The Liveaboard Simulator

[Roger Long]

Lifted from the 'Looking at a boat Monday" thread and posted here in its entirety, courtesy of the author.

http://home.roadrunner.com/~rlma/TheLiveaboardSimulator.htm

Must reading for anyone contemplating buying a boat to live aboard.

Happy Thanksgiving

 

[cat38skip]

THAT is one cynical, irrational, tirade ...... or a rather feeble attempt at humorizing the trials, tribulations and joys of living aboard.

 

[gettinthere]

love it...scares away the less than serious

 

[Pops]

The day started with a 2 mile walk to the 7-11. There I purchased canned turkey, canned gravy, instant mash potatoes, canned cranberries, canned green beans with dry mushroom soup mix at a cost of-you can just imagine. After walking the 2 miles back to the boat it was all cooked on a one burner alcohol stove while my shipmate cleared last night's head clog (this involved removing the pump and bowl). I kept each course warm as it was done by wrapping the pans in my sleeping bag. When the head problem was cleared we sat down to our Thanksgiving dinner and were truly thankful for the good food, the working head and the wonderful beauty we were surrounded with on the ICW. Good times? The best.

 

[Ross]

That's cute but demonstrates a complete lack of foresight in selecting a boat to live aboard.
I have a three burner stove with oven, my galley sink is 15x18 inches, I have 40 cubic feet of below the waterline dry storage space. My ice box will keep cold for a week on 40 pounds of ice. My electrical load can be reduced to just the depth sounder. My anchor light is a lantern and I have lanterns for cabin lights if I choose.

 

[newly anonymous]

those who understand that living aboard involves...

...greater freedom, as opposed to the more restricted lifestyle depicted in the rant on the other end of Roger's link, are invited to check out the social forum for liveaboards on this site.

 

[Ross]

Re: those who understand that living aboard involves...

I know a few live aboards and they would never allow such conditions of mind or space exist. They generally live on/in boats under thirty.

 

[Roger Long]

Having known a fair number of liveaboards and planning on being one myself at least for large portions of the year, I read this as a testament to those who know that true joy is found in freedom and challenge rather than comfort and convienience.

Having seen dreams and boats abandonded because of going into this lifestyle with poorly thought through and overly romantic expectations, I also find it good food for thought.

It's really just a satirical humor piece which seems like it should get a chuckle from anyone who has been there and done that (which the author has). I've followed discussions of it in other forums and these are the first negative comments I've seen about it.

I guess the mindset here is more serious which, actually, it the reason I'm spending more time here.

 

[Ross]

Rodger I thought if was a hoot. But boating or camping the way the piece depicted would turn even a homeless person to a different lifestyle. Many times during a winter storm I have asked Nancy if she would like to go down to the boat and pretend we were sailing in the high latitudes. She just settles a little more into her chair, sips her brandy, and says "I'm fine right here thank you."

 

[MoonSailer]

Seems to miss the point of a boat. I remember waking up before dawn and making coffee. Then watching the dolphins and pelicans swimming around the boat as the sky went from barely lit through reds and pinks and finally the fog lifting to reveal a blue sky. I always feel better when I wake up on my boat!!! Even on the lake is is good. Waking up and watching the beavers and muskrats and then the cows coming down for a drink. racoons climbing around on the logs on shore. This guy's comparison is like saying riding a rocket ship to the moon is like sleeping in a closet.

 

[gettinthere]

Just watched 'Jeramiah Johnson' (Robert Redford) again yesterday.
Johnson is a 'mountain man' who runs afoul of Crow indians. He's faced about a dozen life or death fights with them. He then runs into another mountain man who asks him about his troubles with the indians. Johnson responds 'weren't no trouble'.

Interpreting if I may...he's willing face the attacks of hostile forces as part of the price to pay for living in God's country, the Rocky Mountains of Utah. He lives on the back of a horse with a pack mule hauling all his posessions through tough high mountain winters.

Living on a sailboat is luxury by comparison.

 

[Ross]

I recommend two books: "The Mountain Men" on which the movie was based and "Cruising In Serrifin". When you choose a life style you can't always blend the new with the old. All of the old ways of shopping are no longer applicable when you are cruising or when you are pioneering.