# House VS Sailboat?



## ImASonOfaSailor (Jun 26, 2007)

I have wanted to sell everything and get a CAT to live on; my wife doesn't understand how it can be done! Her first question to me is wont it gets boring, second is what do you do about a hurricane or a storm won’t the Lighting strike the boat? Can anyone help me out here to explain this to her? I told her if there was a storm coming you would have to watch where it is going then if it is a direct hit or not most of the time you can just sail your boat out of the PATH and wait! She says what do you do with your JOB? Well i am here now to ask all of you what do you do and how do you do it all on a Sailboat?

Thanks...


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## eryka (Mar 16, 2006)

Pretty broad question but I'll take a shot at it.

Living on a boat is like living in a very small condo with a great view and neighbors who share your interest in boating. Do you get bored? Yeah, what do you do with all the time you no longer have to spend cleaning leaves out of gutters or mowing the lawn?  

If you have a job, you live in a marina and you have all the basic comforts associated with land life, like electricity, a car, a permanent address ... except on weekends you take your home and go sailing, or exploring. If there's no job you go on much longer explorations.

If there's a hurricane you can haul your boat onto land (safest, and many insurance companies will split the cost with you, because keeping their investment safe benefits them too)

You end up collecting more friends and experiences than possessions, in this life. Been living aboard full time & loving it for 8 years and counting.


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## AlanBrown (Dec 20, 2007)

I always considered my boat to be my second home. Even the IRS felt the same way. Eventuaslly it became my only home.

The major difference between a house and a boat is that you can change your scenery and neighbors anytime you have a mind to. This portability has allowed me to live on a NY lake, the Hudson River, the ICW, the Keys, and the Bahamas. 

If you fancy the freedom to explore new places and adopt an independent , self-reliant lifestyle, then owning a boat is the way to go.

However, if having a feeling of stability and permanence is what you strive for, buy a second home somewhere. Boating's not for you.

As far as hurricanes, lightening strikes, and termites go, as a boat or homeowner, you still have to use your common sense and have good insurance.

Depending upon where you live, it may be possible to live aboard your boat and still keep your present job. As Eryka says, it's like living in a small condo. When you start cruising full-time, this will become your job. Given the demands and challenges of cruising, I doubt if you'll have much time to be bored.

Good luck!


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Eryka hit it on the head... If you're working at a full-time job, the major difference between living aboard a boat and living in a small apartment is the location, view and who you pay rent to.


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## SVCarolena (Oct 5, 2007)

I fully support the idea of living aboard, whether to travel or just as an alternative to being on land, but there are a few other differences to keep in mind that we saw as negatives. We looked into moving onto a boat rather than buying our condo and what kept us off the boat were the following:

1. Unlike a house on land, your floating condo will need to be pulled from the water every year or two for maintenance, which may find you living in a parking lot, if the yard will even let you sleep on the boat. If they don't, you will be paying for a hotel.

2. Conditions on a boat are going to be more humid than in a house. This can make it feel colder in winter, and does impact the condition of your personal possessions (of course, having central AC and heat can alleviate this problem).

3. There is no guarantee that your marina may decide at some point to stop allowing liveaboard. Also, there are few marinas, at least in our area, that even allow liveaboards.

4. You will be using a marine head and will need to have it pumped out every now and again, even in winter.

5. Once we ran the numbers, it really wasn't going to save us much over the price of owning on land. The only practical marina for us charged an additional $600 per month for liveaboards - this was over and above the normal slip fees.

There are others, but these were the major ones for us. Ultimately, we decided on buying a condo on land in the city, which allows us to get by with a single car, then took the savings on the car and bought a 30 ft. sailboat to use on weekends, vacations, holidays, etc. Eventually, we will sell that boat to buy a bigger one for a sabbatical we are planning and rent our our condo while we are gone. Someday I could see moving aboard permanently (assuming we enjoy the experience while on sabbatical), but we would only do so for the ability to travel, not to just stay in one place.

Like I said, I think living aboard is a great lifestyle, and we intend to do so several years from now while on a sabbatical exploring the East Coast and Caribbean, but there are differences. As the positive differences have already been addressed (ones that I agree with), I'm not going to relist them. Just make sure you go into it with eyes wide open.

