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Savard Crew

Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2024
Messages
6
Location
Arizona
My wife and and I + 2 kids ( 7 & 9 ) 1 dog ( 40lbs ) are really thinking about buying a trawler 40'-55' and living on it full time. We know it will be very different from land and are excited for the adventure collectively. We have a fixed income around 35k a year.

My concerns are of course large unexpected repairs ( engine replacement) and socializing with other family boaters we expect to travel as we can but fuel will be limited. Is there such a thing as a single sail for a trawler to travel between monthly accounting for fuel?

My wife is more worried about the what ifs than I am. I'm a handy person and generally repair my own house and vehicles.
 
Welcome! You guys would not be the first to do this and people do this at all income levels. Here is a article about the daughter who's parents started out on a small sailboat circumnavigating. They made it work with what they had. Maiden Voyage | Cruising World

If 35k is the total budget for the family annually it would be tight to squeeze in operating a power boat but I've seen a few youtubers say they have cruising budgets in the 35-45k range. Even though 40 feet may seem like a big boat the space is small so I'll say it's kinda of like nice camping. If you guys enjoy camping you'll be set.

Do you have some boating experience with the family to gauge how things will work?
 
Welcome aboard. Of course you will have to leave Arizona to live aboard…. We lived in Tucson for 30 years.
 
Dream the dream. Great way for kids to grow up. But the reality is $35k is tough - it's barely above the US poverty level for a family of 4 ($31,200). Boat ownership is usually a discretionary income activity. Most cruisers I know do so with a monthly budget around $4k-$8k ($50k-$100k per year).

That said, it's possible to do it very inexpensively. As said above, it's easier to go cheap with sail than power. Not just because of fuel but also because older sailboats have fewer systems. If you haven't found CruisersForum, they are a sail-oriented sister site to trawlerforum.

It can be really hard to be under-funded on a boat. Stuff breaks all the time and some of it can really crush a budget. One couple I met in Banderas Bay were anchored out in rolly conditions for two months waiting for enough money to buy a water pump for their small generator. It's failure had destroyed their batteries and left them without their bare bones water maker. They were pretty exhausted and not having fun. My takeaway is that while they share the same view as a mega yacht, they were in a financial cul de sac that sucked.

Best success with whatever you decide

Peter
 
Is there such a thing as a single sail for a trawler to travel between monthly accounting for fuel?

???

FWIW, except for years when we might travel south for the winter, we don't usually find fuel to be our largest expense. Dockage, insurance, service/repair...

-Chris
 
Some people make their dreams come true. Most people just dream and make bad decisions.

People who make their dreams come true know what they want and know how they plan to get there. Most people don’t know what they want and chase the next big idea which is just another bad decision.
 
Welcome! You guys would not be the first to do this and people do this at all income levels. Here is a article about the daughter who's parents started out on a small sailboat circumnavigating. They made it work with what they had. Maiden Voyage | Cruising World

If 35k is the total budget for the family annually it would be tight to squeeze in operating a power boat but I've seen a few youtubers say they have cruising budgets in the 35-45k range. Even though 40 feet may seem like a big boat the space is small so I'll say it's kinda of like nice camping. If you guys enjoy camping you'll be set.

Do you have some boating experience with the family to gauge how things will work?

We do enjoy camping we camp dozen times a year for 3 to 7 days at a time in a pop up tent camper kids generally get there own separate tent ( right of passage ). I'm the only one of us who have river boating experience day trips mostly as a kid going in to late teens every other weekend.
Wife and I don't think it will be a dramatic adjustment in space as we have gone from a 5 bed 3k sqft house to a 2 bed 800 sqft house over the last 2 years with everything that has transpired over the last 4 years.
We likely will go with powered as I don't think my wife could sail if I got hurt for some reason she's 5'7" and 120lbs soaking wet. We don't think she operate sails.
 
Welcome aboard. Of course you will have to leave Arizona to live aboard…. We lived in Tucson for 30 years.
Yes we will have to leave Arizona. We are born and raised in the desert. Our camping is in the Kofa's and near lakes. We are thinking of starting our adventure in Texas.
What helped you make the plunge from desert life to sea life
 
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Dream the dream. Great way for kids to grow up. But the reality is $35k is tough - it's barely above the US poverty level for a family of 4 ($31,200). Boat ownership is usually a discretionary income activity. Most cruisers I know do so with a monthly budget around $4k-$8k ($50k-$100k per year).

