatical on her for the next six months to a year? This would cover your costs on the boat and maybe you would make a little extra money and avoid leaving her in dry storage or the hurricane hole. Just a thought! Especially if you leave her here in the USVI where you have friends that can look after her (you could pay a caretaker fee). And if you decide to sell, you could put a clause in the renter's contract that says your boat is for sale and what that would mean to them as long term renters.
Either way, change sounds exciting and nerve wracking all at the same time. My husband and I are going thru a similar phase at the moment (sans kiddos). But nothing is permanent, and you can adjust course just like the sails on Necesse!
Maybe we'll see ya out on the water before you go!
All the Best!
Stephany
s/v Endless Pleasure
You're right about how being so nomadic will help us in not ever feeling stuck in a decision. I had never looked at it that way. We are ok with packing up and moving on, taking with us what we can carry. That is a total upside.
Why not just transfer your nomadic hearts from water to land? I was looking earlier at trailers and motorhomes for sale. With the economy in trouble in Alberta, you can get an awesome deal on a rig that would work for you, either wandering or stationary, winter or summer. You then have the option of migrating between Canada and warmer climates to the south — or not as you choose.
At this point in your lives, it may be a matter of choosing a new adventure, then just jumping in with both feet to see what fun it brings!
I am interested in your comment about needing to stay put for a year to be repatriated. My son and daughter-in-law lived abroad for four years. To my knowledge, they only needed to establish 3 months residency for health care coverage. As a former non-resident citizen, the one year "settler" condition does not apply. If you like, I can ask them (my son used to work for an immigration law firm, so did all the research) to confirm this and get back to you.
Years ago, I made a major lifestyle change. I had been tossing ideas around (as you are), and then one day I sat up and thought, "If I was still happy with what I was doing, I wouldn't be considering options." So I jumped and have never regretted it.
Best of luck to you!!!!!
P.S. I'll be in Golden this coming Saturday!
Hi, yes an RV could be a good solution but I always felt that they, and has, were too pricey but if you're saying that they are going for cheaper right now then that may be a real possibility. What websites were you looking at?
As for repatriation it was health canada that gave me that info 2 years ago. I had been calli (doing my due diligence) to let them know whenever we were leaving the country. The first time we did that 6 years ago, they said that is fine we will put you on a 2 year "snowbird" status and when you come back just let us know and it will go back to normal. So I call two years later when we came back and let them know that a few months later we were planning on leaving again and would like to be put on the same status and they told me that that's a one time thing and that now that we are away for extended times our health care is no longer possible since we are no longer considered residents. We continue to do our taxes, and pay them, and do not collect any benefits since we see how we are not living in Canada so that couldn't be fair. They said once we come back our health care could work right away as long as we signed an agreement saying that we fully intend on spending a year in canada. If you could ask your son what his process was that would be wonderful, because the info I got was from one person on the phone.
Thank you for your help and advice
For RVs, look on kijiji.ca, and set your location to Alberta (you don't need a city and it will do a province-wide search) and/or BC. There are lots of dealership ads but if you scroll through, you'll find some private sales. I saw a 27' 2006 Conquest for $11,000. It has a bedroom in the back and a bunk bed room. The ad doesn't show interior photos, but if you're willing to put in some TLC there are some fantastic deals to be had.
Also try AutoTrader. They have motorhomes and trailers as well. I am looking for a specific trailer (used) so I do a national search as I would not mind going somewhere to get it (you can do a nation-wide search on kijiji as well.)
I will chat with my son. They are both teachers so not available during the day but I'll try to connect with them this evening. I suspect you would be subject to a 3-month waiting period for health care to click in. Rather than Health Canada, you should call Health Insurance BC (their plan is called MSP) to find out what their rules & regulations are for returning non-residents. Let me know if you'd like me to dig around and see what info I can find.
Thanks! I started a quick kijiji search. Also let me know what your son says about his repatriation process.
While I was waiting for my computer to reboot (but honestly was avoiding doing my taxes!), I called Health Insurance BC. As a deemed non-resident, you will be subject to a 3-month wait period for health insurance coverage. You should put your application in the day you arrive back in Canada because it takes 4 to 6 weeks to process the application. If you leave the country for more than 30 days during the application & penalty period, the application becomes void and you have to start all over. I will let you know after I talk to my son.
I spoke with my son. He verified that they only had to wait for medical insurance for the 3-month wait period (plus two weeks for them to process the application). They kept their health insurance in place until the provincial plan coverage started. He said the biggest pain was Agriculture Canada — they wanted to know the origin of everything plant-based (wood, so furniture, etc).
So good luck with everything!!!!!
Thank you and your son so much for all your help and info
I vote for option Z. Bring your boat to DR, go to Canada for the summer, and then fly back to DR and try out the dry land situation. Worst case is, you hate it, and you hop back on the boat. I cant imagine y'all living in Cold Canada… it seems so opposite of what your kids know and love (and from what I can tell, both of you as well). And the best part- if you love it- you'll have space for your Canadian crew to come escape to, unlike on the boat. I agree though, as a parent, roots might be nice to start growing somewhere… I grew up moving every 9-18 months and loved it, but sometimes staying put is important too…
Keeping the boat as a plan B if we don't like dry land would be a smart option!
Have you looked into the Gifft Hill School on STJ? It is pricey (we keep dreaming about moving to STJ) but I know they have a very generous scholarship program.
I haven't heard of it but i will look it up tonight. Thanks
If you decide to sell in the next couple months let me know. I would be interested. Just a thought!
Send me an email at Genevievestolz@gmail.com because selling is an option and if we can make you and us happy then that's great
Id go the route of Bumfuzzle. Pat & Ali seemed to be in the spot you guys are now.
Totally know your pain of TOO MANY options. Sounds like you're wanting a change of pace. Our cabin in the woods is fantastic but I tell you what the cold weather is a bitch, the kids still don't want to go outside. Cali keeps asking when we're going back to the Bahamas – does she even remember the Bahamas??! So we wanted stability and the kids are thriving because of it. We've been away from our boat for about 5 months but most of that was in a motorhome and….. we miss our boat. You may want change but will you be happy? Decisions are hard. You know what? you guys are young, if you make a shit decision you have still have plenty of time to pop a new cake in the oven!!! xx
You guys are totally doing it, a sailboat, a house in the woods, and had an RV!
You're cool on sailing? Sell the boat then. Your in a good geographic area to do that and the market is a seller's market.
Hi Genevieve, I replied to this post on Facebook.
Blessings,
Charlotte
We have been out sailing with basic Internet, but I wanted to thank you for your kind words and thoughts. I look forward to more chatting together when we see eachother this summer (that's assuming you are going to Jaala's wedding)
So many options!
I would put the boat in the hurricane hole and head to Canada for the weddings. Also sending Eben off to work the race. And then, when its time to head back to the boat, take it over to Mexico and check out the country. While actual sailing may have lost its shine for you, you guys are definitely an exploring kind of family!
But ultimately it is up to you two. I am sure you guys will find your own best solution(s).
Through many talks we are starting to witle down the options. With a lot of help from a good friend of ours