Best places for quiet cheap living

[JBsurfin]

Originally Posted by babyhauler

Hello my idea is to get a sailboat, live on it. I want time, peace and quiet to write. I want cheap groceries and other supplies. I don't care about nightlife or touring around. I will go on land for some socializing with whoever is there, wherever it is?

Doing this on land in the USA is impossible due to insanity level inflation unless someone wants to give me cheap or free no drama place to crash. Plus food in the USA is very expensive. Plus I just want to try something different. I want to try living on a boat. I have seen lots of sailboats for sale under $20k that look like they could work perfectly for this.

Where are the best places for no drama, peaceful, cheap boat life? And should I be thinking about anchorage or a marina or what? And how cheaply can I do this? The cheaper I can make it the longer I have to write.

No place in the US? Really? My buddy sold everything and bought a off road RV truck. Has solar, gen set basically self contained. Currently travels around the western states mostly living in abandoned mining towns, or the middle of the desert and mountains. NO one around him. He is all by himself unless he decides to stop in civilization to pick up supplies. And that's exactly what he wants. And if you think living and maintaining a boat bought for 20k, think again.

[boatman61]

Well there's plenty of places to anchor up in isolation along the ICW... NC, SC, Georgia.. just move North or South with the seasons.

[JBsurfin]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Well there's plenty of places to anchor up in isolation along the ICW... NC, SC, Georgia.. just move North or South with the seasons.

Yeah, and when he tires of the 20K boat don't abandon it for someone else to deal with.

[boatman61]

Better in the ICW than a 3rd world country with fewer resources, one that Western wealth has been built on.

[JBsurfin]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Better in the ICW than a 3rd world country with fewer resources, one that Western wealth has been built on.

How about take responsibility and NOT abandon it anywhere.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by JBsurfin

Yeah, and when he tires of the 20K boat don't abandon it for someone else to deal with.

Why would he abandon it?

I don't plan to abandon my $2,000 boat when I tire of it.

I'll sell it or give it away.

[JBsurfin]

Originally Posted by Shanachie

Not sure which of your goals is more daunting.


I spent 34 years as a writer and editor. I can tell you it's an ugly world out there today.


Magazines and newspapers that used to provide living cash for aspiring writers are gone. Places that still pay generally only give you a token amount that won't pay the bills.



Publishers generally are no longer interested in mid-list writers who might expect to sell 20,000 or so copies of their first books. Connections, particularly in New York and L.A., are everything.


You can always write for the Internet, of course, but it takes particular skills to turn that into a money-making enterprise. Self-publishing is challenging. Becoming an "influencer" depends a lot on you having a showy personality.



I wish you luck.



A boat for less than 20K is something maybe 30 feet from the 1970s or 1980s. Imagine living in a walk-in closet. No fridge. No AC. A 20-gallon water supply. A small holding tank that needs to be pumped out every two days.


I've lived rough. I spent eight months once traveling by bike and living in a tent. It was a lot of fun, but it got old. The same can be said for living on a small boat with few amenities.


The danger is when your youthful adventure becomes the status quo in your life. Don't let hard living become the norm. With some thought and hard work, you can write and live a decent life.

AI will eventually replace all writers. Its already doing it.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by JBsurfin

AI will eventually replace all writers. Its already doing it.

Looks like he is writing app's not stories.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by JBsurfin

How about take responsibility and NOT abandon it anywhere.

How about not assuming he'll abandon it.. pretty sure if he keeps it clean and in working order he'd get some cash back when the books finished..
A 20k boat should get a few bucks a couple of years down the line.. if not earlier if the mozzies and noseeums win the day..

[JBsurfin]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Looks like he is writing app's not stories.

My bother does code. about 30% right now is done by AI. Eventually all coding will be done by AI.

[JBsurfin]

Originally Posted by boatman61

How about not assuming he'll abandon it.. pretty sure if he keeps it clean and in working order he'd get some cash back when the books finished..
A 20k boat should get a few bucks a couple of years down the line.. if not earlier if the mozzies and noseeums win the day..

Yeah, because all those derelict boats I see around probably all had owners think the same. Not many writers I know(went to school with 3) are making real money. Working in IT, AI will put what's left into the poor house.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by JBsurfin

My bother does code. about 30% right now is done by AI. Eventually all coding will be done by AI.

Either way it hasn't totally taken over coding as of yet.

Also, he is in about the right price range for a starter boat $10K-$20K.

To spend more on a first boat would be a mistake.

You see people make that mistake all the time.

I spent $2,000.00 on my 12th boat (5th sailboat) because it was a different sort of boat (monohull) than what I was used to and slow like all monohulls.

[hermes79]

Hi, I don't know if it's appropriate to write here, but I'll give it a chance. My boat is for sale and is located in the Dominican Republic. The location is exactly as desired by @babyhauler (quiet, cheap, and in addition there is a swimming pool on the property). It's a Pearson 365 in good condition. Please contact me privately if you want more information.

[MVDarlin]

Recomnend you double the purchase price and look at the Sea of Cortez. Mooring ball for 36' sailboat is $500 per month. Lots of quiet. Check out Marina Puerto Escondido near Loreto on the Sea of Cortez.

[jipcho]

Originally Posted by babyhauler

Thanks my list to checkout so far is: Tunisia; Western Caribbean; Pacific side of Central America; Cartagena, Columbia, Panama (Linton , Portobolle, Bocas); Rio Dulce Guatemala; Isla Mujeres Mexico & South Florida.

btw I'm fluent in Spanish.

I vote for Rio Dulce. It has advantages over most of the other Western Caribbean spots on the list. Most importantly, it's very protected from potentially dangerous weather events, especially hurricanes. Many of the other locations mentioned (one good one that was not mentioned is Spanish Waters, a protected bay on the island of Curacao) can and have been hit with major storms. In order to avoid the dangers, sailors must move to places outside of hurricane danger, and in the case of a local storm or even a wind shift, must be ready to move at a moments notice to a safer anchorage. Colombia is well known as a dangerous place from the perspective of armed robbery/piracy. While in that region I avoided it. Many sailors go to Rio Dulce, which doesn't get hit by hurricanes, and once there many simply stay. There may be visa and local tax complications, though. But, from the perspective of a cheap, comfortable lifestyle, it's awesome.

I recommend looking for a vessel to purchase that is already there in Rio Dulce. Many sailors have simply had enough, and can't be bothered to sail back to their home country (usually the US) to sell their vessel. Since you aren't an experienced sailor, and the cheap boat you get in the US will likely not be fit for a voyage from the Chesapeake to the Western Caribbean, buying a vessel in the port you chose to stay in is a good option. I was at Mar Marine in Rio Dulce for one hurricane season (2015). At the time I was paying $250 monthly.

Whatever you end up doing, I wish you well. Your idea to get in some sailing experience first is important. Do that.