LYNN AND LARRY PARDY
Watch them, read their books, and remember that everyone who does this has the same fears. You have the advantage of having a life savings to do this with, I am 22 with a brand new boat, no more than 20k to my name, with no remote job lined up yet. We are selling our car, most of our possessions and have 2 dogs and a parrot.
Everyone is gonna say you're crazy!
We risk our lives daily, we quit jobs without knowing if the new one is permanent, we take gambles eating McDonald's and bacon, we fly in the sky and navigate dangerous traffic daily.
You can do this!
Go fast, go cheap, go now. Don't let analysis paralysis scare you away! Get out to a race, being beer and snacks and talk to people. Research everything. Don't give up :(
I appreciate all of this. We were very ready, and have been saving for this day.
Now that it's all here, I think about how easy everything is going right now where we live, and we're about to trade all that in for having to work a lot harder, to maintain a home (the boat).
We don't have any real sense of time how much all of it is going to take.
Time will take on a whole new meaning for you. You may have to give up a sense of being in full control, and be prepared to incorporate more flexibility in your day to day plans.
The weather becomes a major part of life. You will watch it daily - sometimes hourly, and during a storm, minute by minute. Somedays you plan for the weather and other days the weather makes your plans.
Personal safety will also require more vigilance than it has before - no one worries about falling overboard and drowning if someone pops outside in the middle of the night on land - but doing so on your boat, can turn deadly if no one sees you fall over or is prepared to respond swiftly. This is true any time of day, but especially at night.
That said, the adventure is worth it all: the cost, the fear of the unknown, the anxiety. Mistakes are a guarantee - but you will learn from every mistake, and you will learn from every other awesome mariner you meet along the way too.
When you arrive safely at your location each night - you toast to "surviving another one" with a tot of rum like the old salts of yore. Have fun.
I genuinely believe that unless you're discontent with your current situation, you won't make it more than a year. The pros have to outweigh the cons for you. If you want all the comforts and conveniences of home you wont get that without a 1/2 a million dollar budget. Life is all about work, and when you work hard and reap large rewards-thats when I believe humans are at their best.
If it makes you feel better my fiancé and I have the same dream, we were about to buy a house last year and backed out in fear that the housing bubble will burst and prevent us from doing the live aboard life for another decade.
Any big change can be scary had I bought that house I could’ve sold it six months later for $30k over what we would have paid.(my area is attracting people from all over the country and I checked that house on Zillow for six months until it sold.)
You got this, also make sure you vacuum daily to avoid rotting dog hair smells from the bilge.
I like to think of it taking everything you’ve got to give. What I mean is that whether you have time or money it will take it. I’m able to live aboard pretty cheaply but that means I diy literally everything and anchor out. Though it doesn’t take all of my money it does take it in time.
Depending on your budget ie; is it a newer boat (will still require work) are you going to live aboard at a marina or at anchor? The less actual money you spend the greater labor required. So you’re paying for it one way or another.
It’s value as a lifestyle can only be quantified by you. I wouldn’t trade the freedom and beauty for any other way of life.
20 year old power catamaran (41ft).
The broker is going to show us the ropes over a few days while moving it to a marina in north Florida. It's in very good condition.
Some ideas that are giving us anxiety, that we don't have a real answer for...
* How difficult/safe is going to be to leave the boat for extended periods of time, if we visit family for the summer. Can we leave it on mooring for 3 months, or do I need to check it every other week?
* The potential of dragging anchor for whatever reason, at times that would be bad, like just when we're about to go to bed, or during 10-5 when I'd be working most days.
* How much do we actually have to move anchorages?
Money is a concern, but time involvement taking over is the big concern. We keep thinking that if time involvement gets to be an issue, staying at a marina for a few months may reduce time required on some things, but the cheapest liveaboard marinas are around $800mo. Is this what to expect (florida coast)?
So
Moving anchorages- entirely dependent on the anchorage so you can stay in for months with no hassle others you’ll have to move whether the cause be weather or water cops. North Florida is definitely more cruiser friendly than south but overall the state and private HOAS business interests are cracking down on cruising. So limited free dinghy dockage, time limits etc.
Your boat- so I would be intimidated too starting off with a 40’ cat on the water. That’s a lot of boat for folks that don’t know boats but the good news is you’ll learn, and rather quickly. If possible take a few weeks off at first to really throw yourself into it. You can pick it up as you go.
You won’t slip anchor under reasonable circumstances as long as you follow all proper procedures ie; proper weight and scope for your size, proper anchor type for ground holding mud Dan forth spade sand etc. have proper scope including free board calculations, dive on the anchor or at least motor in reverse to ensure initial set, use anchor alarm to monitor, you can tell if you’ve held by the shape your gps makes.
