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Who''s living on what??

128K views 255 replies 148 participants last post by  MikeOReilly 
#1 ·
Who''''s living on what??

Just to inquire about what you all like, I am just looking to get a collection of what boat you live on, How do you like your boat, and is there anything that you would change if you started over? Also what do YOU think would be the best suited live aboard boat for your situation? Also do you live in a marina or cruising?
 
#213 ·
1972 Catalina c27. I primarily love it bc I've been modd'ing it to meet my personal tastes/needs. And, since it is small, the modd'ing is a piece of cake. What would I do differently? Sometimes I think I want a bigger boat, but then, reality sets in. For example maintenance cost. For example, costs to repair an engine. I've got an outboard. So, if/when that goes, I'll toss it and buy another for a fraction of the cost of an inboard. Also, hardware, rigging, sails, and even boat bottom cleaning & haul outs all increase. Though, not slip fees, so much bc I'm already in a 32 ft slip. Regardless, I end up disabusing myself of the bigger boat idea, and end up thinking up different ways to mod the one I'm on.
 
#216 · (Edited)
Just bought a 22' Catalina with trailer. I am a little leary as to how much room my GF and I will have (we do plan on living aboard 75% of the time) BUT I am 53 yrs.old with an injured left wrist so I feel comfortable that i will be able to set-up and sail a boat this size for many years to come. I realize that we will have to do without many 'things' in order to make room. We have talked about catching a hotel at select ports on occasion just to get a bit more free movement so I am not too worried about getting 'cramped' for very long. Plus, the fact that our boat, "Elskede", is trailer-able so we can always change different locations across America. Wish us luck. Happy Sailling
 
#217 ·
I have lived aboard a Catalina 27 on a mooring ball, a Columbia 29 in a Marina and now on my O'Day 32 (all sailboats ), the last 2 alone. Love the life, the community and may never go back to land.: -)
/Tania
 
#218 ·
Hey All, I gladly live on a Randøyskjøte 29 gaffrig cutter. There will never be another way for sure. 6 months out of the year, I`m on a bouy and the other 6 are at a dock for the winter for access to electicity. It`s norwegian and very similiar to the Pardey`s Lyle Hess designed boat. I also agree with others here about simplification. You adapt real quick with what you have either it be a little or a lot, so keep it simplified. Keep your basic needs in focus and the rest is just taking up space.
 
#226 ·
We are in the process of moving aboard a Morgan OI 33. I like the advice of adjusting your life style to the size of the boat.

We've sold the house and are in a short term apartment for less than 30 days. The only furniture I own are 2 lawn chairs that are locked to my wife's bike on the porch as theft protection. When we move the bike to the marina the chairs go to goodlwill.

There is a process to getting rid of stuff. 95% of the people we talk with think this is a great idea, 5% just don't get it.

My last day at work is in 5 days. I no longer need my suits, sport coats, shirts and ties. Gave them to someone at work who is my size and needs a better wardrobe. You can see the light go on in people's eyes when they realize I included the hangers with the clothes because I don't have the room for them.

Matt
 
#235 ·
We are in the process of moving aboard a Morgan OI 33. I like the advice of adjusting your life style to the size of the boat.

We've sold the house and are in a short term apartment for less than 30 days. The only furniture I own are 2 lawn chairs that are locked to my wife's bike on the porch as theft protection. When we move the bike to the marina the chairs go to goodlwill.

There is a process to getting rid of stuff. 95% of the people we talk with think this is a great idea, 5% just don't get it.

My last day at work is in 5 days. I no longer need my suits, sport coats, shirts and ties. Gave them to someone at work who is my size and needs a better wardrobe. You can see the light go on in people's eyes when they realize I included the hangers with the clothes because I don't have the room for them.

Matt
Only 5% didn't get it? Most people I talk to, find living aboard inconceivable.

I lived aboard my Pearson 30 for almost a year, during my divorce. Loved every minute of it and it's not nearly as roomy as a Morgan OI or Catalina 30.
 
