living on a boat

[claire]

Hi - has anyone ER'd and gone to live on a boat. since i dont have megabucks or a pension to retire on i am considering alternative living environments, houses in europe are so expensive. I would be interested in hearing from anyone doing this or thinking about it, i just need a boat i can live on and run around the greek isles, i think i may be able to live on about 10 - 15 k (GBP) per year.

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

i'm planning liveaboard life for ages 55 until i can't boat no more. gonna let investments grow another 6 years first. raised in boating family, we lived aboard for short while. my idea of living aboard is something that can go to sea for a month at a time but with a budget for dock parties most nights. i'm just a little spoiled. sure hope i wind up with the budget for it.

10-15k is certainly tight but i've read it can be done living on the hook. also you can supplement with work along the way, not necessarily in foreign countries but you might sell skills utilized by lazier or less handy yachties.

might i recommend additional forums tailored to your question...

www.irbs.com/lists/live-aboard

www.livingaboard.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi

www.sailnet.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=-1&f=12

fair winds

 

[sailor]

Hello claire and welcome to the board.

We haven't ER'd yet, but we are planning to ER on a sailboat.
There are plenty of people who did it and they say that livaboard (cruising) cost you as much as you can afford.
Oceanworthy boat as cheap $4000 and probably no upper limit.
( Woody, who circumnaviagated, bought his Cal for $4300: http://www.captainwoody.com/update.htm )

As far as Greek Islands - I'll be bareboating in Cyclades in July this year and afterwards I can sharemy feelings about 10-15k GBP yearly there.
I think with this budget you would be fine in Carrbean or most of the Pacific, not sure about Meds.

 

[dory36]

We did this for the first several years after we ERed. (We would still be aboard if higher family priorities hadn't come up.)

We were up and down the US east coast, and as Sailor said, there were people with every budget. The lowest I saw for a couple was a little under $300/month, more typical was $1000 - $1500. Few fulltimers seemed to spend much more that.

I estimate there are probably 500-800 boats on the eart coast ERed and doing this full time (cruising to follow good weather), and probably as many who are on a year off and doing it.

This doesn't count the thousands who are just liveaboards -- living on a boat that doesn't go anywhere, while they hold down a shore job. We saw a huge number of these. Liveaboards and cruisers have similarities, but the lifestyles are very different. The comparison is probebly like people who live in mobile homes and people who live and travel full time in RVs. The latter live full time in something that is constructed somewhat the same way as the former, but the similarities end about there.

Be sure to see the Seven Seas Cruising Association's site, http://ssca.org/ -- that is a group of about 5000 cruisers who cruise full time, mostly across oceans. You'll see discussions there of lots of the issues.

dory36

 

[Brat]

[Truth in posting warning:  My son's & his spouse are maritime acad grads who operate a boatyard on the NW.]

A boat needs regular care.  It needs to be pulled and the hull maintained every couple years (how often depends on material, exposures and condition).  At least half the time you go in for a bottom job other work will be identified.  Be prepared for a longer stay or a return trip.

Before going into a boatyard ask others about their workmanship.  Ask surveyors in the community who they would recommend for ... work.  As one boat owner once commented "Regularly attend the church of the old salts.", by that he meant ask around before buy a boat.  I recall a fellow who wanted to take his family cruising, he got a heck of a deal on a racing sailboat.  Not a wise purchase. 

NEVER buy a boat without a survey (YOUR surveyor - the one that brokers hate) that includes a haul-out and a budget for repairs.  If you first select a surveyor ask him/her what boats they recommend you avoid.  Some have blister problems in specific years, other have known construction issues.  If the hull isn't sound nothing else matters.  In the best of worlds the survey haul-out is the place you would choose to have work done.

Other hint: sometimes boats are stored in a yard because the owner is ill.  Yard owners don't like to put pressure on such customers for humane, and community reputation reasons.  Tell yard operators that if they know someone with a great boat that might be interested in selling to give them your business card.  If it turns out well three people will be happy: you, the former owner, and the boatyard operater who opens up space for a vessel in need of service.

Get boat salvage and polution insurance.  Learn how to do repairs at sea.  Take seamanship classes, not every day is sunny with light winds.

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

hey dory36 is that dory as in cape dory boats?

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

 

[Cool Dood]

Try the land crab..........

 

[dory36]

hey dory36 is that dory as in cape dory boats?

Nope -- just the name the original owner gave her. It is a 1971 (wood hull) Grand Banks 36.

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

Nope -- just the name the original owner gave her. It is a 1971 (wood hull) Grand Banks 36.

oh, wonderful just the same. i think i read that grand banks is going to start making the 36 again. i love the wooden ones, gb's and all the classics. only the tropics are hard on them. everytime i see a great wood boat i think two things. first i think: man, that's beautiful. then i think: man, that looks like a lot of work. since i'm so lazy i'll likely be riding plastic.

hope everything works out well enough in your family that you get on the water again. i've been landlocked for over 10 years now and getting itchy. might crew myself out over the next few years while i build some more retirement (read: boating) funds. nice to have the time now to do at least that.

