# Getting Started with Liveaboard Life



## C205 (Jul 20, 2010)

I've made the decision that I definitely want to move somewhere slightly warmer, and live aboard full time. My goal is to be living aboard full time by the end of the summer 2017.

I'm not exactly sure the next steps though.

Current plan:

Buy a 40-44ft boat for around $80k. Will have to finance. 
Move it to Hampton Roads, Virginia Area. Other areas are a possibilit
Find a liveaboard friendly marina, hopefully close enough to a town that I don't need a car.
Live and work aboard

I'm thinking a boat that big is semi-required as I want to have a good sized galley, a navigation station to use as a desk, and two cabins, so that I can have guests aboard comfortably.

Problems:

 I'm young and won't have enough money to buy a boat outright.
 I've never even been on a boat as large as I'm thinking of buying.
 I'll need to use the boat not just as an apartment, but also as an office, and hope to sail regularly.

I do have around $30k saved up, I can use to get started with this plan, plus should be able to save a good chunk of change between now and when I start. I also will be able to keep my job no matter where I live.

Is that close to reasonable? What are the monthly costs like beyond dockage, and boat payments? Is it even possible to finance a liveaboard? What should I be doing now beyond just saving up money? Any specific boats I should be thinking about?


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## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

I think if you spend some time in the Living Aboard forum, you'll find many replies to those questions as many before you have asked them.

Living Aboard - SailNet Community

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/living-aboard/146922-another-wannabe-liveaboard.html

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/living-aboard/104504-real-cost.html

etc.

Best of luck to you.


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## miatapaul (Dec 15, 2006)

Do you know how to sail? Why such a big boat? First of all there is really more variation on size of galley is almost as varied by different boat as it is by size of boat. Of course the bigger the boat, there is more room for a bigger galley but that is often not the case. How many will be living aboard? I think that what may fit here is go small go now mindset, and I don't mean go very small but if it is just you then think lower 30 foot and you should be able to find something for your figure. But figure in some for refitting to make the boat suit your needs and catch up on deferred maintenance. 

Thing is that boats are not always very easy to finance, and in order to get a loan you likely will need a newer boat, and that ups the price even more. Especially if you are young and don't have a lot of established credit. 

My suggestion is to find a smaller boat say low 30 foot range that may need a bit of work but is basically solid. Good motor, good sails and good solid deck. Even if it is smaller than you want in a few years get out there and don't wait. Thing is boats are kind of like clothes, I can't tell you what will look good on you. I have never seen you, don't know if you are a man or woman, if you are fat. thin, tall or short, so I doubt you would be happy with the outfit I send you and it would be unlikely to fit at all. Same with a boat, one I may be happy with (heck I am an old man, well 50 so perhaps not that old) one boat and you might think it is the worst in the world. Also like clothes you are not stuck with it for the rest of your life, otherwise there would still be lots of folks running around in parachute pants! 

So if you get something that is perhaps fairly popular, that might sell quickly if you get a big pay raise or get married, have kids or whatever. I would not worry too much about guests, they can sleep in a quarter birth, a settee, or what ever they are guests an not paying your bills. Heck the Catalina 30 (likely the first boat to look at) will sleep 7 people. You would not want to do it for very long, but it can be done! (2 in v-birth, 2 in aft birth, 2 on one settee and one on the other. Heck you could stick a couple more in the cockpit if you had to!) And that boat should fit your price range well. As far as galley goes, you can adjust to any galley. I have had some really good meals cooked in one pot, so it is not the size of the galley that really matters. We have a couple of professional chiefs here on the board that have 34 foot boats (granted they don't live aboard full time) but I can guarantee that they are making good food in those galleys!


One other thing, you say you are young, so just do it. Don't put it off for a couple of years, if you have the money ($30,000 is quite workable) find a job where ever you want to live and just do it. You are not going to have the "boat of your dreams" in your first boat, but it is the start of the journey. I know a 29 year old that is getting started out on her own for the first time, has no car, no apartment nothing but a suitcase of clothes. She needs a car, and wanted to get a BMW and I told her that she can't afford one, get something more reliable and sensible. Her response was but you have a BMW, and I said true, but I am not 29 just starting on my own for the first time either. Also if I had to do it over I would have a boat and a Yugo, rather than a House I don't want to live in and a BMW that I can barely keep full of gas let alone maintain.


