So what’s next? We are frequently asked this question, especially now that we’ve purchased our boat. We have a few loose ends to tie up in central Illinois before we can commit fully to heading South, unfortunately. The vast majority of what needs done involves our rental properties. We need to place somewhere between 1 and 3 tenants (depending on how many resign their lease), finish getting our last rental ready to show, and hand (nearly) the whole thing over to a property manager. Using a property manager will lower our monthly profit from the rentals, but it is something we have been budgeting for since the beginning and we think it will be worth the piece of mind while we are sailing.
Horizon is currently waiting for us in Indiantown, Fl. There are several minor upgrades/fixes that need to happen between now and moving onto the boat full time… the propane system needs tending to, the headliner needs painted, etc. We’d like to be able to move down to South Florida for the Summer and Fall to be able to address a few of the more important issues (read: propane) with plenty of time to spare before cruising season kicks off this winter. In the event that we don’t find a suitable job near enough to the coast, we will work in Central Illinois until late Summer or early Fall. After that it will be full speed ahead on readying Horizon for our maiden voyage… thankfully most of what we want done to her are minor upgrades that fit more into the “want” category than the “need”.
What about after that? We aren’t sure to be honest. We are planning on crossing the Gulf Stream and cruising the Bahamas for a while. I’m sure we’ll check out the Exumas while there. I admit it feels strange to have an undetermined destination and an undetermined timeframe. It’s exhilarating! We are very much looking forward to beginning our life afloat. I’m sure these next 6-9 months will be busy.