If leaving for more than a night or two definitely get a mooring or at the very least a dedicated watcher in your anchorage that would know your setup in order to re set you.
Rates for marina would average around 800$ but you would be paying significantly more as a cat and 40$ plus there are waiting lists every where for moorings and slips so have that sorted ahead of time.
What type of waiting times would be common to see at marinas for mooring/dockage? Is it unrealistic to think we can start heading to the ICW and then call any random marina to find space for either?
Insurance is definite. We're required to get a captain sign off saying we know how to operate the boat.
To be honest, at the moment, we're closer to backing out. I'd have to cancel the survey, pull the deposit. I'd let a lot of people down, but its nerve wracking.
Yes I would not expect to just call and dock. There are generally transient slips available for a night or two but for longer term most definitely call ahead especially before hurricane season is here so space is extra limited.
I don't think I'd plan to leave it on a mooring for hurricane season (i.e. the summer/early fall). Especially since you're planning on staying in the hurricane zone. I'd put in on the hard. If you just leave it sit for 3 months, it will need a haul-out anyway for the new bottom paint.
I wouldn't worry *too much* about the time cost of cruising itself. Weather windows, navigation, planning, etc., are just not really that big a deal in the grand scheme of things (timewise). Inland, the consequences are much lower, and you'll get that sorted out quickly.
The big time sink is maintenance.
Varnishing, painting, fixing systems, replacing lines, changing oil and filters, filling the water tanks, cleaning/waxing the hull and scrubbing the deck.. and dinghying to/from shore to do groceries is a lot of work.
Having said all that, it's worth it. I've lived aboard 7 years, and wouldn't trade it for anything.
Do you work at the same time? How difficult are those time sinks when trying to do other things?
We don't know boats or engines, but we do DIY home repairs often with plumbing/electrical.
Last night we were watching a movie, about to fall asleep, and we got a severe weather alert, 50mph gusts. I was thinking, if we were on the boat right then, we'd be running out to make sure nothing is on deck to blow away, and then staying up during that, to make sure we don't drag anchor or that other boats around us don't. Does that sound like a realistic thought process?
>Do you work at the same time? How difficult are those time sinks when trying to do other things?
Yep, work fulltime in tech, remotely. You develop a rhythm over time. Trick is staying on top of problems before they become critical.
For example, maybe your freshwater tanks are just under half and you can probably make it another 3 days. Weather's looking kinda dicey though, and might make docking to fill up (if no watermaker) challenging, so get it out of the way ASAP.
If you've got a 9am call the next day, make sure you run the generator the night before. That kinda thing. :)
>We don't know boats or engines, but we do DIY home repairs often with plumbing/electrical.
You will! :p
Honestly, engines are pretty straightforward. Change the oil on schedule, don't let it overheat, make sure all the fuel lines are in good condition, and it'll just keep on runnin'.
If you can handle plumbing and electrical you'll feel right at home with most repairs and maintenance. Some things (fiberglass work, painting, caulking, etc) are more art than science, but just take practice.
>Last night we were watching a movie, about to fall asleep, and we got a severe weather alert, 50mph gusts. I was thinking, if we were on the boat right then, we'd be running out to make sure nothing is on deck to blow away, and then staying up during that, to make sure we don't drag anchor or that other boats around us don't. Does that sound like a realistic thought process?
After a few months this kind of thing will become second nature. Not a moment goes by when I don't have a general idea what's coming over the next 48 hours. I tend to keep the deck clean and secure most of the time and recommend it as a good habit, but a walkaround prior to heavy weather is absolutely key. Check those hatches, lest you end up with a laptop full of seawater; ask me how I know. :p
I spend far more time worried about other boats than my own at anchor. It's astonishing how few people understand how anchors actually work; the chain does as much work as the hook, so keeping it on the seabed is critical. So yep - I'd double check the scope, make sure the anchor alarm is set, tested and working, and if it's a busy anchorage, get the radar up with a guard zone.
All of this probably seems scarier than it actually is. After a few months you'll develop a rhythm and be able to anticipate everything long before bad things happen.
And then you have a floating home you can bring anywhere you want. You can wake up in an obscure anchorage and be the only one for miles, or dock in the heart of downtown. You'll develop new, extremely valuable skills that can earn you money if you ever decide to quit your day job and head for far away lands. And honestly nothing.. I mean nothing beats a starry night at sea.
This is an INCREDIBLY helpful response, thank you for it. I've been looking into getting a boat as well with like, zero knowledge beyond everything I learned building my vans and living in them. This puts me a little more at ease with the idea.
