Small boat liveaboards

[jakeroyd]

Headroom

Hi Nathan,
I have not lived on board , but i have thought about it.
I have a small boat , a Hunter 245.
I think one key thing is standing headroom , a seperate loo and , for me a double berth.
The Hunter has these and just makes it maybe into a livable boat.
I looked at the Sadler 26's before buying her , her sailing credentials are very good (witness Roger Oliver's , two circumnavigation) but the lack of headroom put me off.
The Hunter is Cat B but probably , in extremis , is not quite as seaworthy as the Sadler , being a bit more of a modern hull shape. So you pays your money and makes your choice.
t's worth noting that you are living aboard whilst actually sailing , so your needs differ from a marina based livaboard boat.

So as others have mentioned living on boats as small as yours does work.


Your Corribee is seaworthy and cos it's small , saves on mooring fees and other length based boating costs , so it's not all bad.

The videos are great , keep them coming

 

[nathanlee]

t's worth noting that you are living aboard whilst actually sailing , so your needs differ from a marina based livaboard boat.

True, but I wasn't for 8 months last winter. I was marina based and didn't go out once. It was COLD. haha.

 

[jenku]

Never lived aboard in the real sense but usually do cruise for three to four weeks every summer on a 19ft boat. Usually with my wife as well for two weeks in a row. I think it's no problem as long as it's warm enough to be outside. In winter I think it would be hard (especially in Sweden...), but maybe doable if in a marina with a heater, shorepower and some facilities like a clubhouse, pub or café in the vicinity.

If my wife ever kicks me out I'll find out HAHA.

As for space it's overrated. When I am at home I do not walk around much either, mostly sit in the sofa or lie on the bed reading...so paying rent for lots of unused space most of the time!!

 

[lancelot]

Thanks for all the replies folks. It's good to hear that there are some other nutters out there.

A friend of mine lives on a 23 foot Leisure 23SL, she has bags of room. I mean you can stand up in her boat, and there's a separate cabin with an almost double bed, an inboard engine... it's just much better suited to living on. The Corribee, in contrast, is small for it's length. I think you'd struggle to find a 21footer with less room, but I don't know if I'd like to go to sea in anything else.

Any small boat liveaboard in Scotland? I might well pop in and say hello while I'm here.

Hi Nathan,
We started off in a Newbridge Navigator 19'. Living on board at weekends with one grandchild. Two years ago we had another grandchild and had to buy a larger boat 28' Cobra. We feel like we live in a mansion now.
Only the other day I heard myself mumbling about needing a biggger boat. I must admit our 19' beauty was really cosy. As they say, small is beautiful.
Keep up the good work. You are an inspiration to all.
Far winds.
Lancelot.

 

[LeonF]

I started off with a 19ft Fantasie. Loved it but coudn't get a good nights sleep in the berth. And I am only 5'10 and 13 stone. But there was a couple who had been everywhere on theirs. I think the clue is whether you need to work...and whether you need to look half way decent for work. If not, then living in fleecies for the whole winter etc etc must make things easier. Or go to a marina where they have a sailing club, then you can always take refuge in the clubhouse. Have fun...I now have a share in a house in Spain, but fondly remember my week of camping wild on the beach, but that was 20 years ago !

 

[tobble]

Nathan, been following your progress with much interest. I'm 25 (and a half), live on board a Sabre 27 and am planing to follow in your round britain footsteps next year.

A book such as you have suggested would have been invaluable when I started out 4 years ago - I was fairly clueless then and only now am I begining to discover the depths of my cluelessness. I've learnt a lot, but still feel pretty green.

Defining a scope for said book could be tricky - clearly there are some bits that are easy, such as how do you heat a boat for living aboard; but where do you draw the line between liveaboard stuff and general sailing - e.g. some words about engine maintenance?

anyway, please keep the videos coming!