Advice on living on a boat?

I'm starting a floating commune (spring summer 2013),you'd be more than welcome to dock with us

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejJqLHgr1vQ"]Monster Multihulls - YouTube

 

I love multihulls. They bring a new set of problems to those that sail them. When I had my 40 footer-there weren't the huge ones being built as the video shows. When a ballasted boat founders,life rafts are in order 'cuz she's probably going down. If a multihull turns turtle,the crew can usually stay with it until help arrives because they don't sink. Those sailors on the ones shown were really pushing it. I remember years ago when I was still into it-there was,and I'm sure it's still used,a device that would release the sails when the cat or tri got to a certain angle and in danger of capsizing. Hepplewhite device,I think.

 

On a wellbuilt cruising boat with an interior that stays put, the occasional knockdown is not going to be that serious. I've rode the trapeze and pulled strings on highspeed multihulls too.

 

bring bitches... become snoop dogg. that is all.

 

When traveling in waterways or other marked channels, your vessel will encounter irritating wakes thrown by the parade of powerboats. Powerboat wakes represent one of the major challenges of inland waterway cruising. They are quite different from the storm-generated waves or the shallow chop and wind against the current waves of some notorious bodies of water. There are two types of wakes to contend with, those from vessels passing you and those from vessels going in the opposite direction. Try to take the waves at approximately a forty-five degree angle to your cennterline. Most keel boats don't do this maneuver because of the possibility of pooping,broaching, or having water splash up into the cockpit. They spin around and head into the wakes bow-on. After crossing a wake in catamarans in narrow channels where you get reverberation from the sea-walls you'll turn quickly to break the pattern, then return to your course quickly to avoid the harmonics.

 

I would suggest spending a significant amount of time on the water studying tidal movement and current, especially in tidal esturaries and rivers that are affected by tides. A 10 ft difference can make a lot of difference to an anchorage or tie off to shore and ground or sink a boat. knowing the rules of navigation etc. will help keep the coast guard off your boat but remember that the coast guard does not need a warrent to board a vessal and will (I speak from experience) run a warrent check and arrest you. currents, when anchored, can be very unforgiving, as the tide turns your boat will swing 180 degrees and you should have out 3 times the length of rode (anchor line)as the water depth so if anchored in 15 ft of water you may have out 45 ft of rode and while sleeping the tide changes (and lowers by say 10 ft) and you swing 180 degrees on a 45ft rode over 5 ft of water and hang up the current pushes you over on your keel and swamps you. Or say you tie up to shore in 10 ft of water at high tide with a steep dropoff, your boat can ground and gain enough vertical angle that the boat does not achiev bouyancy before the water comes over the stern. these are just some of the issues that can arise, all of which are catastrophic and can be pretty hazardous in stormy, cold or strong currents. I have. I have experienced all of them while navigating the sacramento delta, san pablo bay. Its been my experience that learning from others mistakes is much better making them myself. (and less expensive)

 

While trying to tack head- on into the wind into Ala Wai Harbor on Oahu in a 40 foot tri--we grounded it. I was able to get out and push it off,but the owner decided to drop the ego trip of being able to sail without a kicker. He mounted one in the next few days and it really paid off. I can imagine crashing into some other boat/s right in the harbor and the hassle that would be for all concerned.

 

my advice? dont sink

 

To back away from a tightly packed dock, backwards, up-current, you'll need a spring-line and a fender. You attach the spring-line from the dockside forward cleat to the dock (use a method you can quickly detach). Place the fender forward where the bow will contact the dock. Place your engine in forward, turn your rudder hard in the direction of the dock. The force of the engine against the spring-line will push the stern out. When your vessel is forty-five degrees to the dock, put the engine in reverse and back straight out against the current as you release the spring line. The current will keep you from sweeping back into the dock. Once out, steer onto your desired course. Since you actually turn the outboard, you have the distinct advantage of being able to maneuver the vessel without being underway, that is not having water flow across the rudders as required in any fixed propeller drive.

 

Check out Charleston, SC if you get a chance. There are a bunch of people living out in the Ashley River near the city marina for free. Apparently they just run their engines to power a generator, and one told me he spends about $40 a month in gas to power everything.

Another thing to keep in mind when associating with "boat people" is that you never know who you're going to run into. I'm sure that the vast majority are nice, friendly, relatively normal folks, but I have met some who are completely insane. I've been attacked by someone's dog while approaching their boat just to say hello, and another was keeping her blind and disabled child stowed underneath and when he poked his head up to say hello got extremely hostile quickly. I'm just sayin, there's some weirdos out there wherever you go.

 

The road to a successful relationship with a boat begins by applying the same considerations toward the would be boat as toward any other tool, what does one realistically want from the craft, what are the special conditions to be met in the waters where she'll be used, who has to be accommodated...how...and how long at a time, how much dough can be afforded...where are the compromises to be made?

 

A 1/2" pizza stone does wonders to even out the heat. Place your pan on top of the preheated stone and bake as usual.

 

I've been living on a sailboat for about seven years, I lived on a smaller one for two years when I was younger. Basically I think it's easier to live aboard E coast rather than W because of liveaboard marina availability, prices, etc. If you love the water enough to get thru the adjustment period, there's nothing to it but to do it. There will already be an LA community wherever you land, and people are friendly enough, they'll help you out.

I only do sailboats, but all 30'ers are not alike. Roominess is determined by headroom and beam just as much as length. If you are handy and the boat is cheap because the interior is a mess, take it, because it's likely you'll modify the interior anyway if you're LA, might as well build to suit. A inboard diesel is a bonus, but if it has no engine at all, don't worry about it.

The smaller the boat, the cheaper, the less you worry about thieves, anchors dragging in a high wind, easier to sail, and you'll get out more often because it's easier all around. And it seems much bigger after you've been aboard a couple months, so if you think you can stand it for a weekend, it will make you comfortable for a lifetime.

When you're researching boats, look for owner organizations. Yahoo Groups is full of them. Beware of boat snobs! There are rich people who think the ocean belongs to them and if you ask them about a boat like a Coronado or Columbia they will tell you it's a deathtrap but owners will tell you it's the best boat they ever had...people hate it when they see people doing the same thing on a $5k boat, wheñ they're $150k into the bank for the plastic POS that looked good to them at the dealer.

One last thing, the older the fiberglass boat, the thicker and more sturdy the hull is likely to be. When fiberglass was new they treated it like wood and laid it down thick...when they figured out what they could get away with, they started saving money with thinner hulls. Pre-1980 is what I would go for. Last, last thing...ignore the ads, go to the docks, the marinas, and especially to places where they haul out boats. If you're standing on the dock you'll find the same boat for half the price of any ad, and forget about brokers. Marinas that haul boats out are often hauling them out for the last time, in this economy. I had a friend who got a fixer-upper 34' racing boat for $500, if they didn't sell it in a week they were going to saw it up. Hit the docks and marinas and get the rap going, and don't be in a hurry.

That's the basics.

 

go to: www.asa.com/yourfirstsail.html

 

www.Bluewaterboats.org

 

I have a small older cruiser.. have always wanted to try the live aboard life. Gonna fill up the tanks this summer and live aboard for a week... really looking forward to the solitude.. chance to catch up on some reading..maybe a six pack or two.. lol

 

Wearing a balaclava or hat can keep your hands warmer. I'm not shy about adding olive oil and Parmesan cheese to get the BTU output. Icing on deck is potentially dangerous but sometimes a part of life.

 

Sailboats come in all shapes and sizes, with individual personalities to match. A sailor with no schedule always has fair winds.