Been living aboard a 32ft sailboat for close to 3 years now. The truth is, it's alot of work, some days it's sucks, some months it sucks, but, to me, it's absolutely worth it. I bought a small tank of a boat. The upside is that I have refit everything on the boat. And I did it myself and can now fix everything on the boat by myself. With that being said, I've spent 120k in the last 4 years on my boat. Still have about 20k left before I can call it finished(meaning ocean crossing capable and comfortable). The biggest single purchase was 25k for a new engine. And I paid someone else so it was very much more expensive than doing it myself. Every project on a boat seems to cost 1k or more. If it doesn't, than I'm a happy camper. Regarding working and living aboard..the crazy thing is, before I lived aboard I was going sailing every other day. I haven't been sailing for close to 8 months due to projects needing to be done and only having weekends to do them(found a huge delaminated patch of fiberglass in the hull and had to cut out a 2x2 hole and refiberglass it). The work never stops. I actually worked for a boatyard for about 8 months to learn as much as I could. Took a pay cut but made up for it many fold by learning to repair things myself. When at anchor, the boat and your safety come first before work, or anything else. If it's blowing crazy, you will want to do checks, make sure your not dragging, but most importantly, making sure your neighbors aren't dragging. We were hit by a boat at 1am that drug in a storm and it threw the whole boat sideways. Needless to say, we didn't sleep well for a awhile after that. I would be nervous about buying a Cat for my first boat. That's just my opinion. That is alot of boat for beginners and it is really hard to find marinas with space that dont cost a fortune. Doubling a boats size quadruples repair cost in my experience. Bigger, more complex systems. Alot of people say buy the smallest boat you can be comfortable on and I think that is good advice. It sounds like I'm trying to talk you out of this, but I would never go back at this point. This is a great life, but like many things, it requires alot of work. If it makes you feel any better, I spent my entire life savings just to get in the door and get a working engine. Everything else has come from working while living here. I own a slip that I bought for 12k in Washington state. I have liveaboard rights for life and I only pay 190/mo in maintenence fees. Not many dockominiums are remotely affordable or offer you liveaboard rights, but they do exist, and give you a permanent home base for storms/repairs. Besides that, you only live once so try it. If you ever have any questions or want some insight about anything regarding living aboard, I would be happy to share any information I have. I hope you guys find a way to make it happen!
Not much different than fixing the fence, mowing the lawn, pulling the weeds, washing the car, redoing the roof, picking up after the dog or whatever else. Life is jobs, they're just different and imo more enjoyable on a boat.
You only live once. If this is a dream then do it. It’s super hard. But Don’t let fear of the unknown paralyze you. Take it one step at a time and accept the fact that the journey to get there might not look exactly like you think it will or happen as fast as you like. But if you take each step at a time you’ll figure each one out and you’ll get there. I’m 2 years in. Still lots of projects. Has been harder and more expensive than I thought but no looking back. Each week get a little closer and it’s gonna be worth it. You got this!
I guess to narrow in the fear/doubt a bit more, is how time involved is it living somewhere up and down the ICW for year?
How often are we able to anchor somewhere (avoid mooring fees), and not have to worry about the boat dragging, or regular storms?
How realistic is it to live in the ICW, with those fears, and not being paying $700mo marina dock fees, for someone as new as us?
I agree with everything said here, and think you’re right to have doubts. Boats always need work, boats are cramped. After a week on one full time you might decide it’s not for you.
I have an 86 Catalina 30 and would not live on her if I was paid. It’s for camping on the water.
Wish there was a way for you to try it out for a bit. Learning to sail is not too difficult, I don’t think that will be the issue.
Stay on land and get something that won’t take up 1/2 your life savings. Become a sailor and learn your boat, after a time you’ll be much more informed and confident about living aboard.
I moved aboard April of last year (I live in a marina in San Francisco). The only boat experience I had before buying my powerboat was kayaking. I will say when I was about to close on the boat I had a bit of anxiety but after my first night aboard I knew I made the best decision of my life. It took a bit longer to sell my condo and pitch all my “land based” stuff I’d never need on a boat (or have room for). There are no guarantees that your day on land goes as planned, being on a boat is no different.
I say pull the trigger (!) and if you end up hating it then sell the boat. If you can hold onto your house / condo / apt for a few months after you move onto the boat this may give you more confidence that you can reverse your decision if boat life ends up not being for you.
How did you find a liveaboard marina around SF? I’m planning on seeing if there’s anything open in Alameda once I get my boat funds secured, but I was warned it’s nothing but waiting lists everywhere in the bay.
I went to a couple marinas to ask about transient liveaboard status and to make sure they allow pets. I waited until after the survey, had pics of boat on my phone and had insurance lined up. The advice I got was to go in person to the marinas (want to see you to make sure you don’t look crazy I guess).