PS - Unless the boat is brand new and under warranty, I doubt you will get bored. Although you won't have to contend with yard work, boats require a lot more maintenance than a house, at least that has been our experience. Of course, I find a day working on the boat almost as enjoyable as a day sailing the boat (note that I said "almost").


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## joethecobbler (Apr 10, 2007)

The last conversaton I had with the gentleman docked next to me in ponce inlet florida we were discussing the cost of crusing and living the life.
some folks spend $30,000 a year some like myself spend $5-9000 a year.
How ? all manner of ways. you'll find your comfort level.
He put it like this. "It costs whatever you have" I don't have alot so I do it on very little, and I sail the same waters as others with apparently much more ! you can too. all you hve to do is do it.
The longest journey starts with a sigle step.
Live the dash
Check out todays issue of towndock.net you'll understand.


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## sailor50 (Aug 26, 2009)

Living aboard isn't for everyone. If you continue working, you haul your laundry to the nearest laundromat. There isn't space for an ironing board on the boat if your job requires a shirt and tie, but you can improvise using the dinette table with a thick towel while the iron is plugged into shore power. 

Leather shoes, jackets, purses, etc. can become a mold breeding ground if you do not properly store them. I personally do not think leather should be on a boat unless it is to wrap the wheel or for lanyards.

You are going to find 7 different spots for the best place to stow your stuff before finding the ideal locker for it. You won't be bored - you'll be exhausted! If not divorced!

Having lived aboard for 15 years - you learn a lot, make great friends in your travels, and become more self sufficient!


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## joethecobbler (Apr 10, 2007)

or you put in a washer dryer combo and a watermaker and never haul laundry again ! (like I'm doing). not room for a irononig board ? sure there is , it's flat, put it anywhere.
leather items if stored properly and with a bit of desicent fare better, but not much worse than they do in the closet at the house in humid florida.
For every objection or inconvenice there is an answer, often several answers.
The only un-aswered question is why aren't you doing it ? 
the answer - because you choose not to !

live the dash, it's all you'll ever have.


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## bellefonte (Jan 14, 2010)

That biz about an extra fee for live aboards...is that common? I called a marina in Clear Lake, Texas and they just said there was a minimum 30' boat length.


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## ImASonOfaSailor (Jun 26, 2007)

OK thanks to everyone replying! But maintenance like what, i understand things break and stuff but what all would need maintenance if you take care of it? Also I didnt see anyone that replied owning a Multihul CAT! I was thinking in getting one of those to live on that way you have more room then a Mono how do you live on a 30 ft. mono! Also in your travels have any of you talk to anyone that has went out in the water as a Hurricane was coming in to get away from it? I guess on a mono you cant out run it, i didn't think of that. I always thought of it as if you leave your boat dry docked during a storm like that; that it would be worse to do it that way then taken it out there in the waters? And I guess you all dive? Would you have to learn to do that to, what about eating, i am not big on sea food! I mostly eat salads burgers , pizzas, tuna, chicken, dogs, some steaks, eggs, cereal? What about TV , Internet, satellite? How many batteries can you hold on your boats? Or do you just rough it? We do have jobs we are only in our 40's I am the sailor! She would be my student, but i love storms have raced in a lot of them.. This sounds like a awesome idea!

She has all ways wanted a 230K home! 
I just might throw a wrench in her idea!  
I bet there is thousands of stars out there!


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## CaptainForce (Jan 1, 2006)

I may not be skilled at answering this "House or Boat" question since I've never had a house of my own, but I have lived aboard for about forty years in Florida and I've always known people with houses. Risk management with hurricanes is not difficult. Most important is the choice of location for a slip and marina. Second, is your ability to move to an even safer location if required. Most people that lose boats in hurricanes have the loss because protecting the boat came after house, business, family, relatives, etc. the insured boat may be fourth or fifth on the list of concerns. 'take care and joy, Aythya crew


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

I couldn't do it on a small sail boat and hold down a shore job. The laundry thing was simply to much of a pita.....

