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Downside of living aboard

56K views 160 replies 70 participants last post by  Minnewaska 
#1 ·
I've been perusing various liveaboard blogs, and one thing I notice, is, several months in, the blogger sells their boat and moves back on land.

Bc of this, I wondered why that is.

One common thing it seems, is that most failures involve derelict boats. You know the sort, engine doesn't function, the inside is rotted out, the thing leaks like a sieve, electrical causes all sorts of damage, etcetera and etcetera.

Another thing I've noticed is that, when these bloggers start out, they are full of excitement. They spend the first few months working on their new old boat. At some point, they run out of money, energy, and/or time. So, they throw in the towel and move shore side.

The most interesting, imho, thing, is that the majority seem to focus upon making their new old boat pretty, as opposed to functional. Or at least, non-sinkable, non-leaky...

As most sailnetters are aware, lots of people show up, ready to live the dream. I was one of them a year and a half ago. Imho, the failures are those with arguably, unrealistic expectations. Mostly in the financial area, it seems. But also in their perception of what the dream is.

This leaves me wondering, what percentage of people who move aboard stay? Also, what is the most common reason for failure?

Anyway, just curious. That, and, I figure it wouldn't hurt to have a thread discussing the "downside" of living aboard. Not to crush anyone's dream. Rather, to put some realism back into the equation.
 
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#111 ·
Downsides?

Well, for me having lived aboard a few different boats, and not at all interested in owning anything over 40 feet or so,
The only downside that comes up for me is shop space.
I like to break things, take em' apart, and put em back together.
Sometimes they even work again when Im done..
So, Where does the drill press go on the boat? The air compressor? The scrap metal pile?
Guess, I will have to live without them again....
 
#112 ·
I'm helping move my Mom into the old folks home this week. Too bad my boat isn't the size of the Queen Mary for all the cool stuff that is going to Goodwill, Habitat for Humanity etc. But then I guess that's why I left in the first place. Geez, folks accumulate a lot of stuff. Guess I'll be happy with the Mickey Mouse pocket watch and my dad's purple heart medal from WWII.
 
#117 ·
You know really, thinking about it now, I really miss the two times I was living on my boat,
1) 11 months in a marina
2) 8 months cruising.

I wish I was doing either one right now. :D
 
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#118 ·
My wife & I have owned an older Pearson 30 for the last 7 years we love the way she handles - fast, nimble and well built but we are finding she is getting smaller on our longer cruises. We are contemplating an upgrade to a liveaboard in the future and I have been looking at the Tartan 41 Tock among a few others ( Pearson 41, Morgan 38) and am curious how she sails. I couldn't find many reviews on the web and would be interested to hear any thoughts.

Also, for those LA's in the northeast, how do you manage the winters? Do you shrinkwrap it with a door?. Do your marinas use a bubbler system?. How about pumoput service? Is there a pumpout hose long enough to reach your slip? Do you have to insulate the fresh water hose?
What do you use for heat?
What about clearing the dock of snow? Does the marina do that?

Is living onboard in the winter a real challenge?

Currently we keep our boat at the New Haven on a mooring as there are no slips ( It's a small club) but when we sell her and make the jump to a liveaboard we'll probably slip her a one of the marinas in the New Haven vicinity.


Any advice you can give would be greatly appreciated.
 
#120 ·
Also, for those LA's in the northeast, how do you manage the winters?
Prepare for a higher heating bill than you imagine.

Do you shrinkwrap it with a door?
Some people do, and it creates a nice greenhouse effect underneath. You can do clear shrinkwrap and not feel like you're as much in a cocoon. A cockpit enclosure can be used the same way. On sunny milder winter days it's possible to sit comfortably in an enclosed cockpit.

Do your marinas use a bubbler system?
Most do, or will let the slipholder. However, it's really more for the protection of the docks than the boats.

How about pumoput service? Is there a pumpout hose long enough to reach your slip?
If an area has enough of a critical mass of liveaboards a pumpout boat may run all winter or a marina may leave a self-serve pumpout station open. It depends on the marina and area. Either way you'll probably gravitate to the shoreside facilities more in the winter.

