live-aboard advice
- Thread starter manticore999
- Start date
Steve, as usual, you seem to have put a lot of thought into this idea. I look forward to seeing how this new adventure progresses!
Contra Costa County taxes boats as an unsecured property. There is no getting away from taxes in California!!!!
North Carolina counties and cities assess a property tax on boats. Ditto many other locales. Not a big expense in the greater scheme of boat ownership.
I also agree, rather than buy a boat you are not going to use, by a condo or house on the water. There are plenty of "extended stay" places you can rent when it is out of the water if you have no one to stay with.
I also agree, rather than buy a boat you are not going to use, by a condo or house on the water. There are plenty of "extended stay" places you can rent when it is out of the water if you have no one to stay with.
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2006
- RO Number
- 24623
- Messages
- 327
I am a live aboard ( aka boat person ). Living on the water for almost 20 years.
Family and friends suggested I should give my childhood dream a shot after divorce.
I do not miss the 3500 square foot house. My current boat is only 38 or so feet long.
The dream was to buy - sell through a few boats and eventualy have the vessel for cruising ( sail ) around the globe.
Well that did not happen. Instead I founded my own company. Designed around my life on the water.
I am now on the third boat living aboard. Its an old x fishboat that we took a chainsaw too to increase cabin space. While living on board. Prior boats where pleasure vessels that just need to be "maintained" , "fixed" , and made comfortable for cruising and living on board.
Live aboard insurance is an interesting project or it can be.
Do you insure as a live aboard with insurance that gives the same coverage as you might have on a land based home. So you get covereage like personal liability and or with out use coverage.
Or do you get a pleasure craft policy with a granted to live aboard clause?
Or do you just sneak aboard ? With reguards to insurance if you even choose to insure?
Something to be carefull with any way.
Moorage for a working guy that needs to be there at 4:00 AM monday morn makes local cruising a bit more complicated than the group not needing to get ta work. So I need a reliable marina to live in. I realy have to have good power, good facility that will not blow away. One where the pilings are above the dike levels. Since I be on a river. Pilings that are in good shape. A marina that has at least one piling per vessel IMO. Docks that you can move outboards around on and what not. Docks that alow safe recovery of medical emergencies with out having to be vessel recovered etc etc. Hope you get my drift.
I love my daily driver the little utility boat I have beside the live aboard. Gotta have toys, for me that includes a canoe a couple of yaks etc etc. I did finaly give up on the 18 foot run about as it had another two power plants that just took too much of my time. But I do miss that toy.
Any way moorage for a live aboard can be an issue. Including insurance wants for some underwriters.
Parking , waist or garbage , service charges, electrical supply all play into the deal for me.
Dont judge the book by the cover.
POOP ! dont get me goin with the poo deal but be aware !!!!!!!!!!
Building the boat while living aboard is not for the faint of heart.
Rare my boat comes out of the water for more than a week at any time. Usualy just extended weekends. Part of the budget is a nice hotel for the end of the day, working on the boat while its on the hard.
Oh I can go on and on. Sorry about that. Just some stuff to add into the mix here.
But like others my world changes for the better as soon as I pass through the gates to the docks.
Love it !!!!
Family and friends suggested I should give my childhood dream a shot after divorce.
I do not miss the 3500 square foot house. My current boat is only 38 or so feet long.
The dream was to buy - sell through a few boats and eventualy have the vessel for cruising ( sail ) around the globe.
Well that did not happen. Instead I founded my own company. Designed around my life on the water.
I am now on the third boat living aboard. Its an old x fishboat that we took a chainsaw too to increase cabin space. While living on board. Prior boats where pleasure vessels that just need to be "maintained" , "fixed" , and made comfortable for cruising and living on board.
Live aboard insurance is an interesting project or it can be.
Do you insure as a live aboard with insurance that gives the same coverage as you might have on a land based home. So you get covereage like personal liability and or with out use coverage.
Or do you get a pleasure craft policy with a granted to live aboard clause?
Or do you just sneak aboard ? With reguards to insurance if you even choose to insure?
Something to be carefull with any way.
