One of the keys to converting dreams is to focus on the things you can control and be aware of the options available to you…
Before
When I first decided that my long term goal was to go cruising, it was exactly that; a long (very long) term goal. The decision pre-dates this blog by many years, although this story records the beginning of a concrete effort to make it happen. The purchase of my boat three years ago was meant to be my ‘training wheels’. I thought I’d learn to handle a keelboat, get some more ocean racing experience, learn about boat ownership and maintenance, and worst case scenario, if I could never afford a different boat, this one is capable of being taken offshore and doing coastal cruising. My time frames were along the lines of ‘when I retire’… the training wheels were going to stay on for a good many years to come.
After
When I decided earlier this year that I didn’t want to wait that long, a number of obstacles immediately presented themselves. Finance was the most obvious one, and imagining creative ways to address it probably took mental energy away from dealing effectively with some of the others. Somehow selling the boat became another critical element, in order to allow me to save the money to buy something more suitable for cruising. Most people in the boating industry would agree that if there ever is a good time to sell a boat, this is not it. So as long as it depended on selling boats, the departure date could have been 5 months or 5 years away, depending on potential buyers. With three boats to sell between us, the issue was only amplified.
Come June, one boat was sold and things were looking up, but having two still on the market didn’t really get us any closer. At some point, I remembered that part of the reason for buying this one in the first place was that she’s seaworthy offshore. She may not be ideal (no shower, for example), but it would be possible to take her away. The ice-box can always be converted to a fridge, there’s plenty of storage and adequate living space, an anchor locker and windlass can be added as can the extra batteries required to power all the new equipment. If we’re heading north, a stern shower is enough for a tropical climate. She may not give as comfortable a ride as a cruising boat, but she’d get us to our destination quickly so the discomfort wouldn’t last as long.
Enter numerous options… if both boats sell we could buy a cruising yacht with the proceeds, anywhere in the world where cheap yachts can be found (Greece, Spain and Croatia all come to mind). If one boat sells but not the other, both Children of Phoenix and Ariel are sound and seaworthy for coastal cruising. Ariel is tiny (28 foot) and slow (she’ll do 6-7 knots on a fast reach) but comfortable, easy to sail and cheap to maintain. She could also be left on a mooring, entrusted to keen friends to maintain and use while we’re gone, with minimal expense involved.
Children of Phoenix has more room and is fast, but can be twitchy to sail (particularly in a breeze) and requires deeper pockets to 
replace sails, winches and other essential working parts. Neither boat is ideal, but either is possible. All of a sudden, if the boats don’t sell, we can still go… so we’re starting to get them both ready. Ariel has a lovely new boom bag to contain the brand spanking new mainsail, a spinnaker and pole, nav lights in working order and is increasingly uncluttered downstairs. Children of Phoenix also has a new boom bag with new, stronger lazy jacks, nav lights are working again, and there are cupboard doors and shelves which have improved storage space. A TV and stereo gives more entertainment options and a new fold-out kitchen bench and drying up rack means the galley is every bit as big as at home.
My foot is finally recovering enough to allow me back on the boat at last, with an enjoyable twilight sail last night in which we managed a 2nd place in Div 1. A pleasing result for my first race for the season. I slept on board afterwards in my new-found comfort and was joined by S & R this morning for a 
glorious trip up the river to work. If this is as bad as peak hour traffic gets on the water, I know how I’d rather get to work! Dinner on the boat tonight, feeling very civilised and apart from the lack of air conditioning in 30 degree celsius heat (did I say we are going to the tropics?), I could certainly contemplate tolerating this as a lifestyle.
So… options, options, options!