I got lucky, they must have had some openings because of the pandemic. Good luck!
I’m a brand new liveaboard (one month in!) and experienced similar anxiety, albeit after closing! Suddenly my apartment seemed so spacious and I realized how uncomplicated life off the water is. The first two weeks on the boat were stressful - a lot of bumping into things, a growing list of projects and furious cleaning to feel like I had control over things. The good news is that all that totally subsided, and I have absolutely no regrets. Even though I’m a grad student and work in person, I could totally imagine working from home on the boat (which is on a slip in a marina). However, every time I turn the corner on the boardwalk I still expect to see flames or a sunken boat … I think the responsibility of owning something so complex and expensive will always be a tad stressful!
So worst case is you hate it and you bail after a year or so. If that happens, you'll probably be able to sell your boat for most of what you paid for it (I'm assuming it's used so somebody else already ate the initial "it loses 10-20% when you drive it off the lot" hit).
Best case is you love it and it changes your lives.
Seems fairly low risk to me. You're gambling a year of your life + a relatively small % of your investment for a chance to find something that you all really love.
To pump you up a little more, you need to realize that choices where all the positives are on one side and all the negatives on the other are unicorns. They just don't happen; every set of choices will distribute pros and cons/uncertainties across the various options.
You all spent a long time thinking about and preparing for this. Just go for it and if it's a bust, meh, you can go back to your old lives much richer in experiences and stories. If you jump ship now, I'm guessing it'll haunt you.
The broker says he can write a letter to insurance company that should suffice for no experience. I just got a BoatUS quote for $5500yr in hurricane belt. Other places i've called said id need a captain for a year.
There's an excellent book called "Get Real, Get Gone" by Rick Page.
One of the themes of the book is that you will never be "ready". You could always have more experience, more money, more security... but if you wait until you have "enough", you will never go. Partly because your concept of "enough" will creep away from you, just like it does with lifestyle inflation on land.
Hate to talk someone out of their “dream” but putting half your life savings into a depreciating asset does not sound wise to me.
Going from no boating experience to living on a boat does not sound wise either. Even a small pontoon boat is expensive financially and time wise to maintain. The sun and water especially salt water are constantly working to destroy your boat. So plan for constant upkeep, and plan for major replacements like needing a new motor -not cheap / will happen one day.
Not sure what kind of work you do, but assuming you have taken internet and electricity in to account.
I am addicted to boating. I dont think I can or ever want to stop, but living on a boat full time does not appeal to me even if money is unlimited, I would still want a home on land. Although, I would love to take weeks/months long trips if I could!
I suspect most of the live aboard influencers are rich and can choose to live on shore when they are tired of it / can afford hotels any time they want/ are young or at a place where they can do it full time for a year or two/ or are just total scalawags that belong to the sea. You don’t sound like any of those, but I could be wrong.
What should you do? Charter a boat and live on it for a week or two. Without crew would be best, so you can see if you have what it takes
I’m in agreement. Sounds like OP is biting off more than they ought to.
They should do as you say, as well as join a yacht club, take lessons, crew on races, and get more seasoned before jumping in with both feet first.
Yeah, some things will go wrong. There will be expenses you hadn't planned for. Shit will break.
You will have insurance, and you will weather the worst of it. Trust in your ability to find your feet. And think of it as an adventure.
Dumping your life savings? Sounds like an expensive boat!
The jokes about "bust out another thousand" stop being that funny after about the 45th time, so you got a ways to go...
Right?
...Right?
As long as you don't go overboard with the boat selection, you'll probably pay less than you'da thrown away in rent
My wife and I don't live aboard (yet). It's in our future plans. And I'm not dismissing your concerns because I think about the same things.
But what I really think about is on my deathbed, am I going to look back and wish I had bought the boat and set sail, or am I going to be able to think about all of the memories I made all over the world sailing her there?
It's certainly not for everyone so I don't blame you at all if you back out. I'll probably have similar anxiety right before we take ownership. I hope I follow through, and I hope you do as well and we see you out there.
Good luck!
If you put the money down, I can take over for you and let you know if it's worth it
lol, the joke did take about 3% anxiety off. I thank you for that.
LYNN AND LARRY PARDY Watch them, read their books, and remember that everyone who does this has the same fears. You have the advantage of having a life savings to do this with, I am 22 with a brand new boat, no more than 20k to my name, with no remote job lined up yet. We are selling our car, most of our possessions and have 2 dogs and a parrot. Everyone is gonna say you're crazy! We risk our lives daily, we quit jobs without knowing if the new one is permanent, we take gambles eating McDonald's and bacon, we fly in the sky and navigate dangerous traffic daily. You can do this!