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## chuck53 (Oct 13, 2009)

Seems you are more interested in the live board aspect than sailing. if that is the case, I'd look into a 36-38' aft cabin motor yacht. You can find plenty in the under $50k range and one of those will give you twice the living space as a 40' sailboat.


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## Markwesti (Jan 1, 2013)

C205 what boats interest you ? If newer I think a mid 90's Catalina 32 would be a good fit . It has space down below like you would not believe , not to mention outside . My friend picked one up about 4yrs. ago for ummm....I forget but way under 80k.
Here is a pic of my buddy in his office closing a deal on his Iphone .


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## C205 (Jul 20, 2010)

All,

Thanks for the advice.

I had been looking at boats like a slightly beat up Whitby 42, an Endeavour 42, a 80s Gulfstar 44, a few 90s Beneteaus. Criteria that lead me to this was: Large Nav station, ample headroom in cabin, decent access to all systems, u shaped galley, refrigeration, two staterooms (the option to comfortably have guests is important if I'm moving away from all my friends and family), and a head with a shower. There were some marinas that also imposed a >32 or 34 ft rule for liveaboards that made think 

Though after reading your comments, it does seem like that could all be accomplished in a much smaller boat, so I'll definitely open up my search a little bit more.


The reason I'd like to move aboard is that I'd like to lead a carfree life in a warmer climate, where I'm able to go sailing mostly year round, at the drop of a hat, I still think that moving aboard will be the best way to accomplish this.

I do know how to sail, primarily my family's 26ft Pearson, though I have sailed a few smaller boats (a Catalina 22, a couple sunfish, a MacGregor 24, two different 16 ft cats), and spent an afternoon on Lake Erie in a Pearson 30. However, I've never really sailed in the ocean (a well protected bay once), and have never captained anything larger than the 26 foot.

Going "right away" isn't a serious option for me, as I'll be having two surgeries in the next 8 months, each of which is going to leave me unable to use an arm for about 6 weeks.

So, what, if anything should I do in the mean time?


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## chuck53 (Oct 13, 2009)

Yes you can go smaller but I would not go a lot smaller. 
I have a Catalina 34 which pretty much meets all your needs and the C34 is a very roomy 34, much more so than most boats that size. That being said, I would not want to live on it as I feel that it would be very confining. Most sailboats are, that's why I suggested an aft cabin motor yacht. I used to have a Carver 38 and it had 3 times more living space than my sailboat. I could have easily lived aboard that boat.


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## alctel (Jan 25, 2014)

I think a 40'-44' is also maybe too large, you can get a lot of that stuff on a mid 30's, and even lower. A lot of boats replace a quarter berth with a nav desk. 

Cost will be a lot less as well - only problem with be the two separate cabins, but most boats have a cabin that have a couple of sofas that turn into beds.

I have a 1980 36', and it's plenty of room. I probably could have gone down to a 33'.


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## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

A 44-footer is a pretty ambitious beginning for someone with virtually no experience in boating. I decided on a 33 foot Morgan Out Island for cruising and living aboard because I figured that a 41 or 47 Out Island was too much boat for a single handed sailor, and I believe I made the right decision. I have loads of room in that 33 for me. As for my wife, the Queen Mary might be a bit too small, but I'll find out next fall when she comes to the Florida Keys to be a live aboard for six months.

Good luck,

Gary


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## Markwesti (Jan 1, 2013)

C205 , I hope all goes well with the Doc. I think I know that you have settled on a mono hull, and that would be my choice too . I think you would enjoy the emag Latitude 38, the founder ( Richard ) runs the mag and his charter co. from his big cat. Profligate . On occasion we see them at Catalina Ca's. Isthmus Cove . he loves to talk about computers and working from his boat . Latitude 38 - The West's Leading Sailing and Marine Magazine


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## miatapaul (Dec 15, 2006)

Good luck with the surgery. You may be young, but it sounds like you will have some aches and pains like us old farts for a while! ;-) As soon as you are a bit recouped if it were me I would give a little trial run on you families boat. Spend a few weeks on it at the end of the summer. Yes it is small, and likely does not have lots of head room but it will give you some idea. But there are lots of folks living on such small boats. Heck Lin & Larry Pardey moved from a 24 foot boat that they sailed over 45,000 miles on all the way up to a luxurious 29 footer that they sailed 80,000 miles on. Both without engines and electronics. They are far more hard core than myself. 

