Living on a boat..... - Page 3

[MamaPhilly]

By "start sailing" it would be learning for the kids, but my DH grew up sailing on the water and raced in college. I have less experience but I know I'll pick it up fast. We'll definitely start slow, before hopping in full time!

[searcher]

yippee

Hey everyone. I am so excited to find this. We live seasonally(summer in Maine) on a Watkins 27 and are refitting (rebuilding might be more accurate) a 40 foot Morgan design. The hope is to cruise for a few years once the boys are a little older. We work on the boat as time and money allow and sail the 27 as much as we can. Unfortunately, our engine is being rebuilt so we are hauled for the winter already. Perhaps I can live vicariously through those of you in other climates.

What fun to find other sailing mamas

[LeoneLover13]

How do you know if you are ready to make the move? Or even if you are suited to it? I'm not really even sure what I mean, I'm just sort of nervous and unsure about the whole thing.
When I think about actually being in there and living on a boat after it's all finished and looking perfect, in my mind it looks and feels great and I get excited, but then in the present when we are talking about it and DH starts trying to figure things out I get all flustered and nervous and start backing out. When we bring up things like A/C, showers, internet, laundry and getting rid of our mounds of stuff, is where I start getting nervous. I am so accustomed to those things I am finding it hard to 'want' to let go and figure out how I will do everything without it.
He is frustrated with me because I keep changing my mind and he desperately wants to make the move asap...which still won't be for at least a year...and start the loan process and everything.
How did you feel before? It's such a long process for us because we haven't bought the boat yet, it is in need of at least a years worth of repairs and the longer it takes the more unsure I get. Did you just jump on the boat and were fine, were you nervous before? I would really appreciate some stories on how the process went for everyone.

[boatbaby]

Originally Posted by LeoneLover13

How do you know if you are ready to make the move? Or even if you are suited to it? I'm not really even sure what I mean, I'm just sort of nervous and unsure about the whole thing.
When I think about actually being in there and living on a boat after it's all finished and looking perfect, in my mind it looks and feels great and I get excited, but then in the present when we are talking about it and DH starts trying to figure things out I get all flustered and nervous and start backing out. When we bring up things like A/C, showers, internet, laundry and getting rid of our mounds of stuff, is where I start getting nervous. I am so accustomed to those things I am finding it hard to 'want' to let go and figure out how I will do everything without it.
He is frustrated with me because I keep changing my mind and he desperately wants to make the move asap...which still won't be for at least a year...and start the loan process and everything.
How did you feel before? It's such a long process for us because we haven't bought the boat yet, it is in need of at least a years worth of repairs and the longer it takes the more unsure I get. Did you just jump on the boat and were fine, were you nervous before? I would really appreciate some stories on how the process went for everyone.

It's a difficult situation when one part of a couple is gung ho and the other isn't. And it's often a recipe for a bumpy ride. I think you need to find other women or couples who are happily living the life (like me!) and chat with them one on one. Visit boat families in your area. Go on places like cruisersforum.com and chat with folks there. I think seeing that it can be "normal" and comfortable helps people who are hesitant. Feel free to email me and ask questions... I've happily been aboard 11 years and wouldn't trade it for anything.

Good luck and keep us posted!

[onandon]

Originally Posted by LeoneLover13

How do you know if you are ready to make the move? Or even if you are suited to it?..... Did you just jump on the boat and were fine, were you nervous before? I would really appreciate some stories on how the process went for everyone.

Our family has been saving and planning for 5 years but we'd only sailed before kids, not with them. We decided to charter for a week between Christmas and New Years to test things out. We needed to see if anyone got violently seasick, or felt too much cabin fever, or if taking care of the kids and the boat were simply too much, or if we still liked sailing after all of these years, and what the kids felt like when they came into a new harbor and met people.....and more of course. We found we had some difficult relationship things we have to work out. I, for example, always question things, and want to know every detail of every plan before it is executed, but my husband is more likely to somehow secretly gather all of the information from the chart/cruising guide/gps and just pull into a harbor find the mooring ball (or slip or anchorage), pull right up to it, stop the boat perfectly, and tie up all single handed while I'm trying to work out the perfect plan. Clearly letting other people take charge is something I need to work on! My dd, 5.5, got her sea legs instantly but didn't become any less defiant on the boat which could have caused her physical harm if we hadn't forced non-negotiation when we told her to do something or sit somewhere. That was very different than at home where we work things out very slowly with her to get her to go along with a plan. Sometimes on a boat you just don't have that time, i.e. she couldn't sit on the bow when we had to tack the jib. My ds , 2, bumped his head a LOT for the first couple of days but figured his way around the boat pretty darn well after that, and he's actually way more sure footed on land since! He's easy going and was completely fine tagging along with our plan. He did however disable the electronics, turn off the refrigerator, waste plenty of water, take apart 6 flash lights at once, blow the air horn, and remove the covers from the engine room. Trouble, that one, but at least he'll be able to fix everything on a boat before his 5th birthday. We found that even though we had a couple of difficult interactions we're still on.