That said, it's possible to do it very inexpensively. As said above, it's easier to go cheap with sail than power. Not just because of fuel but also because older sailboats have fewer systems. If you haven't found CruisersForum, they are a sail-oriented sister site to trawlerforum.

It can be really hard to be under-funded on a boat. Stuff breaks all the time and some of it can really crush a budget. One couple I met in Banderas Bay were anchored out in rolly conditions for two months waiting for enough money to buy a water pump for their small generator. It's failure had destroyed their batteries and left them without their bare bones water maker. They were pretty exhausted and not having fun. My takeaway is that while they share the same view as a mega yacht, they were in a financial cul de sac that sucked.

Best success with whatever you decide

Peter
Thank you. I am hoping from trawler form my wife and I can make a more educated decision. We plan to have a find set aside about 15% purchase value of the boat set aside every month ( included in our monthly operating budget with in the 35 )
I agree with the kids growing up part. We hope to be able to show them more of the country by doing this and then having a bigger appreciation, understanding, and knowledge of history by seeing and doing more then we would by staying in 1 place
 
Some people make their dreams come true. Most people just dream and make bad decisions.

People who make their dreams come true know what they want and know how they plan to get there. Most people don’t know what they want and chase the next big idea which is just another bad decision.

We are all certainly guilty of making our fair share of bad decisions. We have been bouncing the idea for few months. We are currently in the if we are really going to do this what's the first years plan. We certainly do not have a plan set yet. We will not purchase until we are confident we have a plan that will work ( with adjustments along the way ) for the first year for the family.
 
Sailboats might be a better option. Some older, large ones can be had for less than and probably cheaper to run than a trawler.

Stay where it's warm enough to spend most of the time outside due to room restraints and never run the boat well off shore/ or weather taxing the rig till a thorough inspection/repair/replacement is done.

I don't see $35K a year and low initial purchase as capable of buying and operating a trawler that actually goes anywhere and not subjecting your family to undue hardships.
 
Will a sail boat be something someone with limited hand mobility ( grip strength, numbness, and tingling ) also my wife has been a stay at home mom for 12 years not in peak physical shape at 120lbs she's hesitant on ability to operate a sail boat in the event I got hurt or something.

We have found some older trawlers in the '80s within our initial purchase price range that are three bedrooms a aftbirth mid-birth and v birth.
 
Yes we will have to leave Arizona. We are born and raised in the desert. Our camping is in the Kofa's and near lakes. We are thinking of starting our adventure in Texas.
What helped you make the plunge from desert life to sea life
We lived there for 30 years. But the last couple of years we were getting burned out by the heat. We also wanted to be by the water so we moved back to Michigan. We don’t mind the winters and we get to live on a river and dock our boat right behind the house. We haven’t missed the desert so far.
 
I have to ask what your experience is with boats?

I have been a liveaboard for 30 years. I am a dockside liveaboard, something much easier than being an anchor out liveaboard. I have watched hundreds of families join the liveaboard lifestyle. Most of them as dock side liveaboards. Most find it an expensive unrewarding lifestyle. The failure rate is huge but certainly not 100%. However, it is almost 100% failure rate when the new liveaboards have no boating experience.

When it comes to being an anchor out only liveaboard the failure rate is much higher. Those who succeed at it almost always have extensive offshore boating experience.

I can not say that you will fail. You are certainly exhibiting all the qualities most commonly associated with failure. Continue to do your research and only make a decision that includes an exit plan.

Even though I have been a successful liveaboard for 30 years, I still maintain an exit plan.
 
Sailing is definitely more physical than a motorboat. Physical limits, balance issues, and/or dexterity issues all complicate operation of a sailboat.

Keeping a boat habitable can be complicated, time consuming, and expensive. Repair (not rebuild --- REPAIR) of a head system including hose ($10/foot) and a pump is easily $500 in parts. Routine engine service for oil, filters, and some doo-dads is easily $500 in parts and supplies.

I don't know what your initial purchase budget is, but if you're surfing and finding a 3-stateroom boat that's cheap, it's either in lousy shape or expensive (maybe $200k and above).

I don't mean to deflate your dream, but I don't want a dream to become a nightmare. Keeping a 40-foot boat has a base cost of around $20k/year before it moves (insurance, marina, bottom diver, utilities, bi-annual bottom job, zincs, etc). You have $35k/yr. Either you forego those fixed costs and fly under the radar, or you find more money.

