Living aboard...

albinvega1493 · Nov 20, 2007

Hey Jonathan,

The ones you need to talk to are Chuck and Laura Rose. He runs the
American Vega Association web site and also lives aboard his Vega
with his wife and cat. They are currently in the Seattle area I
think. Presumably they will see your post and respond. You could
also check out the American Vega Association web site as they have a
section there dedicated to living aboard. Good luck. The Vega is a
solid boat. Later.

Larry

rogerefairest · Nov 21, 2007

Hi Jonathan;

I have been in my Vega for 3 weeks strait, if far from
having a life on it, but enough to comment; at the end
of the day our plan is to live on it for 4 years.

My comments are:

Organization is a must, everything in its place and a
place for everything.

We use the main cabin for sleeping, reason being, that
we got so much gear that the bow cabin is mostly used
for storage and we still dont have all the gear we
need (this idea is not shared by other long term
cruisers).

For a boat its size there it has a lot of storage
space.

In a marina, there is no problem at all having
electricity, water and shops makes life very easy.

I guess is all down to: do you like people to come and
visit you? How many people in your boat? What kind of
life stile you are after?

For two people there is plenty of space to have a life
almost identical to the one at home (except for the
amount of fancy clothes, shoes, and coking equipment).

Could you do with more space, yes, but it comes at a
price (mooring fees, bigger problems, harder to
handle).

Dont know if this helps but is my perspective.

Cheers

Roger

wxt8981 · Nov 21, 2007

Hi Jonathan,
when I bought my Vega, she came with a tent that goes from the cock-pit cover to the back shrouds. There are battens over the boom, that makes a big extension for livability when you stay for a longer time.
I'm in the process to have it made anew (the old one started to leak).It will cost me about $500.00, but it's worth it.
Wilhelm, V-257

Larry Bissell albinvega1493@... wrote: Hey Jonathan,

The ones you need to talk to are Chuck and Laura Rose. He runs the
American Vega Association web site and also lives aboard his Vega
with his wife and cat. They are currently in the Seattle area I
think. Presumably they will see your post and respond. You could
also check out the American Vega Association web site as they have a
section there dedicated to living aboard. Good luck. The Vega is a
solid boat. Later.

Larry

sailshiva · Nov 21, 2007

Wilhelm,
Do you have any photos you could post of your tent?

Sheila

pelagicasd · Nov 22, 2007

Hi Jonathon. Did you ever read The Lord of the Rings? I used to have a girlfiend that would accuse me of wanting to live in a Hobbit Hole. She was right. Many the evening I'd look around the interior of the boat, varnish gleeming softly in the light of the kerosene trawler lamp and think to myself, Yep she was right, I've got my hobbit hole. It was one of the better parts of my life.

On the down side there is a lot to be said for not having to get dressed up to go find a shower or to answer the call of nature in the middle of the night. Very politically incorrect now a days to discharge the head into the sea and holding tanks on Vegas have to be on the smallish side. You could put a larger one under the V berth but can you imagine being in there with that special someone only to have her ask where is that odor coming from?

Showers are possible. We used a solar shower while going down the California coast in the winter. We only used it in port and then we'd have to heat water on the stove as it wouldn't get hot enough in the sun (or even warm enough) to use during the winter. One of us would kneel on the cabin sole between the stove and the sink and soap up. The other one of us would rinse the kneeling one with the shower. The water would drain into the bilge and from there be pumped overboard.

Cooking with alcohol can best be described as tedious. I once tried to fry chicken on the standard stove. I't can't be done. I got around it by using a propane camp stove hooked up to a barbecue tank in the cockpit.

The standard icebox has 1 inch of foam insulation around it. Adequate for weekend cruising to keep lunchmeat, cheese and the beer cold. Got around that with a small fridge built into the docksteps.

As time progressed the head got a decent holding tank. The stove was replaced with a marine propane one and a true propane system was installed. The ice box was pulled and a true 12 volt fridge was built. We took the boat to Mexico and cruised on her there for close to a year and a half. With a power survivor watermaker, 4 golf cart batteries and a few solar panels we were pretty independent of marinas other than as a place to reprovision and get propane. It was a blast!

Would I reccomend living on a Vega? I did so for around 6 years, 3 of them with Judy. Now I have a house and can't seem to find enought time for the boat. Always to much to do. Replacing fogged windows, rebuilding termite damaged walls, etc. The longer I have the house the more returning to living aboard becomes attractive again. Would I recomend living aboard. Absolutely!

Walt, S/V Lyric #120

To: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.comFrom: coldnorthtoy@...: Tue, 20 Nov 2007 19:09:19 +0000Subject: [AlbinVega] Living aboard...

