Making Plans to Live Aboard a Sailboat

[captmikem]

Lauren,
If you do not mind a bit of advice from an old sailor who has ‘been there done that’ (keep in mind advice is worth just what you pay for it), I will pass along a bit of it.

First, you are new to this game, and only have dreams based on what you know so far. Things change exponentially once you start experiencing them.
First off, a small simple boat is so much more easy to move, sail, sell, maintain, and enjoy than one with many systems. An anchorage is so much more enjoyable than a marina with electricity, water, cable tv etc. Less is more.

Now forgive my directness but you have little to no experience on how to accomplish this dream. If I might make a suggestion;

Before buying a boat do one of the following.
1. Get a job on a mega yacht. You can do it, I used to drive them all over the world and I have hired many people, experience counts but more than experience a willingness to work the boat, do most any job, and LEARN the various gear on a boat are more important. IF you are serious and determined, you CAN get a job on a mega yacht. You will then be able to save nearly every dollar you make as you have no expenses, you get to experience and learn the sea, you will meet many people on small boats and find out what they like and dislike, what works and does not work, what is needed and is not needed. Get a job as a stewardess, deckhand, nanny, whatever. If you think you can do it you can do it. Use companies like Yacht Crew Register, 37 South, etc. They are much better than the small crew finders in Ft Lauderdale etc.

2. Search crew blogs (such as this one) and find a boat with a family that is cruising that needs a crew. It will not pay much if anything, but it should cost you nothing and you can get experience WHILE you are looking for a job on a mega yacht. Plus you are gaining experience. Be careful though, there are some folks on small boats who will not have your best interests at heart.

Now after a year or two on a mega yacht, you will have money, knowledge and experience and you will be far better versed to pursue your dream.

Good Luck Lauren, believe you can do it, don’t hesitate, and have a truly wonderful adventure.

M

[sailjumanji]

Mentally you are ready to make the jump. Financially, you need a budget of about 10x your plan, and this will still be woefully inadequate for some things you listed. You need a job that can get you there ASAP. I can't envision that being anything other than land based.

[boatpoker]

Lauren:
Over the years I have been a member of this forum there have been dozens (hundreds ?) of people pose similar questions. My feelings about 99% of them are .... disaster looking for a place to happen. Once in a while we come across someone who just feels right. You are the one ! Go for it. It can be done with the right attitude and I sense that attitude in you.

If I may suggest, start learning as much as you can about the mechanics of boats, any idiot can learn to sail, to keep the boat sailing is another trick.

Start here Marine Survey 101

[TrentePieds]

Lauren:

You might like to know this :-): I am an antique. Long after I was of an age where I had any right to expect that such a ting would happen, a wonderful woman entered my life. She had just retired and wanted to know what I wanted to do with my life :-). "Go sailing" sez I. After having been ashore for forty years or so. Well MyBeloved had NEVER set foot in a boat in all her life. So we bought one, and she is now "my last sailing student" :-)

Her "homework" for this summer is to use Boatpoker's Marine Survey 101 as a checklist for making sure that TrentePieds would pass a survey by Boatpoker. Which ain't easy!

You'll be in good company :-)!

TP

[RaymondR]

Google Julia Hazel and "Jeshan".

[OldManMirage]

You do have an awful lot to learn still. Its such a steep curve at the beginning. I definitely think you should do it though !

My advice mirrors an earlier post. Find and buy a decent Catalina 27 with an outboard. My wife and I lived on one for 3 years. It was our second boat - the first one was a little Skippers Mate 17 trailer sailer that we learned to sail on. We bought that because we were 60 miles from sailing waters at the time and it was the best compromise for us. When we moved, we traded the Skipper for the Catalina.

Buy that Catalina 27, which you can find tons of them cheaply, live and sail on it a couple of years - which you can do cheaply - and then you will really know a lot more about what you like and don't like.

That is inline with your goals and can be done within the budget you talk about.

[rourkeh]

For $3,000 you are probably looking at something with an air valve and a foot pump. Check Wallmart

[OldManMirage]

Originally Posted by rourkeh

For $3,000 you are probably looking at something with an air valve and a foot pump. Check Wallmart

Well that's really not helpful. Come to Florida and you can find plenty of boats that make fine coastal cruisers. I bought my 2nd Cataline 27 - a 1976 with a great running Yanmar inboard - for $3500.


Yes it needed some work here and there. But the sails were good, the interior was decent, rigging was not original, and as stated the engine ran fine.


A quick check of my local Craigslist pulls up the following :


https://jacksonville.craigslist.org/...626580126.html

https://jacksonville.craigslist.org/...636168515.html

https://jacksonville.craigslist.org/...619421214.html

3 Sailboats - an Ohlson 31, an Ericson 29, and a Catalina 27 all under $5000. Go buy one and go sailing.

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by rourkeh

For $3,000 you are probably looking at something with an air valve and a foot pump. Check Wallmart

Either you are trying to be amusing or you don’t have a realistic understanding of what can be done with a very small amount of money.

[john61ct]

Gets a bit more challenging when blue water is.in the immediate plans.

Yes, can sometimes be "very cheap" compared to what most think is required, but it does make restrict the list of suitable boats and increases the quality / condition side of the equation.

But the OP doesn't seem to even have a super-low budget ready to go, nor a plan for earning a decent income, so IMO that really needs to come first, get the cart out from before that horse.

[OldManMirage]

Here are a couple closer to where she lives.

Catalina 27 for $3400 in Baltimore
https://harrisburg.craigslist.org/bo...604611405.html


Another C27 in Northern Jersey, may be sold by now
https://newjersey.craigslist.org/boa...597251343.html

Both would be fine for a single person liveaboard in a marina environment. Do it for a few years and you would learn a lot.


Just saying there are boats out there for all people. You don't need a 6-figure income to be a sailor. Although perhaps some of those that do wish those that don't wouldn't.


I did say some - not all !

[john61ct]

Originally Posted by OldManMirage

You don't need a 6-figure income to be a sailor. Although perhaps some of those that do wish those that don't wouldn't.

my brain hurts

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by john61ct

my brain hurts

Me to John.....
time for a musical interlude

https://youtu.be/LIeLeIwwpHc

[GrowleyMonster]

I agree with Clorox on the Catalina 27. A good learner boat, not too cramped for a single person, and there are a lot of them around in various states of repair, some that could go for $3k or even less. The trick is to buy it already in a transferable slip in a good but cheap marina. And think of it as a cheap floating apartment for the first several months, while you get to know your neighbors, who hopefully will become a valuable resource as you wrap your mind around refit/upgrade, maintenance, and actually taking the boat out for a day. Startt with baby steps.

[sailjumanji]

Originally Posted by john61ct

Gets a bit more challenging when blue water is.in the immediate plans.

Yes, can sometimes be "very cheap" compared to what most think is required, but it does make restrict the list of suitable boats and increases the quality / condition side of the equation.

But the OP doesn't seem to even have a super-low budget ready to go, nor a plan for earning a decent income, so IMO that really needs to come first, get the cart out from before that horse.

Agree. As for the others that say her plan is doable because you've managed to find boats that are close - but still above - the $3000 she has to spend. And you really expect everything onboard to work? Motor, sails, electrical, rigging? What's liability insurance cost, marina? OK, she'll anchor. Dinghy cost?

IMO, you do a disservice to those asking when you encourage even just a liveaboard lifestyle on practically zero budget. Coastal cruising costs even more. Blue water - as she says is her hope - well, really? OK, I'll jump to the other side and say "follow your dream!". But first make a pile of money to finance it because $3000 is woefully inadequate.