Last summer, Max Fletcher and Lynnie Bruce set sail on their dream retirement.
Their new home: A 40-foot sailboat, currently docked in Ipswich, England, about an hour north of London.
Over the past year, they've used the boat as a base to visit several different countries, such as Germany, France, Iceland and India. This summer, they'll move the boat further North to Norway to explore the countries in that region.
The couple saved up for decades to make this nautical life a reality.
"We lived below our means, paid off credit card debt. Only (got into) debt for mortgages," said Fletcher. "This has been a long-term goal -- to make enough to do this kind of thing."
Fletcher, 59, retired last year from a longtime career as chief financial officer for several small industrial gas suppliers throughout New England. Bruce, 61, retired seven years ago from her career in advertising. More recently, she worked part-time at a local YMCA but left last spring.
The couple had tested out the boating life in the past. From 2001 to 2004, they took three years off to sail from the United States to the Mediterranean and back, visiting Cuba, Belize, Mexico, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece and Turkey.
Would you ever consider doing this when you retire?
How do you think they could afford this?
Replies
Good overall but be sure to reply more frequently.
When I retire, I would like to go around the world, any way possible. Just to see everything and be a person who lives their life. They worried about their debts, mortgages, and what was important first, then they focused on their own wants. I look up to this couple and give them credit for slowly taking each step to success in achieving their life goal. Great Job.
I pry wouldn't ever do this because I don't really like boating or swimming. I'll just stick to land and do other things. They just saved a lot of money over time and finally had enough to do their dream.
Crykie! what an adventure aye? I think it would be perty darn expensive. I mean your going country to country and stuff.
If I had the money I would definitely do this when I retire. They just saved up a lot of money over a long period of time to be able to do their lifelong dream.
I think that it would be fun to sail around the world and get to see different parts of the world. I think that it wouldn't be hard to afford this if you don't have to pay for bills.