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Old 25-02-2015, 14:24   #106
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Re: Is it possible to live aboard a boat with no money (no income)?

It all comes down to your desires. There is definately freedom in desiring less. Another big one is kids, I basically retired at 38 because I choose not to have children. Always wanting more or bigger is the prison cell, I certainly still suffer from that infliction although I try to be less a addict. Everything comes at a cost, I sold half my business at 38 ( half the income ) But I cruise in a 33 foot and often have larger boat envy, on the other hand the last 7 yeasts of cruising have been amazing something I certainly don't regret. When you have a choice to make calculate the cost ( not just monetary) and decide whether your willing to pay it. There's no right or wrong, just consequences you have to live with.

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Old 25-02-2015, 14:28   #107
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Re: Is it possible to live aboard a boat with no money (no income)?

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.........................
............. 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.
I don't imagine that you say, "most of these people" with any actual data. I moved aboard in debt at 23 and spent 32 years working 52% of the days of each year. I retired comfortably at 55 thirteen years ago and remain living on about half of my available income. Neither myself, my children, grandchild, or nephew that live on other boats have any signs of mental illness. We choose to live without ownership of a car or any other items not on our boat, shopping by bicycle and dinghy most of the time.

We do sometimes rent a car and we travel worldwide on some of our discrectionable income. A great number of liveaboards are very much like ourselves.

Sure, I recognize the people you speak of who are not successful as liveaboards. They usually don't last long because it's easier to be not successful living ashore. These people are very visible by their condition and the condition of their boats, but they are not the typical liveaboards who you woud not likely notice.
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Old 25-02-2015, 14:59   #108
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Re: Is it possible to live aboard a boat with no money (no income)?

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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.
A poor comparison, unless you plan on parking it in a municipal area until you are finished with it and walk away.

I'm not against his dream but it seems poorly thought out.

Maybe if he elaborated on his jobs while leaving the boat and it didn't sound like an under funded dream would make me less of a crotchety old bastard.

I grew up with my parents having a boat on a private mooring and unfortunately those anchorages are about gone. None existent here and the one they anchored in is gone, hundreds of miles away.

I'm not one for gov. regulation but possibly a requirement on what is used as a mooring would save it for those wanting that option. I doubt with his stated cash on hand that he could afford a suitable mooring. I have no dog in the fight. I just wish people with a need for affordable moorage would have the option.

This is leaving people with the choice of renting a mooring from a marina or municipality. A 400# mushroom and 200 ft of chain on a decent ball would be cheaper.
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Old 25-02-2015, 15:37   #109
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Re: Is it possible to live aboard a boat with no money (no income)?

Sounds like an excellent opportunity to give yourself an education. Damn any nay sayers. Just realize that such things require maximum personal recognizance. A boat is not an apartment. Learn what you need to know and learn it well. Make it work. Also a clean boat and a good skipper is a check magnet. Don't ask me how I know.
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Old 25-02-2015, 15:38   #110
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Re: Is it possible to live aboard a boat with no money (no income)?

Late to this game, and only scanned the last few pages, but geeze folks ... I say go for it kid! What's the worst that can happen? Outside of death or damage to others (which is unlikely), the most likely "bad" outcome will be that he has a heck of a time for a few years, and then goes back to the so-called real world and jumps on the wage-slave treadmill. He'll have learned tremendous amounts from living and exploring that will likely enrich and inform the rest of his life.

The "best" outcome is that he loves the life and figures out a way to make this life afloat sustainable.

Go for it!


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Old 25-02-2015, 16:01   #111
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Re: Is it possible to live aboard a boat with no money (no income)?

Luckily for me, I have no major health issues, other then to work as little as possible. While I live on about $6k now, there were a whole bunch of years, making 70K-105k and a heck of a lot went to taxes. I am less then 3 years to 62 when I hope to get back some of the money I put into SS and medicare for 30+ years.

Thing is I hope to save a part of SS each month as its over twice what I'm living on now. Should I actually make it to a point where I would have to move ashore, well, I'll cross that bridge with a walker when it gets here.

Till then its fun days sailing.
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Old 25-02-2015, 17:17   #112
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Re: Is it possible to live aboard a boat with no money (no income)?

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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.
WEll, OK. But I have a friend that works only to have enough to eat and travel. His early times were all hitch hiking. He has crossed the country many times. Now he has a converted school bus. He spends little and has a lot of time to do it. He has seen more than 3 of the average persons I think. He is also smarter than 3 average persons. He and Sailorchic34 could swap stories.....except he does not like boats much. He is a dirt dweller.

I think it can be done just fine for the right person. No way to know if the OP is right for the challenge.
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Old 25-02-2015, 20:52   #113
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Re: Is it possible to live aboard a boat with no money (no income)?

OP probably bought a boat and sailed off into the sunset leaving us to the mindless chatter.


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Old 25-02-2015, 20:59   #114
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Re: Is it possible to live aboard a boat with no money (no income)?

The wagon trains that headed West should have stayed home....too risky.
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Old 26-02-2015, 04:34   #115
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Re: Is it possible to live aboard a boat with no money (no income)?

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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 .

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Or the thread gets taken over by a discussion on the merits of leading a proper life, and they get scared off.
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Old 26-02-2015, 04:58   #116
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Re: Is it possible to live aboard a boat with no money (no income)?

It's possible he has been reading the thread, but not logging in
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Old 26-02-2015, 05:51   #117
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Re: Is it possible to live aboard a boat with no money (no income)?

Most likely it was just a thought, had no real desire to live on a boat, was probably more motivated by the "Can I live for free" more than being a liveaboard.

I hate to say it, but the few that look at a boat as a way to live for free as opposed to those that love the water and living on a boat, do I believe cause a few problems.

