Looking to Connect With Someone Living My Dream; Retiring on a Cruiser

[BouyCall]

I have a lot of questions about this. I dont retire for another several years but i know this is what i want to do. Prob draw 5-6000/mth, pay cash for boat, need a 50-53' boat w/twin diesels, is about all i know at this point. Is anyone on board now living the life around Florida/Bahamas or possibly up the East coast of US? Looking for realistic costs incured ref to docking, gas, mooring, taking a dingy into a dock, fees, how long can you moor before haveing to go in to get water and supplies, up keep...is it everything I am working towards? I have never been on a boat this big but I have extensive boating exp. What marinas do you prefer or what should you look for? My OCD is kicking in..

Like I said, if anyone is living my dream i would really like to carry on a conversation....thanks all.

[jaxfishgyd]

There are many of us now kinda drifting over to this site since "Livingaboard" site was closed down.
The Admiral and I have lived aboard for over 12 yrs now and love it.
We have a 43' Hatteras. It's all we need,and unlike a sailboat, we have room to move around and store things.
A lot of our friends have boats in the 45-55' range, a TON of more room and not that much more upkeep.
In my case, The boat is paid for...
Dockage is $583 a month, including electric.
Insurance runs $2450 a year (we keep FULL insurance)
Fuel burn is 6 gph at 8 kts
Gennie burn is 3/4 gph (9 kw- want my AC in the summertime when anchored out)...

[BouyCall]

Originally Posted by jaxfishgyd

There are many of us now kinda drifting over to this site since "Livingaboard" site was closed down.
The Admiral and I have lived aboard for over 12 yrs now and love it.
We have a 43' Hatteras. It's all we need,and unlike a sailboat, we have room to move around and store things.
A lot of our friends have boats in the 45-55' range, a TON of more room and not that much more upkeep.
In my case, The boat is paid for...
Dockage is $583 a month, including electric.
Insurance runs $2450 a year (we keep FULL insurance)
Fuel burn is 6 gph at 8 kts
Gennie burn is 3/4 gph (9 kw- want my AC in the summertime when anchored out)...

Thanks for the response. U hav no idea how much i cant wait to retire and live the life on the water. I am a deputy sheriff here in florida and a few yrs left to retire.

Ever since i got the itch i spend hrs on line reading about this. I have been drawn to the hatteras boat. It looks very sturdy and has the ammenities we want. Do u live in marinas or do u go place to place? If u anchor out how long can u stay away from a marina ref to batteries/fuel? Are u up north or in florida. We live near port canaveral fl so there are alo of marinas in the port and in the river. What do u do for fons, internet and cable television. Can u get tv when u are not at a marina? Ever been to the virgin islands?
Sorry for all the questions but it seems when i find a thread that interests me its always several yrs old. I hope to continue to hear from you and thanks again for the knowledge.

Frank

[BouyCall]

Oh. Do u hav any pics of ur boat or views u hav experienced. Thanks

[skipmac]

Hi BuoyCall and welcome to the forum.

This one of the most frequently asked questions on the forum. When you have a couple of hours to spare you might find all the answers in one of these previous threads on the forum. Just click on the links below.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...nth-40051.html

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...-ii-79067.html

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...nth-85418.html

If you want the quick and dirty summary, and not being facetious here, it will cost as much as you have, meaning it will depend on what you have to budget and your life style. Like asking how much does a car cost? Well if you are a rich playboy looking for a new Ferrari a car costs several hundred thousand. If you are a poor college student buying a used clunker it could be several hundred.

In boating depends on whether you want to stay in nice marinas in an expensive city, eat out at fancy restaurants, etc OR if you prefer anchoring in a quite harbor, shop at the local market and cook on board. Obviously costs will vary hugely depending on which of these you choose.
_________________

[jaxfishgyd]

We just moved to Fernandina Beach a year ago after 26 yrs in Jacksonville. I'm at Egans Creek Marina where I pay $10 a ft + a set fee of $100 for electric. (The "other side of the bridge," Tiger Point has the sailboats due to a fixed bridge)
We hold 400 gals of diesel, but it will last us a year for the boating we've been doing.... 1-4 days away from the dock... Our biggest hangup was the Admiral's dad was with us since 1991 (Once we sold the house and bought the boat, we first had him in an apt at the marina untill he went into a nursing home ) so could never be far away ...
He passed on June 6th at the age of 96 so now we can start planning more and longer trips.
I have 13 batteries (took out the four 8D's and installed group 24"s). The 13th is a group 27 for the generator..
Have a power inverter so we can run the refrig, separate icemaker and admiral's morning coffee. Have gone 2 days without a problem.
We MUCH prefer to anchor out whenever we go... Heck, we're only a 30 min ride to Cumberland Island now...
When it's hot/humid out we do run the genny all night long, I WANT my AC....
We also have a 13' Boston Whaler on the top (no flybridge) that we use all the time.
Hatteras's name is "No Dial Tone" and the whaler is "Ding A Ling" due to my 42yrs at the phone company

[FBLady]

We're neighbors! I live in Old Town. Let's talk? Email me.

p

[jaxfishgyd]

Will do.... Go on the 14th st bridge...Look east.. We're the last boat on the dock...

