How Did You Downsize Before Moving Aboard ?

[Sam Plan B]

Ah, well then. If space is the deciding issue, I would suggest you broaden your perspective. If you must take your furniture and household appliances along, try something like the boat shown on the following website.

1966 Custom Trawler For Sale In |CITY|, Maryland - BoatTrader.com

You may find a place for that pool table though making a tight shot in a seaway will take practice, practice, practice.

[elf]

Originally Posted by Sam Plan B

Ah, well then. If space is the deciding issue, I would suggest you broaden your perspective. If you must take your furniture and household appliances along, try something like the boat shown on the following website.

1966 Custom Trawler For Sale In |CITY|, Maryland - BoatTrader.com

You may find a place for that pool table though making a tight shot in a seaway will take practice, practice, practice.

Cute boat! My point was only that downsizing is an issue, no matter what size boat ya' buy -- most folks still have to get rid of a LOT of stuff to move aboard, unless it all goes into storage. So you give some away, have a garage sale, craigslist, donate, throw out, and on and on....it takes time and effort and does not happen overnight unless you're already living a much simpler life than most folks (at least here in the US) are.

[SURV69]

One thing's obvious about living aboard . . .

Unless you buy the Queen Mary, you will not take much stuff with you.

You can give stuff away, burn it or store it . . . but you'll live without it on board.

So, evidently, liveaboard is as much about the psyche as much as anything. If you have the subconscience need to "own" things, thenliving aboard is probably not for you.

I, generally like to see what I can live without, instead of worrying about what I can't live without.

I also realize I'd probably clutter up a 40 foot schooner just about as fast as I could clutter up a 26 footer if I don't stay dilligent about what is essentially "trash" in my life.

[charley]

I am hoping and planning to move aboard when the boy finishes high school in 2 1/2 years. I have been a minimalist all my life. My wifey on the other hand "needs" things. The several hundred pounds of craft stuff will for sure be hard to store onboard. I just hope I can convince here that we do not need to keep everything we have now at her parents.

What to keep? Winter clothes, camping gear?

[gonesail]

i think the law is: we will fill up any space we live in .. and then will probably claim we need more space. here in the united states i think many folks living in various sized mcmansions will be shocked and amazed at what it takes to downsize.

[SVKokopelli]

We occasionally have to go back to work so we bought a 20' trailer (car hauler) rather than pay for storage and U-Haul truck rental to move stuff around the country. We keep the "must keep" items (Admiral's antiques and mementos, and some of my tools) stored in it. We also have an older Ford diesel truck we store when we are out. Whatever you do, unless you are not planning on coming back for a couple of years or more...keep the car. We made the mistake of selling the car when we took off the first time and regretted it.

[SURV69]

send your wife back to school to learn how to make "miniature" arts and craft things.

Maybe she can learn to make more "sailing" related stuff that could be sold for a little extra money.

[elf]

Originally Posted by SVKokopelli

Whatever you do, unless you are not planning on coming back for a couple of years or more...keep the car. We made the mistake of selling the car when we took off the first time and regretted it.

Why? Just curious what your experience was.

Also, where do you keep your 20' trailer while you're out cruising?

Thanks!

[SVKokopelli]

Originally Posted by elf

Why? Just curious what your experience was.

Also, where do you keep your 20' trailer while you're out cruising?

Thanks!

We sold the truck the first time we went out and when we came back, we ended up borrowing relatives cars. We felt like kids again having to ask permission to use the car. We didn't like the loss of freedom and we ended up getting another truck and have found places to store it. Usually the marina where you keep your boat will let you store it for free ... our experience. Then when you get back, you have transportation.

We keep the trailer on a cousins property. He has 5 acres and it's stored out in back of the property.

[feelsgood]

when we moved from our 3 bedroom house to our colvic watson 32 I watched my wife Sally cry when she realised that 3 bedrooms doesnt go into 32 ft but now she has the same mind that if you want new something old must go.
Regards Pete (the understanding husband)

[elf]

Originally Posted by feelsgood

when we moved from our 3 bedroom house to our colvic watson 32 I watched my wife Sally cry when she realised that 3 bedrooms doesnt go into 32 ft but now she has the same mind that if you want new something old must go.
Regards Pete (the understanding husband)

It usually seems to be women who have a hard time letting go of stuff. I am finding it relatively easy to donate, sell, or recycle newer items that aren't loaded with memories, but stuff from my childhood or handmade items from family members are nearly impossible to part with. I am very sentimental, I guess, and I suspect that's a pretty common trait among women. I realize I'm generalizing, but most men here (and my husband) don't seem to have much trouble parting with their worldly goods. True?

[Stillraining]

Dang..I must be a GIRL...yuck!

[Hudson Force]

I recently visited my niece's house for Thanksgiving dinner. She was a baby back when we'd been living aboard for twenty years. Her house is full of stuff,- her garage is full of stuff,- she has a utility shed in the back yard that is full of stuff...I don't get it! My wife and I have been living aboard for almost forty years and my stuff can still fit in the trunk and back seat of a rental car,- my own car if I owned one! Why do people have stuff that is only stored? What is this interest in stuff?

[Sam Plan B]

I am an only child and both of my parents are gone. They had mountains of stuff when they passed on but they didn't take any of it with them. It all went for donations. The only think I kept were the photo albums. Even my father's WWII photo album went to the Imperial War Museum. Now, I have lots of books and this computer. And two extra bottles of propane. Those are the things that matter.

One thing that is slightly off-topic. A harbor police officer came by my boat yesterday. She asked, "Do you live aboard?" I said no. "Good answer", she replied. It seems that some marinas are acceptable to live aboard and some are not...regardless of what the marina management says. So, think hard about your answer if the police ask the question. The safest answer is always, no.

[First Mate]

we sold the house and all our stuff in summer of 2008. or most of it. we're still downsizing and haven't bought the boat yet.

I must have 50 t-shirts, one dating back to 1974 - it doesn't fit anymore. I can't give it up because it was the t-shirt I wore when I was a bartender at the Armadillo World Headquarters - I could probably sell it on E-Bay (groan).

I am still digitizing all of my parents collection of slides, photos and WW2 memorabilia - they both have passed away. I have literally thousands of images I have digitized.

I swear I will NEVER again in my life collect any stuff. this is ridiculous. If you can't use your stuff to wear it, cook, eat, sit on it, sleep on it, etc. - it's a waste of money and energy. Dumping our stuff and my parents 60 year collection of stuff has just about made me a fanatic for clearing clutter and becoming a minimalist.

yikes I hate stuff.