Is it possible to "comfortably" live aboard in
Alaska? More specifically, in the marina in Homer or Seward? I've lived in Fairbanks, AK since 2011 so I'm no stranger to living in cold conditions, but living in a
cabin in the arid
interior is different than living on a
boat on the ocean I'm sure.
There doesn't appear to be much sailing in
Alaska, especially outside the inside
passage and even less about livingaboard.
After searching the
forums and other online locations I can't find the answers I'm looking for, which makes me think it's not done because it's a dumb idea.
Maybe someone with much more knowledge about this sort of thing would feel like giving me their 2 cents or point me in the right direction:
I am a geologist and spend my summers working in the field, usually in
remote locations from Mid-May until late September/October. After years of paying rent for a place I only use 1/2 the year I got fed up and for the past 2 years I've put my stuff in a
storage unit and been nomadic in the summers and have found month-to-month leases on places in the winter.
I've often thought of
learning to sail and eventually spending my winters working my way south from Alaska to warmer climates while returning to AK for the summer field-season. But 1st I need to learn to sail, and my
work schedule does not provide time for that during the sailing season up here.
My latest idea is to buy a
liveaboard and overwinter in it. I'm tired of paying rent on an empty house and my wanderlust/fear of commitment won't allow me to buy property. Living on a
boat I own sounds like a winner to me. I'd spend the winter
learning the ins and outs of boat
maintenance and sailing around Kachemak bay. Plus I'd have a home to go to on my odd break in the summers rather than camping or crashing at a friends place.
I have very limited sailing knowledge gained in the mid 2000s when my dad bought a Santana 20 and we spent a year teaching ourselves to sail around a lake in
Oregon. After that i got back in college and spent a semester involved with the sailing club, attending one
regatta before other obligations got in the way and my sailing experience ended. That was over a decade ago.
Anyways, can it be done? Is it done? Do I have no idea what I'd be in for?
If it's not a terrible idea, what should I look for in a
liveaboard based in Alaska? Thanks!