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Downside of living aboard

56K views 160 replies 70 participants last post by  Minnewaska 
#1 ·
I've been perusing various liveaboard blogs, and one thing I notice, is, several months in, the blogger sells their boat and moves back on land.

Bc of this, I wondered why that is.

One common thing it seems, is that most failures involve derelict boats. You know the sort, engine doesn't function, the inside is rotted out, the thing leaks like a sieve, electrical causes all sorts of damage, etcetera and etcetera.

Another thing I've noticed is that, when these bloggers start out, they are full of excitement. They spend the first few months working on their new old boat. At some point, they run out of money, energy, and/or time. So, they throw in the towel and move shore side.

The most interesting, imho, thing, is that the majority seem to focus upon making their new old boat pretty, as opposed to functional. Or at least, non-sinkable, non-leaky...

As most sailnetters are aware, lots of people show up, ready to live the dream. I was one of them a year and a half ago. Imho, the failures are those with arguably, unrealistic expectations. Mostly in the financial area, it seems. But also in their perception of what the dream is.

This leaves me wondering, what percentage of people who move aboard stay? Also, what is the most common reason for failure?

Anyway, just curious. That, and, I figure it wouldn't hurt to have a thread discussing the "downside" of living aboard. Not to crush anyone's dream. Rather, to put some realism back into the equation.
 
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#75 · (Edited)

Our little boat is docked in the Hudson River and most days now we see south bound sailboats pulling up to the outer docks for the night. They are going and we are staying. A lot of times we end up talking on the docks and strange words come out of my mouth about when I am leaving and the boat I'm going to find to take me there.

Lately when I watch them leave it feels like a small panic and as if I'm split down the middle and the only way to put humpty dumpty back together is to sail out and head south. I don't know if I should wish this feeling would go away or if I should be thankful for it.
 
#76 ·
is that Mariner's? How is it there? I have heard terrible things about the restaurant, but never anything about the docks there. I am looking for a reasonably quite spot. I am thinking either Shadows (basically across the river) or West Shore if I stay in the area.
 
#77 · (Edited)
Yep. Its free to dock if you eat there. And I mean really free. Worth every penny too. :)

Docks seem rickety but they put big boats on there in storms and its been there for decades.

Restaurant isnt great.The train is LOUD. If you go to Mariners PM me ...Shadows is way nicer, no idea what the sleepover policy is there.

If you come that far, Kingston is only 15 miles further and is a lot of fun
 
#79 ·
This is a pretty good post. I rarely feel the need to throw in my 2 cents, but I think this might help people that are on the fence about it.

Let me start off by saying that I have only been living aboard for a little over half a year now, and I love it. Granted I found a way to sort of cheat. I'm renting my boat, a 26' westerly, which I'm not sure I would trust sailing as the case were. But for me this was a lucky break, because it gives me the opportunity to try out living aboard without the downside of having to buy the boat first. This being said, I'm just waiting for the right boat to come along to go full in, on the hook, and cruise after it's fitted right.

Here is a question I think many would-be LA's should ask themselves. When you go camping, are you the car camping type with propane stove, giant heavy tent, cooler full of beer, who sets up camp near the car? Or are you like I was, small backpacking tent, or hammock, bottle of whiskey, hiked for at least 5 miles to get away from the crowds, and went about it in a very minimalist way, and could go for a week plus with a 40lb pack?

Now if you have never been camping, I suggest you try it, especially when the weather is going to be sour (i.e. raining for a weekend) because that is probably the cheapest way to see if you will like living in a small space, where if it's raining, you will get wet unless you stay inside the whole time. The first 2 weeks after moving aboard, it rained almost non-stop, and I loved every minute of it.
 
#81 ·
I've been living aboard in Toronto for four years. I don't think twice about it anymore. It has become second nature.

Advantages:

- I feel absolutely confident with all of my on board electrical and plumbing
- I am now somewhat proficient with wood work, and beginning to take the plunge into glass work.
- I sail whenever I like (at least in the spring - summer - fall)
- I have a 20 minute commute to my downtown work via bicycle; but when I get home at night, I don't feel like I am in the city.
- I save tons of money vs living in the city.

Disadvantages

- It's a bit sad when the wrap goes on for the winter
- Showering at the marina is a bit of a pain (I don't shower on-board for moisture reduction reasons)
- Worst of all, if I have to answer the question "Doesn't it get cold in the winter" one more time, it may go badly for the person who inquires.
 