Peter
 
Will a sail boat be something someone with limited hand mobility ( grip strength, numbness, and tingling ) also my wife has been a stay at home mom for 12 years not in peak physical shape at 120lbs she's hesitant on ability to operate a sail boat in the event I got hurt or something.

We have found some older trawlers in the '80s within our initial purchase price range that are three bedrooms a aftbirth mid-birth and v birth.
I've been following this thread and am very curious:

- What your "initial purchase price" level is?
- What you feel a liveable 40 ft trawler would cost?
- How much do you realistically believe it would cost for a family to live on a boat?

The comments you are getting above mine are from very experienced people and all offer valuable insight. Why I can say that is because I personally have learned a great deal from all of them.
 
Sailing is more physical but depending how you do it and how you rig the boat and the boat in general is no more physical than many types of boating including trawlers. Living on a boat is usually MUCH more physically demanding (if cruising) than living ashore....not so much if planted in one marina that is geared towards living aboard.

Starting a liveaboard lifestyle with limitations is definitely a red flag to me (lived aboard 3 boats around 17 years). Limited grip is not great as often a boat will rock. If you can't stop from falling because of your weak grip... you can be seriously hurt.

It takes awhile to get used to the whole new lifestyle in addition just to learning about large boating and cruising if not already very familiar with that. Not saying that you can't do it or that living aboard on a shoestring budget is impossible.... but having known dozens if not many, many dozens of people who have thought about it and even made it to trying it, living aboard is not what most people dream about. It is still great, but be ready for years of stress till it becomes familiar and embraced by each and every member of your family.

I hope before you take the plunge, you realize that this could easily turn into a money drain that you have to be prepared to survive. Look at much of the first couple of years as a total financial loss if things don't work out. If that is not a survivable event, my best wishes in whatever you choose, just choose wisely with way more research than the info you can even get here.
 
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Well, no one will say it but I will.
Don't do it.
You are way under capitalized.
This is not a game or YouTube video.
You are dragging your family into some fantasy that could easily take a turn for the worst, way beyond anything you can imagine.
If you really want to do it put aside the funds, lots of them, and be prepared to lose it all.
Even if someone gives you a boat you are going to have cash flow problems.
You think the heat in Arizona is bad, try the Texas Gulf Coast.
Your looking at $5k for just dockage and power. Most places won't let you dock without insurance, figure $2k if you can get it.
Now your at $28k, nothing has broken or been bought. Basically living for $2k a month.
Just giving you the advice people are tiptoeing around.
Keep planning, your not there yet!
 
DON'T DO THIS!
I once had a 7&9 year old, a dog and wife and I am able to say in hindsight it would not have worked. I know because I was already boating before they were born.
IIRC my kids were at that age when I built a fence in the backyard as a safe space for them. As soon as the gate was fastened they were gone visiting their friends, the fence was a waste of time/money.
Your kids are at that age where their own life desires will change daily, can you adjust living on a boat, I say no way?
But do buy a cheap small boat first and use it weekender style, every day of the month even, enjoy the dream, but keep a dirt house to fall back on for at least a year before you become liveaboard.
Your $35K US is about $50K CAN. It is just the wife and I now and I cannot imagine $50K CAN with the two of us let alone a family of 4 and a dog.
signed tough love

ETA That common sense Choices guy typed faster than me.
 
Yeah, me too. Maybe get a land yacht that you can park anywhere for free.

How you gonna buy the boat? Sell the house? Bad investment.

The one over to the left was a hundred grand and it's a '79. Last haul out cost me 10 grand. My cheap slip in the Delta is 5 grand a year. And you have 2 young children and a wife. I just have a wife and a dog.

I really hate to be debbie downer, not my style, but hey you asked...
 
Reality check here. Can you do it? Maybe. But chance of poor outcome is extremely high and you then would likely be facing a severe hardship.

I would suggest staying on land and maybe travel the US in a trailer or camper. You can visit all the same places.

Kids may adapt or embrace a nomadic lifestyle but I would really have a concern. Perhaps year 1 just travel summers and school breaks? If that pans out go full time year two.

Are there things you can do to increase income? $35k doesn't go far these days.
 
Welcome from southwest Florida. You don't say anything about your boating experience or where you plan to keep the boat. Marinas are not cheap and anchoring requires fuel for a generator. IMHO, $35k would not be sufficient in a power boat.
 
