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31-07-2018, 14:31
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: St. Petersburg, FL
Boat: 1987 Jefferson Rivanna 52'
Posts: 14
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Hello from the Mountains of Colorado
...hopefully not for long!
Currently living 9,000 feet (2,727 m) above sea level on the edge of the Arapaho National Forest in Colorado - Gilpin County, west of Denver.
The Admiral and I have decided it's time to pull the plug on all that, sell everything, and buy a liveaboard boat. Currently looking for a PDQ 34 Power Cat (I wish we could afford a PDQ 41!). While I'm leaning toward the US West Coast, if the boat we find is in the Caribbean, or someplace on the East Coast of the US, that would probably be fine too.
I'm not retired...yet, but only need Internet to work from anywhere in the world. So we're ready to begin... but don't know quite how to do that!
I don't even know what questions to ask yet!
Cheers!
Bob
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31-07-2018, 23:40
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#2
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Moderator
Join Date: May 2008
Location: cruising SW Pacific
Boat: Jon Sayer 1-off 46 ft fract rig sloop strip plank in W Red Cedar
Posts: 20,816
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Re: Hello from the Mountains of Colorado
Quote:
Originally Posted by BobFromColorado
...hopefully not for long!
Currently living 9,000 feet (2,727 m) above sea level on the edge of the Arapaho National Forest in Colorado - Gilpin County, west of Denver.
The Admiral and I have decided it's time to pull the plug on all that, sell everything, and buy a liveaboard boat. Currently looking for a PDQ 34 Power Cat (I wish we could afford a PDQ 41!). While I'm leaning toward the US West Coast, if the boat we find is in the Caribbean, or someplace on the East Coast of the US, that would probably be fine too.
I'm not retired...yet, but only need Internet to work from anywhere in the world. So we're ready to begin... but don't know quite how to do that!
I don't even know what questions to ask yet!
Cheers!
Bob |
Welcome aboard CF! You'll find a wealth of knowledge here, along with another sorta wealth of drivel. For a newbie, sometimes it is hard to tell the difference, so some critical thinking is in order on your part.
Really, most newbie questions have been posed many times before, so the first question you should ask is "how do I use the search functions to discover what has gone before?" And the answer is to click the search tab near the top of every page, select "Google custom search" and enter your question or topic. Mr G will direct you to (often) a heap of previous posts and threads that will likely answer most general questions. You can learn a hell of a lot doing this, and no one will think "crikeys, another newbie asking the same ol' questions". After such a search, you may have more specific questions to ask of the members here, and you will get plenty of answers.
Good luck in your quest... it's a great life out here!
Jim
__________________
Jim and Ann s/v Insatiable II, house-sitting ashore for the winter (and it is weird living ashore!)
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01-08-2018, 02:54
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#3
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Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Thunder Bay, Ontario - 48-29N x 89-20W
Boat: (Cruiser Living On Dirt)
Posts: 47,880
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Re: Hello from the Mountains of Colorado
Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Bob.
__________________
Gord May
"If you didn't have the time or money to do it right in the first place, when will you get the time/$ to fix it?"
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01-08-2018, 05:49
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Tampa, FL
Posts: 4,994
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Re: Hello from the Mountains of Colorado
Some info on your sailing background would help. Have you done a lot of sailing? Perhaps chartered a few times, so that you know what it is like to spend time living on a boat? Specific reasons why you're leaning towards a catamaran and the west coast?
(As you might guess from my screen-name, I used to live in Colorado myself.)
Edit: Oh. Duh! I just realized you're considering a POWER catamaran, so sailing probably doesn't enter into it. Still, experience on boats, and living aboard is still relevant.
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01-08-2018, 05:51
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: St. Petersburg, FL
Boat: 1987 Jefferson Rivanna 52'
Posts: 14
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Re: Hello from the Mountains of Colorado
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Cate
Really, most newbie questions have been posed many times before, so the first question you should ask is "how do I use the search functions to discover what has gone before?"
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Hah, I'm a noob here, but not to forums, so yes, I fully understand the concept of searching for what I need!
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01-08-2018, 07:01
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#6
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Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: 29° 49.16’ N 82° 25.82’ W
Boat: Pearson 422
Posts: 16,306
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Re: Hello from the Mountains of Colorado
Hi Bob.