#227 ·
Matt, you really don't need clothes hangers. While I was performing in the Florida Keys, most of the night clubs I performed only required shorts and a Hawaiian shirt. The shirts, which I acquired from Ebay, were wash and wear, required no ironing, and always looked good. Mostly polyester/cotton blend.

At the locations where shorts were taboo, I wore black, dress slacks, and they stayed good looking if I carefully folded them and placed them in one of the drawers. The one thing I love about the Morgan 33 OI is the storage space - there's lots of it. I converted my hanging locker to a shelved locker, which allows me to store a lot more things in it. Something to consider.

Most of the time, when I was not playing music in the Tiki Bars, the attire was shorts, flip-flops and a short sleeve shirt. That was almost considered formal in the lower keys. ;)

All the best,

Gary :cool:
 
#229 ·
Matt, you really don't need clothes hangers. While I was performing in the Florida Keys, most of the night clubs I performed only required shorts and a Hawaiian shirt. The shirts, which I acquired from Ebay, were wash and wear, required no ironing, and always looked good. Mostly polyester/cotton blend.

At the locations where shorts were taboo, I wore black, dress slacks, and they stayed good looking if I carefully folded them and placed them in one of the drawers. The one thing I love about the Morgan 33 OI is the storage space - there's lots of it. I converted my hanging locker to a shelved locker, which allows me to store a lot more things in it. Something to consider.

Most of the time, when I was not playing music in the Tiki Bars, the attire was shorts, flip-flops and a short sleeve shirt. That was almost considered formal in the lower keys. ;)

All the best,

Gary :cool:
instead of ironing, if ironing is needed, fold the clothes so the creases work out as you want them and then put them under the cushion of your berth. sleep on it. it will press them pretty good. i haven't done it but a co-worker, at a former job, told me about it. it's how they do it in jail.

apparently there are inmates worried about that freshly ironed look.:rolleyes:
 
#230 · (Edited)
I've been on my Morgan 33 OI for about 5 years. I basically emptied my house mostly to Goodwill. things you might need to keep or acquire. apartment size freezer and refrigerator. separate units better when one fails. buy cheap, consider as non-repairable. dump most of your clothes, leather shoes don't like marine environment if you like to grill consider a 20# tank with adapter for your on deck grill 1 burner hotplate (small propane bottle) and microwave in galley. even if you dump almost everything as I did you be amazed ar how fast your storage spaces fill up. my car was last to go. I figure occasional rentals and 1-2000/yr taxis just about a wash.
hope this helps.
dave
 
#234 ·
It is a car sharing program. You pay per day that you use it, and there is the monthly fee. Much cheaper than (at least in theory, i have not done the math) than renting from car rental companies. You have some sort of fob that unlocks the car that is parked in a specific location. You reserve it online, and just show up at the car. No offices or anything like that. They are big in most urban areas, and around college campuses.
 
#237 ·
In response to comments on the "stuff" - - -

Many years ago, I went from a 5-bedroom house to a 27' boat. The only mistake I made was keeping too much in a storage locker - mostly books and the such that I (thought I) couldn't part with. It was a big locker. Eventually I was able to give just about all of it away, and don't miss a bit of it. I can't even remember what it was. I kept a small storage that morphed from boxes of household stuff into a paint locker, with hoses, spares, extra sails, and so on. That, to me, is the hardest stuff to keep on the boat. For my last move, except for a motorcycle, if it didn't fit on the boat it didn't go. So now I have a small locker again, with boat spares, old photos, and off-season clothes that get swapped twice a year. I often have to explain to people that if I buy a pair of jeans, I have to throw a pair away, and that I have twice as much clothes in the Summer, since two shorts take up as much room as one pair of long pants. I think starting small and moving to a slightly larger (32') boat helped, since I had to make a break with "the stuff" in a big way.

So after 25 years of living aboard, and another year in a Japanese apartment that was possibly smaller than the boat, I look at "stuff" as just that much more to maintain. I also find the best way to keep the boat tidy is to take her out regularly. That way I *HAVE* to keep stuff put away!
 
#238 ·
Good morning,

We have lived on two different sailboats on the hook in St. John, US Virgin Islands. A 40' Hunter and we currently live on a Hunter 37C.

