Cruisers Forum
 


Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on Cruisers Forums. Advertise Here
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 15-12-2016, 11:06   #1
Registered User

Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Texas Gulf Coast
Boat: 2019 Saona 47
Posts: 207
Living aboard and the impact on sailing

I am curious how the decision to live aboard ultimately impacts on the amount of time spent out sailing.

Personally, I can't wait to be aboard and heading out for a sail at every opportunity, boating is more of a recreation, not a home. I can imagine that some are far less likely to cast off the lines and head out for a day sail or a short overnight when it involves your home.

Do those who have made this move find this to be true or just the opposite?
HighTemp is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-12-2016, 11:10   #2
Registered User
 
Stu Jackson's Avatar

Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Cowichan Bay, BC (Maple Bay Marina)
Posts: 9,704
Re: Living aboard and the impact on sailing

Quote:
Originally Posted by HighTemp View Post
.......................I can imagine that some are far less likely to cast off the lines and head out for a day sail or a short overnight when it involves your home. ......................
It would depend completely on the people involved. Many topics of this nature indicate that responders range from

--- My boat is always ready to go within 5 minutes

to

---- I do less sailing because I have to clean up

Kinda like your buddies when you were a kid. One guy always couldn't come out 'cuz he hadda clean up his room.
__________________
Stu Jackson
Catalina 34 #224 (1986) C34IA Secretary
Cowichan Bay, BC, SR/FK, M25, Rocna 10 (22#) (NZ model)
Stu Jackson is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-12-2016, 11:20   #3
Registered User

Join Date: May 2012
Location: Hailing Minny, MN
Boat: Vancouver 27
Posts: 1,090
Images: 1
Re: Living aboard and the impact on sailing

Two modes for my boat generally: sailing and living. You get somewhere and all the daily-life-stuff starts coming out; all the boat gear gets put away. Then when you're ready to move again, you get all the gear back out and put the boat shipshape.

When out anchoring and cruising I've found less of a distinction then when in marinas stateside.

As Stu said, YMMV. If you're big into sailing everyday you'll probably always keep it in a decent state of readiness.
laika is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-12-2016, 11:44   #4
Registered User
 
RickG's Avatar

Join Date: May 2013
Location: St. John, USVI
Boat: 2003 Beneteau 423
Posts: 595
Re: Living aboard and the impact on sailing

Great question as we just purchased our liveaboard and are hoping to do frequent weekend sailing when its not bloody hot on the Chesapeake. We won't have RV sized 120V refrigerators or other big items. The hope is that we basically stick our laptops in their bags, clear the kitchen counters and be ready to go without a lot of drama. We have a half boat share in the Virgin Islands. That boat is ready to get off the dock within a couple hours of us arriving.

But, if I add in an actual electric toaster, electric ice maker... mostly kitchen bits then things get a bit more complex to put away. It seems like a decent plastic tote or two should be able to hold all that. We have room in a crew berth sized cockpit locker for a couple of totes, until that gets filled with other essential gear. Add in a Honda generator to run a/c to chill the boat after cooking dinner... might need to store spinnaker, suitcases, extra anchor and some other odds and ends in a small storage unit. But, I'd still like to live on the boat without having gear that we don't actually use and paying to store it.

Cheers, RickG
__________________
RickG & Sweet Christine
S/V Echoes - 2003 Beneteau 423
Coral Bay - St. John, USVI
RickG is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-12-2016, 14:38   #5
Registered User
 
gamayun's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Oakland, CA
Boat: Freedom 38
Posts: 2,503
Re: Living aboard and the impact on sailing

If you're in a marina, this might be fairly easy. If you're at anchor in a crowded spot, I can see this might be different. I live aboard and sail/race just about every weekend. The key for me is to keep life simple. I don't really need a boat load of clothes, shoes, pots, pans, books, gear galore and more. Some other things in my favor include having a good grocery store 5 min away, and an office nearby where I can keep all my dive and bike gear and other weighty stuff. I do have to tidy up a bit before I leave the dock (put the electric burner away, take the kayak off the deck, stow the electric heater) but these are things I mostly did anyways before I lived aboard full time.
gamayun is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-12-2016, 14:53   #6
Senior Cruiser
 
