What Are the Disadvantages of Living Aboard ?

[zeehag]

formosa owners NEED liquid caulk--buy it and the stock for the company and enjoy the drip free boating we all love.....i cannot find it anymore--doesnt exist in sd or in mexico for some reason.....must be bought online.

formosa chainlates are not bulkhead mounted. performance cruisers have that problem. garden designs usually have other problems instead.

our chainplates forward are mounted on stringers. these can become wet with incoming rainwater. use the liquid caulk to get into the nooks and crannies we have inherent in our boats. ours are different than most boats and easier to repair. is awesome how these were designed. use acetone to clean the areas before using the caulk so it will stick well.
our aft chainplates are mounted outboard with thru bolts into stringers, as well. these are sturdy solid boats. make sure the forward ones donot leak as that is bad bad bad for boat deck and stringers. donot want to have to replace decking or stringer interiors.

doNOT use captain tolleys crack cure--will further crack the woods in your glass over wood decking. is good forunder the grab rails but will NOT fix any problems o a formosa. liquid caulk is much better. cpt tolleys is an epoxy mess with expansion tendencies. i ruineed some of my wood using that stuff. do NOT use on a formosa.

[somecountrygirl]

thanks everybody - for the moment i wrapped an engine diaper around it and plastic sheeting and trying to redirect the water to flow around it - cant diss a girl for trying right? did find some black roof caulk that you can use when wet but im afraid if i use that , my hubby will have a hissy. awaiting his call - wait here he is

[zeehag]

i used a teflon brown outdoor house caulk for an emergency leakage in bow and is spozedly easily removable and doesnt melt in water as some household caulks do. sounds like ye did a good job.....the black stuff is harder to remove. is good for teak decks as it is poly sulfide and spozed to be in the cracks between the teak decking boards.
does your formosa still have teak decks???

[roverhi]

The roof caulk you get from Home Improvement Stores is a petroleum based close relation to asphalt. Don't use the stuff as it melts in the sun and leaves an oily residue that other types of caulks won't stick to. It's primary job is to hide bad roof installs long enough to sell the house.

[zeehag]

look for the teflon based brown not tan one in homeless depot.. it worked for me and isnot petroleum based goo. is teflon and works without melting in sun. that is for quick seal and not permanent work. removes easily as well. i used it on my bow to seal leaks i found from wires going thru deck. the tan one did goo on me and i had to remove it and use the brown one. i still have brown one around my forehatch base. kinda matches my hatch.. i no longer have teak decks.if you do, there is a different caulk to use.

[somecountrygirl]

well with a break in the rain, a heat gun, and some clear caulk i found....i will be pretty proud of myself if this works!

[somecountrygirl]

no teak decks...thank goodness...ok thank you everyone for the help....im over abd out

[zeehag]

good -is easier in bayou in brackish water to deal with fiberglass over plywood than with teak decks needing constant sea water douches.
be careful not to use silicone caulk--residue doesnt come off.
goood luck and have fun!! you have a great boat there and is gonna do ye well.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by markpj23

There are liveaboard slips available in San Diego with a reasonable wait list. Chula Vista marina and now the soon-to-open Pier 32 Marina complex in National City.

Pier 32 is now accepting slip deposits and they expect to open in September. They are also taking liveaboard reservations for a percentage of their slips. Prices are to be in the $10 - $14 per foot range according to the letter I got.

Of course - keeping the 'taggers' away from your hull may be another problem...

What are 'taggers?'

[roverhi]

Graffiti artists. These marinas are in the South Bay. Largely Hispanic neighborhoods

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by Capt Phil

We loved life aboard.......... but there wasn't the govt watching everything you did with your family like they do today............there are too many legal impediments to bring their families up the way they were raised... pity!...........I would highly recommend the life aboard, with kids or not, but try and find a place without all the oversight and restrictions we have now... Capt Phil

This may be state and local policies that Capt Phil is referring to. In many areas of the US home schooling opportunities have increased over recent decades, especially with online offerings. Since we bought our first live aboard vessel in 1971 the only national government law that has had an affect on our living aboard is the Clean Water Act of 1972 and this has had a beneficial impact. Of course, Georiga legally blocks living aboard, but there are rarely any other restrictions on the East US Coast. I hear far more references to restricted opportunities in Southern California by local policies and limited availability. We have found easy access an freedom with many living aboard opportunities without restrictions or government oversight.

[zeehag]

pier 32 has been open for a coupla years now.