Advice on living on a boat?

Hey, can any boat people give me some tips? Stuff you wish someone had told you beforehand? Interesting sea stories? I want to do this 100%, so it would be nice if I could avoid any catastrophes.

I want to live on a 30-40 ft sailboat w/ accomodations for 2 ...and maybe a dog. My concerns are how to get electricity, internet, plumbing and maintenence. But my biggest question is: how hard is it, and what sort of budget does it require?

 

it doesnt cost a lot, less than a regular home.
you just need to go to a harbour ones in a while to get everything you need,
make sure everything is where its supposed to be.
once a year you need a real good check up, get the thing outta the water and such.
uhhm, you got these things...like batteries, you can fill em/load em up for your electricity. [yes my english is failing me]
i lived with my dad on a boat for 1,5 years and i remember that we saved a lot of money cuz it was cheaper than having to pay the rent for our home.
this probably doesn't help you at all...but i tried...

 

Thanks, actually that helps a lot. I was thinking maybe I'll cheat and stay in harbour/marina at first. That way, I'll have electricity, water, etc hooked up. But that can be more expensive than renting an apartment, I've found. So now I'm thinking of just parking myself offshore somewhere. Is that what you did?

 

well, at first we stayed at a harbour for a month or so, then went from harbour to harbour, so every night we had electricity and such. later on we just parked ourselves at little islands in the middle of nowhere, and then offshore.

 

Wow, for a year and a half; that's amazing. Would you do it again? Also, how often did you come on land? I'm afraid of going crazy if I'm isolated for too long (I'm already sorta nuts ).

 

haha, yeah i'd do it again! well, once in two weeks we'd come on land.
the biggest problem after that 1,5 year was that i couldn't sit still anymore, i just had to travel...so at 16 [after the 1,5 year] i just couldnt stay home and i just walked the earth for a couple of months [didn't work out ofcourse]. now i live in a commune, but i really want to travel again...i miss it so much!

 

I like you. You're weird.

I figure a boat is the best way to travel. At least you know you'll never be stuck in one spot. Hmm... ever try a boat commune? I read about a bunch of people who lashed their boats together (4 or 5) and sailed across the Pacific. Man that would be perfect.

 

oh wow...that would be perfect...pic me up in amsterdam will ya?! so we could start such a commune

 

and yeah...after a while, its weird to feel a ground that's not moving...instead of seasick you get earthsick...really, you do!

 

It's a deal. The only problem is I don't navigate very well, so I may have to pick you up in Uganda instead. :&

P.S. I read about a dog who was rescued from a stranded tanker. She'd spent her whole life on the water, and when they finally brought her on land, she refused to budge. She just laid there clinging to the ground. Weeeeeerd.

 

haha, okay...i'll be waiting...somewhere...

 

I lived on a boat for about a year in Ketchican, Alaska. It saved me a lot of money, but my boat was a "dock boat". The kind that only a fool would untie from it's mooring. For someone looking for cheap housing, this is a very cheap way to go. I only paid $400 for my 24' cabin cruiser because it was just a place to live, not a way to travel. BE SURE TO CHECK ON A PLACE TO KEEP YOUR BOAT. MANY PLACES HAVE A WAITING LIST THAT TAKES YEARS TO GET A PLACE TO TIE UP!!

 

yeah good one, i forgot to say that!

 

I bet a cheap "dock boat" would be great practice, because, hell, you could sink it, and no big deal. One of the things holding me back is that I'm afraid of blowing all my cash on a boat, and then realizing it's not exactly the kind I want.
cookiecache, when you say you spent $400 on your boat, do you mean monthly moorage/slip rental ...or did the boat itself cost you $400? Also, is 24' sufficient? btw lovelightlisa, how big was the boat you lived on?

 

uhhm...i only know it in metres and thats 15...

 

Wow that's almost 50'. Huge. Must've been really cool in there. *sings the theme to the Love Boat*

 

I paid $400 for the boat. The slip fee was about $120 per month plus power and phone. The inside of a 24' cabin cruiser is much bigger than most sailboats of the same lenght. Much of the room on my boat was where the motor had been removed. While 24' isn't much it was OK for my wife and I. When it came time to sell the boat (which took about 30 seconds), the new owner was married with two kids and one on the way. Wow that boat must of been full with a whole family aboard.

One thing I would check on a harbor boat is the head. If it doesn't work or if it has problems, life aboard can be rough.

 

Wow - that must have been pretty cool living on a boat... I'll have to give a try. I'll also have to wander up to Alaska one of these days. I've heard many good things...

 

Don't take up sleep walking.

 

watch out for pirates