Young Pirate in Need of Advice

[dabomaman]

Thank you everyone. I have just looked into liability insurance. That will be another $500 minimum yearly. There is absolutely no way I can maintain my land based apartment while preparing for grad school, student loan and financing seasonal storage for the columbia. I understand that sailing is expensive, but it is also one of my greatest passions and I can make reasonable sacrifices in order to keep this boat in my hands.

Since I rather be sailing than living on land I will look into liveaboards. Am I right in assuming that liveaboards will require a slip? I mean how does someone travel by dinghy during the middle of the winter? Some wifi and a heater/A.C would be comfortable enough of living to make it work. Sounds like a serious plan/commitment and I am excited

[FamilyVan]

Mix and match is always an option. Live on the boat until November then crash at your girlfriends place for a few months, or, live on a mooring for the winter months and get a slip for the winter.

I first lived aboard at a marinas on an island with no real stores or entertainment (aside from coyotes and the drunks at the marina), then got a slip in the city for the winter, then back out to a more remote marina for the summer, then into a rental house for the next winter eTC. That's the beautiful thing about live aboard. No commitment required.

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[Charlie Shore]

Find a rich widow, You may get real and forget boats.

[westsail374]

The great thing about living aboard is that there is no space to accumulate the junk you'll have to get rid of when you decide to cruise full time. You will also save money since you will not spend it on said junk. You can instead spend it on good reading - like cruising guides to places you want to head for when the opportunity strikes. Remember that your profession is needed in many places where the palms sway and the balmy breezes blow.....

[autumnbreeze27]

Originally Posted by dabomaman

Thank you everyone. I have just looked into liability insurance. That will be another $500 minimum yearly.

You might want to shop that some more, seems high to me for a 29' boat, but I'm on the other coast.

[wellin]

Originally Posted by autumnbreeze27

You might want to shop that some more, seems high to me for a 29' boat, but I'm on the other coast.

I have StateFarm $300,000 liability on a 34 foot sailboat for $47 a year.

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[hlk]

Just my boat.
Boat slip. $225/mo
Insurance. 100
Property tax. 200

Fixed expense $525

That's before I take it out of the slip. I need a better job than retirement.

[sammyo]

Keep looking around. Head up or down the coast, look for areas that are not fancy. Actually look for slightly disreputable, inconvenient maybe even a bit scary. Take extra beer. Chat up old guys, they won't talk to you at first but dress down, get your hands dirty and quietly chat with the folks not wearing blue blazers. There are quite a few folks on the water without a trust fund. Takes time and research (non-internet style).

[dabomaman]

Thanks Sammyo,

Im bound to meet a few liveaboards within the next few months. Trying my best to make this all work out.

[ArmyDaveNY]

Winters in a boat are not bad at all. It is definitely not the same as being in an apartment or a home, but it isn't bad. There are many who are live-aboards in NJ. A decent heater won't set you back too much nor will it be expensive to use. A friend of mine used propane (be sure to get a CO alarm) on his 45' Cherubini and spent around $80 per month for the propane. He liked it toasty too. Another friend used coal and it was very cost effective. Coal is also the driest heat. A couple of $5 bags kept him warm all month.


I've used electric heaters but they are not too efficient, but they do work. Insulation helps a lot, as does wrapping the boat or a boat cover.


I'm not sure where in central Jersey you are but there are very cost effective places there, if you look long enough. A yacht club is also a good possibility since they will have a place for you to land your dinghy as well as shower facilities. They are not expensive generally and they are a lot of fun.


Winter slips can be had for anywhere from $700 to $2000, at least around Jersey City, depending upon the facility. The slip gives you some options you don't have with a mooring and is a time saver.


Good luck.

[CREX]

Hi . I have been in several situations that relate. I too from NJ. Don't miss it, but miss my Giants games. Anyway a trailer is your best answer. I am able to put my boat in a free area for storage, friends house. Or a U store it with outside storage area. Much cheaper than marinas, especially in NJ. You are a structural engineer, congrats, and should be able to build or rebuild even upgrade a trailer for a couple of seasons expenses. It also gives you great versatility and a more desirable resale value. Being it can be shipped to a new owner, you moving...I moved to Fl and lived aboard my Columbia 30 for 10 years. Trailers work and you'll get your monies worth on several fronts. Your Columbia isn't much bigger than my Catalina 27. I'm 8300#'s dry 4'10" keep 9.5 beam and it trailers great. You might have to rent or hire somebody with a 3/4 ton minimum truck but you will probably make friends, sailors, who always help where they can. Maybe even a backyard for winter??? Anyway good luck Go Giants and remember sailors strengths are the ability to adapt.

[Scout 30]

You are learning a valuable lesson. You don't own your posessions, they own you. Aquiring a boat is the easy part.

[sailorboy1]

ditch the boat, go to grad school, get a new job, get a replacement boat

that's life

[FamilyVan]

Originally Posted by CREX

Hi . I have been in several situations that relate. I too from NJ. Don't miss it, but miss my Giants games. Anyway a trailer is your best answer. I am able to put my boat in a free area for storage, friends house. Or a U store it with outside storage area. Much cheaper than marinas, especially in NJ. You are a structural engineer, congrats, and should be able to build or rebuild even upgrade a trailer for a couple of seasons expenses. It also gives you great versatility and a more desirable resale value. Being it can be shipped to a new owner, you moving...I moved to Fl and lived aboard my Columbia 30 for 10 years. Trailers work and you'll get your monies worth on several fronts. Your Columbia isn't much bigger than my Catalina 27. I'm 8300#'s dry 4'10" keep 9.5 beam and it trailers great. You might have to rent or hire somebody with a 3/4 ton minimum truck but you will probably make friends, sailors, who always help where they can. Maybe even a backyard for winter??? Anyway good luck Go Giants and remember sailors strengths are the ability to adapt.

I think you are giving engineers too much credit. They are taught the theories of construction, not how you actually do something.

Best bet for an engineer is to get a well paid job and hire somebody else to do the work. Don't actually mess with the boat systems themselves, and certainly don't try to lead a project management team.

I don't know how many MDs I've come across that think because they passed med school means they are in any way competent boaters.

Doctors, Engineers and Lawyers should just hire people to take care of their systems and navigation imo.

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[CREX]

I don't know family van? My dad was an engineer for Bell labs. Worked a lot of his career doing things for the moon shots through the 50's, 60,70...and he could both design and build anything. Besides trailers are pretty simple. Probably can get a blueprint online from some trailer outfit, fee of course. He's young and going towards the right side of living. When a fellow sailor asks for help, I believe in giving what I can. Sarcasm is fun and all, but I think he's really trying to reach out so he can live,learn,earn and move forward. But on your point I've met some real bonehead engineers and scientists. Fair winds brother.