Is it possible to live aboard a boat with no money (no income)?

[sailorchic34]

Originally Posted by SV THIRD DAY

Ah...hello....yes they do and there are plenty of them sucking the Tit of mama government, no one is turned away, especially here in California.

If they have some income, then they may be able to receive food stamps, or if they are homeless. Really tricky. Welfare you recieve if you have a child under 18. No Child no welfare.

[SV THIRD DAY]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

If they have some income, then they may be able to receive food stamps, or if they are homeless. Really tricky. Welfare you recieve if you have a child under 18. No Child no welfare.

Tell that to the bums I know getting more Welfare than it costs me to Cruise Mexico on per month and they share stories and tips on how to work the system.

[SV THIRD DAY]

People love this 10% number per year for maintenance on a boat....but having owned a 36fter and now a 50fter with dramatically different costs/values...I find that the 10% number is like asking how much does it cost to Cruise. It matters on much more than one simple thing like the value/price of your boat.

[sailorchic34]

At the lower end of the food chain, as far as maintenance and upgrades go, and that is me, BTW, I don't do upgrades, period. My maintenance for most years runs about $500 a year. One year I purchased a lightly used mainsail for $300. I just replaced my 42 year old RV stove last november for $280 including shipping

Most years I spend about $500 on repairs. Batteries, a bit of wire, or hose, a zinc or two. A quart of two of paint. Mind you this year will be 6 years since my last haulout and the bottom is mostly free of hard growth. I may do the bottom this fall or stretch it to next year. In 2009, for my last haulout, my cost was right at $1000. That included a new cutlass bearing and three coats of paint. All work via Blonde. I should mention that I problably have 30 years of bottom paint on the boat.

But generally for me my maintenance costs run ~5 percent. 2013 was a 10 percent year with my engine rebuild.

I say newer boats cost more as the hull and decks are cored, hatches may be plastic, valves may be inferior, and just more systems. Not to mention a wider hull and longer waterline, needing twice the bottom paint. To live small, cheaply, for one person, you want a small boat, with nothing complex, er electric. I don't even have a manual windlass and all my winches are not self tailing.

Yes if you have money then it very well could cost 10% or more. But by careful shopping costs, and picking the right boat to start with, costs can be lower too.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

If they have some income, then they may be able to receive food stamps, or if they are homeless. Really tricky. Welfare you recieve if you have a child under 18. No Child no welfare.

In my mind, food stamps (they give them cards now so they won't be embarrassed) are "welfare". And I have seen working age, seemingly fit males buying submarine sandwiches and sodas using their "food stamp" cards. And getting into decent cars and driving away.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by Therapy

If you go back and read past the title of the thread you will note that he said first "Let me reword that" and later he says "I'd plan on working the winter months, then live off that money all summer."

Yes but he didn't say if he would be working as a brain surgeon or mowing lawns.

It's certainly possible to live on a cheap boat (in a warm climate) with little or no income, just as it's possible to live on land in the park or under a bridge. I'm just surprised that a young person would want to.

Most of these people are living this way because they are mentally ill and can't get or keep a job. They didn't intend to live their lives this way.

[JK n Smitty]

I really wish we could get off the political rants and get back to cruising. This isn't Fox news, or NPR depending on your side of the aisle. Personally I left both sides on land. Let them all drown in global warming.

On the maintenance issue, I think SC is a perfect example of how to control costs. Do all the work yourself. But I know people from our home marina that don't even try to change their own halyards. They also tend to be the same people that neglect maintenance items until they become failures. Part of the whole deferred maintenance crowd.

But SC admits she doesn't do upgrades, just maintenance and repairs. Without upgrades you can't maintain the value of a newer boat. A 5 year old chart plotter decreases your value. But if you don't care about the resale value that changes your mindset on how you go about dealing with your boat. People buying expensive boats also tend to do stupid things like value low hours on the engine over high hours. Diesels don't like to sit and don't like to be used for very short periods of time constantly. So give me the higher hour boat.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by SV THIRD DAY

People love this 10% number per year for maintenance on a boat..............

It's just a general rule. Something to plug into your budget so you won't be surprised or shocked when you see the actual costs. You have to figure on something at the start.

Boats are all different and owners are all different. A friend complained that he had to pay $300 to have his water pump impeller replaced. The same thing cost me $39 but I didn't pay retail for the part and I did the work myself. It's easy on my boat but I expect it's quite a bit more difficult and time consuming on his boat.

The real kicker on an old boat is that you may face a major expense like replacing an engine. Year by year you're at 2% until that one hits and it could be thousands of dollars.

[scuba0_1]

It seems strange that he asked this and has not been on since yet we still are committing on it. I think some people sit around trying to come up with topics to see how many comments that will make .

Sent from my SM-N910V using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[rwidman]

There are people who can't do all the maintenance themselves and there are people who shouldn't do all the maintenance themselves.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by scuba0_1

It seems strange that he asked this and has not been on since ............

Sent from my SM-N910V using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

That's fairly common on this forum. A bit rude, but common.

[Cadence]

I guess being able to live on $6000 without being on the dole is great.


What happens with illness or when old age sets in? I guess it's time to go on the dole that you hadn't paid into.


Not being critical just real life.

[sailorboy1]

Some of you guys are being too harsh. This guy is young and if he isn't married (or is and she is for it) and has no kids I vote that he can go and do it!!!!

And this from me who is normally on the build the cruising kitty side of the whole thing.

What's the worst that can happen, he loses his boat or kills himself? That's his choice.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Some of you guys are being too harsh. This guy is young and if he isn't married (or is and she is for it) and has no kids I vote that he can go and do it!!!!

And this from me who is normally on the build the cruising kitty side of the whole thing.

What's the worst that can happen, he loses his boat or kills himself? That's his choice.

An leave it on a hook, At the same anchorage someone else won't find because the municipality has to dispose of it.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Cadence

An leave it on a hook, At the same anchorage someone else won't find because the municipality has to dispose of it.

poor argument, if you start down this road the poor can not own a car etc.

I'm all for control of dealing with boat abandonment etc, but it is a pretty slippy slope to start saying you can not even get a boat because we are worried you are going abandon it.

Before we do that there needs to be a license requirement and test before people can have kids.