How many people on here are retired or otherwise relatively unemployed and have lots of time for travel such a school teachers that have the summers off?

I have 201 more days till almost but not quite fully retired. Close enough though.

-------------------------
Never wrecked a boat while awake or sober

Kemah, Tx. - Galveston Bay

Retired 3 times and laid off once when the construction boom ended. Hate it. I enjoyed working. I had interesting jobs and worked for great people. I've been all over the world and been well paid for it. Retirement sucks. I'd take on a new project in a heartbeat.

-------------------------
OLD HOUSEBOATER

I got a great idea. I'll retire and go cruising and you can take my job and we split 50/50/

-------------------------
Never wrecked a boat while awake or sober

Kemah, Tx. - Galveston Bay

So, OHB, why aren't you still houseboating? And writing your book, so I can live vicariously from your store of nautical knowledge? I'm serious! Your stories would keep me entertained-- and educated-- for a long time!

Retirement doesn't seem to have left us with any more spare time than we had before we retired, oddly enough. It's hard even finding a week to spare, without falling hopelessly behind on our self-imposed obligations.

-------------------------
Amelia
Edenton, NC

Old HouseBoater you are right, it is not what I thought it would be. I retired at 58 and was almost crazy after a year with nothing to do. Got a call from a friend that asked "how is retirement" he had also retired. After I told him I hated it he said that he was driving a school bus 4 hours a day. Went and gave it a try, enjoying it during the school year. Had nothing to do during the summer so convinced the wife to buy a boat so I would have something to do in the summer. I told her it was not good for me to just sit around. LOL Boat was delivered today !!!!!!

-------------------------
45 Blue Water
Houma, Louisiana
Mile Post 60 ICW

You poor bored retirees just need a library card, a computer (wait... you have that....), a large yard, grandchildren, a church family or other outreach-oriented group, a big nautical building project, historic preservation societies, Habitat for Humanity, or other special interest groups to lay claim to your every spare minute. You'll wonder how you ever found time for a job.

-------------------------
Amelia
Edenton, NC

i've been retired 2 years this oct, my wife retired in march. do i like it? let me count the ways....lol. i can find so much to do i dont know how i had time to work. i absolutely love retirement. we travel alot and spend alot of time on the boat. we dont have time to be bored.

-------------------------
1991 gibson 44 executive
454's
norwich,ohio
docked on the good ole ohio river in marietta

We have had 4 cruisers and 7 houseboats over the years as well as small boats. My wife's not very steady on her feet so our days of owning a boat are probably past.

In January we bought a small place in Tavares Florida next to her sister. It was in really a bad state of repair. We spent 6 weeks of intense labor restoring it.

This Winter and Spring I restored and sold 13 lawn tractors and 2 Golf Carts. However this activity, in no way, is as satisfying as taking an industrial or construction project from inception to completion.

Tony

I'm listening.

Amelia

We have scattered grand children and a couple of great grand children. An occasional visit is enough for me. Our church is 3 blocks down the street from us but I don't volunteer much. The library is 5 blocks away, my wife and I are avid readers and enjoy it. Can't wait for the next Pendergast novel.

If I had your skills I would attempt to put a few words to paper, however I would be more adept at writing technical manuals than anything remotely entertaining. My experiences were a lot of small incidents that involved a lot of nice people. Normal things that any regular American experiences throughout life. Nothing spectacular that would peek avid interest. My greatest accomplishment is my wife of 52 years who I started going with when she was 13 and I was 15.

Rick

Your the retiree we all read about, I'm jealous of your contentedness. Keep it going.

-------------------------
OLD HOUSEBOATER

Edited: 06/13/2012 at 09:26:16 PM by OLD HOUSEBOATER

Retired from the Coast Guard after 20 years (military) in 1989. Went right back to work for the Coast Guard as a civilian engineer. Retired in 2004. Been retired since. Love to travel in my Motorhome. Done one circuit of the US. We go south in the winter usually to California or Nevada. I have built two small wooden boats (12 ft and 8 foot) and am currently restoring a 1972 Sea Ray 190 (18 ft) I/O. I go fishing when I want to, sailing when I want to (the 8 footer), take trips when I want to, and just stay home when I want to. I am pursuing all my hobbies and loving it. My wife is doing the same. Life is good.

-------------------------
Ike
"Don't tell me I can't. Tell me how I can!"
New Boat Builders Home Page
My Boating Safety Blog
My Boat Building News Blog

thnxs OHB, were going to take a trip from ohio down to florida then along the gulf coast all the way along i-10 till we get the california then back along the north corridor this fall sometime. my wife has never seen the u.s.west of here before so were going to take 30 days and see it.i love southern mississippi and alabama. i think its gods country.

-------------------------
1991 gibson 44 executive
454's
norwich,ohio
docked on the good ole ohio river in marietta

Edited: 06/15/2012 at 06:46:58 PM by 42gibson

I think retirement is GREAT. I sold my equipment sales and repair business after starting it from scratch, 20 years ago. The last 3 years has been devoted to having fun. Wife and I spend the winters in Okeechobee Fl, fishing, golfing, beer drinking etc. We purchased a home on Lake Barkley in Ky. this spring. I have been remodeling it, between fishing and other fun things. I have been building a 34' pontoon housboat for the last 4 years and it's about 90% done. I don't miss the buiness or working with the public at all. I wake up each morning in a new world and wonder how I will have FUN today.

OHB, If I can ask, what is it you did in the construction industry? I've owned an interior trim company for 24 years so I'm always interested in anything construction related.

-------------------------
Dan
Lake Monroe
Bloomington, IN
1986 Gibson 50'
Twin 454's

I was a Senior. Manufacturing. Engineer. for 34 years with GM, Plant Engineer.for 3 years with Shelby Die Cast, And Manufacturing. Manager. at Alabama Converter Corporation for 3 years.

