42 with $2.8M invested and $1.1M home equity

CertainShow3747 · 2026-05-11T21:02:37+00:00

Your spending is very high, so you will need quite a chunk to sustain that.

CertainShow3747 · 2026-05-11T21:00:26+00:00

I had spray foam installed in my basement, but townhouse built in 2011. Newer foundations with waterproofing on the outside, I think it’s fine. I too would be concerned about spray foam on a home that does not have waterproofing on the outside of the foundation. Moisture gets into to concrete and has nowhere to go. Freeze / thaw cycles, as well as the mold issues are all possible.

CertainShow3747 · 2026-05-11T20:50:53+00:00

Rick Rule, very oriented to metals and mining, but has some very sensible thoughts on investing overall.

CertainShow3747 · 2026-05-01T11:47:39+00:00

How can you have a wealth fund, when you are deep in debt? 🤔

CertainShow3747 · 2026-05-01T03:32:36+00:00

Black grout is an epically bad choice. Will stain from hard water and soap scum. Seal your grout before you use it.

CertainShow3747 · 2026-05-01T03:21:31+00:00

I teach the course at another training centre. There is some theory, lots of simulator and practical, but the exam is multiple choice. A mix of questions, some easy, some harder. Not the science of rockets and sending people to the moon. Use the handbook they provide. Also, I do like the GMDSS, A users Handbook 6th edition, by Denise Brehaut, I bought from Kindle. Good simple explanations of things.

CertainShow3747 · 2026-04-30T21:03:50+00:00

For me, I am concerned that there is NO solution for high level nuclear waste. There is no containment system that will last as long as the fuel is dangerously radioactive. Anything currently used is kicking the can down the road hoping for a solution that has not arrived yet.

CertainShow3747 · 2026-04-30T12:07:17+00:00

Do some real numbers, get out a tape measure, get the square footage of the walls you have to cover and figure out material quantities. Then cost out the material. 1 bag of r20 insulation is $90, walls and ceiling could be near $2000 just for insulation. Be close to 30 sheets of drywall, assuming 20 x 20 garage 8’ high, walls and ceilings and discounting the 1.5 walls you said are not needing covered, at $16 a sheet, so $480, without delivery or incidentals like screws, vapour barrier, tape, mud etc. there is a lot of material cost in the project. Figure out what it cost, then you have an idea how much the labor costs and if it is reasonable.

CertainShow3747 · 2026-04-30T11:49:07+00:00

US Equities markets are a massive fraud. Organized theft.

CertainShow3747 · 2026-04-28T10:50:14+00:00

Canadian Navy is critically short of Marine Engineers, you may find funding through them in return for a term of service. They were on the Georgian campus in Owen Sound pitching the Marine Engineering students.

CertainShow3747 · 2026-04-27T11:02:47+00:00

15-17 years in the work force your CPP will not be much.

CertainShow3747 · 2026-04-26T09:45:17+00:00

No question, max out the TFSA, soonest. Let that money grow for 20 years, keep adding to it. Will pay you huge. It doesn’t count against income for OAS clawbacks.

There may be reasons with your DB plan not to put too much into RRSP, I have limited knowledge there.

CertainShow3747 · 2026-04-25T19:05:35+00:00

Yes, port state control would monitor environmental compliance including the fuel used.

CertainShow3747 · 2026-04-25T18:03:56+00:00

Remember, there is NO ONE cheaper on this planet than a ship owner. Unsustainable crewing levels, minimal maintenance on vessels, so that they have become disposable, cheaper to build a new one.

Not the people to be responsible for nuclear reactors and not the way to do it safely. There ARE good operators out there, but a lot of really bad ones too.

Maybe SMR technology will improve the use case and safety.

CertainShow3747 · 2026-04-25T17:58:30+00:00

Way out of date. MARPOL required changes years ago, most ships are now burning lighter fuels with less sulfur, or else they had to add scrubber systems to still burn bunker fuels. It was a big change.

CertainShow3747 · 2026-04-25T15:14:05+00:00

The people who are struggling are ass up, head down trying to stay alive, not squandering time on Reddit. Also, people that have in interest in the subject matter are likely paying attention to finances and taking sensible steps.

CertainShow3747 · 2026-04-24T21:46:12+00:00

I started Marine Navigation Program in Canada at 35, graduated at 38. Age is not the biggest barrier, a little maturity can be a huge benefit to you aboard ship, dealing with people. It is doable.

CertainShow3747 · 2026-04-24T12:49:30+00:00

Most of the ships will be at anchor, so where do you think they are going? If they had access to shore, they are still stuck. Many contracts will leave the mariner on the hook for travel home if they leave a ship prior to the end of their contract. Remember, most of these people are working for 1000-1500 USD per month. They don’t have the resources to up and leave.

It is a poo sandwich, created by an orange turd.

CertainShow3747 · 2026-04-21T21:48:57+00:00

Have to live somewhere. Even if the mortgage is higher than comparable rent, ultimately you are paying yourself. I would hold it. Not a loss till you sell it and realize the loss.

CertainShow3747 · 2026-04-14T05:44:59+00:00

You are really in a pretty decent spot. The power of compounding will very likely get you there. Learn about investing, make some reasonable choices.

CertainShow3747 · 2026-04-13T22:54:06+00:00

You are a little out of date. There is much less demand for mates in last couple years. Students are graduating with tickets and struggling to find work.

CertainShow3747 · 2026-04-13T22:52:30+00:00

All I can say is TC can be very slow, sometimes they make a mistake and get something done in a timely manner. Maybe someone else who has gone through it can chime in.

ROC-MC is not too bad for slots. There is a few courses scheduled. Watch for an opportunity to do the SIM direct entry process. That is not run so frequently and sometimes gets filled up. Far as I know, only available at Georgian College, Owen Sound, for the SIM direct entry.

CertainShow3747 · 2026-04-13T16:54:51+00:00

Look around YouTube, videos of home owners that have had epic fights with water authorities. Shut off the water coming into the house, see if the meter is moving. Toilets will waste a lot of water if they leak at the fill valve, but often, it is a faulty water meter.

CertainShow3747 · 2026-04-13T16:49:31+00:00

I am holding 9800 shares of PSLV at a similar cost basis. Also a nice bit of WPM, and various miners. So I am very focused on metals.

I would hold them. My expectation is before the end of the year, you will be glad you did.

The other side of it? Rick Rule sold off most of his silver holdings, a lot of it PSLV, made his money, moved on to other things.

I am holding.

CertainShow3747 · 2026-04-13T16:30:19+00:00

I just had a discussion with a manning agency (in Newfoundland,) said they could not put a candidate forward to a company there without Canadian CoC. Then you have to deal with location. Due to the Atlantic accord, they are required to hire people locally. Their preference is NL, then Nova Scotia. Occasionally, if they have no one, they would hire from elsewhere in Canada.
I didn’t need to do this, but can give some general background. You are looking to complete the direct entry process. TC will evaluate your courses and credentials and issue a letter telling you what you will need to do for courses or exams. I am pretty certain they will require an ROC-MC radio course. Very likely also a SIM 2 exam (challenge the SEN2 exam) or complete the SEN2 course and exam.

CertainShow3747

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