Living aboard and doing major refit???

[micheck]

(to save $$$) I would like to live-aboard and do a significant interior refit. Certainly not the best of all worlds but necessary - what experience is there in our community to guide or warn me?

Examples: interior painting; galley reconstruction with new 'ice box' and Corian top; new tankage (fuel/water/holding); new storage cabinets; wiring and plumbing ...

Charles

[KnottyGurl]

buy a trailer and live in that while you ripp the boat apart, will make life easier and more then likely possible to actually refit it.

[MARC2012]

I have done it and it is NO fun but possible.marc

[tommays]

I made several hundred pounds of dust with god knows what in it refitting Seafever and there is a pretty big health issue of the various solvents

[kd3pc]

Definitely will save you some money! and it is possible and can be fun, every now and then..but you will have dust and fumes for a while and nothing is in it's place. Stepping carefully so you do not miss the grid or stringers or tripping over C-clamps that hold things while the epoxy dries. We did the house trip of using plastic to seal off the aft cabin and that kept a lot of construction mess down.

And the biggie, make sure the marina is OK with it. We had a fellow who stayed for a month of two last year that apparently his idea of "work" and the marina's idea of "work" were two different things. Noise and dust seemed to bother the other slip holders, especially since he worked the "cooler" hours, quite early and late...

Did not bother me as I learned alot about how and why he was doing what he was doing, and the tools he chose to use to do it.

[billyruffn]

IMHO, you'd be nuts to live aboard during the refit. Dirt, dust, fumes, lights get disconected, water may or may not work, tools are everywhere, parts of the boat removed to do the work are everywhere....it's not a pretty sight. The fact that all this is happening in a very small space compounds the problem.

If you have a place within the boat to retreat that can be kept clean and you have access to shore facilities (head / shower / food), and if you don't mind roughing it.....it's possible. I lived that way for two weeks in a yard. It wasn't much fun. And I should add... I didn't have the my first mate with me. My guess is most women don't like living in a workshop.

[ArcherBowman]

Originally Posted by billyruffn

I didn't have the my first mate with me. My guess is most women don't like living in a workshop.

I won't speak about "most women," as I haven't met them all. But MY first mate cannot STAND living in a construction site.

[turbulicity]

It will be a lot slower to refit while living aboard. Health concerns are also very legitimate. But sometimes you don't have any other option. I chose the path since I can't afford to live elsewhere while I am making boat payments. I find myself spending almost as much time cleaning up as the actual work. I am also living with my 4 year old son so all I can do is a few hours a week. It will take years and years for me to get to where I want.

[farwesthoops]

Very challenging for sure. I am currently living on board an Islander 30 and doing fairly minor projects ie. chainplates, ceilings and ports. Helps if you are a picker upper after each days work. I am almost 70 and don't mind my own company but I couldn't imagine having another person on board regardless of how much I enjoyed their company. I am also redoing an older Bingham Allegra during my summers in another location. Living on board her at 24' would test even my resolve...

[WDS123]

Unhealthy and possibly dangerous