Do you have to insulate the fresh water hose?
Most marinas turn the dock water off. Sometimes if you're close enough to the landside you can run a submerged hose where being underwater insulates it. Some marinas also may leave a self-serve water filling station available otherwise you have to bring your water in jerry jugs.

What do you use for heat?
Electric, diesel, and propane are the most popular choices or some combination thereof. Each has its ups and downs which have been discussed at length here on other threads. As I mentioned above, heating an uninsulated boat is much more expensive than you'd think and condensation can become a real issue.

What about clearing the dock of snow? Does the marina do that?
Depends on the marina but generally yes.

Is living onboard in the winter a real challenge?
More challenging than living ashore but nothing you can't overcome if you know what to expect and are willing to accept the downsides.
 
#119 · (Edited)
Try it out first. Rent or charter one for a couple of weeks and live on it. You don't need to go any where, just live on it. You can also try joining a club that gives you a few weeks a year and use of the boats when they're not out. In Boston we had that at the Boston Sailing Club. That way you can settle the small space and living in the weather aspect of it at least. Repairs and finance are another major aspect, keep your day job as long as you can and try it out. The days when you could just anchor your boat out or pay very low fees are long gone.
 
#122 ·
This is a great thread. My wife and I moved aboard our 29 ft Columbia 8.7 back in the early spring. ABSOLUTELY has come with its share of challenges, pitfalls and moister laden mornings. However, the live-a-board plan came with what I think most people fail to do. Plan.
Our dream is not a 29 foot boat on Lake Lanier. Its coastal cruising the ICW and beyond in our 40 footer. But before sinking a ton of money into such a monster, we started slow, and everything we do is designed around our final plan. I won't bore you with the details, but it looks a little like this:
Buy a comfortable, affordable, home, that has the potential to sail.
Sell most everything, keep enough for a 1 bedroom if all else fails.
Storage unit so we can swap summer/winter clothes, store food in bulk, keep the boat clutter free of non-daily use items.
Work hard, live off 1 income so we can bank the other. Monsters are expensive.
Live simply, get debt free. Isn't the end goal freedom anyway?
Pay cash for big boat. Bring to the lake and get to know every rivet, hose, clamp, nook and cranny.
Re-outfit to be a comfortable home, and potential to sail
Upgrade EVERYTHING.
Move to coast and see how many things still go wrong.

Everything we do is a plan. From the type of dog we got last year, to when our cars will be paid off, to taking celestial training classes and small engine repair. Honestly its a long slow process that is tough. However, in January were living in a home with a dream and a few hundred bucks in the cookie jar, far from the reality of living on our dream boat. A few months later we are now a little over a year away from being able to pay cash for our "big" boat and continue on with the next steps. (and we are not made of money) There are a thousand things I left off the list above but my point is that a plan will take you a long way. As you sailors know, what you do on a boat is not hurried, and is deliberate. If you want to live an extraordinary lifestyle, you have to make extraordinary changes in your thought process',
and you have to plot your course.
Believe me, I know we have many hurdles to over come and many mistakes to make, but so far our plan is working keeping in mind life is always a few steps forward and occasionally a few back.
 
#125 ·
I'm writing a book on this very subject.

I lived on the inland waterways of Britain for a few years. I watched people come and go. some used the canal boats as a cheap means of accommodation. others wanted to live a dream of being on a boat, others wanted to travel the inland waterways. others were one step away fro homelessness and the canalboat they lived in was borderline floating raft.

I love living on a boat, but the inland waterways were not really my cup of tea. Im too young and too excitable.

I live on a yacht, I dont call myself a liveaboard. there's a distinction between, someone who lives on a boat and someone who is a liveaboard.

the former, is someone who keeps the boat in trim ad as few of their possessions cluttering the place. its a boat first. home second. the boat moves frequently and is used as a boat. It is always just 20 minutes from being seaworthy as everything is generally pre stowed or in a state of readiness.

liveaboards on the otherhand are quite static, often their boats don't move from one year to the next. they love being bythe water and the boat is oftena cheaper method of living than renting a flat or house.
You will often find single mature people going along this route. They may live in a motorboat or yacht. but generally its static.

