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Old 10-08-2010, 16:20   #1
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Office on Boat

The boats I am considering are the Lagoon 440 or perhaps the new 450. Since I plan on living aboard, I would like to put an office in a cabin (I am self-employed). It would be in the forward cabin, in the port hull. Does anyone think this would not be a good location, or good idea?
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Old 13-08-2010, 14:42   #2
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This is what I am thinking about. See attachment: (it is a quick and dirty drawing of the layout, done on microsoft paint. I know, I know, I have unnatural talent. )

Office in port forward cabin. I am a financial trader, so this would allow me to work wherever I have an internet connection.

Remove beds and have custom desk retrofitted. Aeron chair attached to the floor, with a sliding mechanism to adjust distance to the desk. pin-locking mechanism to prevent chair from swiveling while underway. Trading set-up: 3 LED monitors (low power consumption), and 2 desktops, one for trading and one for everything else (redundancy as well as prevention of data corruption.) Desktops are mounted to the desk, and have solid-state drives for energy efficiency and liquid cooling for heat dissipation.

What do you guys think?
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Old 13-08-2010, 14:46   #3
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So my question is: What is an office in today's world? My laptop, smartphone, and internet connection is my office, it doesn't require a dedicated room. I'd feel perfectly comfortable anywhere on the boat I could sit.
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Old 13-08-2010, 14:54   #4
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Yes, but my work is much easier with multiple monitors, a dedicated computer, and a great place to sit that isn't hard on my back.
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Old 13-08-2010, 15:35   #5
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I agree on the multiple monitors, but I would sacrifice in exchange for the surroundings. Other things are keeping me from doing it, maybe someday...
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Old 13-08-2010, 16:03   #6
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DotDun: One of the nice things about Lagoon catamarans is the large, one-way windows in every cabin, so I can look out any time onto my surroundings!

I also have a large laptop that I can use to trade, if I want to sit in the cockpit or the salon
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Old 13-08-2010, 16:03   #7
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I think it is a great idea for a working live aboard.

My onboard office is indispensible to me…. not only as a private place to do my work but also as an organized area for the boats manuals and references. Dedicated office equipment and a fireproof safe for important documents.

Some suggestions on your concept.

Put a wind/ depth monitor near your station so you can multitask boat anchorage security while working.

I think the third head and shower is now superfluous.

Consider making the shower into an organized spare parts and tool locker and where the toilet is, make into a functional working bench and technical support area so that you get a lot more utility out of that space
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Old 13-08-2010, 16:12   #8
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Depending on your work. Hull is good if no distractions zone required. Otherwise I love the bridgedeck - the space, the light, the coffee maker access - esp. if you have a creative job.

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Old 13-08-2010, 16:22   #9
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I have a dedicated office on my boat, great place for keeping reference material and files. I find I work in the salon and use a wireless printer. I like the Idea for an organized locker for tools in the head, but the previous owned already converted that to a washer/dryer and cold freezer
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Old 13-08-2010, 17:09   #10
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Ugh, day trading from the forepeak? I wish you joy with it. Anyway, if you hope to do it absent shore power laptops will be more efficient and run cooler than desktops even if you run external monitors from them. It's not like streaming Bloomberg is CFD. If you can keep the amps down you will not have to listen to a genset/motor all day (and you'll have happier neighbors). I kinda doubt you'll need to do anything special to the chair while you're using the office. It's a small space so maybe removing the casters and replacing with slides. Underway I'd just stow it or secure it with bungies or some such. Much lighter and easier to replace when you decide on the newest blacker than black back friendly seat... I'd be tempted to put in a periscope so I could look out and convince myself that I wasn't a troglodyte. Or maybe a step so I could pop my head out the hatch from time to time... At least a nice windscoop so you don't have to A/C on pretty days... Also I'd consider running a NMEA cable so you can see the GPS and sailing instruments on a screen.

Tom.
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Old 13-08-2010, 17:39   #11
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Ugh, day trading from the forepeak? I wish you joy with it. What do you mean?


Anyway, if you hope to do it absent shore power laptops will be more efficient and run cooler than desktops even if you run external monitors from them. I've built computers before, and will be building these, and I think I can run them well with solid state drives (tough and low power consumption), liquid cooling, and a variety of things to keep them running as power-efficient as possible. I will also install solar panels, a wind generator, and extra house batteries.



I'd be tempted to put in a periscope so I could look out and convince myself that I wasn't a troglodyte. Maybe rig it so I can pull up a mast camera feed on one of the screens?



Also I'd consider running a NMEA cable so you can see the GPS and sailing instruments on a screen. Absolutely a top-notch idea!
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Old 13-08-2010, 18:14   #12
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Originally Posted by WhataWorld! View Post
Ugh, day trading from the forepeak? I wish you joy with it. What do you mean?
Translation: I don't think that I'd be happy doing that but I hope you enjoy it and make a lot of money at it. Not sure why I felt the need to advertise the first part (not your problem). Allow me to edit it to read: "I wish you the best of good luck!"

SSDs are nice. I've heard different reports on how much power they actually save but I like the idea on a boat anyway. Sounds like you've got a lot of good ideas on the machines. Getting rid of the fans will make the small office quieter too.

I prefer working in the pilot house but one advantage of the forepeak is that you will have fewer glare issues on the screens. Paper and books are pretty heavy and the front of the boat isn't the best place for weight. I'd make an attempt to minimize the files and books you need on board and keep what you don't need right at hand more nearly amidships...

Cheers,

Tom
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Old 13-08-2010, 23:49   #13
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I moved onboard last year, out of my home office (systems administration for several large media firms). I went from dual monitors, a desktop setup honed by fifteen years of use, and a personal home network of no less than eleven custom-built servers running a half-dozen different operating systems... to a single Macbook Air.

It was definitely a shift in the way I worked, and honestly I miss my office chair some days... but the rest of the lifestyle balances it all out for me. I do most of my work in the aft cabin, but sometimes switch to a forward berth when I need a change of scenery.

Moving forward I will be building a Mac-Mini-based server to be the 'brain' of the boat; mostly audio playback, media storage, internet uplink, etc. iPhone to interface with the boat, iPad for entertainment, Macbook for "real work". Simple and elegant.
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Old 14-08-2010, 00:03   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WhataWorld! View Post
Lagoon 440 or perhaps the new 450. Since I plan on living aboard, I would like to put an office in a cabin ?
I have been on a 440 but not on a 450 and if I was to go on a cat it would be the Lagoon 440.

A great comfy office is an excellent idea. To do real work many people need to be in a real office. Working on a laptop in the cockpit just might not cut it!

As many screens as you need, adjustable light control, space for a large high back office chair etc etc could be quite do-able.
Also remember if you are cruising and trading you may move to time zones where you need to work vastly different hours than local time. Go jump into the Pacific and then try to do keep up with an exchange in New York. To get working at 3am you need a comfy business haven.


Mark
PS Your drawing is wrong because you left the port side forward head there. You would not have that installed in the build, would you?
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Old 14-08-2010, 00:42   #15
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I agree that three heads would probably be superfluous for what he intends, but one far from the master cabin might promote relationship peace when doing those 3 A.M. trades :-)
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