- What did you do with your home and your "stuff"...?
- How do you like living aboard Prime Time full-time... ?
- What are some of the big adjustments ... ?
- What about your bills, mail, etc... ?
- Are you two able to handle a 60' boat by yourselves ... ?
- Are you happy/satisfied with a 10 knot boat... ?
 We sold ALMOST everything! Anneke organized an Estate Sale (take a look at this link for all of the gory details). It was painless...more or less...and we haven't missed not having all of the extraneous stuff one collects. We have a storage unit where our keepsakes, family photos, important documents, and the rest of the gear that we just couldn't part with...
 Our house in Ohio has been on the market since February 2005 (it's now September 2006...October 2006...November 2006...It's NEVER going to sell!). It's a beautiful home ...great location (gated golf course community)...and BETTER than fairly priced. Suffice it to say...the Cleveland, OH real estate market sucks! Who cares...we have Prime Time...and we're going cruising...
How do you like living aboard Prime Time full-time... ?I think I've adjusted a little better/faster than Anneke. We were used to having a large home with plenty of room...and she misses some of those conveniences. I have to say that she has been VERY understanding during this transition. She always has a positive attitude.  I really like the scale...everything we need...no wasted space. Sure, there are a lot of trade offs. The galley is certainly smaller than a "normal" kitchen. Our onboard washer/dryer would make Martha Stewart gasp. Please don't get me wrong. Living on Prime Time is not like camping out. The appliances and fixtures onboard are all first class...Sub-Zero...Broan...VacuFlush...Franke...GE Profile...etc. You have to be ultra-organized living on a boat. We have become very creative in dealing with onboard storage. Are these issues "deal breakers"...no way!
A lot of couples ease the transition by moving into a condo or apartment as an interim step. The logic is to gradually scale down their living environment. We "bit the bullet" and went from living in a big house into a Selene 53 Ocean Trawler...and I'm glad we did! Back to Top
I don't have a closet full of blue suits...I don't go to the airport every Monday morning...and I don't get haircuts anymore! Seriously...we're trying to be totally self-sufficient with regard to maintaining all of the various systems on Prime Time. In our previous life, we had a maid, gardeners, car mechanics, plumbers, electricians, etc. on the speed dial. My idea of maintenance usually involved letting the appropriate tradesman "take care of it"! Now, it's just US as much as possible. We still have to call in the "experts" for some projects...but it's getting better. We get a lot of help and advice from some of our friends who have been doing this for a while. I've also seen EVERY episode of "Home Improvement" starring Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor 37 times...need I say more?
We've always done our banking on-line. Any income (I'm not sure if we have income any more!) is direct deposited, and bills are paid electronically. I couldn't image doing it any other way regardless of where I'm living. Standing in line at the bank or post office is not my idea of a good time...   There was a time...not long ago...when the postal delivery person needed a motorized cart to deliver our snail mail. Conservatively, we received 10+ catalogs/magazines EVERY day! Add 20-30 other pieces of junk mail and you have a real stack to deal with! The FedEx and UPS were like family...we saw them daily.
We'll, we've cancelled every single magazine subscription...if we want a magazine we can buy it someplace. Anneke emailed every company...and there were MANY...who had us on their catalog mailing list and told them "no mas"! We worked with all of our payees to receive the bills via email. Now that we've dramatically reduced the amount of our snail mail, we have it sent to our friend Sharon Wilson in Texas. She'll take a look at everything...circular file MOST of the remaining stuff...and forward to us the really important mail. BLESS HER HEART! Everyone needs a friend like Sharon...
You bet! We've owned or chartered all kinds of boats...sail...power...multi-hull. I can honestly say that Prime Time is one of the easiest boats to handle that I've ever skippered. Visibility is excellent from the Flybridge...the Pilothouse...and from both Wing Stations. Prime Time is also equipped with a 24V bow thruster that can be a real help in challenging docking maneuvers. Most importantly...the twin Cummins Marine diesel engines make close-order handling a snap. Using the transmissions only...never touching the wheel...Prime Time can make a 360° turn within her own length.
 When we owned/chartered sailboats, 10 knots was FAST! When we owned/chartered planing power boats, 20+ knots was FAST! Now that we live and cruise on Prime Time, 10 knots is plenty FAST enough for us!
Anyone who has cruised the ICW knows that speeds in excess of 10 knots by responsible boats are rare. 'No Wake" zones, traffic, and common courtesy really limit boat speed. Fuel consumption is another huge consideration. On MOST boats, you can watch the fuel gauges REALLY move at speeds above 10 knots...$$$. I ran hard and fast all of my business life. Now that we've retired from the "Rat Race", life at 10 knots is nice...real nice! Back to Top | 
