What are the pros and cons of living on a boat???

Question

What are the pros and cons of living on a boat???

Answer 1

Seasickness but if you've got a fishing pole, you've got fish!

Answer 2

You can go with most of the above but the single biggest difference, is the fact that your life will revolve around an understanding of loneliness, and all the consequences of this, by which I mean that you are an "island" on your own, and your life must be lived accordingly, i.e. like living in a rural  location in the Scottish Highlands, when winter comes in hard you had better have planned and thought out the risks and pleasures, of facing a period of isolation that is difficult to see your way through, if you have not taken things into account, early enough to do something about it.

Shopping, alone must be done with an eye to the possibility of having forgotten an item, or two, that you may need, as surely as night follows day, what do you do if you need something, and it is not there, ? Shop for months in advance and every eventuality, ( not just for a weekend, or the weekly shop,and I will pop to Tescos if I forget anything, during the week, attitude, ),  this is shopping as if your life depends on it, and it  does.....

And do not forget currency, and cash, and how to protect it, because all sailors have to carry some, they are targets for thieves, all the time, can you access a bank account from abroad, or have you a facility at a branch at your destination ?....etc, etc,.......

Have you forgotten waterproof matches,  cant get any ? (try nail varnishing, a few regular match heads), are your survival skills up to scratch, spare parts, tools, fuel, first aid, ? are all these provided for in advance, it is too late to go back in a crisis....

You have to live as if a crisis were just around the corner, and stay thinking that way, Boy Scouts take note, BE PREPARED, it is not likely that you will spend time with many possessions or creature comforts, or tied up to a gentle rocking boat making love under the stars, in a hot climate, either......

It is a constant round of work, and what do you have to communicate with, a very pistol, rockets, flags, a radio, ? ( if you have any sense, all of the above, and in duplicate)....

As for laundry, at sea, buy salt water detergent, for heavens sake !, if you do not know these things, do not even contemplate sailing anywhere ....until you do...learn as crew on someone elses boat before committing yourself, to something that can turn around and bite you , physically and financially...

Being alone is not romantic , it is just hard work, the romance lies in the memories, and they are not gained from being tied to a dock, so expect this to be a struggle, "train as if you were in a war, and when the time comes, and you face h**l, it will seem like a day out on a park pond, fail to train, and you will face the very real risk, of never being seen again"....It is definetely NOT a camping trip, extended or otherwise, do not ever get to believe that one, it is an expedition, to an unknown destination and geography, an exploration, not just of the sea, but of yourself....and explorers of either, had better be bloody minded, and mentally tough, those who are not, do not come back to tell their stories, ever....

I assume that you are talking about a "real boat" and not a barge, or canal boat,  at Gas Street Basin in Birmingham ? it is not the same at all, pretty at weekends, and for the interior designer, in you, but not a "real mans boat".....

As for "snuggling down in your bed", when all h**l is breaking lose around you, ?....think , soaking sleeping bags, cold and wet, wet, wet....tired and how to get a stove going in  a storm, and get some hot soup down you, and not on the decks, awash with loose equipment that you forgot to tie down, or lash up, or did not have the time to, or the contents of a toilet, chemical or otherwise, that is slopping around your feet adding to the fun, in bad weather, think fatigue, vomit, and sickness caused by the rocking, and then if you can cope with all this, you may just make it , because like it, or loathe it, the wind is an essential part of the joy, and the unpleasantness, that causes all of this, and you may, just find a few days when you can see the peace, that you seek...do enjoy.....I know I did as a younger man, but old age has put a stop to this for me, but unlike many, I still remember, and it still pleases me to do so," je ne regret rien !".......

Answer 3

If you are in a slip with fresh water and electricity your main problems are parking and hauling your goods to and from the boat. Doing the laundry can be a hassle.

On a mooring, add hauling all your water and other necessities back and forth in a dinghy in all kinds of weather. Propane for cooking/heating must be had and running out is a major pain.

Basically, look at living aboard as an extended camping trip.

On the plus side, as mentioned if you don't like your neighbors, move. You are on your own island, without any of the nasty things in society that you don't want. There is nothing like being safely snugged down in your boat when there is bedlam going on, be it a storm, police helicopters flying around or traveling salesmen.

Answer 4

Living on a boat is a unique experience.  I can describe it for you, at least from my perspecitive, and I'm not sure which parts you would consider pros, and which would be cons.  Do you want to be a real live aboard and cruiser or do you want to be a party boater, not interested in real cruising? The needs are different. Will you be single handing or with a companion/crew? Different boats suit different people.

