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

Get an old houseboat. Square design allows lots of space and they're
pretty cheap. You should be able to find lots with all the amenities
you want in your price range. Tow it to your destination if it dosn't
have an engine.

On Wed, 06 Jun 2007 08:25:44 -0000, wrote:

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.

Due space you will probably not find too many 27-33 foot boats with a
shower.

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.


This is an easy one. Buy a window air con. Sit it on the deck and make
some sort of duct to blow cold air down the hatch. At least a third of
the cruising boats in the marina I keep my boat in are set up that
way-- inlcuding my own boat.

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

No reason not to have pressure water. the pumps are cheap enough.

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.

Sure, you can do anything. If the head is big enough build a shower
curtain rail and let the water drain into th bilge is one way. The
curtain keeps the toilet paper dry and usually the bilge is full of
skuz so the wash water won't make any difference in the smell.

Thanks in advance for any anecdotes or advice.

--Eli


Bruce in Bangkok
(brucepaigeatgmaildotcom)

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

On Jun 6, 6:46 am, Bruce wrote:
On Wed, 06 Jun 2007 08:25:44 -0000, wrote:
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.

Due space you will probably not find too many 27-33 foot boats with a
shower.

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.

This is an easy one. Buy a window air con. Sit it on the deck and make
some sort of duct to blow cold air down the hatch. At least a third of
the cruising boats in the marina I keep my boat in are set up that
way-- inlcuding my own boat.

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

No reason not to have pressure water. the pumps are cheap enough.

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.

Sure, you can do anything. If the head is big enough build a shower
curtain rail and let the water drain into th bilge is one way. The
curtain keeps the toilet paper dry and usually the bilge is full of
skuz so the wash water won't make any difference in the smell.



Thanks in advance for any anecdotes or advice.

--Eli

Bruce in Bangkok
(brucepaigeatgmaildotcom)

--
Posted via a free Usenet account fromhttp://www.teranews.com- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Living in a pool of gray water is not civilized IMO. If you put in a
shower put in a shower sump pump. A bilge should be bone dry.

Joe

Joe wrote:
On Jun 6, 6:46 am, Bruce wrote:
On Wed, 06 Jun 2007 08:25:44 -0000, wrote:
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.
Due space you will probably not find too many 27-33 foot boats with a
shower.

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.
This is an easy one. Buy a window air con. Sit it on the deck and make
some sort of duct to blow cold air down the hatch. At least a third of
the cruising boats in the marina I keep my boat in are set up that
way-- inlcuding my own boat.

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
No reason not to have pressure water. the pumps are cheap enough.

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.
Sure, you can do anything. If the head is big enough build a shower
curtain rail and let the water drain into th bilge is one way. The
curtain keeps the toilet paper dry and usually the bilge is full of
skuz so the wash water won't make any difference in the smell.



Thanks in advance for any anecdotes or advice.
--Eli
Bruce in Bangkok
(brucepaigeatgmaildotcom)

--
Posted via a free Usenet account fromhttp://www.teranews.com- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Living in a pool of gray water is not civilized IMO. If you put in a
shower put in a shower sump pump. A bilge should be bone dry.

Why buy a boat with none of those things and go through all sorts of
contortions to put them in? I bought a 1979 Hunter 33' that had all of
those things except the A/C for $6500. It even had a shower with
dedicated sump. Everything working, well except the motor, but with a
few thousand more that was remedied.

Stephen

On Jun 6, 9:48 am, Stephen Trapani wrote:
Joe wrote:
On Jun 6, 6:46 am, Bruce wrote:
On Wed, 06 Jun 2007 08:25:44 -0000, wrote:
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.
Due space you will probably not find too many 27-33 foot boats with a
shower.

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.
This is an easy one. Buy a window air con. Sit it on the deck and make
some sort of duct to blow cold air down the hatch. At least a third of
the cruising boats in the marina I keep my boat in are set up that
way-- inlcuding my own boat.

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
No reason not to have pressure water. the pumps are cheap enough.

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.
Sure, you can do anything. If the head is big enough build a shower
curtain rail and let the water drain into th bilge is one way. The
curtain keeps the toilet paper dry and usually the bilge is full of
skuz so the wash water won't make any difference in the smell.

Thanks in advance for any anecdotes or advice.
--Eli
Bruce in Bangkok
(brucepaigeatgmaildotcom)

--
Posted via a free Usenet account fromhttp://www.teranews.com-Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Living in a pool of gray water is not civilized IMO. If you put in a
shower put in a shower sump pump. A bilge should be bone dry.