Moorage for a working guy that needs to be there at 4:00 AM monday morn makes local cruising a bit more complicated than the group not needing to get ta work. So I need a reliable marina to live in. I realy have to have good power, good facility that will not blow away. One where the pilings are above the dike levels. Since I be on a river. Pilings that are in good shape. A marina that has at least one piling per vessel IMO. Docks that you can move outboards around on and what not. Docks that alow safe recovery of medical emergencies with out having to be vessel recovered etc etc. Hope you get my drift.
I love my daily driver the little utility boat I have beside the live aboard. Gotta have toys, for me that includes a canoe a couple of yaks etc etc. I did finaly give up on the 18 foot run about as it had another two power plants that just took too much of my time. But I do miss that toy.
Any way moorage for a live aboard can be an issue. Including insurance wants for some underwriters.
Parking , waist or garbage , service charges, electrical supply all play into the deal for me.
Dont judge the book by the cover.
POOP ! dont get me goin with the poo deal but be aware !!!!!!!!!!
Building the boat while living aboard is not for the faint of heart.
Rare my boat comes out of the water for more than a week at any time. Usualy just extended weekends. Part of the budget is a nice hotel for the end of the day, working on the boat while its on the hard.
Oh I can go on and on. Sorry about that. Just some stuff to add into the mix here.
But like others my world changes for the better as soon as I pass through the gates to the docks.
Love it !!!!
I would do it in a NY minute, however my wife insists on us having a home on terra firma. My current boat could be lived on and be off the grid for extended periods but I would prefer a trawler if we ever decide to give it a try. I agree that the boat would have to be at a minimum in the 44 to 50 range. I would want a diesel fired heating system, washer/dryer, trash compactor and larger solar array than I have on the current boat. I already have the plans in my head on what I would do if I ever bought the correct boat for living aboard. I made mistakes along the way with my current boat. Also battery systems and inverters are getting better. I would still base most of the systems on the boat to run on DC instead of AC. I would also want dual Gensets one with a large 120 amp DC external alternator.
It's nice to dream!
Bill
It's nice to dream!
Bill
I agree with all of you on this point so does my wife. Our boat until recently was our shore home where I could work from and my wife could watch the birds and play on the internet. Having satellite TV is a must for us. I consider the boat like having a small condo on the water, don't like your neighbors and you can move. It's really a stress reliever for us, the only problem I have now is when I know we have to leave and go back to the real world.
Bill
- Joined
- Apr 22, 2005
- RO Number
- 17103
- Messages
- 408
Anyone know anything about Atlantic boats? We're looking at a 47 that is immaculate!
- Joined
- Sep 16, 2003
- RO Number
- 12212
- Messages
- 12,219
Yes but in all fairness it s really beause i love sailing... For a liveaboard, you can beat a MY... No 50 footer has more usable space than my 53... Bam then i looked at sail Ans couldn't find anything with enough live aboard space
Atlantics are generally very nice trawler style boats. They were designed by the great Jack Hargrave, who is best known for all the classic boats that made Hatteras famous. You will see a lot similarity between Atlantics and Hatteras.
Note I said "generally very nice". These older boats may come out of the factory that way, but how they are maintained, run, and modified over the ensuing years is just as important a factor.
What boat is ultimately right for you and yours is, as I have said many times, a very personal decision, and not one to be made casually. I know people who are very happy living on board sail boats or smaller power boats that I wouldn't last more than a couple of weeks on.
- Joined
- Jun 8, 2004
- RO Number
- 13885
- Messages
- 2,980
As with NY, we pay a sales tax when we first register the boat and the a small fee when the registration is renewed.
no property taxes on boats & as I stated before: if you dont like your neighborhood or the weather you can move
no property taxes on boats & as I stated before: if you dont like your neighborhood or the weather you can move
We have friends who lived on an Atlantic 44 aft cabin.
He retired and went to nursing school. He moved the boat from state to state and found jobs everywhere he went.
He just retired for good and bought a house, but still has the boat. It is a pretty big boat for a 44 ft'er.
He retired and went to nursing school. He moved the boat from state to state and found jobs everywhere he went.
He just retired for good and bought a house, but still has the boat. It is a pretty big boat for a 44 ft'er.
- Joined
- Apr 22, 2005
- RO Number
- 17103
- Messages
- 408
We put an offer in on the 47 Atlantic. Waiting to hear if it's accepted.