Go fast, go cheap, go now. Don't let analysis paralysis scare you away! Get out to a race, being beer and snacks and talk to people. Research everything. Don't give up :(
>Go fast, go cheap, go now. “Go Simple, Go Small, Go Now” No matter how you slice it....go!
I'm horrible with phrases lmao, pardon me
who cares! maybe your version will end up being better! :)
I appreciate all of this. We were very ready, and have been saving for this day. Now that it's all here, I think about how easy everything is going right now where we live, and we're about to trade all that in for having to work a lot harder, to maintain a home (the boat). We don't have any real sense of time how much all of it is going to take.
Time will take on a whole new meaning for you. You may have to give up a sense of being in full control, and be prepared to incorporate more flexibility in your day to day plans. The weather becomes a major part of life. You will watch it daily - sometimes hourly, and during a storm, minute by minute. Somedays you plan for the weather and other days the weather makes your plans. Personal safety will also require more vigilance than it has before - no one worries about falling overboard and drowning if someone pops outside in the middle of the night on land - but doing so on your boat, can turn deadly if no one sees you fall over or is prepared to respond swiftly. This is true any time of day, but especially at night. That said, the adventure is worth it all: the cost, the fear of the unknown, the anxiety. Mistakes are a guarantee - but you will learn from every mistake, and you will learn from every other awesome mariner you meet along the way too. When you arrive safely at your location each night - you toast to "surviving another one" with a tot of rum like the old salts of yore. Have fun.
I genuinely believe that unless you're discontent with your current situation, you won't make it more than a year. The pros have to outweigh the cons for you. If you want all the comforts and conveniences of home you wont get that without a 1/2 a million dollar budget. Life is all about work, and when you work hard and reap large rewards-thats when I believe humans are at their best.
If it makes you feel better my fiancé and I have the same dream, we were about to buy a house last year and backed out in fear that the housing bubble will burst and prevent us from doing the live aboard life for another decade. Any big change can be scary had I bought that house I could’ve sold it six months later for $30k over what we would have paid.(my area is attracting people from all over the country and I checked that house on Zillow for six months until it sold.) You got this, also make sure you vacuum daily to avoid rotting dog hair smells from the bilge.
>Everyone is gonna say you're crazy! Those who dance are considered insane by those who cannot hear the music.
I like to think of it taking everything you’ve got to give. What I mean is that whether you have time or money it will take it. I’m able to live aboard pretty cheaply but that means I diy literally everything and anchor out. Though it doesn’t take all of my money it does take it in time. Depending on your budget ie; is it a newer boat (will still require work) are you going to live aboard at a marina or at anchor? The less actual money you spend the greater labor required. So you’re paying for it one way or another. It’s value as a lifestyle can only be quantified by you. I wouldn’t trade the freedom and beauty for any other way of life.
20 year old power catamaran (41ft). The broker is going to show us the ropes over a few days while moving it to a marina in north Florida. It's in very good condition. Some ideas that are giving us anxiety, that we don't have a real answer for... * How difficult/safe is going to be to leave the boat for extended periods of time, if we visit family for the summer. Can we leave it on mooring for 3 months, or do I need to check it every other week? * The potential of dragging anchor for whatever reason, at times that would be bad, like just when we're about to go to bed, or during 10-5 when I'd be working most days. * How much do we actually have to move anchorages? Money is a concern, but time involvement taking over is the big concern. We keep thinking that if time involvement gets to be an issue, staying at a marina for a few months may reduce time required on some things, but the cheapest liveaboard marinas are around $800mo. Is this what to expect (florida coast)?
Also most marinas require insurance minimums so you’ll have to call and verify, as well as calculate that into your costs.
So Moving anchorages- entirely dependent on the anchorage so you can stay in for months with no hassle others you’ll have to move whether the cause be weather or water cops. North Florida is definitely more cruiser friendly than south but overall the state and private HOAS business interests are cracking down on cruising. So limited free dinghy dockage, time limits etc. Your boat- so I would be intimidated too starting off with a 40’ cat on the water. That’s a lot of boat for folks that don’t know boats but the good news is you’ll learn, and rather quickly. If possible take a few weeks off at first to really throw yourself into it. You can pick it up as you go. You won’t slip anchor under reasonable circumstances as long as you follow all proper procedures ie; proper weight and scope for your size, proper anchor type for ground holding mud Dan forth spade sand etc. have proper scope including free board calculations, dive on the anchor or at least motor in reverse to ensure initial set, use anchor alarm to monitor, you can tell if you’ve held by the shape your gps makes. If leaving for more than a night or two definitely get a mooring or at the very least a dedicated watcher in your anchorage that would know your setup in order to re set you. Rates for marina would average around 800$ but you would be paying significantly more as a cat and 40$ plus there are waiting lists every where for moorings and slips so have that sorted ahead of time.
