Living aboard/ airline pilot

The friendliest place on the web for anyone who enjoys boating.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Hey! Why not? I flew for BOAC/British Airways for many years before leaving to run my business. Not having a 150 ton, 4 engine Boeing 707 in my garage, I bought a Fleming 55.

I'd say there's a greater challenge to driving a boat than flying a plane. Why? Before 'casting off' for a flight, ground staff would brief on the weather, the trip, the conditions, and serviceability of the plane and the fuel load. I only had to listen and make final decisions. From chocks away to chocks in, air traffic controllers would guide me and look out for my safety.

With a boat, I create the nav plan, I keep her serviceable, I decide on the fuel and I check the boat before casting off. On passage, I have to keep the boat safe with my own look-out. Not only that, but I have to watch the sea state at all times and act accordingly.

Who says driving a boat is easier than flying a plane? I love it!
I was teasing OP really. I flew smaller craft and had to do most of my own preflight checks, fueling, and weather flight scheduling. I never wanted to be an airline pilot. I was gearing up for chartered bush flights. Then health happened.
 
Hello Greatpapabear!! (Speedbird!)

Excellent recap of the responsibility of the Captain both on the sea as well as the air!

There are many many cruisers who have transitioned from the cockpit to the helm and they love it!

All the best,

Rusty
M/V Kristine
DeFever 53 POC

Good to meet you Rusty! Speedbird is correct, but some 'friends' used to say Birdseed....
 
Hey! Why not? I flew for BOAC/British Airways for many years before leaving to run my business. Not having a 150 ton, 4 engine Boeing 707 in my garage, I bought a Fleming 55.

I'd say there's a greater challenge to driving a boat than flying a plane. Why? Before 'casting off' for a flight, ground staff would brief on the weather, the trip, the conditions, and serviceability of the plane and the fuel load. I only had to listen and make final decisions. From chocks away to chocks in, air traffic controllers would guide me and look out for my safety.

With a boat, I create the nav plan, I keep her serviceable, I decide on the fuel and I check the boat before casting off. On passage, I have to keep the boat safe with my own look-out. Not only that, but I have to watch the sea state at all times and act accordingly.

Who says driving a boat is easier than flying a plane? I love it!

Boy, can I empathize! Going from commanding officer of a naval vessel to owner of a trawler was interesting. No boatswains mates to clean and paint the exterior, no engineering officer and his tribe of "snipes" to keep all gleaning and ready below decks, no XO to whip the crew into shape and handle all the paperwork, and no 10-man bridge watch team to take care of all that stuff.
 
I am a charter pilot in CJs and Citation X.
My wife (also pilot) and I have been livaboards in SF Bay Area for +7yrs. We love it, no point in paying high rent/mortgage for a place your rarely in most of the time.

We leave the boat for weeks at a time with no worries.
Most rec. boaters leave boats for months unattended so no problems really. This has always been at marinas, I don’t think I would ever leave it anchored for extended periods. Maybe moored but I always worry about piracy, marinas are nice.

Anyway, easy transition if your gone for days/weeks at a time.
 
Hey all,

Glad to see theres a few more pilots in the life of liveaboards here then i would have thought! Definutley going to feel it out as i go, and maybe with a bit of luck drop in a marina for a beer or two with y'all.

Boats been pulled for the winter so i can fix her up to my liking having just bought her. She's sitting in conneticut for now, ill deploy her in the spring, putt around new england then mid summer work my way down the ICW.

I enjoy learning new skills so it will be nice to learn how to become a better boater. I did get some crash course on nauticle life at mass maritime academy for the 1.5 yrs i went before full time flyong instead. But i know i have tons to learn.

I hear UAL is hiring and i would be interested, though I love the 747 lifestyle. I might just go for the ride with atlas for a while and hope they get their butts in gear.

Florida seems like a legit place to post up for a bit. Between key west and uo to key largo. Anyone know of any fun marinas worth looking at for a liveaboard? Also thinking of making the run to bahamas after im comfortable in a year or two with more experience.
 
