buying and piloting a live aboard

M

monty1978

New Member
Joined
30 Sep 2007
Messages
11
Visit site
Hello out there. It is somewhat of a dream of mine to buy and live on a boat. I am considering various different types with only 1 real stipulation, that it is ocean going. I know very little about boats and even less about boating. I would like to know what if any legal requiremnts there are to pilot a fairly large ocean going vessel. If there are no legal requiremnts what would be an advisable course anyway.
 
How big are you thinking of?

I consider my 10.7m catamaran to be ocean going, but I'm not sure that I am /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Cost increases disproportionately with size.

I suggest you read "Sell up and Sail" by Bill and Laurel Cooper (who are back contributing on these forums.

Also, a very good book on the size issue is "Sensible Cruising" by Don Casey and Lew Hackler.
 
Welcome to the forums!

Have a look just a little below the PBO forum and you will see a whole liveaboard forum. These guys will answer any questions you have as many are already doing exactly what you have asked about. Good luck!
 
Is this a pipe-dream or something you have already worked out a budget for?

As stated the cost of the vessel rises exponentially with size, go wide with a cat and watch the costs change from a mild irritation to damn right painful as you have to double up on everything. Need to reprop, x2, engine service x2, etc etc.

If you are not well flushed you HAVE to be able to carry out most practical jobs your self, so you need to become and engineer, electrician, rigger, seamstress, cleaner, painter, carpenter (I wish), refrigeration engineer and a whole host of others. The one good thing about this though, because so many of us run boats on a shoe-string budget, there is a great deal of skill trading, on here for theory and around the anchorage. I will do your wiring if you build my galley top for example.

The other big problem, bigger than the costs to buy and keep the vessel, as you start getting as you say, big ocean going ( though I don't know what you considerations are on the size) boats become a right pain to park.

Start approaching 44ft and berths become a treasure hunt. I see it like this, when most moorings were laid a big boat was 33ft, but recently the size of plastic-fantastics has gone through the roof, there is little infrastructure.

The bigger the boat the more you limit where you can visit, depth being a major issue, but then you go for a big cat, but big cats can take up the whole channel. We have a small cat and only just squeeze into some places.

As you spend most of the time tied to the bottom, the considerations of parking the thing should be up there with it's sea going qualities. IMO.
 
Welcome to the forums.

You know absolutely nothing about boats and want to buy an ocean going vessel??? Are you completely off your head?

Have you maybe considered maybe getting something a little smaller with more in the way of coastal, sheltered water sailing/motoring first?

Not wishing to "piss on your parade", but really!
 
You can drive anything up to 24m without a licence at all, unless you take paying passengers. I wouldn't bother with training. It's a piece of piddle. Push the lever forward to go forward, backwards to go backwards. Wheel makes it go left or right. There's a compass thingy somewhere - just keep pointing in a generally 'W' direction to reach the US. A copy of the 'Times' world atlas would be handy.

Good luck!
 
You don't mention whether you want motor or sail. And what is your definition of "ocean". Do you want to cross the Channel, the Bay of Biscay or the Atlantic? The answers to these will help us answer you in more detail. In general, to live aboard, get the biggest boat you can afford and you can handle. We started out with a 45 foot flybridge cruiser and have never looked back. Proper research and training is the right route to follow, in my book.
 
Welcome to the forum!

The law doesn't require you to be trained but you'd be well advised to get appropriate training for pretty obvious reasons. There are intensive courses taking you up to Yachtmaster in a surprisingly short time - OK, so you haven't got all the years of experience others have but as you go around, as a liveaboard, people will be happy to help you and share what they know.

You could approach this from two angles at the same time; start looking at the sorts of boats you are interested in (sail or motor,....) and start talking to some sailing schools near to you. Get a few lessons under your belt or just book the Day Skipper course - during the course you'll have time to talk to the instructor about what you have in mind, and you will get some good feedback, as well as seeing the sorts of boat you are interested in, in the water, and at sea.

There is a special 'Liveaboard' section to this forum - it's worth reading the posts there as they represent many of the issues affecting liveaboards.

Make sure you go to the London Boat Show in January!
 
Naughty boy, Raedwald /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

PS I have just spoken to someone dead keen to try out his new boat. He asked me what springs and neaps meant, and what a tidal height was.

He is going out in the Bristol Channel /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif (At least he asked, I suppose)
 
I'm with Englander here.

Whats helped you reach the conclusion that you need an ocean going boat, and a big one at that?

You might not even like it!

Do a few courses... Competent Crew, Day Skipper... a bit of mile building.... crew for someone....

That way, you will get a bit of a feel for whether you like it, what you really want to live on, and it wont cost much money.

If you dont like it, you can call it quits, and you wont have a boat to sell, and a life at home to rebuild.

Another thing, boating is as much about challenges as it is about pleasure, leisure and fun. It can get pretty uncomfortable, sometimes scary, and you can either love it, or hate it.
 
Fair comment. Everything is a dream untill you make it a reality. Been in my mind since childhood. My steps over the past few years have regarded my business and have afforded me time for little else. However, my financial position is quite good as well as my free time so this may be next on the aganda. I am now doing the first of my research. I have little boating experience but know I enjoy it. I say ocean going because I simply want no ceiling to the boats capabilities or my ambitions. I really like the look of a 72 ft coverted trawler, it has lots of space for convertion a workshop etc (i am a property developer and all round tinkerer) it has a hydraulic crane that I can bring my motorbike on board. My intentions are to find a suitable mooring and spend many years working on the boat whilst learning the various skills and maybe one day travelling the world in it. Yes it is a dream but not a pipe dream. Mooring complications like you say are a massive consideration and probably the biggest hindrance to this becoming an actuality. It might turn out to be a nightmare. I would consider looking for something below or at the 60 ft margine if things became dramatically easier. what do you reckon. I have a pretty cast iron volition so if it can be done it will be. Ta for your lengthy reply
 
fair enough. I dont intend to raise anchor point south and hit the throttle I just want to be without limitations when I become seaworhty. In the meantime I intend to live aboard work on the boat and learn everything I can. Not sailing, I like the look of a 72 ft converted trawler. I am a pragmatist and want alife long project. Ta doubters spur me on
 
Cheers mate my housemate and I pissed ouselves laughing. The contrast between yours and some of the scathing elitist responses was dramatic. I am a pragmantist and consumate tinkerer whos just started to get my life on track and wanting a life long project to live on with the option of buggering off round the world. Fallen in love with a 72 ft converted trawler which yipee falls below 24 metre margine. Its got a crane for my motorbike and a workshop and [--word removed--] loads of space. Its gonna take a while longer to solidify my postion but its in the pipeline. What do you reckon my chances of finding mooring for something of that size around the south west of england are. Cheers again.
 
Am looking for something like the 72 ft converted trawler I have fallen in love with. Large generators crane workshop and loads of storage. Big problem is mooring. Apparantly anything up to 24 metres requires no liscence. Ta for reply
 
Maybe I should have phrased it better. I want the option is all. I dont intend to aim for america and hit the throttle. I want something with loads of space and potential for conversion. I intend to spend years learning and working on it and generally getting a feel before I travel the world. Ps converted trawler is what seems fitting at so far. Cheers
 
Maybe I should have phrased it better. I want the option is all. I dont intend to aim for america and hit the throttle. I want something with loads of space and potential for conversion. I intend to spend years learning and working on it and generally getting a feel before I travel the world. Ps converted trawler is what seems fitting at so far. Cheers.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top