How Big ( or Small ) Was Your First Liveaboard Boat ?

[Ballenxj]

Tell us about it. What was your first liveaboard boat? How did you get your start?
I need some inspiration.
-Bruce

[CSY Man]

44' Bill Tripp Custom Bermuda Racer.

Fast boat, she won the 1957 Bermuda Race.
I bought her in the St. Thomas in 1985 and had no idea wooden boats was baaad in the tropics. Too much boat and too much maintenance.
Go smaller, go now.

My present CSY 33 seems to hit the right buttons, not too big, not too small sturdy, low tech, etc.

[GordMay]

10 years aboard a C&C 29 at 28'-6" loa x 9'-3" beam.

[jaxfishgyd]

bought and moved onboard our 43' Hatteras CPMY in 2000. Plenty of room for the two of us and friends.

[S/R Smith]

For 2-1/2 yrs, we live aboard a Carver 370 Voyager. 4 months ago bought a 38' Marine Trader. More room without more dockage expense.

[LauderBoy]

Still on my starter boat. She's a Pearson 323 and pretty much about the right size for me.

[Ballenxj]

Originally Posted by LauderBoy

Still on my starter boat. She's a Pearson 323 and pretty much about the right size for me.

Sounds like you did some research and did it right the first time.
-Bruce

[bruce smith]

Almost 3 years aboard a Seabird yawl 74-76
then 2 years on an even smaller Antigua Sloop

[Ballenxj]

Originally Posted by bruce smith

Almost 3 years aboard a Seabird yawl 74-76
then 2 years on an even smaller Antigua Sloop

COOL! Dimensions on them please?
-Bruce

[JerseyMermaid]

We're looking into adopting the liveaboard lifestyle and cutting shore ties...I've been reading a book that said the industry standard was that you start at around 30' for a couple and add 7' for every additional passenger. If that's right, and it's a family of four, I imagine I'm looking at a bare minimum of 40'. Are cats that size able to be sailed by just two of us? Someone told me I should be looking in the 50' range and that just seems HUGE for two ppl to manage.

What should I be looking at to reasonably accomodate myself, my husband, a five year old and a 10 yr old (girl and boy, respectively)?

[Cheechako]

30 feet. Sailed her to Mexico and back. Great boat, low expenses, lots of fun.... Standard alternator, part time fridge, two car batteries and no GPS.

Jersey Mermaid: a 40 foot cat is huge and will work great. My 42 had 4 staterooms.... each with a settee, double berth and a hanging locker!

[bruce smith]

Seabird Yawl is 26', 4 tons, sitting headroom.
Antigua Sloop was 21' , 3 tons. Converted fishing boat.
Both were engineless. I was alone most of the time , except for the last year, then we came back to the states to build my present boat , 34' , my avatar.

[videobear]

Originally Posted by JerseyMermaid

We're looking into adopting the liveaboard lifestyle and cutting shore ties...What should I be looking at to reasonably accomodate myself, my husband, a five year old and a 10 yr old (girl and boy, respectively)?

Karen "Toast" Conger, her husband, and three daughters live aboard a 38' catamaran. She has a wonderful blog about their cruising experiences. Google "Toast Floats".

[JerseyMermaid]

Thank you so much!! Will do...and my apologies if I hijacked the thread at all.

-Danielle

[Ballenxj]

Originally Posted by JerseyMermaid

...and my apologies if I hijacked the thread at all.

-Danielle

Not at all Danielle. Those questions and answers added to what I consider my learning curve.
Thanks for asking those questions, and thanks to those that answered them.
-Bruce