When I retired my wife and I moved from the UK to Guernsey in the Channel Islands. We sold everything and lived on our Fleming for almost 7 years before buying a house.

Loved every moment apart from the NE storms which create a surge in the marina.

It's strange being back on dry land, and I keep wondering if we should lift the house onto hydraulic jacks to simulate movement. The thought isn't appreciated - can't think why...
 
I wholeheartily agree flying a plane is easier than a boat... :)


Now helos are a different story.... :socool:


Seriously...boating can be light years as different as flying..... light weekenders versus fulltime cruisers ..... Sunday afternoon next airfield for brunch types versus working aircraft.... too many variables.....
 
Stiggy, just pulled it out for the season to spruce her up. Im with atlas, living the dream of endless contract negotiations. Ill post some goodies when i can. Thats why i made the cargo switch from republic though, to spend two weeks home.

Jsplichal2, those are great points. Im on the cargo side with 2 weeks off usually, made the switch for that reason. Seems like hurricanes will definitley be the real hurdle in my case. I do have family i can bank on down south, but i wouldnt feel right about leaving a boat anchored that long. How does security of an anchorage work in such a case? I figure ill spend most times at the marina. I am lucky enough the company will positive space me from any airport with commercial service though!

Thanks for all the input!
I've been living aboard with your similar schedule for 3 years now, and have been on the move and cruising/at anchor since September (left right after Dorian, made it to KW for fantasy fest and haven't left).
I have a GPS tracker, wifi, and multiple webcams on my boat including one looking at the bilge water. I also invested about 2k in ground tackle and based on the marina prices in south Florida I'd say is worth it. Plus if you always use a storm anchor you'll always sleep well.
University cove near the haulover inlet, islamorada, and the garrison bight in KW have all been good to me! Met a lot of cool people on the way.
I leave my dinghy on my boat and pay a neighbor or local charter boat CA for rides to and from shore when I go to work. Also ubering to the airport is better than paying parking anyway.
I left my car at my original marina with the intention of flying back to get it after a trip and driving it down, but I haven't had a need for it yet!
 
I didn't even think about cargo - that may just work. As far as security goes while at anchor, think about leaving your car parked in the woods unattended for two weeks. Probably about the same.
Depending on how determined you are to stay down south, you could just do what many retirees do every year, move with the seasons. That is stay up in your neck of the woods over the summer, i.e. hurricane season and the weather is great, and move south as the temperatures cool. Winter down in FL etc... taking advantage of year round boating and virtually eliminating the hurricane risk.

Between making friends with as many locals/fellow livaboards as possible, and a half a dozen wificans, and a big anchor I don't think it's that bad unless a hurricane comes.
 
How far is the Clearwater Beacj Muni Marina from KTPA???

And good luck to the OP!!! Yes, that schedule is much more conducive to pulling that lifestyle off. I have always thought about that but just don't have the time off necessary to really pull it off. Hell I just bought a boat and trying to get it from the West Coast of Florida to Texas and am struggling with the logisitics as far as schedule goes.
Also, my airline, UAL, is hiring like crazy. Not sure if you're interested but get your stuff in if you are not. We just announced a completely new recruiting department...
That's encouraging... I'm gunna stick with my current gig for this cruising season, the schedule is too awesome and I'm about to upgrade... but come may I'll be back in clear lake looking to move on again!
 
Hello Greatpapabear!! (Speedbird!)

Excellent recap of the responsibility of the Captain both on the sea as well as the air!

There are many many cruisers who have transitioned from the cockpit to the helm and they love it!

All the best,

Rusty
M/V Kristine
DeFever 53 POC
Because boats are so much more fun than airplanes when the engines are off.
 
Because boats are so much more fun than airplanes when the engines are off.

The only reason I flew a plane with 4 engines was because none had 5!

Now who wants a single engine trawler?
 
The only reason I flew a plane with 4 engines was because none had 5!



Now who wants a single engine trawler?


The best of both worlds!