Will a sail boat be something someone with limited hand mobility ( grip strength, numbness, and tingling ) also my wife has been a stay at home mom for 12 years not in peak physical shape at 120lbs she's hesitant on ability to operate a sail boat in the event I got hurt or something.

We have found some older trawlers in the '80s within our initial purchase price range that are three bedrooms a aftbirth mid-birth and v birth.
Stay away from wood boats they will keep you broke unless you are very handy at woodwork, I’ve owned many Chris Crafts from 28 feet to 57fet and finally ?? got smart and bought a tupperware trawler and lots more time to relax n enjoy the boating life and avoid gasoline engines definitely go with diesel’s much more economical
 
This could be the best thing you ever do! But it isn't as easy as camping. The time it takes to learn to sail is longer than the time it takes to learn to drive a trawler but it takes a long time to learn either to be capable at it.

Think of learning to play music. You can play Mary Had a Little Lamb in an hour but it takes a lot longer to be good at it. A boat requires the equivalent of being able to jump into any song, from jazz to rock to classical, sometimes in one day and usually on the fly. Or have a deep pockets :)

Sailing is a cheaper way to get around - period (as long as you can sail lol). A day trip in a 40ft trawler can cost a lot just in fuel. And sailboats are usually a bit cheaper unless you get one that has all the 'stuff' most 40ft trawlers have.

A fellow in SF Bay just bought a great trawler for 50k. It's a bit faded but a very solid boat. They are out there.

Being able to do your own work will save you a lot of $$ no matter what you get. There is only one youtube channel that is worth watching re boat repair and that is Boatworks Today, Andy Miller. Boatworks Today He is great for a lot of practical things like leaking ports etc but he doesn't do engines or systems, just the hull and decks.

Sailing btw can be safely done by people under 100lbs. You make adjustments similar to a longer breaker bar on mechanical things. Your wife should decide what she wants to learn - sailing or driving a largish boat. Does she like driving a big box truck more than a go cart?

And yes, you should have a good cc or more $$. Things come up and if a big thing comes up early in your process what will you have to do to get by? And not just boat things - a medical or family issue that requires you to be somewhere, terrible weather etc.

Being on the water is a truly great way to live and you sound like someone that will really take to it. Just be ready to spend the time to learn BEFORE buying the boat you think you will stay on for more than a year.
 
I hate to break it to you, but 35K a year wouldn't cover the transit dockage fees.
 
I hate to break it to you, but 35K a year wouldn't cover the transit dockage fees.
Yeah, a lot of bush beating here, and I get it... No one wants to crush dreams. But on 35k and in the US it isn’t going to happen. On double that, still dicey. There are expenses you just can’t get around. A 40-55’ trawler (just the length range given implies a lack of understanding of the costs involved) is going to cost you $20K a year to keep floating and functional in the US.

If you are dead set on it, buy a sailboat, and live in Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Thailand). Perhaps doable there.
 
I don't disagree with the negative comments. Problem is that a really determined individual could start a YouTube channel "My stupid decisions make you laugh, boating edition" and then do all the wrong things while making an additional $100,000 from YouTube that adequately funds their poor decision making skills, which inadvertently leads to their success.

It's just that OP didn't mention any side hustle ability which makes this a very unlikely scenario.
 
Anyone telling you maybe or even saying possibly is being nice but not honest.

If someone gave you a 40' trawler in running condition, you probably couldn't afford to live on it with a family of four.

It would be almost impossible to buy a 80's trawler that is within a small budget to explore areas and live on that budget and repair the boat. Possibly, if you are living on the hook or find a very cheap live aboard dockage- which there aren't any in South Florida- you can live on it like an apartment but that would be tough for a family. Nevertheless, I cannot see where you are traveling all around on a budget of 35k. Fuel is the least of your concern and I think that would be a problem. Boats are very expensive, and with an 80's boat that hasn't been fully restored will require constant repairs. Not only the labor, but the parts are at minimum twice as much as home or car parts. Run your numbers, see how much you have left over on your monthly expenses now. Then research fuel prices, dockage, insurance, internet food and electric (shore power or solar). Look at prices of anchors, chain and rope if you happen to lose that. Also you will probably need a dinghy with an engine too. I do not want to be negative but in all reality maybe just you can do it, but not with a wife and two kids, okay possibly you and the dog! Good luck in whatever you decide
 
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