One thing you should carefully research before picking a location is the cost and availability of liveaboard slips. West coast, especially CA can be very problematic. LA, SF Bay especially can be very expensive and can have long waiting lists (years) for a live aboard slip. N CA, CA delta, and the NW have better options but not as nice weather wise.
For more and cheaper options SE US is the place.
__________________
The water is always bluer on the other side of the ocean.
Sometimes it's necessary to state the obvious for the benefit of the oblivious.
Rust is the poor man's Loctite.
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01-08-2018, 09:22
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Hailing Minny, MN
Boat: Vancouver 27
Posts: 1,090
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Re: Hello from the Mountains of Colorado
Hi Bob, as an ex-Coloradan who spent much of the last 10 years working from the boat, welcome!
If you can swing project-based work while out cruising, that's where it's at. Being able to complete a project, sign off, and close the computer for a while is huge. Schedules are hard to maintain!
Managing expectations of clients also goes a long way. In my experience, most have been open to and even enthusiastic of the idea of me working for them while drifting about, even if I'm not always "on-demand".
We're lucky to live in an age where it's never been an easier to bring your work with you. For better or worse!!
Cheers
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01-08-2018, 09:54
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#8
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Marine Service Provider
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 6,105
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Re: Hello from the Mountains of Colorado
Welcome Aboard CF Bob!
The advice from Jim Cate is golden.
Enjoy your time on the forum. 
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01-08-2018, 10:08
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: St. Petersburg, FL
Boat: 1987 Jefferson Rivanna 52'
Posts: 14
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Re: Hello from the Mountains of Colorado
Yeah, the SE is looking more attractive as I do my research... Except for that hurricane thing! But wait! My research says that I can avoid those by spending the season in Panama! WHAT? I lived in the Canal Zone from 1960 to 1964! It would be great to get back there. I just have a 24' tri-toon right now. In 7 seasons, I have over 1,600 hours, and over 9,000 miles on her. The Admiral (Mrs. Bob) loves boat time as much as I do, even though our boat time has been spent in about 160 square feet of space. We've seen temps in the 20's, snow, heavy rain (for Colorado Mountains), but not what sea-goers would call serious...
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01-08-2018, 10:14
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#10
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Senior Cruiser
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: 29° 49.16’ N 82° 25.82’ W
Boat: Pearson 422
Posts: 16,306
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Re: Hello from the Mountains of Colorado
Quote:
Originally Posted by BobFromColorado
Yeah, the SE is looking more attractive as I do my research... Except for that hurricane thing! But wait! My research says that I can avoid those by spending the season in Panama! WHAT? I lived in the Canal Zone from 1960 to 1964! It would be great to get back there. I just have a 24' tri-toon right now. In 7 seasons, I have over 1,600 hours, and over 9,000 miles on her. The Admiral (Mrs. Bob) loves boat time as much as I do, even though our boat time has been spent in about 160 square feet of space. We've seen temps in the 20's, snow, heavy rain (for Colorado Mountains), but not what sea-goers would call serious... |
One does need to watch hurricanes anywhere on the east coast, not just FL. However in 40+ years of owning boats in FL I've only had a couple of near misses. Vigilance and preparation will do it 99% of the time. It's that 1% that worries me.
__________________
The water is always bluer on the other side of the ocean.
Sometimes it's necessary to state the obvious for the benefit of the oblivious.
Rust is the poor man's Loctite.
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01-08-2018, 11:44
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: St. Petersburg, FL
Boat: 1987 Jefferson Rivanna 52'
Posts: 14
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Re: Hello from the Mountains of Colorado
Quote:
Originally Posted by laika
If you can swing project-based work while out cruising, that's where it's at. Being able to complete a project, sign off, and close the computer for a while is huge. Schedules are hard to maintain! |
Well, I have a regular 50-hour-per-week gig, but at this time I am working "one day a week" from "home"...which is my boat - I have WiFi there now. The hours are super-flexible, and I earn stupid amounts of vacation, so I already have the "working from the boat" down.
It occurs to me - everybody asks about "sailing" experience...
...and I used to crew on a sailboat on Lake Dillon (Dillon, CO - elevation 9,000 feet). That lake NEVER gets warm. Stays at about 54 degrees F, as I recall. It's not much, but I have some experience there!
The Admiral is not interested in learning how to operate a wind-powered boat, so the Power Cat choice is hers. A choice with trade-offs, obviously.
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