What do you 'Liveaboard'

[Wardy]

What do you \'Liveaboard\'

Just wondered what sort of vessels you all live aboard?
Julie and I are about to buy our first boat, we've no experience of sailing and only ever hired a boat for a week's holiday before. Yet we feel the time is right and the decision is right to become live aboard persons, able to take advantage of a simpler lifestyle. And we can't explain why!
The problem is... the first purchase.
We're researching everything we can to do with living aboard a vessel, thus the stupid questions on this board; we're visiting marinas to search out that elusive 'ideal' first boat; we need a boat with a decent head room, because I can't imagine stooping all the time. For us, Colvics seem to foot the bill, but there must be others to consider, thus the question:

Any suggestions? Taking into account that we'd rather a motor sailer or sailer, rather than a power boat; and again i can't explain why! It just seems right!

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[Sunnyseeker]

Re: What do you \'Liveaboard\'

There are such a huger variety of boats that people cruise or live aboard, its whatever suits you, you'll know it when you find it. We looked at loads then got in this one boat we hadn't considered before and both said yes this is the one. Look at the ones you might not have on your list. Our friends had Ovni36/Sigma41/sigma41/an old Swedish race boat from the 70's/Van de stadt 36steel/Nicholson41/Rival38/

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[Swampyhotdog]

Re: What do you \'Liveaboard\'

Hi There,

I'm getting divorced at the minute, and ended up living onboard my Jeanneau Sunshine 36. To be honest, I wish I'd done it years ago, and I'm planning to keep on living onboard.
I haven't decided where to go for the winter yet, but with bricks and mortar you don't have that sort of dilemma, do you?
Having an open cockpit might not be great for long term liveaboard, but I plan to fit a spray hood, which will make a big difference. I've 3 double cabins down below and a big saloon which makes the boat almost as good as a house for entertaining or having guests stay.

I don't know anything about the sailing abilities of motor sailors, and I'm sure someone will enlighten us, but the enclosed wheelhouse would be a benefit in my opinion.

All in all I'm happy with my boat as a live aboard, the only changes I'm making is the addition of a radar and a wind vane self steering system, because invariably I'll be sailing short (but never single!) handed.

I'll be interested to hear what you end up with.

Cheers,
Stu...


<hr width=100% size=1>As with most posts here - my personal opinion - take it or leave it.
Stu

 

[pragmatist]

Re: What do you \'Liveaboard\'

Had you considered a full cockpit cover ? We fitted one which is also a bimini and you can zip out bits of either side or the stern at will. It's just like having a conservatory and great for sitting out in in winter watching the world go by.

<hr width=100% size=1>a pragmatist is an optimist with a boat in the UK

 

[Swampyhotdog]

Cockpit cover

I'll certianly get one priced up.

Cheers,

Stu

<hr width=100% size=1>As with most posts here - my personal opinion - take it or leave it.
Stu

 

[moodycruiser]

Re: What do you \'Liveaboard\'

Hi, we live aboard a Moody 41 which gives us a spacious saloon and three seperate double cabins and two heads and showers (one is en-suite). The extra accommodation gives guests or family their own space or will provide excellent storage when we do our circumnav in about 8 years time. She has a centre cockpit and we too have a cockpit tent that zips onto the sprayhood. All I would say, apart from "Good Luck" and Welcome to the lifestyle, is be prepared to give up a lot of the trappings you get loaded with when living ashore, most are unnecessary, and there is truth in the saying that if you haven't used something in the first month you don't really need it anyway. So swap the chattels for a life surrounded by the new friends you will make, it's a different community, one where friendships last, and where people help each other.


<hr width=100% size=1>Tony

 

[snowleopard]

Re: What do you \'Liveaboard\'

first question is where are you planning to go?

if you want to stay in northern climes you need something that will be cosy in winter, a wheelhouse is ideal. if heading for warm places, lounging space with fresh air and sun shade is better. wherever you go, a bimini over the cockpit is good, whether to keep off sun or rain. side screens to keep out rain are a bonus.

for short trips a motor sailer is ideal, if you wanted to go further afield, something with more performance under sail would be better.

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[mikewilkes]

Re: What do you \'Liveaboard\'

Seem to remember when you first started posting you were on about staying on the Fort William end of the Caley Canal to carry on working.
Then the wheelhouse motor sailer with a dam great heater fitted may be a better option.
We live on a 32' steel cat and I wish i had started years ago. OK i still fly halfway round the world every month at the mam cos a man pays me lots of $ to do it.
After the yanks sort out their currency then it may be viable to stop the 13 hour flights and live on a better exchange rate.