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

How about the old saws about boats?

A boat is a hole in the water into which you pour money.

The two happiest days in the life of a boat owner:
The day he bought it, and the day he sold it.

My bruddah is a chief marine engineer. The only boat he has is the one he is paid to keep afloat.

 

[Brat]

How about the old saws about boats?

A boat is a hole in the water into which you pour money.

The two happiest days in the life of a boat owner:
The day he bought it, and the day he sold it.

My bruddah is a chief marine engineer.  The only boat he has is the one he is paid to keep afloat.

My kid claims that he holds the bucket...

CMA grad??

Never underestimate the demand for marine engineers, the only crew member at ARCO who traveled first class was an engineer who kept the Sag River in Brystol shape.  NO ONE touched his stuff.  A marine engineer is a standing power plant engineer, most have job offers in their junior year.

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

Brat,

He went to the MEBA school in B'more. He keeps the rich people from drowning on the Washington State ferries.

I tried to get my kid to consider the Merchant Marine Academy, but, no! He wants to go to Nintendo U.

El Gitano

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

How about the old saws about boats?

A boat is a hole in the water into which you pour money.

there's also...

don't put anything into the head unless you've eaten it first.

&

abandon ship. women and children first. follow me, your captain.

 

[Brat]

He keeps the rich people from drowning on the Washington State ferries.

Not all folks who ride those ferries are rich, some are ERs traveling on the senior discount who are using up a two-fer at McCormick's.  Ask him why the Wenatchee was running late tonight...

 

[Brat]

My kid didn't intend to go to a maritime school until he saw the Golden Bear.  From that day on it didn't matter that they wore uniforms, had to get up for breakfast every weekday, did random drug testing, and had a dry campus.  Few know the quality of today's academy graduate.. they have all the normal college courses as well as hands on skills and must pass the equivalent to the Bar Exam to earn their diploma.

Back to living on a boat.. not a bad idea as long as you know enough to take care of yourself at sea.  In the ocean you can't call 911 if a fire breaks out or you get hurt, the Coast Guard takes a while under the best of circumstances.  There are a number of live-aboards who stay close to shore.  There are places on our coast line where one can sail safely and where shelter from storms is available.  But, if you don't go down with your ship there will be a time when you need to come ashore.  Plan for that too.

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

A few years back, the State of Washington decided that THEY would license boats in Washington waters, not the Coast Guard. The CG said, Fine, but WA will have to do all the rescue work 'cause that goes with the license business. Another brilliant move by state government.

 

[claire]

Hi all - many thanks for all you the info you have kindly provided, i should explain that i am more or less a complete novice, so how does one go about learning how to operate a boat, navigate and all that. Is it difficult to learn? Also, what is better, a sailing boat or a motor boat, i dont think i would have the confidence to be boing roaming around the oceans so i think we would just need a run around, something which would we would be able to live on and get around the calm waters of the greek isles.

Also, how big do you recommend the boat to be for 2 people? 40 feet ish?

One more question, how expensive is it to learn boating, presuming one has to go on courses etc?

Looking forward to hearing from you all xxx

 

[thefed]

I'm in the same boat as you...pun intended.

Curious HOW one would become adept at boating....enough to survive on the open seas.


I read a site about these people on a boat called the dream catcher....brewer posted the link here somehwere...it's insipiring


They are on a sailboat with 2 backup gas motors

 

[yakers]

Try it for yourself......THE LIVEABOARD SIMULATOR!

Just for fun, park your cars in the lot of the convenience store
at least 2 blocks from your house. (Make believe the sidewalk is a
floating dock between your car and the house.

Move yourself and your family (If applicable) into 2 bedrooms and 1
bathroom. Measure the DECK space INSIDE your boat. Make sure the
occupied house has no more space, or closet space, or drawer space.
Bring a coleman stove into the bathroom and set it next to the
bathroom sink. Your boat's sink is smaller, but we'll let you use the
bathroom sink, anyways. Do all your cooking in the bathroom, WITHOUT
using the bathroom power vent. If you have a boat vent, it'll be a
useless 12v one that doesn't draw near the air your bathroom power
vent draws to take away cooking odors. Leave the hall door open to
simulate the open hatch. Take all the screens off your 2 bedroom's
windows. Leave the windows open to let in the bugs that will invade
your boat at dusk, and the flies attracted to the cooking.

Borrow a couple of 55 gallon drums mounted on a trailer. Flush your
toilets into the drums. Trailer the drums to the convenience store to
dump them when they get full. Turn off your sewer, you won't have
one.

Unless your boat is large enough to have a big "head" with full bath,
make believe your showers/bathtubs don't work. Make a deal with
someone next door to the convenience store to use THEIR bathroom for
bathing at the OTHER end of the DOCK. (Marina rest room) If you use
this rest room to potty, while you're there, make believe it has no
paper towels or toilet paper. Bring your own. Bring your own soap
and anything else you'd like to use there, too.