Why buy a boat with none of those things and go through all sorts of
contortions to put them in? I bought a 1979 Hunter 33' that had all of
those things except the A/C for $6500. It even had a shower with
dedicated sump. Everything working, well except the motor, but with a
few thousand more that was remedied.

Stephen- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I agree. You need to go 32 ft or larger to get a decent liveaboard,
unless your into a camping type of lifestyle.

Joe

"Joe" wrote in message
oups.com...
On Jun 6, 9:48 am, Stephen Trapani wrote:
Joe wrote:
On Jun 6, 6:46 am, Bruce wrote:
On Wed, 06 Jun 2007 08:25:44 -0000, wrote:
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.
Due space you will probably not find too many 27-33 foot boats with a
shower.

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.
This is an easy one. Buy a window air con. Sit it on the deck and make
some sort of duct to blow cold air down the hatch. At least a third of
the cruising boats in the marina I keep my boat in are set up that
way-- inlcuding my own boat.

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
No reason not to have pressure water. the pumps are cheap enough.

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.
Sure, you can do anything. If the head is big enough build a shower
curtain rail and let the water drain into th bilge is one way. The
curtain keeps the toilet paper dry and usually the bilge is full of
skuz so the wash water won't make any difference in the smell.

Thanks in advance for any anecdotes or advice.
--Eli
Bruce in Bangkok
(brucepaigeatgmaildotcom)

--
Posted via a free Usenet account fromhttp://www.teranews.com-Hide
quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Living in a pool of gray water is not civilized IMO. If you put in a
shower put in a shower sump pump. A bilge should be bone dry.

Why buy a boat with none of those things and go through all sorts of
contortions to put them in? I bought a 1979 Hunter 33' that had all of
those things except the A/C for $6500. It even had a shower with
dedicated sump. Everything working, well except the motor, but with a
few thousand more that was remedied.

Stephen- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I agree. You need to go 32 ft or larger to get a decent liveaboard,
unless your into a camping type of lifestyle.

Joe



I agree as well.. .probably need a bit bigger. I have a Sabre 30, which is
fairly roomy. It's got a shower/sump, but it's still feels like camping if
I'm on it at the dock for more than a week.

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

Stephen Trapani wrote in news:3Pz9i.10$Sy4.8
@newsfe04.lga:

Everything working, well except the motor, but with a
few thousand more that was remedied.


Eli! Did you read this carefully? BOAT is an achronym....B.O.A.T.
Bring
Out
Another
Thousand
BOAT....

Notice how easily "a few thousand" rolled right off Stephen's tongue,
hardly making him cringe at all, any more....(c;

Larry
--
If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons?

Bruce wrote in
:

The
curtain keeps the toilet paper dry

Ha! That's a hoot!....(c;

Toilet paper at sea gets wet just because it's toilet paper...(c;

Larry
--
If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons?

wrote:

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.

--Eli


Eli,

Our Irwin 38 has a stand up "shower" if you can
call it that. Actually, compared to a normal
shower stall, it is very tight, and we usually use
the showers at the marina because they are a lot
more comfortable. If forced to use the shower on
the boat, it is easier to sit down and use the
"navy" shower method--ie wet down, wash off, and
then rinse, turning off the water between the wet
down and rinse. Still, its good to have the
shower on the boat in case we are anchored out.
The shower drain runs into a head sump, and is
pumped overboard from there. We have pressure
water BTW, and I would recommend it as the pumps
are fairly inexpensive, and it is a nice addition
to the boat.

Regarding air conditioning, I agree that it is
pretty much needed if you are going to be
comfortable living aboard anywhere on the gulf
coast or farther south. We have done without it a
few nights in the summer, and it is miserably hot
and humid. We presently have a 5K BTU carry-on
and a 10K BTU sea water cooled unit which together
do the trick. The 10K BTU will cool the boat
overnight by itself, but cannot keep it cool
during the day. This summer we will probably
upgrade the AC to 16K BTU and 10K BTU sea water
cooled units and sell the carry-on. We have
looked into the RV type roof-top AC's, but just
don't have a good place to install one on our
boat. If we did, I'd probably go that way, as
they are about 1/2 the cost, and don't have the
issue of salt-water corrosion like the marine
raw-water cooled units.

Don W.