New Member from Las Vegas

I'm originally from Punta Gorda Florida, but currently live in Las Vegas. I'm a teacher and within 6 years of retiring. I am planning on going back home to the Charlotte Harbor area and live on a boat. I am divorced and currently have no plans to change that, though sometimes I don't think the choice is mine to make :lol:.

I think I have narrowed the selection to a Trawler to 30ft to 40ft for maintenance purposes and cost, and I don't need anything larger. Even though I am a Floridian I am a boat novice and I will stay docked until I take some courses and training and reach a comfort level.

What I am trying to discover is schedules for maintenance. I know there are always surprises (I drive a 1964 Corvair Convertible as my daily driver and things pop up on occasion).

I am just starting to glean information from the trawler forum so I hope I will find what I need. I have not found the info elsewhere.

As for scheduled maintenance I mean how often does the boat need to be pulled out and the bottom treated or just scraping the bottom while in the water, or how often should a diesel be started and run if docked for a long period..... The ongoing maintenance items are what I am trying to understand, not what needs to be fixed.

Anyway enough rambling......

Thanks
Rob

P.S. For some reason I can't get a picture to post nor will a profile image upload. I am a techie and have changed to proper size and format....

Imnvegas said:

P.S. For some reason I can't get a picture to post nor will a profile image upload. I am a techie and have changed to proper size and format....

Click to expand...

Try it again. Should work now.

And welcome aboard.

Greetings,
Welcome aboard. Corvair? EGAD! Now there's a good anchor. The questions you ask can all be answered with "It depends on...". Don't mean to obfuscate but every boat and location are different. Ask away...

Got the avatar to work...WooHoo

Imnvegas said:

Every time I try uploading a profile pic I get the message Upload Failed...

Click to expand...

Hmm. Two thoughts. First, be sure and read the sticky "Set Up Your Account - Help, Tips" under the How To Use The Forum forum.

And this quote from another moderator (PeterB) might be helpful:

"If going via the 'manage attachments' route, from the 'advanced' posting window, which is the best way, you need to allow time for the upload of the image to complete before closing that upload window, after you have selected the image by browsing through your pics from the 'choose file' button.

Sometimes that upload takes time as it occasionally hangs for a while, so best to be patient at this stage, or of you close this window too soon, the pic is lost.

Also, make sure you select the 'submit' button from the foot of the upload window which shows your image file listed, because if you select the 'submit' button from the window above that, again, it will be lost. "

Welcome aboard, another Las Vegas dude!
Leave in three weeks for a long cruise, otherwise I'd say lets get together for a beer and tell lies!
Cheers!

Welcome aboard...
Lots of good info here and folks willing to help out.

RT Firefly said:

Greetings,
Welcome aboard. Corvair? EGAD! Now there's a good anchor. The questions you ask can all be answered with "It depends on...". Don't mean to obfuscate but every boat and location are different. Ask away...

Click to expand...

Darla is a dependable car..LOL

This summer I drove her on a road trip, 7011 miles from Las Vegas to Chicago to Tennessee to Southern Florida then back to Vegas.....No problems at all....Top down all the way except going thru the Rockies...

Gas mileage is another thing though.....only 20MPH

Imnvegas said:

I'm originally from Punta Gorda Florida, but currently live in Las Vegas. I'm a teacher and within 6 years of retiring. I am planning on going back home to the Charlotte Harbor area and live on a boat. I am divorced and currently have no plans to change that, though sometimes I don't think the choice is mine to make :lol:.

I think I have narrowed the selection to a Trawler to 30ft to 40ft for maintenance purposes and cost, and I don't need anything larger. Even though I am a Floridian I am a boat novice and I will stay docked until I take some courses and training and reach a comfort level.

What I am trying to discover is schedules for maintenance. I know there are always surprises (I drive a 1964 Corvair Convertible as my daily driver and things pop up on occasion).

