Some questions about living aboard....

[copaco]

https://www.canada.ca/en/environment...onditions.html I cannot copy image but Halifax is open water.

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by Oeanda

The live-aboard life can be pretty squalid. Cold, wet, dirty, painful. Lol.
.

Yes, Sharon and I live in frozen, moldy squalor just west of Toronto

[more]

Originally Posted by copaco

https://www.canada.ca/en/environment...onditions.html I cannot copy image but Halifax is open water.

https://www.seatemperature.org/north...ax-january.htm

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by copaco

https://www.canada.ca/en/environment...onditions.html I cannot copy image but Halifax is open water.

Halifax is a very well protected harbour. What do you mean "open water" ?

[Oeanda]

Originally Posted by boatpoker

Yes, Sharon and I live in frozen, moldy squalor just west of Toronto

Nice. I said it can be squalid. Not trying to be a naysayer. I don’t feel like I’m exactly living in squalor either. But there is that element to most of the live-aboards I know. It’s not for everyone. Seems like the people in my area with money enough to make their boat luxurious, whatever that means, just move ashore, where it’s far more luxurious for a lot less work and money.

[Boatyarddog]

Originally Posted by TangoKVictor

After living here 39 years winter, snow, ice, isn't new to me. I get it if it is something you don't want to deal with but I am looking for input from people who have so I can make an informed decision on if I want to deal with those challenges or not. Just pointing out "winter, snow, ice" isn't particularly helpful.

You may consider that you "asked a question"?
Usually thank you is the proper reply.
Boatyarddog

[Boatyarddog]

Originally Posted by Cadence

This sounds like me when I'm three sheets to the wind.

Right!
Or during a intense squall!
WTF
Why am I doing this to myself!
Ahhhhhh!

Boatyarddog

[gbowen]

We built a boat in NZ and sailed it to Alaska. We lived aboard for 14 years with a cat, dog and two kids. It was 42 ft on deck with a stand up engine room with a vice and drill press.
We took our laundry to a laundromat at the weekend and kept a diesel stove always on. We were in a marina and storms were not a big issue. We walked everywhere and did not have a car for awhile. Cars were parked in the marina parking lot. We paid a liveaboard fee so had access to restrooms, showers and garbage disposal.

It had its challenges. Your clothes can freeze to the hull, you do not want to use the boat out on the water because you might miss work or the kids might miss school. Also, drunks and thieves might be on the docks too. Our worst night was when the fishing fleet was in and they ran their diesels all night. It was hard to breathe.

All considered, it was a lifesaver for us financially. I also used the boat as an office giving me $30,000 of tax write-offs. It was never insured.

If you are on your own it is very manageable, I believe. The question is your level of desire to do this. I loved living on my boat and enjoyed the peace, all the weather and the wildlife around us.

Good luck with your venture!

[Lancerbye]

It all depends on the type of boat you buy and how frugal you want to live. I bought a motorsailer 15 years ago. It was in good shape even though it was 25 years old at the time. I am able to do all the maintenance myself and that is a big savings. I live at the other end of Canada, north of Vancouver Island. We have seen 10 below Celsius this year and maybe 6 in. of snow. Not a problem. My boat is very comfortable. I live in a marina during the winter months and cruise the West coast in the summer. I pay for year round moorage and liveaboard. It comes out to $288 per month for moorage, hydro and liveaboard fees. Have a dehumidifier, washer/dryer, 7.5 cu.ft. freezer, twin engines and sails. It's 44 ft long and the easiest boat of many I have had to handle. Having a few years of experience helps. It's all a learning experience.

[Marutji]

Originally Posted by longjonsilver

Armdale Yacht club allows year around living aboard. You might have to join the club to do so tho, or so i have been told.

Dartmouth Club allows living aboard most of the year but not winter - excuse is the docks are frozen. i know because i had a friend that tried to do it for several years and he had to camp out at his son's apartment for several months a year.

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...tia-46971.html

jon

Hi Long John Silver. A bit off topic, but just wanted to call you out on your avatar. More specifically this:

"Astronomy says we will find a coded signal from outer space. Then we'll KNOW that life exists there, for coded signals aren't by chance. Biology says there are coded genetic signals in every cell, but we KNOW that no intelligence created life."

Astronomers look for sequences of numbers that suggest a high probabilty of advanced life, (such as sequences of prime numbers). The existence (or non-existence) of these sets of numbers only suggests that life exists (or doesn't exist) and has no bearing on whether that life evolved by chance or was created. It simply isn't relevant to the search.

Happy Sailing!

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

If you can’t work from the boat then rent a small apartment and work like crazy towards early retirement. That’s kinda what I did.



If you can work from the boat then set off to paradise and be the one that makes everyone jealous.



I would not live aboard for a job ashore.

The last line is the one to listen too.

[mako]

From a practical point of view I would suggest you consider a small trawler. A powerboat with a small pilot house will give you more usable space, more light and more enjoyment to cruise on a very cold day. A single guy could make do with a 34 footer but if you can afford a 36-40ft Taiwan trawler then you can have a dedicated home office as well as a dry shower.

[sinnerman]

My main concern would be the cold.

Most boats are NOT insulated from the cold. Therefore the humidity from your breathing/exhaling will condense on the "cold plate" surfaces and start to grow mold.

You will need heat. A GOOD heating system, possibly a dehumidifier, as well as insulating some of the exterior surfaces. For a heating system I would suspect the best would be a diesel heater which circulates hot water through the boat through radiators like in a house. That way the temp is more stable than a hot air system which constantly turns "on/off"..

Ice will be a concern if the marina freezes over in winter. Also, getting to/from the boat/marina with groceries in ice/inclement weather.

If you are looking for more of a floating house than a sailing vessel, I would tend towards a cabin cruiser rather than a sailboat. You will have much more room, and less problems with the rigging/sails which can be expensive. The main driver for having a sailing vessel (other than the joy of being silently propelled through the water by the wind), is fuel costs. A cabin cruiser drinks fuel. Wind is "free".

You can probably find an old cruiser with bad engines just to live on and never go out (like those rogue cops in the movies always seem to live on...). Or a houseboat..

Cheers

[Boatyarddog]

Originally Posted by TangoKVictor

That could work actually, or I could live in it on land while it is trailered.

Perfect situation for learning about living on a boat??
This would work for you?

That would be a nightmare for me.
Boatyarddog

[hpeer]

Well we all probably scared the outta here by now.

He was just looking for a dockorama. A boatie crash lad for a while.

That is doable with a little foresight.

Yeah there are challanges, but not insurmountable.

Can he do it for less money than renting or buying? He has $25k to start with a $10k reserve. That is a pretty light budget IMHO. But then he has to look at dock space and other recurring costs. It may work out.

I would NOT recommend being off a dock. Waaay to much to go wrong in that cold water. And we live aboard off the dock for long periods, but in warm water.