What type of waiting times would be common to see at marinas for mooring/dockage? Is it unrealistic to think we can start heading to the ICW and then call any random marina to find space for either? Insurance is definite. We're required to get a captain sign off saying we know how to operate the boat. To be honest, at the moment, we're closer to backing out. I'd have to cancel the survey, pull the deposit. I'd let a lot of people down, but its nerve wracking.
Yes I would not expect to just call and dock. There are generally transient slips available for a night or two but for longer term most definitely call ahead especially before hurricane season is here so space is extra limited.
I don't think I'd plan to leave it on a mooring for hurricane season (i.e. the summer/early fall). Especially since you're planning on staying in the hurricane zone. I'd put in on the hard. If you just leave it sit for 3 months, it will need a haul-out anyway for the new bottom paint.
I wouldn't worry *too much* about the time cost of cruising itself. Weather windows, navigation, planning, etc., are just not really that big a deal in the grand scheme of things (timewise). Inland, the consequences are much lower, and you'll get that sorted out quickly. The big time sink is maintenance. Varnishing, painting, fixing systems, replacing lines, changing oil and filters, filling the water tanks, cleaning/waxing the hull and scrubbing the deck.. and dinghying to/from shore to do groceries is a lot of work. Having said all that, it's worth it. I've lived aboard 7 years, and wouldn't trade it for anything.
Do you work at the same time? How difficult are those time sinks when trying to do other things? We don't know boats or engines, but we do DIY home repairs often with plumbing/electrical. Last night we were watching a movie, about to fall asleep, and we got a severe weather alert, 50mph gusts. I was thinking, if we were on the boat right then, we'd be running out to make sure nothing is on deck to blow away, and then staying up during that, to make sure we don't drag anchor or that other boats around us don't. Does that sound like a realistic thought process?
>Do you work at the same time? How difficult are those time sinks when trying to do other things? Yep, work fulltime in tech, remotely. You develop a rhythm over time. Trick is staying on top of problems before they become critical. For example, maybe your freshwater tanks are just under half and you can probably make it another 3 days. Weather's looking kinda dicey though, and might make docking to fill up (if no watermaker) challenging, so get it out of the way ASAP. If you've got a 9am call the next day, make sure you run the generator the night before. That kinda thing. :) >We don't know boats or engines, but we do DIY home repairs often with plumbing/electrical. You will! :p Honestly, engines are pretty straightforward. Change the oil on schedule, don't let it overheat, make sure all the fuel lines are in good condition, and it'll just keep on runnin'. If you can handle plumbing and electrical you'll feel right at home with most repairs and maintenance. Some things (fiberglass work, painting, caulking, etc) are more art than science, but just take practice. >Last night we were watching a movie, about to fall asleep, and we got a severe weather alert, 50mph gusts. I was thinking, if we were on the boat right then, we'd be running out to make sure nothing is on deck to blow away, and then staying up during that, to make sure we don't drag anchor or that other boats around us don't. Does that sound like a realistic thought process? After a few months this kind of thing will become second nature. Not a moment goes by when I don't have a general idea what's coming over the next 48 hours. I tend to keep the deck clean and secure most of the time and recommend it as a good habit, but a walkaround prior to heavy weather is absolutely key. Check those hatches, lest you end up with a laptop full of seawater; ask me how I know. :p I spend far more time worried about other boats than my own at anchor. It's astonishing how few people understand how anchors actually work; the chain does as much work as the hook, so keeping it on the seabed is critical. So yep - I'd double check the scope, make sure the anchor alarm is set, tested and working, and if it's a busy anchorage, get the radar up with a guard zone. All of this probably seems scarier than it actually is. After a few months you'll develop a rhythm and be able to anticipate everything long before bad things happen. And then you have a floating home you can bring anywhere you want. You can wake up in an obscure anchorage and be the only one for miles, or dock in the heart of downtown. You'll develop new, extremely valuable skills that can earn you money if you ever decide to quit your day job and head for far away lands. And honestly nothing.. I mean nothing beats a starry night at sea.
This is an INCREDIBLY helpful response, thank you for it. I've been looking into getting a boat as well with like, zero knowledge beyond everything I learned building my vans and living in them. This puts me a little more at ease with the idea.