#84 ·
For me living aboard was the only option. Graduated college, got a job, bought a 25 Hunter Cherubini, and lived aboard for three years in Michigan. Winters up on stilts.

Later on when my wife agreed to get a boat and live aboard with our three kids it was a different story. But she toughed out the transition with the patience of Job and it's been an adventure ever since. Leaky hatches, passing hurricanes, cramped quarters, etc... Fun times.

A family of five on a 40 footer can become tedious. So we sold it and bought a 50'. Life is now grand. The extra ten feet is like going from a condo to a McMansion. I've lived aboard for about 14 years. The family, coming up on 4.

It is hard to give would-be live aboards advice. Living aboard requires some sacrifices. But you also get many rewards. Most buddies who'd give anything to move on to a sailboat stare longingly into the anchorage while their wives stand firmly behind them tapping feet, arms crossed, and a scowling brow.

IMO the rewards you get are spiritual and/or natural. For a successful live aboard you must be someone who prefers being close to the elements over impressing 'friends' with a huge unpaid house. If a storm excites you then living aboard might be your thing. If you are a shopaholic and compete for material things then maybe not. If you desire hard edge simplicity then it might be fore you. Elaborate landscaping and a maid? Not so much.

I don't think there's any one thing, item, boat, or whatever that can guarantee success. It comes down to personality, type of character, outlook on life, and vision of the future. Why do you want to live aboard? To live the tropical dream? That may not be enough. Moving aboard is like losing weight. Fad diets always fail. You must change your entire lifestyle forever.
 
#85 ·
For me living aboard was the only option. Graduated college, got a job, bought a 25 Hunter Cherubini, and lived aboard for three years in Michigan. Winters up on stilts.

Later on when my wife agreed to get a boat and live aboard with our three kids it was a different story. But she toughed out the transition with the patience of Job and it's been an adventure ever since. Leaky hatches, passing hurricanes, cramped quarters, etc... Fun times.

A family of five on a 40 footer can become tedious. So we sold it and bought a 50'. Life is now grand. The extra ten feet is like going from a condo to a McMansion. I've lived aboard for about 14 years. The family, coming up on 4.

It is hard to give would-be live aboards advice. Living aboard requires some sacrifices. But you also get many rewards. Most buddies who'd give anything to move on to a sailboat stare longingly into the anchorage while their wives stand firmly behind them tapping feet, arms crossed, and a scowling brow.

IMO the rewards you get are spiritual and/or natural. For a successful live aboard you must be someone who prefers being close to the elements over impressing 'friends' with a huge unpaid house. If a storm excites you then living aboard might be your thing. If you are a shopaholic and compete for material things then maybe not. If you desire hard edge simplicity then it might be fore you. Elaborate landscaping and a maid? Not so much.

I don't think there's any one thing, item, boat, or whatever that can guarantee success. It comes down to personality, type of character, outlook on life, and vision of the future. Why do you want to live aboard? To live the tropical dream? That may not be enough. Moving aboard is like losing weight. Fad diets always fail. You must change your entire lifestyle forever.
Well said !
 
#88 ·
I lived aboard for nearly 20 years and I do miss it. For maybe half of that time, I worked and did some traveling in my engineering job of consulting so I was not on the boat 24/7 However, I've spent winters there and while it did limit my ability to go on day sails which I did quite often during other times of the year, I still enjoyed it. If you enjoy backpacking into wilderness areas then living aboard will be a luxury. I still have the boat and get to it maybe twice a year for sailing the Chesapeake and exploring new areas and miss the sailing. But I also enjoy living in the mountains and hiking and biking. The most depressing thing that I observed while living aboard was the ever increasing regulations which seem to limit your freedom.
 
#89 ·
I only lived aboard for six months in the Florida Keys - in the blink of an eye, I would be a full time live aboard, but I'm crazy as a $hit house rat, so it probably doesn't matter. My wife of 51 years, on the other hand, thinks living aboard is not at all fun. I love it, met some of the greatest people I've encountered in my entire life, love them all, and if I'm still alive and able in 2015, I'm going to sail south to Marathon again. Damned I hate living on land in the People's Republic of Maryland!

Gary :cool:
 
#90 ·
When I revisit this post I realize that I have no valid information about the "downside" of living aboard. In order to know the "downside" you have to have the life on shore for comparison. My wife and I have never lived in a house as adults, although we grew up in our parent's houses. We've been living aboard for forty-three years now. Maybe we'll learn what the downside is when we try living on shore sometime in the future. Until then, things are pretty good on the boat!
 
