If you have lived aboard a 25-30 footer in a slip with hookups and all that
for a duration of time, a year or
so, did it get on your nerves? I am pondering the idea
of getting a used boat and docking it in San Diego. I
read that some slips can go as low as 200 bucks a month
utilities included (or am I mistaken on that one?) I told
my father about this idea, and he said "living in a house
the size of your bed can get to be a chore after a while":-)

I just wanted to get some opinions from people who have
actually done it.

Also, there doesn't seem to be any showers in the heads
of the used cheepos I have seen on boattrader, etc. Are
showers rare in sub 30 foot yachts? Showering in the
"clubhouse" is something I am prepared to do. One more
thing, I know NOTHING about port o potties (or boats
in general), but I was wondering if going #2 in a yacht would smell it up.
Are the port-o's easy to clean? Is there a disposable plastic liner
involved? Thanks for your patience and answers:-)
Tom
P.S. The actual mechanics of the portopottie is not something I was able to
find on-line, and I live in Phoenix
AZ, so I haven't had much of a chance to hang around the
"docks" and ask questions.

Assuming this isn't a troll...

I doubt you can get a slip for that price with everything
included unless you get one very close to the border.

I think your father is right.

Showers are not that rare. Catalina 27s have them
for example, but they're not that great. Showering
in the club house isn't a big deal.

Portos are easy... add water and chemicals, dump and
dump. Yes, they smell up the boat. You don't want a
used one sitting around for long... They're usually two
parts, the seat with and the "holding tank," which are
separated when you're done and dump the waste. No
plastic liners.

Installed heads smell too, unless you really deal with them.

"Tom" wrote in message
...
If you have lived aboard a 25-30 footer in a slip with hookups and all
that
for a duration of time, a year or
so, did it get on your nerves? I am pondering the idea
of getting a used boat and docking it in San Diego. I
read that some slips can go as low as 200 bucks a month
utilities included (or am I mistaken on that one?) I told
my father about this idea, and he said "living in a house
the size of your bed can get to be a chore after a while":-)

I just wanted to get some opinions from people who have
actually done it.

Also, there doesn't seem to be any showers in the heads
of the used cheepos I have seen on boattrader, etc. Are
showers rare in sub 30 foot yachts? Showering in the
"clubhouse" is something I am prepared to do. One more
thing, I know NOTHING about port o potties (or boats
in general), but I was wondering if going #2 in a yacht would smell it up.
Are the port-o's easy to clean? Is there a disposable plastic liner
involved? Thanks for your patience and answers:-)
Tom
P.S. The actual mechanics of the portopottie is not something I was able
to
find on-line, and I live in Phoenix
AZ, so I haven't had much of a chance to hang around the
"docks" and ask questions.

Ganz is giving good advice. There are several boats in the size range you
mention with holding systems and showers. $200 a month seems adequate to me,
but I am in the Great Lakes, and costs vary by region.
"Jonathan Ganz" wrote in message
...
Assuming this isn't a troll...

I doubt you can get a slip for that price with everything
included unless you get one very close to the border.

I think your father is right.

Showers are not that rare. Catalina 27s have them
for example, but they're not that great. Showering
in the club house isn't a big deal.

Portos are easy... add water and chemicals, dump and
dump. Yes, they smell up the boat. You don't want a
used one sitting around for long... They're usually two
parts, the seat with and the "holding tank," which are
separated when you're done and dump the waste. No
plastic liners.

Installed heads smell too, unless you really deal with them.

"Tom" wrote in message
...
If you have lived aboard a 25-30 footer in a slip with hookups and all
that
for a duration of time, a year or
so, did it get on your nerves? I am pondering the idea
of getting a used boat and docking it in San Diego. I
read that some slips can go as low as 200 bucks a month
utilities included (or am I mistaken on that one?) I told
my father about this idea, and he said "living in a house
the size of your bed can get to be a chore after a while":-)

I just wanted to get some opinions from people who have
actually done it.

