Flicka 20 too small for liveaboard?

[johnjuliano]

A friend here in Seattle lived happily aboard hers for years. It’s now for sail in Port Townsend. Well maintained.

[wunderluster]

I have a friend who is selling her Catalina 30 and buying a Flicka. She is in her 80s, a very experienced sailor. The Catalina is bigger to live aboard but it was too big for her to single hand. So, the Flicka will accommodate her living aboard and she can handle it under sail. This one has an enclosed head and a 1 cyclinder Yanmar inboard. I'm 6 feet and was amazed at the headroom and storage.

[UNCIVILIZED]

There's info on it, & other small cruisers here Atom Voyages - Good Old Boats List
And as stated by others, Bruce Bingham lived on one for a while, including through at least one winter in a northern port. Don't recall where exactly.

If you're really considering a Filca, try living in your bathroom for a few weeks. Including taking a camping stove, a few dining room chairs (non-folding) & your clothes, plus everything else with you. Seriously. And when you're living in there, take the Bowman's Test... Repeatedly. Here --> BowmansUnion SailHead Magazine Extreme Sailing™

[svHannabel]

Get on one and see for yourself. As a pure liveaboard, there are much better (and more affordable) boats. But if sailing, single-handing, offshore passages and "the smallest/simplest thing to get the job done" matter to you, the Flicka could work.

[Don C L]

One should point out that being a liveaboard and being a SAILING liveaboard are two different animals. Being able to liveaboard and still go sailing is a trick even with larger boats. With smaller boats you really have to live small to be able take her out regularly.

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by odeapt

Pacific Seacraft Flicka 20 Sailboat

Found this Pacific Seacraft Flicka 20 for sale, looks very nice and well maintained. I plan on looking at it as soon as possible, but just wanted to get second opinions on whether it would be too small to liveaboard? I think it has everything I need

If you own a suit and tie or winter boots, its too small. If you live in a warm, tropical place, you should be fine.

[buzzstar]

Originally Posted by markwesti

One thing I just noticed the OP is in Hawaii . OMG in the winter time it gets down to 78*
FLICKA 20 sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com

I am unsure how you determined where he lives. The CF profile does not say, and the Craigslist posting can be accessed from anywhere. That said, I believe an earlier post by BrianLara said it all very succinctly.

In the price range there are much better choices for living aboard in a marina, but it would work for cruising. That said, depending upon the individual and the cruising plans/hopes, in the same price range there are/maybe arguably better choices for cruising as well, but this one is at least solidly built, newer, and better equipped than many.

[svrodeorm]

Seems like most all aspects of this puzzle has been covered here

Simmers down to how motivated one is!

Happy sailing, and living

[Wayfarer1008]

If you think you can live in a VW camper 'Which has by the way about the same interior space " you might consider it but the smallest I personally could conceive living on board would be around 27'. As stated Catalina 30's are ideal for living aboard cheap and meet the standard requirement by marinas for live aboard of being 30 foot min. Look for something bigger.

[sepeteus]

My boat is 60 footer. When a land lubber steps onboard, comment is 'too confined space, claustrofobia, couldn't spend week on this yacht........
It's not the size, it's rather how the yacht is set up. Also lot of yachts have mould, damp and bad smell. Living on a yacht is about us want to do it and experiencing water. Personally, when I step onboard even when tied up in marina, nothing beats the feel of freedom 👍

[Mischief_Inc]

If you buy one I hope you're into kinky s**t, because it'll be both pleasureable, and hurt
They're not much bigger than my closet is.

[StPeteRob]

I happily live on a Catalina 25 which isn't much bigger in terms of interior space. I'll probably be upgrading in a year or two to something a bit larger, but living (mostly) alone I have no problems.

[Don C L]

When I was a very young man I used to live happily on a Columbia 24. I owned very little and I was able to go sailing every evening after work too... I was a very rich man then... with no money.Columbia 24 Specifications

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Wayfarer1008

If you think you can live in a VW camper 'Which has by the way about the same interior space " you might consider it but the smallest I personally could conceive living on board would be around 27'. As stated Catalina 30's are ideal for living aboard cheap and meet the standard requirement by marinas for live aboard of being 30 foot min. Look for something bigger.

Been a long time ago and we didn't live in it, but we stayed in our Westfalia in early 1983 for a couple of weeks until the Army decided if I was going to be stationed in Savannah Ga or Hinesville. Didn't take a genius, I was a helicopter mechanic and all the helicopters were in Savannah Ga., but I was afraid to sign a lease until it was official.
But we were very young, and you can do anything if your young enough.

[Scout 30]

Originally Posted by buzzstar

I am unsure how you determined where he lives. The CF profile does not say, and the Craigslist posting can be accessed from anywhere. That said, I believe an earlier post by BrianLara said it all very succinctly.

In the price range there are much better choices for living aboard in a marina, but it would work for cruising. That said, depending upon the individual and the cruising plans/hopes, in the same price range there are/maybe arguably better choices for cruising as well, but this one is at least solidly built, newer, and better equipped than many.

The boat is at Ala Wai in Hawaii. Probably not too many Catalinas over there although I agree, there are much better choices for a live aboard.