Sailboat Living

[Stu Jackson]

Head knocker

Bad, I REALLY blew it. I was the guy who was gonna copyright that head banger back there, but I was beat out by the guy who my in-laws knew who turned down the Volkswagen import dealership in Canada in 1949. He's still kickin' himself...

I keep saying: I gotta either get a red pool noddle up there or get shorter friends!

 

[larryw]

Spent many vacations and weekends aboard, and one long cruise to Mexico, but don't want to llive aboard. I like my California King sized bed too much, plus some other things, but the boat is very comfortable. We consider it our escape pod if it all goes sideways.

To tvangrove- Hey Tim, what up? Long time no see. We're headed for Newport for the 4th of July with Howie and some others. Give a shout,

 

[larryw]

Spent many vacations and weekends aboard, and one long cruise to Mexico, but don't want to llive aboard. I like my California King sized bed too much, plus some other things, but the boat is very comfortable. We consider it our escape pod if it all goes sideways.

To tvangrove- Hey Tim, what up? Long time no see. We're headed for Newport for the 4th of July with Howie and some others. Give a shout, would like to talk about a Hunter

 

[timvg]

Larry:

I think we are also heading to our annual Newport 4th of July. And as far as the king size bed, we had a custom mattress made for our almost King Size bed on the boat. I haven't slept in a land bed that is as comfortable.

 

[druid]

Well, I've lived aboard a Catalina 36 for a couple of years, a Cal 25 for a summer and a few months in the winter, and a Venture 22 for a couple of months. Biggest perc is the camaraderie on the docks - made some AWESOME friends there. Biggest downside is legality: at least in Vancouver, legal liveaboard marinas are pretty much non-existant, which means you have to sneak around, have an address where you SAY you're living, messing with insurance...

Is it worth it? Yes, I think so, but you have to go in with your eyes open. Go down to the docks and make a few friends.

druid

 

[rahaim]

How many of you currently live on your sailboat or have very lived on
a sailboat and would your recommend it

66 years old, have lived on a Hunter Legend 40.5 year round 20 minutes outside of NYC and the reason the replies seem all over the place is that the experience is different for everyone. My recommendation is to try it for one year...and treat it as a trial, to see how you like it. For me, it's been the best dwelling I've ever lived in (and I've owned a house, a couple of condos and lived in apartments). See if you can find the book "The Liveaboard Report"; it's the results of interviews with 100 liveaboards and answers a bunch of questions about size of vessel, equipment, budget, etc.

 

[Tim R.]

Good tip rahaim but that book is 17 yrs old. Rather outdated. Do you know of anything moire recent?

 

[Chuckbear]

We have lived aboard and cruised on our sailboat for 17 years. Much of our experiences are posted on our Sea Trek site. Chuck

 

[Auspicious]

I've been living aboard my HR 40 for about four years in Annapolis and doing some cruising. I really enjoy it.

The biggest problem is getting fresh water to your boat and that means getting a tank on wheels and filling it up somewhere and rolling it down to your boat to fill the tank.

The biggest problem is pump-outs in winter. An Electroscan solved that for me.

I use two 5 gal water jerry jugs for water in winter. A spare fresh water pressure pump on long leads allows me to avoid heaving the jugs onto the boat. I use the same setup to pump water from the jugs in the dinghy while in the Bahamas.

Some marinas have winter water systems. Others with even a few liveaboards have impromptu water parties where everyone strings their hoses together from a working tap (usually in the head or a laundry room).

 

[zeehag]

outdated living aboard books are as current as anything in real life--lol the theory and practice have not changed --the only thing changed is the boats were made uglier and less practical and the folks were made to njoy more modern comforts prior to assuming that living aboard is land living brought to sea....lol.....there are many different points of view--i have lived aboard all sizes of sailboats since 1990---lol--in marinas and on moorings , at anchor and underway...i like underway best...lol.....the larger boats are more comfortable, heavier boats are better for longer distances sailed and cruised, for what i am doing i am glad i found a formosa 41--has easy access to my most central parts--engine, tranny, shaft log/cutlass bearing and packing gland---the rudder and quadrant have stand up room ..lol.....and plenty of it..... the living spaces are large and warm with teak wood interior--lol awesome in some , nice in others...mine is just nice.not as many carved pieces in mine...mine is more functional than aesthetic.....am still finding i need to explore the function , tho--dont we all!!!!...we only fully know our boats when we sell them......but i am finding new and different reasons to like my formosa 41 as i read about the plastic modern boats and problems that arise and how many contorted positions folks have to learn before repairing them.......wow!!!!!
so many differences--and the more i see of the small and space saving quadrants on other boats--i realize the strength and durability of the heavy equipment i have...wow!!!

yes, i reside aboard a sailboat
yes i would do it again
no. i willnever live in a marina again--didnt like it--wont have it--

i prefer being on the move-- harder to hit me ..lol....

warm water calls me....i will get there slowly but with my life intact--lol...i live in my transportation and i am not in a trailor or a bus or a car lol.....i am technically and legally homeless yet i still have a roof and mobility and .....
but i dont have a permanent address that isnt a store front......but i wont be here long, anyway...lol..
but i dont have room for relatives
(good--they never leave anyway!!)
friends cant just come over--unless they have a boat to get here in.LOL(as it should be)
is more difficult to reprovision......(too bad--good things must have a payment for them....consider it the payment for the lifestyle...LOL)

ETC!!!!!!!

do i mind the compromises i make and need to make---hail no--i love them--cant wear 250 pairs of shoes in a day can we?? cant wear 900 outfits in 6 months, can we?/

lol--i always hated shopping---this is perfect----nowhere to put any new goods until old ones leave the boat ..lol....want a change of scenery for the weekend???\

no problem--just go somewhere with home under feets lol.....no packing needed--- dont have to make up mined about what to wear--omg!!!!

yada yada yada--lol--i love it!!!!!! usually, if ye can make 3 yrs , ye will be good...1 yr doesnt quite do it---takes longer than 1 yr to get tired of something adverse...lol...look at some of the women with abusive hubbies--LOL.....i have lived in boats of varied sizes from 25-42 and i love this --is a freeeedom we wont have much longer as we have been going...goood luck and fair winds--welcome to the waterworld.....