Also, there doesn't seem to be any showers in the heads
of the used cheepos I have seen on boattrader, etc. Are
showers rare in sub 30 foot yachts? Showering in the
"clubhouse" is something I am prepared to do. One more
thing, I know NOTHING about port o potties (or boats
in general), but I was wondering if going #2 in a yacht would smell it
up.
Are the port-o's easy to clean? Is there a disposable plastic liner
involved? Thanks for your patience and answers:-)
Tom
P.S. The actual mechanics of the portopottie is not something I was able
to
find on-line, and I live in Phoenix
AZ, so I haven't had much of a chance to hang around the
"docks" and ask questions.

Jonathan Ganz wrote:


Portos are easy... add water and chemicals, dump and
dump. Yes, they smell up the boat.

Not if they are properly used & properly taken care of.

If your porta potty is 'smelling up the boat' then you should get a new one and
this time, read the instruction manual.

FOr all that, I still would not recommend living aboard with a porta potty. It
would get very tedious emptying the thing every couple of days, plus marinas &
shore side facilities generally do NOT want them dumped into their septic tanks.





Installed heads smell too, unless you really deal with them.

"Really dealing with them" so that they don't smell is actually pretty easy.

Knowledge is your best weapon. Get & read & follow Peggie Hall's book about
marine sanitation.

Regards
Doug King

They don't keep the smell down for more than a day or so
in my experience no matter how well you follow the directions,
which as you say, means a lot of trips to the dump out. I guess
I just rather not do that every other day.

Of course, holding tanks can get nasty too if you don't do the
regular maintenance. One of the other instructors had a very fun,
exploding holding tank experience, when he decided to do a pump
out. Apparently, no one had bothered in a couple of weeks... yuck.
Glad I wasn't there.

"DSK" wrote in message
...
Jonathan Ganz wrote:


Portos are easy... add water and chemicals, dump and
dump. Yes, they smell up the boat.

Not if they are properly used & properly taken care of.

If your porta potty is 'smelling up the boat' then you should get a new
one and
this time, read the instruction manual.

FOr all that, I still would not recommend living aboard with a porta
potty. It
would get very tedious emptying the thing every couple of days, plus
marinas &
shore side facilities generally do NOT want them dumped into their septic
tanks.





Installed heads smell too, unless you really deal with them.

"Really dealing with them" so that they don't smell is actually pretty
easy.

Knowledge is your best weapon. Get & read & follow Peggie Hall's book
about
marine sanitation.

Regards
Doug King

Jonathan Ganz wrote:

They don't keep the smell down for more than a day or so
in my experience no matter how well you follow the directions,

On or the other of the two seals is shot. Usually the flush valve seal is the
culprit.

Seriously, if you can smell the contents of your porta potty when it's closed
up, then something is wrong with it.

It is entirely possible & practical to have an odor free head.


which as you say, means a lot of trips to the dump out. I guess
I just rather not do that every other day.

Yeah, me too.



Of course, holding tanks can get nasty too if you don't do the
regular maintenance. One of the other instructors had a very fun,
exploding holding tank experience, when he decided to do a pump
out. Apparently, no one had bothered in a couple of weeks... yuck.
Glad I wasn't there.

That's gotta be one of the perks.....

A common problem (seen it four or five times this summer with boats in our
marina) is a clogged holding tank vent. Makes it difficult & slow to empty the
HT and tends to make it splatter when trying to pump out.

But a lot of people would rather sit around and drink beer & brag instead of
either 1- going sailing or 2- fixing their boat so it will work properly. Human
nature, I guess.

Regards
Doug King

Yep...... it was a clogged valve that caused the "explosion." Man am
I glad I wasn't there. A couple of people almost puked.... yuck.

Well, I'm going sailing for an hour or two. The wind is up on the
lake and I have to get some sailing in before we get rain.

"DSK" wrote in message
...


Jonathan Ganz wrote:

They don't keep the smell down for more than a day or so
in my experience no matter how well you follow the directions,

On or the other of the two seals is shot. Usually the flush valve seal is
the
culprit.

Seriously, if you can smell the contents of your porta potty when it's
closed
up, then something is wrong with it.

It is entirely possible & practical to have an odor free head.


which as you say, means a lot of trips to the dump out. I guess
I just rather not do that every other day.

Yeah, me too.



Of course, holding tanks can get nasty too if you don't do the
regular maintenance. One of the other instructors had a very fun,
exploding holding tank experience, when he decided to do a pump
out. Apparently, no one had bothered in a couple of weeks... yuck.
Glad I wasn't there.

