Living on the boat??

Question

I'm thinking of an idea of perhaps living on a boat, but not those narrow boats, something more like a cruiser or a power boat.

Has anyone got any ideas where to start looking and any things i need to consider, disadvanatges?

Thanks

Answer 1

Price of fuel just tripled. The days of cheap diesel just ended. Of course, if you never go anywhere, that doesn't matter - but then why live on a boat? The whole point is to be free to just go.

Answer 2

I think you should join the Navy.  

1. You get to live on a ship...

2. You'll get to travel to many different countries

3. You'll get pay

4. You're doing something to benifit the country...

Just something to think about....

Answer 3

The experience is not unlike an extended camping trip.  Depending on where the boat is kept, every thing on board has to be hauled, either in a dinghy or down the docks.  If you are moored, water must be hauled and electricity must be generated.

The independance you get is what the reward is.  Don't like your neighbor?, move.  Don't like the area?, move.  Want to get away for a few days?, go for a cruise.

Answer 4

Where to start looking? How about a marina, where people live aboard, ask them what they like and don't like.

For the boat, try boattrader online. Want ads in the paper, and boating magazines work well too.

If I had the chance to live aboard I would do it. A buddy mine does in the summer and he thinks it's great, but he has what I consider a large boat with lots of room.

Things to consider: the expenses, including maintenance and slippage fees.

Answer 5

I'm assuming that you are in the UK since you mention "narrow boats".

I'm also assuming that you aren't very interested in "continuous cruising" and are maybe looking at a wide-beam boat, moored in one place.

Firstly, you can start looking in your local newsagents - the back pages of the boating magazines are full of adverts of boats for sale and brokerage.

Secondly, if you are looking to live in a Marina, start looking now!  Good Residential moorings are becoming difficult to find and in some parts of the Country (London and the Home Counties) very expensive.

I have a 30' boat on a non-residential mooring on a canal Marina in the Midlands (the Trent & Mersey) and I reckon that my total running costs are in the order of £1700 p.a.  I do not have to pay Council tax because my boat is classified as a pleasure boat although I use it a lot as a Country Cottage during the summer.

My mooring has a land-line for electricity (paid for with a card in the slot) and the boat carries around 50 gallons of domestic water.  She has a full galley, washroom with a Thetford cassette and a sep. shower; sleeps 2.

The £1700 includes my mooring, British Waterways Licence, boat insurance, fuel and servicing.

Answer 6

living on a boat is great, i have lived on my boat for six months of the year, and dont listen to others its cheaper and better than living ashore, i have a 38ft cruiser i use for fishing and i take out others as a charter skipper so most of thewinter i am at sea,

Answer 7

boats are very expensive

the prices/fees that marina's charge are similar to the price of your monthly rent or house note.

unless your a member of a crew or the caretaker for someone else the costs are very high.

your still paying utilities and often at inflated prices.

it seems like it would be an ideal way to live but it's not a way to save money for sure.

you would be better off buying a mobile home or camper.

It has many of the same problems but your choices of destinations is better as well as the fees and costs involved.

Boats are wonderful things but very expensive, it's best to have friends that own them rather than being the owner yourself.