If I was to liveaboard at a marina I'd be thinking a big stinker and maybe I could get by.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Hey Fuzzy-

I thought you were a big stinker...  :laugher


tdw said:


> I couldn't do it on a small sail boat and hold down a shore job. The laundry thing was simply to much of a pita.....
> 
> If I was to liveaboard at a marina *I'd be thinking a big stinker* and maybe I could get by.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

What kind of boat and how big it needs to be are all very dependent on YOU. No one can answer these questions but you.

As for hurricanes and such, it depends on where you are and how strong the storm is going to be and how well sheltered your marina is. Many people will take their boats to specific hurricane holes to ride out really bad ones. These are often well sheltered locations further inland than where the boat is normally kept. Mangrove swamps, canals, etc are often used, as they are often far more sheltered than the main harbor would be and often far better protected from storm surge and such. Where I am, much of that is unnecessary, as the harbor I'm in features a hurricane barrier, which closes during any such storm and mostly eliminates storm surge as a problem.

Taking the boat out of the water can be a good option, but it can also be a mistake. It depends. In many places a good helix mooring is far safer than being ashore or in a slip.

As for foods and such, it depends on how your boat is setup. On some boats I've been on, they're equipped much like any terrestrial home would be, with a refrigerator, freezer, microwave oven, oven, stove... and you can eat pretty much the way you would normally. On others, the stove is alcohol, there's no microwave oven, refrigerator or freezer, and your food choices and cooking are limited by the galley's limitations-but with proper planning and such, you can eat just as well.

As for TV, internet, etc., that all depends on the boat, where it is kept, and how it is setup. If you're at a slip, then you can have satellite TV or cable TV and high-speed internet often just as you would in a house. Many marinas offer WiFi as an amenity. If you're on a mooring, this is a bit more difficult to do, especially if you're a fan of cable or satellite TV-as power, connectivity and capital costs become more problematic.

If she is not a sailor, I would highly recommend you think this through very carefully. Chances are good that she will want to have a more accommodating boat that is closer to living life ashore than a woman who is a sailor. A catamaran might be a much better choice for several reasons, but will generally require a much larger capital investment and have higher on-going costs.

First, a catamaran will have more room and is more house like in its layout. Many do not have a steep companionway to navigate. The layout is also often more open than a monohull of equal space.

Second, a catamaran is a better living environment for a non-sailor since it really doesn't heel. Drinks stay where you put them, often even when the idiot powerboater runs through the marina and wake rocks the place. It is far more comfortable to liveaboard a boat that doesn't roll the way many monohulls do.

Third, many catamarans give you more privacy than a monohull would.

However, as I said, the cost of entry may be far higher. A 37' catamaran may give the room of a 45' monohull or so, but may cost a good deal more. The slip or marina costs and maintenance costs of a larger catamaran are also going to be significantly higher.



ImASonOfaSailor said:


> OK thanks to everyone replying! But maintenance like what, i understand things break and stuff but what all would need maintenance if you take care of it? Also I didnt see anyone that replied owning a Multihul CAT! I was thinking in getting one of those to live on that way you have more room then a Mono how do you live on a 30 ft. mono! Also in your travels have any of you talk to anyone that has went out in the water as a Hurricane was coming in to get away from it? I guess on a mono you cant out run it, i didn't think of that. I always thought of it as if you leave your boat dry docked during a storm like that; that it would be worse to do it that way then taken it out there in the waters? And I guess you all dive? Would you have to learn to do that to, what about eating, i am not big on sea food! I mostly eat salads burgers , pizzas, tuna, chicken, dogs, some steaks, eggs, cereal? What about TV , Internet, satellite? How many batteries can you hold on your boats? Or do you just rough it? We do have jobs we are only in our 40's I am the sailor! She would be my student, but i love storms have raced in a lot of them.. This sounds like a awesome idea!
> 
> She has all ways wanted a 230K home!
> I just might throw a wrench in her idea!
> I bet there is thousands of stars out there!


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

sailingdog said:


> Hey Fuzzy-
> 
> I thought you were a big stinker...  :laugher


...only when I fart in your general direction American pig dog.....

(with apologies to John Clease)


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## eryka (Mar 16, 2006)

bellefonte said:


> That biz about an extra fee for live aboards...is that common? I called a marina in Clear Lake, Texas and they just said there was a minimum 30' boat length.