That's gotta be one of the perks.....

A common problem (seen it four or five times this summer with boats in our
marina) is a clogged holding tank vent. Makes it difficult & slow to empty
the
HT and tends to make it splatter when trying to pump out.

But a lot of people would rather sit around and drink beer & brag instead
of
either 1- going sailing or 2- fixing their boat so it will work properly.
Human
nature, I guess.

Regards
Doug King

"Tom" wrote in message ...
If you have lived aboard a 25-30 footer in a slip with hookups and all that
for a duration of time, a year or so, did it get on your nerves?

30 foot IMO is to small for a couple, but is just fine for a single
person.

Ive lived aboard for 9 years now, and hate sleeping ashore.

I am pondering the idea
of getting a used boat and docking it in San Diego. I
read that some slips can go as low as 200 bucks a month
utilities included (or am I mistaken on that one?)

Most likely.


I told
my father about this idea, and he said "living in a house
the size of your bed can get to be a chore after a while":-)


Your dad ever live aboard?



I just wanted to get some opinions from people who have
actually done it.

Also, there doesn't seem to be any showers in the heads
of the used cheepos I have seen on boattrader, etc. Are
showers rare in sub 30 foot yachts? Showering in the
"clubhouse" is something I am prepared to do. One more
thing, I know NOTHING about port o potties (or boats
in general), but I was wondering if going #2 in a yacht would smell it up.
Are the port-o's easy to clean? Is there a disposable plastic liner
involved? Thanks for your patience and answers:-)

Ask neal, I think he lines his ceder bucket with a hefty bag, one of
those extra strong one Im sure. But a proper maintained system will
not smell up your boat.

Joe
MSV RedCloud


Tom
P.S. The actual mechanics of the portopottie is not something I was able to
find on-line, and I live in Phoenix
AZ, so I haven't had much of a chance to hang around the
"docks" and ask questions.

I don't live aboard yet but did "full time" (live) in a camping trailer for
several years and enjoyed it enough to plan to retire onto my Catalina 30
soon. I'd recommend finding a slip close to the club head and use it but
the small 24' trailer had a sink and crapper all molded into a shower stall.
Drill was to fill sink with soapy water, spray your bod down, wash with a
cloth diped into the sink then rinse off. Finally towel off then towel down
the whole enclosure and hang the towel out to dry b4 laundering it. Thus
keeping yourself and the head clean was easier than scrubbing a home
bathroom. The toilet in a camper is simpler being aided vs hampered by
gravity so I avoid using the one in the boat, opting for the marina or other
(work, etc) flush toilet. Isn't that hard to adjust your schedule. Besides,
all the ladies will think you wierd and exotic and want to try a night
aboard. Avoid policemen's wives ..... (c:

"Tom" wrote in message
...
If you have lived aboard a 25-30 footer in a slip with hookups and all
that
for a duration of time, a year or so, did it get on your nerves? ..

Using a sailboat only as a place to live while
tied up constantly in a marina is the ultimate
example of the trailer park trash mentality.

Spare boaters your presence and go live in
a real trailer park where you will immediately
be welcome for what you are. . .

It's people like you who give real live aboards
a bad name.

S.Simon


"Tom" wrote in message ...
If you have lived aboard a 25-30 footer in a slip with hookups and all that
for a duration of time, a year or
so, did it get on your nerves? I am pondering the idea
of getting a used boat and docking it in San Diego. I
read that some slips can go as low as 200 bucks a month
utilities included (or am I mistaken on that one?) I told
my father about this idea, and he said "living in a house
the size of your bed can get to be a chore after a while":-)

I just wanted to get some opinions from people who have
actually done it.

Also, there doesn't seem to be any showers in the heads
of the used cheepos I have seen on boattrader, etc. Are
showers rare in sub 30 foot yachts? Showering in the
"clubhouse" is something I am prepared to do. One more
thing, I know NOTHING about port o potties (or boats
in general), but I was wondering if going #2 in a yacht would smell it up.
Are the port-o's easy to clean? Is there a disposable plastic liner
involved? Thanks for your patience and answers:-)
Tom
P.S. The actual mechanics of the portopottie is not something I was able to
find on-line, and I live in Phoenix
AZ, so I haven't had much of a chance to hang around the
"docks" and ask questions.