Considering 2-Year Live aboard

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Mitch L

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Joined
Sep 2, 2020
Messages
5
Location
United States
My wife and I are kicking around the idea of buying and living aboard a boat for a couple years - before we get to old. Me more than her. I have been away from boating for many years but grew up with boats, worked at a Marina during HS and college and know a bit about boats (such as you can always count on things to fix, boats depreciate and it is will be more expensive than you anticipate).

While we are currently on the West Coast we are primarily interested in cruising the East Coast from the West Indies to Maine. We don't care about speed and would rather trade that for range and efficiency. I'd say the odds of getting this done are about one in ten, but it's nice to dream.

I joined this forum to dig into the whole process a little deeper and figure out what I need to do to get this done.
 
Welcome aboard. Enjoy the search. Make a list of must haves, want to haves and must not haves in a boat. Then let the fun begin. Look at any boats you can and you will be able to define the list more. Good luck.
 
30 years ago most marina’s didn’t know or cared if some on was living on a boat. Times have changed. Most marina’s know have limits and are at capacity with long wait lists. Include this fact in your dream. It could take you 5 years to find a place to park a liveaboard boat.
 
Budget?
 
Why would you leave the West coast to go East? Some of the best areas are in the PNW if you ask me.
 
Why would you leave the West coast to go East? Some of the best areas are in the PNW if you ask me.

The problem is that the PNW is about the only place to cruise on the West Coast and that is seasonal. What do you do in the winter if you liveaboard? On the East Coast you can winter in the Keys or in S Florida and summer in Maine or any point in between.
 
My wife and I are kicking around the idea of buying and living aboard a boat for a couple years - before we get to old. Me more than her. I have been away from boating for many years but grew up with boats, worked at a Marina during HS and college and know a bit about boats (such as you can always count on things to fix, boats depreciate and it is will be more expensive than you anticipate).

While we are currently on the West Coast we are primarily interested in cruising the East Coast from the West Indies to Maine. We don't care about speed and would rather trade that for range and efficiency. I'd say the odds of getting this done are about one in ten, but it's nice to dream.

I joined this forum to dig into the whole process a little deeper and figure out what I need to do to get this done.

Wifey B: Why? :confused::confused::banghead:

You haven't boated in decades and she's not really interested. Doesn't sound like a recipe for success.

Get beyond the dream and what do you expect it to be like? I'd suggest you and your wife charter a couple or more boats for a week at a time and then perhaps that will give you both some clarity. Remember, one convinced against one's will, remains unconvinced still. Stole that one from hubby who stole from professor but it's so true and if you talk her into it with a hard sell or guilt, it won't last two years. She'll fly home for a couple of weeks which will turn into many more.

I love boating, love the water, but I see people like you who know nothing about living on a boat and cruising and all in involves deciding from afar it looks like a fun thing to do. :nonono::nonono: It is fun, but only if you prepare and understand what you're in for. :ermm:

How do you think she, at least somewhat a non-boater, is going to like it when you take your nice coastal cruiser and cross from Turks and Caicos to the Dominican Republic and the 3' seas turn to 5' seas with short periods and you bounce around like kids in a bounce house? :eek:

One advantage we have is that not just the two of us but all those who regularly cruise with us are avid boaters and use to boating off shore and prefer calm but deal fine with adverse conditions. Charter enough that you encounter some less pleasant seas.

I want to encourage boaters, but only if it's right for them. There are many here who have zero desire to boat from the West Indies to Maine unless you're limiting the West Indies to one country of the 13, the Bahamas. Some people start out thinking of circumnavigating and end up boating happily forever after within 300 miles of home. Many in your situation are happy coming down the coast and visiting the Bahamas and returning north once a year. Still step one is get the two of you on some boats and see then how you both feel. :)
 
30 years ago most marina’s didn’t know or cared if some on was living on a boat. Times have changed. Most marina’s know have limits and are at capacity with long wait lists. Include this fact in your dream. It could take you 5 years to find a place to park a liveaboard boat.
Those are good points and, having friends who have lived on boats for years, I know hear what you are saying.

In any event, I was not as clear as I should have been. The idea is to live on the boat, but not stay in one place. A week here, a couple weeks there, maybe a month. Maybe that is crazy? My guess is it can be expensive:)
 
Wifey B: Why? :confused::confused::banghead:

You haven't boated in decades and she's not really interested. Doesn't sound like a recipe for success.