IMG_1976.JPG
 
Lady Sue (Jim Ferry) - I will be contacting you via email to discuss the MS I. We live on one in South Florida and would love to pick your brain about your experience and some ideas we have for upgrading and renovation. Hope we can connect soon.

Mark
 
Ground effect vehicles are weird. Not quiet a plane but not really a boat.

Interesting article in Marine executive, last month

Ground effect vehicles / projected looming shortage of airline pilots / Indonesian intercity transportation

lion Air Flight 610 and a Fast Maritime Alternative
WIG plane
file photo of Wing-in-ground effect plane
BY HARRY VALENTINE 2019-11-09 19:43:10

Toward the end of October 2019, investigators released their findings into multiple factors which led to the crash of Lion Air flight 610 shortly after taking off from Jakarta on a short domestic flight of 280-miles to a nearby island. The growing demand for fast inter-city transportation in a nation like Indonesia invites discussion about unique market niches for alternative transportation technology that include the maritime option.

Introduction

While investigators released their findings, the CEO of Boeing Aircraft Company appeared before an American congressional committee to explain issues pertaining to the safety of the once popular Boeing model 737 Max-8 aircraft. 189 people were onboard the domestic Indonesian flight from Jakarta (population 10 million) to Pangkal Pinang (population 330,000). A domestic ferry service represented the alternate choice of transportation, except that the domestic flight was much quicker. An extensive network of domestic ferry vessels carries cargo and passengers between Indonesia’s many islands at lower cost than domestic air travel.

On Indonesia’s main island of Java, the distance between Jakarta and the city of Semarang (population 3.2 million) is slightly shorter than flight 610 distance, except that travelers may choose between 29 flights, several trains, several buses, coastal boat service and cars. Flights take 70 minutes while trains traveling along meter gauge track take some six hours. Most of Indonesia’s large cities are located along a coast or near to a coast, allowing transportation service providers to consider a possible fast maritime travel option for passengers. Between many pairs of cities, travelers may choose between airplane and ferry.

Fast Sailing

A very large fleet of conventional ferry vessels provide transportation services between large coastal cities located on islands across Indonesia. When traveling between cities on the island of Java, travelers have the choice between several modes of overland transportation while inter-island travelers have the choice between ferry and air travel. At one time, the Government of Indonesia considered the abandoned the idea of building a bridge or tunnel between Sumatra and Java, where traffic volume makes hydrofoil technology unsuitable. Hydrofoil and hovercraft vessels are best suited to short distance service, not extended distances between Indonesian islands.

The Java Sea region of Indonesia represents an ideal region to test wing-in-ground effect vessels in intercity passenger transportation service, including between coastal cities on the north coast of Java. A vehicle such as the 50-seat South Korean built Wing-Ship could cover the 300-mile journey between Jakarta and Semarang in under three hours, compared to six hours by passenger train and one hour and 10minutes by airplane. The combination of much lower fuel consumption, savings on airport fees and smaller crew requirement will reduce operating costs and in turn reduce ticket costs to between railway and airline ticket costs.

Future Air Transport

Several sectors within the commercial transportation industry are beginning to encounter a shortage of personnel to operate transportation vehicles. Industry analysts project a shortage of airline pilots over the next 15 to 20 years, with the Asia – Pacific region requiring additional 260,000 commercial pilots. A series of airline mishaps have occurred in some areas of the Asia – Pacific region, calling into question the quality of pilot training in a region where demand for air travel is growing. Investigators revealed that the flight crew aboard Lion Air flight 610 was consulting flight manuals during the few minutes prior to the crash.

Training of airline pilots is a costly and prolonged undertaking and especially as aircraft operation becomes more complex. The crash of Air France flight 447 from Rio de Janeiro to Paris involved junior pilots facing a little known flight situation to which they were unprepared to respond. For short haul flights such as Flight 610, a less complex technology that travels at lower speed, uses less fuel and requires less training to achieve full pilot competence, offers potentially greater traveler safety on journeys across water. Indonesian transportation providers may wish to examine the ground effect option.