Last job was Safety Coordinator at ARD Construction for 3 1/2 years. They are a heavy concrete construction company, out of Birmingham. They put up a lot of condo structures and Micro Wave towers. Job went away with the downturn at the end of 09.

-------------------------
OLD HOUSEBOATER

I don't quite know how to break this to you but normally there is no water along I-10. I feel like I just shot the Easter Bunny.
Sorry

-------------------------
Never wrecked a boat while awake or sober

Kemah, Tx. - Galveston Bay

It does sound like a rather land-lubberish trip-- just flew over a lot of that route, and it's right dry, and downright rocky. But gorgeous. It'll be a trip to remember!

-------------------------
Amelia
Edenton, NC

grew up on the water, did the cabin thing, went through younger years club fishing saw a lot of different waters in Ky. Moved w/in 30 miles of Houseboat building Capital of the world, w/ 2 major lakes, w/in 10 miles or so, got into HBing 6 years ago, live on the boat 50% of the time year round.
so being somewhat the dock mayor/security/go too guy for the right local, who will wire, gel coat, plum or wax your boat, and or find u that tool or best produce. I do enjoy the marina life too.

Its a life of enjoying others who love the water and there boat no matter what size or shape.

We live close enough, several from the marina share our garden spot keeping fresh produce for the,
best dock meals ....
Oh an awesome golf course, where I spend a few afternoons in the pro shop working for free golf.
Don't even try to win any $ if your mind is going over some boat project

-------------------------
"Come OOON Back............

I'll probably never retire. I've co-owned our engraving shop with my parents since 1974. My dad worked until he forgot how. Seriously. He died a year ago February, and my mom's been in a rest home almost 2 years. The business has always been in their basement, OUR basement now, since 2007...

My folks started building their summer cabin in 1970, it was essentially finished in 1975 but dad was always adding or fixing something with it. They snowmobiled to in the winters until they got into their 60's and it became more work than fun. But they went up every weekend religiously in the summer months.

---right up to the point where they could actually live there all summer. And then they just quit going at all. They were barely in their 70's, and not in bad health or anything. They simply had enough of it. They ended up selling it for half of what it was worth...

The wife and I had many times discussed cruising around in a motorhome, and living on a houseboat when we retired. IF we retired. But watching my parents become simply too tired to enjoy their retirement home was one helluva reality check. And that story is why, 6 years ago the wife and I decided that if we were going to enjoy "retirement" at ALL, we'd better be for starting NOW! So we sold our house and bought the SkipperLiner. We got 'er in the harbor in June 2006, and moved in. We had a 27' Winnebago which was our only other shelter at the time. We sold it and bought a 2 year old 36' 5th wheel, kept it at the harbor too. The first winter we parked in the front yard of the house, that was an experience. The next spring we sold the 5th wheel and bought a nice double-wide mobile home and spent 2 years there. We still own it, one of our kids is living there now.

The last couple of years we haven't been able to live on the boat, as business, and my parents health, both went downhill in 2009, which left us little time for anything else. Fast forward, biz has been GREAT the past 2 years, to the point that I'm putting in 15 hour days on average to keep up. And it doesn't make much sense to drive 27 miles to and from the lake JUST to be able to sleep on the boat. AND, we would hardly see each other (after 21 years, we still actually like each others company!) So for now, we're "weekend" boaters, but I'm working on getting back to living on the boat during the summer. Trying to hire one my kids...

And in the spirit of doing the retirement thing early, we also bought a nice cruiser (the Chaparral) for "regular" boating, and we scored a great deal on our 40' Allegro motorhome 2 years ago...

SO, we have all the retirement toys, and, time permitting, we're enjoying the hell out of 'em NOW. If I can actually retire in 10 or 12 years like I'd like, maybe we'll be lively enough to move the mobile home and houseboat to Flaming Gorge, and travel the country when we're not boating. If not, oh well, we'll just sell everything and be couch potatoes till we die! At least we can say we DID do all the things we planned and wanted to do!


-------------------------

1988 SkipperLiner 53x14
1995 Tracker Party Cruiser 32 *for sale*
2003 Chaparral 260 SSI
2000 Allegro Bus 40' DP

Edited: 06/14/2012 at 09:40:12 PM by FranticallyRelaxing

I turn 29 at the end of the month so retirement is a long way off. I am in the IT business so my free time isn't always mine. I have been working on my boat in the evenings and on weekends. I would love to win the lottery and sit on my boat and just float. I would definitely take up projects though. I have really come to like working on the boat and I would probably just buy old boats and restore them.

If you want to do this as hobby or part time work, fine, but I wouldn't recommend it as a business. The unfortunate thing is, unless the boat is a real classic, there isn't any money in it. Most old boats just aren't worth that much on the market and you would probably spend more fixing it than you would make selling it. Now if you are restoring an old boat for someone else with lots of money, that's a whole different ballgame.

The 1972 Sea Ray I am restoring has so far cost me in the neighborhood of two grand, and I haven't really started with the engine. I have replaced parts on the engine (the distributor was almost $300.00 for a new one) but I haven't even cranked it over yet. I'm still finishing up the interior and electrical. Of course I am not counting labor cost here because the labor is mine.

-------------------------
Ike
"Don't tell me I can't. Tell me how I can!"
New Boat Builders Home Page
My Boating Safety Blog
My Boat Building News Blog

i realize there is not much water along i-10. were going to go along the gulf coast, then along i-10 on our silly land -lubberish trip.

-------------------------
1991 gibson 44 executive
454's
norwich,ohio
docked on the good ole ohio river in marietta

Edited: 07/17/2012 at 04:21:07 PM by 42gibson