Get beyond the dream and what do you expect it to be like? I'd suggest you and your wife charter a couple or more boats for a week at a time and then perhaps that will give you both some clarity. Remember, one convinced against one's will, remains unconvinced still. Stole that one from hubby who stole from professor but it's so true and if you talk her into it with a hard sell or guilt, it won't last two years. She'll fly home for a couple of weeks which will turn into many more.

I love boating, love the water, but I see people like you who know nothing about living on a boat and cruising and all in involves deciding from afar it looks like a fun thing to do. :nonono::nonono: It is fun, but only if you prepare and understand what you're in for. :ermm:

How do you think she, at least somewhat a non-boater, is going to like it when you take your nice coastal cruiser and cross from Turks and Caicos to the Dominican Republic and the 3' seas turn to 5' seas with short periods and you bounce around like kids in a bounce house? :eek:

One advantage we have is that not just the two of us but all those who regularly cruise with us are avid boaters and use to boating off shore and prefer calm but deal fine with adverse conditions. Charter enough that you encounter some less pleasant seas.

I want to encourage boaters, but only if it's right for them. There are many here who have zero desire to boat from the West Indies to Maine unless you're limiting the West Indies to one country of the 13, the Bahamas. Some people start out thinking of circumnavigating and end up boating happily forever after within 300 miles of home. Many in your situation are happy coming down the coast and visiting the Bahamas and returning north once a year. Still step one is get the two of you on some boats and see then how you both feel. :)
Those are all very good points and you are correct that if the wife isn't happy and comfortable then going on an expedition of this nature would not end well. Dipping the toe in the water is probably the best course. As you suggested, chartering a boat in Florida for a few weeks would be a worth looking into or maybe we should find something here in San Diego/Newport Beach to buy/live on for a trial period.

As someone noted above I need to make a list of "must haves, want to haves and must not haves in a boat" and work from there. I'm not really thrilled about the idea of buying in CA and then selling and buying another boat on the east coast. That sounds like a hassle and a money loser to me.

The wife doesn't like rough seas. I took her sailing around Alcatraz in 20+ knot winds and very sloppy/seas when she was pregnant/sick with our first child years ago and I still hear about it:) That said, if she did not tell me that she was very interested in doing this, I wouldn't be thinking about it. I've been married too long to make that mistake.

Thank you for your thoughts and advice - and those of everyone else as well.
 
People liveaboard year round in the Pacific NW and winter cruising can be great! We certainly don’t pull our boats out of the water for the winter. It’s not that cold, and most locals have good heaters. Avoid the winter winds that can kick up though ....

Yes, it’s warm and sunny in the summer, but boaters get out in the fall, winter, and spring too!
 
Given the list of "must haves" It has to be something like a small house if this will work. Been thinking about 59 GBs and 70 Marlows - used, not new:)

I went from a 37' trawler to a 51' and found that the size/draught shut me out of many of my favourite routes, anchorages, free docks and many marinas between Ontario and the Bahamas.

Now happily back on a 38' that we have literally anchored in a drainage ditch on the ICW.
 
Because some of the best cruising areas are on the East Coast. Have you ever heard of Canada? The Trent-Severn Canal? The Rideau Canal? Lake Champlain? Montreal? Quebec City? The Florida Keys? New England? Sheesh! No to mention all the cool, cloudy, rainy days you experience in the PNW.
Why would you leave the West coast to go East? Some of the best areas are in the PNW if you ask me.
 
Yeah, winter cruising with heaters required. Sounds like so much fun compared to the Florida Keys in the winter.
People liveaboard year round in the Pacific NW and winter cruising can be great! We certainly don’t pull our boats out of the water for the winter. It’s not that cold, and most locals have good heaters. Avoid the winter winds that can kick up though ....

Yes, it’s warm and sunny in the summer, but boaters get out in the fall, winter, and spring too!
 
It was my wife that wanted to live aboard. We decided to try it for 6 months. It’s now 10 years later and we are still aboard. It can be a great life.
 
Well, I'll flog an American location I'd settle in if I had remained in the States after attending college and university there. My suggestion is kind of a compromise approach.

