Gday Newsplash, Ive lived aboard for nearly 14 years on the Australian coast, predominately
Queensland, and know of many lifelong liveaboards that love life on the ocean. At present I am renovating a house and living in it at the same time. After living on the ocean so long I find living on land quite tortuous. If you are permanently attached to your tv and dishwasher and your daily visit to the local cafe with your dog in tow followed by a long hot
shower then life on the ocean may not be for you. If you seek adventure and meaning in your life amongst mostly likeminded and incredible people, then embrace a life on the ocean, I could not recommend it highly enough. Owning a house in Oz right now is not a good idea anyway, we are on the verge of the biggest reduction in housing prices in our
history. I am working on this house to get rid of it before the market gets any worse. Nearly all reputable economists in
Australia are predicting a further 10 to 20% above the
current 10% in 2019, so a great time to get out.
Boat selection is key here, the basics are important,
power generation and
storage, water capacity or production,
refrigeration etc. Simple effective easily maintained systems are far better than complex expensive difficult to maintain systems.
Hull materials are also very important, fibreglass is probably the easiest to maintain, old carvel planked timber hulls possibly the hardest to maintain. I have had great results with the british copper coat/shield antifoul, it is ten years since I antifouled. Mono or Multi is another choice that has a large role to play in the successful pursuit of life at sea. If I was cruising in predominately higher latitudes I would consider a
monohull, for
Queensland coastal cruising a cat has many advantages. I rarely if ever use
marinas and enjoy life on
anchor. If you like the idea of spending time in
marinas then a mono might be a better choice, marina
fees for my boat in abel point marina at airlie beach were in excess of 700 dollars a week in 2008, I have a 44ft
catamaran. Monos are far cheaperto keep in a marina than multis. I have not hauled out my boat for nine years either, cats can simply sit on a beach to undertake simple
maintenance jobs like replacing skin fittings cutlass bearings etc. Haul outs can be quite expensive. Monos can be careened and or beached depending on their design, something to consider when contemplating your prospective aquisition. With larger vessels there is always a question of
ownership, but not the one you might expect. The area of confusion lies in actually which is the owner and which the chattel, I am convinced my boat actually owns me as I find it difficult to escape its constant demands. Less complexity and easily and cheaply maintained systems will increase your long term enjoyment and may even lead to a delusional state in which you perceive yourself as the owner. I have seen large catamarans with 4 toilets and associated holding
tanks,
plumbing, skin fittings,
wiring etc.. I hope the chattels are hard working and not really interested in enjoying life on the ocean. Clearly they prefer repairing toilets and dishwashers etc. To snorkelling and
fishing or walking on a deserted beach. Each to his own I guess.
Goodluck with whatever you choose to do and if you are entertained by the inane ramblings of a land locked sailor feel free to pm me with any questions you have about suitable
boats for cruising. If nothing else I might raise questions that you may not have considered previously. Choosing a boat is a very personal experience and finding what best suits you may differ greatly from the next person. One simply needs look no further than the vast array of different automobiles on our roads, even those tasked with the same roles, to understand the diversity of both needs and tastes. May the seas be calm and the winds be at your back always.