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Bill Dietrich's home
Retire Onto A Sailboat
Getting Started
Goals
Strategy
Plan
Possible Problems / Issues / Challenges
To Research
Money Needed to Buy, Refit and Live on Boat
How Long Can I Cruise ?
How Much Money to Cruise Forever ?
Earning Money While Cruising
Social Security
Frequently-Asked Questions (FAQ)
Costs Of Buying And Cruising On A Boat
One-Time Costs
Recurring Costs (including some non-boat stuff)
Miscellaneous
My Costs To Date
Boat Insurance
Types
Notes
Costs
Boater Medical Insurance
Types
Notes
Costs
How to save money on health care
Lifestyle of Living on a Boat
My Lifestyle and Experiences Living on a Boat
My Progress In Retiring Onto A Sailboat
Learning
Looking for a Boat
Quit Job, Move to Florida, and Buy Boat
Florida Coastal Cruising
Bahamas and Florida Cruising
Caribbean Cruising
Magnolia's Log
Getting A Boat
Choosing Boat Models
Research
Intended Use
Implications Of Intended Use
General Choices
Choose Boat Models
Frequently-Asked Questions (FAQ)
Boat Models
Various
Out Of My Price Range
Low-End / Mass-Market ?
High Maintenance ? (Lots of wood; teak deck; etc)
Wrong Hull Material (for me)
Draft Too Deep (for me; >5'6")
Boat Model - Gulfstar Sailboats
Boat Model - Morgan Sailboats
Buying A Boat
Strategies
Process For A Specific Boat
Checking Out The Boat
After Buying
Frequently-Asked Questions (FAQ)
Checklist for Evaluating a Boat
Bareboat Chartering
Research and Preparation
Setting Up The Trip
During The Trip
Chartering Out A Boat You Own
Selling A Boat
Using The Boat
Boat Equipment
Comforts
Dinghy (Tender, Dink)
Liferaft (and supplies on it)
Plumbing
Safety Equipment
Toys
Boat Appliances
Boat Air-Conditioner
Boat Barbeque
Boat Head
Boat Heater
Boat Refrigeration
Boat Stove
Boat Washer / Dryer
Boat Water-Heater
Boat Auto-Steering
General
Windvane
Auto-Pilot
Auto-Pilot driving Windvane
Boat Basics
Anchor and Rode
Anchor Windlass
Bilge
Cabin
Cockpit
Deck
Mast (spar)
Steering
Through-Hulls (throughhulls, thru-hulls, seacocks)
Boat Hull
Hull
Keel
Boat Rigging and Sails
Basics
Fittings and Hardware
Lifelines (life-lines)
Line
Mainsail
Miscellaneous
Reefing and Furling
Sail Plans
Sails
Tuning
Boat Electrical
Batteries
Computer
Electrical
Electrical Corrosion
GPS (Global Positioning System)
Lightning Protection
Lights
Night-Vision Equipment
RADAR
RADAR Detector
SONAR (fish finder, depth sounder, scanning SONAR)
Stereo, TV
AC Power on a Boat
Overview
Genset (Generator)
Inverter (DC-to-AC)
Shore Power
DC Electricity Generation on a Boat
Battery Charger (AC-to-DC)
Alternator
Non-Engine (solar, wind, water) In General
Solar (photovoltaic)
Wind
Water
Radio On A Boat
Radio Types
What Radio To Get For Boat
Phone On Boat
Getting Started in Ham Radio
Ham Radio Operation
Weatherfax (weather-fax, radiofax)
Email
Content
Licenses For USA Boat
Installation and Operation On Boat
Radio-Frequency Interference (RFI)
Web Access From Boat
Signals
Boat Engine
Engine
Outboard Motor
Boat Engine Alternator
Boat Engine Cooling System
Boat Engine Exhaust System
Boat Engine Fuel System
Boat Engine Propeller
Boat Engine Drive Shaft
Boat Engine Transmission
Boat Navigation
Paper Charts
Instruments
Mistakes
Celestial (Sextant)
Software and Electronics
SCUBA Diving
Boat Maintenance
Spares
Tools
Troubleshooting / Techniques
Boat Engine Maintenance
General
Maintenance
Diagnosis
Repair
Boat Fiberglass Maintenance
Boat Haulout
Boat Hull Blisters
General
Diagnosis
Repair
Boat Painting
General
Exterior Wood
Topside
Interior
Bottom
Bootstripe
Climbing The Mast
Outboard Motor Maintenance
Sail Maintenance
Boat Sewing Machine
Living On A Boat
Articles, Books, Magazines
Bedding and Clothing
Buying Smartly
Cleaning
Communications And Mail
Galley (kitchen, utensils)
Head
Insects
Laundry
Marina
Miscellaneous
Money
Paying Bills / Mail
Provisioning / Food / Cooking
Security / Theft
Shower
Water
Crew and Guests on a Boat
What To Ask Potential Skipper
What To Ask Potential Crew
Rules For Crew
Rules For Guests
Stuff Guests Should Bring
Good Gifts Guests Could Bring
Treating Guests
Legalities
Liability And Crew
Money And Crew
Fishing for Dinner from Sailboat
Gear
Strategies
Dangers
Cleaning
Spearfishing
Boat Medical Information
General
Supplies
Injuries / Conditions
Illnesses
Lists for Operating a Boat
How To Do Key Things
Emergencies
Equipment Problems
Specific Situations
Periodic Maintenance
Sailing Techniques
Boat Watermaker
Family, Couple, Kids, Pets Living on a Boat
Couples Cruising
Kids Cruising
Pets Cruising
Places To Sail
Characteristics Of Various Areas
Possible Itineraries
Weather And Route Notes
Hurricane
Maps
Travel: Customs, Immigration, documents
Destinations And Areas
Bahamas
Bahamas In General
Northwest Bahamas
The Berry's
Nassau
Abacos
Exumas
Eleuthra
Cat Island
Southeast
USA East Coast / IntraCoastal Waterway (ICW)
General ICW
Anchorages
New England (and NJ and NY)
Delaware Bay
Chesapeake Bay
Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina
Florida
Florida Keys
General
Northeast
Middle
Southwest
Sailboat Home Base
Picking A Home Base
House With A Dock (in Florida)
West Coast of Florida
General West Coast of Florida
South
Fort Myers Area
Charlotte Harbor Area
Tampa Bay Area
North
Inland Rivers in the USA
General
Great Loop (Great Circle)
Small Loop
Tenn-Tom (Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway)
Tennessee River Side-Trip
Cumberland River Side-Trip
Mississippi River
Gulf Coast
Caribbean
Caribbean In General
Northeast Caribbean
Leeward Islands
Windward Islands
Southern Caribbean
Western Caribbean
Cruising the Dominican Republic
Cruising Puerto Rico
Overview
Legalities
Places
Facilities
Cruising the Virgin Islands
Spanish Virgin Islands (between PR and USVI's: Vieques, Culebra, La Cordillera)
US Virgin Islands (USVI's)
British Virgin Islands (BVI's)
Sailing a Boat SingleHanded
Big Picture
Tactics
Rig And Rigging
Docking
My Sailboat "Magnolia"
Log and Data Files
Tentative Plans
Data
Possible Upgrades
Boat Pictures
Sailing Pictures
Frequently-Asked Questions (FAQ)
Italy Trip May 1999
Rants
The Biggest Jerk on the Internet
George Bush's Legacy: A Failed Presidency