Moved aboard last week

[SebastianB]

My wife and I purchased our first sailboat a couple months ago and our plans were to use on weekends/holidays, etc for awhile then eventually liveaboard. Well, to make a long story short, we both decided after the first couple weekends that neither of us wanted to go back home from the boat soooo we are living aboard full time now. Found renters for our house and am in the midst of selling a BUNCH of un needed stuff! We are still figuring a lot of stuff out but we are having a blast! Our Marina has only 3 other full time liveaboards but has several folks who are at their boats most days and hang out at the marina quite a bit so there is usually someone around. Our plan is to stay around Mississippi gulf coast for the next couple years with some side trips to Florida, etc. Then eventually move South to either the southwest coast of FLA or the Keys. Below is a pic of our boat "Night Moves" 1977 Bombay Pilot house 31 with the admiral standing on the bow.

[Capt Phil]

Good on you both, Sebastian... It is a great lifestyle that not only brings you together but beats living on land by a country mile!
With few liveaboards in the marina, unless you are living there under the radar, sit down with the marina mgr and let them know you will be happy to keep an eye on things if they need a little help on weekends, evenings, etc. we were able to negotiate a reduction in slip fees for offering to do that in San Diego. Marinas are usually only too happy to have responsible liveaboards in their slips provided they are clean and keep their vessels in good nick. However, there are many marinas, at least on the west coast, that disallow liveaboards because of the mess they keep their boats in and general poor condition they keep themselves in as well. Best of luck to you both... cheers, Phil

[PortClydeMe]

My monitor is not so good. Are those tattoos? Whatever happened to the days when only ex-cons, Guns 'n Roses, and sailors thought that tattoos were cool and...

Ooops, strike that! You two ARE sailors. You better cast off and..

Have fun with the boat.

[SebastianB]

CaptPhil-- The Harbormaster actually offered my wife part time work as a harbor guard for that very reason she is there pretty much there all the time and it was good to have extra eyes on the boats. Also, I think they needed a female harbor guard as they just had one leave. My wife was very pleased cause as she said "So I basically am getting paid to do the same stuff I would do anyway its just have to do it without a drink in my hand when I work....LOL!"

PCM--Yep, she is the tatt'd lady. LOL!

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by Capt Phil

However, there are many marinas, at least on the west coast, that disallow liveaboards because of the mess they keep their boats in and general poor condition they keep themselves in as well.

Not really true.

In Northern California, an out-of-control, un-elected, uncontrollable bureaucracy called the BCDC limits liveaboard slips to 10%. Has nothing to do with the condition their boats were in.

You might be interested in this looong thread for fun night reading!

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...re-125346.html

and this one discusses the BCDC in more detail

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ea-146777.html

Have fun, sounds like a good start. There was a post by a frequent flier here a while ago, something like: How do I get rid of all my stuff? with a plan ahead for a YEAR to dump his stuff.

Man, you guys shoulda been there for that!

[SebastianB]

My wife had most of our stuff sold in the first week. Selling the rest next weekend. We have some stuff that will be a little longer selling (some land, a couple classic vehicles, etc) but for the most part everythings gone after this weekend.

[tonewrone]

Congrats Sebastian, beautiful boat. I feel your excitement as I am moving aboard very soon. Have been liquidating since May. Took off on a major road trip from Colorado in June to buy a cruiser. Drove 7k mi in about 2 1/2 weeks, NOLA, GULF COAST, TAMPA, FL.KEYS, ARANSAS PASS TX., WILMINGTON NC where she sits. Sold my last 2 large items that would not fit in my Subaru yesterday, motorcycle and snowmobile. Leaving Telluride Co in the morning.
I have friends in Miss Gulf on boats, Gulfport-41 Morgan & 37 Tartan, Pass - 41 Corbin & 39 Bene(just hit by lightning) & Dean 365, who I visit for trips out to Ship and Cat, always a good time! Boat drinks, Buffett, lots of laughs. Your photo looks like Pass or Long Beach? BEST WISHES

[Tom and Maje]

Congratulations!!

[jreiter190]

Congratulations on your boat and moving aboard. Having repaired and sold several Bombay Clipper 31s over the years, I want to offer a word of caution about the compression post under the mast step. Check to ensure the post is centered beneath the step and the Cabin top is not concave at all. If centered and no concavity,no worries. For some reason, the Clippers had the compression post off center and the rigging would, due to repeated tightening, try to drive the mast through the boat and cause a dip in the cabin top. I sincerely hope you don't have this situation but, if you do, have a post made of stainless, slack the rigging, use a bottle jack to raise the cabin top, slip the new post under the step, slack off the jack and tune the rig. Easier than it sounds and your stick will be properly supported. Enjoy your new to you boat and your new to you lifestyle.

[timbenner]

I'm jealous!! I told my wife I wanted to live aboard and she said that was my dream, not hers. What she doesn't realize is that without all of the stuff it takes to live on land (cars, house, insurance, memberships, etc.), we could live on the boat with a lot less working.

When I go to work on it, she tells me to stay on it for the night if I drink too much. So I figured out (took me some time) that if I go to the boat and drink a lot - I don't have to go home!!

So it's only a second home for now, but if she kicks me out, then I would be on the boat full time... Hmmmm

[SebastianB]

No problems with any concavity. Although somewhat off center from Mast step (If not it would block the passageway to the front berth), The compression post is stainless and seems to have the forces directed to it from the mast. Thanks for the heads up though! I will continue to look for any such problems over the life of the boat.

[SebastianB]

Tim- I didnt realize that my wife and I had the same dream of boat life until after we had built a house 10 years ago. I still don't think either of us were completely decided when we bought he boat. All it took her was a few weekends to decide that she was ready for fulltime boat living.

[cwyckham]

Wow! You guys are truly amazing. Not only do you have a shared dream and shared values when it comes to things like what to do with "stuff," you are amazingly quick and courageous when it comes to taking action!

There are a lot of dreamers, you guys are doers.

Good on ya!

[SebastianB]

Thank you! I have to admit that most of the hard work of getting rid of stuff has fallen to my wife. If it were up to me I would just make a big burn pile. I hate selling stuff! It really was the easiest thing though to turn loose of things and just do what was in our hearts. We went from just starting boat shopping in May to Boat owners in June to Live aboards in August! Everything just fell in place for us. We still own a house(renting it out now) and a good bit of land that we haven't put up for sale yet but I have a feeling that will go also in the future. I work 14 days on 14 days off in the Gulf of Mexico so that gives me plenty of time at home (boat) but eventually we plan on liquidating everything, leaving the job behind and taking off. I am 43 and my wife is 40 so we figured sooner rather than later was best! And for those who are contemplating the same things I say "GO! Do it Now!" There will always be the land based rat race. The workaday life will always be there. You may not be able to go forever though! This is the most liberating thing we have ever done!

[cwyckham]

You guys are my freaking heroes.