Post: #51

Quote:Curious if anyone has anything to say about powerboats vs sailboats. I think powerboats have more space both deck space and cabin space but seem to be more expensive. I know you can pickup cheap sailboats with cabins for like 2k but can also spend millions, what's the bare min you need to get a halfway decent boat thats livable and wont sink?

Check this site out for inspiration:

http://houseboats.apolloduck.co.uk/regions.phtml?rid=84

They have all sorts of live-aboards.

From experience on boats (both sailing and having visited a few house boats), Dutch-style barges have the most space. Engines-out they have loads of room but need towing to re-locate; engines in they are pretty seaworthy vessels. Don't know whether you get many of these in the US though?

Edited to add: pictures of dutch barge http://www.londontideway.com/boats-feenstra.html you'll see that the inside is typically fitted out like normla house, full normal bathroom and shitter etc.

Sailing yachts lack headroom on the inside if you are in any way tall - and in the sleeping cabins there definitely isn't headroom. Liveable yes, but the chicks I know wouldn't be impressed if brought back to a small sailing yacht. They can withstand rougher seas than your typical motor yacht, and the fuel cost is of course far lower; they are however much slower.

Motor yachts generally have more practical inside space, and more usable outside space (the outside space on sailing yachts is good for sailing, less good for lounging as running gear is in way).

Sailing catamarans have the outside space of motor yachts, a pimping lounge/bridge area inside too. Sleeping cabins are small but a good compromise. Easy to maneuver under power too, as they have engines in each hull that can be used independently.

And 30' is way too small to be considering as a liveaboard for any serious period of time.

Price wise, I don't know how much stuff costs in the US, but as a general rule, if it looks like an old wreck it is an old wreck. It is probably restorable but at vast expense. If you look at boats definitely take someone who knows what they are looking at. You could even consider taking a marine surveyor (they are like chartered surveyors that check your house won't fall down, but for boats).

The 10% maintenance cost is probably a decent estimate.

Can answer other boat/maritime questions too (qualifications/courses/deliveries etc.) if anyone has any.

Post: #52

10% of its value yearly is a good estimate for maintenance items IF it has been taken care of. If it has been let go, all bets are off. A proper marine surveyor's bill will pay for itself.

Post: #53

(03-27-2014 11:43 AM)DonRoberto Wrote:  

Quote:Curious if anyone has anything to say about powerboats vs sailboats. I think powerboats have more space both deck space and cabin space but seem to be more expensive. I know you can pickup cheap sailboats with cabins for like 2k but can also spend millions, what's the bare min you need to get a halfway decent boat thats livable and wont sink?

Check this site out for inspiration:

http://houseboats.apolloduck.co.uk/regions.phtml?rid=84

They have all sorts of live-aboards.

From experience on boats (both sailing and having visited a few house boats), Dutch-style barges have the most space. Engines-out they have loads of room but need towing to re-locate; engines in they are pretty seaworthy vessels. Don't know whether you get many of these in the US though?

Edited to add: pictures of dutch barge http://www.londontideway.com/boats-feenstra.html you'll see that the inside is typically fitted out like normla house, full normal bathroom and shitter etc.

Sailing yachts lack headroom on the inside if you are in any way tall - and in the sleeping cabins there definitely isn't headroom. Liveable yes, but the chicks I know wouldn't be impressed if brought back to a small sailing yacht. They can withstand rougher seas than your typical motor yacht, and the fuel cost is of course far lower; they are however much slower.

Motor yachts generally have more practical inside space, and more usable outside space (the outside space on sailing yachts is good for sailing, less good for lounging as running gear is in way).

Sailing catamarans have the outside space of motor yachts, a pimping lounge/bridge area inside too. Sleeping cabins are small but a good compromise. Easy to maneuver under power too, as they have engines in each hull that can be used independently.

And 30' is way too small to be considering as a liveaboard for any serious period of time.

Price wise, I don't know how much stuff costs in the US, but as a general rule, if it looks like an old wreck it is an old wreck. It is probably restorable but at vast expense. If you look at boats definitely take someone who knows what they are looking at. You could even consider taking a marine surveyor (they are like chartered surveyors that check your house won't fall down, but for boats).

