Liveaboard's

[redhead]

Here's one"

My brother in law, when he heard what we were doing said: "You'll be living on a park bench within 2 years". If I hadn't fallen for the boats present name (Raincoast) I definitely would have renamed it "Park Bench". But ya know - spite just doesn't do it for me anymore....

[SV THIRD DAY]

What gives live aboard a bad reputation.....
From my morning walk.







Now these could all be the nicest people you could ever want to meet, but when most people see this, they think homeless, meth lab or "not in my marina"!

[FamilyVan]

Originally Posted by SV THIRD DAY

What gives live aboard a bad reputation.....
From my morning walk.







Now these could all be the nicest people you could ever want to meet, but when most people see this, they think homeless, meth lab or "not in my marina"!

It looks mighty rainy there, no wonder they all have tarps and delam

Sent from my SGH-I547C using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[CSYChip]

Sitting at a tikki bar, the person next to me commented that what he liked about the place was that we all looked the same. T shirt, sandals, swimsuit and it didn't matter if you were a panhandler or a millionaire. I believe that he like me was a live-aboard but that his was the megayacht at the end of the pier while mine is late 70's classic plastic on a mooring. No blue tarps in either case.

[Hudson Force]

...to dress casually
...to enjoy nature
...to be economically independent
...to be adventurous
...to be physically active
...to travel
...to enjoy a variety of cultures
...to be self reliant
...to own your home

Nothing, absolutely nothing, on this list is not a healthy goal for sane people. Enough of this, "call me crazy" claim! Those living aboard boats are among the most successful people on the planet in terms of leading successful and fulfilling lives.

No doubt there are those that are unsuccessful at living aboard and there are those that are living aboard as a result of poverty, but most are living aboard to gain the qualities listed above.

I was considering adding, "...to have a close loving family" to the list above. This has been my fortune, but I know many become separate from their family as they liveaboard and cruise. Many are fortunate enough to have it all!

Quit this "call me crazy" attitude and take on the "call me brilliant" status that is deserved!

[four winds]

Originally Posted by Crosis

I grew up with liveaboards in Miami. Yes, the often look like bums even though they were doctors, airline pilots and famous people. Yes their boats had a lived in look instead of looking like they were in the expo hall of a boat show. But those people were genuine. They were friendly, honest and awesome. We were on Pier 3 of Dinner Key Marina and we would throw dock parties several times a year and all the liveaboards would bring some food up on the dock and we would all enjoy the festivities. It was true community, something I have never experienced living on the hard.

My childhood growing up with them was the greatest childhood one could ask for.

With experience in architecture and community planning, the discussion of "community" was common. Especially lamenting the shrinking or extinction of front porches and sidewalks.

In a live aboard marina this sense of community is alive and well. Even moreso when there is a local neighborhood surrounding the marina.

I am thankful to have had the experience of a real community of neighbors and friends.

[Kenomac]

We live on our boat over in the Med six months per year. This sort of bums on boats thing really doesn't exist over there, but it sure infests most US marinas. When we had our boat in Southern Ca, the crap boats were everywhere in the marinas, mooring fields and the few anchorages. I really don't know why the local residents don't do something about it. It exists is Newport Beach, Marina del Rey, Long Beach, Wilmington, less so in Dana Point and San Pedro. Widespread infestation in Sausalito when we were up there, then went over to Alameda near Oakland, and it was gone.

[dwedeking2]

We reallly need a way to keep the "poors" on their side of town. </sarcasm>

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by dwedeking2

We reallly need a way to keep the "poors" on their side of town. </sarcasm>

The bums on boats B.S. existed in Newport beach, CA even way in the early 1980s when my wife and I owned our O'Day 20. As struggling newlyweds we spent over a year fixing up our little bit 'o heaven so it would look new... and NOT like all the falling apart crap seagull toilets moored out in the mooring fields. Has nothing to do with "keeping the poors on their side of town."

Has more to do with not living like a pig and turning the surroundings into a slum.

[Cap Erict3]

A scraggly beard is a badge of honor on my mug.


------------------------------
Looking for another pretty place to work on the boat.

[meandmyhunny]

Feel free to drop in on me any time and bitch about my blue tarp, I'm not a judgemental person. I'm sure underneath your every bit as nice as the homeless guy I shared a bight with last week.



Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[Group9]

Originally Posted by CSYChip

Sitting at a tikki bar, the person next to me commented that what he liked about the place was that we all looked the same. T shirt, sandals, swimsuit and it didn't matter if you were a panhandler or a millionaire. I believe that he like me was a live-aboard but that his was the megayacht at the end of the pier while mine is late 70's classic plastic on a mooring. No blue tarps in either case.

A friend of mine met Dale Earnhardt in Chub Cay one time. He had on cut off jeans and a tee shirt and they at first thought he was one of the crew on the boat he came off of (Sunday Money).

[Hudson Force]

It is difficult to accept those on deck of a 600K+ boat complaining about the riff-raff liveaboards on unkempt boats. We are on an older modest boat that we keep in good shape and we comfortably stop at both yacht clubs and fish camps.

There's no question that more money can make a boat pretty, but wealth doesn't do much for character.

We continue to find successful and thriving liveaboards on boats that are grand polished gems and also those need a lot of work.

[dwedeking2]

Originally Posted by redhead

Here's one"

My brother in law, when he heard what we were doing said: "You'll be living on a park bench within 2 years". If I hadn't fallen for the boats present name (Raincoast) I definitely would have renamed it "Park Bench". But ya know - spite just doesn't do it for me anymore....

This may or may not be the case here (Obviously I don't know your brother in law or you) but in my experience you will run into this attitude when you take a step away from the path of "normal". It's not so much a reflection on you or your plans but rather that by stepping away from that cubical job, with the cubical house, and the cubical wife (all with the theme song to Weeds playing in the background) you call into question his own beliefs and cause a self review on his part that he may not be comfortable with. In the US (at least) there is a heavy push to go to school, get a comfortable job, buy those comfortable things, and to fit in. The thought that there is an alternative, and worse an alternative that could lead you to be happy goes against that grain.

These are all first world problems. People don't have enough to keep themselves busy so they're concerned with what their neighbors are doing. If a person's property is actually causing harm to another's property there is a concern to be addressed. The fact that their blue tarp clashes with the brown awning is just petty. I doubt anyone raising this as an issue has spent any time talking to the person with the clashing blue tarp and found out the reason for the state it's in.

On the other hand, living a minimalistic lifestyle I've spent a lot of time watching documentaries on alternative housing, growing food, etc etc. I'm always amazed at how cluttered these abodes turn out to be. It doesn't take money to line items up and organize things. But that's probably just my OCD and I'd never say "we need to do something about their disorganization or make them move".

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by Hudson Force

It is difficult to accept those on deck of a 600K+ boat complaining about the riff-raff liveaboards on unkempt boats. We are on an older modest boat that we keep in good shape and we comfortably stop at both yacht clubs and fish camps.

There's no question that more money can make a boat pretty, but wealth doesn't do much for character.

We continue to find successful and thriving liveaboards on boats that are grand polished gems and also those need a lot of work.

No... back in the 1980's we were on board our immaculately maintained O'Day 20 looking across the water in Newport Beach at 30-40ft boats that looked like seagull outhouses or slums with bums living aboard. I really don't know how the notion of living on a harbor eyesore has become some sort of badge of honor in the US. Honestly, you never see this over in Europe. The cruisers and yacht owners seem to take pride in the appearance of their boats.

Has nothing to do with character or wealth.... has more to do with pride in ownership.