[The Blue Heron]

Bouycall,
welcome. It is a calling... I am in the process of cutting the landlines and selling my house. We are finally starting to cruise the boat for short cruises to gain experience and learn how ours handles. We are also fitting her out slowly.

Be glad to answer any questions you have.

our one year plan is to move south, Naples or FT Myers and cruise the keys and bahamas before we try to go to the Carribean.

it is a sea change!

[BouyCall]

BH. That is exactly my plan. Move further south then travel the carribean. I live near cococa bch now but still have a few years till i retire so i am gathering the book knowledge till then. There is alot to learn. I will be following ur blog and learning along the way. Take alot of pictures if u will. Congratulations on ur new adventures... Type to u soon

[JoanK]

Hi there, my husband and I are also.planning this dream retirement journey. We cant retire yet, in a few years. Then we want to travel and live -aboard. We are from the Midwest and would travel the Mississippi and down toward the gulf, Florida. It would be great to know a few people along the way, or in the planning stages.
We have a 32 foot carver that we are trying to sell now and do an upgrade boat for this dream. We love this carver and have been boating now for 3 years, longer for my husband. I also went fishing with my dad as a little girl. My dad would fish on the wing dams on the Mississippi River and I would sit in the boat. If I had a stressful day at work, taken a little cruise or sit along the river gave me peace. I would also.love to connect with others and get ideas and what we need to prepare until our retirement .

[River Cruiser]

Originally Posted by JoanK

Hi there, my husband and I are also.planning this dream retirement journey. We cant retire yet, in a few years. Then we want to travel and live -aboard. We are from the Midwest and would travel the Mississippi and down toward the gulf, Florida. It would be great to know a few people along the way, or in the planning stages.
We have a 32 foot carver that we are trying to sell now and do an upgrade boat for this dream. We love this carver and have been boating now for 3 years, longer for my husband. I also went fishing with my dad as a little girl. My dad would fish on the wing dams on the Mississippi River and I would sit in the boat. If I had a stressful day at work, taken a little cruise or sit along the river gave me peace. I would also.love to connect with others and get ideas and what we need to prepare until our retirement .

I'am also from the Midwest & had a cruiser on Perry lake near Topeka, Kansas for 10 years. Bought a 38' Bayliner 3 years ago on the Mississippi with the intention of having it hauled back to Perry. It's still on the Mississippi & I live on it 9 months of the year. I love the river because there are so many choices of distinctions. I don't know if I'll ever cruise to the gulf or Bahamas because of all the areas to explore on the inland rivers. When you buy your next boat I'ld suggest a diesel if you plan on doing much cruising, I average 1.7 mpg with my Hinos, much better than any gas powered boat I've had. Good luck

[avb3]

Originally Posted by River Cruiser

I'am also from the Midwest & had a cruiser on Perry lake near Topeka, Kansas for 10 years. Bought a 38' Bayliner 3 years ago on the Mississippi with the intention of having it hauled back to Perry. It's still on the Mississippi & I live on it 9 months of the year. I love the river because there are so many choices of distinctions. I don't know if I'll ever cruise to the gulf or Bahamas because of all the areas to explore on the inland rivers. When you buy your next boat I'ld suggest a diesel if you plan on doing much cruising, I average 1.7 mpg with my Hinos, much better than any gas powered boat I've had. Good luck

1.7 MPG or 1.7 Gallons per hour? Huge difference!

[River Cruiser]

Originally Posted by avb3

1.7 MPG or 1.7 Gallons per hour? Huge difference!

I.72 MPG, GPH for mains & gen has been 3.0 since last fill-up in 2011.

[jeremiason]

I retired from a California PD in July 2010 and left a month later for fulltime cruising. I had been dreaming of this life since I was twenty.

We sold the house 4 years before we left and got lucky, selling it about two months before the market crashed. Because of that we were able to purchase a new boat. Of course my cop freinds thought I had lost my mind, until they realised I didn't own a lawn mower anymore :-)

My wife, Lori, then quit the corporate world and went to work for a large SF Bay Boatyard in the Chandlery. She got great discounts and we were able to equip the boat with everything we needed.

In the last two years, we have cruised the Pacific side of Mexico, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and are now in Panama. We will cross into the Caribbean in November.

Averaging the last two years, we are usually on the anchor about 50% of the time and motor anytime the boat speed drops below 4 knots.

With, deisel, dock fees, food entertainment, boat maintenance and land travel we live very comfortably on my cop retirement and you will too...

Good luck!