Distance from you to your boat?

[Rhapsody-NS27]

1hr/50miles

Sometimes it does seem quite far away. I try to spend a day or two during the weekends to get away from work/town.

[SV Sea Monkey]

7-minute drive, but there are still days I don't make it down to the boat. It's not on the way home, since I walk to work.

[SkiprJohn]

25 feet. Not recommended. My boat is in my yard and 16 miles from anywhere to launch. Liveaboard would be better.

I had a wooden boat in Seattle and I was transferred to Norfolk. Again, not recommended. Could not keep up the maintenance and had to sell it. Broke my heart.

[Tradewind 35]

Am clearly on a different planet (almost) from Bill. For 30 years we lived about 2 hours drive away from the boat and I thought that was just about the maximum viable journey time. We clocked up thousands of miles over the years - our kids used to make the trip in their carry cots, then baby seats and we often were able to unload the car and lift them straight up to their bedrooms without waking them at the end of the (to us) long drive home.
Happy sailor now with all ducks in a row as wee motor boat is about 600 yards away on her swinging mooring on river (Fowey) below the house and big boat is 2 miles downstream in deep water.
So clear case for moving house nearer to boat if that is where you want to do your homewaters sailing.

[jkindredpdx]

I currently live aboard in Portland, but I bought her in Astoria about 100mi/2hrs drive. I had to schlep parts and supplies that I couldn't get locally. It took more planning, but it was bearable. Not really practical for a day sail, but OK for overnight or longer. I was able to move her home after 4 months.

BTW. I own a mtn cabin that's 60mi/70min away and the difference between 1hr and 2hrs wasn't a big deal. Seems like my friends with places 3-4hrs away don't get to use them enough.

My hint: have two of everything so you aren't packing and hauling clothes, tools, and stuff back and forth. Provision most groceries/sundries generously. Except fresh food, try to buy that locally and/or only what you will use up.

[hpeer]

Had the small boat 1,300 miles away. Not a easy or cheap place to get to.

Just moved it back home, 45 miles this summer so I can get after a bunch of maintenance issues.

It can work. I've met people who leave their boat in interesting places, but who have significant time off.

I'll likely do it again.

And yeah, complete set of tools on each boat, and at home, and emergency stuff in each car. I think I have 27 vice grips, somewhere!

[Jim Cate]

So, OK, this is not permanent, but since April our boat has languished in Hobart Tasmania, and we have been in the SF Bay area... something like 8000 miles apart. Not a happy situation, but necessary. Plan is to be back aboard before Christmas at the latest, and resume the normal zero feet separation distance!

Before we left to cruise, I lived in Livermore and the boat lived in Emeryville... about an hour's drive most days, and that was too damn far. I calculated that 85% of all the miles that I put on the car I owned then were making that round trip!

Cheers,

JIm

[roverhi]

For 6 years had my boat in Alameda, CA and live in Kona, HI. Worked for Aloha Airlines so got free airfare but hard to get more than 4-5 days in a row off to visit the boat. Managed to get back at least once a month, though. Aloha was driven into bankruptcy so that ended the free airfare but gave me all the time in the world, within my wife's limits, to visit the boat. Saw the boat less frequently but for longer periods of time. Oldest son's family living in the Bay Area made it easier to justify the flying expense. When my son's job moved to San Diego decided to sail the boat home to Kona. It's now 10 minutes away and I can see it from the Lanai.


Biggest problem with long distance ownership was tools. Ended up with two sets of tools because I'd need something to install this or that or rebuild something.

[builder dan]

Mine is a twelve minute drive Its awesome am quite often working even closer so stop off on way home for a cuppa and a quick nana nap,before heading home to the teenagers and there racket.Am sure its the only thing which keeps me sane.

[El Pinguino]

5638 miles by GC according to Open CPN .... 300 km train ride..... night in hotel ... 2 flights = 16 hours in the sky .... 1200 km overnight bus ride ( Turbus 'premium cama') which is why I only go sailing twice a year

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by Matt sachs

73 feet.

I can beat this - 26 feet. Just out my kitchen door, across my terrace and in the boat. Last thing I see when I go to sleep (we have a 3 story townhouse and bedroom on the 3rd floor) is the mast. First thing I see when I wake up is the mast.

But 26 feet - damn that's a long ways

[ohdrinkboy]

about 2 blocks. a short walk to the neighborhood marina.

[svseachange]

Originally Posted by carstenb

I can beat this - 26 feet.

0 feet. Full time cruiser.

[Mandurah]

It's in my dreams. Mentally close, physically far and financially on another planet. Still, we can but dream!

[mrohr]

Short answer: 10 minutes to marina.Did try the 2 hr. commute to restore old boat,Just not tenable;ended up trucking 10 ton craft to nearby boatyard and went cruising after (only!) 3 more years.

What are your local waters like? If only a small lake,get a boat that is suitable for that and you will sail more and put yourself on a steeply rising learning curve that will get you closer to any cruising dream you may cherish. I never learned a thing about sailing or had any fun sitting in traffic.