MississippiSlim
Member
My wife and I have mad eht decision that we will follow our dream, purchase a trawler and eventually live aboard. We currently live a little over an hour from the coast and for now plan on keeping our house though we are selling some acreage and timber to help defray the costs of purchasing a boat, slip fees and the maintenance. Our current plan is:
1. Use the next year or so to find a boat we like in our price range (under 75k)that is in fairly good condition. I am mechanically inclined as well as good with carpentry, electrical, plumbing etc (we built our own house). So I am not afraid of some work but don't want a junker.
2. Keep boat on the Mississippi Gulf Coast for the next few years as I would like to be near my aging parents. More than likely will split time between boat and our current home. I work 14 day hitches offshore so I have 6 months to enjoy the boat and maintain it. The wife is ready to live aboard full time NOW! LOL
3. Eventually, sell our Mississippi home and land, move to the Florida keys and live aboard full time and fly back and forth to work offshore.
4. Finally when finances allow, retire to boat and cruise fulltime or who knows might just hang at a marina all the time...
So as I said we are in the planning stages. Finances shouldnt be too big a problem as we will be debt free in the next couple years if nothing big changes and we are conservative as we tend to be. My job schedule allows us the freedom to live pretty much anywhere and I have plenty of time off. We do not have children. We have both lived in close quarters before and actually enjoy it. Before we commit to liveaboard though we have decided to live in our camper for about a month just as a further experiment. LOL.
Although I havent seriously started searching for a particular boat I have the following thoughts/observations/ comments. From our research and our living style, the following things I think we are looking for. Please feelfree to advise, etc.
1. Outdoor space is very important to us. We spendthe greatest part of our day outdoors. We really like the sundeck model boats we have seen. We are willing to give up some interior space for niceoutdoor area. We love to cook and eat outdoors. Except for inclement weather we won't be spending much awake time indoors.
2. I am 6'6 but have worked and lived on boats so I understand that living slumped over is just part of it but I would like a boat with as generous headroom as possible.
3. Diesels--I am a fan as I am familiar with there characteristics in a marine and industrial enviroment. I can't really imagine having gas burners.
4. We dont care for speed. We like to putt around. Fuel economy and comfort is much more important to us. Most of our cruising will be ICW.
5. Galley--As we both likeoutdoor cooking,andthis is strictly for say breakfast and such usually, up or down is no big deal. We do want as big a fridge as possible.
6. Definitely want a flybridge boat (see outdoor comments above)
7. Would like a fairly shallow draft boat so that more places are accessible though dont want to sacrifice ride and steerage for a extreme shallow draft.
8. Twin or single screw--verdict still out on this.
9. A question--Are there any boats out there (in my price range) with Teak decks that arent rot jobs? I have to be honest and say I love them. I love wood and don't mind maintaining it (actually enjoy it) but dont want to have to deal with some of the issues I have read others have.
10. A finance question, I feel that finances will not be a problem but I will ask....I gross around 110K a year and as I said we should be relatively debt free by the time we live aboard. We live a fairly modest lifestyle. Do you think there would be any problems financially?
11. Any particular boat models that I need to know of that fit our desires? I realize it is just a matter of us looking and finding the one but if there are any that stick out I would like to look at those models first!
Okay...comments, advice, etc,etc
1. Use the next year or so to find a boat we like in our price range (under 75k)that is in fairly good condition. I am mechanically inclined as well as good with carpentry, electrical, plumbing etc (we built our own house). So I am not afraid of some work but don't want a junker.
2. Keep boat on the Mississippi Gulf Coast for the next few years as I would like to be near my aging parents. More than likely will split time between boat and our current home. I work 14 day hitches offshore so I have 6 months to enjoy the boat and maintain it. The wife is ready to live aboard full time NOW! LOL
3. Eventually, sell our Mississippi home and land, move to the Florida keys and live aboard full time and fly back and forth to work offshore.
4. Finally when finances allow, retire to boat and cruise fulltime or who knows might just hang at a marina all the time...
So as I said we are in the planning stages. Finances shouldnt be too big a problem as we will be debt free in the next couple years if nothing big changes and we are conservative as we tend to be. My job schedule allows us the freedom to live pretty much anywhere and I have plenty of time off. We do not have children. We have both lived in close quarters before and actually enjoy it. Before we commit to liveaboard though we have decided to live in our camper for about a month just as a further experiment. LOL.
Although I havent seriously started searching for a particular boat I have the following thoughts/observations/ comments. From our research and our living style, the following things I think we are looking for. Please feelfree to advise, etc.
1. Outdoor space is very important to us. We spendthe greatest part of our day outdoors. We really like the sundeck model boats we have seen. We are willing to give up some interior space for niceoutdoor area. We love to cook and eat outdoors. Except for inclement weather we won't be spending much awake time indoors.
2. I am 6'6 but have worked and lived on boats so I understand that living slumped over is just part of it but I would like a boat with as generous headroom as possible.
3. Diesels--I am a fan as I am familiar with there characteristics in a marine and industrial enviroment. I can't really imagine having gas burners.
4. We dont care for speed. We like to putt around. Fuel economy and comfort is much more important to us. Most of our cruising will be ICW.
5. Galley--As we both likeoutdoor cooking,andthis is strictly for say breakfast and such usually, up or down is no big deal. We do want as big a fridge as possible.
6. Definitely want a flybridge boat (see outdoor comments above)
7. Would like a fairly shallow draft boat so that more places are accessible though dont want to sacrifice ride and steerage for a extreme shallow draft.
8. Twin or single screw--verdict still out on this.
9. A question--Are there any boats out there (in my price range) with Teak decks that arent rot jobs? I have to be honest and say I love them. I love wood and don't mind maintaining it (actually enjoy it) but dont want to have to deal with some of the issues I have read others have.
10. A finance question, I feel that finances will not be a problem but I will ask....I gross around 110K a year and as I said we should be relatively debt free by the time we live aboard. We live a fairly modest lifestyle. Do you think there would be any problems financially?
11. Any particular boat models that I need to know of that fit our desires? I realize it is just a matter of us looking and finding the one but if there are any that stick out I would like to look at those models first!
Okay...comments, advice, etc,etc