Marina Life

DJW · May 17, 2009

Yes we can

We live on our 42' Cascade in HI during the winter. We spend 4 months or so living on the boat and love it. We always hate it when it's time to leave HI for the mainland. We then live in our RV the other 8 months while we travel around the mainland. Dock life or RV pad life it's all good.

Dennis

kloudie1 · May 17, 2009

Nope.. I couldn't do it unless I had an enclosed garage and workshop attached to the slip. I have to have my tools and stuff.. I do my own maintenance and I don't like to leave my cars outside. I don't have a problem with staying on the boat for some time, but I don't think I could sell the house and move to the boat. I do enjoy being at the marina though. Good company and conversation.. and yes sometimes jobs may be extended by comrads and beverages! GREAT!

Bill Roosa · May 17, 2009

super efficiency apartment with 2 baths

It does get kinda close after a while no doubt about it.
But
the view changes, there are all the sounds of nature and the halyard wind chimes, you tend to sail more often and all those little projects do eventually get done after about a full month living aboard.

I truly love hearing George and Gracy (local mallard duck couple) at 0400 going at it just outside the hull. They are better than any alarm clock I've ever had. The crabber boats going to work at 0430, the sunrise at 0600, then a full day of puttering or sailing with the girl friend, a sunset at 2000 with a glass of wine and pipe, ...... REAL PEACEFULL!

sailaway78 · May 17, 2009

Been there done that

I have lived aboard in the past. Not bad, and enjoyed it. But prefer my current situation, where the boat is tied up right behind the house, and I can get off it and put my feets on dry ground every now and then. If necessary, or a reason arose, would not have any problem with moving back aboard full time.

biggio · May 17, 2009

In a bigger boat yes. I would require a larger head, an oven, and maybe cable hook up at the dock.
I like were I'm docked but it's about 25 miles away from home.
I wish my Marina offered showers and a restroom . They do but it's a actually a falling apart shed. I asked one the local's were it was and he told me it's not worthy of even calling it a s*** house. and I have never bothered to get a set of keys for it.

MoonSailer · May 17, 2009

That is the question!!! My wife and I want to live on our boat at least for a few months at a time. It is a little small at 32'. We have agreed that we never want to live aboard tied to a dock. Cruising is what we want to do. Tied to a dock seems like a bad way to live. well maybe on a large houseboat. IMHO you endure living on a sailboat so that you can cruise. Without the cruise living in such a small space seems like a bad ideal.

Cat30owner · May 17, 2009

I cant wait to move back!

Hello there , My name is john from ventura and I loved living aboard my catalina 30. It was so easy and simple. I liked the fact of not having alot of stuff. A simple life. I love the people down at the boat and often we go out to the channel islands together. And of course little dock parties and fellowship. Waking in the morning and sitting in the cockpit with peace and quiet sipping a cup of coffee or going to a fellow boaters boat for a cup of joe is quite nice. Once I got married the wife thinks it is alittle small so we are selling our beloved prime interest and I am looking forward to the day when we can live aboard again (with alittle more space). The biggest task was not to have clutter. This way it did not take as long to prepare to go on a sail. ther are alot of live aboards that do not move the the boat that often or at all and when you go to thier boat you understand why. You cannot take your land living mind to sea. Anyway may you seek what you are after and if the life of living on the water is for you do it with all your heart. God bless, John

[uote=Bad Obsession;626872]I really enjoy going down to my marina. Now days there are usually people there working on their boats or just hanging around. We are starting to get a lot of sailors down there (there is a row of 7 sailboats straight on my dock and I am in the middle). When I am down there things always take twice as long as they should because we are always stopping by to talk to each other, trade information, or just helping one another out.

I could live aboard a boat in a heartbeat. I have seen people doing this in Hampton and it is a unique lifestyle. It seems that they are very down to earth.

Could you live on a boat?[/quote]

DJW · May 17, 2009

The problem with most liveaboards is that they never sail their boats. They collect stuff like they are living in a sticks and bricks home and then it becomes to much of an issue to get the boat ready to sail. They never know what to do with the flat screen.

Denniis

Franklin · May 17, 2009

Been doing it for over 3 years. My marina holds about 300+ boats with 90% being sailboats and about 5-10% are liveaboards. My old neighbor is going on 15 years on his 32' Freedom and a couple down the dock on a Hunter 33 since 1996. Most of us have jobs that take us away during the day so it really isn't much of a big deal but as others said, if you want to sail your boat, you have to keep the clutter down. I'm a messy person so during the week it gets worse and worse but come Saturday morning, I clean it all up and go sailing. In the heat of the summer I like to keep it clean because that's when it's great to take a night sail after work.

It definately is different but I can say I'm 1,000 % more social with my neighbors in the marina then I was with my neighbors in a suburb. The great thing about living aboard is all your friends come to see you on the weekend

Another thing is, you definately get closer to mother nature and will have to learn to sleep with earplugs on those stormy nights.

sailaway78 · May 17, 2009

Good point

Good point Franklin. I also find the marinas, and particularly live aboards to be much more social and friendly creatures. I have been in the New Orleans area for going on five years.
I know and am friends with far more sailors than neighbors, and am not in a marina.