There's no doubt about it, owning a boat can be the ultimate way to take command of your life on the water. Before you spend the five or six figures though, invest in some sensible research. 

If you want to cruise bluewater, try spending a month or two living aboard, or invest in a long offshore passage.  Nancy Erley's passages between Seattle and Hawaii are a good, relatively inexpensive option for west coast North American women.  With two circumnavigations in her wake, there is likely no better resource than Nancy, among women captains today. 

Depending on your income, moorage options near your home and your realistic assessment of retirement, chartering is another smart pre-purchase option.  Kim Kavin's website, CharterWave.com, is loaded with options that can shock your checkbook, until you weigh the real costs of ownership and take the necessary good hard look at your priorities.

Own or rent?  Fly to exotic port or enjoy the journey to get there? Spend a full 5 years travelling, or mix your own recipe of Tahiti, Bonaire and Galapagos vacations with a blend to include months with your grandkids on land, or serving on a non-profit board in your home town? CharterWave certainly presents a smorgasboard of good alternatives.

While deciding, explore all the options close to home... or fly to Australia and learn to charter a boat with Captain Ginny Gerlach off the beautiful Great Barrier Reef.  Send us photos, your stories, ideas and links!