Possibilities Of Living Aboard On $800 Or Less

[Broken-Sailor]

The hull shape thing was just me playing around with hull shapes and wondering how effective it would be. Even though I had to design things all the time where I used to work, I will say this I will never ever try to design and build a boat to sail in myself Now building a boat from a proven design was just one of the options I was looking at, it would allow me to buy material and work on it as I had the money to buy more of what was needed. I am trying save up some money to get me a boat or boats in the case of the dingy. Yes I have bad knees and were braces on them to keep them from more injuries. I also know that here in a little over a year they will be doing a total knee replacement on both knees that will improve the use of my knees. My spine is curved to the right and has caused herniated disc in my back. Right now it has an 8 1/2 degree curve to it. It was at a little over 7 last year. This too can be corrected and repaired to the point I will not be in as much pain as I get into at time and will limit some of my spines flexibility afterwards, but because of the insurance policy requirement they will not pay to have it fixed till it has at least a 10 degree curve to it. It is going to take me years to save enough money to buy a boat and in that time I hope to be in better shape than I am now. I am doing physical therapy right now in a pool to strengthen my back and to lose this extra body fat. My arm strength is almost back to my level of normal.(My level of normal is getting it back to the strength level it was before my accident that started all this mess. I used to curl 100 lbs dumbbells one handed when I worked out regularly.) I grew up being taught that you can do anything you set your mind too and I mostly have followed that my entire life. I refuse to let this handicap keep me from doing everything I enjoy. It might slow me down or stop me from doing somethings, but it will not stop me everything. With my conditions it might take me a little longer to stand up or get somewhere but I can do it. In an emergency I can move quicker but I will pay for it in pain afterwards. I have been living with this pain and conditions for many years and have a high threshold for pain. I have worked and done things while in enough pain that some people wouldn't have been able to move much less did what I was doing at the time. Example: I fell on the ice years ago while at the ski resort hitting and twisting my knee.(No I was not Skiing, I was returning to my buss after eating lunch and getting ready to go back on the clock and take my passengers back to the casinos) I wrapped it up with ace wrap when I got home and went to work at my second job which was a security job at a casino. I worked for over a month with this sore knee and still kept working through the pain till one night we had a code X on the casino floor and I had to run up two flights of stairs and then take down a 300+ lbs guy that had already threw off several of the other guards as well as the other guy he was fighting with the start with. I took this guy down and cuffed him solo while the other guards recovered and restrained the other combatant. In the struggle I aggravated the injury and was limping a little when the shift supervisor arrived and noticed my limping a little. He ask me if I had injured it in the take down and I told him no I just aggravated an injury that I had about a month earlier. When I came into work the next day the main supervisor called me in and told me I had to see a doctor before he could allow me back at my job. So I went. They found out that I had be walking on a knee that had a almost 3 inch crack at the joint in my knee as well as a torn two torn cartridges. The Doctor couldn't figure out how I was able to walk on it at all much less still be working on it a month later.

If I was to let my pain stop me from doing the things I enjoy doing or everything I want to do, I wouldn't want to live at all. But I do want to live and do some of the things I have always wanted to do but never had time for before. If a blind man, a skinny 14 year old girl, and others that are not all that strong or have disabilities can sail around the world so can I. If I can learn to sail here where I live and practices in a small dingy locally while I am saving up for a boat and getting my body into shape for longer voyages and find a sailing partner to share the cruising expenses once I have a boat I will be fine. If I can't find the right type of boat locally, I'll find it elsewhere and fly there to get it if it is in good enough shape to sail it back here to finish the repairs. If it is not in shape to sail I can load it up on the lowboy, get the permits, and stuff to put on the pickup to act as an escort, I'll get it here that way to do the refit. Right now the only boat I have found that meets and exceeds my requirements at first glance is well out of my price range and not going to be available used for some time to come. That is the Shannon 38 HPS. I'd have to become a multimillionaire to afford that boat. But that is the kind of features I need.

