Sell everything and cruise the caribbean, really?

[tn3sport]

So, I cut cable a few years ago and use an inside the attic antenna to pickup air channels. I get about 25 channels, but nearly half are the "ole time gospel hour." Nothing against that. I'm fairly spiritual southern baptist, but I don't get my religion from a TV... Point is, cutting the cable has saved me lots of money over the year and I still get quite a few channels.

At any rate, I've also turned to watching Youtube VBlogs on the TV for entertainment.

There's a huge trend of young people selling everything, quitting their jobs, and moving aboard cruising boats. They VBlog their adventures and e-beg (I made that term up cause I don't think its much different than playing guitar on the street corner for tips.) for money using a service called Patreon. i.e. Everytime they release a new video, they might earn a few hundred dollars. Some are very successful. Some are dismal failures. There's even a few that have resorted to porn to ebeg for money to continue their lifestyle of not working and just sailing the Caribbean. One women, I think she's called Lone Star, left her children, videos herself naked and begs for money. But hey, she's living the good life on a boat in the Caribbean...

I only follow the ones that are reputable and authentic. It makes great entertainment and if you are daydreamer or have plans to go cruising one day, it can be quit educational.
Checkout Sailing La Vagabonde, SV Delos, Gone with the Wynns, and my favorite is called Sea Change. (3 brothers on an old sailboat that travel the western Caribbean traveling to remote villages installing solar panels in one room schools so that children can read at night. Fantastic adventures in sailing, diving, fishing, and exploring.)

All these people are in their prime earning years. Yet, they are not earning. I love the adventures and the guts to exit society and do what makes you happy. In this case, Sailing the world or Caribbean. However, I can't seem to see how these people are preparing for retirement.

There will come a day when they can no longer climb the mast to check the VHF antenna or triple light.
There will come a day when their funding from Patreon will dry up.
Or when their boat become too expensive to refit or operate.


When they turn to SS, will they have 40 quarters? I imagine many of the 35 years of earning SS uses will contain zeros.

Every time I watch these videos, in the back of my mind, I'm imagining the ultimate disaster for these people of not having anything at retirement.

One day, I will get out on the water and sail the Caribbean myself, but my plan involves putting in 35 years of earnings first. BTW, I'm almost there.

Its a conflict. On one side, they are living the life they want and creating experiences they will have forever. On the other, they are creating a path to almost certain poverty in old age. Maybe they know something I don't. Sure hope so...

 

[Fermion]

You really don't need 35 years into SS to get the meaty part of it. 20 years of good earnings is plenty.

And thanks for putting the idea of naked women on sailboats in my head.

 

[kgtest]

I have three friends who have resorted to ebegging.

One is a unicyclist who street performs in Australia and Los Angelos depending on the season...rents his van out when he's out of the us, lives in it when he is in the US

One is a "full time" travel blogger, whose wife and him pickup advertising consulting gigs and stay with friends and family in the US when not abroad.

The third is a girl who "gave up her executive career" to be a traveling elephant advocate. I can't make this up folks. None of the above has kids, and likely will be hard-pressed to find a rich guy/gal whom DID pay into the SSA system.

A few folks who sell things on ebay... none of them are living a lifestyle thats of the quality I expect after working at megacorp. (new half ton truck, new car, nice big 3000+ home with modern plumbing, vacations to the tropics, big-ticket concerts etc etc etc)

 

[tn3sport]

You really don't need 35 years into SS to get the meaty part of it. 20 years of good earnings is plenty.

And thanks for putting the idea of naked women on sailboats in my head.

Haha, your welcome and you are right. You can get some SS payout with less than 35 years. I ran some scenarios on the quick estimator over at SSA and putting zeros in cut the benefit nearly in half in some scenarios.

I think this really comes down to this: Remember the old ant and cricket cartoon



Plan A: Work 35 years, build a nest egg, and hope you are still alive and healthy enough to cruise the Caribbean when you are retired and old.

or

Plan B: Sell everything, buy a boat and cruise the Caribbean while you are young, dumb, and full of... energy...Then, worry about retirement when you are older.