I fall into the first category. I move, frequently. Although I keep the boat usually in the same marina, I head out for days and weekends and whenever I possibly can. just because I can and because I love sailing.

people ask me frequently, when are you going to move back to land, after 9 years of this, I can honestly say I don't see that happening within my current vision of my future. I say its not for everyone, living on a boat isnt an easy option. I know someone people try it, and realise they can't cope with certain elements of the life style.

dealing with your own toilet waste, dealing with expensive equipment, water pumps, frozen waterpipes in winter, diesel engine maintenance, fibreglass repairs, sails and sail repairs, safety equipment, the lack of personal space if sharing with a partner, the showers ashore, mildew and damp cupboards in winter, yearly or twice yearly haul outs for hull maintenance and so on.

it takes a certain kind of character to manage all of that, plus hold down a job plus have a social life. and then deal with friends or family who might not want to visit for whatever reason they find, but actually, they don't like cramped spaces or small beds or the sensation of movement all of the time...

there's many downsides to living on a boat, but for me at least, they are far outweighed by the positives.
 
#126 ·
I'm writing a book on this very subject.
..................................................
I live on a yacht, I dont call myself a liveaboard. there's a distinction between, someone who lives on a boat and someone who is a liveaboard.
................................................
While you're writing this book, keep in mind that the connotations for these terms are not universal. Many would think it pretentious to say that they live on a yacht. Many, like myself, crusie about frequently and consider themselves as liveaboards. We've been liveaboards and living on a boat for forty-three years
 
#127 ·
Ah now that's a typical example of words being taken out of context

I live on a yacht but I don't call myself a liveaboard

I live on a yacht, I don't call my self a liveaboard.

I live on a boat but I don't call myself a liveaboard.

Which of the above phrases is least likely to offend a sensitive soul who finds the use of the word "yacht" either pompous or pretentious?

In the uk which is where i am, the use of the word yacht simply indicates "sail boat" and nothing more.

The reason for defining liveaboard and live on board a boat is that in the uk at least when you say "i liveaboard" it is assumed one lives on a Dutch barge that never moves or some other heavy displacement type floating static dwelling. The wording is subtle. But by saying i live on a boat or a yacht it is clearer to understand and then I don't spend the next half hour explaining that actually my houseboat moves.
 
#129 ·
Since the book is aimed at those wishing to try out living on the inland waterways network within the UK, I think my terminology is pretty safe.
So many people thought it would be a dream lifestyle, but it turns out, it's more of a nightmare for many.
I grew tired of the glossed over issue of this falsely promised life of wonderfulness, and noone was presenting the reality in a balanced viewpoint for would-be liveaboards. There was no reliable information point or guide book.

So I turned my blog of life on the inland waterways into a funny and factual book for people to use as a guide for how to do it and more importantly how NOT to do it.
Not pretentious at all, just down to earth honest gritty truth. (still in final edit so not available yet)

As I said in my first post, I'm no longer a pure liveaboard, (which happened to constant cruise within a large radius of London) but I live on a boat by the south coast instead. which happens to have a mast and sails and moves a fair bit, work allowing. The canal boat was more expensive than the yacht, which is another fallacy people have about sailing boats when they think of costs.
 
#132 ·
It's really interesting reading, and learning from, these posts. I've been living aboard at anchor (cruising & working seasonally in Florida/Bahamas areas) for fifteen years and there certainly are pros and con's to a nomadic lifestyle. I'm not wealthy, but get by on seasonal jobs, low paying and the sailboat gets most of the earnings! It took a health issue- fighting a nasty breast tumor- to force me to finally head to a marina. Once I get there, about 100 more nautical miles from current position, the convenience of being at a dock will suck me right in. But would never go back to home ownership or renting an apartment. Being at a marina though just might make me end up with a truck (miss mine from 15 years ago!) and car loan payments...gotta get to the doctor somehow:-/
 
#135 ·
My husband and I have lived on three different boats over the last 10 years. I have found I generally want to jump ship after about two years. :) This time though feels different.

We purchased a Hunter 37C a year and a half ago and are about a month shy of paying it off. My husband and I both work but look forward to cutting back a bit in the near future. We live on the hook in St. John, USVI and look forward to a bit of cruising in about a year and a half. I learn something about myself each time we've had a boat and what I need to continue to live this way of life. We focus on the maintenance and upkeep (most important), but also do small things to make it cozy and a home. While we have a very simple sailboat we endeavor to have "necessary" niceties that make our boat comfortable.

