First post, planning to leave shore in 6 weeks permanently :)

[Travellingwithtoby]

Hi guys/gals

So my first post please be gentle please

So my life has just been turned upside down, and I have to be flexible with my housing between Weston super mare and ayrshire depending on certain healthcare needs that have been split after the recent budget cuts with Gov.

I am selling all of my belongings, my defender 110 that I built from a galv chassis and fitted a 5.9L Cummins diesel too, a large amount of workshop tools and other engineering machinery, to find and buy a boat to live aboard.

I did have my eye on a Nicholson 26 in the north, but it appears the broker was misled with the description and photos that where provided where over 14 years old.... still waiting on more info but he did say that it was not even sea worthy.... sigh I looked that boat and the pedigree that came with it!

I am almost certain I want a full keel, as I plan on travelling across the seas when my health permits to raise funds for a number of charities that are helping me currently.

So I guess this will be a thread looking for information and guidance, I was a live aboard as a kid and loved it and learnt a lot, I'm able to put my hand to anything so maintaining the boat is easy for me.

So any tips on living on the bristol channel, I have scoured the internet and found some and have marked them on my map already, going to get the little blue book that was mentioned in a thread format fiver! Bargain!!

Anyway, enough from me! Looking forward to your replies

 

[nortada]

Wel

Hi guys/gals

So my first post please be gentle please

So my life has just been turned upside down, and I have to be flexible with my housing between Weston super mare and ayrshire depending on certain healthcare needs that have been split after the recent budget cuts with Gov.

I am selling all of my belongings, my defender 110 that I built from a galv chassis and fitted a 5.9L Cummins diesel too, a large amount of workshop tools and other engineering machinery, to find and buy a boat to live aboard.

I did have my eye on a Nicholson 26 in the north, but it appears the broker was misled with the description and photos that where provided where over 14 years old.... still waiting on more info but he did say that it was not even sea worthy.... sigh I looked that boat and the pedigree that came with it!

I am almost certain I want a full keel, as I plan on travelling across the seas when my health permits to raise funds for a number of charities that are helping me currently.

So I guess this will be a thread looking for information and guidance, I was a live aboard as a kid and loved it and learnt a lot, I'm able to put my hand to anything so maintaining the boat is easy for me.

So any tips on living on the bristol channel, I have scoured the internet and found some and have marked them on my map already, going to get the little blue book that was mentioned in a thread format fiver! Bargain!!

Anyway, enough from me! Looking forward to your replies

Welcome to this forum and best of luck with your new venture.

See you plan to leave shore in 6 weeks so where are you planning to head for?

 

[V1701]

Get yourself over to Neyland and have a look at this Bowman 26, they're very similar to the Nic 26 (long keel, full standing head room) but significantly lighter, the Nic 26 is a real heavyweight for her size. Some of the vids on my Youtube channel will give you an idea. Some would say much too small to live on but that's down to you, I've lived happily on similar sized boats. And if you're looking to be marina-based (in all honesty you'll struggle to not be in the UK!) you could do a lot worse than Milford Haven marina - reasonably priced and very friendly. Best of luck...

 

[lindsay]

Posts about choosing the ideal liveaboard yacht on this forum tend to get ever more complicated. Perhaps consider the advice of Webb Chiles, an American navigator/writer, who recently completed his sixth circumnavigation, and who is now 78 years old,
who said:

"There are only three major criteria:

1. It should be fun to sail
2. It should hold together
3. It should LOOK GOOD when you are rowing away from it at an anchorage.

All the rest is just harbour talk."

 

[Travellingwithtoby]

Thank you for the positive replies

Wel

Welcome to this forum and best of luck with your new venture.

See you plan to leave shore in 6 weeks so where are you planning to head for?

Well at the moment looking for a gentle Anchorage near BC (if one exists) while I get myself organised and settled in, I'm still learning to read charts, as a boy it was "booring" how I wish I had paid attention now! Haha

Got to get a few matters sorted on land before I can take short weekly trips, and as I get more comfortable on my new boat I would like to go further and longer aiming for winter time to get into the warmer climates! But I wont really have a schedule, just sail and meet people!

Then in a year or so maybe sooner start clocking some miles to raise funds for combat stress, royal british legion, saffa etc!

Where abouts are you?

Get yourself over to Neyland and have a look at this Bowman 26, they're very similar to the Nic 26 (long keel, full standing head room) but significantly lighter, the Nic 26 is a real heavyweight for her size. Some of the vids on my Youtube channel will give you an idea. Some would say much too small to live on but that's down to you, I've lived happily on similar sized boats. And if you're looking to be marina-based (in all honesty you'll struggle to not be in the UK!) you could do a lot worse than Milford Haven marina - reasonably priced and very friendly. Best of luck...

Thank you for that I did think they looked similar! So where is the weight lost? I don't mind a heavy safe boat, I'm more interested in getting there than how fast I get there I would greatly appreciate any more you can enlighten me on the subject!

Will look Milford haven Marina up tomorrow! But my income isn't going to be massive so I may just have to live on the hook until I can find a steady stream of small work....

Thanks again for the replies, will try and find your YouTube channel now

Have found an Elizabethan 31 for sale more details later on, want to research it and see if it's up to what I'm after!

 

[Travellingwithtoby]

Looks as if I need to work on my quoting skills!

 

[Travellingwithtoby]

Posts about choosing the ideal liveaboard yacht on this forum tend to get ever more complicated. Perhaps consider the advice of Webb Chiles, an American navigator/writer, who recently completed his sixth circumnavigation, and who is now 78 years old,
who said:

"There are only three major criteria:

1. It should be fun to sail
2. It should hold together
3. It should LOOK GOOD when you are rowing away from it at an anchorage.

