Hi, my husband and I are in our mid-40s, still employed (I work from home). We are spending so much on rent in this Area, that we decided to buy a boat and live aboard for a few years, which will actually let us save enough money to hopefully put a down payment on a house (here/somewhere else) in the next 5-10 years. We are pretty adventurous and are very excited at the thought of our new lifestyle.
Of course, neither one of us has boating experience and don't know what the maintenance of a boat entails.
But here is the thing. I have fallen madly in love with a Wood Yacht - the interior is beautiful and will require very little upgrading to fit our lives.
A friend of ours (with extensive boating experience) and just about anybody else we talk to, is telling us how much work, time and money the maintenance of this boat will involve.
Choosing a boat is causing a rift between my husband and I. I feel, that if I'm going to live somewhere for the next 10 years of my life, I should love the place. He, being the guy he is, is less impressed with the stainless steel appliances, how pretty the kitchen cabinets are and how great it is to have an enclosed shower ... all he cares about is that instead of spending his weekends relaxing, he's going to have to spend them painting decks, varnishing and God knows what else. He makes the intensity and amount of work sound so overwhelming, I'm almost ready to give in -- but the reality is we don't know for sure.
So that's my question. Before I start the process of trying to forget that beauty I fell in love with, and agree on the purchase on this, in my opinion, "less pretty" fiberglass boat we've seen, I need to know for sure what it is that I'm giving up.
How often does one have to sand and varnishing the wood?
How often does one have to pain the deck?
It is once a month, is it weekly? it is just once a year?
I understand that if there is a leak, this will have to be addressed immediately, but these can be prevented by calking, etc often (what does often mean?)
I also understand the need to hull out the boat and repaint the bottom once every year or two (and how costly this will be) but, we could budget for this once every two year expense …
And is it true, that having a fiberglass boat means that we get to spend the weekend relaxing for the next 10 years, sipping Margaritas while on the deck of our "Home" (I could be persuaded).
Can someone out there give me a reason to continue fighting for the wooden beauty I fell for?
Of course, neither one of us has boating experience and don't know what the maintenance of a boat entails.
But here is the thing. I have fallen madly in love with a Wood Yacht - the interior is beautiful and will require very little upgrading to fit our lives.
A friend of ours (with extensive boating experience) and just about anybody else we talk to, is telling us how much work, time and money the maintenance of this boat will involve.
Choosing a boat is causing a rift between my husband and I. I feel, that if I'm going to live somewhere for the next 10 years of my life, I should love the place. He, being the guy he is, is less impressed with the stainless steel appliances, how pretty the kitchen cabinets are and how great it is to have an enclosed shower ... all he cares about is that instead of spending his weekends relaxing, he's going to have to spend them painting decks, varnishing and God knows what else. He makes the intensity and amount of work sound so overwhelming, I'm almost ready to give in -- but the reality is we don't know for sure.
So that's my question. Before I start the process of trying to forget that beauty I fell in love with, and agree on the purchase on this, in my opinion, "less pretty" fiberglass boat we've seen, I need to know for sure what it is that I'm giving up.
How often does one have to sand and varnishing the wood?
How often does one have to pain the deck?
It is once a month, is it weekly? it is just once a year?
I understand that if there is a leak, this will have to be addressed immediately, but these can be prevented by calking, etc often (what does often mean?)
I also understand the need to hull out the boat and repaint the bottom once every year or two (and how costly this will be) but, we could budget for this once every two year expense …
And is it true, that having a fiberglass boat means that we get to spend the weekend relaxing for the next 10 years, sipping Margaritas while on the deck of our "Home" (I could be persuaded).
Can someone out there give me a reason to continue fighting for the wooden beauty I fell for?