On the hook and working, anyone doing it?

[Normanby]

I'd be grateful for advice about living aboard at anchor and holding down a regular job, from anyone doing it.

I've been living aboard for six weeks now at a marina, and i need to keep working (wearing a suit) for another year before i can afford to sail off into the life of the wandering sea gypsy.

Mt marina costs $800 per month, so i can save up more money if i'm at anchor, but i'm not sure this is feasible - dinghy-ing ashore with dog and water jugs each morning, returning after work.

I already leave most of my work clothes in the car, shoes and jacket, though ditching the car would save some money too.

Suggestions welcome...
Matt

[markpierce]

Originally Posted by Normanby

...

Mt marina costs $800 per month, so i can save up more money if i'm at anchor, but i'm not sure this is feasible - dinghy-ing ashore with dog and water jugs each morning, returning after work..

Hard to contemplate maneuvering a dinghy with dog wearing a suit twice a day. Trust you have a very large yacht/boat (a Compass 28 doesn't sound like it) to justify an $800 a month marina bill. ... Is dinghy docking/security available?

[Stumble]

Happen to have a good gym nearby? I have friends who went to the gym in the morning, changed into a suit there, then went to work.

[Normanby]

Originally Posted by markpierce

Hard to contemplate maneuvering a dinghy with dog wearing a suit twice a day. Trust you have a very large yacht/boat (a Compass 28 doesn't sound like it) to justify an $800 a month marina bill. ... Is dinghy docking/security available?

$800 per month is indeed steep, even when you take into account the free wifi, electricity, water, dinghy storage, laundry, parking and shower facilities.

Steep, that is, until you compare it with all the other marinas around here...
(hint; I'm not in California...)

Obviously I wouldn't wear the suit in the dinghy (or kayak?) but i would need to change into it somewhere. A gym is a good idea (though i loathe them) and if they have lockers that would be ideal too. Shame the dog has to wait outside.

[rebel heart]

Originally Posted by Stumble

Happen to have a good gym nearby? I have friends who went to the gym in the morning, changed into a suit there, then went to work.

I work from overseas but my setup is similar. There's a locker room where I keep basic toiletries, and I hang my dry cleaned laundry on a hook on the back of my office door.

It helps to get in before anyone else every morning to keep up with appearances. Zero possibility for combining dinghies with professional work clothes.

[WebWench]

Another possibility would be renting a storage unit and using it like a "changing room" keep your work clothes there and the dog can probably also come in.

The harder part sounds like the dingy ride....in all sorts of weather! Also hauling water. Does the dog go to work with you or do you need to haul him back to the boat?

[Normanby]

Originally Posted by WebWench

The harder part sounds like the dingy ride....in all sorts of weather! Also hauling water. Does the dog go to work with you or do you need to haul her back to the boat?

Indeed, it's the dinghy trip that's causing me the main conundrum...
I have dreams of using a kayak as the tender, but there's even less chance of arriving on shore dry when using a kayak. And it gets chill in my neck of the woods.

Also, i have back trouble and my Physio is convinced that kayaking will cure all my ills, spine-wise. But not aft-facing rowing. So i'd like to make it work with a kayak. Perhaps i just need to toughen up and live with a wet arse.

Plan A was actually to live aboard in Tasmania, where i can have a pontoon berth that costs me only $600 per YEAR. But they're somewhat economically depressed right now and i can find more of the work i like (which pays well) here in Melbourne.

So the savings numbers stack up better here, even with the $800 per month marina.

The dog comes with me to one job (accounting), but at the other job (teaching) she panics a little with all the attention from the students, so she stays with a friend.

I haven't left her alone on the boat yet, but i might try it for a few hours in the coming weeks.

[Zach]

You might look into a pair of zip up coveralls/overalls that are waterproof.

It needs to be a ballistic nylon suit, as a PVC or regular treated nylon rain suit tears if you look at it wrong around a dock. A motorcycle "Commuter Suit" is what you are looking for.

One piece rain gear for motorcycles lets you ride a motorcycle to work wearing suits, take off the helmet, unzip the suit and change from boots to loafers. Unless you are riding the dinghy into 70mph rain, and taking green water down the back of your neck it ought to be a doable proposition.

Zach

[skipmac]

I did this for three months and it was a bit of a pain. You may have different issues but the main ones for me.

- Where to park the dinghy. I was in an area with a tide of several feet so usually had a long drag of the dinghy one way or the other. Low tide in the morning had to drag the dinghy up the beach so it wouldn't float away at high tide. Low tide in the evening had to drag the dinghy back to the water. Since I was in a crowded harbor I was anchored 1 1/2 miles from the dinghy beach so used a motor which I had to carry back and forth to the car every day to make sure it didn't disappear.

- Where to park the car. The area close to the water was all short term parking for the businesses on the waterfront to had to walk a few more blocks to an area where parking was allowed.

- Business clothes. Fortunately my job didn't require a suit but still had to change clothes every day. Ended up changing in the car since there were no gyms or convenient options nearby.

Bottom line, all this took a lot of time. I had to plan at least an hour to get from the boat to in the car, dressed and ready to start the drive.