Hello Everyone, This message is coming to you from the great state of Maine. I'm currently looking to buy a boat to live on. I definately want a sailboat because I think just motoring around is boring. I previously owned a ' 78 22' Cat.. I lost the boat in a big and unusual October storm that dumped 18" of rain on us. The boat was ripped from the moaring and smashed onto the rocks. The storm wasn't even a hurricane. I have several questions, but first I will be giving you some info. My girlfriend and dog (lab) will be living with me. The boat will be at a year round slip with water and electricity. The marina has toilet and shower facilities. The boat will be used for day cruises as well as weekend get aways. I realize living on a boat is going to be a lot different than an apartment. The living area will be small and a lot of my stuff will have to be put into storage (parents garage). Will we be spending a lot of time on the boat? Not really. I'm working on my second degree and Patti is looking at opening up a business. We both currently work full time. As for my dog Abbie, I drop her off at my parents where she can moap all day until I pick her up. She hates to be away from me. I found her and her brother in a ditch along side the road in Kansas. They were about 4 months old. Reason for doing this you say? The cost of living here in Maine is on the expensive side. We did a lot of number crunching and found it to be the same if not less to live on a boat then pay the outrageous rent for an apartment. We look at it as killing two birds with one stone. We both want a sailboat for recreation and will be making payments on something that is ours. We will probably live on it for about 2 years, until I find a house a want to buy. I say we a lot because we will eventually be married. Just haven't popped the question yet. We have discussed it quite a bit. The boat will solely be in my name. That way there will be no legal problems. She looks at it as paying rent for her own apartment. I would repay her for what she put in. Yes, I can afford to make the payments myself if it came down to that. Hope it never does!! Hope I didn't put anybody to sleep. Here are my questions: 1.) What would be a comfortable size to live on, yet not to big for us to sail? 2.) We are looking for a used boat. What would be the ballpark price of a 30 and 32 footer? 3.) Are there any other ways to heat in the winter time besides electric heat? 4.) Our budget is 30 to 35,000. Can we buy a Cat. 30 or 32 in that price range? 5.) If there is anything eles I should know, please tell me. I think I've got writers block from writing that book there above my 4 little questions.
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A couple thoughts and a reminder
- Living aboard in a norhtern climate, one of the best investments you can make is a good heating system. If you can squeeze it out of your budget, I'd recommend a diesel forced air system. Counting on electric space heaters at the dock is far less effective, and can be dangerous. Good heat and ventilation wil make a liveaboard situation -alot- more fun. Also, just a reminder that specific boats for sale may not be advertised in the forums. That's wha the classifieds are for! Good luck Eric! There is nothing better than life on a boat!
- Living aboard in a norhtern climate, one of the best investments you can make is a good heating system. If you can squeeze it out of your budget, I'd recommend a diesel forced air system. Counting on electric space heaters at the dock is far less effective, and can be dangerous. Good heat and ventilation wil make a liveaboard situation -alot- more fun. Also, just a reminder that specific boats for sale may not be advertised in the forums. That's wha the classifieds are for! Good luck Eric! There is nothing better than life on a boat!
Perfect!
Hey Eric! You can snag an older C30 for cheap. Due to the interior layout differences, I'd look at the post '87 C30s. They're big enough to live on (especially with a do) but not too big to sail easily. They're reasonably priced and you can find some screaming deals on one if you look hard enough. Check out our classifieds section (or even place an ad!) for some for sale. Also check your local papers and local Boat Trader. Look at as many boats as you can so you can determine what you want in your boat then you can make an informed decision. Price for a 30? Well, it obviously depends on its year & condition but for a post '87 you can expect to pay somewhere in the range of $30-35. Some are more some are less - that's why you should really look at as many as possible. Heating a boat. Many of the boats you will look at (especially if they're located in Maine) will have some form of auxiliary heat source. You could find all sorts, from diesel to kerosene. I don't know all there is to know about anything, especially heaters but it's my understanding the diesel heat seems to be the favorite of boaters here in the Pacific NW. You don't necessarily need a separate tank cuz it can run off your engine tank. We had a Force 10 propane heater but I was never really impressed with it. If you can find a boat with with forced air heat, do it! That'll have your boat feeling like a sauna in no time. Good luck & have fun with it! LaDonna
Hey Eric! You can snag an older C30 for cheap. Due to the interior layout differences, I'd look at the post '87 C30s. They're big enough to live on (especially with a do) but not too big to sail easily. They're reasonably priced and you can find some screaming deals on one if you look hard enough. Check out our classifieds section (or even place an ad!) for some for sale. Also check your local papers and local Boat Trader. Look at as many boats as you can so you can determine what you want in your boat then you can make an informed decision. Price for a 30? Well, it obviously depends on its year & condition but for a post '87 you can expect to pay somewhere in the range of $30-35. Some are more some are less - that's why you should really look at as many as possible. Heating a boat. Many of the boats you will look at (especially if they're located in Maine) will have some form of auxiliary heat source. You could find all sorts, from diesel to kerosene. I don't know all there is to know about anything, especially heaters but it's my understanding the diesel heat seems to be the favorite of boaters here in the Pacific NW. You don't necessarily need a separate tank cuz it can run off your engine tank. We had a Force 10 propane heater but I was never really impressed with it. If you can find a boat with with forced air heat, do it! That'll have your boat feeling like a sauna in no time. Good luck & have fun with it! LaDonna
liveaboard
eric and patti, myself and my golden retriever live aboard my 85 cat 30.the 30 is a great liveaboard size,i wouldnt go any smaller and perfect for day sailing and weekend get aways.the only problem i run into is storage.the a.c. and heater were installed in the hanging locker,so i have had to improvise on storage. you can find 30-32's within the budget you stated.just shop around.as far as heating,i live in kemah,texas and so i get by with the electric heater on board.i realize up in maine yall's winters are brutal compared to ours so i dont think im qualified to help you here.call catalina,they have been very helpful to me when i have had questions. good luck and have a blast
eric and patti, myself and my golden retriever live aboard my 85 cat 30.the 30 is a great liveaboard size,i wouldnt go any smaller and perfect for day sailing and weekend get aways.the only problem i run into is storage.the a.c. and heater were installed in the hanging locker,so i have had to improvise on storage. you can find 30-32's within the budget you stated.just shop around.as far as heating,i live in kemah,texas and so i get by with the electric heater on board.i realize up in maine yall's winters are brutal compared to ours so i dont think im qualified to help you here.call catalina,they have been very helpful to me when i have had questions. good luck and have a blast
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