Hello,

I'm interested in living aboard a boat, cheaply, while retaining a few
of the mod cons.

In my reckless youth I spent a year living aboard a very sketchy 1974
(IIRC) Hunter 25, generally in extreme poverty. Living on a boat was
nice; living on a ramshackle, falling-apart, waterborne-tent of a boat
which I couldn't afford to maintain less so. (I've read the
'Liveaboard Simulator' frequently posted here, and it certainly
brought back memories, though god knows at the time I was in no
position to blow $100 at West Marine on a moment's notice.) I'd like
to get another boat, one on which I can maintain a few basic
amenities. I'm interested in feedback as to whether this is at all
practical and what it might cost.

I see a number of 27-33-foot boats from twenty or thirty years ago, in
decent shape, for very reasonable prices. However, there are a few
things which I'd really appreciate as a full-time liveaboard which
they lack:

1. A shower. I don't have a trust fund, and I'll need to be able to
hold down a job to pay dockage; most workplaces tend to frown on
employees who bathe only weekly. Of course showers are probably
available at a marina, but being able to shower privately in one's own
boat makes a huge difference.

2. Air-conditioning, only while hooked up to shore power. (It seems to
matter much less under way or even at anchor.) Call me spoiled, but I
don't want to spend my free time exclusively in weeks of 100+-degree
heat and still air -- I've been there, done that, and paid my dues.

I don't need much else in terms of amenities -- I'd be happy if I
could run lights and a VHF off the 12V, and a laptop at the marina,
and I don't mind pumping my own water in the galley.

Few to none of the boats in the size range I'm looking for seem to
have these features, so I'm mostly wondering if anyone here has added
them to a production boat, what it cost, and how difficult it was. As
I'll be living aboard alone, with essentially no guests, I'd happily
sacrifice a salon berth or quarter berth toward these ends. Also,
while I'd like a boat I can confidently take on a week's cruise (in
the Great Lakes) if I'm so inclined, realistically I'll probably be
dock-bound aside from day-sails, so serious cruising gear is not a big
factor.

Thanks in advance for any anecdotes or advice.

--Eli