I want to be a liveaboard

[barbienana]

Hi everyone, so my husband and I are wanting to take the leap however we have been told so many different things we are so confused. Like we here you must be reach to make this work "we are not" then I hear you need strong desire and a make it match your budget....pl someone that is actually doing it and "not rich" please give us some honest advice.
We have not purchased our boat and not sure what we want besides not wanting a sale boat.
I have been looking at Trawlers? Our boat budget is around $10-$15k
We desire to do the Great Loop and eventually cruise over to the Bahamas as well. I'm looking at 50 and hubby is under 45...lol
We have around $2k a month disposable income coming in to play with each month....and all the time life has to offer.
So what do you all think?

[sailorboy1]

I think you don’t have the budget and funds. Sorry this isn’t what I’m sure you want to hear.

[barbienana]

I appreciate your honesty. We currently have 4 boats in that budget to view this weekend....we have more income we just don't want to touch it except for boat repairs as needed and maintenance. For us this won't be about eating out at fancy restaurants been there done that. It's a off grid eat off the land life style and more so freedom.

[sailorboy1]

Your old trawler is going to take more I believe to maintain than you think.

I’ve been a full time cruiser for the past 33 months. Click on my user nam3 and read my monthly budget posts.

Good luck I hope it works out for you.

[barbienana]

I will and I'm feeling you are correct. Thanks for the advice.

[Stu Jackson]

Have you already read The Great Loop website?

[barbienana]

Ues I have....great site!! They gve us hope.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by barbienana

Ues I have....great site!! They gve us hope.

That's great and a good start.


However, it is possible that no one can answer your own budget and cash flow issues.


The best I have ever seen are the really nice folks who have shared their monthly expenses here on this forum. Regardless of what vessel they have chosen, their costs reflect real-world experiences.


Could it be that ONLY YOU can answer your question?

[Lepke]

Lots of people have an enjoyable time on boats that aren't expensive. What you'll hear from the yachties, if it isn't new and pristine, it's no good. They have no concept of ordinary people.
You'll have more expenses on an older boat. You'll need to know how to maintain it and better yet repair it. Once you learn those things, you can liveaboard much cheaper than someone that pays for everything to be done for them. If you buy a monohull, find the right beach in the right tide pattern you can careen instead of haulouts.
You need to find cheap dockage. I don't like the usual marinas with the busybodies and dock nazis. I always have bought or leased a private dock. Everywhere I've gone, I've found one. My home dock cost about 4-5000 a year, but I have an 83' boat that would cost $12,000 a year at a marina. I spend less than $3000/month counting the dock and including cruising, fuel, food. And I go to Alaska and back.

I've lived on ships and boats much of my life. Living in a house, especially in a neighborhood is like a prison sentence to me. I'll never do it again. I'll leave the boat when someone removes the wheel from my cold, dead hands.

I'm a shipwright, welder and a mechanic and do my own work. But now that I'm 70, hire young gorillas when doing heavy stuff. Is it go-rillas or ger-illas?

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by Lepke

>>>>>>>>>>
Is it go-rillas or ger-illas?

Ask Captain Ron...


Good thing about this forum is that there aren't a whole lotta "yachties' here.

[barbienana]

I'm at the place of believing this is correct.....everyone lifestyle is different. I will continue to research the greatloop site....thanks

[barbienana]

Lol Great insight!! Thanks!!
What a great life experiences you've had. I agree woth you everyday onland is like a prison sentence for me.....I can't wait for my release date.
I will need to be very careful with our boat selection as we are not mechanical.

[GILow]

I don't know what fuel costs in the areas you are thinking of travelling, but I would have thought that even a small trawler could easily eat through most of your monthly budget in fuel alone.

One of the reasons I put up with all that painful stuff sticking up on my rag-and-stick boat is that, once I am clear of the marina, my propulsion is free (aside from the ongoing maintenance cost of sails etc, which are not small).

I met a guy who just got back from taking his motor-sailer around Oz over two years, and doing the numbers in my head, I reckon he spent at least AU$12K on fuel to do it.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by barbienana

Lol Great insight!! Thanks!!
What a great life experiences you've had. I agree woth you everyday onland is like a prison sentence for me.....I can't wait for my release date.
I will need to be very careful with our boat selection as we are not mechanical.

Ahh, you've opened a Pandora's Box with this: ...as we are not mechanical...


One of my favorite phrases on the electrical section of this forum is: "None of was born an electrician."


Others have written (and many have been PUBLISHED - like in books!!!) how boat ownership and desiring to have a wonderful way to travel, "requires" learning to be an electrician, mechanic and plumber."



Pretty applicable.


Welcome, again, to the Happy Place.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, barbienana.