the Rum Line Dispatch
Rum line’s official newsletter
1st edition
Welcome aboard
Here’s what to expect from Rum Line. Every week I'll hunt down one incredible Bahamas property. I’ll list the pros and cons of it and give it a Rum Line evaluation.
I’ll give one how-to lesson for building your own Shack on a Beach Somewhere.
Share one story, no matter how mortifying, about myself.
Recommend one great book.
Finally, I’ll remind you that life is meant to be lived.
So, grab a drink.
Slide into a front porch rocking chair.
And Let's begin.
In this issue
The Dream, is this week’s featured article and is lesson one in living the dream. You can’t live the dream until you have it. I will post many more how-to articles in the future, so be sure you have signed up for the weekly Dispatch.
Deal of the Century. Hopefully, that’s a little tongue-in-cheek because I plan to find the deal of the century every week. This week’s listing has almost everything you need to live the dream. Each week, I will scour the ends of the Earth to find and post these deals. Note, in order to comply with Bahamian law, I must issue the following disclaimer:
Rum Line does not receive commissions, referral fees, or other compensation contingent upon the purchase, sale, lease, or closing of a property featured on this website. I cannot guarantee the details, only that this listing was intriguing. You must do due diligence.
WHY I created Rum Line.
The Beginning. The first steps in the wild ride that led me to this tribe.
Mandatory Reading Bookstore recommendation.
Featured Article
The Dream
You can't pursue a dream until you have it. I could pontificate about the awesomeness of The Commonwealth of the Bahamas, luring you to picture glass-clear water and the sun warming your skin as you recline in a hammock tied between two palm trees. It's easy to go on a tropical vacation and be lulled into thinking you could live that way forever.
Shocker, that ain't reality. Bills still show up, stress still happens. It's called life. That does not mean you can't capture the moments of pure bliss that help make the dash on your gravestone. The dash between the year you were born and the year you die is the important part.
If you've ever uttered the words: "All I need is a little shack on a beach somewhere." Well, good news, you can accomplish that by following along Rum Line’s weekly articles or even skip ahead and buy the book ,
(You can find it in the Mandatory Reading Book Store). Either way, I’ll show you exactly how. These articles or the book will guide you in your relentless pursuit of that goal. You’ll notice I did NOT say it would be easy. But, if you have the guts to follow my lead, then you too can own a home on a semi-deserted beach in the Bahamas and spend all day drinking Kaliks.
If you're one of those rare individuals who share this dream, then buckle up, buttercup, because it's going to be a wild ride.
We're going to do it together. We'll uncover every detail of living down island. I will be very direct in my list of things to do, so assume every word, deed, detail, thought, inkling, urge, and itch is vital.
I was introduced to The Bahamas by the U.S. Coast Guard. For twenty years I was a rescue swimmer for Uncle Sam's Canoe Club and for eight of them I was stationed at Air Station Clearwater, Florida. From this base we performed a mission called OPBAT. This stands for Operations Bahamas and Turks and Caicos. We operated forward air bases across the Caribbean in order to nab drug smugglers. Over the years, as the mission became a part of the landscape, our role expanded to search and rescue, migrant interdiction, and storm response. I was fortunate enough to spend enormous amounts of time in the islands.
Just a few short sentences ago I told you every word is important, yet you may be wondering what my background has to do with this goal. Simple, you must go there. You know how I was exposed to it, now you must be exposed to it. It doesn't matter how you become familiar, it just matters that you do. (If you really want to know more about my background read my book: Brotherhood of the Fin, a Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer's Story). 
As part of this process, you will visit the Bahamas, meet people, and do so with a mission. Each island has a subtle personality, economic engine, and overall feel that differs from one to the next. You must find your island, the one that speaks to you.
We'll figure out how to buy your lot, where to buy, and pitfalls to avoid.
We'll find a builder, explain getting your house plans approved by the Island Council, and where to buy, ship, and store materials.
We'll plan how to, as quickly as possible, build the perfect proverbial beach shack with all the amenities.
