AndersonsAbroad 2016
Well Christmas has passed and it was great! Lots of time with family and the kids, including a day in Leavenworth, WA sledding in the recent mountain snow. I did receive a few boat related gifts, mostly books which I’ll be reading through the year as I have some time. Devon got a nice floating/waterproof rechargeable LED spotlight as well.
2016 will be the year we stop yelling on the boat
We also got a pair of pretty awesome intercom headsets for use on the boat. They are SENA SPH10 headsets which not only support 2, 3, or 4 people in a single conversation, they also support bluetooth connections to phones so you can take a call on the headset or communicate between the helm and the bow during anchoring operations, without having to switch headsets. You can even conference in the other headset to a phone call. I’ve been playing around with mine in conjunction with my iPhone and I really like it so far. Can’t wait to use the headsets on the boat.
2016 is the year to get organized
I’ve been stopping by the boat periodically to check on it of course, but I also take that time to measure various things like cabinets, table legs, and cubbies so we can use those measurements at home to plan for bins and other organizational doohickeys. I also measured pretty much every possible dimension of the inside of the fridge including the door edge gaps. We’re looking for a collection of bins (similar to these) to organize food inside the fridge and I’m also looking at ways to add a second seal layer to the doors to help keep the cold air in and the warm air out.
2016 will finally be the year we stop adding stuff to our house and start removing it
Back at home I have cleaned up three (yes, 3) older Apple iMacs that we are no longer using to get them ready for disposal (sell or donate, not sure which yet), cancelled my BMW Car Club membership (I don’t read the magazines anymore, I’ve never really participated in club activities, and since our current cars are leased, under warranty, and include free maintenance, I don’t need the member discounts), and consolidated my tools from two rolling cabinets to one. Slowly but surely we’ll whittle down our optional expenses and reduce the amount of “stuff” we have.
2016 is the year of new investments
On another note, our original college savings plan (Washington State’s GET program) is in the middle of drastic change due to new laws passed in our state aimed at slowing the growth of college tuition. We have found ourselves in the position of having all of the kids college savings returned to us and having to find a new way to save it. So, we’re looking at real estate.
I know that many cruisers believe that shedding all debt and assets at home is the best way to get out on the water, but for us, it really doesn’t make the most sense. With the way the housing market is, and our plans to return home after 2+ years of cruising, it doesn’t make financial sense to sell our house. Our current home’s value has increased 50% since we bought it 4 years ago. We simply couldn’t buy it again, especially right after not working for 2+ years. So our current plan is to rent out the house while we are gone to cover the mortgage. We’ve made some strategic investments in our home that not only increase resale value, but should also help in the rental market. Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Facebook, among others are also helping increase the rental market around here. Not so good for the renters I suppose, but good for owners who are looking to rent their home.
Back to the college savings, we are also looking at adding a dedicated rental property with the primary objective of maintaining a long-term (ie: 15 years) investment for the kids college. When not rented, it will cost us about what we had already been saving each month into the kids college funds, and when it is rented it will cost us close to nothing, with the possibility that in the future we’d actually make money on the rent. We will use the returned college savings for the down payment on this property.
2016 is the year to get healthy
On a more personal note, I’ve been experiencing pain and discomfort in my right foot for a while now and I’m finally doing something about it. On January 18th I’m having surgery to eliminate some bone spurs and correct a tailors bunion. There will be a recover period of course but I’m expecting to come out of it better off in the long run. I’m also looking into options to correct or treat my sleep apnea without a CPAP. Aside from the obvious annoyance of wearing the CPAP while I sleep, it actually uses enough power that it’s a bit of a concern for energy management on the boat. One thing I can do is make a more concerted effort at reducing my weight, which could help the apnea. I’m also investigating whether my apnea could be caused by a possibly correctable restricted airway. We’ll see how that goes. In the meantime it’s time to watch my food intake a bit better and try to be more active.
It’s a new year, time to get moving!