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[Wardy]

Re: What do you \'Liveaboard\'

The downsizing of my land-locked life has been in motion for three weeks and it's only just starting to show as gaps start to appear in the house. The Koi carp were sold in three days; my valuable stamp collection accidentally got sold for a tenner; CD's and fishing tackle at the car-boot tomorrow!
And I haven't found it very difficult at all!

Twice a week looking around the marinas, Car-boots on sundays and trying to fit some work in the rest of the time... It's a life i suppose, but I can't wait to find the right boat.

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[moodycruiser]

Re: What do you \'Liveaboard\'

Good God man ! Don't sell the fishing tackle - that goes down as essentials - I convinced SWMBO to get rid of the spin drier so that we had room for the fishing gear !!
/forums/images/icons/smile.gif

<hr width=100% size=1>Tony

 

[AndrewB]

Re: What do you \'Liveaboard\'

Hi! I suspect a lot of people here don't actually live aboard, but are wanabees. Include me in that, we lived aboard our steel Roberts 38 for nearly 3 years. then copped out and bought a flat ashore. But we are hoping to move permanently back aboard very soon.

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[DogStar]

Re: What do you \'Liveaboard\'

I would liveaboard full time, if my boat were just a little closer to work. In a few weeks I shall have my BSS and be up the Lea. Then I will be finally be free of marinas!

I'm on a 40' Ex-RN Pinnace, which was the perfect boat for me, as I work just north of London most of the time, and needed quite a shallow draft to get up any of the rivers here. Also its a doddle to handle, even singlehanded in locks, has loads of space and runs forever on the whiff of an oily rag (or 9-10 miles per gallon at river speeds). There's loads of 'potential' too - to stop me ever.. and I mean ever.. becoming bored. Most of the superstructure really needs replacing.

But, in the mean time, I've got a characterful, comfy liveaboard for the cost of a 2nd hand BMW.

<hr width=100% size=1>I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy!

 

[mainshiptom]

Re: What do you \'Liveaboard\'

Ok , Mainship 40 Motor boat, Very comfortable ! 4 hobs, stand up/sit down power shwer, city water (very important for living on board), lots of lights and 240v sockets every where ! good fridge that never stops anda second fridge just in case of a party?

The most imporatant thing is your comfort and ability to stay on board and live normally, I love having pepole around so my boat only got one cabin ! I perefer to have room for people to walk about inside, we can sleep guestes on the floor with mattresses.

swmbo does not want a washing machine she says that getting out to wash you get to meet the locals.

The plan live on board as much as poss now while still working but once retired travel through out europe (inland mostly)

Tom

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[trouville]

Re: What do you \'Liveaboard\'

well for the med a motorsailer. i had an alpa 11.50 then a grandbanks then well--now a motorsailor, today everyone has a 50/60foot boat but mines just a small 40footer with a 120hp volvo i almost always motor to and from and sail localy.sometimes it helps speed wise to motor sail and always improves economy and confort.

<hr width=100% size=1>liveaboard

 

[heerenleed]

Re: What do you \'Liveaboard\'

Our answer to this is our Nicholson 48. She has an open centre cockpit, BUT with a fixed shelter, in other words a roof over the complete cockpit. This turns into a sort of wheelhouse in winter, with cloth closures with large windows, and gives the fresh-air-and shade cockpit on hot days. On a rainy day we hardly ever don oilies. Also, she has the accomodation of a motor sailor but the performance under sail you may expect of a yacht of her pedigree.

We found that many liveaboards on sailing yachts have some sort of a "pit-syndrome"by the end of our nordic winter, because the only way to look outside is to stand up.

We have a paraffin heater in the cockpit in winter and use it very often a an extra space, enjoying the view all around.

For a tighter budget, the Nicholson 38 has the same advantages on a smaller scale.

Fair winds


<hr width=100% size=1>Peter a/b SV Heerenleed, Steenbergen, Netherlands
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.heerenleed.tk>http://www.heerenleed.tk</A>

 

[snowleopard]

Re: What do you \'Liveaboard\'

agree with the comment on 'pit syndrome'.

we have a saloon with all-round visibility and a hard top over the front of the cockpit. when we go aboard a more conventional boat it feels claustrophobic to be looking up at the sky through slots in the ceiling (and having to stick a head out of the hatch to see the scantily clad lovely on the next boat/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif)

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