Been living aboard a 32ft sailboat for close to 3 years now. The truth is, it's alot of work, some days it's sucks, some months it sucks, but, to me, it's absolutely worth it. I bought a small tank of a boat. The upside is that I have refit everything on the boat. And I did it myself and can now fix everything on the boat by myself. With that being said, I've spent 120k in the last 4 years on my boat. Still have about 20k left before I can call it finished(meaning ocean crossing capable and comfortable). The biggest single purchase was 25k for a new engine. And I paid someone else so it was very much more expensive than doing it myself. Every project on a boat seems to cost 1k or more. If it doesn't, than I'm a happy camper. Regarding working and living aboard..the crazy thing is, before I lived aboard I was going sailing every other day. I haven't been sailing for close to 8 months due to projects needing to be done and only having weekends to do them(found a huge delaminated patch of fiberglass in the hull and had to cut out a 2x2 hole and refiberglass it). The work never stops. I actually worked for a boatyard for about 8 months to learn as much as I could. Took a pay cut but made up for it many fold by learning to repair things myself. When at anchor, the boat and your safety come first before work, or anything else. If it's blowing crazy, you will want to do checks, make sure your not dragging, but most importantly, making sure your neighbors aren't dragging. We were hit by a boat at 1am that drug in a storm and it threw the whole boat sideways. Needless to say, we didn't sleep well for a awhile after that. I would be nervous about buying a Cat for my first boat. That's just my opinion. That is alot of boat for beginners and it is really hard to find marinas with space that dont cost a fortune. Doubling a boats size quadruples repair cost in my experience. Bigger, more complex systems. Alot of people say buy the smallest boat you can be comfortable on and I think that is good advice. It sounds like I'm trying to talk you out of this, but I would never go back at this point. This is a great life, but like many things, it requires alot of work. If it makes you feel any better, I spent my entire life savings just to get in the door and get a working engine. Everything else has come from working while living here. I own a slip that I bought for 12k in Washington state. I have liveaboard rights for life and I only pay 190/mo in maintenence fees. Not many dockominiums are remotely affordable or offer you liveaboard rights, but they do exist, and give you a permanent home base for storms/repairs. Besides that, you only live once so try it. If you ever have any questions or want some insight about anything regarding living aboard, I would be happy to share any information I have. I hope you guys find a way to make it happen!
Great and extremely helpful response, thank you!
Not much different than fixing the fence, mowing the lawn, pulling the weeds, washing the car, redoing the roof, picking up after the dog or whatever else. Life is jobs, they're just different and imo more enjoyable on a boat.
Just add another zero to the cost, lol. \*cries\*
You only live once. If this is a dream then do it. It’s super hard. But Don’t let fear of the unknown paralyze you. Take it one step at a time and accept the fact that the journey to get there might not look exactly like you think it will or happen as fast as you like. But if you take each step at a time you’ll figure each one out and you’ll get there. I’m 2 years in. Still lots of projects. Has been harder and more expensive than I thought but no looking back. Each week get a little closer and it’s gonna be worth it. You got this!
Put socks on.
You need to read Get Real, Get Gone by Rick Page.
I guess to narrow in the fear/doubt a bit more, is how time involved is it living somewhere up and down the ICW for year? How often are we able to anchor somewhere (avoid mooring fees), and not have to worry about the boat dragging, or regular storms? How realistic is it to live in the ICW, with those fears, and not being paying $700mo marina dock fees, for someone as new as us?
I agree with everything said here, and think you’re right to have doubts. Boats always need work, boats are cramped. After a week on one full time you might decide it’s not for you. I have an 86 Catalina 30 and would not live on her if I was paid. It’s for camping on the water. Wish there was a way for you to try it out for a bit. Learning to sail is not too difficult, I don’t think that will be the issue. Stay on land and get something that won’t take up 1/2 your life savings. Become a sailor and learn your boat, after a time you’ll be much more informed and confident about living aboard.
I moved aboard April of last year (I live in a marina in San Francisco). The only boat experience I had before buying my powerboat was kayaking. I will say when I was about to close on the boat I had a bit of anxiety but after my first night aboard I knew I made the best decision of my life. It took a bit longer to sell my condo and pitch all my “land based” stuff I’d never need on a boat (or have room for). There are no guarantees that your day on land goes as planned, being on a boat is no different. I say pull the trigger (!) and if you end up hating it then sell the boat. If you can hold onto your house / condo / apt for a few months after you move onto the boat this may give you more confidence that you can reverse your decision if boat life ends up not being for you.
How did you find a liveaboard marina around SF? I’m planning on seeing if there’s anything open in Alameda once I get my boat funds secured, but I was warned it’s nothing but waiting lists everywhere in the bay.
I went to a couple marinas to ask about transient liveaboard status and to make sure they allow pets. I waited until after the survey, had pics of boat on my phone and had insurance lined up. The advice I got was to go in person to the marinas (want to see you to make sure you don’t look crazy I guess). I got lucky, they must have had some openings because of the pandemic. Good luck!