As the boats get bigger is at first you will get a bigger head, then bigger v-birth, then a bit bigger galley, then as it gets bigger the quarter birth starts to turn into a private cabin, then as you get into a center cockpit you may get a proper decent private aft cabin that becomes the captains quarters. Some of the newer aft cockpit boats stuff an owners cabin under the cockpit like the Hunter 40 but to me they seem claustrophobic. but it is efficient use of space.


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## Brackish_Beard (Jan 18, 2015)

Like the guys have said already it's really trial and error to find a vessel that meets your needs. Without knowing the details of your surgery I would say find a vessel you can comfortably handle relative to the capabilities of your post-surgery arms. My concern is that if you don't have full functionality, you may injure yourself soloing a 40+

I don't know your lifestyle but i agree with the 30' suggestions you've been getting. I was unsure about moving aboard a 23' but now that I've been living on her I find I never really needed much space to begin with but then again most of my worldly possessions are sailing gear so I don't actually need a lot of "personal" space. I also recommend a 30'ish because you can find them reasonably priced and they have great living space (relatively speaking). I wouldn't buy a boat with the mentality that it's your last, think of it more like dating to find the one (or four) for you. My suggestion would be to find regattas in your area and make friends in the community. Sailors are always looking for somebody to go with them and you can get experience on a broad spectrum of vessels that way.

You've got time and money so peruse the forums and establish yourself in the community both SailNet and local. All in all I suggest cheap and sturdy to start, there's no mentor like experience so just get out there!

P.S. lots of people have the dream, few are able to live it. Better to find out for $30k than $80k


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## Markwesti (Jan 1, 2013)

BLUE FIN - Westsail 42
WESTSAIL 42 sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com


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## C205 (Jul 20, 2010)

Thanks all for your advice.

I'll look into what it would take to stay on the boat for a week or two this summer. I would definitely need to sort out the electricity situation on board the boat, and replace the ice box with a refrigerator to have any hope of making it somewhat liveable. I believe all it would take is a shore power cord, a new battery, and replacing a few lightbulbs. It's very cramped down below compared to most 26' boats down below (close in size down below to a catalina 22), so I don't know how good of a comparison it will be, but it sounds like a good idea.

I wouldn't choose to liveaboard until I had made a full recovery, which should put me stronger than I am now, and with approximately the same range of motion.

After looking and thinking more, I think a 37ish boat, with a large area down below might be large enough to be quite comfortable.

I'll plan on trying to get more involved with the local scene this summer, it would be good to just even see several boats of various types and sizes.


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## miatapaul (Dec 15, 2006)

A week without refrigeration is not hard to do just buy ice. 

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk


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## MFurber (Mar 6, 2015)

Hi. im sure your a sensible chap so do the basics.

1) be aware of marina fees and factor haul in and outs as well as antifowling, engine servicing etc
2) Remember that whatever price you paid for your boat replacement parts are priced at the new boat value not what you paid! I.e. if you buy a 40ft yacht for say 50K and it's new price was approx £200k remember the replacement parts are going to be related to the second figure not the first...this catches loads out.
3) Don't let people tell you this boat or that is to big/small etc. you get used to the size of any boat very quickly so I don't think this is an issue. However Do remember that with bigger boats come much bigger sail forces at play so the bigger the boat the more carefull you will need to be. For instance, your sailing with main and gib fully out and see a squall approaching, on a 20 foot boat you might beable to hold the main like a dinghy and ease it out with one hand, on a 40 foot boat you need to be carefull or you will tear your arm from its socket or at best give yourself a bad rope burn....I.e. big boat factor in extra training or the beers required to pay a buddy / sailing friend to as they say...show you the ropes!
4) Most important point remember the adage when choosing a boat, the second best day of your life is when you buy a new sailing boat, the first is when you sell it! Morral, make sure you fall in love with your boat with all your hart and respect your boat with all of your logic, a practical boat which you don't love will soon lose its appeal, likewise a non practical boat that you fall in love with will be nothing more than a holiday romance....quick to lose its appeal!

Good luck.