Test Vehicle

At the present time, there are a very small number of suitable wing-in-ground effect vehicles available for demonstration in Indonesian intercity transportation. The Airfish-8 vehicle built at Singapore carries eight passengers and the company has plans to develop a 24-passenger version. From South Korea, Wing-Ship has built a 50-passenger vehicle that could be used in demonstration service in Indonesia, perhaps on the coastal route between Jakarta and Semarang to assess market acceptance of competitively priced travel duration of just under three hours, compared to six hours by train. Wave height across the Java sea usually remains below three meters in 40 km/h winds.

Across the Java Sea, a 50-passenger ground effect vessel could cover the 500-kilometer distance between Surabaya on Java and Banjarmasin – Banjarbaru in southeastern Borneo in under three hours. To enhance navigation, a reel-out mini-glider tethered to the vessel would carry a camera with radar and ride some 200m above the sea to scan up to 50km ahead, allowing pilots to plot a suitable route around slow moving domestic service inter-island ferry vessels. While the ground effect vessel would travel at 1.2m elevation across calm sea, it could rise up to 10m elevation when required.

Passenger Demand

Given the number of people aboard flight 610, a ground effect vehicle capable of 200 km/h could provide 2.5-hour duration transportation service at competitive ticket prices between the same pair of cities, Jakarta and Pangkalpinang could attract over 100 passengers. Builders such as Wing-Ship of South Korea and Tandem Wing of Germany have advised their capability to build larger capacity ground effect vehicles provided that a market demand materializes. The region bordered by Thailand, South China, Indonesia and the Philippines includes several pairs of coastal cities that are sufficiently close to warrant future introduction of high-speed ground effect passenger transportation service.

Outside of Indonesia, domestic coastal transportation using fast ground effect technology would provide service linking cities of eastern and southern Vietnam, also between Bangkok and Songkhla – Hat Yai in eastern Thailand. The region also offers numerous possibilities for international links such as Singapore – Jakarta, Singapore – Brunei, Hong Kong – Tai Pei and Hong Kong – Manila with extended distance links such as Singapore – Manila, Singapore – Bangkok and Jakarta – Bangkok where mega-size combination service vehicles would carry fast freight along with passengers. The 50-seat vehicle built by Wing-Ship may be too small for future Asian regional service.

Energy Efficiency

On calm seas, a wing-in-ground (WIG) effect vehicle can optimally travel at an elevation of five percent of wingspan, or 1.5m elevation for a 30m wingspan. Under such conditions and at identical speed as a commuter airplane, the WIG vehicle will consume 25 to 35 percent the energy. Given that doubling vehicle speed increases energy consumption by a factor of eight, a WIG vehicle at 250 km/h would require less than 10 percent the amount of energy as a commuter airplane carrying equivalent payload at 500 km/h. The WIG vehicle layout allows for greater propulsive efficiency than aircraft.

The Lion Air Boeing 737 used a larger propulsion fan to push greater air volume at lower relative speed, to raise propulsive efficiency. Placing WIG vehicle propeller above the stern allows for installation of propeller the diameter of a helicopter rotor and driven via a planetary reduction gearbox from a single engine, raising its propulsive efficiency beyond that of any aircraft propulsion system. Other variants that could be adapted to propeller propulsion would include intermeshing twin rotors developed by helicopter designer Frank Piasecki or concentric-coaxial shaft, counter-rotating twin rotors offered on other modern helicopters.

Conclusions

Multiple factors that include a projected looming shortage of airline pilots, the increasing operational complexity of commercial aircraft, the expense and duration of training future pilots along with the comparatively short distances between several large Asian coastal cities enhances future prospects for high-speed, maritime-based ground effect transportation between such cities. Being far less complex to operate than commercial aircraft allows trainee pilots of ground effect technology to achieve a high degree of operation competence at lower expense and within less time than commercial airline pilot training. Ground effect vehicles are capable of providing future short-haul Asian coastal transportation service.
 
Interesting read. Thanks for sharing.
 
Back
Top Bottom