StuM's Avatar

Cruisers Forum Supporter

Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Port Moresby,Papua New Guinea
Boat: FP Belize Maestro 43 and OPBs
Posts: 12,888
Re: Living aboard and the impact on sailing

On a cat when day/weekend sailing in reasonably sheltered waters, you don't have to worry about packing anying away. Just cast off and head out
StuM is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-12-2016, 14:57   #7
Moderator Emeritus
 
Hudson Force's Avatar

Cruisers Forum Supporter

Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Lived aboard & cruised for 45 years,- now on a chair in my walk-in closet.
Boat: Morgan OI 413 1973 - Aythya
Posts: 8,455
Images: 1
Re: Living aboard and the impact on sailing

We've lived aboard for all of our adult lives and we remain able to leave the dock within the length of time it takes for our engine to warm after starting.

-start the engine - turn our TV 90* in it's cabinet and wedge in a throw pillow - lay down one lamp - disconnect the shore power cord - reduce the dock lines - depart....

I normally tend to the sail covers and ready the halyards while Nancie is maneuvering away from the docks.

We do have a car parked ashore now, but we had not owned one for the past 15 years. 'nothing in a dock box and usually nothing on the dock, but I must confess that my folding bicycle is out there right now.

Oh no! Nancie talked me into raising a string of Christmas lights up to the masthead for the holiday spirit and I've moved my kayaks to the bow to gain access for a project adding some pad eye tie downs on my fore deck.

No,- I'm not at my best at this time!
__________________
Take care and joy, Aythya crew
Hudson Force is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-12-2016, 15:03   #8
Registered User
 
UNCIVILIZED's Avatar

Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Up the mast, looking for clean wind.
Boat: Currently Shopping, & Heavily in LUST!
Posts: 5,629
Re: Living aboard and the impact on sailing

The answer lies somewhere in the question of "how long does it take for the newness of something to wear off for you (& your friends)"? Perhaps along with "how many other boats do you have available to play on, or get dragged out sailing on"?

If you really love to sail, then you'll be on the water much of the time. Be it on your boat, or another. But if you get distracted by other things... well, you know what'll happen.

The "easy fix" (to keep your addiction alive) is to catch the racing bug Then after a bit you'll only be "home" long enough to do laundry, & check your mail. Ask me how I know
__________________

The Uncommon Thing, The Hard Thing, The Important Thing (in Life): Making Promises to Yourself, And Keeping Them.
UNCIVILIZED is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-12-2016, 15:05   #9
Senior Cruiser
 
boatman61's Avatar

Community Sponsor
Cruisers Forum Supporter

Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: PORTUGAL
Posts: 30,584
Images: 2
pirate Re: Living aboard and the impact on sailing

When I live aboard I like to be in what I call cruise mode.. ready to go at half hours notice.. basically this just involes good house keeping.. when you've finished with something.. put it away.
Its a relatively small area so clutter is a pain..
Right now I live ashore coz the fore cabin is an empty hole.. the salons littered with tools and the aft cabins full of allsorts..
__________________

It was a dark and stormy night and the captain of the ship said.. "Hey Jim, spin us a yarn." and the yarn began like this.. "It was a dark and stormy night.."
boatman61 is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 15-12-2016, 18:48   #10
Registered User
 
FSMike's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Bahamas/Florida
Boat: Solaris Sunstar 36' catamaran
Posts: 2,686
Images: 5
Re: Living aboard and the impact on sailing

If you're not living aboard then you're living somewhere else.
Compare the amount of time spent readying your live aboard boat versus the amount of time spent packing up what you want to bring from your abode and the time spent transporting yourself and your stuff to the boat.