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## Advocate777 (Sep 28, 2010)

C205-
I'm doing the same as you - check out my YouTube channel below as I'm sure you will be able to relate to it - it is the story of what I'm trying to do the same as you- the next episode has several boats I have considered which may be interesting for you- for a solo I think a boat around 30 is good - you'll find the right one - keep looking and best of luck - I haven't found mine yet -


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## Jacklawrence (Mar 18, 2015)

Interesting elements and points made by all here and make some more genuine points ...!!!


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## sirtang (Mar 15, 2015)

travlineasy said:


> A 44-footer is a pretty ambitious beginning for someone with virtually no experience in boating. I decided on a 33 foot Morgan Out Island for cruising and living aboard because I figured that a 41 or 47 Out Island was too much boat for a single handed sailor, and I believe I made the right decision. I have loads of room in that 33 for me. As for my wife, the Queen Mary might be a bit too small, but I'll find out next fall when she comes to the Florida Keys to be a live aboard for six months.
> 
> Good luck,
> 
> Gary


Are you and your wife basically separated at the moment? Cause that would be a dream come true for me! 

My retirement dream is to cruise around on a 26-38' boat and during the winter and she can come visit and best of all can leave! haha


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## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

sirtang said:


> Are you and your wife basically separated at the moment? Cause that would be a dream come true for me!
> 
> My retirement dream is to cruise around on a 26-38' boat and during the winter and she can come visit and best of all can leave! haha


Nah, we're still married and I suspect that status will not change - we've been married for 52 years, and managed to survive through 16 boats, only 3 of which were sailboats. She thinks I spend too much money on the boats, and I think she spends too much of jewelry and other women's stuff. The expenditures are about equal, probably.

She's hatching a scheme as we speak, one that involves her staying in an efficiency apartment in Marathon, while I stay aboard the boat. That way she can go sailing and fishing with me on days when the weather cooperates, and stay in the apartment and screw around on the internet when the weather is less than optimal. After six months, she'll hop on a plane and fly home, and I'll single-hand the boat back to the upper Chesapeake. I can live with that. 

Gary


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## tomperanteau (Jun 4, 2009)

C205 said:


> I've made the decision that I definitely want to move somewhere slightly warmer, and live aboard full time. My goal is to be living aboard full time by the end of the summer 2017.


We ended up, after four boats, with a Morgan 41 Out Island. Center cockpit, beamy, lots of room. You might look at them, too. They are within your price range.


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## ObsessionSTJ (May 4, 2015)

I would start scouring Craigslist and all the sailboat websites and getting a feel for living space and floor plans. That's what we did and started knowing at a glance which would work for us and which wouldn't. It also gives you a good idea of range of prices so that you know when a good deal pops up. Are you a handy kind of person? That is one thing that we found is extremely important. Or at least be able to You Tube it to figure something out.  Something always needs fixed on a boat.

We also started following blogs to read about other peoples thoughts about sailing and living aboard(Windtraveler.net was and still is one of my favorites). Then of course we did our own blog once we bought our sailboat. (Gotta put a plug in for mine.  Mountains and Seashore

All the best on your new adventure,
Camile
s/v Obsession
St. John, USVI


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## C205 (Jul 20, 2010)

All, thanks for your advice.

I've healed well, and made arrangements to charter a few different boats this winter, to get an idea for what might work.

I've spent a ton of time looking at boats for sale online, and think I may have found something that would work well for me. I've decided to make the trip out to see one that is for sale at a particularly attractive price (needs work, we'll see how much when I get there). 

The only issue, is that while it comes in a shoal (5') and deep draft (6.5') version, the one I'm looking at is deep draft. There are two different harbors (with a few marinas each) nearby me right now that can take that deep of a draft, but it does actually exclude what would be my first choice marina. Obviously, there are major benefits of a deeper draft (mostly pointing better towards the wind), however, it sounds like major sections of the AICW would be out, and that the Bahamas would be quite different, and that many of the bays in the Chesapeake would no longer be an option. How often would I be excluded from going places by having that extra foot and a half?


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## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

C205 said:


> ...How often would I be excluded from going places by having that extra foot and a half?


If getting and using a dinghy is an option: Never.


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## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

There are lots of places along the AICW where a 6.5-foot draft would be a problem, especially at low tide. There were places where my 4-foot draft scraped across the muddy bottom. 

Now, I decided to reread this entire thread (slow morning before work.) If you are thinking about home porting in Hampton, you must surely be aware that it gets damned cold there in the winter. Yes, they even get snow and last winter, lots of ice on the creeks. Why Hampton? Where are you living now?