As another has suggested, the cruising waters in PNW/coastal BC/Alaskan Panhandle is second to none. And at my age - 72 - I'm not sure I'd want to live 365 on a boat now, when I was younger - absolutely. But I wouldn't mind living on the boat for 7 months of the year up here in God's land.

Since 1974 I have lived with 4 blocks but the majority of the time 1 block of the ocean. I find this gets me so close the ocean I see it everyday and I don't need a view from my living room for the remainder of the day.

If your marina is like mine (Comox), I find some couples are on their boat for months at a time, just tied up to the marina. Not the way I would want to do it but I can tell you they love doing it that way.

I have suggested this area - Whidbey Island - a number of times here at TF. To me it feels like Vancouver Island except downsized, the regular order of fries instead of supersize. It takes a couple of hours driving from top to bottom and about a half an hour drive across. It was where An Officer and a Gentleman was shot.

The island has bridge access at the North end and ferry access at the south end. On average, it is more expensive to live at the south end as many of the residents commute everyday on a ferry to go work at the Boeing plant.

It is rainy but not that bad. The Olympic Peninsula drains the clouds of most of their rain so by the time they drift across to Whidbey Island most of the precipitation has been dumped already. In fact, there is sort of a little desert roughly in the middle of the island.

Vancouver and Victoria is accessible to you to the North (once the plague is over) and Seattle is relatively close to you in the South. The "major" community is Oak Harbor which is a pleasant place to live and is the support town for Whidbey Island Naval Air Station.

If it were me, knowing the great cruising grounds up here, I'd been living the majority of the time on the boat, but in Nov - March I'd being out doing day or two or three trips no more as the wind is a big factor during those months. And I would get something modest, a small home, a townhouse, a condo within a block or two of the water (cheaper) and live there during the off season.

Island living is a slower paced experience. But for me, Islands can be too small, Whidby and Vancouver Island are just right, enough things to do on the island to keep a person interested and active.

Intro video to the Inside Passage:

 
Mitch L...

Good luck. Think you can find the boat (little house with all the comforts 59-70’) you want for about $1.5 million. Expect operating costs (i.e., maintenance, insurance, fuel, dockage and modest repairs) to run about $75,000 per year.

Consider the smallest boat that checks all your boxes. Something in the 50 foot range with two staterooms may be ideal for a couple to provide all of the comforts you expect.The trouble with bigger boats is that they can be limiting with draft and dockage since most marinas can accommodate a 50’ boat but getting toward 70’ may be challenging. Also, most moorings don’t do well trying to accommodate boats 60-70’ due to weight, windage and length.
 
Sorta the same thing....

My SIL and her husband (both around 60) came into a fair amount of money from selling property. SIL said "I always wanted to have an RV and travel around for awhile." So they bought one. It was suggested that they get a used one and see how they liked it. SIL: "Nope, gotta have a brand new one." So they got one and a new (not used) car to tow behind it.

After about 3 months, SIL says "I can't live like this!"

So they took a big hit and sold the RV and bought another house. Didn't even want to keep the RV for occasional trips. They did keep the car though.

Imagine the same thing with a new boat.
 
Eastern US Tour

We purchased a 1986 Kady Krogen in Florida in June 2017. In December we cruised north on the ICW stopping along the way to enjoy Southern Hospitality. We arrived in Maine for the summer. We spent the winter of 2019 and 2020 at the Safeharbor Charleston City Marina before returning to New England. Now we are headed south for cruising in the Eastern Caribbean. Things that made this trip enjoyable were having a seaworthy boat with good ground tackle, comfortable salon, great galley, separate shower, and comfortable berth. Many trawlers will provide this, but if you are going to go to the Eastern Caribbean make sure yours will be able to go the distance.

The East Coast is filled with cities to explore, American History to learn about and wonderful people. Great plan, so get ready and go.

Rose Loper
KK42
Catharine
 
living aboard.

Those are all very good points and you are correct that if the wife isn't happy and comfortable then going on an expedition of this nature would not end well. Dipping the toe in the water is probably the best course. As you suggested, chartering a boat in Florida for a few weeks would be a worth looking into or maybe we should find something here in San Diego/Newport Beach to buy/live on for a trial period.

As someone noted above I need to make a list of "must haves, want to haves and must not haves in a boat" and work from there. I'm not really thrilled about the idea of buying in CA and then selling and buying another boat on the east coast. That sounds like a hassle and a money loser to me.

