Broad Questions About Buying Liveaboard Cruiser

[AdventureWorld]

Skipper and I are planning to quit our jobs, and live on a sailboat most likely in SE Asia..

Skipper suggested we focus on buying where we want to be.. Thailand area...
to avoid long passages that he describes as "not the best part of sailing"

I have been trying to find info on this subject... but thought i would ask here..

i know New Zealand and OZ are close and have lots of boats.. cost of living is very high there.. does that carry over to boats? we want to find a great deal..as our budget...

Budget:
purchase price=60k
retrofit=10k
expenses=2k/month

Needs:
2+ cabins
2 heads


we both love the idea of a Catamaran.. just not sure we can afford one..


not sure if we can get by with a "day cruiser" or need a "blue water cruiser" .. don't think we would need water makers, wind generators, AC.. etc..

and than there are the issues of visas, flags, buying abroad?

we are young and able and willing to rough it in certain areas to make our dreams come true..

thoughts?
thank you

[crpcrp]

Hi

This is not an easy answer but if I can, perhaps you should start with the things that are important to you when living 24/7 aboard (not necessarily important to your other party).


As you are likely to spend the majority of time at anchor (not just because of the location but perhaps also due to limits on budget) perhaps your thoughts should turn to this area. Cruising speed has limited benefit (I would suggest mainly to run from foul weather) and as most yachts can turn a far speed, what may be more important is comfort, space, storage, shallow draft and facilities such as water maker, genset, wind power, etc..

You are very reliant on a tender and the ability to store a tender and outboard is more important than perhaps many initially realise. This means a yacht capable of storing the tender you prefer.

You mention cats, so I guess you have done the research on the benefits (space, safety, redundancy, etc). Marina space is (as we all know) a potential issue, especially if you venture into the Mediterranean.

Whilst we can all offer own own views, opinions and personal bias, you would hopefully benefit from writing down whats important to you for a daily life as a cruiser. That may well help you narrow down the options.

Cats are yes more expensive but maybe in the end the extra cost is reflected in the benefits they may bring to you. Don't forget that Cats also hold value better, especially when the first few years depreciation is scrubbed of. the market is growing so future resale may be positive. However running costs will be more in many area's.

Finally, how would you fund a cruisers life. With the correct papers and approvals, Cats can do very well on charter income with you as a paid skipper.

Just one persons thoughts that I hope offer some avenues to consider.

CP

[AdventureWorld]

thank you!

at this point we are discussing other ideas for income besides doing Charters.
Charters were the original idea.. and still very much on the table..

Doing charters would most likely effect what type of vessel we would want..

For Cats: get a Lagoon/Leopard for charters Fountaine Pajot for private owners.

i just read the book "Buy, Outfit, Sail"
cruising on a major budget.. and he tells you to do away with things you don't need/can't fix..

If you have a Cat you can spend more time at anchor

i'm assuming if we search long and hard we will be able to find a deal for about half price of yachts listed on popular websites..

where can we find a great selection of aging tropical boats on the cheap.. hmmmm

[StuM]

Boats in SE Asia generally are cheaper than in NZ/Aus

But wherever you buy, you won't get a boat suitable for "doing charters" and living aboard for $70K. Forget about that idea.

Start by doing a search of the someyacht sales sites to get a realistic indication of what is available in places like Langkawi and Phuket. Here's a couple to get you started.

Home - Langkawi Boat Sales and Services, Rebak Island Marina, Langkawi, Malaysia.

Phuket boat sales - used boats and yachts for sale | Boatshed Phuket

[AdventureWorld]

there is big backpacking scene in SE ASIA.. you don't need a fancy yacht to pull off "Day Trips"
you do need Thai connects. which we have..

I feel like all the boats that make it onto websites or have brookers are going to be over priced.. or priced accurately..

we will be searching for ... a crazy great deal..
most likely something that has an issue...
and the owner has a strict time frame to get rid of it..
=great deal

boats do grow on trees!

Originally Posted by StuM

Boats in SE Asia generally are cheaper than in NZ/Aus

But wherever you buy, you won't get a boat suitable for "doing charters" and living aboard for $70K. Forget about that idea.

Start by doing a search of the someyacht sales sites to get a realistic indication of what is available in places like Langkawi and Phuket. Here's a couple to get you started.

Home - Langkawi Boat Sales and Services, Rebak Island Marina, Langkawi, Malaysia.

Phuket boat sales - used boats and yachts for sale | Boatshed Phuket

[Terra Nova]

Get as much sailing and passage making experience as possible, on as many different types/sizes of boats as possible, before shopping for a boat.

[AdventureWorld]

Originally Posted by Terra Nova

Get as much sailing and passage making experience as possible, on as many different types/sizes of boats as possible, before shopping for a boat.

that would be a great way to learn more.. but it would also take years..
we want to get started.. tomorrow is never promised.

we want to quit our current lifes in FEB 2016 and get started walking around marinas..

so we have 100+ days to do research..

[Terra Nova]

Instead of making excuses you could be learning to sail. Then, when you do find, THE boat, you will know it.