Simpler to live aboard for me.
__________________
Sail Fast Live Slow
FSMike is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-12-2016, 19:18   #11
Registered User
 
gamayun's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Oakland, CA
Boat: Freedom 38
Posts: 2,503
Re: Living aboard and the impact on sailing

Quote:
Originally Posted by FSMike View Post
If you're not living aboard then you're living somewhere else.
Compare the amount of time spent readying your live aboard boat versus the amount of time spent packing up what you want to bring from your abode and the time spent transporting yourself and your stuff to the boat.

Simpler to live aboard for me.
OMG, this is so true. Before now, there was stuff scattered between a house, car, storage and boat (and at one time, a friend's house where I was cat sitting). Indubitably, something was forgotten or something else needed. Better to have everything on the boat!
gamayun is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-12-2016, 19:24   #12
Senior Cruiser
 
sneuman's Avatar

Cruisers Forum Supporter

Join Date: May 2003
Location: Chesapeake Bay
Boat: Sabre 28-2
Posts: 3,197
Images: 37
Re: Living aboard and the impact on sailing

Do you sail every day? Nope.
Being a liveaboard does mean having to clean up before sailing.
But even as a liveaboard (prior to cruising full-time) I still sailed more often than most people in the marina.

So ... I would say, probably not as much as you imagine but more as often or more often than the average weekend warrior.
__________________
Voyage of Symbiosis: https://svsymbiosis.blogspot.com/
sneuman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-12-2016, 20:22   #13
CF Adviser
 
Pelagic's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2007
Boat: Van Helleman Schooner 65ft StarGazer
Posts: 10,280
Re: Living aboard and the impact on sailing

Feeling poetic:

We sail at anchor or underway.
whatever we feel, just makes our Day.

Noisy neighbors, polluted bay, we check the breeze and I'm on my way.

Nice Beach, new friends, Crabs for dinner ..... best to stay.

Pigeon holes are not allowed!
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	1481861874557.jpg
Views:	367
Size:	28.0 KB
ID:	138071   Click image for larger version

Name:	1481861913504.jpg
Views:	418
Size:	54.2 KB
ID:	138072  

Click image for larger version

Name:	1481862018386.jpg
Views:	409
Size:	34.8 KB
ID:	138073   Click image for larger version

Name:	1481862094220.jpg
Views:	371
Size:	39.2 KB
ID:	138074  

Pelagic is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15-12-2016, 23:49   #14
Moderator
 
Jim Cate's Avatar

Join Date: May 2008
Location: cruising SW Pacific
Boat: Jon Sayer 1-off 46 ft fract rig sloop strip plank in W Red Cedar
Posts: 21,151
Re: Living aboard and the impact on sailing

Quote:
Being a liveaboard does mean having to clean up before sailing.
On the other hand, living aboard means not having to drive x minutes or hours between home and the boat before going sailing. And you get to live in a nicer neighborhood with nicer water views.

Jim
__________________
Jim and Ann s/v Insatiable II, lying Port Cygnet Tasmania once again.
Jim Cate is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16-12-2016, 00:18   #15
Registered User
 
markpierce's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Central California
Boat: M/V Carquinez Coot
Posts: 3,782
Re: Living aboard and the impact on sailing

My observations have been that liveaboards don't frequently sail but are occasionally "obliged" to make voyages such as to Mexico or far southwest into the Pacific Ocean from here (San Francisco estuary).
__________________
Kar-KEEN-ez Koot
markpierce is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
living aboard, sail, sailing

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
FP Marquises-56-Customizations, Impact Sailing? Elimax Multihull Sailboats 12 11-11-2016 23:36
Make a Living, Living Aboard JanetGroene Boat Ownership & Making a Living 0 19-11-2010 11:28
Sailing and Living Aboard in Qatar Zanshin Indian Ocean & Red Sea 1 10-08-2008 05:04
impact of diesel on fiberglass? fla.sailor Engines and Propulsion Systems 7 29-07-2008 19:52
Fuel Price Impact on Boaters Sunspot Baby Powered Boats 24 29-07-2008 08:44

Advertise Here


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 08:30.


Google+
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Social Knowledge Networks
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.

ShowCase vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.