I think it looks a lot less sketchy to be living on a small sailboat than it does on a small powerboat. In the six years I have lived in this town I don't think I have seen a small powerboat
liveaboard make it past 2 years. I have seen at least 15
liveaboard powerboats get impounded and subsequently mashed into the town dump.
I am also attending university. I use the school's gym for showers and the library as my study room. I would eat there too, but damn the cafeteria is expensive.
If you get a sailboat don't fall in to the trap I see many
buying into.
Solar power won't heat your boat in the
winter. Neither will
wind power. Those
solar cells will provide you with a $1000 dollar iphone
charger. Which is all the rage currently, but a waste in my opinion. As is the $600 iFacebook update device.
9k could get you a 30'-32' sailboat. But I wouldn't want to mess with a
single screw
trawler in that
price range. Also mechanical issues in boats don't involve changing the spark plugs or
oil. Also, no one wants to owner finance your
purchase unless they are trying to dump the boat. Which happens. But then why do you want that thing.