Young liveaboards - a few questions..

[MatthewKing]

Inspired by the recent post about young liveaboards, I have been lightly playing with the idea of doing it myself.

I spent most weekends and holidays of my childhood on yachts and as such the passion has been instilled within me. I have a built in magnetism towards the sea and the freedom of sailing, but unfortunately I haven't had access to a yacht for over 10 years! (recently turned 25 - hoping that still counts as young!).

I don't follow the normal path, no 9-5 (semi struggling web entrepreneur) and I don't intend to get restrained by a mortgage - I want to live my life my way, and to travel.

So from my current situation, I'm thinking that I can get a start on the yachting thing if I buy one and live on it. That would also dramatically reduce my living expenses in such a way that my business doesn't have to be all that successful to keep up with my monthly expenses, and if it does turn out to be successful, I can just buy a bigger boat /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif although I am thinking very low budget for the first one.

Otherwise I really have to get the housing situation sorted first, and then the boat - which could take a lifetime, so this seems like a possible shortcut / opportunity.

So my questions to you guys (and girls) are:

- When did you buy your first boat, what was it, and what kind of price range (if you don't mind saying)?

- Did you instantly live aboard, or did you own one for some time first?

- Where do you keep your boat? at sail, marina, yard etc? and how do you split the year between these.

- What sort of budget (general range) does it take to liveaboard?

- What were/are your short and long term goals from living aboard your boat?

- Did your parents / loved ones approve? I think there would probably be a mix of people that think its great, and people that think you're insane there.

- How do you rate your decision?

Just basically fishing for information at the moment, if anyone would like to comment on any of it, even if you don't fit the age bracket feel welcome.

Cheers,
Matt

 

[MYStargazer]

Hi Matt

I started when I was 22. I'm now 34 and still doing it (bar a 5-year break when I was told go come ashore by an ex).

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- When did you buy your first boat, what was it, and what kind of price range (if you don't mind saying)?


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Motor boat (much more room than a sailboat per metre length and therefore per pound for mooring fees). Eight thousand.

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- Did you instantly live aboard, or did you own one for some time first?


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Straight on.

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- Where do you keep your boat? at sail, marina, yard etc? and how do you split the year between these.


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In a marina all the time unless work is required.

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- What sort of budget (general range) does it take to liveaboard?


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Depends on mooring fees, but I always found it to be much cheaper than renting, and, of course, less hassle moving.

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- What were/are your short and long term goals from living aboard your boat?


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Business and personal mobility. Saving costs. Living in very nice locations... so far, the Isle of Wight, the Norfolk Broads, Canary Wharf, London, and Palma de Mallorca.

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- Did your parents / loved ones approve? I think there would probably be a mix of people that think its great, and people that think you're insane there.


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I couldn't care less. Don't listen to them droning on about ohhh isn't it cold in winter, etc.

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- How do you rate your decision?


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10/10!!!

Do it while you're young enough. You'll see life from a different angle and meet some extraordinary people along the way.

Good luck! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Seanick]

Lived on my first boat for 9 yrs.
Got first job, paid 2k for an old motor boat. Lived on it, rebuilt it, took it to Paris. Had a whale of a time. Plenty of spare cash as cheap way to live.
Live in a yard,keep it low profile-no junk/bikes/washing etc.
You need shore [power for modcons, plus coal stove for mega warmth. 'Leccy blanket and boat big enough for a shower a good thing.
Downside-should have got on the property ladder asap, as even if I did not live in the house, it would be nearly paid off by now.........

 

[saltwater_gypsy]

So many questions....so many possible answers.

Paul Simon has a song with the line "The heart approaches what it yearns"

What I think he means is that you make dozens of small decisions which lead you on your desired path. Or to put it less philosophically, start to patch things together regarding funds and boats and opportunities and it's surprising how these smaller decisions build up into a coherent plan.

If you want to do it you will. Good luck!!!

 

[martyndixon]

Hello i am 22 and thinking about doing the same thing I think i can get much more for my money living on a boat, used to sea fish all the time when I younger and loved every min of it. I work shifts so I have alot of time to spend with the boat, the problem is I work in london (and live in a hideous houseshare) but I would be willing to travel from outside london back into it because by the sounds of what I read in other forums it is basically impossible to get a mooring in london. Or is it possbile to travel around all the different marinas?

