Turning Lemons Into Lemonade...
 

I went sailing on the weekend...

I'm currently at a place called Airlie Beach, in Queensland, Australia. (The general area is also known as the "Whitsundays".) It's a holiday place. I'm escaping the cold weather of Melbourne (my normal haunt, where it's now winter), for some sunny rays... :)

Anyway, a big activity here is sailing. You can hop on a sail boat and sail out to the Great Barrier Reef (which is what I did). You can see some amazing fish (some will even eat bread right out of your hand), and some amazing coral. I did some scuba diving and snorkeling... But that's not what this message is about.

When I go places, I like to speak to people, find out their background and life story. Anyhow, I spoke to the "first mate" on the boat I went on. His name is Simon.

Simon actually owns his own sail boat. He had a business back in New Zealand, but it didn't go so well. In fact, he lost it all... Except for one thing. His sail boat.

So he figured, well, I've got this sail boat. So I guess what I ought to do is sail it!

So he hopped on board, and sails around. He spends about half the year sailing around countries like Malaysia, Thailand, and various Pacific islands. It doesn't cost him much. He moors his boat offshore, and to buy food in many of those places is cheap. He doesn't even need to spend money on diesel or gasoline... As long there's a wind going and his sails are intact, he can sail where he likes!

The rest of the year, he works, usually in a boating-related occupation. He gathers up his money, then heads back to his own boat for another six months or so of sailing.

When I heard his story, I thought "Wow!". Here's a guy who - in my opinion - has turned lemons into lemonade. Sure, his business may not have gone the way he wanted it to... But what a lifestyle he leads!

I thought some Sowpubbers may appreciate this true story!

Cheers :)

Dien

Re: Turning Lemons Into Lemonade...
 

What an awesome story. A lot of beauty in leading a simple kind of life.

Glad you liked the story!
 

Hi,

I'm glad you liked the story! He was a very interesting guy (in my opinion)...

There was another crew member on that boat who was also fascinating (from a business/sales point of view). I'll write another message about him shortly... :)

Cheers,

Dien

Re: Turning Lemons Into Lemonade...
 

Great story Dien,

I know a few people who one day, just decided to give up their jobs, businesses and sold Everything they owned...

And bought a Sail Boat and just Sail around the world and Enjoy Life...

Afterall who needs a House when you have a Sail Boat... A few stops here and there for a little Food...

Now, there's an idea for Dien and company... :)

Although, I do know of a few stories about Sailers meeting up with Pirates... :eek:

Talking about Turning Lemons Into Lemonade...

How's this for a Niche concept...
Everything you've Ever wanted to know about Lemons but were afraid to ask...
http://www.lemonflower.com/

By the way, I was checking out Water investments the other day and came across an interesting resource you mentioned in 2001...

The Water Cure...
http://www.sowpub.com/forum/showthread.php?p=4451

There's some interesting new Water business opportunities I'll post about one of these days...

Phil