Well, with mixed emotions, we sold our camp in the 1000 Islands today. We left with many great memories in a very great boating place.

At this stage in our lives, recreational time is very short, and we know the River will be there if and when we are ready again.

Our small-business (auto repair shop) that we opened just 2 years ago took off in such a way that we could have never expected. This will be the Admiral's last year as a teacher, and hopefully we can keep up before she comes to the shop full time next June. We've purchased 8 acres next to the shop and are still undecided whether to build another shop and grow or try some different techniques to manage as-is.

I winterized and detailed the boat today on a rare 90° fall day. Looks better than it did when we bought it new, 262 hours ago. Whether the boat stays or goes remains to be seen.

All the money in the world can't buy time back!

Sounds like a bitter-sweet part of your life.

Do you still get to race your sweet car?

Life sure has its twists and turns that it throws at us, doesn't it.

If it's meant to be, there will be more time in the future for boating. There's only one guy who knows what the future holds, and he ain't talking, so we all just have to wait it out.

Time has been tough to come by for us as well. With new jobs and a new first mate we have not had the time to get out. Maybe made it 5 or 6 times this year. Nice fall weather and the reservoirs are low and my time is being used at both ends.

Hopefully the future brings more time for boating next year for both your family and mine.

You hit on a main reason why we chose to sell our house and buy a houseboat...

I've been self employed forever (seems like it). The admiral used to work for UPS. She had to medically retire in 2000. Until then with our 2 incomes and her med bennies, we were fine. But with her income gone, her needing meds and me needing med insurance, I took to the internet to make extra money. That's about all I make is "extra" money, but it costs me 2 to 3 more hours a day in work, and since I make less in in my extra hours than I do the previous hours, I guess you call it my "undertime" pay. But without it, I couldn't make the bills.

Working 10-11 hours a day, then trying to squeeze in some recreation time during whatever was left of the weekend--the rushing home, moving the RV, hooking up trailers, all the loading and unloading, grab the dogs, lock the house, zoom to the lake (or campspot), have a little fun, then do it all in reverse when we got home....

That is EXACTLY how the name "Frantically Relaxing" came about!

But then one day I notice the work day's helping me with was---wrong. He was doing it wrong--he forgot how to do what he'd been doing for years. Since that day, I've had no help with my end of the work, and my time spent at work per week--and my stress level- went up even more. (If only the money went up, I've actually had to take a pay cut recently)...

Boating has been our passion since our first boat together, and the 'frantically relaxing' was getting old. That's when we decided to find a boat we could truly live on, and that led to the Party Cruiser. We originally intended to just live on it during weekends and occasional weekdays. But we didn't want to go home! The harbor was close enough to my work, so we just adjusted our schedule to go HOME once a week instead of go BOATING once a week!


The next winter, we decided that if it was do-able, we would get a houseboat to live on. Mark said 'go for it', so we did! Other than I still go to work every day, everything about our lives has changed. Some of it has been challenging, many compromises, but we love it!

Sorry for the hijack, I just want you to know that, even though your career may be eating into the majority of your time at the moment---there's ways around it!

Congrats on the biz going so well, and good luck down the road!

Let me put a different take on it. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Yeah, life can throw you curves, and you might have to work for a couple extra hours, but in the end, it's all worth it.

When you've been out of work for 15 months, and can't get interviews at Starbucks because of the industry you're in (mortgage), life itself becomes very dim, very bleak,... you begin to lose sight of those very things that make a person feel worthy.. caring financially for those you love, getting to go out to dinner once in a while, helping a daughter with a smog check that for whatever reason failed,.. hell, taking the boat out locally. Focus as you may, determined as you are, cosmic collisions become heavier with each one....

There isn't anything worse, IMO, than the feeling of helplessness as you watch your savings dwindle, your hard work of the past 20 years dry up and your plans for retirement fall to carp.

So be glad you have a job... be glad it calls you to work more than you'd like.. be glad it's putting pressure on you.... just be thankful.. There is no pressure like unemployment and on the verge of losing everything. And be glad you might have to sell your boat for work instead of living expenses.

Don't sell the boat, cny. Being a small business owner myself, I know the feeling, but you have to get away once in a while. Your business will thank you for it. The business will survive without you for a day. Start out with a few hours here and there and work your way up.

I know it's tough, but you gotta do it. That business will consume you and kill you if you don't.

I can't imagine the mixed feeling you've got on this...hope things keep looking bright for your business!

As 2Suns points out, remember what Jack Nicholson said, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."

Yes! Went to Musclepalooza at Lebanon Valley, NY for Labor Day weekend. It's a show and go put on by Hemmings Muscle Machines. Ran some mid-11's.

FR - yep. It was too much work to have fun at camp. It came to the point where I looked forward more to staying home than going to camp.

Nu2, I can't imagine what you're going through, and I read your well-worded post several times. Keep your head up, something will come your way soon.

Thanks for the words, folks! And I agree with GFC - who knows what will happen next. If you knew how your whole life was laid out, pretty boring it would be!

CNY,

Yes my freind being a small business owner is a job on top of your job

Don't sell the boat - it's time to break out the map and scope out what you can do is a day trip or long weekend. Keep the trailer greased up. Plan your get-a-ways ahead of time. You have a lot of intresting waters within a relatively short haul.

Let's see, Can't imagine your more than 1 hour to the North end of the Finger Lakes region, My guess is you are @ 2 hours to Lake George, 3 to Champlain. You could stop in Cooperstown on you way to either and check out Ostigo Lake and the Hall of Fame.
Saratoga, Scanadaga and Trout Lake are all on in the general area too. Let's not forget the NY canal system in your back yard that you can take as far as my backyard and see the Statue of Liberty too.

Trailering has it's own challanges, but there are a lot of rewards too. New places and faces keep things fresh and let you recharge. while a lakehouse / camp is nice, the upkeep and responsibilties are there too. Paying for hotels and dockage has it's advantages too, you really are on vacation - if only for a couple of days.

Are you up for finding a weekend soon to meet with the families in between us ? We could try to get a few of us NE Babc memebers to hook up too

Scott

keep the boat and head down the Erie/ Barge canal to Seneca Lake.

cny,

Condolences on this chapter closing & congrats on the prosperous business.
I love your posts about the 1000 Islands area, but as mentioned; life twists.

Maybe in a few years you will have another place in the area – you know, a big cabin with a boat house

Thanks again for the great posts on that area & continued best wishes on the business

More than anything, congratulations on your success! The insight you've provided on this board make it obvious why your business is thriving; you're a rare gem in your field. I'd give my eye teeth to have someone like you around here.

Like everyone else, though, I say keep (and use) the boat if possible, if it's financially feasible to use it even a couple times per year. For the reasons previously stated as well as the fact that it's a rotten time to sell a boat.

+1 - We are definately in belt tightening mode and are not on the water nearly enough but just seeing her in my driveway when I get home makes me smile. And planning our infrequent trips makes us appreciate them even more.

Good luck, whatever your decision.

Smper Fi 75

Amen to that idea. When we bought our current boat earlier this year, we didn't plan on using it at all this year. Changing careers in two months, and it looks like she will sit high and dry on the trailer next year. Never know though, it might get used, and if not, its relaxing for me to just hangout cleaning the boat, or relaxing on it in the driveway. Don't sell.....I'm sure you will be able to find time, sometime, even just for a bit.