 

[neutronstar]

Some of the points raised already alude to the main problem you will have:

The place you moor your boat is paramount. (moorings are generally hard to get, and the dearer ones generally have the best security).

Thieves note the TV or radio on at night, and the general liveaboard style the boat gets. They, 'as well as marina owners', will make use of this information! You therefore have the dilema of paying megga bucks to have a safe place to tie up, or you have to 'stay onboard' most of the time in a cheaper place. The cheaper moorings (even in marinas) will dry out and the debris and mud is quite corrosive, this is another main issue.

In short, a recci of places you can moor, and the prices, is the main task you may wish to undertake. Many marinas don't allow liveaboards, and most places without cameras and 24 hour watches will be hampered with spates of damage and thefts. The police are often of little help and marina design is also a problem we just never seem to correct.

I'm not wanting to be gloomy, but boats seem to attract a lot of crime of all types and I find that I am very limited in my choices of mooring, I must only stay onboard a set number of nights in each month, and I pay around £4,000 per annum for the hounour of gracing the bit of "non crown property" that is my mooring jetty!

http://www.johnhansen.co.uk

 

[nickrj]

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- When did you buy your first boat, what was it, and what kind of price range (if you don't mind saying)?


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I bought my first boat at 25 (in 2006) with only bay sailing experience and no prior boat ownership (mine, or in the family). My boat is a Contessa 26, I bought it for 6,500pounds.

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- Did you instantly live aboard, or did you own one for some time first?


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I spent about 9months working in another country to pay for my boat. I've then been more or less living aboard since May of 2007. I took a few months off in the last year to visit home.

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- Where do you keep your boat? at sail, marina, yard etc? and how do you split the year between these.


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Marina's... Or at anchor. Depends where you are, in England you could liveaboard in the water all year round.

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- What sort of budget (general range) does it take to liveaboard?


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It depends if you're actually sailing, or just using your boat as a floating caravan. If it's a caravan, then it's your monthly marina fees plus food. Those both vary wildly. If you're actually sailing, you incur additional costs, such as visitor rates in marinas if you are just sailing past, plus the costs of ongoing boat maintenance (remember, a boat is in a constant state of trying to kill itself). Plus any port fees. Budget is a matter or preference - I've met guys living aboard for 100euros a month living off their anchors in Spain.

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- What were/are your short and long term goals from living aboard your boat?


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Short & longterm goals were to sail around the world.

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- Did your parents / loved ones approve? I think there would probably be a mix of people that think its great, and people that think you're insane there.


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No, my parents didn't approve and my girlfriend of six years left. Everyone else thinks it's great /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif Or rather mostly insane.

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- How do you rate your decision?


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Best + hardest decision ever. Zero regrets... Well, maybe a boat just 2ft longer /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Just go and do it. If you don't like it, sell out and try something else.

Also, if you don't have any ties and are relatively free (you say you work on the web, so maybe you're un-tethered), I would consider buying a boat on the east coast of the US. For 7000pounds you can get something like a nice 30ft Alberg which is a perfect boat for living on. Won't find anything like that in the UK...

Have fun, Nick

 

[rivonia]

Go for it. You say you are a budding www. buisness build man. Well so was is Sir R. Branston and he lived on a tames barge. So there you go. We lived on board but we had our yacht built from new. GO FOR IT do not listen to the doom mongers.

 

[Jamesanderton]

- When did you buy your first boat, what was it, and what kind of price range (if you don't mind saying)?

Me and my partner purchased a Colvic Victor 34 for a very tidy sum

- Did you instantly live aboard, or did you own one for some time first?

Moved onboard that same day

- Where do you keep your boat? at sail, marina, yard etc? and how do you split the year between these.

Berthed in a marina where I work

- What sort of budget (general range) does it take to liveaboard?

The budget really depends on a lot, where you want to be, how comfortable you wish to live....

- What were/are your short and long term goals from living aboard your boat?

No plans other than enjoy it and enjoy it somewhere warm!

- Did your parents / loved ones approve? I think there would probably be a mix of people that think its great, and people that think you're insane there.

