Living on anchor in the US

[Juho]

After reading a number of messages on this stream I note that:
- you have studied a lot and plan to study more
- you are technically skilled
- you are familiar with the sea
- you most probably will not make any stupid risky moves

Therefore I don't see any reasons why not move forward now instead of waiting for few more years. I think sailing is not too difficult to a person who can already handle other related technical stuff - just some new jargon and some new technical details to learn. The only thing I'd like to add to that list is some experience with sails. You know better if you already understand the dynamics of sailing well enough or if you need some more training somewhere. But as said, no reason to wait, sailing is a continuous learning process to all of us anyway.

[onestepcsy37]

Originally Posted by budm303

First priority is "staying afloat." If you want to stay in one place, stay ashore.

I did say, and the OP is enquiring about, a "liveaboard boat". I know what you are suggesting, that cruisers cruise. The reality is, in my experience, that cruisers often stay in one place for at least a couple of days and sometimes months. Being able to securely anchor your boat, even if just for one night, should be high on any cruisers and/or liveaboards list.

[raymus7a8]

Just take a life jacket, a jug of water and a good, waterproof cellphone and you'll be alright.
Go get it before you die, or at least die tryin'.

[brookiesailor]

Sounds like you have a pretty good idea how you want to tackle the power issues the other issues beyond where you can drop the hook and how long you can stay there are:

Water supply issues, how do you intend on procuring it? Using it (stirctly drinking, showers, laundry) ? Storing it? Tanks/jugs
Fuel supply issues. Will you have an inbard or an outboard. How will you fuel up?
Dinghy issues, where to dock when do ashore, so as not to get stollen.
Keeping water out/general repair issues, knowing how to replace repair stopcocks. Fiberglass work.
Keeping the anchor light working.

Have you asked around aa? You would be surprised what people there have done


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[darylat8750]

The Golden rules of cruising.
Stay on the boat.
Keep the Water out.
Maintain ability to steer.
I would add that staying anchored to one place when one needs to is very big also and add my + to the guys who say get a BIG, new generation anchor and real chain. Add an appropriate snubber to keep the chain from yanking on the anchor when the waves get up.

Check out Active Captain. Free and great info on where to anchor. We are doing the Great Loup (year 3 and about 3/4 of the way around) and use the anchor as often as works for our situation. When on the E. Coast we found places to anchor most of the time.

[jwcolby54]

Originally Posted by onestepcsy37

I did say, and the OP is enquiring about, a "liveaboard boat". I know what you are suggesting, that cruisers cruise. The reality is, in my experience, that cruisers often stay in one place for at least a couple of days and sometimes months. Being able to securely anchor your boat, even if just for one night, should be high on any cruisers and/or liveaboards list.

And in fact I envision living in one place for weeks at a time eventually. I think that initially the itch will be to constantly move but over time, being somewhere, learning the local culture and interesting stuff will take over.

So yea, knowing how to anchor securely and then live serenely and securely there for some period seems imperative.

Initially at any rate, I will be sitting in place simply because the boat will need work and I will need to learn sailing technique. I may sail miles a day up and down the ICW or just off shore, but every night drop anchor again, often in the same location. I will initially have a car or truck ashore (I currently own both), since I will need to make trips to visit folks as well as just buy stuff etc.

[Lepke]

I am 67 and a USN VN and destroyer vet. I've seen too many people put their dreams aside and just survive for years. They achieve their dream only to have health problems. You never know how much time you have.
DO IT! Do it now. Learn on the job. Other people have done it.
Technically I anchor all the time. When cruising I like to anchor for long times in secluded places and use a boat to run in for supplies. I stay at a Columbia River private dock in the winter that only has a gangway at low water. So I usually boat to shore. I've never had a problem wherever I've anchored, for any amount of time. I use a Incinolet, so no discharge or holding tank problems. But 1 kwh per flush. I burn my garbage except for recyclable items. I turn my waste oil in at a fuel dock. The only garbage I haul is ashes.
Check out the garbage, sewage, and oil discharge rules. It's much easier to follow the rules and keep the Coast Guard on your side. We're lucky to have them.
It's a harder life afloat, but beats any neighborhood I've ever seen.

