Newbie

I enjoy reading these threads, I certainly learn alot. I have sold or given away just about everything I own, and will soon buy a trawler to live aboard. I know less than nothing about boats, and ask for as much help as I can get. I don't want to invest my life savings into a luxury liner so to speak, but hope to find something under 40' for about 45k. Any and all help appreciated.

It will be just me
I will eventually get a dog...
Can live on something under 40 feet, easier to handle the better
Would love info on inexpensive slips in Central/Southwest Florida (I live in Punta Gorda, FL).

Greetings,
Welcome aboard.

Down where you are...the primary marinas are Fisherman's Village and Burnt Store Marina...which is down Burnt Store Road about 10 miles....in the middle of nowhere. As far as I can remember from living there for 9 years up until about 2 years or so ago...Fisherman's Village and Burnt Store Marina were the only marinas in Charlotte County that had liveaboards...

The you have some marinas to the north of you...and to the south of you..... This site is pretty comprehensive...and the listings are by the city alphabetically...
Florida Marinas | Florida Marina Directory | Fuel Docks Prices | Marine Fuel

And here is another site.....
Florida Marinas - FL Marinas boat slips yacht slips Florida United States

No need to spend anywhere near $40K just to live aboard and go cruising.

In the classifieds on this board,

http://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s9/36-uniflite-sport-sedan-$6000-obo-6979.html


The Uniflites are great boats , devoid of Taiwan construction (made in the USA) and quite reasonable to operate at trawler speeds, 6K.

If you buy a fixer upper boat, be prepared to have the cash to maintain and repair. I know of boats you can have for free as the cost of ownership is more than the boat is worth. So make sure you look at a wide range of boats? Do not focus to much on the price of the boat, but more the total cost of ownership and round trip.

My wife bought the Eagle at a good price but she need plenty of TLC and up grades. We dumped 30 grand into her the first couple of years to make her a live aboard. However, we had the cash flow and increased the Eagles value. Actaully, my wife bought the Eagle to keep me busy!

Get a free one from phill fill and build it to your specs! :-D

That way you build it how you want it and you learn every single last inch of it.

That's what I'm doing, and loving it!!!!

Sent from my iPad using Trawler

Hendo78 said:

Get a free one from phill fill and build it to your specs! :-D

That way you build it how you want it and you learn every single last inch of it.

That's what I'm doing, and loving it!!!!

Sent from my iPad using Trawler

Click to expand...

Many large marinas have a holding area for boats abandon but most are in really bad shape. I would not tough them. also be careful as most marinas do not allow project boats, so have to be in a yard which can be very expensive.

I bought a project boat 12 years ago.

I have rebuilt everything from the bilge to the top.

I know every system on her because I put it there.

She will never be finished because I use the boat all the time.

If you use it you will break it.

Using and fixing. To me it is all the same.

It is all about running a boat.

I love it.

Sd

skipperdude said:

I bought a project boat 12 years ago.

I have rebuilt everything from the bilge to the top.

I know every system on her because I put it there.

She will never be finished because I use the boat all the time.

If you use it you will break it.

Using and fixing. To me it is all the same.

It is all about running a boat.

I love it.

Sd

Click to expand...

Agreed

Phil Fill said:

Many large marinas have a holding area for boats abandon but most are in really bad shape. I would not tough them. also be careful as most marinas do not allow project boats, so have to be in a yard which can be very expensive.

Click to expand...

Naysayer naysayer hahaha

I love touching things that are so far gone people pay you to take away .

Theres something about bringing a project back to life that gives me satisfaction! ... I love it

Skipperdude, not many people are either as skilled as you or as gutsy as you.I do not know many people who could do the repairs on their boats you have done.

Hendo78 said:

Agreed

Click to expand...

After 10 years Im starting to redo my own work lol

funangler said:

After 10 years Im starting to redo my own work lol

Click to expand...

I'd be saying that with pride mate! Unless of course this is the first time it's been used in 10 yrs then I'd be keeping statements like that under wraps lol :-D

Sent from my iPad using Trawler

A "project " boat only becomes expensive when the basic goal, lets GO boating, is lost.

Most Fixer upers can be made to function well enough to run the ICW , the Loop , or do the Rideau /Richelu circuit.

Maybe the AP wont automatically send facebook photos of the heroic skipper every 1/2 mile , but that's the price of simplicity.

Is the goal to simply mess around with a boat , for a few decades , getting ready for the BIG trip?

Or actually GOING cruising.

BIG DIFFERENCE !!!

Tho both are great fun.

skipperdude said:

I bought a project boat 12 years ago.

I have rebuilt everything from the bilge to the top.

I know every system on her because I put it there.

She will never be finished because I use the boat all the time.

If you use it you will break it.

Using and fixing. To me it is all the same.

It is all about running a boat.

I love it.

Sd

Click to expand...

Yup me too I love it.

funangler said:

After 10 years Im starting to redo my own work lol

Click to expand...

Oh I can relate to that I mean you can change boats or you can change the boat.

If a boat is older and needs TLC/remodeling/maintenance the chances are the own did the majority of it as it to darn expensive to have someone else do the work compared to the boats value and/or increase in value. We have gone through the Eagle from the tip of the bow to the end of the stern, the top of the mast to the bottom of the keel and about everything in between.

When my wife bought the Eagle we where green newbie’s, with not to much experience/knowledge about boating. Our learning curve the first years as almost straight up. We signed the papers, and the broker asked where do you want the boat moved to? We thought we would leave where it at? So we bought a 60 ft boat with out a slip. The first heavy rain the roof/deck leaked, it was boat house kept, the first cold weather we blew the AC breaker hundred of time as 30 amps is not enough heat a 60 ft boat? We ran the water tank dry, and over flowed the sanitation tank. What the heck?

The first time I went into the engine rooms I was over whelmed with all the tanks, valves, big metal block engines and stuff. I was afraid to move/turn anything for fear I would screw it up. I figure what the heck as we did not plan on EVER moving it anyway.

So if a yuppie metro sexual woos can learn, anybody can. Even today I have to constant remind my self “Righty tighty, lefty loosy!” even to change a light bulb.