roughneck

Well I got my steal-toed (roughneck) boots out of the closet and I’m putting together my tools for my job in April.

I’m going to have to leave the tranquility of waking up when I want, eating when I’m hungry, and taking a walk or swimming whenever I have the urge. I’ll put in three weeks of 12+ hour days with no days off working on a ship. A little voice in my head asks me “why would you do such a thing Alex”, my brain answers “MONEY, MOOHOOHAHAHA”!

Speaking of money I spoke to my old branch manager at the firm I used to be a stock broker/financial advisor at earlier in the week. I saw on some of the IRS paper work (fiscal 2000) some capital gain on stock that I owned back in the day. I couldn’t remember if I had sold it all, perhaps I still had an account, unfortunately I didn’t.

My old branch manager was pleased to hear from me and asked me what I had been doing the last 10 years. I think he was a bit shocked when I told him I haven’t made eight-thousand dollars in any calendar year since I left the firm; many of those guys make that on a bad day. “Are you okay” he asked? When I told him about my travels and my new minimalistic lifestyle, he asked “is that working for you”? I couldn’t help but hear a little distain in his voice.

When I left my firm I knew I was giving up allot of money and a solid financial future. To look back at the last 10 years of my life and wipe it all away for a nice house, car, and security is unthinkable, not in a million years, and no, not for a million dollars, really!

I get a little cringe thinking that there could be a chance I could still be marooned it the mahogany lined tower over looking downtown Los Angeles and Wilshire boulevard. As I write this I have quite the grin beaming from my lips, I’ve made some good decisions in my life. I’ve made plenty of bad ones, but in the end I’m doing just what I wish to.

Three weeks working hard labor on a ship now and then, loosing a tooth or two, and not knowing if I can afford health care tomorrow suits me just fine. When I was at the firm, it was the only time in my life I ever had health care. I’d never trade that for Splendid or my life today.

Want some “bad” financial advice? “Leave this earth with nothing save a hole in your pocket, a heart filled with Love, and the best of memories to leave your loved ones with”. Perhaps it’s “socially” irresponsible and possibly selfish of me but I think we should milk ever drop from our time here and teach our children to do the same. I guess that’s why I don’t give financial advice any more (:

Sailing or not we only have one shot at this big, blue, sphere, I think we should make it count?

The thought of leaving Splendid for three weeks is not easy. All the threw-hulls will be closed, everything locked up, and the dink put on deck. She is surrounded by friends that will watch her and take care of her should anything happen. I’ll have a motion detector/alarm in the cockpit that is loud enough to wake my neighbors, as well as a loud alarm (car horn) on the float switch to watch the bilge.

I know I do a lot of “thinking out loud” in my blog, and my short term plans often change, however my long term ones do not.

I’m really looking forward to getting a real refrigeration system and painting up my girl. After I get a few things done I’ll spend the bulk of the rainy season picking up small ($150 – $200) a day charters in the San Blas as I work on projects. My hope is to put a few bucks away so I can afford the canal and cross the Pacific next March.

Have a good weekend everyone.

Live large, spend small.

– alex