 

[tn3sport]

The third is a girl who "gave up her executive career" to be a traveling elephant advocate. I can't make this up folks. None of the above has kids, and likely will be hard-pressed to find a rich guy/gal whom DID pay into the SSA system.

I might know the same gal. I dated one in high school that I reconnected with on FB. She quit her law firm to be an advocate against circus animals (elephants and lions). I'm pretty sure there's a picture of her on FB wearing a pink pussy hat from last weekend. But, I digress...

My wife points out that many of these people only portray the good stuff they do on their VBlogs. They don't film the struggles they go through... I argue, "When do we get to do all the good stuff?".

 

[calmloki]

Got it! They can move to Portland with their boats!

Transient boaters evicted from Willamette Park ramp | KGW.com

Then when they get their boat towed they can get apartments - not like us evil moneygrubbing landlords can politely ask that they leave... not without consequences anyway.

http://www.kgw.com/money/economy/growth/mayor-co-signs-eudalys-proposal-for-landlords-paying-renters-moving-fees/392253967

 

[Midpack]

Here's more from an earlier thread along the lines the OP mentioned.

http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f46/cruising-around-the-world-on-youtube-84449.html

And many more attached.

Though most just make enough to cover their production costs & some income to augment other sources, you might be shocked at how much the most popular ones make per video from Patreon alone. One of them is in the neighborhood of $9,000/episode and doing at least one video/week. I doubt they could make more $ ashore.

I'd do it for a while at least, but DW would leave me...

 

[tn3sport]

Here's more from an earlier thread along the lines the OP mentioned.

http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f46/cruising-around-the-world-on-youtube-84449.html

And many more attached.

Though most just make enough to cover their production costs & some income to augment other sources, you might be shocked at how much the most popular ones make per video from Patreon alone. One of them is in the neighborhood of $9,000/episode and doing at least one video/week. I doubt they could make more $ ashore.

I'd do it for a while at least, but DW would leave me...

Wow, great list. I've seen most of them. I had forgotten about "Chasing Bubbles". I wonder if he's really deceased. I figured some are making decent money. Some do it for exposure to get people to pay to crew for them. (Retired tech exec SV Delos. His channel is awesome.) I think most of his money comes from the crew he allows to travel with them.

"Gone with the Wynns" are professionals that worked in the film industry. Makes sense they would continue.

My guess is WhiteSpot Pirate, german gal on her own seems like she barely makes enough to get by. But, what a life she has... I just wonder how long it will last...

 

[Teacher Terry]

I had no clue this stuff even existed.

 

[W2R]

I always figured people who lived on boats in the tropics and didn't have to have a job, probably inherited a big wad of money on the down low.

Doesn't pay to talk about it, because it's "not cool" to inherit, but playing your whole life with no visible means of support? That's cool.

 

[Totoro]

The highest earning vlogger makes $7M and up each year playing videogames. He's not even 30.

On the same note I met a guy on my Egypt trip who makes at most a few hundred a month traveling to each country in the world with Instagram. Been doing that for five years running down his savings. No backup plan.

Unless he misrepresented himself he'll be in very dire straits in a few years.

To each his/her own. The only beef I have with some of these folks is that they misrepresent the odds of being successful. Not everyone ends up in the premiere league, or a famous actor.

Likewise, not everyone can make it financially doing the explore and travel thing. Then again, I might just be grumpy guy not getting it.

 

[FIREmenow]

I am glued to those youtube videos, too! 'Cause I want to be there!

One day, I will get out on the water and sail the Caribbean myself, but my plan involves putting in 35 years of earnings first. BTW, I'm almost there.

Agreed. At 58, there's plenty of spunk left in us to do that stuff.

We'll be finishing up our 35 years in the fall of 2018 and will start with the Great Loop. Then out to the Bahamas. Then.....

 

[FIREmenow]

One day, I will get out on the water and sail the Caribbean myself, but my plan involves putting in 35 years of earnings first. BTW, I'm almost there.

Oh! And the advantage of doing this first is that while you are there, you won't have to spend the INSANE amount of time that this takes, editing videos and finding WiFi - mostly ruining the enjoyment (for me, anyway).....

 

[Clone]

I know a dentist who left his practice at an early age. Traveled the world on missionary trips. Perhaps ten years later returned to his practice.