I find myself second guessing at home sometimes, surrounded by my awesome espresso machine, hot showers, and excellent grocery stores. I also feel like I need to run all of the what-ifs by my husband. But when I talk to my friends, and think about boats, and read cruiser blogs, and look at pictures of our recent and past sailing, and tell people that our family is going sailing into the unknown, I'm thrilled, and happy, and feel like I'm sure of my path. My mom looked at our recent sailing pictures and mentioned that I look the happiest I've been in years. A friend on Sunday was asking questions about or trip and stopped me to say she'd never seen such a spark in my eye. I imagine my family out there in the world in October 2012 and know that our home will be wherever we drop the anchor.

So, being that sure, we're putting another offer on another boat. Hopefully this one will accept and we'll be sailing every weekend this summer and thinking about how to sell all of our possessions in the next year or so. Can I bring my 8 quart La Crueset dutch oven with me, it could double as an emergency anchor, right?

[LeoneLover13]

Thanks ladies for the replies.

We just returned from a month vacation in Hawaii with relatives and I have a new found passion and excitement about moving aboard!

I told DH if we had a boat right now I would jump aboard yesterday. It's going to be a long process I'm sure though so I think I have to tone down my enthusiasm a little. I am starting to make a list of things I need and want on board, questions I have (I have never been sailing!) from reading Dove by Robin Lee Graham, which I think it what has excited me the most.

DH has been looking at a Farr 38' something for the past few months that needs A LOT of work before it's livable, I don't think it's even currently sailable but he and his sailing friend are convinced it will be perfect, and they have a lot of plans to fix it up, custom build the inside etc. I have no experience so I have to trust them.

When we returned 2 days ago from our vacation I had a realization of how much CRAP we have in our house that we don't use, need or even know is there half the time. How much unused space there is and how bored I am so much of the time. We live on base.
I immediately had a desperate pull to move out, as I seem to get every few years, which is why we've never lived in one place together for longer than a year. I want to get rid of everything and move into a small one bedroom house off-base, close to the water so that we have to do a really deep decluttering of everything we own. I think it will be the only way to start getting rid of stuff, otherwise we're just no motivated because it looks so daunting.

Did everyone here do anything like that? I have to do some major convincing of DH because the last thing he wants to do is move us...again...unless it's directly onto a finished, livable, sailboat.

Happy New Year to you all!

[iris777888]

We have been considering a move to a smaller place, prior to our move to the boat, but right now it's not in our definite plans. We own a house, and I think it would be really nice to just sell it whenever we can instead of waiting until we've bought a boat and are ready to go. The hesitation comes from putting our busy almost 3yo into a smaller space any earlier than needed. Right now he rides his bike around indoors! (Yes, we much more room than needed!)

Also, we have not yet told our family members and putting the house for sale needs to come after that has happened. Not to hijack the conversation, but I actually came to the site today to post on this thread about that. For those of you that moved aboard, when did you tell your family of your plans and how did they react?? We live within a few hours drive of all grandparents, aunts and uncles right now, way up in the Midwest. I think the announcement will really upset MIL in particular. She and our son are very close. In fact, that relationship is one of the things I worry most about with our decision. Instead of seeing each other every week, it would probably drop to a couple times a year. I think DS will be OK with it since he'll be off on an adventure. MIL and FIL moved here in part to be closer to us and MIL often jokes that she will move in with us after FIL is gone. I told DH we can tell her she is welcome to join us on the boat, or we'll help move her closer to the coast somewhere, but that doesn't help in the short term. I know lots of people move away from their families, but it just seems somewhat cruel...

[piratemonkey]

So glad to have found this board! My boyfriend and I currently live on a Catalina 27 in San Diego. Right now I'm about 14 weeks pregnant with my first child! Not so sure about having a newborn on a boat (especially as it's my first!) so we're going to find a place in Mexico to live in as homebase and keep our boat moored at the marina as a getaway place. We will eventually want to move back onto the boat though. Was wondering what people found was a good age for kids to start living on a boat? We'll be able to do a trial run as we'll have two places for a while before we go to fully living on the boat with a young one. I'm already missing not being on a boat and we havent even moved yet! I look forward to meeting you all!