[Capt Phil]

You really need to consider putting away a regular and reasonably substantial amount for normal and occasional big ticket maintenance items. Unless you plan to sink at anchor as you take your last breath, some kind of a periodic funding of a maintenance program has to be factored into your normal living expenses. Depending upon how often you need bottom paint, zinc replacement, engine maintenance and longer term replacements are examples of things to consider when budgeting long term liveaboard existence. One can certainly live cheaper than two or more. You also need to keep in mind what the longer term healthcare requirements might be, unless you plan to throw yourself on the state for support. Some in the cruising community have placed themselves in dependence on the government and their broader shoreside communities which I find leads to a negative view of liveaboards, generally. As a lifestyle based on self reliance and independence, I find this a strange contradiction and not one of which I am in favor. Having lived aboard for many years, my opinion is based on experience and observations. Phil

[sailorchic34]

I am reminded of a 80 foot multi-million dollar boat a few months ago, designed by a NA and build by a professional yard that flipped over the first time it was placed in the water. That ruined a few folks that day.

Building a boat is of course quite possible. But it requires skills, time and dedication that a few who start never finish.

Heck if you want a challenge there are free wood boats available.

https://www.woodenboat.com/free-boats

and

Boat Listings « Wooden Boat Rescue Foundation

Of course everyone here knows there is no such thing as a free wood boat, as repair costs can be exciting. Looking at marina bulletin boards is another place to find low cost boats.

[sailorboy1]

I think this whole thread question would be easier if you stopped computer sailing and spent some time sailing on the water.

I don't know how one could ever have a chance of knowing what they need/want/can have till they get some water time

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

Yes, building...

It is neither sailing nor living aboard. Another modality, another thread perhaps.

STAY CLEAR OF BUILDING.

Unless you are filthy rich, or filthy skilled.

b.

Or filthy poor, with a lot of time on your hands and able to scrounge free or really cheap raw materials.

[Greenhand]

Originally Posted by skipmac

Or filthy poor, with a lot of time on your hands and able to scrounge free or really cheap raw materials.

Where would you do this if you were filthy poor? A vacant lot?

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Greenhand

Where would you do this if you were filthy poor? A vacant lot?

Do it like Joshua Slocum. Someone gave him an old boat that was rotting away in a field. So he had a place to build it. Got his wood cheap by cutting trees in a farmers field. Worked occasionally or bartered for stuff he had to buy.

Of course at the end of the day, if you have job skills and can work it probably pays better to earn some money and buy a boat.

[Weyalan]

Not trying to flog a dead horse here (but probably am doing it anyway)...

As has already been pointed out, building a boat costs way, way more than buying a good second hand one. In fact, if you put a reasonable dollar value on your time, building your own boat will probably cost more than buying a brand new boat.

People who build boats, in general, do it because they want to, not because it makes any sort of economic sense.

If you have the ability and skills to perform any sort of paid work, you would be better to spend the tens of thousands of hours that you would spend building a boat doing that paid work instead, then use the money that you earned to buy...

That said, I am out of this thread. You, apparently, are gonna hear what you want to hear and do what you want to do (as is your right).

[Broken-Sailor]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I think this whole thread question would be easier if you stopped computer sailing and spent some time sailing on the water.

I don't know how one could ever have a chance of knowing what they need/want/can have till they get some water time

I am trying to do this too. I sent an email the other day to the local yacht club that has the learn at the helm training program to find out the prices of the membership as well as their classes, nut I have not heard back from them yet. I really wish I still lived in South Carolina, at least then I would have more sailing options than I do here. Shoot I had more options in South Lake Tahoe than I do here. Here I basically have two large lakes to choose from, that is Kentucky Lake and Percy Priest Lake, and the only one with yacht club that I know about is at the later. Both lakes are about an hour and a half hour drive one way. Picking up a dingy with a sail kit will let me sail around in the smaller local lakes and I can use it on the bigger boat when I get it. Right now I have to save up for a boat, any repairs that are needed and leave enough in the bank for emergency repairs. In the mean time I will learn what I can and sail on the lakes here in their boats and in my dingy when I get it.

