Last year in August of 2002 I bought and moved aboard a 1971 32 ft. Islander. I''ve been tied to the dock for the last year her in Southern California at the King Harbor Marina - and have a few thoughts to share.
I like my boat. It didn''t cost 1/10 the price of a new boat - and it is now paid off - and each month I save more for my future cruising plans.
Even though I like my boat - there are few things, upon reflection with one year experience, that I realize will sway any future boat purchase decisions.
If I had known what I know now - would I still have bought this boat? Probably.
I looked at this initial liveaboard experience as an experiment - to see if I could downsize my space needs - and also to learn and grow as a sailor who does alot of my own maitenance. No matter how badly I screwed something up - even if the boat became a total loss - I looked at it as the same price I would invest in an education.
The Islander is fin keel, sloop rigged - and intended as a coastal cruiser. The lack of deep storage spaces and tank capacities are probably the only real issues I have with my current boat.
There is a propane
stove in the galley - and a cold-plate refrigeration system. Cooking in the galley is comfy on a cold winter night. There is sufficient room for pots & pans - and provisions for my week-to-week needs - although I wonder where I''ll store enough for a two month voyage later.
Sleeping in the v-berth is wonderful. The mattress is about 3 inches of foam - and there is sufficient air circulation with the foredeck
hatch opened a bit - to allow a cool breeze to flow through the boat. I have recently installed a Hella 12v fan - and on the few days when it has been very hot outside - the fan has made the v-berth very comfortable.
In the winter I have heated the main salon with a small ceramic eletric heater. The unit is perfect for the size of my cabin - and resulted in about a $20 increase in my monthly electric bill (which usually averages $10 during the spring, summer, and fall).
I''m just a relatively short walk to the showers in the marina club house building...I think this was probably the one aspect of living aboard that I anticipated would be the most disruptive - but it has not been an issue at all. There have been a few times when I''ve accidently left a towel or soap, etc. in the locker room - and it always disappears - but that is a small inconvenience.
I work in a professional office - and have struggled with the question of how to best store my shirts & dress pants - I finally decided on installing a wood rod as a hanging locker in the head. A solar powered fan above the head I installed this year has greatly reduced the musty smell - and as far as I know - no one has edged away from me in a conference room yet. LOL.
The best part of living aboard has been the experience of making some new friends that have boats on the docks near mine. And the peaceful bliss of watching sunsets over the ocean...and seeing harbor seals playing in the channel behind my boat. And living a dream of my childhood.
The worst part? I miss not having my hundreds of books readily available. Part of my move aboard included moving everthing I own into storage. But I have become reacquainted with the public library - and I have read more books - all good things.
What would I like in a "Next Boat"?
- Storage in the bilge area would be nice.
- 6-8 Portholes that open
- 60-100 gallons of
fuel capacity
- 80+ gallons of fresh water capacity
- a chart desk & chair!!
I''ve looked at Tayanna''s on the high-end - and lusted after a 55 footer at the Marina Del Rey boat show this year.
I''ve also looked at 32 ft. Westsail''s and think they are built like solid tanks...and may consider one in the future.
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