Beth

[onandon]

I noticed that there are even more mamas on this thread now. I'm so excited I want to shout out to the world that we're on the verge of being a boat family. We have an accepted offer on a beautiful (aka life of varnishing) Union Polaris 36 . We'll head down to San Diego on March 6th or 7th for the sea trial and surveys. I feel like the last several years of dreaming and planning and saving are just coming together and it's so exciting and settling all at the same time. We'll start selling stuff we really don't need anyway immediately and work down towards a couple car loads to move aboard in maybe 6 months or so.

[LeoneLover13]

Originally Posted by onandon

I noticed that there are even more mamas on this thread now. I'm so excited I want to shout out to the world that we're on the verge of being a boat family. We have an accepted offer on a beautiful (aka life of varnishing) Union Polaris 36 . We'll head down to San Diego on March 6th or 7th for the sea trial and surveys. I feel like the last several years of dreaming and planning and saving are just coming together and it's so exciting and settling all at the same time. We'll start selling stuff we really don't need anyway immediately and work down towards a couple car loads to move aboard in maybe 6 months or so.

That is SO exciting!! Congratulations! I would love to be at that point but we are just starting our journey so I have to curb my enthusiasm! There are not that many boats to choose from here in Guam but we are thinking about either a rent to own option on a boat that needs some work...ie: it has mildew etc. but it's really expensive and we won't be able to custom design anything like we wanted to. Or, we have been offered a small sailboat for free that is not livable but would get us out on the water and me starting to learn, and then we keep pursuing a racing boat (sorry, I don't know ANY sailing terms or specifics!) that is gutted and spend the next however many years getting it to where we want it.
I can't remember if there has been a thread with pictures of everyone's boats in here but I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to see everyone's live aboards!

[iris777888]

Originally Posted by onandon

I noticed that there are even more mamas on this thread now. I'm so excited I want to shout out to the world that we're on the verge of being a boat family. We have an accepted offer on a beautiful (aka life of varnishing) Union Polaris 36 . We'll head down to San Diego on March 6th or 7th for the sea trial and surveys

How exciting for you!!! Congratulations!

[fresh_veggie]

Ever since this world of possibilities was opened to me, I've dreamed of living aboard and raising our family on a boat. DH and I are still in college with no kids, but graduating soon with so many ideas. We're both dead set on getting a boat within the next 7 or so years, and I feel like we're in a good place as we haven't accumulated a lot of stuff that we'd have to get rid of.

This just seems like the ultimate life for me - since I've lived in Utah, I realize how much of a beach and water girl I am (having had to live through snow!!!! I love the mountains, don't get me wrong, but I just always feel trapped and landlocked). I'm from the gulf coast in Texas, and DH is from south Florida. We both want a minimalist life with few but nice possessions, and want to travel the world. DH is planning on having a mobile income, as am I. We'd probably sail for 7-8 months out of the year and then have a home marina or whatever.

How much is it to dock at a marina for a few months? Just curious.

Neither of us have ever been sailing, though! We're a stone's throw from the Great Salt Lake, and I hear they have a pretty big sailing scene. We're really hoping to check that out this summer, get to know some people who sail. I was looking into getting something small like a Sunfish, used, so we could learn a few basics even, but that's unlikely.

This really just seems like the ultimate life. *sigh*

[simple living mama]

Hi. I also made up my mind that I was going to sail someday when I read that book The Dove. It was right out of high school and I instantly put up signs at our local yacht clubs that I was available to be part of a crew. After saying no to a few dirty old man types I found a great opportunity with a doctor, daughter, and friend (experienced sailor) both fairly close to my age. They were going to Hawaii and needed a hand. I was so in!

I worked on boats but never sailed. So I was taught the ropes and we took off one night from LA Harbor. What a blast!

There is a great blog that I have been following, if it hasn't already been mentioned here, about Jessica Watson. She the Aussie girl that is going for the title of youngest person to sail around the world ,16 years old. She's freaking remarkable! http://youngestround.blogspot.com/

[LeoneLover13]

simple living mama-- I just read Dove for the first time last month, hubby got it me for Xmas hoping it would nudge me in the right direction :-P It TOTALLY worked, HAHA! I am 'all aboard' now!