Howdy, all. I'm kind of a 'cheater' here, I guess, until I finallymake the decision on a boat, but I keep orbiting around that damnVega, and nothing seems to be able to pull my attention away.

Anyways, my question is this: how many - if any - of you live on yourVega's? Specifically, anyone live an otherwise 'regular' life butlive aboard your Vega?I'm looking for a sailboat to live on, with the ultimate goal oflong-term cruising (and maybe a circumnavigation eventually), and theVega seems to completely fit the bill for the second part, and theCatalina/Newport/Blahblahblah would be more 'home-like' and spaciousfor the first part, but I'd really like to hear some stories/thoughtson living aboard full-time at a marina, and hopefully first-hand.Thanks!Jonathan LomasVictoria, BC...Workin' on it.

wxt8981 · Nov 23, 2007

Hi Sheila;
I do have some pictures, but they aren't showing too much. Give me a week or two, and I go out, anchor, get into the dinghy, and then take some pictures from around the boat with the tent on.
Wilhelm, V-257

Sheial Gaquin sailshiva@... wrote: Wilhelm,
Do you have any photos you could post of your tent?

Sheila

bobnlesafloat · Nov 24, 2007

Good Morning Jonathon;

Lesley and I lived aboard Spring Fever from May 2003 - September 2004 and have subsequently been 'part-timers' living aboard from March to October each year ever since.

We're on the opposite side of the puddle to you, and other than the first winter we've tended to be on the move rather than permanently based in a marina, but I guess many of our experiences would still be relevant, so if you've any specific questions feel free to get in touch either through the forum or by PM.

Also, a couple of years ago, I wrote an article detailing the advantages(lots) and disadvantages(very few) of smaller boats for long term cruising; if I can find it again I'll send you a copy; though the most important thing to remember is 'size doesn't matter', just go do it and enjoy.

Bob Carlisle, Spring Fever 1776.

bobnlesafloat · Nov 24, 2007

Hi Shiela,

We have a boom tent/cockpit awning for Spring Fever; it cost us about £50 to make and
works brilliantly.

Before I next visit the Internet Cafe, I\'ll find some photos (and we have design sketches too I think) and post them to the forum. Probably a week or ten-days time.

Bob Carlisle.
Spring Fever 1776

nocomlist · Nov 25, 2007

Hi Group

I know a lot of people has removed the batteries from the bilge. But
where do you put them? I thought of putting them in the small
compartment just aft of the watertank. Is that a good place? I know i
will need some heavy wire to the engine etc. A battery compartment,
should that be ventilated, and is it ok to drain it to the bilge in case
somthing happens to the batteries?

Best regards Ravn

wxt8981 · Nov 25, 2007

Hi Ravn;
One of the most important things is to insure the battery (batteries) can't move about. I keep my 2 batteries in the bilge where they are well secured. Every sailboat should have a bilge blower to ensure no gases are in the bilge. I have my Vega over 30 years and had never any problem with a battery (and I hope it stays that way!)
Wilhelm, V-257

Sofacyklen nocomlist@... wrote: Hi Group

I know a lot of people has removed the batteries from the bilge. But
where do you put them? I thought of putting them in the small
compartment just aft of the watertank. Is that a good place? I know i
will need some heavy wire to the engine etc. A battery compartment,
should that be ventilated, and is it ok to drain it to the bilge in case
somthing happens to the batteries?

Best regards Ravn

stevebirch2002 · Nov 25, 2007

Hi Ravn

Seen quite a few Vegas with the engines in the starboard locker in the cockpit.

Cheers

Steve B

rchrdcoe · Nov 25, 2007

I presume you mean batteries, Steve not engines. How about under the
cockpit sole? I installed a starting battery there.
Richard

stevebirch2002 · Nov 25, 2007

Hi

Yep, I meant batteries. Been a long weekend!

Steve B

SVFlyAway · Nov 25, 2007

Richard,

Having the batteries beneath the cabin sole (well in the series 2 anyway) is
the best place for them. The weight is centered fore and aft and low. This
improves the performance of the boat. Also having too much weight in the
ends of any boat tends slow it down and also often makes boat hobby-horse
more - like a teeter-totter.

I am actually thinking of adding a battery in my starboard cockpit locker as
(Steve mentioned) -- though as this is still pretty much amidships. Also the
weight of this battery will balance out against the fuel tank in the port
locker. I use a lot of electrical power as I am a techno-junkie and usually
have several electronic devices running at once (I also develop nav classes
for a boating organization I belong to and thus use my boat as a test
platform of sorts). I might also add a couple batteries in the lockers
beneath the settees however (see next paragraph before you gasp at this
idea). Since I sail single handed the extra weight of these batteries, low
in the boat, shouldn't affect the performance too much.