My parents did as they brought me up around boats and want to liveaboard themselves one day, also because I was living on their etap 28 while between homes.

- How do you rate your decision?

100% best move I have ever made!

If you want to do it, do it now before you end up sat there wishing you had.

 

[tazzie]

I'm 32 been living afloat since I was a about 17 my first real boat (always had dinghies before it) was Hunter Sonata fin keel - more room - cost £7600 --- loved it's sleek lines and the way she was like a big dinghy under sail and stuff and there was more than enough room for me and my dog !!!!! I also got 3 months free mooring when I bought my boat and that galvanised my decision a bit more.

I lived on it straight away cos I didn't really have a choice at the time.

Marina pontoon cos of the shower block and other facilities cost around £5000p/a - 23ft.

As for budget to live aboard - there's only really mooring costs and the annual lift out / antifoul / drop back in. Meths for spirit stoves - if your boat comes with shore power then electric is in the cost of the mooring other than that food and beers

Goals for living aboard - make it work - didn't have a choice but I always wanted to try it out and see what happened and it's been 15 years now - forget bricks and mortar

No one commented really about my decision and most think it's so cool not to be trapped by an overpriced mortgage and stuff

I rate my decision as the best move I ever made - 10/10 - although the amount of stuff you collect changes the way the boat feels under sail etc.....

taz

 

[jellyellie]

When did you buy your first boat, what was it, and what kind of price range (if you don't mind saying)?
We bought our Colvic Victor 34 in Dec 2008. We were looking in the £15-£25k price range.

Did you instantly live aboard, or did you own one for some time first?
We moved aboard the same day we took ownership. Wouldn't have done it any other way. I'd liken it to giving birth and instantly wanting your baby touching your skin.

Where do you keep your boat? at sail, marina, yard etc? and how do you split the year between these.
My partner James works at a marina, so we keep her here under staff rates which helps us enourmously. We often go out sailing and so far have stayed in marinas, but are planning to anchor (much more romantic!).

What sort of budget (general range) does it take to liveaboard?
As others have said, it depends if you're just using a boat as a floating caravan, or you want to sail her too. If you're just going to live on her and not sail, it can easily be a lot cheaper then renting/paying council tax etc. but you are likely to need to spend a lot initally to equip her to liveaboard standard - we bought new batteries, a very good battery charger for shore power, carpets etc. If you want to sail her, like we do, you need to account for maintenance and items such as sails, rigging, safety equipment etc.

What were/are your short and long term goals from living aboard your boat?
Short term, it's a way for James and I to live together without wasting money on rent or tying ourselves somewhere with a mortgage. With little outgoings it also gives us a brilliant chance to save. I've always been into alternative lifestyles and am very anti 9-5, so this is perfect.
Long term, we want to go cruising (Med/Carib) in the next few years.

Did your parents / loved ones approve? I think there would probably be a mix of people that think its great, and people that think you're insane there.
My parents and extended family think it's brilliant, as do James'. Our friends think it's awesome. My dad lived on a boat in his teens with his family - they cruised the Med and it was the best time of his life, so they think it's brilliant James and I are doing the same. James has been brought up around boats and his parents have a smaller yacht they keep nearby, so we go out sailing with them.

How do you rate your decision?
I couldn't think of a better option for James and I. We love Milestone!

 

[MatthewKing]

Thanks for all the responses and encouragement all. It's great to see that so many people are doing it, and most importantly still happy about their decisions, in some cases many years later!

I've really taken what saltwater_gypsy said to heart, and I think baby steps would be a wise way to progress, so with that I think I'll get things straight with my business etc and look to get my first (very cheap) yacht, then from there I'll take it easy, if I feel I want to liveaboard at that moment, I will - and from there who knows!

The overall dream would be to sail around the world, much like nickrj is doing now. Not sure id like to do it alone though, but that's something I can address later on.

All in all, I'll start steadily moving towards my goal now and see where it takes me!

Thanks again for all the messages,
Matt

 

[nathanlee]

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I don't follow the normal path, no 9-5 (semi struggling web entrepreneur) and I don't intend to get restrained by a mortgage - I want to live my life my way, and to travel.


