Live on catamaran cheaper than rent apartment?

[cruisernewbie]

I rent in Mountain View and pay 2k a month for a crappy 1bedroom apartment and looking at buying and living on a sailboat. I'm single so can d this. Is this realistic?

[jordiebsocal]

Originally Posted by cruisernewbie

I rent in Mountain View and pay 2k a month for a crappy 1bedroom apartment and looking at buying and living on a sailboat. I'm single so can d this. Is this realistic?

Do it.... it's the only way to live.

[ozskipper]

Definitely!

[Doodles]

Where is Mountain View?

[cruisernewbie]

Originally Posted by Doodles

Where is Mountain View?

Near Palo Alto about 35 miles south of San Francisco. I've wanted to try the sailing live aboard life style and could be better than paying apartment rents.

[Pete7]

You will be buying a slowly depreciating asset instead of throwing away some serious bucks in rent. Were do you want to be in 5 years time? on your own boat or still paying rent?

Do it.

Pete

[mausgras]

By looking on Google maps I think you may find it difficult to find somewhere in Mountain View to moor a catamaran. I think you should try something closer to water. ;-)

Seriously, living aboard involves lots of compromises and accepting conditions you may not tolerate when land based.

These just start with making a decision to stay either in a marina which can be quite costly but more convenient to living at anchor which is generally cheaper but a lot less comfortable with limited water and power supply as well as access to shore transport assuming you still go to work daily.

Answer these questions first before you start thinking about which type of boat. I'm currently a periodic liveaboard on a monohull in a marina which suits my lifestyle/income perfectly. But it may not suite someone else.

[roverhi]

Two problems with choosing a multihull for your abode is finding a slip isn't easy and may cost twice as much as a mono hull. The second is the cost of a multi. You can buy a comfortable mono for at least half what you'd have to pay for a Catamaran.

Last and possibly the biggest problem for any type of live aboard is finding a slip. The powers that be in the Bay have decided that Marinas can have no more than 10% of the slips as live aboard. Many areas have long waiting lists for the slow turnover of live aboard slips especially in desirable areas like Alameda.

[messagedbottle]

Most of the bay area has had marinas close down the last few years. There are long waiting lists at nearly all of them. Lots of open slips in the delta but that would be a long commute to mountain view. Also the delta has a very different atmosphere and culture than the peninsula.

Things I would try:
1) Add your name to every waiting list in the area. I think there is a fee involved with each one.

2) Unless I am mistaken many of the moorings at half moon bay are privately owned and come up on the market for rent every now and again.

3) The delta

Options are limited and so are my recommendations. Hopefully someone else will have more insight.

Good Luck.

[smashwell]

These are all good Ideas to consider. If you're serious about purchasing a live aboard the first place that I'd start is looking for my 'ideal' boat in a marina that occupies a slip already. You may find that the owner is selling their boat with the slip.

[smj]

The good thing about buying a catamaran is if you purchase the right boat at the right price it can be an appreciating asset.

[barnakiel]

Where we are cat berthing is more expensive than renting a small cozy apartment.

So I think this is all up to where you want to live.

b.

[cruisernewbie]

Thanks this is good advice. I will find a slip and get on waiting lists. Maybe I will get lucky in my sailboat search and find one with a slip available. Long term, I plan to buy a home outside of the bay area and have the boat for weekends and couple days a week since my job allows me to work remote half of the time instead of needing to be in the office everyday.

[nimblemotors]

Originally Posted by cruisernewbie

Thanks this is good advice. I will find a slip and get on waiting lists. Maybe I will get lucky in my sailboat search and find one with a slip available. Long term, I plan to buy a home outside of the bay area and have the boat for weekends and couple days a week since my job allows me to work remote half of the time instead of needing to be in the office everyday.

This was just discussed here a few days ago if not yesterday, a fellow bought a boat to live on and found there is nowhere in the sfbay he can live on it.
Waiting lists are years long.
However, the marinas let you live on them 3 nights a week, so this works out great if you only go in the office 3 days a week, you can live on the boat when there. You will need another place to say the rest of the week,
but then it can be out of the high-rent sfbay.

[markpierce]

Liveaboards who are transients seem to have little problem setting up temporary residence, leastwise in Vallejo where there is otherwise a waiting list. There was one transient who stayed for over a year while the wife recovered from an injury. My berth neighbor is a liveaboard transient who has been berthed here for a couple of months already.