Finally, if you use sealed batteries (rather than flooded) your life will be
simplified. The don't spill, don't require venting, don't require
electrolyte checking or adding, and are pretty much indestructible I have
found. I use Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) only in my boat. I never have to check
the water level or equalize the battery. And I can charge them at the same
charging rate as the old flooded batteries (unlike the gel batteries that
require a different charging voltage, thus a different regulator - gel
batteries are much easier to damage). Granted AGM batteries cost a bunch
more, but they tend to have a pretty long life especially if you don't deep
discharge them (thus my putting extra batteries in the locker.

From: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com [mailto:AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf
Of Richard
Sent: Sunday, November 25, 2007 12:30 PM
To: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [AlbinVega] Re: Battery location??

I presume you mean batteries, Steve not engines. How about under the
cockpit sole? I installed a starting battery there.
Richard

vegatern · Nov 25, 2007

I know that the flooded lead plate batteries that I have create
gassing problem, and I guess they are ruined, if they get covered by
water. What happens to a AGM battery when it is covered by water?
Can they be saved and recharged?
Craig

SVFlyAway · Nov 25, 2007

AGM batteries are about as bullet proof as you can get. They were actually
invented by the Concord Battery Company for the US Navy for the F18 fighter
program. There are a couple other companies building them now (most
batteries are made by only a few companies, just marketed under different
names). I think East Penn is probably the biggest manufacturer (though I am
not absolutely sure) - West Marine batteries used to be made by East Penn,
don't know for sure today.

Anyway, the AGM battery has been tested in all kinds of situations by the
Navy and private researchers. They have been totally submerged in sea water
and they still work and there is no damage. (They won't short out totally
submerged in sea water and will still power your equipment!!!).They can't
get water into them since they are sealed, so there is no damage to the
battery. One of the boats the shop I was Ops Manager for was installing a
huge bank and we ended up mounting some of the batteries on their sides
(because of lack of vertical space) and they just did their thing, no
problems. They will even work upside down, try that with a flooded battery.
But they do cost at least half again more, maybe a little more than that.
But I think they are the only battery to have on a boat.

AGMs tend to have a longer duty cycle than either flooded or Gel batteries,
(Most certainly Gels -- by far). Now the golf cart batteries (mostly likely
Trojan brand) someone mentioned might give them a good run for their money,
but AGMs are so maintenance free that they are worth the extra money. The
secret to long battery life (as I mentioned) is to not let them discharge
too deeply. That is why it is better to have a large reserve of Amp Hours so
you can run off the batteries and not kill them. I like to charge mine when
they still have 75% of their charge remaining.

Regular flooded batteries should be "boiled" every once in awhile. The
problem is that the plates get a build up of sulfate (sulfation) and they
start to lose efficiency. So what folks do is to take off the caps and run a
high voltage charge (over 16 volts) through them. The electrolyte literally
seems to boil. After whatever time is needed, the electrolyte is topped off
and the caps put on. This is the particularly dangerous time since a lot of
hydrogen is produced -good ventilation is a must. I am not recommending you
do this without researching the process as it is a little dangerous!!!! But
a high percentage of batteries scrapped probably could still be used bydoing
this.

By the way, there is also a device called Hydrocaps for flooded batteries.
They replace the battery cap and have a catalyst in them. Flooded batteries
"gas" meaning they give off Hydrogen and Oxygen. The Hydrocap catalyst
recombines the two gasses to make water and drop it back into the cell, thus
eliminating the need for adding water (it is like an automatic watering
system). Be sure you get the Hydrocap specifically made for your battery
since not all battery caps are the same.

From: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com [mailto:AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf
Of vegatern
Sent: Sunday, November 25, 2007 7:06 PM
To: AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [AlbinVega] Re: Battery location??

I know that the flooded lead plate batteries that I have create
gassing problem, and I guess they are ruined, if they get covered by
water. What happens to a AGM battery when it is covered by water?
Can they be saved and recharged?
Craig

vegatern · Nov 26, 2007

Thanks Chris, I appreciate it. Craig

Vega1447 · Nov 26, 2007

The (?) traditional battery location in the bilges is pretty good in
terms of weight distribution, I'd have thought?

I know some Vegas have fuel tank there too/instead. A previous owner of
my boat moved tank to port cockpit locker - I presume to make an
electric fuel pump unnecessary.

I must say that I like the idea of being able to start the engine by
decompressing and hand-cranking, even without a battery.

I'd be interested how long lead plate batteries terminals would have to
be covered by (salt) water before they shorted out.

I'm sure that someone on the list has the answer.

John

V 1447 Breakawayvegatern wrote: