Dane Wheaton

I very much want to work as a seaplane pilot eventually, but to do that I need to go to flight school. I currently have no idea how to get that kind of money, but maybe my parent(s) will help out. If I do eventually succeed at becoming some kind of amphibious bush pilot, this handy little booklet that my english teacher gave me envisions me getting paid $4,866-$11,183/month. My monthly spending rate would be $250 for docking fees (for my sailboat on which I plan to live), $250 for other utilities, $500 for monthly boat payments, $500 for food, $500 for savings, leaving at least $2866 idle spending money. Even post-tax that leaves a hell of a lot of breathing room. So my question is this: Did I do that right? Any factors I left out? It seems like a pretty sweet deal to me, but I don't know if I'm just naive and have no idea how it would really go down. By the way, does anyone happen to have a guess at what the hours would be for a pilot? Or what the job availability is like?

For a while now, I've been contemplating the idea of living on a sailboat after I graduate. I don't mind space being tight, as I don't really like to own much stuff anyway. I would however like to keep several items, like a bass guitar, computer, tv, and ferret. All of these take up quite a considerable amount of space, and one of my questions is whether anyone knows if this can all fit.

A live-aboard sailboat, to accomodate one or two people, probably needs about 30 feet. Usually a boat this size has a head with a little shower and toilet, two berths, a sink, a stove, and an icebox, but for something to live on it would definitely be handy to have an oven and refrigerator. Many boats have this too, but it means I have to be a little more picky. Does anyone have any information on living arrangements and minimum accommodations I'm leaving out? And what about iceboxes? What's the deal with them? If I put a pint of ice cream and a carton of milk in one, will they both just stay at the temperature they are when I put them in? Is an icebox just a built-in cooler?

Also, I was doing some research about how much boats cost, and I discovered two things: One, that buying a 30-foot sailboat could cost me at least $50,000, and two, that for some reason people keep making them look really ugly on the inside. Why is it that almost every boat on the market is or appears to be from the 70's universe of wood paneling? I would appreciate it too if anyone could tell me if they know some cheaper boat dealer or some inside scoop about pricing, not to mention some manufacturer that appreciates other styles besides "wood, wood, and more wood". I know about docking fees, and I think I can handle them as well as a generous monthly payment on the boat, but it's the initial down payment that worries me.

If anyone knows anything at all on this subject, I would be very interested to hear any and all feedback!
[ June 25, 2007: Message edited by: Dane Wheaton ]

No, I just thought it would make a good story topic.