" Honey, Let's Sell the House 'n Live on a Boat !" Three Weeks Later, Here We Are

[Punx]

My fiancée (Bacon_and_legs) and I got tired of living the normal life in a huge, overwhelming 2400 square foot house. There was just too much cleaning, yard work, gardening, repairing etc... The only way we could afford a house, was to rent out all our spare rooms. This meant we now had to clean up after twice as many people. Along with hoarding and stashing useless items we thought we might need 5 years from now, the pains of owning a house just kept piling up.

One day, in a conversation with my fiancée, I jokingly mentioned that we should sell everything and live on a boat. After briefly looking up the costs involved, I started to dig a little deeper, and realized that it was actually more cost effective to live on a boat, that it was to rent an apartment. It’s only $350 a month to live on a boat, while the equivalent land dwelling would be upwards of $600-$700 after utilities. After 2-3 years, the boat will pay for itself. I pitched the idea to my lovely fiancée once again, and to my surprise, she jumped at the idea.

We immediately started searching for boats, and researching how to live on them through the winter. Our first choice was an old 44’ wooden Pacemaker. If we were a little less impulsive and wanted to wait a year to fix one up, we probably would have stuck to the idea. However, being new to everything about boats, we decided we should probably start looking at steel or fiberglass hulls.

The wooden hull pacemakers were pushed aside, and we started looking for mid to late 70’s Trojans. The unique styling and overcompensated fiberglass hull is exactly what we were looking for. We eventually stumbled on a 1976 36’ F-36 Tri-Cabin. This boat was a recent trade-in that the marina was trying to get rid of as soon as possible because they didn’t have any room to store it.

After paying for a survey, filling it up, paying to have a captain pilot it over to us, and buying all the safety equipment, she came out to just shy of $13,000. She is an absolute dream.

Both my fiancée and the boat J We’re putting in a lot of time retrofitting her in an effort to get her ready for the winter. We have less than a month before they turn our water off, but I think we should be able to get everything done in time.

This forum, along with a few Trojan specific forums, have been a life saver for us and we appreciate all the help and information we have received. We intend on posting another million questions during our quest, but hope to repay the favors in a few years when we’re the ones providing help for others.

So yeah, that’s our story. We will have a build thread up shortly, I'll edit this post with the link when it's up. I'll also have pictures up as soon as I can find some time to do so

[rhr1956]

Kinda like skinny dippin isn't it. You just shuck your stuff and jump in!

[osirissail]

Interesting boat - looked it up in a Google search and found one in Portland Oregon selling for US$28 (28 dollars) see: 36’ Trojan F-36 Tri-Cabin Motor Boat

Others listed ranged from US$20K to $40K all tricked out with fancy electronics, etc. Others listed for US$9K. Seems the prices are all over the place. There was on in Georgia on the hard that sold for $9K.
- - The seem to need some cabin refitting due to rotted out wood but for a static live-aboard it sure looks like a great boat.

[wingNwing]

I love reading stories like yours! Been living aboard 10 years now, trying not to gloat when my friends say they have to rake the leaves or clean the rain gutters.

[Blue Stocking]

My father told me and my brothers, "never let down a good mind", as in, "I gotta good mind too-----"

Way to go

[Cats Eye]

Congrats on the big move!! I have living aboard with my husband for 11 years. I love it! BUT we have NEVER mastered living on $350 a month!
We where looking at going into a marina tomorrow night at Block Island, RI - $4.50 a foot. That would blow 1/2 the budget for the month in one night!!

Good luck and welcome to live aboard!!!

[foggysail]

Everyone has dreams, some attempt to fulfill them. But are you really weighing apples and apples when you analyze the cost? Now again, I am not trying to cast cold water on your choice of homestead but you must realize being located in Canada there will be a lot of cold water.

You traded a 2400 square foot warm home for about 240 square feet of living space where as of now you don't know how warm it will be. That in itself is a large compromise. My home is just a shade larger than the home you traded for a boat. My boat is a 40' Silverton aftcabin that is completely enclosed. I think of it often during the cold months, anxiously waiting for spring to arrive. But I could never think about living on it.

Now this summer Wifey and I met a couple at our marina who have lived on a boat for over the last 20 years! They just purchase a 30' Non-Such that I must say is a very nice boat. They intend to take it to warmer waters for the winter and seem to be very pleased with their living quarters. OH--- they are also from Canada and they are also a very nice couple.

So I guess it really comes down to each doing what they yearn to do.

Good luck, stay safe and if you're really happy, enjoy the moments. Life is short.

