Anyone here living aboard a yacht

[rokguy]

<EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">Hi Everyone</SPAN></STRONG></EM><BR><EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">&nbsp;Didn't know where to post this topic. I'm sure someone will tell me.</SPAN></STRONG></EM><BR><BR><EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">How many of you guys and gals share your time between wheels and water? Any pictures you want to share?</SPAN></STRONG></EM><BR><EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">Was pondering this today as I was riding around Sydney's waterfront.</SPAN></STRONG></EM><BR><EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">Pictured are some liveaboards at a well known drop anchor spot.</SPAN></STRONG></EM><BR><EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">Geoff</SPAN></STRONG></EM>

 

[AltTransBikes]

My bil and sister are on a live-aboard Sharpie, ketch rig, draws just 27" of water with the board up, stepped mast for clearing bridges, 50hp Perkins diesel, 500 watts solar, water catchment, 6 months propane.<br><br>These Morejohn Sharpie's are great for getting in close and will go where few sailing craft can but sail extremely well in blue water as well, hard chines lay over and track well to weather. One great thing is with the bottom they have they can be hauled on rollers and lived aboard on land if need be. The last pic shows food stage under cabin floor boards.

 

[offroad]

for 1989 at $32,000 its a great boat. &nbsp; or your could buy an RV. or a used trailer. or live on that money for two and half years at $12k per year.&nbsp;

 

[AltTransBikes]

<span id="post_message_1277075895">"for 1989 at $32,000 its a great boat."<br><br>If the reference was to the boat above, it's a 1998 and goes for double that amount. My bil and sister are pretty well set in that regard though so that's not an issue for them, as it pretty much has to be for many folks who get serious about boats. <br><br>It's not for me, I went through that fantasy many years ago realizing the veracity to the old saying "owning and maintaining a boat is like a hole in the water into which you throw money".&nbsp; It is enticing however, the idea of casting off and getting away, captain of your travels.<br><br>To each their own I guess, like in RVs some folks can't seem to do without a 40' diesel pusher.<br></span>

 

[rokguy]

<EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">I think yachts are a cheaper option in the long run as they usually last 3 times the lifespan of your average RV. But like anything (RV's included) if you don't keep up&nbsp;or do the maintainence yourself.&nbsp;it becomes costly.</SPAN></STRONG></EM><BR><EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">As they say in the boatyards "No Cash No Splash".</SPAN></STRONG></EM><BR><EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">Geoff</SPAN></STRONG></EM>

 

[LFM]

After seeing that boat, I 'm to ashamed to show mine.<img src="/images/boards/smilies/frown.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img">

 

[Terry]

i still have the live aboard fantasy every once in a while, till I remember how sea sick I get.

 

[mobilekev]

I lived aboard and sailed around for about 20 years. <br><br>Everybody has different experiences but for me it was very easy to find great deals on boats and eventually flip them for a profit. When someone wants a boat they tend to really want it and when they don't want it they really don't want it. Goes along with the old joke- "what's the two best days in a sailors' life- the day he buys a boat and the day he sells his boat"&nbsp; <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"><br>I've found I can't do that with vehicles... especially after cash for clunkers&nbsp; <img src="/images/boards/smilies/frown.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"><br><br>As far as cost it would be very easy for a tightwad like me to set up a very seaworthy boat around 30 foot for $10,000 that would take an adventurous couple anywhere there's 5 foot of water.<br><br>Living aboard vs. vandwelling- Living aboard can be a very magical life and you see a lot of new things you've never experienced before. But there's a lot more to learn such as navigation, sailing, docking, dealing with hurricanes(not a big deal), and on and on and you can get in big trouble if you make a mistake. You need at least a "plan B" for everything. (the name of my dinghy <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"> <br><br>Also you are much more limited in the number of anchorages and places you can go and dinghy in especially with the never ending attempts to take away anchoring rights. It can be a bit more of a pain too to have to take a dinghy to shore, etc. sometimes in nasty weather. But if you're a good boatbum you can just wait till the bad weather passes.<br><br>Being a landbased nomad is easier and you have a lot more choices and can be even cheaper and just as fun as living aboard and cruising. It's all good as long as you're not in the ratrace&nbsp; <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"><br><br>If anyone has any specific questions I'd be glad to try and help.

