Replies

WOW! Huge life change.

As others have recommended have them rent a boat and live on it for a while. The inconveniences will probably drive them batty in a month.
Then have him look up the known expenses of having a boat; fuel costs, insurance, dock fees, expected maintenance costs and a gazillion other things.
Have him actually print it or write it out on paper so he can have it in front of him daily.
And remind him of Murphy’s Law when it comes to maintenance.

Boats are tightly organised craft. He would have to be a minimalist in some ways to accommodate life aboard a boat.

Do he and the Mrs have expansive wardrobes? They can deep six that.

Do they have every kitchen appliance, pot, pan and gadget known to man? Deep six that.

Do he and/or the Mrs enjoy their luxurious daily hot showers?
Fresh water is at a premium on a boat underway. Heating water for a shower takes energy which consumes fuel.

Do they have a pet that they expect to take along? Yeah, dogs would probably be an absolute joy on a boat....in hollywoodland.

Are they light sleepers?
Boats MOVE, ALL THE TIME. They look so serene and peaceful sitting at the dock but at night every wavelet that gently rocks the boat makes a small slapping sound. Think of a faucet going drip...drip...drip all night every night.
And the constant bumping/rubbing against the dock can’t be ignored.
And at sea they rock and roll with the waves.

Has he ever captained a boat?
Can he plot a course with map, compass and watch?
Since he wants to travel outside the US he needs to realise there aren’t any road signs on the ocean. Getting lost is a very real and possibly fatal dilemma.
Don’t let him get away with the “I’ll have GPS” line. Ask him what he does when his GPS malfunctions or shuts down in the middle of a trip.
Murphy’s Law, what can go wrong will go wrong.

Does he like storms with horizontal rain?
Waves that he has to look WAY up to see the top of?
Has he considered rogue waves that destroy giant container ships?
Does he have any idea how to navigate in a storm that can toss boats around like a child’s tub toy?
He better learn.
A buddy of mine served 12 years in the navy, most at sea. He said the three types of weather were good, bad and OH GOD WE’RE GONNA DIE. The first type seemed to last for days, the second type for weeks and the third type for lifetimes.

Location, location, location.
What harbor would he call his home port? East coast, west coast or Gulf of Mexico?
Each has it’s own pros and cons like weather and costs.
He plans on visiting foreign shores. If he’s on the west coast and hankers a trip to Europe he either has to pay to use the Panama canal or sail around the Horn of Africa. Both could be expensive and sailing around the Horn has been known to be a “troublesome” proposition.
Same goes if his home port is east coast or the Gulf and he just has to visit westerly destinations.

Arrgghh! There be pirates!
Yes, pirates are still a thing.
Don’t think jack Sparrow, think Somali cutthroats who look at that gleaming, beautiful boat from their leaky POC and see $$$$.
Best case scenario they get captured, their boat, money and goods taken and they are ransomed back to their family.
Next best scenario the pirates take the boat, the former boat owners take one to the back of the head and become part of the oceanic food chain.
Worst case scenario...use your imagination.

Say they avoid Somali type pirates. Every few years people go missing at sea and someone else miraculously ends up with their boat. Most of those cases are never solved.

Suppose they evade the African pirates and everyday murderers but happen to end up in waters claimed by China or North Korea.
China claims the entire South China Sea. Easy to get picked up by the Chinese navy and held in a Chinese prison while your boat ends up belonging to some Party apparatchik.

Or you stumble into NORK waters. Rocket mans buddy ends up with your boat and Rocket man has two American spies to do an Otto Warmbier on.

Or they decide to cruise the Mediterranean and one night a boatload of Muslims slip aboard. Game Over.

So they consider things and still want to sail the world on their boat.
What happens when they are days from land and the only person who can navigate is felled by a heart attack?
Ain’t no ambulance service at sea. The captain has a heart attack and he’s toast and the Mrs is up the creek without a paddle. Things that are an inconvenience in town can be life changing when you’re days from qualified medical care.

If he is STILL contemplating a life at sea have him talk to navy vets who served on destroyers and if that doesn’t do the trick take him to talk to the Coast Guard who are all too aware of the stupid things that happen at sea.

If even that can’t dissuade him have him check out cruise lines. There are retired people who sell their belongings and live on cruise ships. They have all the amenities of a nice hotel with plenty of activities plus trained medical personnel on staff. I understand it can be done fairly inexpensively considering you have a maid, cooks and even laundry on hand.

Goodluck with your buddy.