Liveaboard Sail Boat for £10k?

[Mino]

I stayed in Milford for four nights a couple of years ago, reasonable prices, super friendly staff, everything you need, I'd have no qualms living aboard there. It is run by the local authority, i.e. is not a private business...

They've just replied and said the waiting list is 12 - 18 months.

 

[V1701]

They've just replied and said the waiting list is 12 - 18 months.

Useful to know but bad news for you, have anywhere else in mind?

 

[Mino]

Useful to know but bad news for you, have anywhere else in mind?

Yup.

 

[V1701]

All depends what you want but I think Watchet might also be worth a look, I believe they're "liveaboard tolerant"...

 

[steveej]

I lived aboard my Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 32 over the 2020/2021 winter whilst going through my divorce - I was in my late thirties at the time.

This boat had all the mod cons including a shower cubicle. Truth is, living on a boat gets tiring after a while and is not as glamerous as many think. Most of the issues relate to the weather. When the weather is bad, it's noisy, wobbly and it kind of grinds you down after a while. Very difficult to do your laundry. I ended up fitting rubber snubbers on all my lines to help get the noise levels down. When the weather is crap outside you can start to get cabin fever.

I was spending £300 a month on gas, electric and diesel for the webasto heater. The water in the Marina actually froze one morning. The staff turned off the water supply to the pontoons for fear of the pipes freezing and so there was me in the dark and the rain trying to pour gallon bottles of supermarket mineral water into my deck filler, with most of it blowing down the side deck in the roaring gale. I gave up after about 10 minutes.

Fibreglass boats cool down very quickly as soon as you turn the heating off.

You also have to do your food shopping much more regularly as you don't have room to do a big weekly shop.

The point I'm making is that this is not an easy option.

Would I do it again? After that winter I vowed not to spend the following winter on it.

Saying that, I know a few liverboards that have been fulltime for many years, mostly older guys on some very old boats completely unsuitable for living aboard in my view. I get the feeling though that they don't really have any alternatives for various reasons and so have to make do with what they've got.

The boat was in great condition though as being on it all the time meant I could keep on top of all the maintenance so the boat was like new.

It was also a total chick magnet which helped at the time!

 

[Mino]

Lift, survey and sea trial booked. Getting there. Slowly.

 

[mil1194]

I lived aboard my Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 32 over the 2020/2021 winter whilst going through my divorce - I was in my late thirties at the time.

This boat had all the mod cons including a shower cubicle. Truth is, living on a boat gets tiring after a while and is not as glamerous as many think. Most of the issues relate to the weather. When the weather is bad, it's noisy, wobbly and it kind of grinds you down after a while. Very difficult to do your laundry. I ended up fitting rubber snubbers on all my lines to help get the noise levels down. When the weather is crap outside you can start to get cabin fever.

I was spending £300 a month on gas, electric and diesel for the webasto heater. The water in the Marina actually froze one morning. The staff turned off the water supply to the pontoons for fear of the pipes freezing and so there was me in the dark and the rain trying to pour gallon bottles of supermarket mineral water into my deck filler, with most of it blowing down the side deck in the roaring gale. I gave up after about 10 minutes.

Fibreglass boats cool down very quickly as soon as you turn the heating off.

You also have to do your food shopping much more regularly as you don't have room to do a big weekly shop.

The point I'm making is that this is not an easy option.

Would I do it again? After that winter I vowed not to spend the following winter on it.

Saying that, I know a few liverboards that have been fulltime for many years, mostly older guys on some very old boats completely unsuitable for living aboard in my view. I get the feeling though that they don't really have any alternatives for various reasons and so have to make do with what they've got.

The boat was in great condition though as being on it all the time meant I could keep on top of all the maintenance so the boat was like new.

It was also a total chick magnet which helped at the time!

I can concur with all of that - I am currently living in mine for the same reasons while I work out what to do. Mine is a 50ft fly but I really wouldn’t want it to be any smaller tbh.

 

[Mino]

All depends what you want but I think Watchet might also be worth a look, I believe they're "liveaboard tolerant"...

Noted, ta.

 

[mil1194]

Stolen from another thread but you could hide away on this for a while
Foxtrot Class Submarine for Sale- Abandoned Foxtrot Submarine. Interior Pics Included

 

[Mino]

Stolen from another thread but you could hide away on this for a while
Foxtrot Class Submarine for Sale- Abandoned Foxtrot Submarine. Interior Pics Included

Damn, I wish I'd seen this first. It's perfect for me.

 

[Mino]

I can concur with all of that - I am currently living in mine for the same reasons while I work out what to do. Mine is a 50ft fly but I really wouldn’t want it to be any smaller tbh.

I wish! (A 50 ft flybridge, not a divorce).

 

[Dellquay13]

Noted, ta.

Check on the Bristol Channel forum, sounds like various big problems at Watchet, silting and the operator in financial difficulties

 

[Mino]

I lived aboard my Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 32 over the 2020/2021 winter whilst going through my divorce - I was in my late thirties at the time.

This boat had all the mod cons including a shower cubicle. Truth is, living on a boat gets tiring after a while and is not as glamerous as many think. Most of the issues relate to the weather. When the weather is bad, it's noisy, wobbly and it kind of grinds you down after a while. Very difficult to do your laundry. I ended up fitting rubber snubbers on all my lines to help get the noise levels down. When the weather is crap outside you can start to get cabin fever.

I was spending £300 a month on gas, electric and diesel for the webasto heater. The water in the Marina actually froze one morning. The staff turned off the water supply to the pontoons for fear of the pipes freezing and so there was me in the dark and the rain trying to pour gallon bottles of supermarket mineral water into my deck filler, with most of it blowing down the side deck in the roaring gale. I gave up after about 10 minutes.

Fibreglass boats cool down very quickly as soon as you turn the heating off.

You also have to do your food shopping much more regularly as you don't have room to do a big weekly shop.

The point I'm making is that this is not an easy option.

Would I do it again? After that winter I vowed not to spend the following winter on it.

Saying that, I know a few liverboards that have been fulltime for many years, mostly older guys on some very old boats completely unsuitable for living aboard in my view. I get the feeling though that they don't really have any alternatives for various reasons and so have to make do with what they've got.

The boat was in great condition though as being on it all the time meant I could keep on top of all the maintenance so the boat was like new.

It was also a total chick magnet which helped at the time!

Check on the Bristol Channel forum, sounds like various big problems at Watchet, silting and the operator in financial difficulties

Thanks for the heads up.