cheap liveaboard?

[joker1949]

If you are looking to live at anchor or off a mooring stay away from a houseboat, they are meant to be tied to a slip and have power to them. I lived on a CarlCraft for 3 years and won't recommend one looking for a cheap liveaboard. While they can be bought cheap they require power to liveaboard, they are basically an RV on a keel instead of wheels.

If you look around and find someone knowledgeable to help you you should be able to find a decent sailboat that will fulfill your needs. Well it be perfect? NO. But you can find one with will do most of what you want with some compromise and realizing you are going to have to do some projects. However with a sailboat, a good charging system, good housebank, a wind gen or solar recharge you should be able to live at anchor or on a mooring rather well. You will find all kind of mobile mechanics in the industry that for a fee will be willing to give you some crash courses in maintenance and pointers as you try to do it yourself. I and a lot of other people learned this way and also with the help of dockmates we got a lot done as we could afford it.

Make sure you pick a boat with good dependable family heritiage, ODay, Pearson, Morgan, Tartan, etc... you get the idea. Do your homework and research just like it was a project assign by a prof to learn about the boats and their pros and cons. Then get someone knowledgeable to go with you, most of us love to look at boats and will go with you. I bought a 37 foot Endeavour several years ago with the input of friends to start and then decided to foot the bill for a survey based on their and my opinions and observations. Remember boaters love boats and will take any excuse to look at a boat. My helpers cost me lunch at a good deli and some brews for advise from a couple with over 20 years of experience between them. The surveyor did not find one item they missed, matter of act he missed several they found. Do don't get discouraged go for it and have fun doing it. Living aboard is the greatest life style there is.

I have lived on a sail boat, a houseboat, and a motor yacht. I definitely recommend the sailboat for efficient cost effective housekeeping.