Cruisers vs liveaboards and sailboat ghettos
 

Yesterday when I was visiting my boat in Bradenton, FL, I realized
that most of the boats there were occupied by liveaboards. However, I
also noticed that none of the boats had been moved since I left a month
ago. It seems there is a large number of people who liveaboard but
really do not go anywhere. This is probably obvious to everybody else
but it had never occurred to me.
Later, I was looking around Bradenton for other possible less
expensive places to put my boat and noticed many boats anchored on the
west side of the ICW near the Bradenton Municipal pier. I asked around
and found that many people anchor ther for free for months. However,
looking closer, I saw that most of these boats really looked trashed
out so decided that $289/month in the marina may not be too bad for a
few months. What are other peoples feelings about such sailboat
ghettos?

Sorry that you feel your choice of lifestyle is the correct one
and others are wrong.

Doug
s/v Callista (former longtime liveaboard)

wrote in message
oups.com...
Yesterday when I was visiting my boat in Bradenton, FL, I realized
that most of the boats there were occupied by liveaboards. However, I
also noticed that none of the boats had been moved since I left a month
ago. It seems there is a large number of people who liveaboard but
really do not go anywhere. This is probably obvious to everybody else
but it had never occurred to me.
Later, I was looking around Bradenton for other possible less
expensive places to put my boat and noticed many boats anchored on the
west side of the ICW near the Bradenton Municipal pier. I asked around
and found that many people anchor ther for free for months. However,
looking closer, I saw that most of these boats really looked trashed
out so decided that $289/month in the marina may not be too bad for a
few months. What are other peoples feelings about such sailboat
ghettos?

wrote in message oups.com...
Yesterday when I was visiting my boat in Bradenton, FL, I realized
that most of the boats there were occupied by liveaboards. However, I
also noticed that none of the boats had been moved since I left a month
ago. It seems there is a large number of people who liveaboard but
really do not go anywhere. This is probably obvious to everybody else
but it had never occurred to me.
Later, I was looking around Bradenton for other possible less
expensive places to put my boat and noticed many boats anchored on the
west side of the ICW near the Bradenton Municipal pier. I asked around
and found that many people anchor ther for free for months. However,
looking closer, I saw that most of these boats really looked trashed
out so decided that $289/month in the marina may not be too bad for a
few months. What are other peoples feelings about such sailboat
ghettos?


Hundreds of thousands of Chinese boat people can't be wrong . . .

CN

Doug Dotson wrote:
Sorry that you feel your choice of lifestyle is the correct one
and others are wrong.

Next O'Hara will be telling us we all speak prose.

--
Good luck and good sailing.
s/v Kerry Deare of Barnegat
http://kerrydeare.home.comcast.net/

"Rosalie B." wrote in message
...
wrote:

Yesterday when I was visiting my boat in Bradenton, FL, I realized
that most of the boats there were occupied by liveaboards. However, I
also noticed that none of the boats had been moved since I left a month
ago. It seems there is a large number of people who liveaboard but
really do not go anywhere. This is probably obvious to everybody else
but it had never occurred to me.

Is mostly obvious to people that are in marinas where people live
aboard. It is MUCH harder to get out and sail if you are living
aboard, especially if you work ashore. Unless you are actively
cruising, of course. If you move every couple of days, the boat is
still set up for it. If not - there's all kinds of stuff to be put
away and other stuff to be gotten out.

A generalization.

Later, I was looking around Bradenton for other possible less
expensive places to put my boat and noticed many boats anchored on the
west side of the ICW near the Bradenton Municipal pier. I asked around
and found that many people anchor ther for free for months. However,
looking closer, I saw that most of these boats really looked trashed
out so decided that $289/month in the marina may not be too bad for a
few months. What are other peoples feelings about such sailboat
ghettos?

I guess that there is a fine line between a boat that is heavily sailed and
one that is trashed out.

That's a really good price esp. for FL. I think the boats that are
anchored or moored, unless people are living aboard they do tend to
get grungy looking. Especially if there is difficulty in getting
materials from shore. I know people who anchor out all the time and
almost never come into a marina, and their boats are perfectly nice.

Good point.

But a boat that is vacant, whether it is in a marina or anchored or
moored, can go downhill pretty quickly.

An abandoned boat is a shame, but not illegal in many places.

grandma Rosalie

I was not making any sort of judgement over liveaboards vs cruisers. I
was simply stating that the idea of living aboard without cruising had
never occurred to me. After seeing some of these peoples boats, I can
easily understand it though, especially if they simply want to be on
the water. A house or apt can be very expensive while a boat slip is
fairly cheap. I s'pose I'd rather have the bay as my backyard than a
freeway.
As far as the boats anchored at Bradenton for months, how long can you
anchor before you stop cruising and simply become a liveaboard? My
impression (and it is based on little data) is that these boats are NOT
really going anywhere soon. Most did not seem well kept up and most
had serious bottom growth. Being trashed out is prob not a function of
the kind of ppl who live on them but the difficulty of maintenance or
the ease of vandalism by others. I was taken aback by so many poorly
maintained boats in one place so easily seen and wonder if this might
contribute to anchoring restrictions we often hear about.

I think $289/month is VERY expensive compared to North FL. I have
heard that on the Fl east coast it is much worse.

wrote in message oups.com...
I was not making any sort of judgement over liveaboards vs cruisers. I
was simply stating that the idea of living aboard without cruising had
never occurred to me.

And, it never occurred to you to raise your son to obey the law and
not use illegal drugs?

You play a father without fathering so it's no wonder it never occurred
to you that some people live in boats.

After seeing some of these peoples boats, I can
easily understand it though, especially if they simply want to be on
the water. A house or apt can be very expensive while a boat slip is
fairly cheap. I s'pose I'd rather have the bay as my backyard than a
freeway.

Beats the prison bars your son is headed for because his daddy is a failure.

As far as the boats anchored at Bradenton for months, how long can you
anchor before you stop cruising and simply become a liveaboard?

How long can you be a father before you stop being a self-centered
asshole who allows your kid(s) to use illegal drugs?

My
impression (and it is based on little data) is that these boats are NOT
really going anywhere soon. Most did not seem well kept up and most
had serious bottom growth. Being trashed out is prob not a function of
the kind of ppl who live on them but the difficulty of maintenance or
the ease of vandalism by others. I was taken aback by so many poorly
maintained boats in one place so easily seen and wonder if this might
contribute to anchoring restrictions we often hear about.

I could say the same thing about poorly maintained families . . .

CN

$11 per foot in Ft Pierce Fl :(
wrote in message
oups.com...
I think $289/month is VERY expensive compared to North FL. I have
heard that on the Fl east coast it is much worse.