heeere's...dogcliff (T-5 and counting)

[Dogcliff]

Thanks all...just for being here. In a nutshell, I have been a student of R/ER since leaving my USCG career (eight years in Kodiak!) of twelve years (sixteen years ago) for a more geographically stable Alaska Air National Guard gig (impersonating a GI M-F, plus a weekend warrior commitment). Soon to be 50 (June), and just under five years to 'nuveaux' Civil Service retirement (FERS), to be followed by Reserve Mil retirement check @ 60, SS @ 62 & 64 (the little woman's). Of the three spawn of my loins, only one remains at home; a high school Junior this year. House to be paid off in <5 years. Found FIRECalc to be most valuable in WAGing my way through different pensions kicking in at different times, as well as how well my TSP (fed 401K (5% match) (your tax dollars at work!) ) may fare over the years. Dory, I wanna be you when I grow up. The woman who lets me live with her (the little woman), an inlander (Minnesotan by birth (I'm only Minnesotan by marriage) ), has actually consented to considering a retire afloat scenario. Don't know whether to start SE (like yourself), or something closer (SAN Juan's?) Southbound sounds good after 23+ yrs in Alaska. Health insurance: I am most fortunate to have the opportunity to remain enrolled in Fed Blue Cross after I leave Fed service, and the Gov will continue to pay a 60% share (more of your tax dollars). Also entitled to Tricare (Mil) health insurance @ 60. DESPITE THIS I am concerned about the cost of health care for myself and wife, not to mention those not so fortunate as to have subsidized health care. Consider this carefully when you vote in Nov (the views expressed above are not necessarily those of the lill' woman, but I'm writing the post)

Fun comes from RVing south 120~250 miles in Summer to boat (20' aluminum) fish in Resurrection and Kachemak bays (Seward and Homer; on the Kenai peninsula) for Sockeye salmon, Halibut and Rockfish. I also geek around computers and pick a fair mandolin and an OK guitar. Lill' woman is a potter, a semi commercial African Violet/Orchid grower, stained glass crafter, and, well, just a great partner.

Nuff said. Thanks for havin' me
See you out there.

dc

 

[dory36]

...The woman who lets me live with her (the little woman),  an inlander (Minnesotan by birth (I'm only Minnesotan by marriage) ), has actually consented to considering a retire afloat scenario.  Don't know whether to start SE (like yourself), or something closer (SAN Juan's?)  Southbound sounds good after 23+ yrs in Alaska....

Can't tell you much about west coast cruising, although the San Juan's seemed like a great place the one time we were there. The southeast was as much an accident as anything - the boat was there when we bought her, and we had family in a few places in the region, so we just started there/

However, I can tell you that the west coast cruisers I met seemed to think we had it way too easy, with pretty good cruising routes between Maine/Nova Scotia and the Chesapeake, or between the Great Lakes and the Chesapeake, and almost entirely protected cruising routes etween the Chesapeake and the Florida Keys.

My impression (and that's all it is) is that the west coast cruisers tended to be somewhat more solitary, because they were often cruising long hauls between anchorages, and encountered others less frequently.

The southeast cruisers, on the other hand, seldom went more than 25 miles between good anchorages (even jumping off to the Bahamas means only a long day, not an overnight passage) , so we tend to see many of the same couples every few weeks. This tends to create a sense that you're among old friends, even when most of them are new acquaintenances or total strangers. The social life was as much or as little as we wanted; some cruisers hosted or went to happy hours every sundown. Others found those quiet isolated anchorages where all you would see were porpoises and pelicans, and no signs of civilization. Most of us went between the two extremes, more likely to party when a bunch are holding up for weather, and less likely when we were making distance (i.e., 40 miles - whew!).

Also, it is easy to follow good weather in the southeast.
Holding up in the southern Chesapeake for the end of hurricane season (if storms threaten or your insurance so mandates) keeps many that far north until early October, but from then on it is pretty easy to see where the average temperature was over 70 degrees - that's where the bulk of the cruisers were. While it did get cold on occasion along this route, you could probably count on one hand the number of times most of us had to dig out our pair of long pants between November and March or so.

So, if the Admiral is inexperienced and would feel uncomfortable about a 36 hour passage in blue water, and/or if you both would prefer a somewhat more social and relaxed lifestyle, then my impression is that the southeast might have more to offer.

Nice thing about cruisers - ask 2 of them for an opinion, and you'll get a dozen answers!

Dory36

 

[Dogcliff]

Voted 'Most likely to be confused about dryer sheets' 1971, 1972! The 70's ... what a prophetic decade.

Joy

dc

 

[dory36]

With your most recent post, you achieved enough points to be no longer confused - just curious.