Plan B has been delivered to my house and is currently sitting on its trailer in the yard. Now that I am officially retired (unofficially, the fat lady hasn't sung yet), I intend to spend a significant portion of my free (which now also means unpaid) time during the next six to eight weeks completing a quick, basic, and inexpensive as possible refit. My goal is to end up with a reasonably safe and comfortable boat for an out-of-pocket cost of less than $3,000.

One reason for my dollar goal is simple economics. The boat will never be worth very much so it doesn't make sense to spend a lot of money on it. The other reason (which has become equally important to me) is just to see if it's possible. I do not begrudge those who fit out their boats with every available item of modern technology, the best gear and equipment, and all the conveniences of home. However, what one wants and what one needs to go cruising (especially the type of cruising I'm planning) are two different things.

Of course, my actual cost will be more than my out-of-pocket cost. I am not including the price or value of personal gear and equipment that is not a part of or required to be on the boat (such as my handheld VHF and safety harness) and uniquely local items (such as charts/cruising guides). A person new to cruising would no doubt incur at least some of these costs as well. Nor am I including the cost of spare/old materials, parts, and equipment I have accummulated over the years and which are currently just taking up storage space at my house. For example, I have some used standing rigging from a boat long since gone which I intend to use as lifelines on Plan B and an old console VHF that will replace the even older VHF that came with the boat.

My intent when I purchased Plan B was to cruise in the spirit of Thoreau's life in the woods at Walden. That is, to the extent possible in this day and age, I want to spend the next year of my life "living deliberately" -- as simply and cheaply as possible in the midst of nature, eschewing all but the necessaries of life, maximizing the reliance on my own labor, and using my free time to observe, listen, socialize, read, think, and write. In terms of the refit, this involves scrounging for used but servicable gear and equipment, watching for bargains, improvising, and doing and making whatever is feasible.

This does not mean, however, that I expect to spend the year enduring deprivation and hardship. (To be sure, this is a personal perspective. There are things others consider necessities that I view as luxuries and things I consider necessities which others view as luxuries.) Plan B has (or will have when I am done with the refit), among other things, standing headroom in the cabin; basic but comfortable accommodations for eating, sleeping, personal hygiene, and relaxation; adequate stowage; a compass, knotmeter, depthsounder, GPS, and VHF; two outboard motors (one with a magneto), four sails, good ground tackle, and a dinghy; and a bit more than the required safety and other equipment. But there is no hot water tank, inside shower, or watermaker; no VCR or DVD player; no oven or microwave; no radar, chartplotter, cell phone, SSB or ham radio; no liferaft or EPIRB; no anchor windlass or roller furling; no generator and no inboard engine. I am still undecided about refrigeration (a portable compressor driven refrigerator/freezer at most), a solar panel, and a tiller autopilot -- very useful and convenient but budget-busting expensive (in the short run unless I happen upon a real good deal). I can rationalize the cost of these three items (in the long term) but can also adapt to the lack of them fairly easily.

To a certain extent, time, location, and ebay are working against me. Bargains come to those who can afford to wait but, given my projected launch date, I don't have that much time to wait. I may therefore have to pay the retail price for some of the things I absolutely, positively need. Fortunately, that list is not long and I've already managed to find a few bargains. (But I may be adding to the list if, as I check out the equipment that came with the boat, I discover items which don't work.) Best bargain to date: a new but three year old dash mount depth sounder (with in-hull transducer) for $20.

Although I am located fairly close to a major boating center, I have not found a store nearby that, as part of its regular business, sells used or consigned boating equipment. The overwhelming prevalence of powerboats means even private sellers are unlikely to offer what I still need. I've been told there is a boat junkyard in the area but as yet have been unable to verify its existence.

Over the past several weeks I have purchased three minor items on ebay. The prices were reasonable but certainly not bargains. For every other item I was watching, the bidding rapidly exceeded the price I was willing (or, in my opinion, any reasonable person would be willing) to pay. It thus appears finding a bargain locally now hinges, in part, upon finding a seller who has opted not to use or doesn't know about ebay. I have also concluded that searching for bargains on ebay is generally a waste of time.

I realize the best I can hope for regarding some essential materials, parts, gear, and equipment is buying new at a sale or discount price. I have no problem with that; sometimes new is clearly the better option. But as to those items which would be nice to have but I feel I can get by without, I am perfectly content to wait. I suspect that after I start my cruise I will be able to find some good deals on some of the items on my "would be nice to have if I can get a bargain" list.

If all goes well, I will launch in early July. Assuming the hull does not leak, the outboard runs, and the sails can be raised, I will immediately take off on a three to four week dry run (I suppose "wet run" is more accurate in this context) to the North Channel to get a feel for the boat and discover any changes I should make before departing on my Great Loop cruise. Allowing a month to make those changes and wrap up any last minute affairs, I will most likely begin working my way toward Chicago some time in September.