I know it sounds stupid, but I have been thinking about buying a sail boat to live in, maybe with my 17 yr old son if its cool enough. Ive got the money to buy an older 30″ or so. And to fix it up. Im single, 42, and not really tied down anymore. Ill be in school for a couple years, but i have a low income, and Im trying to find a way to afford to go to college full time for a few years, and have a stable place to live that I own while i have the cash. I know there r better ways, but this would be a lifelong dream, as well as built in fishing and vacation? SO WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW, HELP, PLEASE? Its a very “out-there” idea.
Oh, and i think it important to note, My boys and I are avid outdoorsmen, camping & fishing r the norm for us. Until recently I have always had an RV, which is what im assuming living on a sail boat is like. I think that has to be factored into this.
And i dont have enough to buy a home, my oldest is in the Army, presently in Virginia, hence, my reason for east coast.
The alternative is to just rent a small apartment.
I was attracted to the idea of owning a bed, the savings over an apartment in that area, and of couse, sailing south, or weekend scuba diving or fishing.
Your plan is doable, HOWEVER, there are a few issues to address. Right now there seems to be a glut of used boats so prices are good. There are abandoned boats and owners who will really sacrifice. You will save big if you shop around. This will involve calling and travel but that should pay. That is good news.
Shopping will also allow you to look at a lot of boats. a 30 foot boat can be marginal for some people. (You might be happier with a houseboat. ) That you are outrdoor-types it will allow you to keep it simple. The fewer bells and whistles, the fewer things that need repair. As for space, a 30 footer with a 10 foot beam seems a lot roomier than one with a 9 foot beam. Advice here is to, again, look at a lot of boats. Some such as the Outisland were built for the cruising trade and concentrated on the interior.
Now the bad news. Not every locale is in love with live-aboards. They rank with really bad mobile home parks. So, again, shop around. When you find a place to keep it. There will be cost. A marina with showers, washing machine, and convenient toliets (or a pump-out for your holding tank is a few hundred a month and a charge for electricity.
Finally, gather info first hand. Find marinas that have live aboards and talk to them. Good Luck!
living aboard a boat is one way to keep your costs low. but unless you want to sail, why limit your self to living on a sailboat? most sailboat designs have fine ends which limit the living space below. take a look a the interior of a 30 sailboat and then compare it to the interior of a 30′ powerboat. the beam in the powerboat is carried further forward. just a consideration.
living on a boat is much like living on your rv but the interior of a 30′ sailboat is comparable to a 25′ rv. (sailboats have cockpits usually in the stern).
for two men to be comfortable in a sailboat suggest that you look at designs with two separate cabins below. older sailboats with center cockpits with fwd and aft cabins would work well.
as far as living aboard, storage on a boat is very limited, (we ended up paying for a storage room). parking is at a premium, the marina facilities at very important, including shower and laundry availability, (waiting outside a bathroom in the snow or rain at 5:00am is not fun).
so the first thing to do is to find a marina that allows live aboard, and either buy a boat with transferable moorage, or make sure you have a slip, the buy the best boat you can afford.
the other problem you can have is too much stuff on board, when we lived aboard a 31 sailboat, we didn’t leave the slip to go sailing very often because of the problems of where & how to store microwave, tv, computer, extra clothes, portable ice box etc. , and do to the fact that my wife and i worked different schedules, it’s hard to leave with your home. )
the good news is your are living on the water, can play around the marina on your dingy or a kayak, and with some planning take the boat out of the slip and find adventure.
good luck
My brother is in Bermuda as of a few days ago after 6 months somewhere.
Multi -millionaire Ted Turner said a boat is a hole in the water that you fill with $100 bills.
It will pare you down to the bare necessities in space.
If that’s your dream don’t others nightmares hold you back but you will get very involved in your kids life, whether either of you want it or not.
Bust Out Another Thousand. (Pawn Kings)
Great idea, do it before they change their mind it will be the experience of a lifetime.
Look into a catamaran, more space below, and very stable.
With the RV as a back up you would have the best of both worlds.
Check out Georgetown harbor, there was a real nice steel ketch for sale that would probably fit your bill. If I lived closer I would already have it. Also it is a good deep water protected mooring.
Best of luck and don’t be afraid to live your dreams.
Ray
Live on the hook and its real cheap. . . . . make sure the close marina has a parking facility usually attached to dinghy dockage. . . . take municipal marina in west palm beach as an example. . . . . . I paid 35bucks a week back in 2004 for the right to leave my inflatable dinghy in their dinghy dock and was also issued with parking lot pass to park one car. . . i paid by month to get this price,,daily is more expensive. . . . it dont get much cheaper. . . . . though i have monohull 37ft i agree that if you are not going sailing a powerboat holsds more room to live . . . lots of places to anchor in ICW but do your legwork to make sure no local byelaws. . . nothing worse than rowing into a marina to get turned away cus they dont want you there . . . . . . I stayed in st augustine for 3mths doing as described good luck.
I’ve done this, and I’m still doing it. Andy has some good advise, as do the others. I love it! The problems seem to work themselves out. just be flexible and learn all you can. I can tell you it’s the least expensive way to live that I’ve found. Good Luck.