We've seen an extra charge in places that charge a flat rate for electricity. Their logic is that living aboard you use more power. Okay. Sometimes even if they meter the electricity, they hit liveaboards for an extra fee, ostensibly because you use the infrastructure more - bathhouse, parking, recieving mail, whatever.


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## ImASonOfaSailor (Jun 26, 2007)

how much power can u get from solar panels and how many do u need....? So i guess u need to be a part of a marina to get the bathrooms, but if you are on a mooring isn't that part of the marina anyway?


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

I can run my boat off of the solar panels on it. I've got two 130 watt panels, but my electrical needs are pretty low.

As for moorings, not all moorings are associated with marinas, and many do not have bathroom or other amenity privileges.



ImASonOfaSailor said:


> how much power can u get from solar panels and how many do u need....? So i guess u need to be a part of a marina to get the bathrooms, but if you are on a mooring isn't that part of the marina anyway?


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## bellefonte (Jan 14, 2010)

*reasonable*



eryka said:


> We've seen an extra charge in places that charge a flat rate for electricity. Their logic is that living aboard you use more power. Okay. Sometimes even if they meter the electricity, they hit liveaboards for an extra fee, ostensibly because you use the infrastructure more - bathhouse, parking, recieving mail, whatever.


OK, no problem on either a flat rate for power or a meter. I get that, but just "give me $600 in addition to your slip fee because you live aboard" as SVCarolena states...what is that and how common is it? 
I was reading posts in the liveaboard.com forums and 50-75/month is pretty common but hundreds extra?!


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## ImASonOfaSailor (Jun 26, 2007)

What about pirates? How do you know where they are, how deep south do you sail, what kind of weather have you all been in? I know on Lake Erie i have been in 50 knots with 1 reef and storm jib! It was on a mono so going to weather we got beat up pretty good. I have never sailed on the Ocean before , it would be so cool to meet and get a listen from one of you that has been in some stuff, like tides and coral reefs?


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## Minnewaska (Feb 21, 2010)

It seems most working age live aboard folks are single. I wonder if they started that way?

Our live aboard idea is for immediately upon retirement, which is still a way off. We will snowbird between southern climates and New England. A low maintenance condo at one end and live on the boat on the other end. Haven't decided which end will be land based, but we would sail the boat between them each season.


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## remetau (Jan 27, 2009)

We have lived aboard our boat for 5 years in Florida and love it. I still work full time for the same company that I did in Ohio, but I get to work remotely. Diana did work full time at a professional job for a few years while we were in the Tampa area. During those times we stayed at a marina all the time. We decided to move to the east coast of Florida for a change of scenery back in 2008, but we got stuck in the keys for a while. We liked the water down here so much that we decided to stay last year and this year. Diana is now working at West Marine, and we spend half our year at a marina and the other half at a mooring ball. 

Does life get boring on a boat? Only if you let it. There are times that I wish we can do more, but work gets in the way. We have met all kinds of people. So between work we have sailing, dinner parties, beach parties, picnics, fishing, deep sea fishing on other’s boats, diving, snorkeling, bike riding, beach combing, Key West, or just hanging out watching a movie or reading a book. Life is different on a boat; it’s much more exciting.

Do we worry about lightning or storms? Yes, but probably not a whole lot more than a house dweller. For the storms, we make a plan. Our plan is to go onto a ball for a cat 1 -3. Anything bigger, then we get hauled out and anchored to the ground while we evacuate. Another option is to move our boat to a more secured area, and you can’t do that with a house. As far as normal thunder storms, we just watch them blow on by. There are risks associated with living on a boat, but the fun far outweighs the risks and makes it all worthwhile.


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## rmeador (Jan 16, 2010)

Minnewaska said:


> It seems most working age live aboard folks are single. I wonder if they started that way?


Hmm... this does not bode well for me. I never really considered it in general before. Are you sure they don't just have a significant other on land? I can understand them not living together on a smallish boat.

I'm 25, and I intend to become a liveaboard starting this summer. My girlfriend is not at all enthused with the idea. But, I had this plan before I met her, and I'm sure I'll still have it after she's gone. I kinda figured that there are plenty of girls out there that would be impressed with a guy who has a boat and offers them a day sailing. I might just neglect to mention that it is also my home...


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