#92 ·
We don't live aboard, but we stay aboard about 4 out of every 7 days from May to Oct, with several straight weeks mixed in and a cruise or two.

When its time to go to work, I go home first, clean up, dress and realign my head toward that other life.

Once (and only once to date), I brought a suit and tie to the boat to shower and go work work directly. Total buzz kill !!!!!! I will never do it again, if I can avoid it. This would be a serious downside to living aboard, pre-retirement.
 
#93 ·
I lived aboard my 32 footer for eleven months between houses when I moved to Miami.

I got tired of not really having any space that was mine except for the boat.

But, my harbormaster and his wife, had been living aboard for thirty years, and were happy as clams (in a 51 foot houseboat). When you got inside their place, you barely knew it was a boat. My son asked them why their was a steering wheel in their house, once, when we visited them, later. :D

But, I also lived on my 42 foot sailboat four about 8 months, while cruising, mostly anchoring out, and I never got that claustrophobic feeling. So, there are pros and cons to being tied up to the dock versus at anchor, when you live aboard.
 
#94 ·
Love the Sea Life

This is my third (could be final, as in never go back to land again) time living aboard. I have lived on a mooring off Shelter Island in San Diego, in marinas in Mission Bay, Channel Islands Harbor and now Ventura Harbor. The first two times ended not by my choice, and when I bought my fourth sailboat in 2011, I could not have been happier. I was getting my life back again! Moved aboard in 2012 and now happily share my 32' space with my awesome Schipperke, Tanner (a dog). Everyone else has pretty much gone through the up and downsides of LA, but I don't think this was mentioned.

Might be because there are fewer women doing this alone than guys, but the biggest challenges for me besides those already mentioned, have to do with socializing and dating. I, for one, never want a guy I'm dating to come to my sailboat until I really know, trust and believe there will be something significant from the relationship. That means not getting picked up for dates, not inviting them home, and if sailing, I meet them with my boat at a nearby dock (like the fuel dock). I am just very protective of my safe place, which is my sailboat and slip in my Marina. That, and land-based people not getting why this is for me, is a tough one. Friends will think it sounds really great, but they don't know the reality from their romantic notions of "getting off the grid."

So when others come aboard, I end up feeling like a control freak, neurotic person with regard to how they treat my boat/ home. When they go sailing with me, and get scared in big blows, I tell them not to worry. I know what I'm doing and don't intend to render myself homeless. :)

These are but a few of the social issues that I find an ongoing challenge. Any others with stories or thoughts on this?
 
#95 ·
You bring up a good point. Most land people don't understand that a live aboard boat is somebody's home. To the majority, a boat is a place to spend a day out "boating" to have fun.

Personally, TA, I understand your need for security completely. I hope to be joining you in living aboard in the very near future (not with you personally, though I am single:D ) and I am always aware that boats are no where as secure as a home or even the average car. I try not to dwell on that too much
 
#96 ·
ta?
"That means not getting picked up for dates, not inviting them home, "
If you lived in a plain little house with a white picket fence on a village street, would you have the same policies about "No one comes to my home" ?
There can be perfectly good and valid reasons for that, don't misunderstand me. But for most folks, yes, that could be bordering on paranoia. Or trust issues, or simply poor choices in dates. In any case, I don't see the boat being relevant to any of it, unless you would do things differently at home.
 
#99 ·
I looked at one of those, too. It needed too much work, but it sure had a lot of room in it for a 41 foot boat.
 
#102 ·
Seems there's two types of liveaboards being discussed:

- ones who are tied to the dock forever, never use for its intended purpose and know little about a boat.
- ones like CruisingDad and Wingnwing who liveabord but use their boats for its intended purpose and are very knowledgeable.

I think I will be the later :)

I was talking with a member at our club who is a liveaboard...we were discussing our recent electric bills due to the extreme cold weather we've had in Maryland this winter. His electric bill was more than my gas & electric bill combined and my house must be 20 times the sq ft. According to him, this includes a carpet on the sole and some insulation here and there, plus only keeping the cabin in the low 60 high 50 F. Sounds like a downside to side to living aboard in a cold climate to me!? Heading South is the correct answer to this problem :)
 
#103 ·
Seems there's two types of liveaboards being discussed:

- ones who are tied to the dock forever, never use for its intended purpose and know little about a boat.
- ones like CruisingDad and Wingnwing who liveabord but use their boats for its intended purpose and are very knowledgeable.

