live aboard, are there any.

Paul I. · **Posted:** Thu Sep 27, 2012 9:30 am

To those that are living on board all year. We are thinking of buying a bigger boat & doing the same.

What advantages or disadvantages have you come across? Space will be tight, some have a washer & dryer some don't. There is more, but I am sure I have over looked a few things on this note. What have you found?

Cap'n Morgan · **Posted:** Thu Sep 27, 2012 9:40 am

There are no full time live aboards as active members on this message board to my knowledge.

Buy the book, and read this website.
http://www.livingaboard.net/

NiagaraChillin · **Posted:** Thu Sep 27, 2012 10:05 am

I know a retired couple who live aboard their 41 ft sailboat. They just set out for the Florida Keys this past weekend. They winter down there, then sail back this way for summer. Their only major complaint is laundry. I know they don't technically "live" onboard 24/7, as they have a small bungelow in the Keys and they have family in this area. I would say they spend 75% of their time actually onboard.

I would guess the hardest part about living aboard in Northern climes would be finding a marina/yacht club that is open during the winter for shore power, pump out, service, etc.

ric · **Posted:** Thu Sep 27, 2012 10:11 am

My father lives aboard his 30ft sailboat for the last few years. He uses the marina's facilities for washer/dryer. I've stayed nights on it quite a few times. Since all the brochures are down, out of the new models the V335 is pretty much equal in size (interior) to his 30ft sailboat. Perfect for 1 person. I would never put two people through that kind of torture.

Personally I wouldn't live aboard with a significant other unless the boat was 40+ft. Other people don't care as much, there's a few couples living at my dad's marina in 28-32ft boats. God bless their hearts. I'd murder someone.

If I'm just by myself? I don't mind small spaces. I could easily live on a 248 with camper canvas.

Paul I. · **Posted:** Thu Sep 27, 2012 10:32 am

Cap'n Morgan wrote:

There are no full time live aboards as active members on this message board to my knowledge.

Buy the book, and read this website.
http://www.livingaboard.net/

Thank you!

Bliss36 · **Posted:** Thu Sep 27, 2012 11:10 am

Quote:

Paul I. wrote:

To those that are living on board all year. We are thinking of buying a bigger boat & doing the same.

What advantages or disadvantages have you come across? Space will be tight, some have a washer & dryer some don't. There is more, but I am sure I have over looked a few things on this note. What have you found?

A great topic I've been curious about for some time. Paul, if you decide to do this would you upgrade to a bigger cruiser, trawler, or a blow boat? We've been looking at little used sailboats(18-22ft) for a while so we can learn how to sail in case we go this route someday. Here's a book currently on my night stand that I'm reading for the second time! Some of it's common knowledge but full of good ideas and insight into the livaboard/cruiser lifestyle. http://www.amazon.com/Cruising-Life-Commonsense-Would-Be-Voyager/dp/0070653607

Paul I. · **Posted:** Thu Sep 27, 2012 12:33 pm

Thank you!

We have a V258, great for even a 3 day weekend, but not to live aboard. The bigger cruiser or trawler in the 34-42 range are what we are looking at. Diesel and a bow thruster are must haves!

Winter Sux · **Posted:** Thu Sep 27, 2012 5:04 pm

Paul, my wifey is assistant to the editor and writes for Circumnavigator Magazine. She has covered MANY articles about living aboard. Her magazine actually covers mainly trawlers and is kind of an exclusive to Nordhaven. So my advice is, do a ton of research before you pull the trigger on this.

Pretty much all of the live aboards are in southern climates for the winter. I don't know if any of them have dared to tackle a winter in Mass. I assume they are fairly cold and nasty like here in Canucksville. If they are, forget pump outs. Our pump out units are winterized and shut down for the season. Plus the bubblers are only local to your boat and there's no way to get to them with the rest of the harbour frozen. I know some people who have tried it up here and wont do it again. One of the big reasons they told me was waking up at 3 or 4 in the morning and having to get out of a nice warm but damp bed, rip down an icey pier to the clubhouse to take a squirt.

Any questions, just ask away Paul and I'll run it by the wifey for you.

John :mrgreen:

EvilZ · **Posted:** Thu Sep 27, 2012 6:24 pm

I lived on this for a year as a SCUBA Instructor back in the day:
http://www.bvidiving.com/specifications.html/

Of course it is a 110' Trimaran, with air compressors, redundant RO systems, AC, full galley and even beer on tap.....

It didn't suck.

Erik

298VISTA2000 · **Posted:** Thu Sep 27, 2012 8:12 pm

Paul I. wrote:

What have you found?

