Divorcing the Wife and looking to marry a Trawler.

Kids are grown and we were better parents than a couple. I am working remote and as soon as the house sells buying a Trawler. The market is very tight. Willing to wait into winter to try and find my new home. Any suggestions for a Solo liveaboard Trawler?

Thank you all in advance.

Seapiper.

Welcome aboard

Ballpark budget?

200k max

Going to stick around San Fransisco, or do you have dreams of heading north/south?

Not clear will you be living aboard fulltime, if so finding a marina that will take a liveaboard might be harder than finding a boat.

What are you planning on doing with boat?

Cruise? If so, how far? how often? where?

Mostly stationary with little cruising?

I ask, because I would buy different boats depending on my cruising plans.

For liveaboard, I think the biggest space for foot would be an aft cabin layout.

Jim

Yes liveaboard is my plan. I have from ventura to San diego to find a livaboard. I have a few options in Sacramento where I work for available liveaboard slip but my daughter is in Long Beach and my son will be returning from Japan to Pendleton so I want to be there.

I am working remotely at least through 2021 and will have to see if I will be able to continue to do this. I retire in 8 years and could livaboard in Sacramento until I retire down there worst case.

Capnsin said:

200k max

Click to expand...

Really depends on how good of an attorney she has actually.

Find slip availability, then the boat. Finding liveaboard slips in California can be difficult and expensive.

Good luck.

Peter

Financially, if you are committed to keeping the boat seaworthy and in good condition, you will start missing the wife after a year, maybe two. Good luck finding a full time liveaboard slip in NorCal. Have you ever spent multiple days on a boat? Only you can determine what is comfortable for you.

Take a look at Delta Marine sales website. They have a Symbol 48 that is next to us at Willow Berm Marina listed. Also there is a Bayliner 4788, both in your price range, Willow Berm has slips and allows live aboards plus you are in freshwater and your slip is covered.

I have heard that some people buy a less than ideal boat for their plans just because it has a transferable slip.

It's all a compromise anyway.

pete

Bill V said:

Really depends on how good of an attorney she has actually.

Click to expand...

Keep the lawyers out of it
Be grownups and settle amicably and fairly.

Simi 60 said:

Keep the lawyers out of it
Be grownups and settle amicably and fairly.

Click to expand...

Takes two people for that too happen. Not always possible.

mvweebles said:

Find slip availability, then the boat. Finding liveaboard slips in California can be difficult and expensive.

Good luck.

Peter

Click to expand...

Critically important advice for much of the west coast. Wait lists for moorage are long. Wait lists for live aboard moorage can be years, many years. Identify which marinas interest you and get on the list even if there is an annual wait list fee. Don't limit yourself to one marina. Befriend the marina office staff. Worst that can happen that way is you buy a dock queen in a hurry to secure the slip when you pop up to the top of the list until you can find the boat for you. The above advice is for you in your working years and if you want in retirement to have a local base for short cruises. For serious cruising without a fixed home port once retired that is an entirely different ball game.

Just a small piece of advice that a friend says he wish he had heard prior to his buying a boat . . . . with a divorce involved.

He told me (and I paraphrase) "Make sure your divorce is finalized before you buy anything expensive, otherwise, you might just end up buying a boat for your ex-wife!"

Personally, going on 33 years of my first and only marriage, I hope I never have to experience the problems many people go through. Best of luck in your new life style!

Our first larger boat was bought from someone who got divorced, took his part of the house $$ and bought a boat. Lived on it for 6 months and hated it after 1. Moved off the boat and into a condo. Left the boat sitting in the marina for 4 years unused, and neglected. He told me it was his biggest financial mistake to date. The monthly fees for the boat, the cost of the boat, and the value dropped by 1/2 due to the condition of the boat when he sold it.

Many are in love with the idea, few are in love with it after a few months.

After 25 years of sitting on the dock watching newly divorced men move on to boats, this is my observations. Three years later they have a new girlfriend who is not into the boat at all. They have moved off the boat and the boat sits there for another 7 years unused sucking up cash.

To balance out all the naysayers above, I lived aboard during and after the Divorce. I have to say that those were some of the best times of my life! A couple of nice restaurant and bars within walking distance, met some good people who were also live aboards, able to easily lock the door and jump on a plane to get away for a quick jaunt without a house and yard to worry about. I was lucky enough to end up with girlfriend that I met on a boating trip in the San Juans who loves boating. All in all, no complaints.
As far as the boat, Mine is 38' and I don't think I'd try anything smaller. A separate stall shower is a must. The larger boats obviously have more creature comforts, but depending on your abilities, are tougher to single hand. I liked getting out of the marina on the weekends and 38' is easy to single hand.
As was mentioned above, I'd visit the marinas that you'd like to end up in and see if there are any potential boats there. Buying a boat that you can assume the moorage can sure make things easier.

Max, did you own the boat before the divorce?

I see a much higher success rate for boat owners who then become liveaboards. Non boat owners who jump directly into the liveaboard life have a very high failure rate.

tiltrider1 said:

Max, did you own the boat before the divorce?

Click to expand...

Yes, actually probably one of the reasons for the divorce!

Boats with transferable slips sometimes come up in Oceanside Harbor.
Check with Breakwater Yachts, the local broker.

I broke up with a girlfriend with whom I'd lived with for 10 years. I bought a 30 foot boat and happily lived aboard. I eventually met a gal who thought it was super cool. That was 25 years ago and we're still together and about to head off cruising.

I loved living aboard. Moving ashore was a bigger mistake than moving aboard.

Peter

mvweebles said:

I broke up with a girlfriend with whom id loved with for 10 years. I bought a 30 foot boat and happily lived aboard. I eventually met a gal who thought it was super cool. That was 25 years ago and we're still together and about to head off cruising.

I loved living aboard. Moving ashore was a bigger mistake than moving aboard.

Peter

Click to expand...

You loved with her or lived with her Peter? [emoji4]

John

johnrupp said:

You loved with her or lived with her Peter? [emoji4]

John

Click to expand...

Maybe both...

Bought boat in '86 in San Diego. Lived aboard in San Diego for three years. Moved boat to Florida in '90 and moved ashore. Divorced in '96 and moved aboard for two years. Liked it fine. Second wife loved boat and misses it since we sold it in 2015, but I was no longer interested in life aboard and all its difficulties and inconveniences unless cruising, which we did. Now I am have little interest in cruising or living aboard, but enjoy having a boat which can take us aboard for a few days when we wish. Life goes on.

IMHO, the Grnad Banks 42 Europa (mine was a classic) would be a perfect solo liveaboard.

As a veteran of the divorce experience, I really enjoyed good jokes about it. It helps keep you sane and grounded in tough times.

My favorite: Why is divorce so expensive? Because its worth it.

I post that because it also applies to boats.

Why are boats so expensive? Because they are worth it.

Well, while waiting for winter I'd suggest getting out on a few different boats for a few overnight stays or charters. Get a feel for the size and stuff you might like.