Sometimes it's nice to have a moat around your castle.

On the Navy side... I did steer. Too much! Because I usually was the best helmsman, I had to steer every time there was something interesting to look at. While the other QM's were checking out the scenery, I was in a steel room, looking at a compass. Now I use the autopilot all the time. At sea, in bays or rivers. I don't take the wheel until almost at the dock.

[darylat8750]

One of the big hassles is emptying the holding tank. You might consider a Type 1 MSD to treat and discharge your effluents. Here is one example. It uses a fair amount of electricity but I would think that would be easier to deal with than getting to a pump out regularly. There was one more than 10 years old on my boat when we bought it and it still worked fine. As we were planning on a few years on the Great Lakes where they are not allowed we sold it. We are considering replacing it when we get back to the coast.

RARITAN Electro Scan Type I MSD | West Marine

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by jwcolby54

What I really need to know is can one really live "on anchor" in the intercoastal waterway.

I've never been on ICW, but I can say the answer is yes you can "somewhere" on it.

[jwcolby54]

Originally Posted by darylat8750

You might consider a Type 1 MSD to treat and discharge your effluents.
RARITAN Electro Scan Type I MSD | West Marine

It sounds like a chlorine generator. They use these in swimming pools to convert salt into sodium and chlorine. The chlorine is the "bactericide" and a very good one obviously.

The sodium and chlorine eventually reunite back into salt. Since we have a free source of salt water for the process, all that is needed is a platinum plate and electricity to split the salt apart.

Cool idea using it to treat sewage.

[Scout 30]

Originally Posted by darylat8750

One of the big hassles is emptying the holding tank. You might consider a Type 1 MSD to treat and discharge your effluents. Here is one example. It uses a fair amount of electricity but I would think that would be easier to deal with than getting to a pump out regularly. There was one more than 10 years old on my boat when we bought it and it still worked fine. As we were planning on a few years on the Great Lakes where they are not allowed we sold it. We are considering replacing it when we get back to the coast.

RARITAN Electro Scan Type I MSD | West Marine

As stupid as it sounds these do not make it legal to pump overboard in no discharge zones including Florida waters. I recommend this:

C-Head portable composting toilets

[Scout 30]

I recommend putting your name on the list at the St Petersburg Municipal Marina now. If not there find another marina where you can live aboard, do your refit or whatever work your boat needs to be cruise ready & learn what you need to know about living on the hook by anchoring out. Having a base will make the process much simpler. It may sound harsh but if you can't afford to pay for a slip you probably can't afford to maintain a boat big enough to live on.

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by Scout 30

I recommend putting your name on the list at the St Petersburg Municipal Marina now. If not there find another marina where you can live aboard, do your refit or whatever work your boat needs to be cruise ready & learn what you need to know about living on the hook by anchoring out. Having a base will make the process much simpler. It may sound harsh but if you can't afford to pay for a slip you probably can't afford to maintain a boat big enough to live on.

Good advise . However misguided . You do realise that the op is talking about the pnw ie: Washington state and British Columbia Canada on the pacific ocean not the Atlantic and Florida so several of your recommendations are by local irevelent

[jwcolby54]

Originally Posted by Scout 30

It may sound harsh but if you can't afford to pay for a slip you probably can't afford to maintain a boat big enough to live on.

LOL, there was one guy that claimed that if I couldn't afford two boats I shouldn't be talking about this.

To each his own.

[jwcolby54]

Originally Posted by newhaul

Good advise . However misguided . You do realise that the op is talking about the pnw ie: Washington state and British Columbia Canada on the pacific ocean not the Atlantic and Florida so several of your recommendations are by local irevelent

Uhhh no, I am currently living in NC and would initially anchor off of the coast of NC and SC.

Still, to say that someone can't get in the game unless they can "afford to" live at a slip is... umm... opinionated to say the least. Kinda like saying if you can't afford an attached garage on your house, you can't afford a car.

In point of fact I never said I couldn't afford it. I said I didn't WANT to afford it. In fact I may or may not (probably will) use a slip at various times, which in no way makes this thread any less useful to me.