Best US Liveaboard Locations

[astontz]

I'm going to put my vote in for living aboard in annapolis md. The area is the US mecca for sailing and has many choices for services and the cruising lifestyle. I've been a liveaboard in annapolis for about four months and like it alot, although winter is coming and it will be the first out here.

[starfish62]

So in reading this thread, I'm getting two impressions...
1) It's very expensive to live aboard your boat
2) There's not many places where you can even think about doing this.
Is this accurate?

No. No. It's what you make of it. I have friends on the hook who live on about $10 day. I have friends in tawny marinas that spend 10 times that.

There are still lots of places where you can be a full-time cruiser, but you have to know the Federal laws--and be able to cite them--in some areas.

[RickD]

Originally Posted by starfish62

So in reading this thread, I'm getting two impressions...
1) It's very expensive to live aboard your boat
2) There's not many places where you can even think about doing this.
Is this accurate?

No. No. It's what you make of it. I have friends on the hook who live on about $10 day. I have friends in tawny marinas that spend 10 times that.

There are still lots of places where you can be a full-time cruiser, but you have to know the Federal laws--and be able to cite them--in some areas.

Cool. I was hoping I was way off the mark

We want to be able to "sail away" to whereever we want eventually, and pretty not stay in any one place very long. Hurricane seasons up north along the NE US or in the Pacific around CA, and non-hurricane season in the Caribbean (that sort of thing, obviously we need to learn more about the oceans, the weather offshore and so forth). We can pretty much predict the weather and tell you what's happening in the Rocky Mountains (something more weatherpeople CAN'T do) but, well, the ocean is another story

We're trying to 'get away' before we fall prey to the "wait and see what happens next" syndrome. Am I ready to "retire"? No. Do I want to live on a boat? Yes. Do I want to travel? Yes, under my own power or the power of the wind, and be with my wife

We just don't want every day living expenses to be MORE than what we already have maintaining a house and two cars.

[starfish62]

Cruising is a mixed bag. The western carib is very cheap. You can definitely live on $10-$20 a day (much less, really). South America is even cheaper. The windwards are another story. My two cents would be to get a pressure cooker and do most meals on board, then pick your nites out.

Cruising is a wonderful way to travel. You have your home on your back, and you deal with the locals in a different way--try to find a lift pump in Costa Rica--and they interact with you differently. If you're not in a hurry it's magic.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by RickD

... We can pretty much predict the weather and tell you what's happening in the Rocky Mountains (something more weatherpeople CAN'T do) but, well, the ocean is another story ...

Not really - you probably have more preparation than most (including me, when I started out).
See “Weather basics”: http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...arts-7607.html

[RickD]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Not really - you probably have more preparation than most (including me, when I started out).
See “Weather basics”: http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...arts-7607.html

haha. when I say "predict" I mean within a few hours, not days!

We do a lot of work with weather maps (well, did up til recently) and I'm part of an active Skywarn network with ham radio. We do occasional storm chases.

Weather on the ground I've noticed is considerable different than around the oceans of the world - and depending on your particular location at any given moment can change drastically, quickly.

We just went through part of Ike while we were in Jamaica - but watching the weather (yep, we were studying even on vacation) I could see, and begin to "predict" what the evening would bring after the hurricane had moved on. Getting access to satellite information was very helpful (and caused us to extend two days in Jamaica rather than fly through Miami and into Dallas the DAY Ike hit there).

In response to another message above - Western Caribbean is where my wife and I want to "hang out" - so you're saying that's probably a good place to shoot for?

[starfish62]

In response to another message above - Western Caribbean is where my wife and I want to "hang out" - so you're saying that's probably a good place to shoot for? [/quote]

The western carib is great! From the Cays in southern Belize and the Bay Islands in Honduras on down to little maiz off of Nicaragua and Provo (and other islands). It's a different world. Very small communities. Real people. Very poor. The windwards are very tourist driven. You're basically a walking dollar sign to the locals there (with some exceptions, I'm sure).

[RickD]

Originally Posted by starfish62

In response to another message above - Western Caribbean is where my wife and I want to "hang out" - so you're saying that's probably a good place to shoot for?

