Yacht or motor boat to live on..advice for newbie?

Bajansailor - top three at the moment are Snapdragon 747, Vergo Voyager 23 and Trapper 500, in no particular order.

Bendyone - nice boat and a lot for the money, but its perhaps just a few inches too big. Brighton Marina will charge me 3k (ish) a year for a 27 footer and 2,100k (ish) for a 26.9 footer. Would save myself a grand a year by just getting a boat a few inches smaller.

Djbreeze - thanks for the offer, I may take you up on that one at some point, cheers.

Going to look at boats this weekend, cant wait.
 
Right, quick update before bed. I think i’ve found ‘the boat’. She is very small, but also very cheap. She looks good for the money, is quite well equipped, ready to go, and not too far from where I am. I will have an answer as to whether she’s mine or not, tomorrow evening, all going well.
I’ve had some great advice and support so far and really appreciate the warm reception i’ve had from people on this forum. Thanks again guys.

A full update when I have an answer. :)
 
Just about to hit the sack myself for work tomorrow but on tenterhooks (sp?) here to find out how it's gone. I'll be living aboard on a four-days-a-week basis myself on the Hamble in a few weeks time, so will post experiences when I get into the 'groove', so to speak. Hope all goes well.
ps mine's a Colvic 26, so getting used to the lack of elbow room, will prolly take.......oh, I dunno, a few days........yes, I actually do like living in a small space, I find it comforting........strange man (yes I know).
 
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RIGHT! Full update. Firstly, I must say thank you to you all for your wisdom and advice over the last six or so months. And a special thank you to David (“Lenseman”) who has been a great help and is a top bloke!

I bought this boat (see attached pictures - if it works). It is an O’Day 22ft sailing yacht. She is in Gosport area at the moment. I found her on ebay and paid a deposit last night. I pay the rest, and collect the “keys”, on Tuesday 22nd! She is small, much smaller than I ever imagined I would even consider, but I think I can handle it. I love the water and not living beyond my means, and I’m starting to hate having lots of things that just aren’t necessary. Plus, I’m looking forward to saving a few bob. I intend to keep her for as long as I can and start saving for the next “dream” boat.
Having read Nathan Lee’s blog and watched some of his videos on youtube, I’m sure I can manage life in a small boat. Great blog by the way and well worth a read.

Anyway, she needs a few bits inside - new cushions, a few electrical bits and bobs and perhaps a solar panel or two, but that’s in hand and budgeted in.

Would love to know what you all think. I’m under no illusion it’s going to be cramped, but it is ready to sail and all mine for under 2k!
 
Well done that man!!

Spend a few more hundred on a proper cockpit tent to enclose that big cockpit,and you'll double your living space(and cut your winter heating bills). It'll make it more secure for the anklebiter as well!:D
 
Congratulations ! Keep us posted on your progress. Agree 100% about the cockpit tent - our cockpit enclosure makes the boat seem much bigger and it's like having a deck saloon or conservatory - warm, great place to sit and watch the world.

Hope you enjoy Tuesday - getting your new boat (let alone your first) is a fantastic feeling. 2 of the boats next to us have sold in the last few weeks and the owners have been, quite rightly, very excited !

P
 
Hi all,

Thought I best do a bit of a write-up of the last few days that led up to buying my little yacht...

I found the yacht on ebay, couldn’t wait for the auction to end due to time restraints, so bought the yacht at a buy it now price and paid a deposit, with the rest on collection. I then had the task of getting it back to Brighton. This is one hell of a task for someone like me with about 3 hours sailing experience under my belt. Fortunately, David (Lenseman), a kind fellow forum member, offered to come with me to look at the boat, make sure it’s not a complete turkey and assist me with getting it off its swing mooring and to a secure marina, nearby.

The yacht was pretty much as described. Sail-able, a bit tatty inside and in need of new cushions, a bit of paint and the usual bits and bobs. We then decided to take the yacht to Haslar Marina, in Gosport, or near Gosport. Got myself a mooring and hitched it up for the night. I thought it best to thank David for going to so much trouble to help me - a newcomer to the sailing and liveaboard world - by taking him out to dinner. Chinese it was and a shandy for him, and a pint of Tiger for me.

Dinner was amazing. David seemed to be quite impressed with the amount of food I managed to down. It was an eat as much as you like buffet, after all! David rather enjoyed the food. Although at one point made similarities between seaweed with crickets legs. Bit exotic for you was it David? I think we had hundreds of appetisers and no mains??