That this comes in very handy when living aboard full-time. :lol:

Seriously though, we live aboard our 298 Vista each summer from late May when school gets out to the end of July just before school starts (with the exception of a week or two for vacation). The key is obviously not staying cooped up in the boat all the time and if we didn't have a build out to hang out on all day and night, we would go crazy in short order. Marina amenities are very important too and our yacht club has an onsite laundry room, showers/bathroom, Wi-Fi, ice machine, park grills, playground for the kids, mobile pump out and on the weekends an open mess so we don't always have to cook. We mainly use the boat just for sleeping and going to the bathroom. Fun times but after two months, we are ready to go home to our own beds and more space. There is no way that I could live aboard all year (especially in the winter).

Paul I. · **Posted:** Thu Sep 27, 2012 8:50 pm

Winter Sux wrote:

Paul, my wifey is assistant to the editor and writes for Circumnavigator Magazine. She has covered MANY articles about living aboard. Her magazine actually covers mainly trawlers and is kind of an exclusive to Nordhaven. So my advice is, do a ton of research before you pull the trigger on this.

Pretty much all of the livaboards are in southern climates for the winter. I don't know if any of them have dared to tackle a winter in Mass. I assume they are fairly cold and nasty like here in Canucksville. If they are, forget pump outs. Our pump out units are winterized and shut down for the season. Plus the bubblers are only local to your boat and there's no way to get to them with the rest of the harbour frozen. I know some people who have tried it up here and wont do it again. One of the big reasons they told me was waking up at 3 or 4 in the morning and having to get out of a nice warm but damp bed, rip down an icey pier to the clubhouse to take a squirt.

Any questions, just ask away Paul and I'll run it by the wifey for you.

John :mrgreen:

THANK YOU!! We just had a Nordhaven, I think it was a 46' stop at our club on its way back from Europe. We let him have free dock space just to see his boat & talk to him & his wife. What a boat!!! But the price tag goes with it! At the the club (Winthrop Yacht Club) we have 5 live on boards. The club shuts down the water, so the go over Constitution Marina in Charlestown (a sub of Boston). The have water & pump outs there.

I will look into your wife's magazine. Again thank you!

Just an FYI, the Club is just that, a club. We try to support the boating community!! If we can offer any assisance to your wife's magazine. Please let me know and we will do what we can!

Paul I. · **Posted:** Thu Sep 27, 2012 9:04 pm

To 298VISTA2000

Thank you, a 29' is too small for 2 poeple in my book. I am thinking that there are 5 of you on that boat. I am looking at 34 to 40 footer.

Plus, we will be at a yacht club in the summer time, than a marina in the winter time. The club offers more!

Winter Sux · **Posted:** Mon Oct 01, 2012 6:04 pm

Paul,
I've been aboard several of them up here. The wifey arranged to meet with some great loopers for interviews when they were passing through. I just drooled :shock:

My fav is the 72 or 75 (I cant remember) Yachtfisher. Their newest edition is the 120 this year. I keep telling the wifey, if the parent company (PAE) needs any water tests and/or reviews, we will do it for free. PAE aint biting

PM sent.

John :mrgreen:

ric · **Posted:** Mon Oct 01, 2012 7:03 pm

29ft is do-able if you're single with the occasional sleepover

Most marina's have storage units (at least here in FL) where you can put all your crap close walking distance to your boat. And if you're lucky to get a slip next to the showers you don't have to use your boat's head unless your lazy or it's rainy.

Shop around. There's also marina's not very well suited for live-aboard that make life really tough that are really just adult toy storages. My father's marina has his storage building 30ft from the boat and the showers/laundry is about 100ft away. It's a famous spot for canadians and other northerners that come south for winter so it's built around the idea that most people live there with common areas, big holiday pot lucks, etc.

Winter Sux · **Posted:** Mon Oct 01, 2012 7:35 pm

ric wrote:

29ft is do-able if you're single with the occasional sleepover

Most marina's have storage units (at least here in FL) where you can put all your crap close walking distance to your boat. And if you're lucky to get a slip next to the showers you don't have to use your boat's head unless your lazy or it's rainy.

Shop around. There's also marina's not very well suited for live-aboard that make life really tough that are really just adult toy storages. My father's marina has his storage building 30ft from the boat and the showers/laundry is about 100ft away. It's a famous spot for canadians and other northerners that come south for winter so it's built around the idea that most people live there with common areas, big holiday pot lucks, etc.

Please define "Canadian and other northerners" ric?

www.iFourWinns.com

live aboard, are there any.

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