Living on a yacht?

Several years ago I ran a big marina. One of our customers got divorced and gave his wife the house and he kept the 50 Sea Ray Dancer. He spent about $30,000 upgrading the heat so he wouldn't freeze to death and spent the winter in our closed down marina with frozen water lines and no pump out facilities or people until spring.

Today I was talking with a live aboard who said they used to have tons of company, cruised a coouple times a month and had plenty of company. During winter they'd go south. Since the jump in fuel prices they don't cruise anymore. Since others aren't cruising either nobody is around the marina even on summer weekends and they can't afford the run south. On top of that the marina recently sold and the new owner jacked the slip fee through the roof.
To me it's a life for the very rich or a single guy (who maybe wants to stay that way) or a family for a bit of an extended vacation.

living aboard a 35' Pequod

I have wanted to live on a boat for several years. After reading a couple notes on "LA" living I started looking at the stuff ive been lugging around. Boy am I cleanig house. I appreciate the frankness of those who post notes here. I'm an Army Seargant I've definetly learned how minimize unnecesarry stuff. i live in a 1300 sq ft. Apt, 3 complete rooms of stuff to move when I relocate next month. Well it appears my boat has everything built in, Cabinets, entertainment center, but how praticle is bringing my Onkyo 7-1 entertainment system with subwoofer suround sound and 37" lcd flat screen. (last years model) Its not exactly waterproof right ? Well I dont exactly plan to get moisture inside the cabin. Is this realistic?

It's not so much the moisture. That's a bit of an issue, but you usually try to keep the water outside. 37" is kind of big for a 35 footer. You'll probably be sitting within 5 or at most 10 feet of it. Whatever you do though make sure it is secured.

Good for you having you own choice. I live aboard a 1980 40ft Trojan motor yatch and love it, I am 59 and should have done it 30 years ago, also single but who is complaining surely not me

We have a living salon, dining salon, galley, two staterooms, two heads, washer and dryer, plus numerous other benefits. We don't feel like we give up anything by living aboard and enjoy the lifestyle.

Last year things were a kind of dead around the marina but this year there is a resurgence of people again. We enjoy meeting all the different people, especially the transits and talking to them about their experiences. Most developments we lived in I can't even remember the neighbors, had one place in DC some won't even talk to you. If you'd approach them they'd run back to their house, never happens at the marina.

Years ago I lived on a 44' sailboat in the Virgin Islands.
Had the time of my life, at the time I did not need a fridge/freezer, A/C, TV or any other condo stuff.

Would do it again in a heartbeat, but present wifey says NO.

Sold the boat and gave up the life style to chase better jobs and career moves but all that got me was bigger bills for house/cars and stuff.

Time for a mid-life crises and do it again, but now I would want fridge/freezer and solar panels to run all the electrics...And a dive compressor, And a sweet young thing who loves boat maintenance, cooking gourmet foods and also loves her middle-aged Norseman..

Good luck on finding the sweet young thing!!!!!!!! Unless you have plenty of money to buy her a megayacht to live on...... hehehehe

If have to take a dingy to get to/from the boat you're gonna hate it within a year. If you have to fix things and you're not mechanical you're gonna either learn or hate it. If you have sweet young thing fixing and cooking you're gonna love it. If you hate it but can't get out of the boat you're gonna stop shaving, start drinking and mumbling to yourself; but at least you'll stop hating it and go to just disliking it, plus most of the time you'll not remember the reasons you are grumpy

About that time here's your "sweet young thing". She's a bit high maintenance, but she'll love you IF you give her those "gormet foods"

Aye mate, sweet young things from Brazil or Thailand don't need no mega-yacht to live on..The grumpy middle-age American Ladies do for sure but I don't plan on inviting one...Lemme see, Brazilian or Thai, Brazilian or Thai..Decisions, decisions....

Thanks, but not quite what I had in mind...



I know, this babe is wasting her time on a stink-potter, but she promised tp join my shortly for a sail into the sunset...Just remember: No wake..

I think you mean "Don't wake....you up from this dream". It's OK old man, we all get that one.

"Spot" on.... I think half the old men mariners have this dog or it's identical twin.

Aye, we can all dream..On the other hand, reality is within reach, just go and get it...

The other half, on the other hand:

Cowboy boots on a boat? Throw her overboard. Then again, to get something like that on a sailboat she'd have had to rode into town on a horse.

Ha-ha Mr. NYCAP..Don't think you would have thrown her or her mother overboard..Boots or no boots.

Newsflash: She is trying to take them boots OFF so as to go sailing with the Norseman.

Openminded you should be..

So, if Lars brought the Swedish Bikini team over from Stockolm and a few of them cold little honeys were lookinng for a place to hang out on your sailboat....You would say: Back of *****, this dream is not real...

Go easy on yer dreams Mr. NYCAP123, life could happen..

She brought her MOTHER?
As for the boots, they and the suit are supposed to be left on the dock.

You should only know.

Hi,

Calm down Cap, it ain't a real boat it's got sails

I like your attitude and way of life very much Pascal

I will not mind living in this one
Designed by Commodore Munroe in 1903, she was based in Florida. A flat bottom with two centerboard.
A sumptous interior, a lot of crew, and a lot of fun. Priceless

Have to agree Pascal, I think you have the right attitude towards life and people. If they are that narrow minded who wants to know them.