Living on anchor in the US

[Bikini Blues]

Hi there JW !! I purchased my first live aboard at 62 years young. My marine mechanic (yes, eventually you will require one) calls the boat a "Dean Martin boat"..... primarily because at the time this boat was built only the wealthy could afford what was then considered a high end Chris Craft. While I enjoy sailing I prefer to motor cruise. The big plus is I only have a 30" draft ... which means I can find hurricane holes up bayous. To answer your primary question about live aboard and traveling the answer is a definite YES. Can it be done solo ... again YES, but I wouldn't. There is quite a bit to learn about all the systems ... don't get in a hurry. And then after your learn everything about your boat and do all the upgrades (count on it ... you will do upgrades) you have to learn the waterways. The ICW isn't a playground. It's a marine highway used by industry. I've traveled the ICW ... I prefer to stay inside the buoys. I understand your fever to purchase a boat. The best buys I saw for sailboats was on St Croix USVI. People get the sailing bug ... they do the journey ... turn the boat over to a broker and fly home. Something you may not be aware about is the salt water and the boat. It's a constant battle. Do you know what a survey of a boat is ...? Remember that the people that do these surveys are not created equal. Similar to your desire I made the big boat purchase later in life. Do I enjoy it ... like you cannot imagine.

[brookiesailor]

What are your plans for power/ battery charging?


Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[adlib2]

Originally Posted by jwcolby54

I understand "change the order" and I fully expected to hear that. The problem is that where I live there are no lessons. Furthermore, I live a couple of hundred miles from the coast (in the mountains of NC) so "crewing on other people's boats" sounds good but won't really be possible.

And finally, buying and living on it while I learn allows me to learn the systems of that boat, work on problems and so forth.

Living in an apartment, hundreds of mile from the sea, trying to learn sailing is not a good way to get out on the ocean.

There are many Skippers looking for Crew to all parts. Most don't pay and many don't charge either and some look for a contribution for food/booze and you pay your transportation. Good way to get experience and sail a variety of vessels. This time of year many returning from the Caribbean and Bahamas looking for Crew. Some going to Europe and even Australia.
Crew Seekers International is a good site; but they charge crew and not owners. This Forum is good also and don't charge.

[onestepcsy37]

Originally Posted by jwcolby54

ROTFL. I love that, thanks!

So what am I supposed to do with all that clothesline I just bought?

Ok I'm on a roll!

The two most important conditions for a liveaboard boat are;
1. Staying put in one place.
2. Staying afloat.

Already mentioned the anchor.

Haul out and check every fitting near or below the waterline. Repair or replace as needed. Install two large automatic bilge pumps and one large manual bilge pump. Everything else can break and be fixed when you have time, but anything below the waterline can sink you right now.

[jwcolby54]

Originally Posted by Bikini Blues

Do I enjoy it ... like you cannot imagine.

[jwcolby54]

Originally Posted by brookiesailor

What are your plans for power/ battery charging?

I'll be riding my stationary bike.

With solar as my backup.

Wind ginny as backup to that.

Water generator when underway.

Then a yamaha ginney.

Wave power.


In all seriousness, one of the things I do is AA (yea that kind). I met this guy living in the woods that I gave rides to meetings. He wanted to buy a generator, I convinced him a battery and a pair of solar panels would be cheaper and more reliable in the long term, and it was.

In a past life I was a computer technician and still dabble in electronics. Solar is definitely in my future. It works, even in cloudy weather, though with reduced efficiency of course. Nothing like free power. Wind is relatively expensive but makes a good backup. One really does need several systems so that one of them will be generating power when the rest are not.

LED lighting is a must. In my RV that dropped my power consumption for lighting by 75 percent.

[jwcolby54]

Originally Posted by onestepcsy37

Ok I'm on a roll!

You are indeed.

Originally Posted by onestepcsy37

but anything below the waterline can sink you right now.

There's that darned waterline again. You're not sending me off to find some are you?

[rgscpat]

Originally Posted by jwcolby54

You are indeed.



There's that darned waterline again. You're not sending me off to find some are you?

That's AFTER you fetch us the key to the sea chest and the red and green oil for the nav lights.

[Alec H]

Hi,
You mention anchoring along the intercoastal, and/or living offshore. You probably know you can't live off shore, to me that means the open sea. I've traveled the intercoastal four times and don't recall many places to anchor. More important for a full time live aboard, it gets cold anywhere north of central Florida. The first time we reached Fernandina beach in November we were wearing goose down.

Another approach to consider would be purchasing the boat in a warmer location, like the Virgin Islands. I lived anchored in St. Thomas for five years without any problems. There are likely more regulations than back in the '70s, but you can get that info from the forum or online. From the Virgins you are an overnight sail from the rest of the Antilles; great cruising area. Also not far from the Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas - very cruiser/live aboard friendly.

