Whattya Miss the Most?

[Mule]

I have a comfortable, but boring life. I have 5 shower heads in my oversized shower. a 21 cubic food freezer, a huge side by side frige-freezer, dishwasher, 2 wall mounted flats screens with hi def service, state of the art surround sound, latest-greatest front loader washer dryer, blue tooth, blackberry and more decadence than I deserve no doubt. Kind of a hi-tech red neck. Hell, my estranged even has a pathfinder diesel in her new VW, updated somewhat.

That being said, what do you experienced live aboards think I will miss the most if I embark on the lifestyle?

[Rhosyn Mor]

I don't miss anything.
(Living on a boat is different from cruising- All those material items can be had on a liveaboard)
cruising allows you to enjoy life with out all the accroutrements that adverts tell you are vital to a happy life
I will stop before I rant

[John A]

Depends on why you want to become a liveaboard. Only you can answer that.
But being as you asked for an opiniion, you're going to miss everything. and still not be happy.

[babykinz]

Only thing I miss is my washer and dryer....I hate laundry mats

We have our hi-def flat screen, computers, surround sound, blackberry..ect.

[Mule]

Originally Posted by babykinz

Only thing I miss is my washer and dryer....I hate laundry mats

We have our hi-def flat screen, computers, surround sound, blackberry..ect.

Yeah, I kindda thought about that. I bet you are not so quick to change clothes and "waste" clean clothes as you are in a dirt house as I described in the initial post. The less you mess up the less you have to go through the pain of the laundry mat.

Da Mule

[Cheechako]

probably the laundry situation, although you dont need many clothes.. OH , and I really missed: having to sit down and pay bills, having to straighten out somebody else's computer biling mistake, worry about cars, insurance, going to the doc every time I thought I was getting a terminal disease, buying many Christmas gifts in a panic for the clan without knowing what they would really like to get, hearing teh same news broadcast for a week or a month or a year.... etc etc....
INTERESTING NOTE: On one trip in the Carribean, (it was during the Clinton/Lewinski fiasco) we never listened to news for at least 6 months. When we started tuning in a short wave radio to get the news for something to do, nothing had changed! Same news as 6 months ago!! We quit tuning in.....

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Mule

That being said, what do you experienced live aboards think I will miss the most if I embark on the lifestyle?

You will miss it all.

Don't go. Stay at home


We would like to have all the goodies, but we can live enjoyably without them

Mark

[svquest2]

Bragging about all the stuff and the wasted space you have now. You seem to like mentioning details that don't mater.

You can have showers, furnaces, air conditioning, lights, music, TVs, a bar, dishwashers, washers and dryers, fireplaces, telephones and other types of communication, computers, and just about anything you have now; and in addition you can make your own purified water and electricity, but you will have to do it all in a smaller space. That however doesn't hurt anyone unless you are a very huge person.

But it is a different and very enjoyable & friendly lifestyle, where owners of big yachts mix warmly with owners of smaller yachts. You will know the people on your dock I expect much better than you know your neighbors now.

Good Luck

Joe S

[mesquaukee]

You obviously have everything you always wanted yet you are bored. All that stuff you listed hasn’t made you happy, they are just trophies that are on display.

Being a live aboard will not change anything. It will just be a new trophy room.

Get rid of all that crap. Go find something that stirs your passions.

[David M]

Originally Posted by Mule

That being said, what do you experienced live aboards think I will miss the most...

.....Room

[Mule]

Originally Posted by svquest2

Bragging about all the stuff and the wasted space you have now. You seem to like mentioning details that don't mater.

Good Luck

Joe S

================================================== ====

I really do not think of this as bragging, I just want folks to help me understand the shock I might be or not be in for. The house is only 1550 sq feet. My Daughters house is 2300 and my sons is 5500 sq feet. I do fine in small space even though I am 6' and 240.

I have taken the advice to heart about getting too much boat to start. I am listening and thinking about all the great input ya'll are giving.

Thanks All

[shadow]

I actually can't wait until I get on a boat!! I've moved so many times in my life that I am at an age now that I can really see how much "crap" I have and don't need or want. The thing I love about the boat lifestyle is that everything is built in and you don't have to purchase any new furniture, just the small stuff and even then you are very limited in space. It really forces you to be extremely efficient in your purchasing needs.

I also love the fact that you can set it up to be nearly fully off the grid and your true freedom is truly at hand. I am fully aware that I am not having romantic ideas that it is trouble free and cheap, but it can be a minute fraction of home ownership if done right. People always seem to be fearful of possibly missing something but after a short time, they or most will realize that they will adapt to the new smaller routines in life and can function comfortably with far less.

[svquest2]

Okay I was too hard on you. The point is you can duplicate most conveniences on a boat but the life is different. My live aboard time was done over 6 yrs in Mexico where the weather was good and the other cruisers were great. You might miss your big shower though.

Joe S

[sailtotrail.com]

I don't see where you say what you'll be living aboard. If it's the Bennington 22, you'll probably miss having a roof and walls the most. That said, there might be room to shack up in one of the Yamaha 115's.

A little more seriously though, if the things you listed are the things you're not going to be taking on board, wouldn't you be a better person to ask what you'll miss most?

I miss not having running hot and cold water and a fully equipped kitchen, but there are liveaboards who have those things (though they change the name to galley).

[Mule]

Uhh...that is 0ne Yamaha 115 and 3 pontoons on 1 boat. I could break the water speed record with 3 115's. it goes over 30 knots as it is. I will add a comma to help avoid confuision.