Then it was off to bed - first night asleep on my new yacht and it was a really great one. Gently rocked to sleep and looking out the forward cabin hatch at the stars, whilst listening to the mellow tones that are produced by a great musician who goes by the name of ‘Fink’. I woke up at about 8am and swiftly made my way in to every boat shop nearby. I spent far too much money on little gadgets and bits and bobs for the yacht. I then went in to the 99p shop and bought a whole lot more bits and bobs for cooking, food prep etc. Then it was off to Homebase for further bits and bobs and on to a supermarket to buy food. I thought I’d cook David a spaghetti bolognaise as I kept banging on about how good a cook I was - yes I’m modest, I know!

So my last night was spent cooking David and I spag bol, from on board my little yacht, then sitting on the yacht to eat it. It was a taste of things to come, not just the food, but the whole process of preparing food aboard, eating it aboard and entertaining guests aboard. Another nights sleep on my yacht and off I went back to Brighton early in the morning by car.

So that takes me to now. The yacht is safely moored in Haslar Marina, Gosport. Im back to work. Just got a graffiti crime report land on my desk consisting of over 200 graffiti tags with a named suspect to go and deal with (the amount of paperwork for one crime is madness, so you can imagine 200 crimes...to say stressful and time consuming would be a huge understatement - lucky me!).

I’ve booked a few days annual leave around my rest days at the end of this month and David has again kindly offered to do me a mahoooosive favour and sail it to Brighton with me (and give me a big lesson in sailing along the way) at the end of the month. Then it’ll be here in Brighton. I’ve already got my marina parking permit, key fob and berth space in the marina, which I got to choose from a big list of available spaces. It’s in a secluded part of the marina, but not too far from the toilet/shower/laundry block, or the parking area. I’m ready to go. As of the end of the month I will be a fully pledged liveaboard!

All I need to do now is find somewhere that can sort out the cushions on board (a seamstress I’m thinking), sort out the electrics and find a decent onboard sound system for music/radio/podcasts - can’t live without that).

Again, a big thanks to everyone for their support and advice over the last few months. A special thank you to Lenseman, for being such a legend. Don’t ask him to tell you the joke about the penguin, though!
 
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Hope you get good winds for sailing from Gosport. Got my boat there and when we brought her over to Brighton had to motor there was so little wind. Initially at Brighton I chose a berth right up in the far NE corner of the marina but there weren't many yachts there and I decided to move as also bit close to the local fishing boats and thought it might get a bit smelly in hot weather. So I moved to another berth, still on East side though, well away from the noise of the bars & restaurants, but lots of yachts around, quite a few folk living aboard as well, which is really good.
There's a woman who is regularly doing work for people here, including cushions and covers. I have her business card so if you like I can give you the details and you can maybe have a chat with her about what you need, also if you need any canvas work doing (no connection, not a customer myself)...:)
 
Great to hear you're settling in OK on board, hope the sail to Brighton goes well. Keep us up to date on your liveaboard life - I'm dreaming of doing the same one day....:D
 
I've been following this thread for a while but as I don't live aboard haven't commented. But now you've jumped, I feel I can!

You're at the other end of your police career than me and I wish I'd have been in a postition to do what you're doing, back then. However, swmbo is pushing for me to retire and buy a liveaboard now. I've been sailing all my life and we have a 29 footer but now have a list of things we want from the 'new' boat;

Decent sized galley, decent sized seperate sleeping cabin with a big double bed we can get in the sides of, good sized shower and heads, enough room to get away from each other when we need to etc. Of course, we've my comuttation to spend (about £52k)

My pension will be about £15,000 and we reckon we can do it on that. Off to see a couple of boats next week.

You've certainly done the right thing, but for gods sake insulate the insides before winter. Bubble wrap should do the job.

Happy days.
 
Slow_boat said:
I've been following this thread for a while but as I don't live aboard haven't commented. But now you've jumped, I feel I can!

You're at the other end of your police career than me and I wish I'd have been in a postition to do what you're doing, back then. However, swmbo is pushing for me to retire and buy a liveaboard now. I've been sailing all my life and we have a 29 footer but now have a list of things we want from the 'new' boat;

Decent sized galley, decent sized seperate sleeping cabin with a big double bed we can get in the sides of, good sized shower and heads, enough room to get away from each other when we need to etc. Of course, we've my comuttation to spend (about £52k)

My pension will be about £15,000 and we reckon we can do it on that. Off to see a couple of boats next week.

You've certainly done the right thing, but for gods sake insulate the insides before winter. Bubble wrap should do the job.

Happy days.
Click to expand...

Wow, a wife who wants to go for it, £50k to spend on your boat and £15k pension. Now that's the stuff of dreams...:)
 
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