My liveaboard compromise

For all my adult life I have dreamed of living aboard. I made this perfectly clear to my wife before we got married. She was not all that keen on the idea, but she was well aware of it. I had always hoped that I could sell the idea to her eventually and I'm sure she thought I would eventually "grow up" and forget the whole idea. I have held to my dream but have pretty much accepted the fact that the Admiral is not going to give up a house on the dirt. Well, I can't afford the boat of my dreams and a house, soooo......

We have just purchased a Nimble Nomad mini trawler. Not big enough to live on, but big enough to stay on long enought to scratch my liveaboard itch. It will be at a marina that is 15 miles away (20 minute drive) and has a trailer allowing us to take her to all sorts of nice cruising spots. I think this is the best I can hope for and remain married. I am looking forward to spending lots of time enjoying the boat and, who knows. Maybe the Admiral will grow to love the time spent on the boat as well, and maybe....... some day..........

Sounds like a fair compromise, good luck

The water is addictive for most, hope it works out for you. Good luck.

Welcome L&F.
Nice choice. Those Nimble Nomads appear to pack a lot of boat in a small package.

Some of our happiest boating memories date back to our trailer yachting times when the kids were small, and being a bit cramped and lacking privacy didn't matter. (so much)

Thanks for the well wishes. I wish I had thought about this option sooner.

Hope your wife catches "five-footitis"! Tell her that whatever she likes on the Nomad is better on a bigger boat!

Above all-Have fun!

THD said:

Hope your wife catches "five-footitis"! Tell her that whatever she likes on the Nomad is better on a bigger boat!

Above all-Have fun!

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Except towing...

Hey Tom, trailer her down to the Gulf some time, I'll meet you in Gumbo and we can do a cruise.

Tom and I shared a 5 day Southwest Florida Yachts "Trawler School" charter out of Ft Myers in 1999.
It was on one of SWF's GB 36s, the MV Blue Note, the Captain was quite a character and it was a good time, even if Tom lost his wallet overboard off the dighy somewhere near the bridge in Matlacha Pass.

Steve said:

Tom and I shared a 5 day Southwest Florida Yachts "Trawler School" charter out of Ft Myers in 1999.
It was on one of SWF's GB 36s, the MV Blue Note, the Captain was quite a character and it was a good time, even if Tom lost his wallet overboard off the dighy somewhere near the bridge in Matlacha Pass.

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1999? Was it really that long ago? I have some fond memories from that trip, even if I did lose my wallet (and break your glasses )
Remember sitting on the boat one evening and watching something large swim into and out of the marina?
That trip cemented my need for a waterborne home.

We need some pictures!

loafs and fishes said:

We have just purchased a Nimble Nomad mini trawler. Not big enough to live on, but big enough to stay on long enought to scratch my liveaboard itch.

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The smaller the boat...the more time on the water. (Good choice!)

Capthead said:

The water is addictive for most, hope it works out for you. Good luck.

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It's also therapeutic. Enjoy life while you can.

Steve said:

Hey Tom, trailer her down to the Gulf some time, I'll meet you in Gumbo and we can do a cruise.

Tom and I shared a 5 day Southwest Florida Yachts "Trawler School" charter out of Ft Myers in 1999.
It was on one of SWF's GB 36s, the MV Blue Note, the Captain was quite a character and it was a good time, even if Tom lost his wallet overboard off the dighy somewhere near the bridge in Matlacha Pass.

Click to expand...

Thanks for this info, I've bookmarked their site.

Bill, that was some of the best money I ever spent.

Boating addiction can be hard on a relationship. Take it easy. If her first few experiences with the boat involve getting yelled at for your mistakes, getting wet, having to go without proper sanitation or other creature comforts, harrowing escapes from big storms, etc, you might find she just stops coming with you.

If, on the other hand, you introduce her to the joys of boating first; the comradarie, sunsets, grilling dinner outside, slow, relaxing cruises to interesting places, she might come around. You know her better than we do. Does she need to have something to do? Just relax and read a book? Does she like to shop? Hike? Is nature "icky" or something to be explored?

I know guys who drove their wives away by thinking cruising with a family was just like fishing with the guys. It isn't, and those guys don't get to use their boats much.

Thanks, CaptTom, for the advice, but we do have a bit of boating history in our wake. I've had a boat in the past (a runabout) that we've enjoyed, and we have rented a houseboat, just the two of us, on the Trent-Severn waterway, for a week at a time, three times. Still, though, some good advice there.
It's the living aboard that I can't sell her, not so much the boating.

The thing that surprised me years ago when I first got a "big" boat is the social aspects. Once I moved into a marina, I made tons of new friends, and we had great times, both aboard in the marina, out on the water and even traveling as a group without the boats. I'd suggest getting your boat into a good marina somewhere, letting her make "water friends" and getting her into the lifestyle that way. I wouldn't trade it for anything now.

I livaboard March thru November going home for Dr appointments & such. The better half comes over on weekends a couple times a month, she can't give up her gardening & flowers that require care + a cat. It works good for us & when we go on a longer cruise she'll get a neighbor to water the flowers & feed the cat. And the the Grandkids are the most wonderful anchor ever to keep her close to the home area even during the Midwest winters, paddling South in the fall would be my choice, going home to Kansas for the winter is the reality.

We have spent as much as 3 days on our Nimble on the hook but try to hit a marina after that to replenish water and get a hot shower..LOL We have a handheld shower in the front cockpit and have used a Sunshower also. Also a great mod is to make a bridge between the port and starboard berths to make a queensize berth. We then put a foam pad down on top of the cushions and sleep great. Have fun and post pics!

Sounds like you have made a great compromise! Nice boats those Nimbles. They are rare down here where I am.

Kevin