We'll discover why the cost of living is so high and how to avoid it.
Finally, if this is not to be your primary residence, we'll uncover how to make rental income from your new beach pad.
There are seemingly thousands of Youtube channels and so-called experts that talk about living life on a sandy beach. But I’ve yet to see one that tells you exactly how to accomplish the dream. That is the Rum Line difference. I have built two different houses in the Bahamas on a blue-collar level income. If you stick with me, you’ll discover the how.
We humans need a life-affirming dream. This will not be easy or quick. It might take many months or more likely, many years. Just because a goal is challenging doesn't mean it isn't worthy. It's like eating an alligator; you might feel like you've lost a limb or two. You might question your sanity, but if you just keep taking one bite at a time, eventually you'll get there.
Next week, we’ll cover the first of many factors to consider when choosing a lot, so don’t forget to sign up. You won’t want to miss it.
Deal of the Century
(Which I will diligently hunt for every week)
Deal of the Century #1
Columbus Landings 3, Block 36, Lot 9
Columbus Landings, San Salvador, Bahamas
$59,000. See link below photos for more details and listing agent.
Go to Google Earth and cut and paste these coordinates to map the location of this lot. N23 56 51.70 W074 30 05.85 Then you can pan out and look around the island. Researching lots and imagining a shack on a beach is one of my favorite parts of this process.
Pros
- BEACHFRONT for less than $60K, almost unheard of. Most beachfront lots are going for an average of $150K
- One of the most stunning white, sandy beaches in the Bahamas
- On a remote island that is away from the crowds, with a population of less than 1000.
- Ideal for building a Shack on a Beach Somewhere.
Cons
- Off-grid (might be a pro depending on your point of view), but either way it will require a complete off-grid power source(s).
- Building on a remote island is much more challenging than one with more resources.
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The skeletal remains of houses that represent other people’s dreams are within sight of this lot. It’s a reminder to build a hurricane-resistant shack on a beach.
Other Considerations
- Buying and selling real estate in the Bahamas is not like doing so in the States. It’s got a wild west feel to it. It's not organized or uniform. Untrue claims abound. For example, there is no rule that says a seller cannot claim a lot to be beachfront, even though it is not. Future articles will address how to identify a great deal that will work for accomplishing the dream.
- Real estate agents will not jet from island to island to show you lots. I don’t blame them. They might do so to show a multimillion-dollar home, but we’re trying to live the island life on a blue collar income. That means we have to find a lot on our own.
- You must always be aware of Mother Nature’s wrath. I will address this in future newsletters. But don’t worry, you can build a hurricane-resistant home. I’ll show you how. (There's no such thing as hurricne proof). Both homes I’ve built have weathered numerous hurricanes and, as yet, sustained no damage.
Rum Line Rating of this lot for Dream Achievement: 7/10 stars
Maybe you feel differently about his listing. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it. I’m always interested in hearing a new perspective. Message me on the Contact Page.
WHY
It’s a totally legit question: Why are you doing this, Jerry?
I’ve read hundreds of times: do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.
Now that I am in the final third of my life, I’ve been asking myself what I love to do? Well, I love catching lobster, sitting around a campfire, the tug of a fish on a line, hunting turkeys, reading, cooking, a good rum cocktail, friends, family, and, most importantly, God. You’ll notice that very few people make a living doing those things.
Then you must consider the things I loathe. I hate working for someone else. I loathe physically hurting myself for a dollar. I loathe the thought of not being able to physically participate in the things I love. (I’m a little late on that last one, as the injuries I sustained during active duty have caught up with me).
I pondered those truths and made a few false starts and mistakes. At least until I landed on an idea. And Rum Line was born.
I love helping people enjoy the island life as much as I do. I had to figure out a way to help like-minded people, but make a little money while doing so. I struggled with that because I didn’t want people to feel obligated to buy something.
So I created Rum Line as a reflection of myself. The help is free. The newsletter is free. Follow it and, over time, you’ll receive 100% of the knowledge that took me decades to acquire. Follow the free weekly real estate deals, and you might find your dream property. At no point do I want you to feel obligated. The information is free. I will not have a Patreon page, nor charge you for how-to PDF’s. And if you have a question, I’m right here to answer it.