I think I will be the later :)

I was talking with a member at our club who is a liveaboard...we were discussing our recent electric bills due to the extreme cold weather we've had in Maryland this winter. His electric bill was more than my gas & electric bill combined and my house must be 20 times the sq ft. According to him, this includes a carpet on the sole and some insulation here and there, plus only keeping the cabin in the low 60 high 50 F. Sounds like a downside to side to living aboard in a cold climate to me!? Heading South is the correct answer to this problem :)
Two points to add.:

There is a third LA type. It is a hybrid of type 1 and 2. Those who are living aboard preparing to leave and cruising weekends. We are at year 4 of our 5 year plan and will leave a year early when we toss off the lines in May.

In Maine our total heating costs are about $1000 for diesel fuel. Electric is another $400 for Oct-April. Electric is free the remainder of the year. This is much less than I ever paid for our 2,200 sq. ft. home. Our boat is 40ft. and we keep the heat around 65° because that is comfortable for us. 70° is too warm.
 
#104 ·
There are plenty of knowledgable sailors living aboard and not cruising. I am one and my neighbors are more knowledgable and experienced than I am. Also, I heat with electricity and am on a set monthly fee. There are no meters on the docks and I use a lot of power running 3 space heaters full time.
 
#105 ·
I have been living aboard my 1972 Contest 33 for two years now. I bought my boat for a low price and it needed a lot of work. I have replaced chain plates, painted the decks and added non skid, replaced the life lines, (learned how to splice double braid doing that) I have replaced the electrical panel and switches, I still have to fuse other wiring on board. I just got the old girl off the hard and back to the dock. I painted the bottom, replaced all sea cocks, replaced a thru hull, removed the engine that was seized up, repacked the stuffing box,replaced the old prop with a 3 blade, stripped out the head added another bilge pump. I still have a lot of work ahead of me but I am getting there.
I don't sail because the sea cocks were so old and corroded they fell apart when I touched them with wrench. I knew they were bad but I didn't realize how bad they were. I had to sail it to where it is now. You want to see a scared stink pot owner sail your boat out of the marina past his 50ft Scarrib he just bought new. Good times indeed.
I will now put in electric drive and when that is done I will get out there and back to it. I am also on a 5 year schedule to get my contest 33 into shape where I feel safe sailing it. I did a lot to move towards that goal last week. And in a month or two I will have it out and learn how my boat performs and get that under my belt too.
I would say that if you are living the dream of others you read about when you climb on your new old boat to live you will fail. I like to tinker, I like to stay busy, I don't need a lot to be happy,I like minimal living and being off the grid survival.To me it's the challenge that makes it all worth while. Have I had a bad day on my boat sure I have. You probably heard me cuss it like the sailor I want to become.
But I get back in the game learn and ask others how to do it and fix what needs fixing. I have a job and work 6 days a week but I set achievable goals and try to do one thing a week while at the dock.
My boat like I said is not close to where I want it but now that I feel safe to sail it I can do a lot on the water while cruising. And did you really buy a boat to sit at a dock? Not me I'm going under the radar. Self sufficiency is where it's at in my mind. If you would like to see have a peak below.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/penneys__auto/
 
#106 ·
Actually, there is a fourth type of liveaboard (if there must be labels), which is what I'm doing presently.

Having spent a year refitting and preparing, I then cruised until I stopped to work for a while. Now that I've re-retired, the urge to go back out isn't as strong, especially as I essentially have to go through much of the refit process again (the time and effort I don't mind, the money though is a factor).

So, I find myself in a very good financial situation staying put for now. Thing is, everyone does what they do for a reason that is good for them. Whether it's good enough for anyone else, doesn't matter. For myself, I don't really give a hoot what anyone else does with their boat. There's more than enough people around here worrying about who motors to much, who stays at the dock too much, who doesn't trim their sails enough, etc..
 
#107 ·
I lived aboard by boat for eleven months one time, between houses, when I had really only planned on doing it a month or two. It was in Miami and I have to admit I found myself getting to the office early, and leaving late. It was claustrophobic to me at the pier. I was glad when it was over.

But, I lived on my boat for 8 months when cruising, out on the anchor, mostly, and I wasn't even about ready to come home when it was time, financial wise, to return.
 
#108 ·
y'all forgot the fourth grouping.. those out cruising who are forced essentially into marina living during storms and repairs....lol covers a few of us in furycameville, west coast mexico ... i know there are others in similar spots, as cruising IS repair of boat while in exotic locales....
(realizing, of course, that not all are full time cruisers with no desire to return to wherefrom they left)
 
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