If it were me, I would not consider anyplace north of central Florida for a home port if I wanted to stay warm. Hell, it was chilly in the lower Florida Keys last winter.

Someone suggested purchasing a mid 30s size trawler - and for you needs, that may be a great option. Shallow draft, and the ability to go pretty much anyplace you desire. 

All the best,

Gary


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## C205 (Jul 20, 2010)

I'm currently in Western NY near Lake Ontario.

I had thrown Portsmouth out there as an idea because it was the farthest north of a place along the east cost that I could imagine living aboard, and it seemed like a convienent jumping off point if I was ever heading anywhere east of the East Coast (PR, USVI, BVI, etc). I certainly don't have my heart set on it. 40 degree weather doesn't really bother me, when I was growing up I considered anything over 40 shorts weather.

I definitely want a sailboat. Currently I'm thinking I'd buy a boat, move it here, and over a year or two deal with any issues and get to know it. Eventually I'd want to pack up, get rid of most of my "stuff", and head somewhere warm enough to live aboard, and do short 1 week long trips and plenty of day sails, while I save up to cruise for a little while.


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## jhwelch (May 9, 2015)

Right now you have all your options open. If you are going to make some trips on the ICW a 6.5 foot draft is pushing your luck; much better if you can get something closer to 5.


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## xort (Aug 4, 2006)

You have good taste in boats, we've been living...and cruising full time...on our Endeavour 42.
It's a great boat but for a single handed novice, I think it is way too big. If you are single and single handing then mid 30's would be a better choice.
Some things to consider from my 4 years of east coast cruising...
If you want to move north and south with the seasons and use the ICW then stay as close to 5' as you can. Our E 42 is a real 5'7" (specs call it 5'0", keep that in mind!) and we do OK but do have to be careful.

When you go smaller, tanks get smaller too. Cruising the east coast you will have good access to water and fuel but the more you have to stop to fill the more of a pain it is. 

Besides a dock at a marina, anchoring and mooring are viable options. But you will need power generation and a good battery bank and that water tank issue pops up again. We stay several months every winter on a mooring and move to the fuel dock to fill the water tank about every 2 weeks. The marina has showers and laundry and is close to town. Its a good option for some people but you need to be configured well to make it work. A few people here dont have enough solar/battery to keep the refer going and make do without that. You'll need a decent dinghy too.

Norfolk may be warm enough for you but be aware that humidity and condensation on a boat in cold weather gets to be a big issue. Even in central Fl it can get cold enough to need heat and that causes the condensation problems. Boats just dont have much insulation and so condensation wont stop as long as you heat the interior.

If you are working via internet, most marina wifi is subpar. So plan on a data plan from verizon. I have an unlimited data plan and love it. I can upload big files with 4g. The only place signal is poor is much of the outer banks of NC.

BTW, we were surprised at how cheaply we could cruise New England. Docks and moodings are very pricy but we found plenty of places to anchor while cruising during summer. And most town docks have free water and dinghy access.


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## Brent Swain (Jan 16, 2012)

40 to 44 ft is a far bigger boat than you need. Go smaller and stay out of debt. I have lived on my current 31 footer for 31 years , and see no need for anything bigger.
Lots of insulation and a good wood stove can make a boat the most comfortable home you will ever have.


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## boathooked (Jun 25, 2015)

OP, thanks for posting this. My fiance and I are on a 3-4 year timeline to do the same.

Slight differences, I will be nearing 50, her the mid-40's and at least for the first year or two as liveaboards it will be partial and I will be working full-time (I am a consultant, just need good internet and access to a decent sized commercial airport).

You are/have done all the things we are doing/plan to do. We have completed our ASA101 course and joined a sailing club, will be doing the ASA103/104 next year after sailing for the next 6-8 months. I am looking at boats too in your original range 40-45' for mono, 35-40' catamaran. Difference is we will be double-handing AND as the fiance has three adult kids we have to have separate quarters for when they come visit (and while it is NOT sailing, we currently own a 40' motor yacht that we pilot regularly, so we do have boating experience, just need the sailing experience).

After a couple of years the plan is to cast off of the Caribbean and then see from there. Still only going to be partial cruisers/liveaboards as we will maintain a small place in ATL for us to come back to/have the kids come visit.

Please keep posting your progress, and for those that have offered comments, thank you!


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