Your top 3 favorite items for living aboard

[basenay]

Having lived aboard for 14 of the last 20 years with 12 of them full time cruising including a circumnavigation I'll answer in a unusual way. The top 3 of things I miss about dirt dwelling are
1. unlimited, inexpensive electricity
2. unlimited hot showers & reliable flush toilets
3. unlimited high speed Internet

While you can't have these you can rig your vessel to minimize these with 1, solar, wind, high output alternator & possibly small generator. 2.
Watermaker, heat exchanger off of engine, solar showers & possibly electric waterheater if you go with the generator. Composting head.
3. Good WiFi booster permanently mounted aboard to pick up open sources or secured sites (restaurants, bars)that you learn password & are within range of your anchorage, Unlocked Android phone to allow purchase of relatively local SIM cards. Apple products can work also but lots more hassles outside US.
What you do will depend on budget & how important each item is to you & more important your crew if you want them to stay with you. Just don't let the wants overwhelm the needs & you will be happy however you outfit your vessel. Can always add more gadgets later, much harder to remove items!

[Mycroft]

A good first mate will help you organize so that you have everything you need and know where it is stowed. (maximizing storage space).

A smartphone can be used for navigation, as reader, electronic manuals, camera, communications, anchor watch.(In general tools that can serve multi purposes)

Passport

[redhead]

1. My diesel stove. Makes tons of heat, tons of hot water and it's a cooktop and
oven. (can you tell winter's coming?)

2. A dedicated shower.

3. LED lights.

[Chanticleer]

1. A great first mate who loves the life ... and cooking!
2. UGG slippers!
3. Small pressure cooker.
and for good measure
4. Small toaster-oven.

The above apart from all the obvious stuff ... but keep that to a minimum.
Minimalist comes to mind!

[Dave22q]

Rail mounted grill. propane hot plate, freezer. Secondary but nice, water heater, microwave. That assumes my auto pilot, radio and computer (with navigation app) are working ok.

[Pelagic]

Well......if we are allowed to include people......

[adlib2]

Originally Posted by easyvictor

Hello Cruisers,
I've never lived aboard, but am in the early stages of planning some long term cruising. I'm aware of the exhaustive amount of equipment some people have on board, but I appreciate the advantages of minimizing complexity and only adding the highest value items to the equipment list.

So, to all the cruisers out there, what are your 3 favorite pieces of equipment onboard?
Said differently: what items add the most value to your cruising experience?
Which things would you be most unwilling to give up?

Seriously for Live Aboard~ Big Electric Coffee Maker, Microwave Oven & Good TV Reception.
Now for Cruising the list would be totally different.
Autopilot for Single Handling, All Sheets Halyards & Reef Lines run back to Cockpit and Good Powered Windlass and Heavy Anchor.
Extend the List to 4 and 4th would be good refrigeration/freezer capacity.

[Sid at SailAway]

I'll bite on this, but had to make it four items...

1. Honda 2000 genny
2. Enough solar to keep things charged up
3. My Spade anchor
4. Dinghy and 15hp motor

That's from fours years aboard full time...

[RolfP]

Originally Posted by adlib2

Seriously for Live Aboard~ Big Electric Coffee Maker, Microwave Oven & Good TV Reception.
Now for Cruising the list would be totally different.
Autopilot for Single Handling, All Sheets Halyards & Reef Lines run back to Cockpit and Good Powered Windlass and Heavy Anchor.
Extend the List to 4 and 4th would be good refrigeration/freezer capacity.

Nice way to distinguish: Live Aboard v. Cruising

[Bulawayo]

Me: autopilot, solar, water maker
Wife: freezer, pressure cooker, washing machine

[JPA Cate]

There's a huge difference between being "only" liveaboarding and having a full time cruising lifestyle.

For the latter, dodger, autopilot, boat set up for shorthanded sailing.

For the day-to-day living: Having real coffee is important to Jim; at least one pressure cooker; the last one is not a thing, but the ability to fix *stuff*, imho.

Ann

[ReMetau]

At the dock:
AC, wifi, cold beer
Cruising:
Watermaker, our floaty chairs, cold beer

[knockabout]

versatile boat / versatile first mate / sense of adventure


first mates list: t.v / stove / comfortable dinghy

[Olddave]

Originally Posted by easyvictor

Hello Cruisers,

Said differently: what items add the most value to your cruising experience?
Which things would you be most unwilling to give up?

1.Self steering, wind vane for silence and zero power consumption.Electric auto pilot for use when under power.
2.A serious dinghy, to keep shore trips safe and to explore the area you are visiting.
3.A boat that sails well, really well! Or has something very special about it. Mine is just a pleasure to sail and it's very comfortable down below, but a robust motorsailer with a wheelhouse would be good too.
3a. Cold beer

[Three Sisters]

Originally Posted by easyvictor

Hello Cruisers,
I've never lived aboard, but am in the early stages of planning some long term cruising. I'm aware of the exhaustive amount of equipment some people have on board, but I appreciate the advantages of minimizing complexity and only adding the highest value items to the equipment list.

So, to all the cruisers out there, what are your 3 favorite pieces of equipment onboard?
Said differently: what items add the most value to your cruising experience?
Which things would you be most unwilling to give up?

1. the roasting pan that will accomodate 1/2 turkey breast, pot roast or baked ziti


2. deck shower

3. alarm system