I also realized that I need to get off the boat from time to time and visit family and friends in the states. It helps me appreciate the time that this way of life allows me to have.

I've also started blogging about our life which helps me put things in perspective, the good and the bad. Letting it out in writing and sharing my thoughts seems to be an outlet that helps me to deal with any day to day struggles with this interesting but rewarding way of life.

Camile
s/v Obsession
mountainsandseashore.blogspot.com
 
#138 ·
Disappointment is the gap between expectations and reality...

False expectations about living aboard are quite common and include:
- Cheap place to live. You can make that happen for a little while, while your boat and living standard break down around you. Be realistic.

- Living close to nature. Yep, including walking all the way up and down your gangway in the rain trying to carry groceries, or just get to work dry, living in a space with no insulation nor AC, leaking port holes, constant mold that has to be managed and all the other things regular humidity harms like framed pictures and guitars, etc.

Romantic notions. Including pumping your own excrement and then living with the a tank of it under your bed or near enough your eating area that you can occasionally smell it when you least want to. Cluttered boats because space and "stuff" don't always match make for stressful living if that balance is off. And, you'll find your "I'll sail most day after work and every weekend" ideas don't materialize when it takes more than an hour to turn her from a home to a sailing vessel that won't break all your stuff on the first gust or big wave.

In short, people have unrealistic expectations of how little it will cost, how little work there is to do, how much they will get to play, and how comfortable it will be. If everyone just doubled their expectations in the negative direction (It will cost twice as much, and I'll sail half as much), everyone would be a lot happier.
 
#139 ·
Tom, sounds as if you are doing something wrong. No mold or mildew on my boat, I love living aboard when I did, never had a problem with my music gear, I have heat and AC on the boat (heat pump), get pumped out once a week, which is no different than having my septic tank pumped out once a year, and the walk down my sidewalk is about 165 feet, so when it rains, I use an umbrella to carry the groceries into the house. I watched TV on my PC, mainly because there isn't any commercial broadcast TV in the Florida Keys, checked my email regularly, kept in touch with my family via the cellular telephone, and all my photos are digital and currently stored online, so no problems with them as well. During the six months I lived aboard, I had no problems whatsoever - I loved it, even when it was raining. Oh, and my ports do not leak, though I have a slight leak somewhere on the cabin top that I cannot seem to find. Probably a loose screw in a hand rail, or something similar. Eventually, I will find it and fix it.

All the best,

Gary :cool:
 
#140 ·
Hi Gary.

I'm happy as a clam, and don't think I'm doing anything wrong... Whether it is a leaky port hole (which I don't have either), or some other leak that can't be tracked down (like yours), they happen, sometimes in real inconvenient places, and I've heard people who stop living aboard complain about leaks as a reason. Umbrellas don't keep feet dry, and a long walk in the rain is also something I've heard others complain about as they stop living aboard. The mold is not difficult to manage at all, but does require vigilance for nearly everyone I know living aboard (though maybe having heat and AC changes that, those are very rare on most boats I know of, as they're not very functional when unplugged from shore power), and it is also one of the reasons I've heard of people complaining about as they stop living aboard. I sail offshore enough that I don't need a pump-out, but macerate it out all the time. Even with that, there are the occasional smells that everyone I know has caught wiff of and has to manage or live with, and that is one of the most common complaints I've heard from people who stop living aboard. And cost, which you didn't mention, is the most common.

I've been aboard for a couple of years, love it, and think I will be living aboard for a long time. Because I knew the possible and likely realities of living aboard, and didn't idealize it. Therefore, I have no gap between my realistic expectations and real liveaboard life. I'm extremely happy here. :)
 
#141 ·
Sorry Tom, I thought you were describing your boat and experiences. And, yes, the AC/Heat makes a huge difference in the mold problem. And, with a generator, you can use it anyplace you desire, just as long as you have sufficient fuel for the generator. The generators I've looked at to run the heat pump have all been 2000-watts or more and consume about one gallon of gasoline every 8 hours.

All the best,

Gary :cool:
 
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