Anyone here lived on a boat before?

[daedalus]

I need to get the hell out of Nebraska. I was toying around with the idea of moving out to the San Diego area and buying a 35-40' Newport or Hunter to live on in a Marina. Its just me, so i don't need a lot of space, and it would be a hell of a lot cheaper than rent at any decent place in that area. I can work out of the boat (wireless internet hookup). I found a couple decent marina's in the area that have good marina rates, underground parking, etc. I know there are some obvious cons to the idea, but I really just feel like I need a change of venue in my life, but I don't feel I need to burden myself with the housing hassle in the current economic climate and housing woes that are going to start affecting areas like SD. This seemed like a decent compromise. I guess I just wanted to know, is a 35-40' boat too small to live on relatively comfortably? I've been around sailboats all my life so i'm aware of what maintenance and upkeep they require. Anyone been in a similar situation that could tell me what i'm not already thinking of in terms of the everyday living situation? Do they make portable a/c and water heaters that could be utilized in a boat these days? I know its a long shot, but any input would be appreciated. Cheers!

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[trojanman]

just my opinion: you need at least 40' and even that will get cramped after awhile. Make sure you invest in good marine plumbing that allows you to take REAL showers and flush a toilet the old-fashioned way.

Some things to consider:
1. Not all marinas allow live-aboards

2. Rent may be cheap at $600-$800 a month, but add that to your boat payment, utilities, and most importantly: the maintenance cost involved with keeping a boat this size in saltwater. I would estimate this expense @ $300-$500 a month additional.

3. I had a friend who did this and the novelty wore off pretty quick. What will you do when this inevitably happens?

4. You will get boat fever pretty quickly even on a 40' boat. Make some friends fast and visit them often!

That being said, DO IT! I think it will be an awesome adventure if only for 6-12 months.

[daedalus]

All of my boat experience has been with freshwater. What kind of additional upkeep is required on a saltwater hull?

I also made some calls and you're right, some don't allow live-ins (but I found a lot that do) and there is a tier'ed rate depending on if you live aboard or not. Defiantly adds to the expense.

I'd probably just buy the boat outright so it would just be for utilities and the slip fee. The plumbing you speak of - would it already be potentially on a boat of that size, or would some type of modification be required in most circumstances. Hard for me to check these things out as hardly anyone in the great state of Nebraska even knows what a Sailboat is.

[MexicoBlue]

Regardless, it's a freaking cool idea. Do it, and write a how-to book with the ins and outs.

[dblvanos]

First off, what is the boat budget?


Getting AC and heat is not a big deal, most 40ft boats that would serve as a live aboard should already have shorepower and A/C.

For plumbing it would be best to have tankless water heater, you really wouldn't need a huge waste water tank as the pump out is usually at the marina. If you choose a nice marina they usually have nice facilities so that really alleviates both of those concerns.

In salt water you should plan to have the boat hauled no less than once a year to have the bottom paint reapplied and any other maintenance items come up.

I think it is a great idea, and if you find the right boat it would be pretty cool. I think a mid to late 90's sport cruiser would be cool, I mean in reality they are not much smaller than most one bedroom apartments.

When I lived in Destin FL the only reason I did not do it was because of the slip fee's. I could not afford the nice marinas + boat, and the ones I could felt pretty sketchy.

[turbo187]

Don't know anything about it, but it definitely sounds like an experience!

[kraeburn]

Originally Posted by daedalus

All of my boat experience has been with freshwater. What kind of additional upkeep is required on a saltwater hull?

I also made some calls and you're right, some don't allow live-ins (but I found a lot that do) and there is a tier'ed rate depending on if you live aboard or not. Defiantly adds to the expense.

I'd probably just buy the boat outright so it would just be for utilities and the slip fee. The plumbing you speak of - would it already be potentially on a boat of that size, or would some type of modification be required in most circumstances. Hard for me to check these things out as hardly anyone in the great state of Nebraska even knows what a Sailboat is.

Not much different. Do you get electroloysis in fresh water?

35-40 feet would get small after a while IMO. From 15-20 years old I lived on my family's boat during the summer exclusively and it was fine but they were 50-56 feet with all of the amenities of home (wi-fi, dishwasher, 3 staterooms, wash/dryer, etc etc). That really doesnt count too much I understand, but the idea of it being a primary residence would not be ideal. It depends on the person. A sailboat would be brutal.

You would REALLY have to want to do it if you were going to live there all year long. Plus it won't be cheap.

[jamy85]

Shut your mouth Kyle

[kraeburn]

Originally Posted by jamy85

Shut your mouth Kyle

I thought you were in Spain. Get the hell out of my country.

[jamy85]

Originally Posted by kraeburn

I thought you were in Spain. Get the hell out of my country.

Gettin the hell outta here Friday evening after work! T-3

[kraeburn]

Originally Posted by jamy85

Gettin the hell outta here Friday evening after work! T-3

Color me jealous. Sorry I couldn't make it saturday, bet it was sick, what was the name of the DJ?

[jamy85]

Booka Shade

[kraeburn]

Originally Posted by jamy85

Booka Shade

Enough talking on here. I'll give ya a call before you leave.

goodbye jerkoff

[D-VO]

I've been boating since I was a baby, I'd love to do something like this. Your head is in the right spot, since you want a change of venue and this is most definitely different.

My suggestion is do it. You may not like it after a few months, but you may like it much more than you expected. If you don't like it, you can say you've done it and write a book about it. I would think the experience would be awesome regardless though.

[c4bliss]

grew up on a boat, actually two of them. spent my 7-10 years on a 30 footer, cramped as hell with my bro and parents and then from 11-16 on a 52 footer. That was a blast and an adventure i will never forget. No tv, no real ameneities at all. But i remember some times where we sure thought we were going to die in rough weather outside the Golden Gate! You either will love it or hate it, since they can be cramped.