Post: #1

Has anybody ever considered living on a boat? Or even done it?

Any idea what the costs for such a lifestyle would be? Just a small boat that you could have based out of a port in Florida or maybe even somewhere in the Mediterannean and you can travel around, spending every few weeks in a different port.

It would be a definite advantage for pick up as well.

Post: #2

Ive fantasized about this for a while. The only drawback is that I get very seasick. So it may always remain a fantasy, but I'm looking into possible solutions to the sickness. Im also very fair skinned, and Im not sure that its a smart idea from a skin cancer perspective. However, I'll link to my favorite resources and inspiration below.

The only thing that holds me back is the idea of being chained to what is, in a real sense, a large liability and limiting factor in travel. From one perspective, the boat opens up a lifestyle that is otherwise unattainable. It is, for sure, the most pimp way to live off of any coastal region in the world (if you can afford a decent sized boat). In another sense, it limits you to that lifestyle and where that lifestyle can take you.

http://www.cruisersforum.com

all things liveaboard

http://karaka.voila.net/log2.html

these people live the perpetual bohemian liveaboard lifestyle, cruising the world. He got his boat for free, as abandoned, in hong kong. He fixed it up over about two years, and now its his life.

http://syketurah.blogspot.com/

these guys do the same, and he started after he was a crew member on karaka (the boat linked to above).

Post: #3

Been dreaming about it since I saw a series called Imortal where this scotish dude lived on a boat in seine Paris. I think the downside is really hard winters. Unless you´re in a place where it´s always good weather getting hit by storms is something that keeps me away from acomplish this dream.

Post: #4

You gotta have a big boat, therefor you gotta have big dollars.

Every time I have to pay property taxes or a big electric bill on my house, I think about how easy it would be to just live on my boat. Then I remember the boat costs. Let's say you need rope. You go to Walmart and buy rope, it's $10. You go to the boating stores, now it's called line, and it's $200 dollars.

Girls and boats also don't mix. I have to know a girl well and know she can handle, or the circumstances have to be dire, before I'll let them on my boats. When I do let them on, I try to get only myself and 1 girl at a time. They puke, they break shit, and fall overboard. It's cool to get a bunch of topless drunk chicks dancing around at Lake Havasu, but on the ocean it's a different story. It isn't worth the risk.

I have the range to hit all of the Hawaiian Islands, and love to head to Maui and rent a slip in Lahaina overnight. In that case, the boat is great for picking up girls. You're bringing your hotel room with you. Just be sure they know the boat isn't leaving the dock with them on it.

Aloha!

Post: #5

(07-03-2010 02:08 PM)hydrogonian Wrote:  Ive fantasized about this for a while. The only drawback is that I get very seasick. So it may always remain a fantasy, but I'm looking into possible solutions to the sickness.

Regarding the skin cancer, there are things that you can eat that naturally protect your skin and reduce damage from the sun. Lycopene is one of them, the best source is tomato paste, 5 spoons a day has been shown to reduce sun damage by 30%.

Reading some of the links you posted, the one big disadvantage I see for me or anybody that works mobile is the damage to electronic equipment. One of the guys said that cameras, computers etc only last a year at the most. I guess computers are cheap now and you can get one for less than $500. But, still it is a pain having to buy a new one every few months.

The other thing I noticed that the port fees, specially in popular locations can be very high, almost the cost of a mid level hotel room. It can get quite expensive if you are anchoring around the Med for example.

Post: #6

What about fuel charges? Assuming you don't want to sail, I'd imagine fuel charges would be astronomical for a larger boat if you move around.

Post: #7

One constant theme amongst liveaboards is that it tends to be cheaper than land living, but is by no means inexpensive.

The larger your boat, the more your expenses. And expenses rise exponentially with size.

The more you move around, like all travel, the greater your expenses.

Most liveaboards live very bohemian to keep expenses down. Living on a boat, unless your a straight baller, won't be luxurious outside of the natural luxury of your surroundings.

I'm pretty sure I would prefer not to be attached to a boat, and have the greater freedom of being able to move around without that large liability. it might be a cool experience for a year or so though.

Post: #8

Also, unless you are running drugs in your boat, how would you make money? I can't see running a business from a boat.

Post: #9

The boating lifestyle is wide ranging in cost. One can live in a small used boat, docked in a cheap backwater marina for $10 per foot or live a bling lifestyle in a sweet shiny new boat and dock it at a hip marina with a pool and jacuzzi with weekly parties.

I have over 10 years of boating experience, mostly with sailboats. I was a sailing instructor & instructor trainer for the US Navy for 4 years as a DoD civilian. I also have my Offshore Captains license thru the Navy Sailing program. The marina that I worked at allowed staff to take the marina owned boats out as long as they were qualified for that size boat. With my license, I would take the marina's biggest boats (30-40 ft) and bring friends and/or dates cruising around the bay. One time during spring break, my buddies & I sailed out to Catalina Island for a week. This was my longest stay on board a boat. Had an awesome time cruising around the island, fishing off the side of the boat, anchoring & swimming around (the boat had a swim platform off the transom).

When I first started, I had this dream of cruising around the south Pacific. I love to fish. I'm also an avid scuba diver. College & career set that idea to the backburner and I've got too many other things I want to do now, so this will have to wait. If you want some ideas on how to live on a boat or live the boating lifestyle but not have it make a big dent on your wallet, here's several:

1. Offer weeklong cruises, daysailing or sunset cruises on your boat (a very good way to meet lots of people)
2. Get a job delivering boats
3. Work on a yacht
4. Buy a used boat, sail it around, then sell it when you want a lifestyle change or move on

As for girls and boats not mixing, I disagree. Having a girl or girls on a boat is pretty much the #1 reason why most guys get a boat. This was my game for 10 years and had an almost no flake record. Girls LOVE to go boating, especially sailing. Now, I'll be the first one to say that the boat and boating environment is a VERY dangerous environment to be in. I have seen people die or get hurt firsthand. The trick is knowing your shit otherwise something bad is bound to happen. My boat never left the dock until I went thru a safety checklist with EVERYONE listening. One of the skills of an offshore captain is being able to singlehandedly sail a boat, including being able to cast off & dock by yourself. The next skill level after that is to be able to singlehand while having people on the boat but be able to control them to do the right things for you or at the very least not to do anything bad to the boat or to themselves.

I've forgotten more about sailing and boating in general than most people know about it but I'd be glad to answer questions here.

Post: #10

(07-09-2010 01:01 PM)gringoed Wrote:  What about fuel charges? Assuming you don't want to sail, I'd imagine fuel charges would be astronomical for a larger boat if you move around.

Fuel is the dealbreaker.

Gas costs my business about $1700 to 2k a week, and I pay wholesale. Some weeks that's a very tough nut to cover. I figure I work one out of 5 days to cover fuel, and one to cover insurance, taxes and other bullshit costs.

When you start moving around long distances, you have to factor in the cost of running generators as well as powering the boat.

Some rich guy came into Haleiwa Small Boat Harbor the other day, and the crew showed me around his yacht. The thing was maybe 90 feet long. They had flat tv's and so much other electronic crap everywhere. They were fueling directly into the boat from a truck, and they only had a wholesale deal in their home port somewhere in the mainland. They were paying maybe 20 cents a gallon over the normal pump prices for diesel. That had to be outrageous.

Aloha!