What State is Best for Liveaboard Sailors?

[foggysail]

I voted for MASSACHUSETTS!!!

Those looking for inexpensive living have a chance to test their mettle in a cacoon style boat while the WINDSONG's 10 degree whistles mean more than a boat name. AAHHhhh-- just getting a breath of that fresh salt air mixed with a few snow flakes just makes one long for the chance to be berthed in a sea of moving ice. AND NO WAITING LIST!!

This must be true love!

[Tim R.]

Definitely not Maine. We hate it here

[skipmac]

No one state is best. I vote for FL from Dec to May then move north with the rest of the mob for summer. If you get a heat wave in the NE like we're seeing now, move a little further north. Then head back south in the fall.

[zeehag]

unfortunately the best state is not in usa....
i write from a state of awe in pair a dice in monsoon season with green things growing everywhere and cheap rent and plentiful food without additives.

south eastern louisiana was gorgeous, but when seeking liveaboard, they didnt appreciate the effort i put forth...lol. we found a private dock and that worked just fine.

[MTLandlocked]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

shakti-
Joking? Who, me? [He said with a straight face.]

No, really, if the goal is living aboard a sailboat, as opposed to sailing, Montana would be great place to start. No hurricane season, predictable weather, nice calm water, no sharks, no barnacles, low crime rate, good taxes, stable population, and very few rich people *ching and moaning about how those liveaboards are ruining the waterfront view.

Honest, a GREAT place to live aboard a boat.
[He said with a straight face.]

Ok, I suppose you got me there, lol. I'll trade our blizzard season for hurrican season though...
Course I suppose if you are going to go that far you could always put the boat up on the hard in a more or less permant fixture and just live on land... but that kinda defeats the purpose of owning a SAILboat

Last winter I was walking from the ranch house to my trailer after taking a shower, during a good snowstorm, where it was about 0 degrees F and winds gusting to 20 MPH... thats when I decided I needed to move to warmer climes...perferably somewhere with a beach and oceanwater to sail on

[s/v Beth]

Columbia River Gorge, Oregon.
Cold wet and windy all the time.
Hard to get into (Oregon regulates the amount of liveaboards)- being small towns you have to get to know the people before you ask the questions. You call up for a liveaboard slip- you will be told no.
Very Cheap. If I told you you wouldn't believe it, but try about 3 dollars a day for a small boat with one person on it.
The liveaboards I know there are very happy, and very smart. One I know commutes twice a month to Florida to work his job as sea captain. He would rather keep his family here.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by skipmac

Based on your stated criteria, NOT southern CA. Maybe Delta regions of SF Bay. Northern CA some good deals but gets cold and rainy in the winter. Not familiar with the NW costs.

Nooooooo! Foggy today. Awful. I pay $12,000 USD per year for a 50' slip, and it doesn't even come with wifi.

I'm voting for Montana. They've got buffalo there.

[nimblemotors]

None of the above. A mobile home towing a hobie cat around the USA...
Move around never live in one place.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Bash

Nooooooo! Foggy today. Awful. I pay $12,000 USD per year for a 50' slip, and it doesn't even come with wifi.

I'm voting for Montana. They've got buffalo there.

Gee, $12K and year without wifi? How much extra for the luxury slip with wifi.

At least in Montana you can pick up the dried buffalo chips for free and burn them to keep warm.

[s/v Beth]

How about paying 1 grand a year for a big slip and using 11 k to upgrade your boat Bash?

[Roy M]

Everyone, please heed the advice and stay away from California, especially Southern California, and most assuredly, San Diego. We have Earthquakes! We have Tsunamis! We have the most boring weather on the planet. And have you heard how bad the beer is? Please, go to Florida and Montana. There is no work here! The mosquitos carry deadly diseases. The gasoline has way too much ethanol! Your car must pass highly restrictive smog tests! You can't carry side arms or any arms openly, so the state of crime must be absolutely devastating. The harbor police of every port are Nazis, the politicians are almost French, and you can't get a decent cup of coffee or loaf of artisanal bread to save your life. Fresh fruits and veggies are impossible to procure. And there is no culture, other than the occasional fifty foot fiberglass sculpture of people kissing or a Comic Book convention. Everything is too costly and the selections are poor. You can't find anyone who knows how to work on boats, and you can't find any suppliers who know what they are doing. Everything is far away, and you can only get there by car, on long, congested freeways (what an oxymoron). No, the best thing to do is steer clear of California, completely. Go to Texas! Florida! The rest of the Gulf and East coasts! California is a terrible place. Stay away. Please.

[Sand crab]

Hey you Montananites. You forgot Fort Peck Reservoir which is the 5th largest man made lake in the US. It is 130 miles long and has more shoreline than Califunka. It blows like stink and there are small craft warnings almost every day.
The bad side is everything freezes solid like crush your boat solid but the skiing is great with almost no lines.
BTW I live here in Gallatin County, MT and yes I've been to the hot springs and the Madison.
Fort Peck Dam - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[MTLandlocked]

Originally Posted by Sand crab

Hey you Montananites. You forgot Fort Peck Reservoir which is the 5th largest man made lake in the US. It is 130 miles long and has more shoreline than Califunka. It blows like stink and there are small craft warnings almost every day.
The bad side is everything freezes solid like crush your boat solid but the skiing is great with almost no lines.
BTW I live here in Gallatin County, MT and yes I've been to the hot springs and the Madison.
Fort Peck Dam - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hey where in Gallatin County? Bozeman? I used to live in Ennis before I moved to Billings!

And yes, I totally forgot about Fort Peck Reservoir. Theres also Gibson reservoir, which is a pretty decent size- but thats in the foothills of the Rockies. Ennis also had Ennis Lake, which was also not too small, and Earthquake Lake was near by. I'd imagine you could have a sailboat on all of them...during the warmer months anyways!

[Sand crab]

Yup I'm a Bozite.

[ShaktiGurl]

Manhattan for 10 years. MO headwaters!