Need some help - Moving off the hard

[Ilmfj001]

Just finished the book, the essentials of living aboard a boat. Great info. I am looking to cell my house in Texas and move on a big boat like a 53-60 hatteras. in the LA cali area.
Any advise? Please

[James S]

Welcome Ilmfj001...if that really is your name.....How was the book?

[Ilmfj001]

My name is also James I am the third one so all my friends call me Jamie.
You got any advise, I need all the help I can get.

[Ilmfj001]

The book gave me lots of good information that I did not know about. I am new to the boating world and the live aboard thing is a something I have been thinking about. I have been reading all the information I can get my hands on. The pro's and cons of each type of boat, the type of things to be aware of, so many it is going to take some soul searching to determine what is the best course of action. My 1st mate, well she is not so keen on the idea, loss of space, personal things and thats just a few.
I gain allot of information from this website. I really appreciate the feedback.
Thanks again.

[James S]

The best first advice I can give is try and be realistic about how you plan on using the boat...If you're just going to live on her in the marina, then that should be reflected it the type of boat you buy...no need to pay for all the "offshore" perks.

[Pblais]

Coming to terms with what you want to do with your boat has already been mentioned and it really is number one! You'll need to learn a lot about boat ownership even if you hire all the work. Just learning to handle a large boat takes a bit of effort and that still leaves all the other boating thing we all need to learn. Lots more to read here on CF and you'll need to find a lot more things you didn't know so you can get going on finding the answers. There really are a million questions you have yet to know you need to ask. When it seems like you figure something out more questions come up. That is a sign you are progressing well!

My best advice is to follow the questions as they come up and see where they lead you. If you can enjoy that part then there is every chance this might be something you might like. Boats do have their dirty little secrets too. The bigger the boat the darker the secrets.

[Ilmfj001]

Appreciate all the advise and I will continue to soak up all the information I can to make a informed decision.
Thanks again.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Go and have a look at a few boats (onboard).

If the 1st mate is not keen, then likely will need a Plan B..........

[jeremiason]

James

We lived aboard in the San Francisco Bay area for 4 years, before we started fulltime cruising.

Something else to consider is that California only allows 10% of marina slips to be live aboards.

In addition, Southern California has traditionally had long waaiting lists for slips and is notoriously expensive, as compared with Northern California.

Many people have the dream to live aboard, only to find they cannot find a marina to do it...

It can be done, but you might want to start checking slips and costs before you start looking for your boat, so their are no suprises.

[Ilmfj001]

I came to the conclusion that it would be best to purchase a boat that is in the marina, have a better chance of taking over the slip, so I have heard.
It is important to be honest here. I plan on a relocation to LAX or SFO with my job, I thought I could live aboard a nice boat for less than trying to buy a home. I figure kill two birds with one stone, live a dream and get the write off's at the same time. You cant touch a house for under 500K, I may be out of my mind, however I have seen numerous MY for 150-185k that look to have everything you could want or need. I don't plan on any long trips, just a weekend out an about. Am I up **** creek without a paddle or does any of this make sense

[jeremiason]

It makes sence of course.... I the SF Bay area you can plan on about $11 per foot plus electricity, which will run about $100 in the winter.

The guys in LA can comment, but you should probably plan at least 40% more.

Purchasing a boat with the slip does help... but it won't normally get you a legal live aboard slip any quicker. Most Marinas have long waiting lists for live aboards and don't normally transfer the live aboard certificate to the next owner, but instead transfer it to the next person on the waiting list.

Another option is illegally living aboard your boat, which commonly referred to a "Sneak Aboard". In some marinas is done with regularity and overlooked by staff.

Other marinas are serious about it!. The marinas monitor their electronic key cards and if you are in and out of the gate or bathrooms to often, they will challange you.

If you are caught they will force you off the boat or sometimes kick you out of the marina all together. Then you are stuck looking for another marina.

So with that in mind, just research your options for finding a place to live on the boat, beofre you buy it.

[skipmac]

Regarding economics, it could easily cost you $1000/month or more to rent a liveaboard slip in CA. True an average CA house might be $500K but a very small house or condo about the same size as a 53 Hatteras could be had for a whole lot less.

Also, even if the boat never leaves the dock you will have maintenance and repair costs. You need to haul the boat every year or so to paint the bottom. Plus some maintenance on the engines or over time they will lock up and require an overhaul.

[chris_gee]

A boat is not a cheap house, end of story really.
Setting aside major swings in the property market, which obviously have been important in recent years, houses will tend to appreciate while boats depreciate in real terms. Although there are regional differences property prices are relatively low now. If you are moving from a low to a high cost housing area the job gains better be worth it.
I don't know that I would worry too much about not knowing anything about sailing or boats because the cost of maintaining a 60' boat will see you broke even though you spend most of your time doing maintenance, so you are unlikely to get out much, even more so if your wife is unwilling or even still around.
There are reasons why most people end up with much smaller boats than you envisage unless they are rich.

[Ilmfj001]

Thanks for all the honest feedback, I will continue to soul search and see if my soul mate wants to even think about it.
I will be back for more advise and info.
Thanks again...
JB

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha and welcome aboard!
My recommendation is to rent an apartment for awhile and start comparing prices before you jump into boat ownership or home ownership where you relocate.
If you love boats and have been a boat owner before it is an informed decision. If you are not experienced with boats then it's something that you want to gradually work into.
kind regards,