Just a few days ago my husband met a French couple out in the harbor here in Guam who just had their 50ft monohull built in Tahiti and came here on their way to Japan. My husband is from the same area in France they are and so they immediately hit it off, long story short, they invited us aboard for dinner one night and drinks last night and their boat is just GORGEOUS..it's just..beautiful..I haven't been on many sailboats before (maybe 5?!) but this is a new apartment that sails. It has everything I would want (and requested from hubby!) and need and then some. They are retired and have had quite a few boats before so this is their perfect boat, and it really is perfect, I have no idea how much it cost but I am guessing not cheap.
Here is a link to their site, it's just a photo site (in French) but one of the albums 'Kauana' shows the boat. Enjoy! I did!
http://kauana.fr/picsengine/#page=albums

Things I now want for the boat:
-Solar panels- this is MUST have for us, it always has been but now even more seeing how much and how well they are used. 80% of their electricity uses solar, their hot water comes from solar..etc.
- Water purifier- I told DH I wanted one of these but he said he wasn't sure about it. The one they have uses hardly any room and converts the sea water to fresh water almost everyday..that's fresher than fresh water!!

However, they are an older couple and do not have everything fixed out for a baby/child...what would you ladies suggest is really important on a live aboard when you have a child/baby? We are likely to be custom building our boat so any suggestion is legit!

[boatbaby]

LeoneLover - that is one heck of a beautiful boat you got invited to dinner on! Nice!
As for must haves for kids (or for anyone) so much depends on YOU. Your budget, your comfort level, and of course what you intend to do with the boat short and long term. There is no perfect boat, just the perfect one for you.

We raised our son aboard from birth and now we have a second on the way, and there wasn't any particular gadget or must have for the boat other than having ample open floor space for the bub to crawl around inside and the kids to play inside on the cold and rainy days.

And an overall low maintenance boat that the kids can scuff without anyone freaking out. The boat you dined on have LOADS of lovely woodwork, now think (a) who is going to take care of that wood, sanding and varnishing each year or so and (b) what happens when the kids color, paint, chip, scratch, play ball against, climb, pee on, etc that wood. Yeah, no thanks. Look for low maintenance interiors that can be easily cleaned and repaired.

You may want to check out cruisersforum.com in general and their kids section in particular for more insights from other familes who are on board.

Have fun boat dreaming!

[simple living mama]

Yay LeoneLover13, good to hear you enjoyed the book. Yes their boat is very beautiful. Those pictures of their travels and family were fun to look at and has made me think that it's time to come up with a plan to get my kids out seeing the world more. Such a big place and so many great people to meet. Thanks for posting.

Has anyone checked out Jessica Watson's post being the youngest person to sail solo around the world? Im just so impressed with her. Her site has moved to this address now. http://www.jessicawatson.com.au/

[LeoneLover13]

boatbaby- Congratulations! I didn't know you were expecting! We check your blog frequently, it's my first bookmark :-P
I agree that boat is gorgeous, but it's not equipped or built for kids, obviously.
I have thought about the floor space and outdoor area (not sure what that is called!) being important areas where there should be space for them to sprawl out and play/crawl/draw/build etc. and also able to be closed so no one can fall off the side whilst playing on the deck.
Mu husband has been learning to fiberglass recently and would like to glass the whole interior with just nice embellishments of wood throughout, because as you said there is a lot of maintenance involved and lots of fancy wood is not very baby friendly.
I will definitely check out that site, I think I have browsed it before but I will search out the kids forum, thanks!

simple living mama- I have checked out her site, I heard about her on the news a few weeks ago and thought she was amazing to be accomplishing something so great like that! I wish I had the balls at 16? to sail the world alone! The stories, skills, fun and growth she will get out of that experience is awesome!
It just pushes me even more to want to get out with our daughter and explore the world together...mmm...dreaming :-D

[boatbaby]

Originally Posted by LeoneLover13

boatbaby- Congratulations! I didn't know you were expecting! We check your blog frequently, it's my first bookmark :-P

Thank you LeoneLover! I haven't really come clean on the blog. Still waiting for the right timing and until I am a little further along I guess (just at 12-13 weeks now) and until I feel better. Blah. I was never this tired and sick with my first.

[unlegal]

Hey everyone! I posted here ages back, and finally am excited to say that we spent our first night aboard our new boat last night!! We bought a Newport 30, and so far it's working out great. I love our spot at the marina, and being in a bigger city. Lots of transitions.

The wifi isn't set up to work on the boat yet (it works in the parking lot, though!), so I'll update more later once I can get on regularly

Oh, and boatbaby, just wanted to say thank you, because one of your posts here on MDC is the reason we are living aboard

ETA: Oh, and our living aboard blog is: afamilyaboard.wordpress.com

There's not much there yet, but soon!

[onandon]

I'll post my update since everything has changed....Our deal on the ocean Polaris fell through after we had a terrible boat falling apart test sail. A few weeks ago we got to the top of a liveaboard waitlist that we've been on for ten years! And today we had an awesome test sail on a CAL 43! Tomorrow we'll haul and survey. I'm crossing my fingers that there are no surprises while I day dream about boat names. We're so close!