liveaboard on the hook for extended periods of time

[Goosebumps]

On CF we get daily enquiries by novice wannabee cruisers about how to begin, where to begin to liveaboard, how to choose the liveaboard yacht....

The living on your own yacht, however small, while on the hook, anchored out, is for me the right seamanship training. I would love to hear about the experiences of others who have lived minimum a year on the hook as that qualifies them, in my book, to have real valuable info. The info can vary from economic survival, cruising administration (ie customs, immigration...), communication, interaction with the communities in your choosen cruising zone, security, safety at sea issues (difficult to update your fire extinguishers in some parts; carry life raft or not, and why; pfd's; EPRIB maintenance...), health issues ( imagine public health institutions in 3th world; dental issues...), choosing anchor spots (avoid dragging, tides, gunkholing issues), yacht maintenance while far from any professional help (rigging, engines in and outboard, hull, deck, stainless steel, sails, canvas general, electrics, electronics...), living with pets, living with children, organizing living area, fresh potable water, food supplies, food storage, food preoaration, fishing, leaving yacht to travel, ...... so many other aspects exist that are part of living on the hook.

[Goosebumps]

To me marina based liveaboard life is not at all attractive. Call me excentric, loner, .. I cannot imagine but freedom of living on the hook. It takes different preparations and processes than parking yacht in a marina. The financial issue: when in marina it can be easier to survive financially as the marina can be your fixed base close to work, to cruise from one anchor spot to other makes working in one location impossible. We all know one can work away from actual workplace by using internet, one cn also produce things on yacht like art. Common among cruisers is sail repar work, mechanical, electrical, hull and rigging maintenance jobs to survive on the go! Great if you can retire early like lits of army personel, diplomats, ... receiving pension at least solves financial issues. Also not having to pay marina fees makes liveaboarding that much cheaper. Of course one can say but then you yacht must always be prepared and in good condition to take the harsher living on the hook circumstances! doesn't everyone who has yacht strives to keep his ship clean and in good order!?

[sck5]

A lot of people hang out on the hook but go into a marina every month or so to charge the batteries and do various shore based stuff

[boatman61]

Have lived aboard on the hook UK S coast, Portugal and Spain/Balearics.. Caribe 5-6mths at a time.. generally only went into a marina if I had a delivery and wanted a secure place to keep the boat while away.. or a pop in/out for fuel and/or water.
Everything else was dinghy in for shopping, laundry etc.. used to do 4-5 sails a year from the Balearics to Gib (anchor La Linea side and dinghy in) for luxury items not available locally like Marmite, Danish bacon and decent sausages.. cheap booze and baccy.
If gas was not available locally we'd sail to where we could get the tanks filled eg; Alcudia, Mallorca at the factory.. Villamoura, Portugal where there's a garage with multiple adaptors.
To me marina's are like living on a council estate.. screaming kids, dogs barking and bludi cats sneaking into your bunk..
They have their use's but.. the hook is the best..

PS: Current boat permanent marina berth.. no anchorages also major mod's being attempted..

[accomplice]

Originally Posted by boatman61

[...] luxury items not available locally like Marmite, [...]

If Marmite is a luxury, then you and I have different definitions of luxury

[longjonsilver]

Originally Posted by boatman61

luxury items not available locally like Marmite,

Pray tell, what is marmite? In French it means a stockpot. Surely you are not talking about cooking equipment!
jon

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by longjonsilver

Pray tell, what is marmite? In French it means a stockpot. Surely you are not talking about cooking equipment!

jon

Best that you don't know, some think of it as food, most do not.
Maybe some form of laxative, keeps you regular, it that the attraction?
I think it helps to understand that there is no such thing as British cuisine, and there are no British Chefs for instance.
God, they even drink their beer warm, and it looks like coffee. bleh.

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by longjonsilver

Pray tell, what is marmite? In French it means a stockpot. Surely you are not talking about cooking equipment!

jon

It's a vile substance that some people believe is for human consumption.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marmite

[StuM]

Originally Posted by longjonsilver

Pray tell, what is marmite? In French it means a stockpot. Surely you are not talking about cooking equipment!
jon

An inferior alternative to Vegemite.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by longjonsilver

Pray tell, what is marmite? In French it means a stockpot. Surely you are not talking about cooking equipment!
jon

Marmite is an English savoury spread much loved at breakfast thinly spread on hot buttered toast.. or if an addict like myself.. whenever the urge strikes.
Its made from the yeast skimmed off beer/ale as it ferments.. people love it or hate it.. there's no middle road..
I believe the origin of the name comes from the first containers they used to be sold in.. miniature clay stockpots.. as can be seen on todays label..

[zeehag]

lived on hook and or moorings from 1995-2011 in usa, and cruising since. now in a non usa marina for extensive repairs before heading back out to wandering and anchoring, aka misadventuring. it is called cruising--repair of boat in exotic locales...hahahahaha
btw--august 1990-august 1995 was lost angeles marinas.

keep the marmite and vegemite--i donot like em.... crew can provide their own.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by zeehag

keep the marmite and vegemite--i donot like em.... crew can provide their own.

It keeps me Salty..

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by boatman61

It keeps me Salty..

meh.
prolly keeps you ALIVE, ye old coot haha ha ha ha haha
keep eating it.. we loves ye
<3


ps...as far as long term living on hook or moorings-- folks band together to get stuff done, for the most part.
there generally is a vhf net in am---west marine is not the place to go for cruiser info--find the mom n pop place, such as downwind marine in san diego...
never forget that ace IS the place

[SV DestinyAscen]

Thank you boatman for the laughs!

Do you also enjoy a warm Bovril? I have plenty!

[newhaul]

Lived on the hook for a coup,e years here the good is you sail, fish, and listen the the weather Chanel on the radio a lot more . On the bad side you spend more time keep in the boat shipshape, and in the winter at least here in the higher latitudes you spend more on fuel ( for heating). Than you do the rest of the year put together. You plan things better. There is no running back to the store at 3 am for coffee .
Concerning the Vegemite of marmite argument personally I would rather have a case of spam than either in my galley.