I can't give you any information on the liveaboard situation in Seattle but
I don't think it would be too difficult to get an idea by phoning the
marinas and maybe a few yacht clubs. Doesn't cost much and I think most
people would try to be helpful.

I kind of thought the same way as you when I moved back to BC from Ontario
so I bought another boat out here and I've been living on it in Nanaimo, for
18 months. I quite enjoy it. Even the winter was not too bad. We have quite
a few liveaboards at my marina and it makes for a nice little community.
People are always happy to help out. If you could find a situation like
this I think you could get free sailing lessons and help with boat problems.
Quite economical as well, $200Cdn/month.

Taking the ASA Basic Sailing course might not be a bad idea at some time.
Make sure they give you lots of on-water time. Personally I don't see much
point in trying to learn on a dingy if you are going to buy a keelboat large
enough to live on. Sailing is not so difficult that you need to learn on a
"sensitive" dingy.
As for boats, I would suggest you look at boats in the 27 to 30 foot range.
Boats by Catalina, Hunter, CS, C&C are all reasonably well made and would
give you some re-sale value if you wanted to move up or quit. If you are
fairly new to sailing it may be a little difficult to select the right boat
yourself. Talk to several different yacht brokerages, tell them what you
want and go with the outfit that seems most interested in helping you. Try
not to rush into anything. Its best to look at a number of boats to see
what is available in the way of equipment and condition.
Also, have a look at listings on www.yachtworld.com
You can search for boats in your size/price range in Washington.
Best of luck.

"pertinent_to_life" wrote in message
m...
I'm starting from scratch here in Seattle. When I moved out of my
house in the midwest I brought only what could fit in my car with me.
I thought it was the ultimate down-sizing and ditching so much useless
stuff was liberating. I'm a pretty simple girl with pretty simple
standards, and I'm thinking that now that I've been in the Pacific
Northwest for a while, I'd like to call a sailboat my home.

But I know little about sailing, and even less about living on a boat.

I'm looking for some advice. I know there was a blow-up about
liveaboards in Seattle around 2000 or 2001, but I don't know the
outcome of any of it. What is the average wait time in Seattle to
find moorage that allows liveaboards? Are there any vacancies now?
I'm thinking of buying a 28-30' sailboat; what could I expect to pay
to moor something that size? Which marinas in the area are the most
amiable with friendly "neighborhoods" at the docks? I'm also looking
for a place that would be not to unsafe for a woman to be outside
alone at after dark.

I've got $20,000 to $30,000 to spend on a boat and I'm wondering if
there is any particular style or brand that is best for living on.
I'd like to take it out for daysails or for a weekend, but not on too
big of trips. Mostly, I want the lifestyle of keeping only what I
need with me and the opportunity to spend some quiet time with myself.
I'm hoping that being on the water will keep me connected to nature
while still living in the city.

Any thoughts or liveaboard experiences in Seattle or elsewhere would
be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!