What are your lifestyle priorities?
Before we can actually make choices and set priorities for your overall lifestyle, let's have a playful look at Maslow's Pyramid of Needs for a second.
It discusses two important categories of physiological conditions and safety aspects that together form the prerequisites for the next levels of growth and satisfaction: Love/Belonging and Esteem.
At the very top, the pyramid talks about self-actualization, which is another way of saying "How do you want to shape your lifestyle in order to lead a fulfilling life."
For most people it is quite scary to actually build a lifestyle from scratch. I propose to start asking some questions and take it from there.
The following questions may offer you a useful frame of reference...
Taking the Pyramid of Needs as a guide, let's try to answer the following questions to find out your 'comfort zone', as well as determine the best boat to fit your particular wants and needs:
- Do you like to 'play it safe’, or are you a ‘risk-taker’.
- Are you single, have a partner, or a family?
- Are you looking for relaxation or fun on the weekends, or an every day live-aboard environment?
- Are you an active, speed-loving, thrill-seeking sportsman?
- Do you want your own “I’m fine right here, thank you!” water-born ’condo’, or an RV “home” that can literally take you around the world?
- How does your financial situation impact on your buying options?
- Do you intend to buy new, used, or build a boat yourself? Why?
- How much time and energy are you willing to invest in learning how to sail? Rules of the Road? Seamanship? Weather? Navigation?
- How important to you are independence, self-reliance, or economic self-sufficiency?
- What is your minimum acceptable level of space and comfort?
- Do you want to have a proper workspace on board? On-board office? Internet-based business?
- Are you interested in domestic travel (only) or international (blue water) cruising?
- How many people will be available to handle the boat? Solo? At least two? (such as a husband/wife team?) More? (Be realistic about this one!)
- What are your power requirements? Working electronics? Galley (kitchen)? Entertainment? Computing? Refrigeration? Water-maker and hot water? Air conditioning?
- Do you prefer the thrill of a powerful engine, or are you more comfortable with a silent, odorless, ecologically sustainable engine?
- Do you want to combine the catamaran with other hobbies, e.g. Scuba Diving, Snorkeling, Kayaking, Whale-spotting?
- What about other activities? Working? Travelling?
Mistake #1: Searching for the largest, cheapest catamaran in your Purchase Budget
Mistake#2: Buying a Boat that Does Not Bring You Real Pleasure. (Usually, because it is too big!)
Mistake #3: Buying a Boat that is Uncomfortable. (Test drive it in rough weather!)
Mistake #4: Getting the Wrong Catamaran for Your Voyaging Agenda. (See the questions, above!)
Mistake #5: Getting a Boat that is a Bit Too Much to Handle and Maintain (See Mistake #2)
Mistake #6: Taking Boat Owner Web Blogs Too Seriously (Beware of owner bias!)
Mistake #7: Failing to Establish the “Bristol” Value of the Used Catamaran (Find a good, independent, Surveyor to check the boat. Then trust his report over your emotions!)
Mistake #8: Miscalculating the value of a catamaran (See Mistake #7.)
Mistake #9: Thinking you’re getting a great deal when you’re not (See Mistake #7.)
Mistake #10: Flying all over the place before establishing general condition and price (Due diligence!)
Mistake #11: Failing to understand the brand’s impact on its resale value (Yep! You got it! # 7!)
Mistake #12: Choosing the wrong surveyor (See "On the subject of Marine Surveyors:", below)
Mistake #13: Failing to relax into the experience (AFTER doing your due diligence!)
On the subject of Marine Surveyors:
Marine Surveyor:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_surveyor
The Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors
Yacht Surveyor Online
What is a Marine Survey? Why should you get one?
http://www.marinesurveyor.com/whysurvy.html