Run you whole house through a 20 amp breaker to simulate available
dock power at the marina. If you're thinking of anchoring out, turn
off the main breaker and "make do" with a boat battery and
flashlights. Don't forget you have to heat your house on this 20A
supply and try to keep the water from freezing.

Turn off the water main valve in front of your house. Run a hose from
your neighbor's lawn spigot over to your lawn spigot and get all your
water from there. Try to keep the hose from freezing all winter.

As your boat won't have a laundry, disconnect yours. Go to a boat
supply place, like West Marine, and buy you a dock cart. Haul ALL
your supplies, laundry, garbage, etc. between the car at the
convenience store and house in this cart. Once a week, haul your
outboard motor to the car, leave it a day then haul it back to the
house, in the cart, to simulate "boat problems" that require "boat
parts" to be removed/replaced on your "dock". If ANYTHING ever comes
out of that cart between the convenience store and the house, put it
in your garage and forget about it. (Simulates losing it over the
side of the dock, where it sank in 23' of water and was dragged off by
the current.)

Each morning, about 5AM, have someone you don't know run a weedeater
back and forth under your bedroom windows to simulate the fishermen
leaving the marina to go fishing. Have him slam trunk lids, doors,
blow car horns and bang some heavy pans together from 4AM to 5AM
before lighting off the weedeater. (Simulates loading aluminum boats
with booze and fishing gear and gas cans.) Once a week, have him bang
the running weedeater into your bedroom wall to simulate the idiot who
drove his boat into the one you're sleeping in because he was half
asleep leaving the dock. Put a rope over a big hook in the ceiling
over your bed. Hook one end of the rope to the bed siderail and the
other end out where he can pull on it. As soon as he shuts off the
weedeater, have him pull hard 9 times on the rope to tilt your bed at
least 30 degrees. (Simulates the wakes of the fishermen blasting off
trying to beat each other to the fishing.) Anytime there is a storm
in your area, have someone constantly pull on the rope. It's rough
riding storms in the marina! If your boat is a sailboat, install a
big wire from the top of the tallest tree to your electrical ground in
the house to simulate mast lightning strikes in the marina.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

I got as far as "Park your cars in the lot at the convenience store at least 2 blocks from your house". They'd be vandalized, then stolen, then burned, then returned to me by the helpful local police dept.

 

[Brat]

Hey, it isn't all that bad.. but it's no nirvana either.  Living on a boat is like living in a motor home in a remote area, hours from a mechanic, service center, police and medical care.   Yes, you can find live-aboard slips (or anchor in a bay as some in my community have done) but the maintenance issue doesn’t go away.

In many areas the Coast Guard Auxiliary offers basic seamanship classes.  Ask in your community.   You should also learn about anchorages in the waterways you expect to frequent (short stay/extended stay, fees). 

Sail boats usually have less cabin space than motor boats, but if you learn to sail you never ‘run out of gas’.  Even if you do not intend to purchase a sail boat see if there is a sailing club near you that co-ops a boat.  You can learn to handle a boat with folks who are prepared to help you.  If you enjoy sailing you can easily transition to a motor boat and if you don’t enjoy sailing you should consider whether retiring on a boat is wise.  Frankly, I could live on a sail boat but have no interest in operating one.. but sailing gives you a good pass/fail test on you ability to manage on water in weather. 

A well equipped boat today has a head that doesn’t depend on a pump-out, it has solar panels to re-charge batteries, and electric systems that can run on the solar panels.  Thoughtfully provisioned it can sail for months without touching shore.  BUT there is no room for anything other than necessities.  No TV, and unless you have $$$ no sat phone or internet.

IMHO living on a boat isn’t the answer to low-cost housing needs for retirees of any age.  If you have a nest egg growing on shore then sail for a couple years, sell the boat and you will have been there, done that.  ‘Old Salt’ stories are lots of fun to share. 

If you really want a low cost retirement lifestyle, those who frequent the board can give you other options.

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

Just like the idea of retiring abroad--try it first!

In Washington State (probably BC, too), there are a great many places to hire a boat and wander around the San Juan Islands, Puget Sound, the inland waterway, etc. You can even (and probably should) hire a captain, too.

Beware boating there, though. Due to the nature of the area, there is a local hazard known as "deadheads", which are waterlogged logs that float just below the surface of the water. Many a boat has holed a hull in these waters due to a deadhead. In addition, there are so many rocks that poke up in the damndest places just waiting for you to find them with your hull.

Lots of serious safety issues with boats in the PNW. Lots of fun, too! Rent one or two.

Cheers,

Ed

 

[Cool Dood]

Yes, I hear there are lots of safety issues with deadheads in the Pacific NW.

 

[Brat]

Yes, I hear there are lots of safety issues with deadheads in the Pacific NW.

Bless those deadheads in the water and at the helm, they keep boatyards in green.