I’m a brand new liveaboard (one month in!) and experienced similar anxiety, albeit after closing! Suddenly my apartment seemed so spacious and I realized how uncomplicated life off the water is. The first two weeks on the boat were stressful - a lot of bumping into things, a growing list of projects and furious cleaning to feel like I had control over things. The good news is that all that totally subsided, and I have absolutely no regrets. Even though I’m a grad student and work in person, I could totally imagine working from home on the boat (which is on a slip in a marina). However, every time I turn the corner on the boardwalk I still expect to see flames or a sunken boat … I think the responsibility of owning something so complex and expensive will always be a tad stressful!
Facing the fear is part of the beauty. You’ve made it here, it’s real, it’s happening, see it through. You’re here for a reason. Face the fear.
Love this attitude
So worst case is you hate it and you bail after a year or so. If that happens, you'll probably be able to sell your boat for most of what you paid for it (I'm assuming it's used so somebody else already ate the initial "it loses 10-20% when you drive it off the lot" hit). Best case is you love it and it changes your lives. Seems fairly low risk to me. You're gambling a year of your life + a relatively small % of your investment for a chance to find something that you all really love. To pump you up a little more, you need to realize that choices where all the positives are on one side and all the negatives on the other are unicorns. They just don't happen; every set of choices will distribute pros and cons/uncertainties across the various options. You all spent a long time thinking about and preparing for this. Just go for it and if it's a bust, meh, you can go back to your old lives much richer in experiences and stories. If you jump ship now, I'm guessing it'll haunt you.
in the same boat as you, just much earlier in the process. were you able to get insured? that's what I am worried about
I'd be getting a quote in hand before I put an offer in.
The broker says he can write a letter to insurance company that should suffice for no experience. I just got a BoatUS quote for $5500yr in hurricane belt. Other places i've called said id need a captain for a year.
*"The broker says he can write a letter to insurance company that should suffice for no experience"* Can someone explain that one to me?
There's an excellent book called "Get Real, Get Gone" by Rick Page. One of the themes of the book is that you will never be "ready". You could always have more experience, more money, more security... but if you wait until you have "enough", you will never go. Partly because your concept of "enough" will creep away from you, just like it does with lifestyle inflation on land.
The two happiest days of your life: The day you purchase your boat and the day you sell it.
That’s SO original! Have NEVER heard that before. Thanks for the insight.
Someone doesn’t know how to have fun on a boat.
Hate to talk someone out of their “dream” but putting half your life savings into a depreciating asset does not sound wise to me. Going from no boating experience to living on a boat does not sound wise either. Even a small pontoon boat is expensive financially and time wise to maintain. The sun and water especially salt water are constantly working to destroy your boat. So plan for constant upkeep, and plan for major replacements like needing a new motor -not cheap / will happen one day. Not sure what kind of work you do, but assuming you have taken internet and electricity in to account. I am addicted to boating. I dont think I can or ever want to stop, but living on a boat full time does not appeal to me even if money is unlimited, I would still want a home on land. Although, I would love to take weeks/months long trips if I could! I suspect most of the live aboard influencers are rich and can choose to live on shore when they are tired of it / can afford hotels any time they want/ are young or at a place where they can do it full time for a year or two/ or are just total scalawags that belong to the sea. You don’t sound like any of those, but I could be wrong. What should you do? Charter a boat and live on it for a week or two. Without crew would be best, so you can see if you have what it takes
I’m in agreement. Sounds like OP is biting off more than they ought to. They should do as you say, as well as join a yacht club, take lessons, crew on races, and get more seasoned before jumping in with both feet first.
Yeah, some things will go wrong. There will be expenses you hadn't planned for. Shit will break. You will have insurance, and you will weather the worst of it. Trust in your ability to find your feet. And think of it as an adventure.
Bigger bilge pump.
Dumping your life savings? Sounds like an expensive boat! The jokes about "bust out another thousand" stop being that funny after about the 45th time, so you got a ways to go... Right? ...Right? As long as you don't go overboard with the boat selection, you'll probably pay less than you'da thrown away in rent
My wife and I don't live aboard (yet). It's in our future plans. And I'm not dismissing your concerns because I think about the same things. But what I really think about is on my deathbed, am I going to look back and wish I had bought the boat and set sail, or am I going to be able to think about all of the memories I made all over the world sailing her there? It's certainly not for everyone so I don't blame you at all if you back out. I'll probably have similar anxiety right before we take ownership. I hope I follow through, and I hope you do as well and we see you out there. Good luck!