Flip that coin over and you’ll see that I hope to make money through Youtube monitization. Through the Mandatory Reading Bookstore, the Irreverent Line of tee shirts, and the branded Rum Line clothing. I offer you the opportunity to support the channel, should you wish to do so. And hopefully, the items you buy will make you chuckle, or take you on an adventure that only books can, or make you feel that you are a part of something bigger than ourselves - my friends, my fellow adventurers, my tribe.
Here’s a bonus for those of you who have read this far. I have one shirt in the Irreverent Line tee shirt collection that is 75% off this week. I won’t tell which one, but it's in there.
The Beginning
I wasn’t sure where to start, so I figured I’d just start at the beginning. The question is, how did a skinny kid from central Florida grow up to jump out of helicopters, build a log cabin in the woods, build two different houses on a remote Bahamian island, captain a dive boat, become a dive master, water survival instructor for the ARMY, operate cranes, write books and hunt turkeys and chase adventures.
It was a wild, messy, fun, crazy ride that started at a place called the Swim-Club. The Swim Club was a local swimming pool a couple of blocks from my childhood home.
It was surrounded by a high chain-link fence. It had a gated entrance, a snack bar, two pool tables, and a strong stench of chlorine. The pool had seven competitive swimming lanes, a twelve-foot deep diving area, with low and high diving boards. The bleachers were set up to watch competitions. And lounge chairs for catching summer rays. One of the three elevated lifeguard chairs was always manned while the pool was open.
From the age of five, I practically lived there. With a bike of my own and in an era in America when parents didn’t think about kids being snatched, I was not only allowed to ride down the hill to the club, I was strongly encouraged to do so.
My skin became deeply tanned, my hair got bleached blonde, and my skin smelled of the aforementioned chlorine.
My mother enrolled me in swim lessons, and when I showed an aptitude for it, signed me up for the competitive swim team. So, at the age of five, I started swimming in regional swim competitions. I felt like I was part fish.
I would love to tell you I was the fastest, the strongest. But that would be a lie. Don’t get me wrong, I was good, just not the best. The one kid I could never beat, no matter how hard I tried, was Charlie Bowden.
Whenever Charlie and I competed in the same events, he always won first place. On the rare occasions when I was racing other people, and and won a first-place ribbon, that blue piece of cloth was one of my greatest treasures. This was a time before participation trophies. You had to earn that prize.
When we’re young, we think the things that are, have always been, and will always be. It’s only with the hindsight of age that we understand the significance of people, places, and events and how they shaped our lives.
The last time I drove by, the swim club’s pool was filled with concrete and a playground had replaced the cool summer waters.
As I said, I’m starting this series of newsletter articles at the beginning. My fifth year of life was also the first year I was taken to the family hunting camp. More adventures bloomed. More stories to come. And I’ll see you right here next week.
Mandatory Reading Bookstore
You might be thinking, “he’s just going to tell me to read one of his books.” Yes, I won’t mind one bit if you do. BUT, for generations, those that sought the Dream anywhere in the Caribbean have been told, by everyone who knows, to read: Don’t Stop The Carnival, by Herman Wouk.
It’s dated and some find it offensive, but I still consider it to be the first book every dreamer must read. Not because you will likely identify with the protagonist. In all honesty, you will probably dislike him. Read it for the challenges he faces. It was written in 1965 and not much has changed in the Caribbean since then.
Wouk drew his inspiration for the book from the years he spent on Saint Thomas Island, when his kids were young. He lived long enough to watch his work become the master guide for anyone thinking of giving up the rat race and moving to a tropical paradise. He passed away in Los Angeles in 1991 at the age of 101, surrounded by family.
Here’s the link:
https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Stop-Carnival-Herman-Wouk
Tune in next week to see the official Rum Line rum.
Remember, drink deeply from the well of life and live the Rum Line Life.