Acreage - Rv -sailboat

[Chriscook]

Hi Mike the short answer is we can't sail yet, we plan on getting lessons down in BC then having a couple of years experience before we head south. We are from the UK but have lived in saskatoon for 12 years so finally the winters have won and it's time to put our plans in motion.

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[Chriscook]

Thanks Bruce great advice.

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[bluegreen]

Early welcome to Vancouver! My wife and I just did what your doing and love it. We're at Shelter island Marina and it's a safe haven for liveaboards. We are building our boat from scratch and living on it which can be challenging but you learn what you need Much faster. The Nature's head is pretty cool. Zero water, zero stink, and the compost is only about $10 a year. We change it every month and that's 2 adults.
We also left the acreage, sold the belongings and drifted out here. Your about to have the time of your life. My advice is to relax, pace yourself, talk to everyone and learn learn learn. If money is tight, do it yourself. We wish you the best. Pm if you actually wanna chat.

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[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Chriscook

Hi Mike the short answer is we can't sail yet, we plan on getting lessons down in BC then having a couple of years experience before we head south. We are from the UK but have lived in saskatoon for 12 years so finally the winters have won and it's time to put our plans in motion.

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So, why a sailboat? Before you leap I strongly recommend giving it a try for a while. Charter, or befriend someone someone so you and the family actually try it out. There's a lot of similarities to RV life, but there's significant differences as well; like the fact that your house is always moving, and can sink out from under you.

Not trying to dissuade you, but give it a try first. There are some great liveaboard courses you could take out of the west coast that would give you skills and let you try actual boat living.

BTW, fully agree with going compost. One of the best improvements we ever made to our cruising boat.


Why go fast, when you can go slow

[Chriscook]

Yes Mike we are going to do a liveaboard course but we've had a few boats but only power. It's something I have had the urge to do for many a year and with my daughter at 8 I think when we finally got it will be an invaluable experience for us all.

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[pickpaul]

Do you need to be on the West Coast from a non boat perspective? If not, I'd give a cross country road trip consideration. A much bigger selection on the East Coast and better cruising destination options.

[C Gypsy]

Originally Posted by Chriscook

Well myself my wife and daughter are officially mortgage free and have bought and moved into an rv until we find our sailboat. It was a hard process selling our acreage and all our belongings but it feels good. The limited space will get my wife used to downsizing before moving on to a larger boat. We are heading from saskatchewan to BC via a few tourist stops on the way, we're hoping to be in Vancouver in approximately 1-2 weeks to start our boat search. If any of you sailors are around vancouver or the island it would be nice to meet you and get a few tips along our journey.

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Hi Chris - I might be able to help you out in your endeavor. My wife and I bought an IP-38 in 2006, rented our home in Anacortes, Washington and moved aboard our boat. We then spent 6 years upgrading and installing equipment for long term cruising and ocean passages. In 2012 we sailed down the coast to Mexico. We are currently moored in Matzatlan and spend our winters cruising down to Zihuatanejo and spend our summers in our motor home in Anacortes. We bought the motor home after our first winter in Mexico to spend time with an aging parent in Seattle during the summer hurricane season and to help transport needed equipment to Mexico.

My wife and I spent years sailing our older Hunter 30 in the San Juan Islands and Gulf Island. We then used our IP-38 in the San Juans, Gulf Islands and Desolation Sound before heading South to Mexico.

We have many boating friends in Mexico, who have made the trip down from Canada and the U.S. We even have friends from Canada that drive their Westfalia from the Gulf Islands down to Zihuatanejo. This year they are sailing their 40 ft. Boat downw to Mexico via the HAHA. I have friends in La Cruz, Mexico that live aboard their with two kids, which they are home schooling and I have friends that sailed from Mexico to the South Pacific with two young kids and an infant, and they are home schooling their kids. Both couples are from B.C.

If you want to talk about living aboard, boats or future ideas about cruising, my wife and I will be at the Fidalgo RV Park in Anacortes until the end of October. Anacortes is 50 miles south of the B.C. border on I-5 . We are the gateway to the San Juan Islands and have a lot of boats to look at both for sale and not. Anacortes is one of the largest areas for dry storage in Washington with hydraulic trailer launch, so it will give you a chance to see what different designs look like out of the water.

All the best - Ken Hunting

[Chriscook]

That sounds great Ken we will definitely take you up on the offer for a chat when we are down your way, I've seen quite a few boats down in Anacortes that we would like to view. It sounds like you have the lifestyle figured out 😊

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[Chriscook]

We thought first of the East coast pick Paul but we cannot live aboard as the winters are too bad, it sounds like the BC coast has some good cruising grounds and I will work for the next year or two and the jobs are more plentiful ( truck driver/owner operator).

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[luciarose]

Hi Chris

As a fellow former Saskatchewan non-sailer, may I suggest joining the Bluewater Cruising Association?

We're a group of >800 members who have either already gone offshore, are actively preparing to go or are in the dreaming stage. We have monthly club nights in Vancouver and also have an active "Fleet" group for those members preparing to go offshore.

Have a look at our website Bluewater Cruising Association and maybe come to a meeting to see what we're all about.

PM me if you'd like more details.

Good luck!

[valhalla360]

We split time between boat and RV and it's very similar. 34' cat and 28' 5th wheel are very similar overall space just laid out much differently. The biggest difference is you can always just step out the door on the 5th wheel and take a walk. If you are anchored out, there's a bit more to it.


As far as unlimited poo, it's really only an issue in the context of a limited system contained in a vessel. Once you get clear of marina and swimming areas, it's a non-issue (ie: 3mile rule). The issue is concentration.


That said, another vote for composting toilet on the boat. Not having to find a pump out station then spend an hour getting the boat there and back...oops it's not operational...the composting toilet that can handle 4-6weeks of poo, is so much better.


But we don't see the same value in an RV. Assuming you are staying in campgrounds and/or traveling regularly, its quick cheap and easy to use a dump station or if we are somewhere longer than a week, we typically get full hookups.