You asked about waste/holding tanks. The accepted protocol in the BVIs, where my boat is in charter, is to use holding tanks while at anchor or in a marina. Then dump as soon as you are in deeper water. You might be within ½ a mile of land, but you can dump the waste as long as no one would be in the water where you are dumping. I didn't see any pump out services in the BVI, but I imagine the USVI has them. Rules for waste are generally local.

Hope you make it happen.

[jwcolby54]

Originally Posted by rgscpat

That's AFTER you fetch us the key to the sea chest and the red and green oil for the nav lights.

The only oil I can find is brownish. I think someone must have mixed the read and green maybe?

[onestepcsy37]

Originally Posted by Alec H

Hi,
You mention anchoring along the intercoastal, and/or living offshore. You probably know you can't live off shore, to me that means the open sea. I've traveled the intercoastal four times and don't recall many places to anchor.

There are many many many places to anchor along the ICW. I've anchored at quite a few of them myself.

[coastalexplorer]

Hello from British Columbia Canada.

I quite realize that your inquiry was about rules, regulations, and logistics of living off the grid in the inter Coastal waterway. but since you Mention buying a boat I felt prompted to write

In your postings you write that you are an engineer, I am an engineers Pattern maker. I think this gives us an ability to delve deeper into what's right or wrong, what is high quality and what is not. and to perhaps have pride in owning something unique and different? So FYI I thought I would run this suggestion by you.

Way back in 1982 at the Vancouver International Boat Show I met a young man from Finland named Tim Tuulos He became my friend, visited me at my pattern shop often, but I lost contact with him when I had to close it down in 1993 and unfortunately I believe he is now deceased. How ever I am proud to own one of the early hulls that he built. I think that he was one of the best that walked this earth at building cold moulded sailing boat hulls out of Acume Gaboon African hard wood glued together with Epoxy resin. (Not polyester) sheathed in two layers of fibreglass cloth & epoxy resin finished in Awlgrip coating.

Now I will say that while I only paid $2,000 CDN for the boat, its dingy, two outboards, (one for each hull) plus all the rigging. sails. and equipment. The work I am having to do is brought about because while Tim built the hull; the first owner did the fit out and there lies the brunt of the work to correct all the mistakes: Thus at age 65 I am so embroiled in making up the difference in sweat equity from what I paid and the original value of the yacht when new. That transitioning from a boat restoration activity to a sailing interest has become quite a challenge. that I would not recommend to you or anyone.

However what ever vessel one chooses; it has to be a vessel you can develop an affinity too. For me it was all about being able to buy a work of fine art created by a master craftsman. Even if most other people in the world do not understand the concept behind the artists work.

One of the last masterpieces created by Tim Tuulos is located at:- Sailboats: 33' Tuulos Custom Yachts Sloop - Listing #: 4013

IF only I were a more wealthy man I might have been better off with this one instead for by all accounts it requires no work. Now it is true to say that it has been up for sale there for some time and I have not traveled over to see it personally.Thus the asking price has been dropping due to the poor economy, obsession with GRP and the inherent lack of understanding that not all wood hulls are created equal. There are no seams to caulk, It is half the weight and thus faster to sail. Tim only wanted to win races.

BTW I do know a yacht surveyor who is probably in transit to Anacortes moving a 33 foot lobster boat from NC. and does not have a backhaul.

[budm303]

Originally Posted by onestepcsy37

Ok I'm on a roll!

The two most important conditions for a liveaboard boat are;
1. Staying put in one place.
2. Staying afloat.

Already mentioned the anchor.

Haul out and check every fitting near or below the waterline. Repair or replace as needed. Install two large automatic bilge pumps and one large manual bilge pump. Everything else can break and be fixed when you have time, but anything below the waterline can sink you right now.

First priority is "staying afloat." If you want to stay in one place, stay ashore.

[dbSail]

Don't know about the east coast but here in Washington, the DNR does not let one live aboard at anchor or on a mooring ball for more than 30 consecutive days. It kinda sucks b/c I know someone with an old wooden boat that no one will insure that's getting kicked out of the marina for lack of insurance and now has no where to live permanently in his long term home. Check the regulations. There are places where wealthy people with waterfront properties don't like your boat sullying their view and put pressure on the authorities to make you move.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by dbSail

Don't know about the east coast but here in Washington, the DNR does not let one live aboard at anchor or on a mooring ball for more than 30 consecutive days. It kinda sucks b/c I know someone with an old wooden boat that no one will insure that's getting kicked out of the marina for lack of insurance and now has no where to live permanently in his long term home. Check the regulations. There are places where wealthy people with waterfront properties don't like your boat sullying their view and put pressure on the authorities to make you move.

From my experience marinas only require liability insurance which I would think you could get for just about any boat since it only covers damage to other boats and will not cost the insurance company a dime if your old wooden boat sinks.