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Old 08-05-2017, 07:20   #1
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Smallest Liveaboard?

I was walking the piers, drink in hand, a couple nights ago, and was admiring a little Catalina 22 and a couple slips away, a Nonsuch 22. Both are kinda tubby little boats with enough room for a single liveaboard. Now me, I have too many ongoing projects to go smaller than my 27' boat, but if it was nothing more than a place to sleep and eat, with no tool and material storage needed, no great piles of junk, no workshop space, I could see living in something like that.

Anybody here living aboard, in a teeny weeny boat? Who lives on the smallest? Anybody living full time in a Potter 19? How about the 15? I'd like to hear about it. "Tiny houses" are all over the news these days and lots of folks are embracing that minimalist lifestyle ashore. Seems like "Tiny liveaboard boats" ought to be a thing.

I have seen folks here in Louisiana living in very small "camps" afloat, but while they can be moved, they are not really designed for traveling. I want to talk about actual boats that are designed to go places, not plywood shoeboxes on styrofoam pontoons.
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Old 08-05-2017, 15:57   #2
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Re: Smallest Liveaboard?

Had a nice looking Woman who claimed to be living aboard I think it was a 25' Hunter in my Marina for awhile, but it didn't last long. I think she stayed in it when she couldn't find any better. Odd situation as she drove a relatively expensive car and had what looked like expensive clothes.
Then "poof" she was gone and a for sale sign on the boat.
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Old 08-05-2017, 17:05   #3
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Re: Smallest Liveaboard?

Not sure if you're excluding yourself from that mix, but I always thought a 27' was kinda "tiny house" material!!

I think if more young people knew about the lifestyle and how to make it sustainable it would catch on and become the "thing" it deserves to be..
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Old 09-05-2017, 04:32   #4
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Re: Smallest Liveaboard?

My Nephew lied on a Catalina 22 for a few years, but now he's moved up to a Sovereign 24.
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Old 09-05-2017, 04:42   #5
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Re: Smallest Liveaboard?

Big difference between the Nonsuch and Catalina. You cannot stand up on the Catalina. That would be a deal breaker for me.
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Old 09-05-2017, 06:43   #6
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Re: Smallest Liveaboard?

I lived on a San Juan 23 for a few months. That was enough for me. While the lack of a "real" head, shower, and galley was an issue, the biggest pain was the lack of full standing head-room. Getting dressed every morning while squatting, lying down, or bending over gets very old, very quickly.
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Old 09-05-2017, 07:56   #7
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Re: Smallest Liveaboard?

A friend in trade school lived in a old 22' with a swing keel from the 70's (don't remember the exact model maybe a venture). There was a women a few years ago who came to a Oday Mariner get together that lived on a Mariner for a while that's 19'.
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Old 09-05-2017, 08:00   #8
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Re: Smallest Liveaboard?

Thought of couple more. When I worked at a marina we had a couple of women that lived aboard a little 24' express cruiser, but those have a fair bit more room in them.
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Old 09-05-2017, 08:02   #9
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Re: Smallest Liveaboard?

When I was stationed in Hawaii in the 90's I met a young lady who was living aboard a 16' sailboat. I went on board. It was neat and clean but reminded me of camping out. She said she was living aboard for economic reasons.
She was nice looking and had a decent job.
I have has some pretty primitive living conditions but that was work related.
I wouldn't want to live on a boat that small. For me, a 25' would be as small as I would consider.
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Old 09-05-2017, 08:18   #10
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Re: Smallest Liveaboard?

I'd say this: you could totally do it on the boat I own now: a Chrysler 22, only production boat made by a car manufacturer. When the (poptop) is up, you have 6'2" headroom. Sleeps well, has table and good stowage. Designed by Halsey Herreshoff for bluewater coastal sailing. Built like a tank, way more stable than a Cal 22, with its 800 lb retractable keel: draft with keel up is about (16").... sail it right onto the beach. Probably one of the only monohulls that can do that.
You could totally do it on this boat.

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Old 09-05-2017, 08:31   #11
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Re: Smallest Liveaboard?

You can. but with so many really inexpensive 30ish boats out there, why would you?
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Old 09-05-2017, 09:01   #12
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Re: Smallest Liveaboard?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Papasail View Post
I'd say this: you could totally do it on the boat I own now: a Chrysler 22, only production boat made by a car manufacturer. When the (poptop) is up, you have 6'2" headroom. Sleeps well, has table and good stowage. Designed by Halsey Herreshoff for bluewater coastal sailing. Built like a tank, way more stable than a Cal 22, with its 800 lb retractable keel: draft with keel up is about (16").... sail it right onto the beach. Probably one of the only monohulls that can do that.
You could totally do it on this boat.

Bill
Thanks for reminding me of the Chrysler 22; I remember seeing a fair number of those on lakes Erie and Ontario back in the day.

If you really want to sail right onto the beach, though, I'd recommend this:



I always wanted one of those as a kid. Actually, I still do. If I had stupid money, I wouldn't buy a sports car, I'd buy an Amphibicar.
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Old 09-05-2017, 09:28   #13
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Re: Smallest Liveaboard?

Considering I only occasionally use the forward berth on my Vega to sleep, I see no reason why a boat with that length removed from the LOA would not suffice nearly equally as a liveaboard.

I feel like it's not the sleeping room added by the extra LOA, but other factors that generally coincide with it (such as additional beam, reasonable headroom and storage). The extra length is important for me because I enjoy hosting friends (on two occasions we've had 5 adults on multi-day trips to Catalina). If not for that, I'd be fine with less.
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Old 09-05-2017, 09:40   #14
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Re: Smallest Liveaboard?

I have been living on my Schucker23 for nine years so far. She is practically perfect, except for the stuff that needs fixing, repair or upgrades. I love my home.

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Old 09-05-2017, 10:21   #15
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Re: Smallest Liveaboard?

Quote:
Originally Posted by a64pilot View Post
You can. but with so many really inexpensive 30ish boats out there, why would you?
I think this is the BEST answer!
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