To Answer A Couple of Questions…

OK – to answer a couple of questions first…

No, the boat did not sink…
I wish we were out on the lake sailing…
My not writing anything for a while does not mean that I do not like you…(get some self-esteem buddy!)

I think those were the main ones.

Life on board the S/V Strathgowan is good. We have finally shed our winter shell and have got most everything ready for summer. All that is left is for the mast to go up and some small odds and ends. To make excuse for why I’ve not written, I have to refer you to my wife’s blog ScrapScene. (I’ll explain more on that in a minute.) I’ve been writing, stumbling, SEO’ing, etc. – all the things that one must do to get a blog up and running. All this takes time and kind of sucks my writing well dry. But, I’m back! – for now…

We have decided to stay at our winter marina for the summer this year. In the past we’ve moved between two marinas for the summer and winter. However, everything is just closer to the marina where we winter. The grocery store is just across the road, the mail box is a 5 min walk and there are lots of little restaurants within shouting distance. Never thought that I would want to move closer to the action, but here we are. We will move to a different dock which is further out away from the building which should give us some summer breezes and get us away from the bustle of the marina itself. However, the dock is not yet open due to repairs that are still taking place from the wind storm this past Feb. It really did a number on the docks here and the repairs have been going on for several weeks now.

I still have to pick up my jib from the sail repair shop where it spent the winter getting a couple of seams repaired. I really should learn how to do these types of repairs myself – but then I would not be able to store my sails at the repair shop. It will be nice to finally get the boat out on the lake and sailing again – hopefully this coming week.

OK – on to other news.

My wife (A) is pregnant again. She’s due in the fall and that means that means we’ve got about 5 months to figure out what we are going to do regarding our living arrangements. Is an Alberg 30 big enough for 4 people? Ha – some would say that it is not big enough for 2! I don’t mind living in a small boat (which is kind of weird, ’cause I’m a big guy) but A is not too enthralled with the idea of adding another person to our already cramped space. So, what to do…?

We are heading toward a major crossroads in our lives. This fall we will have the opportunity (or necessity) to go in any of several directions. Here are the options that we are considering:

• Status Quo – stay where we are on the Alberg 30. Just make it work.
• Buy a bigger boat to live on.
• Move on land – i.e. buy another house, rent an apartment, etc. (actually, we are not really considering this, but it is an option.)
• Move to another part of the country – buy a house, rent an apartment, find another job and generally rejoin the ‘normal’ life.
• Move all our stuff off the boat, pack up our Boler camping trailer and head out on the road – visiting my family in Manitoba for a while then heading south for the rest of the winter. (My personal favorite.)

There is a common thread throughout this list of options – that is: money. How does one finance: a new boat – a new house – a move – or a mobile lifestyle?

Enter ScrapScene.

If, (and it is a big if) we could generate an income from ScrapScene – an income that is large enough to support any of the above options, then our decision becomes one of choice. Because ScrapScene is a web-based blog we could conceivably operate it anywhere that we have access to the internet. That would enable us to live a Mobile Life – as long as we could tap into the Internet at regular intervals. When, at any time in the past, was this an option for a young family? Especially a family that is not supported by a trust-fund or old money. Never. The old terrestrial model of work and life is changing. There are options to those who want to reach out and take them.

While A. and I have been developing our designed life for well over a year now, a book came out recently that really put down in black and white a prescription that shows what A. and I have been working on. The book is called The 4 – Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss. It is a wonderfully inspiring read and really shows how a mobile life and a life free of a ‘job’ is more possible than ever in this day of technological advancement. I will write more about Tim’s book in another post.

But for now – that is where we are at. Working hard on hardly working. Ok friends and family … what are your thoughts, ideas or comments on this? Let us have it!!