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Shallow Runner · 22-11-2011, 13:02

OK, so short and sweet certain happenings in my life have me needing to move soon and it will be just me for now and I am a bit of a minimalist anyways. A place to sleep, study, and play my guitar is all I "need" right now. I have always wanted a boat of my own but in my current situation can't afford that and rent. With the changing of my situation I thought to myself why not live on a boat in a marina then I won't need an apartment? I researched prices of boats and estimated payments based on what I need for me to be comfortable and researched slip fees and insurance rates and in this area I can get what I need with a basic power&water h/u slip for about the same price as an apartment but at least I am paying towards a boat I will own and not tossing away to the apt complex. I know there is maintenance and other expenses here and there but I am not going to be cruising much aside from short trips as I have a regular 9-5 and am in grad school so the keys or Bahamas during vacations would be about it. My purpose is just to see what the thought were as far as my idea. I am 32 and have no plans on starting a family anytime soon so I figured it's as good a time as any. Right? Thoughts, opinions, comments? Cheers all.

Vasco · 22-11-2011, 13:20

In Ft. Lauderdale the boat slip will cost as much as apartment rental.

Charlie · 22-11-2011, 13:22

boat money is very tight right now so make sure you work thru a good broker.

Cormorant · 22-11-2011, 13:42

I've never lived aboard in a marina, so take my input with a grain of salt. . . . I imagine the upsides are:
-- Always near the water. If you love salt water, that's a huge plus.
-- Your neighbors are boat people, not the random slice of society you get in an apartment building. I know boat people can be good or bad . . but so far I've liked a much higher percentage of the boat people I meet.

Good luck!

Shallow Runner · 22-11-2011, 13:55

Vasco, that is 100% true which is why I would go a bit North; the prices drop pretty quick (sadly?).

Charlie, I plan on getting a small/cheap place and doing some real searching for the right boat, broker, insurance, slip, etc. Not rushing anything and I have some good contacts.

Cormorant, Love being in, on, or near the salt water so it it a huge plus. And growing up around the water I know I prefer boat and water people over most others.

Thanks for the input all, Cheers.

**Ex-Calif** · 22-11-2011, 14:49

I have friends that have lived aboard at a marina for 30 years. Never needed a landed house. The boat as far as I know has never left the dock. If I could get the boat I want now I would do it in a heartbeat.

I have another friend who splits time between a 1 br apartment and his 50 foot on a mooring. Been living predominantly aboard since the 80's. He does get out a few times a year but it honestly takes him 2+ weeks of preparation before he is ready to drop the ball.

s/v Breakaway · 22-11-2011, 15:03

Go for it! Sounds like you are doing appropriate research so that you don't have lots of nasty surprises. And you are young and don't have lots of "stuff" to tie you down. I think living on a boat is one of those things that, if you are of a mind to do it, and you don't do it, you'll regret it for the rest of your life.

Vasco · 22-11-2011, 15:59

Go for it. Someone else said living aboard you're in a community of like minded people. Lot easier to get along. We always wonder at how many cruising friends we've made vs shoreside friends. Our shoreside friends are mostly friends from when we were much younger. Our cruising friends are newer but we feel a greater affinity to them. It's because we have a common interest.

markprice · 22-11-2011, 17:30

Due to job requirments I moved from OH to DC area and now liveaboard my boat in Annapolis (when I'm not deployed overseas). You will love it. Now all my household chores are the ones I want to do not the ones the city wants me to do!

Mark
S/V Illusion, H37C

**Hudson Force** · 23-11-2011, 02:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shallow Runner

Vasco, that is 100% true which is why I would go a bit North; the prices drop pretty quick sadly?) ............

'maybe just 80% true. If you have a vessel that can clear the fixed 55'MHW I-95 bridge up the New River beynd Davie Blvd, you can find some reasonable rates or other places well off the ICW. Sometimes there's a good rate to be found on Hendrix Isle. Still, it's hard to beat the $11/foot/month rate or less that is easy to find in NE Florida.

Rakuflames · 23-11-2011, 03:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shallow Runner

OK, so short and sweet certain happenings in my life have me needing to move soon and it will be just me for now and I am a bit of a minimalist anyways. A place to sleep, study, and play my guitar is all I "need" right now. I have always wanted a boat of my own but in my current situation can't afford that and rent. With the changing of my situation I thought to myself why not live on a boat in a marina then I won't need an apartment? I researched prices of boats and estimated payments based on what I need for me to be comfortable and researched slip fees and insurance rates and in this area I can get what I need with a basic power&water h/u slip for about the same price as an apartment but at least I am paying towards a boat I will own and not tossing away to the apt complex. I know there is maintenance and other expenses here and there but I am not going to be cruising much aside from short trips as I have a regular 9-5 and am in grad school so the keys or Bahamas during vacations would be about it. My purpose is just to see what the thought were as far as my idea. I am 32 and have no plans on starting a family anytime soon so I figured it's as good a time as any. Right? Thoughts, opinions, comments? Cheers all.

If you want to do it, do it when you can. I moved onboard about a year ago and I love it. I was 64 (female) at the time. That would have been a terrible time *for me* because I got married at 32.

You can always go back to land if you don't like it.

**Dockhead** · 23-11-2011, 04:26

Sounds like a good idea.

Just one tip -- maintenance of a boat is quite expensive. Budget for it carefully and be sure you can afford it. If you buy a boat you can't maintain, it will quickly go to s**t, which is a big problem -- because then you also won't be able to sell the boat without losing a lot of money.

Just to name a sample of the things you need to do -- not a complete list!

1. Clean the bottom and propeller every two or three months. You will either have to hire a diver, learn to dive yourself and buy all necessary equipment, or haul out frequently. This is quite expensive, however you do it.
2. Change anodes (frequency varies from every couple of months to every year or so, depending)
3. Scrape the bottom and antifoul every year or two
4. Deal with any hull blistering or osmosis problems
5. Maintain the propulsion system -- engine, gearbox, stuffing box
6. Maintain plumbing & electrical systems (which are much more complicated than what you have in a house)
7. Maintain sails & rigging, including washing the sails from time to time (expensive), washing running rigging, replacing running rigging from time to time

Note also that most components have a finite life and need to be replaced every 5 - 10 years. Like electronics (whole suite of electronics for an offshore boat can cost $20,000 or more; even a simple set is several thousand dollars).

So be careful about that.

If you can budget enough for a reasonable maintenance program (and insurance), then go for it. I sure would in your position. Ah, to be your age again . . .

Shallow Runner · 23-11-2011, 06:41

Thanks for the info and words of encouragement everyone. Dockhead, thanks for the list as well. I plan on taking my time and speaking with people I know that liveaboard and compiling a list of expenses over a 10 year period and making the final call from that so I am not caught off guard. I am learning all I can about boat maintenance and will make a point to learn every inch of the vessel so I can do as much as I can on my own. I am mechanically inclined (I can strip and rebuild a V8) and am a diver so I can clean the bottom myself (I have done it for friends boats before and it is pretty easy). I never really thought about the electronics needing to be replaced that often but it is certainly good to know. But because I will be mainly just day cruising or coastal cruising for weekends (Like I said the Bahamas would be the most open water I would do for now) I won't need super high end stuff.

CaptForce, I hadn't considered looking over there and since I am only looking to get around a 40' mono-haul it should clear. Just don't want to end up too far upriver where it takes half a day to reach the inlet. But I was certainly limiting myself to near the ICWW; thanks for the info.

More post to come as I search for the vessel and marina I am sure.

Cheers.