How viable is it to liveaboard and explore on a 40ft motor boat?

IDAMAY said:
An exciting prospect! We have been living aboard a motor boat for the last 10+ years. We sold our house and moved aboard right at the beginning. We moved too much stuff into storage thinking we might last three years or so and still have about a 20 foot containers worth waiting for the day when we give up the nautical life.

We have lived on three boats during that time - a Sealine T47 (planing), a Trader 42 (semi displacement) and now a Trader 54 (also semi displacement). On the semi displacement boats we spend most time at displacement speeds to optimise fuel consumption. We have had most home comforts on all three boats - washer/driers and dishwashers on two of them and now a washer and separate dryer. Importantly all three boats have freezers as well as a fridge. We also have a very extensive inventory and I think SWMBO would not have been happy with the storage capacity of anything less than about 45 feet. There is IMHO a very direct correlation between size and comfort! Clearly the downside of that equation is cost.

We have cruised quite extensively over that time, including twice to Scandinavia and also to West France and the west coast of the UK as far as the Isle of Skye. We have so far over wintered each year in south coast marinas. Our annual costs have probably averaged between £20K to £25 including mooring, insurance, fuel and routine servicing but excluding any re-fitting we have done, eg: re-upholstery or new covers.

For the first couple of years we spent winters on board but the UK winter climate and boats don't go very well together. It's too damp and cold. For the last seven years or so we have left the boat in UK and spent the winter in rented property on the Algarve. We spend up to four months there to avoid the worst of the winter here. In fact the Spring doesn't seem so good either so we are planning to take the boat down there this year to see how living on board would be in a warmer/drier climate.

We have absolutely no regrets at our decision and have enjoyed the freedom to explore some beautiful and relatively inaccessible places. Of course, it's not all fun and occasionally the weather/sea puts you in situations you would prefer to avoid. Having no fixed itinerary helps minimise them though.

All in all a great life style. Good luck and happy cruising.

Richard.
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A great reply, and seems to me you're living the dream. Good on you. :encouragement:
 
Deleted User said:
It is perfectly viable to live on a 40ft mobo but if you're planning also to do extended cruising around Europe and the Med as well you're going to need something seaworthy and that means a boat designed for bluewater displacement cruising. If it were me I wouldn't be looking much further than one of these

http://www.nordhavn.com/models/40/
http://www.selenetrawlers.com/yachts/selene-42/
http://www.defevereurope.eu/#!blank/l3nah

This kind of boat will give you a combination of living space, seaworthiness and low fuel consumption
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Mike you've surprised me, you are a man of taste (& charm?!:)) that DeFever looks good, reminds me a little of someone else's boat.................I had no idea there was a European importer. It's just possible that we may be selling ours in the next year or two.

All 3 are impressive vessels, I'd also look at a Fleming, some of the older Traders are excellent vfm,
 
There's no doubt that for ocean crossing and northern stuff the Nordhavn - Fleming type are right up there but if the OP has sights on European coastal and inland initially then something Dutch should be a consideration. French canals, good efficiency and safety took us to Holland and although we went to interview/buy an Elling, we ended up buying a van den Hoven. Steel, efficient, great quality and, I hope, appropriate for our plans. If not I hope the euro plunges! 45' would be the starting size for me.
 
i don't think anyone has mentioned insulation. If living aboard all year round in N Europe then it could be quite important from a heating cost and comfort point of view. Are all long range cruisers and Dutch steel boats insulated?
 
Nick_H said:
i don't think anyone has mentioned insulation. If living aboard all year round in N Europe then it could be quite important from a heating cost and comfort point of view. Are all long range cruisers and Dutch steel boats insulated?
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Completely agree. I mentioned in #17 that the Dutch steel boat we rented was insulated etc. but didn't go into detail.
We stayed on it during Pentecost in 2015 and travelled Friesland. The weather was unstable, chilly with showers, spots of sun (as in most other places in Europe at the time) so potentially would generate condensation et al. The boat stayed completely dry and warm, a really lovely 'home' to get back to from city walks etc. The very quiet heater (air) kept a steady comfortable temperature all over.
 
Many thanks everyone for the advice, links and tips. As much as we love Flemings/ Nordhavens, I think we will be restricted budget wise to the less world girdling vessels!
 
hiya all
we would love a fleming or Nordhaven but they are out of our budget
we moved on board out Pearl 43 full time this year and so far so good, we used her all year round for the past 9 years so not such a big change
we rented the house out this spring and going to see how it goes.
the fuel costs are not the biggest problem, its more the mooring fees as we don't want to anchor out as much as we should.

we did have plans to set of from uk to holland the rhone, rhine, etc down to the black sea and turkey however due to problems we need to be around the uk for another year.

we have changed our plans and maybe go round britain first next year then head off the year after to our dream
a sail boat would be best but we love the room of our mo bo and think its worth the extra expense

we would love to arrange a cruise with others meandering around the uk with others if anyone is interested or knows of forums that do this already

are there any forums where other liveaboard mobo's can plan extended cruising with others ??????

please let us know if anyone is intersted
 

I intend to do the same as the debut opener on boats here in the north and the Inland Waters in Central Europe + med. I found a suitable boat for Nordic tug 37, number LWL 37,4 and LO 40' , it is seaworthy, fuel consumption is really small, draft and bridge clearance allows several channels (not everyone). Water and fuel tanks are enough for longer even longer trips. Another option I had was the Elling E3 but I liked more on several things like Nordic tug vs Elling, such as service engines (huge engine "room" this sitzes boat) and lay out for me, as well as a pilot house giving a nice space to travel face to face.

Review NT 39 same hull my 37
https://www.pacificyachting.com/nordic-tug-39-flybridge-review/

NBs

P.S Northern EU can not go boating all year round, unfortunately, I have been a weekend trip when the air -10 ° C and the water + 1 ° C in the autumn and Tug me a nice warm still inside.

Winer time the sea is frozen solid and the craft lifted off the sea.

You can look one Nordic Tug 32 (LWL) is sale UK now https://scotland.boatshed.com/nordic_tugs_32-boat-212643.html
 
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