The western carib is great! From the Cays in southern Belize and the Bay Islands in Honduras on down to little maiz off of Nicaragua and Provo (and other islands). It's a different world. Very small communities. Real people. Very poor. The windwards are very tourist driven. You're basically a walking dollar sign to the locals there (with some exceptions, I'm sure).[/quote]

Thanks Starfish.

I'm one of those who've "been there, done that" kind of people when it comes to going places and meeting other people. At this point we're interested in doing "just that". Being a "world traveler" has had it's pitfalls and extreme highs and lows. But what you describe is what we want to do, and I sure don't want to be a "walking $ sign" haha. Since I'm NOT. lol

[Cheechako]

It's usually not as bad as all the talk is. It's less $ than living in a house. If you dont like where you are... you can move. All the hype (and some of it is based on reality) and gov't interference is disconcerting though. They prefer us in one spot, with our own address so they can keep track of us and make sure we are paying...
"little pink houses for you and me" all in an orderly layout with no extra stuff in the yard, quiet dogs, no chickens, neatly mowed overwatered and insanely fertilized green grass.... you get the picture!

[goshea]

Originally Posted by starfish62

The windwards are another story. My two cents would be to get a pressure cooker and do most meals on board, then pick your nites out.

Of course, you can hang out (literally) at the Sunset Beach Bar on St Maarten and you're getting half price drinks (topless women drink for free) and you can watch the tourists get blown around on the beach by departing 747s

YouTube - Tourists vs. Boeing 757 Taking Off from St. Maarten (SXM)

[RickD]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

It's usually not as bad as all the talk is. It's less $ than living in a house. If you dont like where you are... you can move. All the hype (and some of it is based on reality) and gov't interference is disconcerting though. They prefer us in one spot, with our own address so they can keep track of us and make sure we are paying...
"little pink houses for you and me" all in an orderly layout with no extra stuff in the yard, quiet dogs, no chickens, neatly mowed overwatered and insanely fertilized green grass.... you get the picture!

To be totally honest, ladies and gentlemen, Captains and Crews....

I know PRECISELY what you mean, which is PRECISELY why I want to do this. Or, I should say, one of the major reasons I want to do it.

After 30+ years of working for the government, being in the military, playing the politics games and dealing on a day-to-day basis with people who have no business running ANYTHING, let alone our government, tax collecting or anything else... I'm interested in getting the hell out... soon.

JoAnne and I (my First Mate of 31+ years) have decided that retirement should not be "quitting" or "retiring" but moving on to a new adventure.

I'm tired of local governments trying to put things like "fees" on you for the amount of rain that falls out of the sky and on your property... that's called an illegal tax. Anyway, sorry to wax politically, but that's how I feel about it.

Kinda tired of a certain neighbor who calls the "local code enforcement" on me I get a weed in the yard or it gets over 4 inches or I forget to bring the trash can in one night. /sigh.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by goshea

Of course, you can hang out (literally) at the Sunset Beach Bar on St Maarten and you're getting half price drinks (topless women drink for free) and you can watch the tourists get blown around on the beach by departing 747s

So the T-shirt says:

[BoatTed]

I think the number of friendly liveaboard places may relate to the percentage of people who choose this lifestyle..a very low percentile.
We have lived aboard several times over the years, and each time there were almost no others, or only a few who were living at that location with us. Now, we have lived at this marina for two years, and it is one of the friendliest places we have found with very nice management and excellent facilities, plus it is not too expensive. Strangely, there are only about a half dozen las here, though two years ago there were a few more. Mind you, the winters can be fairly cold, but the marina has bubblers for all the slips, so we have not been uncomfortable. I think the major problem is there actually is such a small percentage of us we do not make an attractive presentation to those who question the validity of our lifestyle.

[imagine2frolic]

I spent a couple of months in St. Maarten. A couple of afternoons at the bar there. I just can't imagine volunteering to get sand blasted. I was told a Suzuki Samaria got rolled in the jet blast.

[goshea]

I thought the people who went out there to feel the jet blast must be young, dumb, or drunk. I tried to find out how much rum it would take for me to become dumb or drunk enough, but never got there. Mo bettah just to watch and drink with those topless women.