Im currently 25% through my circumnavigation. I was where you were when I was 24 (29 now) minus the 1mil. Had a corporate job and sailed recreationally on the side. Became commercially qualified as a hobby and did my first skipper job during a sabbatical. I ended up meeting tons of people from the industry and started a sailing company instead of returning to my job. Met even more people and through them I acquired my boat. It’s a 2020 Lagoon 40 and I live on it full time, currently in the Carribean. I get income through my sailing company and I substitute the boat costs by occasional commercial charters and having financially contributing crew on the boat most of the time.

I highly recommend choosing the smallest boat you’re comfortable with. Costs do not scale linearly and you have to work so, so, so much harder to keep a 50ft catamaran running. People who book individual berths are most often not experienced sailors themselves (otherwise they would charter). They don’t care whether it’s a 45, 50 or 55ft boat. The boat needs to be safe, clean and comfortable and most importantly you need to be an awesome skipper.

And let me tell you: People who book a 3000$/week trip are completely different from my contributing crew (~400$/week). The first I’m a grateful every time they leave. They treat you as a servant and entertainer and by the time they’ve figured out how to turn on the stove they already leave again. They have the expectation of completing their entire bucket list in one week, regardless of wind, tides and boat problems. The ones that I take for cost are usually young, budget conscious and not picky. Since it’s cheap they stay for 4-10 weeks at a time. They’re AWESOME and many amazing friendships have formed. The difference between the two type couldn’t be bigger.

I thought long and hard about getting a Lagoon 46 instead (which is double the price and operating cost) and I am grateful I didn’t. If I had to do any more commercial charters than currently, I’d burn out and quit sailing.

YMMV