Although it took some adjusting to live on the smaller Hunter there are definite advantages. A smaller sailboat means maintenance is a bit cheaper which is a plus.

We sleep in the v-berth which at first really annoyed me(having to climb into bed), but now I really like it. The plus is we are rarely hot due to the nice breeze that blows through. The downside is making the bed is a real drag and I like having a neat cabin.

The other downside is that working on the engine is at times difficult. We have to haul everything out of the quarter berth (which is our storage area) to access the back part of the engine. (Our 40' had an aft stateroom which made access to the back of the engine easy, peasy. Sometimes storage can be an issue but we've learned to live quite minimally so that we don't have too much clutter. :) Clean spaces are a must for me.

My husband regularly sails her single handed as well, which makes her a good choice for us.

We have a blog as well that we continue to document our updates and our travels. Mountains and Seashore

Great question and I am curious to read what others have posted.

Camile
s/v Obsession[/SIZE][/FONT]
 
#239 · (Edited)
I own a Hartley Tasman 27' bilge keeler anchored on the Brisbane River, a Hartley Queenslander 33'er on a swing mooring in Sydney and a decrepit house on 1/3 acre in Wairoa NZ. I alternate between the three of them, restoring a bit more at each visit. Neither of the yachts has an engine and all three run 100% off solar power.

The yachts can't be sailed as yet but the plan is to eventually take one of them - probably the Tasman - around Australia, then head out for a longer trip once I have more experience. So far my only real sailing was a trip in Dec 2013 from Newcastle to Christchurch via Lord Howe Island and Nelson in a friend's 42' steel yacht. It was an awesome experience.

I'm 62, single and retired.

I bought the Queenslander first, just over three years ago, as a substitute for paying rent in a shared house. I was caught in the trap of paying inflated rent for very little comfort and it seemed like a better idea to live on a yacht. Being a handy guy I've done a lot of work to that one, including a complete rewiring job, adding VHF and SSB radios, antennas, AIS (via Bluetooth), OpenCPN on a laptop for navigation, windex, macerator head, replacing all lighting with LEDs, painting, etc etc. It's fairly liveable although the cabin is in need of a lot of timber work due to earlier neglect and leaks a bit. Major issue is replacement of the engine; I have a new 40hp engine but no way of installing it while at anchor, and the companionway is too small to remove the old one. So, this yacht will have to be slipped and the cabin and engine replaced at one time, which is costly. Long term project.

The Tasman came along a year later, and costs me almost nothing since the mooring is free. It will happily run with a 6hp outboard and I'm looking for one right now. Sails are a mess so I'll be repairing those soon. She also has a small hull leak that needs a haulout, I'll do that when I paint her. Surprisingly this one is far more comfortable, having had a new glass-over-ply cabin fitted a few years ago. Ebay special, price was peanuts compared to the value I've had there.

I love living aboard and plan to keep doing it until I can't manage it any more. The house is my final retirement plan.

Biggest issues right now are a storage room full of "stuff" that I keep paying for, and the cost of keeping a VW Transporter van registered even though I rarely use it. But for trips to the shops and for hauling supplies it's necessary.

Here's a photo of the Tasman:
 

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#242 ·
Next year my wife and I are going to living on our Hunter 410. In my mind for the most part only single people and "kids" should live on a sub-40' boat.
 
#245 · (Edited)
We've now been living on a Catalac 12M for two months. During an ongoing refit in the Turks and Caicos Islands. House is on the market.

It's a very comfy boat for two people. We turned cabin #3 into a workshop, and cabin #4 into a huge head with stand up shower and washing machine. Leaves us two forward cabins with double size bunks. Plenty of headroom in saloon and hulls. Large engine spaces, and amazing storage. Very solid boat, inch thick GRP in places. Slow, but that's all so overblown. People argue a lot over what is really the difference between a fast walk and a slow trot. If we wanted speed, we'd buy another powerboat or a Hobie. We went for the Winnebago instead of the corvette. This boat is like sailing a three bedroom, two bath English cottage around.
 
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