Living Aboard and Wishing Otherwise . . . Is it Just Me ?

[beiland]

Originally Posted by River Cruiser

I live aboard 8 to 9 months a year on the upper Mississippi. The easiest way for me to explain how I feel is that when I'am home I miss the boat & the river every day. When I'am on the boat I don't miss home at all..

Well put.

[beiland]

I'd be living aboard at least 3 different vessels if I had the money...


What would you build with a $600 million Lotto ticket?

Brian

[James S]

Originally Posted by beiland

I'd be living aboard at least 3 different vessels if I had the money...


What would you build with a $600 million Lotto ticket?

Brian

I really like your taste in boats/lines.

[rebel heart]

Use the boat as a vehicle (I guess somewhat literally in this case) to do something else. Surf in Ecuador, go live in a country and get a job there, etc. Don't make your whole world revolve around boats. Use them as a means to an end. The smaller and simpler the boat the more time and brain cells you can spend on other things. For some people (Nigel Calder, etc) they just love boat systems and dorking with all that stuff.

I do varnish and paint to protect wood so it serves its structural purpose, not to sit back and admire the results. There's pride in accomplishing things, but my primary goal is to experience the world with our boat, not to go around the world experiencing my boat, if that makes sense.

[bshamblin]

Can there perhaps still be a good cruising/liveaboard opportunity if one keeps moving ( however slowly ) along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the USA.

Anchor out, catch some fish, watch some sunsets, listen to some classical music, do some snorkle diving, cook some gourmet food, explore in the kayak, use the underwater metal detector, get some general delivery mail, move a few miles at least every other day so the Chamber of Commerce won't start to get nervous. Marina for supplies/restaurant and to use their krapper but not overnight.

There are still lots of beautiful places to overnight/live. Do the problems seem to line up when trying to stay in one place? Bill in NC/USA

[James S]

Welcome to the forum.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, bshamblin.

What you describe, sounds more like (coastal) "cruising", than live-aboard.

[mrohr]

No longer live aboard,love my home, love my boat,still cruise ; maybe the best of both worlds. Always tradeoffs in any life style you choose and money and health are a limiting factor in all.
Could easily move aboard if alone, but nowadays my wife would require more creature comforts not possible in my tidy craft. I enjoy sailing alone with wife or friends visiting for a short leg ,but because I'm not very plugged in, do not feel the need to get away from it all. Been there, done that.

Still ,there is much of Asia that is terra incognita to me..............Humm,well maybe.......

[bshamblin]

Regarding coastal cruising vs liveaboard, I'm hoping to get better and better at the craft so that it is living aboard for whatever time is available. 8-)

[beiland]

Originally Posted by bshamblin

Regarding coastal cruising vs liveaboard, I'm hoping to get better and better at the craft so that it is living aboard for whatever time is available. 8-)

Go for it,...it is a great lifestyle. And you will meet many interesting people, and have many interesting times. Learn to live 'on the hook' as often as possible. Its not quite as easy as it use to be back in the 60-80's, but it is doable. It sounds as though you are not strapped to a time constraint...all the better.

[Triton318]

Originally Posted by rebel heart

...but my primary goal is to experience the world with our boat, not to go around the world experiencing my boat...

Yes! That's how I feel. My boat is going back in the water tomorrow after three years on the hard. I'm moving aboard the following day. On June 1, 2013, I'm leaving to experience the world with my boat.

[Tony B]

Living aboard is not for everyone, it's a lifestyle choice.
You are one of the rare few that even gave it whirl and that's admirable.
Your choice to not live aboard is a true "been there and done that". Life is too short to be doing things you don't want to.

[Pat Ross]

Originally Posted by Tony B

Living aboard is not for everyone, it's a lifestyle choice.
You are one of the rare few that even gave it whirl and that's admirable.
Your choice to not live aboard is a true "been there and done that". Life is too short to be doing things you don't want to.

[Tony B]

Originally Posted by beiland

Go for it,...it is a great lifestyle. And you will meet many interesting people, and have many interesting times. Learn to live 'on the hook' as often as possible. ..............

+1

We have ben living aboard for at least 14 years and right now, we dont see anything changing. We are 65 and 71. The admiral attributes her good health to living aboard. More fresh air and more walking. We own 2 vehicles but still walk to anything within walking distance. If we were living in a house, we would be walking less, driving more and probably would become couch potatos. Not necessarily true, but likely.