The 10% maintenance cost is probably a decent estimate.

Can answer other boat/maritime questions too (qualifications/courses/deliveries etc.) if anyone has any.

I still have a lot of education to get on boats but I really like the trawlers, supposedly good on gas, plenty of inside room, deckspace. Also been looking at some older chris crafts on cl. Thanks for the link, yeah I hear the barge living on canals in england is really popular, cool stuff

Post: #54

Living on a nice sized sailing catamaran, what a dream. They're so spacious compared to monohulls, and so stable on the water you can put a cup of wine on a table and there's a good chance it'll stay there if the weather is fair. They're a bit expensive, but if you get one of those you might want to avoid taking flights and just cruise to your central or south american countries of choice.Mooring fees, I don't know where they're at now but I gather they can still be quite expensive if you're living in the states. Other then that I'd probably be pissed if I didn't have fast internet on my boat, may be my only major hangup.

Post: #55

(03-28-2014 08:38 PM)Jackreacher Wrote:  Living on a nice sized sailing catamaran, what a dream. They're so spacious compared to monohulls, and so stable on the water you can put a cup of wine on a table and there's a good chance it'll stay there if the weather is fair. They're a bit expensive, but if you get one of those you might want to avoid taking flights and just cruise to your central or south american countries of choice.Mooring fees, I don't know where they're at now but I gather they can still be quite expensive if you're living in the states. Other then that I'd probably be pissed if I didn't have fast internet on my boat, may be my only major hangup.

That boat you posted a pic of is awesome. I love those catamarans and plenty of benefits like you mentioned. One negative I've heard is now you have two hulls to clean, paint, and maintain so costs go up. That would be like a dream boat for me though my temp potential plan is looking to do this cheaply for fun, novelty and to save a bit of money. It sounds like boat living isn't going to be as cheap as I origionally thoguht, probably still cheaper than having a apt of house and a ton of posessions but not like your going to be cutting out 90% living costs or anything crazy like that, many costs just get transfered from home maintenance to boat maintenance.

Post: #56

(03-30-2014 12:44 PM)jamaicabound Wrote:  That boat you posted a pic of is awesome. I love those catamarans and plenty of benefits like you mentioned. One negative I've heard is now you have two hulls to clean, paint, and maintain so costs go up. That would be like a dream boat for me though my temp potential plan is looking to do this cheaply for fun, novelty and to save a bit of money. It sounds like boat living isn't going to be as cheap as I origionally thoguht, probably still cheaper than having a apt of house and a ton of posessions but not like your going to be cutting out 90% living costs or anything crazy like that, many costs just get transfered from home maintenance to boat maintenance.

It's really not as cheap as many people(including myself) would think. If I had a boat like this I'd prefer to have it in the Philippines, that will take a lot of the costs for morring fees, maintenance and repairs out of the equation. At that point I'd say it's well worth it, and a catamaran in the Philippines? That's a dream within a dream. From what I've been told by people who have sailed for years, a 35 foot catamaran is optimal if you want to be able to handle it on your own. 40 footer is doable but I hear recommendations for a 35 footer very often. Experience makes a big difference as well.

Post: #57

Guys if you are looking at boats to save money on accomodation, look somewhere else.

If you buy a house/flat, even a crap one, barring a property market crash you get back at least what you paid for it. Older buildings can be as desirable as new ones.

If you buy a boat, it is a bit like buying a giant car. It can only depreciate, need maintenance, and eventually look poor compared to newer models.

And that is before you have considered mooring fees, insurance, harbour dues (if applicable), and any other things that end up costing money... such as, if you If you intend on it actually being ocean going/maintaining any value as a sailable vessel, periodic lifts out of the water for exterior hull maintenance are important, and expensive.


I don't mean to rain on anyone's parade here, but any boat will make you her beta-bucks provider! Boat living seems cool, I would love to do it, but you have to be realistic about the funds necessary. And you have to do it properly so you don't find it sunk and all your shit ruined, or yourself killed by carbon monoxide from your a dodgy heater/stove.


That cat in the pic is cool, but the slightly bigger ones with a flybridge are the shit.