Landlocked newb considering liveaboard

[SirRealism]

Hello!

I'm a relative newb to sailing. Just a bit of daysailing here and there, but I have never owned a sailboat... yet. Last year, I took ASA courses 101, 103, and 104 aboard a Person 39 in the San Juan Islands, with the hopes of doing some bareboat chartering vacations. I enjoyed it as much as I feared I would.

Now I'm actually beginning to do some research on the possibility of buying a boat and living aboard full-time. I need a change of scenery, and I'm at a great point in my life for it. Now to see what's possible...

I'm looking forward to poking around here on sailnet and learning as much as possible.

[AdamLein]

Welcome aboard and best of luck! I'm in that area and it's a great place to build up sailing experience and learn the important lessons, like, if you're going to live aboard, don't do it here

Hope things go your way.

[RealityCheck]

The big question is what do you mean by Live aboard..... Are you going to use the boat primarily as a house which you may occasionally take out or one you will be cruising in full time and using it as a house and your primary vehicle? Answer to that will drive most of your questions one way or the other.

I personally agree with the initial reply.... don't think I would care much for doing a live aboard in that area! TOOOO damn cold and wet for me! But I love da islands Mon!

[SirRealism]

Originally Posted by RealityCheck

The big question is what do you mean by Live aboard..... Are you going to use the boat primarily as a house which you may occasionally take out or one you will be cruising in full time and using it as a house and your primary vehicle? Answer to that will drive most of your questions one way or the other.

I personally agree with the initial reply.... don't think I would care much for doing a live aboard in that area! TOOOO damn cold and wet for me! But I love da islands Mon!

I haven't determined a location yet. I live in IN, so I can say with relative assurance that it won't be very close to where I am now. :-)

I'm not considering living in WA. I took my classes there just to get some exposure to the area. I knew that my chances of sailing the San Juan Islands might get pretty slim once I invested in a boat on the other side of the country. It was my first time on the water out there, and I'm glad I did it.

I definitely would not be cruising full time. I'd be at a marina full-time. Although my web dev business allows me to work anywhere with broadband, I'd want a home base for at least 12 months at a time, and I'd have a car.

So my initial thoughts are to stay at a marina full-time and get a short-term lease on a small office in-town. So I'd definitely be partially tied down to one location, with the ability to take 3- to 4-week cruises while still getting some work done wherever I land. I hope that's realistic.

Thanks for the replies!

ETA: My challenges are:
• I can't afford to own both a house and a boat at this time.
• I need to continue working.
• I don't have enough sailling experience to know what to expect.
• Given my location, it's hard to get any real experience.

[AdamLein]

Originally Posted by SirRealism

I haven't determined a location yet. I live in IN,
...
• Given my location, it's hard to get any real experience.

IN = Indiana? Isn't that on some sort of Great Lake?

[SirRealism]

Originally Posted by AdamLein

IN = Indiana? Isn't that on some sort of Great Lake?

Yes, IN = Indiana, and Lake Michigan is ~ 3hrs away by car. But I probably don't want to liveabord 12 months there (weather), nor can I afford my house in Indianapolis and worthy boat, slip, etc.

So I think I'm probably limited to crewing and chartering up there. That's definitely an option to get some more sailing experience, though.

[mackconsult]

Aren't you close to any lakes, or sailing clubs?

I don't know why people feel they need a "big boat" to learn how to sail. Get the basics down first on a small boat. They are less expensive, trailer-able (even car top-able), do less damage when you hit things, and give you the basics of boat handling, trim, & concepts before moving up to something bigger.

Of coarse parking, close quarters maneuvering, & anchoring are all particular to any vessel large or small. But I can say with great confidence that it is my experience in small boats that allows me to "sail" a vessel into a dock, which is a skill/situation that most people don't have or are comfortable with. It's that one charter when the motor dies, and have to sail the stupid thing into its slip, or at least evaluate whether it is feasible to do that or not.

I have been on the water for 34 years, and to this day I learn more on my laser one man sail boat than I do in all other boats combined. This coupled with my Avon powerboat, and sailing on other peoples big boats that gives me a well rounded experience. BTW .... I am a racer, and you will find that you can learn a ton from sailboat racing that applies to cruising/passage making. I have sent my resume which has more dinghy/racing experience than anything else to charter companies, and they don't see any problem chartering a boat to me.

I have said it before and I will say it again. Experience comes with "TIME ON THE WATER", doesn't really matter to much what your in, or where you are.

[SirRealism]

Mac,

Yes, there are some lakes with sailing clubs within an hour of Indy. I've definitely considered getting a laser or catamaran. I wasn't trying to say I'm not open to that. Part of my motivation to think bigger has to do with the lifestyle part of liveaboard. As much as I want to be a proficient and safe sailor, I also want to live on water.

So I guess I'm getting on this board to try and assess what would best prepare me for it. I'm not assuming that I can just buy a 36' boat and expect to singlehand immediately. But by the same token, I don't want to spend another 3 or 4 years on a laser.

Thanks for your input. I appreciate the feedback from all of you.

Mark

PS- I have spent a lot of time on powerboats and houseboats. It doesn't translate into sailing skills, but I've definitely spent a fair amount of time on water.

[mackconsult]

Well even if you go that route of living on board, how often do you think you would actually get your "house" out sailing.

While doing the live aboard still sail on a small boat. You will find it easier, less time consuming, and give you a wealth of knowledge.