If you look at the history of Autocamping, what RVing used to be called, it was very similar to what I believe we have now with anchoring. The solution for RV's was paid RV parks, I don't want that, but it may come about, but not because of people that love sailing / living on a boat, but maybe the ones whose motivation is living for free aren't helping.
People that enjoy living on a boat will maintain it and keep it clean, because it's what brings them pleasure, people that only want a cheap place to stay, may not.

My mother told me many years ago that soap was cheap. What she was telling me was that it's OK to be poor, but being poor was no excuse for being dirty.
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Old 26-02-2015, 07:05   #118
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Re: Is it possible to live aboard a boat with no money (no income)?

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Well, let me reword. I'm a 24 year old male. I've been saving money up to liveaboard a sailboat. In ~7 months I'll be in the position to make everything happen. But, as of now I'm trying to plan everything out and attempt to make this dream actually workout.

Now, Where I'm stumped is about money. I'll have ~$25,000 saved up. I'm looking to spend ~$15,000 to ~$19,000 on the boat. So, I'll have ~$7,000-$9,000 left to help me get started. So, after all the intro fees I should have at the very least $3,000.

My main worry is where the H do I leave my boat? I'm looking at living near the pan handle of Florida (the northern part banking the Gulf of Mexico). Is there mooring available? Is that free? Can I just anchor my boat anywhere I want and dinghy to a dock?

I'd plan on working the winter months, then live off that money all summer.

I guess what I'm looking for is someone to tell me it's truly possible. I've read all the threads about this here, and I keep seeing responses to people with large retirment incomes, steady jobs, etc. I want to truly live free and make this happen for years to come. I want to "live off the land".

Anyone?
So I thought this thread has drifted so much its worth looking at what the PO wrote again. Posters like rwidman and SV Third DAy have completed twisted what the PO wrote and hi-jacked this thread to complain about welfare, people lacking ambition to live like a worker bee, and what ever other personal agendas they have.

There are two things that look to be getting complete distorted in some of this thread. Living for free and living free are completely different things!

The PO said he wanted to live free! This is the exact same reason some of the most renowned cruisers give for living a nomadic lifestyle on a boat. On numerous occasions Goodlander has said his motivation is to be the most free man in the world. Cruising on a boat is a means to that end. The PO appears to be trying to follow a similar path.

The PO also didn't ask say he was going to abandon his boat while working. He was asking about how he could store it for the working period of his year. "Is there mooring available? Is that free? Can I just anchor my boat anywhere I want and dinghy to a dock?" He is trying to gather information and attacking people for that is far worse than violating any stupid "be nice" rule. And this might be a surprise to some but there are areas with free moorings. Portsmouth, New Hampshire for one has free moorings available.

As far as the PO not coming back, I don't blame him. He got crap answers right of the bat. He took the few legit response he got and hopefully went off to do his own research.

Good luck to xJeepx and fair winds,

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Old 26-02-2015, 07:13   #119
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Re: Is it possible to live aboard a boat with no money (no income)?

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So I thought this thread has drifted so much its worth looking at what the PO wrote again. Posters like rwidman and SV Third DAy have completed twisted what the PO wrote and hi-jacked this thread to complain about welfare, people lacking ambition to live like a worker bee, and what ever other personal agendas they have.

There are two things that look to be getting complete distorted in some of this thread. Living for free and living free are completely different things!

The PO said he wanted to live free! This is the exact same reason some of the most renowned cruisers give for living a nomadic lifestyle on a boat. On numerous occasions Goodlander has said his motivation is to be the most free man in the world. Cruising on a boat is a means to that end. The PO appears to be trying to follow a similar path.

The PO also didn't ask say he was going to abandon his boat while working. He was asking about how he could store it for the working period of his year. "Is there mooring available? Is that free? Can I just anchor my boat anywhere I want and dinghy to a dock?" He is trying to gather information and attacking people for that is far worse than violating any stupid "be nice" rule. And this might be a surprise to some but there are areas with free moorings. Portsmouth, New Hampshire for one has free moorings available.

As far as the PO not coming back, I don't blame him. He got crap answers right of the bat. He took the few legit response he got and hopefully went off to do his own research.

Good luck to xJeepx and fair winds,

Jesse
I guess following the discussion and responding to others comments is now considered a bad thing by our self appointed "stay on topic" police. Thanks but no thank.
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Old 26-02-2015, 07:27   #120
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Re: Is it possible to live aboard a boat with no money (no income)?

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There are two things that look to be getting complete distorted in some of this thread. Living for free and living free are completely different things!
Exactly . I'm always amazed how fear-driven some of these discussions are. He's a kid with a lifetime ahead of him. If he can't take risks now, then when? Seems like some of you want him to grow up scared and enslaved ... just like too many of us.

See, here's the thing. He didn't ask if he can live for free. And he didn't say he would be without financial resources. He specifically said how much money he has, and that he plans to work seasonally to generate more as needed. What he did ask was whether there are free places he can leave his boat for extended periods in the pan handle of Florida. He said nothing about neglecting maintenance, upkeep or cleanliness of his boat. He did not plan to become an eyesore, or to offend the delicate aesthetic values of dainty observers. He simply wanted to know if he could live inexpensively on a very modest boat.

IOW he was looking for freedom, not to live for free. Did no one look at his YouTube clip that he referenced? Do you no longer believe the message? It seems to me (putting on my pop-psychology hat) that into his naive yet excellent question, there are some people here pouring their own lifetime of fears and regrets. Instead of answering the question he's told to "Get a Job. Save till you're close to death. Only then do you have the right to be free."

It's no wonder he's moved on.
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