[KatKokomo]

Hi, a friend of ours is selling his 44 ft.mono hull in the Philippines. Great boat with everything on it for live aboard. If you are interested give me your e-mail so they can contact you.

[foojin]

In 2001, we bought a boat in Phuket, Thailand. I had done a lot of sailing on small boats, but she was my first sea-going cruiser. Great boat, and the Andaman Sea is a wonderful place to learn. What I didn't know about marine mechanical, electrical and plumbing, etc could fill a public library. Eventually we sailed her home...

There are a few busy brokers in Phuket, and nearby in Langkawi, Malaysia, but the selection is not really that great and doesn't turn over quickly.

Also, many of the boats are sold by cruisers who get that far in their circumnavigation and realize the dream is not so dreamy, so they tend to be large world girdlers that are well tricked out. You will likely only find a handful in your price range, though sometimes seller desperation can do wonders.

All the Phuket area brokers are online. Have a look.

[AdventureWorld]

Originally Posted by foojin

In 2001, we bought a boat in Phuket, Thailand. I had done a lot of sailing on small boats, but she was my first sea-going cruiser. Great boat, and the Andaman Sea is a wonderful place to learn. What I didn't know about marine mechanical, electrical and plumbing, etc could fill a public library. Eventually we sailed her home...

There are a few busy brokers in Phuket, and nearby in Langkawi, Malaysia, but the selection is not really that great and doesn't turn over quickly.

Also, many of the boats are sold by cruisers who get that far in their circumnavigation and realize the dream is not so dreamy, so they tend to be large world girdlers that are well tricked out. You will likely only find a handful in your price range, though sometimes seller desperation can do wonders.

All the Phuket area brokers are online. Have a look.

thanks! such a fun part of the world!

ya, not the best selection is what i've been hearing...

sounds like we would have to find a couple that had had enough of it and wanted out..

where are the best used boat markets?
any close to Asia?

if were staying in the tropical SE Asia area... even more reason to want a Catamaran huh?

[Dave22q]

You seem to have some major knowledge gaps involving where you want to be, sailing and living aboard. I suggest that you begin by picking a place you want to live. Then research the availability of live aboard facilities and the rules for foreign residents. Make a preliminary decision about living on the hook vs. slip rental considering power, water and sometimes hot showers are part of the rent. Once you have a rough fix on what you want then start looking at boats. One option is to buy an older mono hull and avoid heavy initial investments until you are sure living aboard is for you. Most studio apartments have a lot more space then a $100,000 sailboat. Actually living aboard will teach you what to look for in your next boat. Here's hoping you find what you are looking for.

[AiniA]

There are boat bargains to be had in SE Asia. A lot of people have come across the Pacific on a circumnavigation and have gone to Thailand and Malaysia to wait for the pirate situation in the northwestern Indian Ocean to improve since they were not wild about going the South Africa route. A number of these boats are available for sale but you really need to know what you want in a boat. Can't imagine it will be a cat with your budget.

[exMaggieDrum]

Not trying to be too negative here. Just practical. Sounds like you are total novices, not only to sailing, but to boat ownership. You have the idea of an exotic type of cheap lodging in an exotic place. You don't sound like you want to sail at all, but may be move from place to place for excitement and variety. Assuming this is correct, boy oh boy do you have some expensive surprises ahead!

Boats routinely break (even new ones) just sitting in the water. In fact the more they sit, the more they break. And many, if not most times, you find out after you start your trip to somewhere else. And since you are novices you won't have a clue to how to fix it, assuming you can even identify what really happened. If a through hull hose starts leaking you could lose the boat and could even potentially lose your lives. If a car breaks down, you push it the side of the road and get help. But you don't drown.

You don't know how expensive boat maintenance is either, and without experience, you don't know how to even approach it. Getting pros to do it is costly and hit or miss. You will still need to do some stuff yourself at times.

Sorry if this sounds too harsh. But it's the truth of the matter. You might get lucky and do OK for a while but sooner or later you will face the ugly reality of what boat ownership is all about. I would recommend that you get a boat here and get some experience and then decide if you think it would work out for you over there. Unless you have too much money and can hire anything and everything and don't mind getting tows occasionally and may be get a little wet. You'll have some good stories to tell.

[AdventureWorld]

Originally Posted by Dave22q

You seem to have some major knowledge gaps involving where you want to be, sailing and living aboard. I suggest that you begin by picking a place you want to live. Then research the availability of live aboard facilities and the rules for foreign residents. Make a preliminary decision about living on the hook vs. slip rental considering power, water and sometimes hot showers are part of the rent. Once you have a rough fix on what you want then start looking at boats. One option is to buy an older mono hull and avoid heavy initial investments until you are sure living aboard is for you. Most studio apartments have a lot more space then a $100,000 sailboat. Actually living aboard will teach you what to look for in your next boat. Here's hoping you find what you are looking for.

yes we are still in the early planning phases..
i think our plan we be to stay on the move. to avoid overstays
we don't want to live in a marina for any extended periods..

I'm 99% sure it's for me.. hoping to swoop on someones boat who was less than 99% sure