So he did the save the world thing in his prime, and will probably work to age 65 or 70. Not a bad gig.

The idea that you are going to make a living as a vlogger or blogger is probably similar to leaving high school with a career goal of being a professional athlete, famous rapper, or successful actor/actress/singer. Some folks will make it happen.

 

[tn3sport]

I am glued to those youtube videos, too! 'Cause I want to be there!



Agreed. At 58, there's plenty of spunk left in us to do that stuff.

We'll be finishing up our 35 years in the fall of 2018 and will start with the Great Loop. Then out to the Bahamas. Then.....

You're checking out at 58? That's my target age too.
Great Loop sounds intriguing. Good luck!

 

[W2R]

So he did the save the world thing in his prime, and will probably work to age 65 or 70. Not a bad gig.

I worked to age 61, and to me the idea of having to work until 65 or 70 sounds awful, and for some people impossible.

Now, if he could figure out how to work until only 55-60? That would be super.

I think that even working to 61 probably shortened my life span a little. I have been utterly floored at how much aging affects one's physical capabilities, more than I had ever suspected when younger.

 

[FIREmenow]

You're checking out at 58? That's my target age too. Great Loop sounds intriguing. Good luck!

Yep! Is that 2018 for you, too? Cool.

I think there is navigable water as a side-trip to get to Chatanooga (or close too it) from the loop route -- I've been eyeing that as one of our destinations!

 

[MRG]

.Snip...

The idea that you are going to make a living as a vlogger or blogger is probably similar to leaving high school with a career goal of being a professional athlete, famous rapper, or successful actor/actress/singer. Some folks will make it happen.

I actually worked with a gal who's dream was to be an actress. Left Megacorp and a while later she's on a daytime soap. Saw her in a movie, small part but I was surprised. Of course for the one who makes it there's a million who don't.

 

[tn3sport]

Yep! Is that 2018 for you, too? Cool.

I think there is navigable water as a side-trip to get to Chatanooga (or close too it) from the loop route -- I've been eyeing that as one of our destinations!

Im 52 and checking out in 5 and a half years at 58. Come hell or high water. Since I'm a boater, I'm good w/ the high water.

Yeah, on your Tenn-Tom trip, stay on the Tenn River and joins us for a fall weekend with the Volunteer navy.

There's a fully supported group PWC (WaveRunners and SeaDoos) trip I plan to take in June that traverses 600 miles of the Tenn River over a week. I think they have about 100 riders each year. Great way to see the state by waterway.

Maybe I'll Vblog that trip, post it on Youtube, and ebeg people for money....

 

[Sunset]

I know a guy who went to Thailand to teach English, he gave up a $70K per year job to take this teaching job, which paid him $12K. At first it sounded pretty attractive until I did some math:
$12K - $6K expenses = $6K/yr savings * 10 years = $60K (not counting the interest, growth, etc).
VS
$70K -$45K expenses = $25K/yr savings * 10 years = $250K (not counting the interest, growth, etc).

So I could see it was pretty limiting for the future. Especially if he returned to the USA to retire.

 

[Dawg52]

I had no clue this stuff even existed.

Me either. Just checked out a couple of videos. I can see how people would enjoy such a lifestyle. I'm too conservative to try it. Heck...buying a condo on the coast was a bold move for me.

 

[Walt34]

I have been utterly floored at how much aging affects one's physical capabilities, more than I had ever suspected when younger.

Same experience here, especially the last two years. I do hope this is not an accelerating trend....

 

[braumeister]

e-beg (I made that term up cause I don't think its much different than playing guitar on the street corner for tips.)

I nominate e-beg for Word of the Year!

 

[FIREmenow]

I nominate e-beg for Word of the Year!

+1!

 

[Major Tom]

I nominate e-beg for Word of the Year!

Me too. Good word!

Want stuff but have no job or other form of income? No problem - crowdfund it!

Actually, that's a bit harsh, as there are many appropriate uses of crowdfunding. However, it does seem that some folk consider asking for money on the internet to be as legitimate as actually getting a job (or a higher paid job) and earning the money that way.

OTOH, if people are willing to give money to them, who are we to say they shouldn't?