The wife doesn't like rough seas. I took her sailing around Alcatraz in 20+ knot winds and very sloppy/seas when she was pregnant/sick with our first child years ago and I still hear about it:) That said, if she did not tell me that she was very interested in doing this, I wouldn't be thinking about it. I've been married too long to make that mistake.

Thank you for your thoughts and advice - and those of everyone else as well.


LOL. I used to be an avid yacht racer. I took my wife on her first regatta on my J 24 in 25 kts of wind. To say that she did not enjoy the experience would be an understatement. I won't quote what she told me I could do with that boat the next morning after the regatta. Don't jump into the Maelstrom. Dip your toe in the water.
 
liveaboard

Given the list of "must haves" It has to be something like a small house if this will work. Been thinking about 59 GBs and 70 Marlows - used, not new:)

A 59 GB or 70 Marlow to start? With a wife new to boating, cruising etc? That's courageous, to say the least.

Since you asked for advice, I'll give you mine. Try a smaller trawler, cruise the ICW between Key West and Virginia Beach. You'll get open ocean, ICW, large Sounds, The Dismal Swamp, The Outer Banks and many Rivers. Basically, everything you could possibly want to experience. You can even hop out of the ICW in Florida and make a 46 mile passage to Bimini just to try that out (but don't go in a North Wind). Or Start out in Pensacola and cruise the ICW and bays East and West for a bit. I would just look at a plan that is a little less aggressive to begin with. But, Good Luck! Have fun! Looking is the beginning of the adventure.
 
Men are predominantly the dreamers and doers when it comes to boats. Some wives are gracious and go along with your dream no matter how little they care for boating. Others will make your life miserable until you give up. If you're determined on your dream, eventually you maybe faced with pursuing your goals or you wife's goals.

Unless reincarnation happens, this life is what you got to live your dreams.
 
Living aboard

My wife and I are kicking around the idea of buying and living aboard a boat for a couple years - before we get to old. Me more than her. I have been away from boating for many years but grew up with boats, worked at a Marina during HS and college and know a bit about boats (such as you can always count on things to fix, boats depreciate and it is will be more expensive than you anticipate).

While we are currently on the West Coast we are primarily interested in cruising the East Coast from the West Indies to Maine. We don't care about speed and would rather trade that for range and efficiency. I'd say the odds of getting this done are about one in ten, but it's nice to dream.

I joined this forum to dig into the whole process a little deeper and figure out what I need to do to get this done.


I'll just throw one more thought into the process. Having a boat in San Diego, with all of the access to great water in that area, short trips to Oceanside, up to Dana Point and out to Catalina gives you pretty much the entire experience. I've lived out there and did that and it's pretty great. The plus there is that you don't have hurricanes, tornadoes, bad thunderstorms etc to deal with. If you are currently living in San Diego and considering a 70' trawler then you might just consider a 42-48' Trawler and the Marriott Marina in San Diego and cruising up and down the So Cal Coast to begin with.

But then, your original question was "What do I need to do to get this done"? Most haven't even answered that, but I'll give you my thoughts later.
 
liveaboard

The problem is that the PNW is about the only place to cruise on the West Coast and that is seasonal. What do you do in the winter if you liveaboard? On the East Coast you can winter in the Keys or in S Florida and summer in Maine or any point in between.

Not true at all. The area from San Diego up to Oceanside then on to Dana Point and out to Catalina Island is a wonderful cruising ground and offers almost everything: Bay day cruising, short green water passages, great marinas to visit, short passages to an island and a great island destination. No hurricanes. No thunderstorms. Cruising in So Cal has a lot to recommend it. I know. I've lived there and done that. The only down side is the cost and dealing with the lunatic govt of California.
Or the other option is put the boat in the PNW and you can cruise year round in some of the most spectacular water and scenery in the world. Yes, it gets chilly in the winter and there are rain days, but the further you go up Puget Sound, the more the rain becomes drizzle and you sit on your boat on a beautiful day with a little drizzle and read or cook or go ashore and do whatever wearing your slicker. That's not a bad area to headquarter.
 
liveaboard

My wife and I are kicking around the idea of buying and living aboard a boat for a couple years - before we get to old. Me more than her. I have been away from boating for many years but grew up with boats, worked at a Marina during HS and college and know a bit about boats (such as you can always count on things to fix, boats depreciate and it is will be more expensive than you anticipate).

