Greatings all from a mountain man.

maalab · #1 (**permalink**) 02-04-2010

I am currently living on the top of a mountain hundreds of miles away from any ocean. I have worked real hard at becoming as self sufficient as I can be and have completely enjoyed it. I have fruit trees, (apples, pears, and others) nut trees, (pecans), many wild berries and have practices wild crafting. Wild crafting is just like finding what you need in the wild. This winter has been a bad one and I was looking on the net and found out that nice looking sail boats are not as much as I thought.

I am hoping to get a nice sail boar 40 ft or so, and learn to turn it into a totally self sufficient place to live on the open seas. I am hopping that I can leave land and only show up every 6 to 8 months or so for supplies.

This may be a real hair brained idea, wouldn't be my first, but it does seam possible. I am here looking for advice, pointers, and ideas on how to live, and enjoy a self sufficient lifestyle on the ocean

BTW Lots of GREAT reading here.... Great site!!!

imagine2frolic · #2 (**permalink**) 02-04-2010

Keep rerading & asking questions. In the mean time learn to sail. Then combine the 2 & enjoy........i2f

marianclaire · #3 (**permalink**) 02-04-2010

Maalab. The combination of mountains and sailing has worked for me. My land home is just north of Boone NC and I spend months at a time on the boat. Go for it. Dan S/V Marian Claire

maalab · #4 (**permalink**) 02-04-2010

I am south of Asheville, and planning on selling and going full time.. Proceeds from the house buys the boat.... Good idea, or bad?

knothead · #5 (**permalink**) 02-04-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by maalab

I am south of Asheville, and planning on selling and going full time.. Proceeds from the house buys the boat.... Good idea, or bad?

That's like asking..."if I marry this girl, will I be happy for the rest of my life?"

Welcome maalab, I hope you find some good information here and frankly, I hope you share some good information about living a self sufficient lifestyle. I for one am very interested in things like that.

I hope you don't really believe that anyone here can answer a question like the one you asked though.

It might be the best idea ever to sell your home and move aboard a boat and set about learning and living a whole new life. Or it could be the worst.
You are the only one who can make the guess, because that's all it really is. A guess.

You've come to a great place to get information though. So welcome aboard!

maalab · #6 (**permalink**) 02-04-2010

Oh I know that there is no simple answer.. and I know that there is no single answer. Based on work, house payment, and family, I am not looking at doing this for at lease 8 years.

I figure by then, I will have no obligations here. I just had to go sweep the snow off of my satellite (Internet) dish, and I think that sailing in warm water would be great.

I will be reading a lot and more than likely bother the good folks here a bunch. I planned on trying to start the lifestyle as much as I can now. Ex. start eating like I was on the boat. Lits of fish.. canned goods, and dried goods...

Here are a few spicific questions.....

Can one do laundry in salt water?

Is a shower ok in salt water? or do you end up feeling sticky after?

If I am fishing, and what I catch is not bigger than me, and I can get it on the boat, can I eat it?

I have thousands more...........
Feel free to role your eyes and tell me to stay on the mountain...

Knothead: Suggestions for self sufficient..
1) garden
2) pressure cooker and canning (have not purchased jelly in 6 years, and I like my PBJ)
3) learn, for your area, what grows wild that you can eat. Ex White pine tea.
4) wood heat!!!

I want to learn those types of items for living on a boat hundreds of miles out as sea..

bljones · #7 (**permalink**) 02-04-2010

A lot of the skills crossover from the mountaintop to the wavetops. Welcome aboard. Have you ever been sailing before?

maalab · #8 (**permalink**) 02-04-2010

Never been on any sail boat, have been in small fishing boats on lakes... I am really attracted to the idea of going anywhere I want and not fuel cost..

Well, another specific question:

How long do sails last, before they have to be replaced?

bljones · #9 (**permalink**) 02-04-2010

maalab, you're going to find that most times, the answer to your questions is going to be, "it depends." Sails tend to last longer in freshwater seasonal use than in saltwater full-time use. Racers tend to go through sails faster than cruisers, cautious cruisers tend to get more sail life than those who run in all weather.

There is always fuel cost. Yeah, your fuel cost is lower on a sailboat, but there will be times where you have to deploy the iron genny, if only just to keep yourself sane.

maalab · #10 (**permalink**) 02-04-2010

I have read enough here to understand the "It depends" answer.. Unfortunately when I have no clue, I do not even know that the dependencies even exist.

Best guess on sail life for a salt water cruiser that will be on the move lets say 182 days a year, hopefully not in real bad weather, and not trying to beat any speed records. (fyi 182 is half a year)