I am just starting to glean information from the trawler forum so I hope I will find what I need. I have not found the info elsewhere.

As for scheduled maintenance I mean how often does the boat need to be pulled out and the bottom treated or just scraping the bottom while in the water, or how often should a diesel be started and run if docked for a long period..... The ongoing maintenance items are what I am trying to understand, not what needs to be fixed.

Click to expand...

Daily.

I say that seriously in that the maintenance you do routinely has a huge impact on major maintenance requirements. Keep the decks good, the canvas, the teak and you save major maintenance on those items. Keep your bottom clean through regular divers and you don't have to scrape plus bottom paint will last longer.

Area of the country plays a role too. We live in South Florida so we have divers monthly and we bottom paint every three years (most do it every two years here, but people in some areas of the country can go a decade). We haul and examine annually and service anything underneath. Just keeping anodes in good condition helps slow deterioration in many areas.

Engines and most mechanicals require some form of annual service, all varying by brand. Meanwhile things like impellers, belts, hoses, and filters require constant examination and doing that saves a lot of major issues.

The advantage in terms of maintenance as a live aboard is that you see things constantly and you can always be working on some project. The possible disadvantage is if you don't use the boat much. That can lead to more issues than regular use.

Now, to get a perspective think of a house plus a car, because you basically have every element of both plus some. Double and triple the car for multiple engines and generators. Add in electronics far beyond anything on a car. Then toss in your house exposed to the weather differently than you're use to. Add the impact of salt. And, last add that certain things are more complicated. In a house toilets are relatively trouble free and once in the toilet it's headed out through a sewage system. Boat toilets and holding tanks are not trouble free.

Now, all this said if I had to choose boat or house, the boat would always win. Can't move the house from port to port.

Welcome to this great forum ! Good luck for your interesting plan.

Welcome to TF!

Imnvegas said:

I'm originally from Punta Gorda Florida, but currently live in Las Vegas. I'm a teacher and within 6 years of retiring. I am planning on going back home to the Charlotte Harbor area and live on a boat.

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Wifey B: I am/was a teacher too. I think your plan is Tony Tiger grreeaaaaaat.

Welcome. Gotta love that N8R H8R tag. I have great memories of my 62 Corvair Convert, also yellow, drove it cross country in 1965 from Georgia to California, the Navy shipped it to Pearl Harbor for me and it was a great beach car and chick magnet while I was there. Sold it when I was discharged in '67. In that Hawaii environment it was likely reduced to rust many years ago.

Punta Gorda is in the middle of a whole bunch of great cruising grounds. There are a couple of good charter/ "trawler training" outfits near by who can help you get started.
Good luck!

Thanks guys

What I do know is that I don't know anything about larger boats in general. However after 5 degrees I am not afraid to go to school and I never stop learning......

Vegas is like Florida without the bugs and HUMIDITY, oh and the water. But I am looking forward to going back home and living on a boat. I used to check out the people living aboard at Laishley's, Burnt Store, and Fisherman's Village marinas when I was in High School and always wanted to become one of them..

Welcome

Welcome to TF where you can learn a lot from many different boat owners (past and present). In addition to looking at maintenance costs you may also want to look at total monthly costs of ownership to have a full picture of the total costs. Maintenance costs may and should not be a major factor if you find a high quality and newer boat.

John

Nordhavn 4050 - Former owner
Nordhavn 4061 - Former owner
Nordhavn 3522 - Former owner
Helmsman 38PH - Under construction

N4061 said:

John

Nordhavn 4050 - Former owner
Nordhavn 4061 - Former owner
Nordhavn 3522 - Former owner
Helmsman 38PH - Under construction
To be determined - Future build
To be determined - Another future build
To be determined - Future dream build
Always - Thoughts of building

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Wifey B: Does that describe it? Oh, I know...this is your last boat. How many last boats have you had so far? Not that I'm one to talk, but sounds like you do really enjoy it.