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Same here. Good start /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

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So from my current situation, I'm thinking that I can get a start on the yachting thing if I buy one and live on it. That would also dramatically reduce my living expenses in such a way that my business doesn't have to be all that successful to keep up with my monthly expenses, and if it does turn out to be successful, I can just buy a bigger boat /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif although I am thinking very low budget for the first one.


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Don't fall into the cheaper living trap. It is on paper, but it doesn't work out like that in real life, at least not until you have settled in to it and managed to control "essential purchases" for your new liveaboard lifestyle.


- When did you buy your first boat, what was it, and what kind of price range (if you don't mind saying)?

Leisure 17. Didn't liveaboard, spent £900 on ebay, paid for it with a £500 loan from my girlfriends student bank account (paid back over the next two months). Sold the boat for £1600.

Then a Thompson T24 - never sailed, bought as a project, was too much work.

Then a stag 28 - would have made an excellent liveaboard, but again was a project too far for me.

Ended up with Kudu my current liveaboard, for £2,000, I have a folder of things I've spent on her... it makes that figure look like pocket money, by a long way.

- Did you instantly live aboard, or did you own one for some time first?

Refitted Kudu on my parents drive while I had my house in London. Moved out of the house and sailed Kudu to her moorings over a long weekend. No boat is ready to move on to, especially not one this size. Expect to do some work at least.

- Where do you keep your boat? at sail, marina, yard etc? and how do you split the year between these.

8 months on a pontoon so far, but about to head off and do it proper. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

- What sort of budget (general range) does it take to liveaboard?
For the last 8 months I've been spending over £2,000 a month, I've now axed that to under £500. You will adjust to fit your budget I think. If you have £400 a month, you can still do it.


- What were/are your short and long term goals from living aboard your boat?
To go sailing.


- Did your parents / loved ones approve? I think there would probably be a mix of people that think its great, and people that think you're insane there.

As the boat was on my parents drive, my dad took one look at my 20 foot 9 inch boat and said "you're seriously going to live on that are you?"
He was ultimately supportive though, as were everybody else. If people start being negative, ignore them. They know nothing, really.

- How do you rate your decision?

I love it. I really do. There have been bad bits, but overall I don't for a second regret it, and I really can't see myself moving back on land any time soon.

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Just basically fishing for information at the moment, if anyone would like to comment on any of it, even if you don't fit the age bracket feel welcome.


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Honestly, just do it, but don't get stuck in dream land. If you don't have the cash upfront (or realistically payable in a few months) then wait until you do. Taking a loan will ruin the whole affair. Don't set your heights at silly levels. You don't need a massive boat with a shower and hot running water. You can be perfectly comfortable and clean without. Don't go for a project boat to stretch your budget a bit further, it will backfire.
Don't dwell on it. If you can almost link the lose ends up and you sort of have just about enough money to buy a boat, go and buy one. So what if you're missing £500. You will find it if you need to. It's never the perfect time to go and do this, you just have to jump in feet first and do it. You will, however, probably have big regrets shortly after moving aboard. They will go very quickly though.

Sorry for the lack of formatting here. I was just bashing it out on the keyboard. I've not been online for 7 days and am venting a bit /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Good luck.

Oh, if you want to ask any questions, feel free to PM me.

 

[martyndixon]

NathanLee i am wanting to learn how to sail as well was wondering if you know of any good sailing schools in london and do you moor your boat in London?

Cheers Martyn.

 

[nathanlee]

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NathanLee i am wanting to learn how to sail as well was wondering if you know of any good sailing schools in london and do you moor your boat in London?

Cheers Martyn.

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If you're in London, join the little ships club. The classroom training is second to none, and there are always people willing to take you out on their boats to crew either for a weekend sail or a race. Certainly though, if you have no sailing experience at all, I recommend doing a paid weekend on a boat with a professional skipper/teacher. Private owners might be willing to take you out regardless, but having a totally non experienced crew member can be a bit stressful for the poor skipper.

 

[MatthewKing]

Nathan, Thanks for your reply - all advice taken on board /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I've read through your blog previously when following the link from another thread, best of luck with your spring trip, sounds like a good little adventure and change of scene.