My husband and I were aboards for some time. We lived on a 35 foot sailboat. We rarely went to a marina - we anchored most of the time and dinghied ashore. We walked to do laundry , carrying it in backpacks and also sometimes pulling a little cart with us, and also walked for groceries. We carried bicycles with us on our sailboat, and dinghied them ashore when distances were too great for walking and when there was no public transportation. We used two small solar panels for power - just enough to charge the batteries enough to start the engine after a day of charging. Wind power is the way to go - a wind generator - it can take care of most needs, especially if you are willing to forego refrigeration.

If you are alone, a 35 foot sailboat is quite large enough - that is how big our boat was. You don't need a new boat.  To live on a boat you have to be able to live a simple life in a small space. You must be comfortable with your own company, and willing to give up some things, at least some of the time - conveniences, internet, TV, unlimited supply of water for showers, etc. - unless you want to live at a marina - in which case you are not really living on a boat - you are living at a marina.

Living aboard a power boat is a much more expensive proposition than living aboard a sailboat and is a different way of life, so that is something to think about.

How much do you know about navigation? About boat handling? About boat maintenance and repair? About radio operation and etiquette? About anchoring, because no matter what your plan, eventually you will need to anchor and it is a special skill.

If you live aboard a boat and travel anywhere, most likely you will be seasick at some point.  My husband and I both got seasick from time to time.  So you need to be prepared for that.  The scene a previoius poster described with gear all over the sole of the cabin and wet and hard to get food is all very real - but it doesn't happen often.  We had situations that bad only a couple of times, and when it happens it is usually mostly your own fault because you didn't secure things properly before going to sea, and for us when it happened we didn't pay sufficient attention to forecasts.  You would quickly learn that NOAA and Herb HIlgenbreg are your friends.  

Living aboard is a wonderful life, but it is not for everyone. It is hard work, but very rewarding. Keep in mind that one of the definitions of "cruising" is "fixing things in nice places" - my husband and I fixed many things in very nice places. Another point to remember is about cost.  Someone once asked us what it cost to live aboard a sailboat, and the answer is simple "Whatever you've got."  

I hope you find what you are looking for. Here are a few sites that may help you.

Answer 5

If you don't like your neighbor move> Have lived and cruised you yrs> Get to meet a lot of cute girls> Sail boats rock a lot> Power boats are more stable> I like it great life>

Answer 6

you got some good ansers here so i will not include mine but after nearly 25 years as a liveaboard i tell you one thing there is nothing that comes close

Answer 7

the pros, if the neighbor hood gets bad you move, no property taxes, water front view, all the time  no mowing the grass, no picking up leaves,  heck im buying one  

the cons  taking a shower  rocking     thats all i can think of

Answer 8

Cons

Finding a mooring and affording it.

Maintaining the boat

Living in a damp cold atmosphere in winter

being considered a tramp by outsiders

Pros

cant think of any except it can be a free and easy life if you have the right craft in the right location and the money to go with it.

Answer 9

I've lived on a boat for much of the past 25 years and it's a great life... you learn what is really important and what you can live without in a way you can never do on land.

There is NO REASON to be seasick... When I do charters, I make a point of taking the seasick types... almost ALWAYS WOMEN and teaching them how to NOT BE SEASICK.  Years ago I figured out that motion sicknes has NOTHING to do with the water... it has EVERYTHING to do with how the person used motion sickness to control their parents when they were young and didn't want to go on a trip or travel in a car... and it stuck with them as an adult.  It's MENTAL... it's NOT physical.

As for living on a boat.  My current boat is a 38 footer and I never buy anything that can't pass the "Where will I put this?" test... that is more important than "How Much"... I also ask "Do I REALLY need this?"

To live on a boat, you have to GET RID OF EVERYTHING that is not so important to you or so sentimental that you just can't bring yourself to part with it... so you put it into a storage unit and about a year later... YOU GET RID OF IT... and kick yourself for paying a year's rent to store a bunch of junk that no longer means anything to you.

Finally, I will point out that, when you are living on a boat.. it's your HOME and you have to think TWICE before you make the commitment to go cruising or move the boat.  Just storing everything away for the trip and buying and putting away ship's stores is NOT a fun job and can take a week... so when you live on a boat, you think a long time before you decide to move on to another marina, country, anchorage or whatever... It's not all fun and games and it's not for everyone.

Before you take the plunge, go rent a bareboat charter for a couple of weeks.. and THEN decide if that is REALLY the kind of life you want to live.