Foggy

[Cougar189]

I'm right there with you. Not made it to the liveabord yet but I can see it from here. We do spend every weekend on her. My wife and I cant wait till the day of the BIG YARD SAIL.... Just waiting for the kids to finish school (and move out). I cant beleve some of the slip fees out there. Ive seen 1200.00 a month before. We have two boats (the little 25' is for sale) so we have two slip fees. I guess Im in a good place here. The little one is 120.00 and the big girl goes for 180.00 a month. Thats on a great lake in East Tn. Not the big blue but we can get to the Gulf of Mexico from here. Then just try to stop us.....

[justlearnin]

Originally Posted by Punx

My fiancée (Bacon_and_legs) and I got tired of living the normal life in a huge, overwhelming 2400 square foot house. There was just too much cleaning, yard work, gardening, repairing etc... The only way we could afford a house, was to rent out all our spare rooms. This meant we now had to clean up after twice as many people. Along with hoarding and stashing useless items we thought we might need 5 years from now, the pains of owning a house just kept piling up.

One day, in a conversation with my fiancée, I jokingly mentioned that we should sell everything and live on a boat. After briefly looking up the costs involved, I started to dig a little deeper, and realized that it was actually more cost effective to live on a boat, that it was to rent an apartment. It’s only $350 a month to live on a boat, while the equivalent land dwelling would be upwards of $600-$700 after utilities. After 2-3 years, the boat will pay for itself. I pitched the idea to my lovely fiancée once again, and to my surprise, she jumped at the idea.

We immediately started searching for boats, and researching how to live on them through the winter. Our first choice was an old 44’ wooden Pacemaker. If we were a little less impulsive and wanted to wait a year to fix one up, we probably would have stuck to the idea. However, being new to everything about boats, we decided we should probably start looking at steel or fiberglass hulls.

The wooden hull pacemakers were pushed aside, and we started looking for mid to late 70’s Trojans. The unique styling and overcompensated fiberglass hull is exactly what we were looking for. We eventually stumbled on a 1976 36’ F-36 Tri-Cabin. This boat was a recent trade-in that the marina was trying to get rid of as soon as possible because they didn’t have any room to store it.

After paying for a survey, filling it up, paying to have a captain pilot it over to us, and buying all the safety equipment, she came out to just shy of $13,000. She is an absolute dream.

Both my fiancée and the boat J We’re putting in a lot of time retrofitting her in an effort to get her ready for the winter. We have less than a month before they turn our water off, but I think we should be able to get everything done in time.

This forum, along with a few Trojan specific forums, have been a life saver for us and we appreciate all the help and information we have received. We intend on posting another million questions during our quest, but hope to repay the favors in a few years when we’re the ones providing help for others.

So yeah, that’s our story. We will have a build thread up shortly, I'll edit this post with the link when it's up. I'll also have pictures up as soon as I can find some time to do so

So where in southern on are you? and welcome

[Tori]

We rented the house and live aboard

[oldcal46skipper]

My wife and I lived aboard our Cal 46 for 18 years. The happiest 18 years of our lives! We would still be living aboard and cruising, but my health issues have precluded that wonderful existence.

Some reasons for living aboard:
-Freedom. If you don't like your neighbors, move on. Don't like the cold, go south. Don't like the government, move to another country.

-Independence. Can you handle being free?

-Adventure. Exciting, entertaining and scary, at times.

-Family. Relationships aboard between family members improve. Well maybe not all the time. Listen to Eileen Quinn's songs about "Capable Cruisers"

-Green. Liveaboards are minimum consumers of energy and resources. Heating 400 SF of boat vs. 4,000 SF of house

-Healthy. Spiritually, emotionally and physically.

-Budget. It cost us much less to live aboard and cruise. We rarely spent over $1,000 a month when cruising. We anchor out, by choice. We met a family of four Canadians cruising their 30' steel hull sailboat in the Sea of Cortez in 1989 who were living on $275 a month. They ate a lot of fish, beans and rice, but were healthy and HAPPY!

Do it now!

[markmark]

I am joining the club

I am in!!!!!!

[Eleven]

Well done. Wish you were - Woops, Wish my Wife had your attitude, I'd still have my Cat and two years house rental in my bank.

[bchaps]

My wife and I met with the Realtor last week. He gave us a "punch list"...so instead of cruising the Bahamas this winter we're fixing the house to make a Spring listing.

The plan is to to live aboard at least a year and then if the sirens are still calling maybe an apartment somewhere...otherwise, try for two years, or three. I'm thinking how much we should be saving while living on the boat and not having the land base expense and headaches. That's a lot of boat bucks!

Bill and Judy

[Shanaly]

great to hear - I live happily aboard, I put off buying for all my life until recenty because i felt yachts depreciate while properties rise. however I estimate that costs are less than mortgage/rent as you say. and the investment is tiny. a rule of thumb for upkeep is 10% of the (fair) value pa, which i think must be an average over the lifecycle. good luck !