While we are currently on the West Coast we are primarily interested in cruising the East Coast from the West Indies to Maine. We don't care about speed and would rather trade that for range and efficiency. I'd say the odds of getting this done are about one in ten, but it's nice to dream.

I joined this forum to dig into the whole process a little deeper and figure out what I need to do to get this done.

Ok, I've pontificated a lot, as well as others have while not answering your original question, so now I'll get to that.

The first thing you need to do is to be brutally honest with yourself about what you really want to do and how you really want to use a boat. That includes your wife and her thoughts. We all want to cruise off to Fiji or somewhere in the South Seas but are we really going to do that or do we need to invest in a boat capable of dong that? Secondly, you need to be just as honest with yourself about your ability to handle a boat of any size, much less a boat of that size. That requires a considerable amount of skill. Additionally, your maintenance skills, your ability to be independent out in blue water, you and your wife's physical condition, mobility, strength and attitude about rough water, etc are all considerations.
What is your financial situation? You mentioned a 59 GB or much larger. Owning and operating a boat of that size isn't for the squeamish. The cost of buying, berthing, maintaining, operating, supplying, insuring and upgrading a boat of that size is astronomical. You had better be independently wealthy.
Insurance is an issue and can get quite expensive. The age of the boat, the cost of the boat, the survey, your previous experience, where the boat is berthed, all comes into play.
I'm not trying to rain on your parade or harsh your dreams. I just think, that based on your original post and your situation you might consider a little less aggressive plan to begin with.
 
Here is a fun perspective. I recently had my land home renovated. I also own a trawler. Love her and wouldn’t give her up for the world. I spend a lot of time on her. I do most work on her myself. I’m proficient in the engine room and beyond. With that said, here is my couple month experience living onboard while the land house was being worked on.

Week 1: glorious getting to the marina even with my small dog in tow and groceries. I have a wardrobe on board so no issue there. Open the boat. All systems on. 7am. Disembark to take the dog for a walk. Shut down all systems, put sunshades down, turn off water. Go to land house and work all day. Not livable.

Week 2: raining mot evenings when returning to marina with dog in tow, a case of water and those damn groceries. Ugh forgot to turn the water on. All systems on cook a nice dinner. 7am. Disembark to take the dog for a walk. Shut down all systems, screw the sunshades, turn water off.

MONTH 2: I now have the dog getting in and out of the car by himself. Good lord, how can I have this many groceries? I’ll come back for the case of water. The walk is only 1/2 a mile! Damn, I have to bring my clean laundry onboard. No way it’s going to fit in the cart. Why is it 100 degrees out? Turn water on. WHAT IS THAT SOUND? Omg, waterline blew. Run outside and shut the water off. Jump on the boat, (dog is barking) open the engine room. Water everywhere. Trip to the Home Depot with dog in tow. It’s 8pm. Back to the boat. Engine room light went out. Great, I’ll do this with a flashlight. Fixed it in an hour. It’s 10pm. I have to bail forward. Not enough to bildge. In the shower by 11:15pm. Cold water since I couldn’t wait for it to heat up.

MONTH 3: I’m tired. Shut the water off left all the food in the fridge. Gathered all the laundry, put the sunshades up, turned off all the systems except for air which I left on everyday. Dog in tow. I stopped a few steps from the boat, looked back and said, I’m going to miss not living on you. Land home is finished.
 
Reading all the posts about the PNW (I live in Kirkland, WA and my oldest son and his wife live on Whidbey Is.) I would would be very appreciative if someone could point out a live-aboard slip anywhere in the Salish Sea that doesn't have a 1 to 5 year waiting list for it. We've found the boat but can't find a place to dock it. Should this be for another thread?
 
Reading all the posts about the PNW (I live in Kirkland, WA and my oldest son and his wife live on Whidbey Is.) I would would be very appreciative if someone could point out a live-aboard slip anywhere in the Salish Sea that doesn't have a 1 to 5 year waiting list for it. We've found the boat but can't find a place to dock it. Should this be for another thread?

I’m not trying to be funny. Point Roberts has no waiting list for liveaboard slips. However, I have no idea how you can get there other than by boat.
 

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