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Thanks Keith, that's great advice. Do you remember the name of the course or is it just Anacortes Yacht Charter? Can you give me an approximate budget number I should shoot for for a 3 day course? Did this allow you to also sleep aboard to get use to the rocking motion? I appreciate your...

Thanks for the suggestions, Peter and Kevin. I'm not sure what it will cost to hire a teaching captain to teach me about boat handling, boat maintenance...you know, hands on curriculum, especially when I don't yet have a boat. This is how I aim to discover how much or how little I like this...

Completely agree with your sentiment, psneeld. While new to boating, I'm not at all new to negotiation or hiring professionals to assist me. I think I've honed the ability to "smell a rat" to a pretty sharp point and really can't see how buying a boat and dealing with the boater's life is...

Thank you PSneed. I am looking to go from landlubber to responsible boat handler and liveaboard. I seek to hire a captain that can assist me effectively in this endeavor. If you have a quality captain in mind, I'm all ears.

Hey all, I'm planning a trip to get on a boat with a training captain (one who knows how to train a boating newbie) to determine if the full-time liveaboard lifestyle is for me. As I have the luxury of going pretty much anywhere in the country, do any of you have a personal experience or a...

Excellent news. I've been thinking of taking that tack as well Mickand.

You know Doc, I don't think an RV PLUS a liveaboard boat is in my future, but I thank you for your input.

Excellent logistics, Bruce and Liz. Most of the trawlers I'm considering have around a 3.5 foot draft, plus I am keeping a sharp eye out whether masts can be folded down, etc. for those really low Loop bridges, like that lowest point in Chicago, I think. This idea might really give me the...

Hello Jim, and thanks for that advice. As I mentioned, I'm really looking for a landing spot from Denver to any place where there are boats aplenty to look at and check out. I've seen quite a few posts from people in the Chesapeake area that really seem to love it. Any drawbacks that come to...

Thank you. I do understand that there are people who spend a lot more time on this board than I do. While I've tried to be as transparent in my posts as I can, I feel absolutely no need whatsoever to respond to anyone INSISTING I answer their post immediately if not sooner. For all of those...

Hey Art and RT, My budget to purchase the vessel is around $65K-$80K. As luck would have it, I don't have a tremendous nut to meet each month, so my income just keeps adding up with nowhere but investment to go. This doesn't mean I'm rich at all...nope! It does mean that, once I make the...

Thank you Den, it sounds like we have a pretty similar background, though I am solo without any family ties or considerations. There is just so much to think about in the position I find myself and it's really hard to make any progress without a clear direction or plan. I really feel...

You know Jim, I'm actually thinking perhaps of trying out 6 months (May-Oct - Hurricane Season) in the northern climates like Maine or the Great Lakes, when the weather is good and out of the hurricanes path. Then, for the other 6 months (Nov-April - Non Hurricane Season), take the boat south...

Hey GDavid, This is absolutely something I will be doing. Would you suggest I find the captain first or the general location of the country?

Wow everyone, thanks so much for all the super advice. Some I had not considered, and it's nice that the others I am already considering are listed here, so I think I'm on the right track.

Hey RTF, you didn't miss it. I am a complete newbie, transitioning from land to sea. I am fairly mechanically competent, but fully understand that there is a HUGE learning curve here (which is all part of the fun). If I'm looking at a vessel in an area of the country that has a winter season...

You know Bill, I'm actually Canadian and spent a ton of my life in the San Francisco Bay Area. I'm strongly considering the PNW, but it seems like quite an expensive part of the country so I'm guessing boats at a good value are few and far between. Having said that, I seem to keep coming back...

That would also end the issue of full-time liveaboards not being welcome in many marinas around the country, but negotiating a 6-month contract on Lake Michigan from May-Nov, then another 6-month contract some cool place down south. That is my plan if it turns out I prefer the community of...

My thoughts EXACTLY...Soul Brother.

Hey AlaskaFlyer, You bring up valid points. My plan, since I can do my work from anywhere there is an internet connection, is to start out wherever the boat is. This is how I can be so flexible in where I go from Denver. If it turns out to be the Great Lakes at the end of the season, I'll...

Hey all, Wow are there some incredible pieces of advice on these forums...I'm in awe! I have a question (that hopefully won't make me seem like the dunce of the universe). I'm a single 57 year old man who currently lives in the Denver, CO area (can you say landlocked?). I have no family ties...

If I am understanding you correctly, even though my Verizon Android 5G phone can create its own hotspot, I should also have a Mobile Hotspot device from the other prevalent carrier in my area so that if my Verizon poops out, likely my other carrier will step in to save the day. I suppose I need...

What about financing? If this guy were to try to finance his purchase of this boat and let's say it needed a total of $35K of work to make it seaworthy, how is he supposed to come up with the necessary cash if the finance company will only cover the value of the boat at purchase? What do most...

Much appreciated all. Peter, I like your candor.

Where to buy Wow, thanks so much all of you for the wonderful insights. I, too, have been under the mistaken assumption that luxury items such as boats/rvs would really take a back seat to daily necessities when the world's financial markets take such a hit. Apparently, the exact opposite is...