All the rest is just harbour talk."

Yes I think that's about summing it up!
I do like a lot of boats, I came across a steel hulled boat earlier, it's got me thinking!

I think my main concerns should be in order of importance
1 its sea worthy and safe
2 ability to stand upright inside and space for my tools
3 water and fuel tank sizes (bigger for longer cruises)
4 engine being common so Yanmar?
5 ability to fit heating, either diesel drip style or small furnace avoiding erberspaker due to it needing 12v power and the less I consume the less I need to make!
6 included gadgets and goodies, so decent overweight bow anchor with mostly chain and if there are extras even better! Dingy, outboard, chart plotters, radar, etc

Am I missing anything critical?

Again thanks for all the advice!

 

[nortada]

You ask our current location - Portugal.

 

[Travellingwithtoby]

You ask our current location - Portugal.

Ah lovely, that's one place definitely on my to visit list! Spent some time there a few years back and it was a lovely place and friendly people!

 

[Travellingwithtoby]

Get yourself over to Neyland and have a look at this Bowman 26, they're very similar to the Nic 26 (long keel, full standing head room) but significantly lighter, the Nic 26 is a real heavyweight for her size. Some of the vids on my Youtube channel will give you an idea. Some would say much too small to live on but that's down to you, I've lived happily on similar sized boats. And if you're looking to be marina-based (in all honesty you'll struggle to not be in the UK!) you could do a lot worse than Milford Haven marina - reasonably priced and very friendly. Best of luck...

Found your youtube channel, very useful thank you so much! I am now considering that they may not be quite big enough for my needs.... I thi I I will go and visit the bowman 26 and see how it feels in person

 

[V1701]

Found your youtube channel, very useful thank you so much! I am now considering that they may not be quite big enough for my needs.... I thi I I will go and visit the bowman 26 and see how it feels in person

They are small but you can stand up and berthing's cheaper!

 

[Travellingwithtoby]

Aha yes, but I need enough space for a decent compliment of tools and spares for other engines so I can earn my crust, seem to be getting proces on marinas for around £300 meter/year does this sound about right?

Going to start a channel as soon as I can!

 

[RupertW]

Posts about choosing the ideal liveaboard yacht on this forum tend to get ever more complicated. Perhaps consider the advice of Webb Chiles, an American navigator/writer, who recently completed his sixth circumnavigation, and who is now 78 years old,
who said:

"There are only three major criteria:

1. It should be fun to sail
2. It should hold together
3. It should LOOK GOOD when you are rowing away from it at an anchorage.

All the rest is just harbour talk."

The third part just adds a lot to cost and usually removes a lot from the accommodation. Stick to the first two, especially number 2 as 99 percent of the time you will be on the boat looking at the view and not actually sailing.

 

[LittleSister]

"There are only three major criteria:
1. It should be fun to sail
2. It should hold together
3. It should LOOK GOOD when you are rowing away from it at an anchorage.

All the rest is just harbour talk."

He missed out the video cameras/editing gear, and photogenic crew. I'd gained the impression these were essential for live aboard cruising.

 

[lindsay]

I compressed what Webb Chiles wrote. By "looking good" when rowing away from it at an anchorage he meant that it should look like a proper yacht, a pleasure to behold whatever the size, a vessel that a seaman would be proud of, lines, sheer, sleek etc etc, not a floating caravan offering comfortable accommodation with extra points for 12 volt hairdryers and separate showers and toilets for 8 in only 32 feet, for example.

But then, he is that type of guy, a voluntary minimalist whose main interest seems to be he just wants to sail a lot. Six world circumnavigations is a fair amount of sailing. See his website "inthepresentsea.com".

 

[Travellingwithtoby]

The third part just adds a lot to cost and usually removes a lot from the accommodation. Stick to the first two, especially number 2 as 99 percent of the time you will be on the boat looking at the view and not actually sailing.

Awsome thank you for the input, its always made me chuckle, boats cars 4x4s planes and trains there are always multiple opinions (and I welcome them all in the hope I can learn fast without mistake)

 

[Travellingwithtoby]

He missed out the video cameras/editing gear, and photogenic crew. I'd gained the impression these were essential for live aboard cruising.

Are you asking to be crew and or Camara woman ????

 

[Travellingwithtoby]

I compressed what Webb Chiles wrote. By "looking good" when rowing away from it at an anchorage he meant that it should look like a proper yacht, a pleasure to behold whatever the size, a vessel that a seaman would be proud of, lines, sheer, sleek etc etc, not a floating caravan offering comfortable accommodation with extra points for 12 volt hairdryers and separate showers and toilets for 8 in only 32 feet, for example.

But then, he is that type of guy, a voluntary minimalist whose main interest seems to be he just wants to sail a lot. Six world circumnavigations is a fair amount of sailing. See his website "inthepresentsea.com".

Now that's a compressed quote!

I think I'm going to spend some time on his website! Voluntary minimalist is what I'm becoming ??



I am so excited to be starting this journey!!!!!!

 

[V1701]

Awsome thank you for the input, its always made me chuckle, boats cars 4x4s planes and trains there are always multiple opinions (and I welcome them all in the hope I can learn fast without mistake)

There's an oft quoted saying something along the lines of - if it flies, floats or fornicates, rent it...

 

[Poignard]

Posts about choosing the ideal liveaboard yacht on this forum tend to get ever more complicated. Perhaps consider the advice of Webb Chiles, an American navigator/writer, who recently completed his sixth circumnavigation, and who is now 78 years old,
who said:

"There are only three major criteria:

1. It should be fun to sail
2. It should hold together
3. It should LOOK GOOD when you are rowing away from it at an anchorage.

All the rest is just harbour talk."

In that case, it's got to be a Twister!

And you can stand upright in it.