[Broken-Sailor]

Originally Posted by Weyalan

Not trying to flog a dead horse here (but probably am doing it anyway)...

As has already been pointed out, building a boat costs way, way more than buying a good second hand one. In fact, if you put a reasonable dollar value on your time, building your own boat will probably cost more than buying a brand new boat.

People who build boats, in general, do it because they want to, not because it makes any sort of economic sense.

If you have the ability and skills to perform any sort of paid work, you would be better to spend the tens of thousands of hours that you would spend building a boat doing that paid work instead, then use the money that you earned to buy...

That said, I am out of this thread. You, apparently, are gonna hear what you want to hear and do what you want to do (as is your right).

I am listening, and let me put it this way, I have given up on building a boat from scratch. Now some of the home built boats that were designed for this type of sailing have been already built and are for sale. That is the main reason I am still looking at designs and getting input from these groups to find a design that is right for someone like me for where I want to go. Someone as where I was going to go when a hurricane started my way, that kind of depends on where I am and how far it is away at the time now doesn't it. If I was down in the Mobile AL area and one started heading that way, I'd just head back the way I would have to get to the gulf from here to start with and follow the Tennessee River water way back up river instead of down it far enough inland to find a sheltered anchorage to ride out the storm. If I was in the Keys I would still try to get out of harms way and beat feet to the nearest sheltered port that was out of its way when it came through. I would try to stay out of hurricane alley during the season for them anyway.

When looking at the cost of everything that is already on these used boats that need a little TLC to get them back in shape that I would have to buy to put on a boat I would have to build, it would cost me more than buying a new boat so I am just looking for the right type of boat that will do what I want it too and go where I want it to go. How this thread and my other thread ended up all here on this thread I will never know. This thread was not suppose to be about the getting the boat. It was suppose to be about the operating cost of running and living on the boat After the boat was in my possession, fixed up, paid for, and ready to start heading to the Gulf to start sailing. Finding the boat and the right type really needs to go back to the thread I started in the general sailing thread for that purpose.

Back to the real topic cost of living on a boat full time at under $800 a month.

My basic cell phone is a life line phone and doesn't cost me anything to use.
I do have a 2nd phone which is a go phone that I keep activated and use it for a backup phone. This phone is a smartphone was I can add a data plan if I need too.

The radio gear that will be onboard plus if I get my HAM ticket along with my laptop will keep me up to date with the weather information as well as navigation data if I add a GPS to the mix. So this will not cost me monthly fees that I know of right now.

So far if I anchor out and I not in a slip or mooring pylon I should keep my fees down and only have to pay for docking every now and then when I need supplies that I don't want to use the dingy to haul stuff back and forth to the boat.

I will have to pay for fuel for the motor for when I have to use in in the ICW and when maneuvering in the marinas and such. Also fuel for the stove.

If the boat doesn't have a water maker I'll have to haul drinking water on board that I will have to buy. Note to self make sure I have a water maker on the boat.

Have to buy food for use on the boat. I can save some money here buy bringing my dehydrator on the boat and buy fresh fruits and vegetables and drying them and packing them up for rehydrating them later when I need to cook them up. This will also save on the over all weight of the food stuff since the water weight in the foods will not be there. Also I will be eating fish allot.

Insurance for the boat.

Internet- Data plan big enough to use on my laptop to look up things when I need to use the web browser. 2 Gigs should do me fine since my emails will be using the radio to get the data back and forth for those and the weather data.

Set any moneys left out of the budget back into repair kitty.

My medications normally about $62 every three months.

Basic necessities like soaps, deodorant, Sunblock, toothpaste, mouth wash, TP and stuff like that. And doing the laundry.

Need money for the fees to pump out the Heads holding tanks.

What else am I forgetting that would be part of the monthly budget and not part of a break down or repair that would be above and beyond the normal month to month cost?