Living Aboard!

[drewzn]

After a few years of dreaming, we sold our house and are now official liveaboards! We closed on our house last week and moved on "Ronan", our 31' Pacific Seacraft Mariah31.

It was rather unexpected. We didn't plan to move aboard for another year, but we found out friends were looking to buy a house in our neighborhood. So, we sold them ours!

And the adventure begins!

[JK n Smitty]

Awesome. We are trying to do the same.

Be prepared for a lot of comments that "a 31 foot boat is too small".

Fair winds,

Jesse

[drewzn]

Good luck getting out on yours.

I'm sure! At 31 feet, she is just perfect for us. We were actually surprised that we easily fit all the gear we brought out to put on the boat. We have lots of extra room when we expected to have to put some things in storage.

[bbowers2004]

Welcome aboard, sounds like a great turn of events.

[ad5tj]

Welcome to the lifestyle I live aboard my 1978 hunter 30 its wonderful to be so in tune to the water, enjoy it, its great! I love it and you will too!

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by JK n Smitty

Awesome. We are trying to do the same.

Be prepared for a lot of comments that "a 31 foot boat is too small".

Fair winds,

Jesse

I would go even further and be prepared for "self-informed" opinions from people who know nothing about it but feel sure they have spotted the fatal flaw in your plan -- and have no reluctance to point it out to you.

They mean well, but they would be scared, and moving aboard tends to make "protectors" out of people who actually have no business trying to protect you, especially from your own choices.

It'll happen.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by ad5tj

Welcome to the lifestyle I live aboard my 1978 hunter 30 its wonderful to be so in tune to the water, enjoy it, its great! I love it and you will too!

It is a different (and to me treasured, even though I may soon be faced with having to end it) water experience.

Do make sure you find ways to keep below decks secure enough that you *can* actually sail the boat. My easy solution is lee cloths over the shelves. things then don't have to be perfectly in place to keep from flying around. Easy, fast solution to being less than perfect.

[Unkle Toad]

Great choice I love the mariah 31. great size capable of going pretty darn near anywhere and enough space inside for me to stand up. enjoy your boat.

[rw58ph]

My advise as you need to talk to other live a boards and the marina before winter sets in. Being you are a newbe, you probable do not understand what being a live aboard in the dead of winter requires. Make sure you have enough of the basics; heat, water, sanitation, storage. On a small boat condensation will become a big factor. Anyway make sure you understand what to expect.

[aspenhouse1]

rw58PH,

We are in Anacortes doing some repairs to our 44 foot pilot house Nauticat. We were just told that we might not be able to leave the Seattle Area until the first week of October. I noticed you are from that area and wondered if you could tell me about the weather/conditions if we were to sail south during that time of the season. We hope to sail into Mexico and be there for Christmas. That includes some time in San Fransisco to eat the famous chocolate.

[boating2go]

Remember what is right for you may be too small for some and too big for others. You will never please anyone but yourself so do not try to. I have friends living on a 25 foot sailboat and are very happy. I live on a 45 because I like comfort and room, my daughter thinks it is cramped compared to her large house and that I am crazy. So do what suits you and get the boat you like, when you are happy with you others will be happy to be with you.

[contrail]

I lived for 18 years on a 33 foot monohull, in various places in the Bay Area, San Diego, and Mexico, and now 9 years on a 45 foot cat in the Caribbean and East Coast. It has been great, either way. I had just as much fun on the 33 footer, and just as much space, since I use the 45 foot cat in the charter business. One thing I have always done is keep the boat, either one, ready to go sailing. Be sure to do this...it is easy to let it get away from you. Best of luck.

[Tomi]

just looked at some Mariah 31's for sale - what a boat! congratulations on your new lifestyle!

[Brian T]

I just recently moved off land and onto my 34' boat and have not regretted it for a second. Good luck and enjoy! Rememebr to not get frustrated when something goes wrong, it's just a way of forcing you to figure out (in detail) the various systems on the boat... and it's still better than dealing with problems on land

[boatsail]

I would rather live on my Cal at 27 foot traveling around crystal clear water than type this from my freakin office! I'm going, just not quite there yet. Still working on boat. I'm a couple of months behind on upgrades.