 

[rokguy]

<EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">Hi Mobilekev,</SPAN></STRONG></EM><BR><EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">have you got any pics of your yacht ?</SPAN></STRONG></EM><BR><EM><STRONG><SPAN style="COLOR: #888888">Geoff</SPAN></STRONG></EM>

 

[mobilekev]

This is the last boat I had. A 30' Hunter. Nice comfortable midrange sloop.

 

[RV-Kitty]

I live a few miles from a large lake.&nbsp; There are loads of people living in (mostly) pontoon house (?) boats at the marina there. Some are quite beautiful with areas to sit outside and one we saw had very large attractive potted tropical plants on the deck. A floating garden.&nbsp; <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"> &nbsp; I could very easily live in one of those house-boats. The "house" part is very much like the inside of travel-trailers with everything one needs to be comfortable.

 

[WheelEstate USA]

Houseboats are a cool way to go. I've been in on the building of 2 of them.<br><br>I miss my Hunter 32. It was a good boat and I lived aboard for 5 yrs. Rode out a few hurricanes up in the swamps. Watched Katrina on tv from 150 miles away while we were chilling up the Apalachie River.<br><br>Sharpie is a dern nice boat and one I'd be proud to own.

 

[lampliter]

Check out Lil Hobo catamaran.

 

[flying kurbmaster]

I had a 31 foot yawl for six years when I lived in Vancouver. At the time it was great, I&nbsp;lived aboard&nbsp;the first&nbsp;winter, that was enough for me, after that I moved off during the colder months, it can be heated and was&nbsp;but the dampness got to me,&nbsp;summer time was hard to beat on the docks, you would likely be ok in Australia, although the heat may be an issue in some places. &nbsp;I lived right downtown, loved it. I remember a real sense of relief when I sold it and sometimes think of doing it again, but not sure if I would, it is not like a vehicle that can just be&nbsp;left parked up, you have always got to deal with it.&nbsp;It was a great thing to do but I think unless you are anchored out in the boonies and don't own a vehicle and this is your life style, not having to work,&nbsp;it is usually expensive&nbsp;to&nbsp;moor your boat and park a vehicle, especially in cities.&nbsp;Even if you do your own maintenance stainless steel is expensive.&nbsp;The difference between a boat, a house and an Rv is that most&nbsp;maintenance on a house or rv can be put off for a time but on a yatch unless it is out of the water needs to me maintained now and sometimes right now. It was great lifestyle and I can understand the appeal. I loved it for five years, hated it the last year, sailed thousands of miles and had a lot of fun...but for me, it is like done that, got the t-shirt. My&nbsp;current partner&nbsp;has a romantic idea about&nbsp;sailing up the inside passage to Alaska and that may happen but I am not so sure about the romance of it all or even if I am that interested anymore. I think I would prefer to rent a boat for a week at both ends and drive up the Alaska highway in a van...that way I wouldn't have to be checking the bilge or making sure the lines were ok. They are not easy to sell and few people make any money on them when they do sell them.

 

[Scott_1776]

I lived aboard this Morgan 33 OI "Harmony" for a little over a year, it expensive to keep, I found it exciting and fun, but in the end the cost was prohibitive and the maintanence is an ongoing and seemingly neverend one. Truth be told, it's much more dangerous if you are in a cold climate, I once slipped on a clear frosted pier not realizing it was so and fell overboard into low 40's water fully dressed and it as a race to get out before your extermites loss sensation. Also they aren't as easy to insulate, so I froze my baggette off, the space heater barely keep the cabin in the low 60's during the day when it was in the 30-40's and at night it would drop to the 40's inside, it was like sleeping on an ice cube floating in water, literally!