There are some excellent liveaboard articles all over the Internet
which detail people's answers to the questions you are asking. You
could start at http://www.irbs.com/directory/Dmoz/Living_Aboard/ .
And of course you could check out the liveaboard section of the finest
boating site on the 'Net at http://www.casualsailor.com/LAIntro.shtml
..

I really do believe that there is a "minimum" size of boat that people
can tolerate. For Florrie and me, it was a 38' motor yacht. However,
a broker we know lived with his wife on a 25' sailboat for a while.

I'd agree with the respondent who warned that most people can't deal
with it. Florrie and I love living aboard, really love it. But it's
clear that most of our friends think us extremely eccentric.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

E.J. Bleendreeble
http://www.casualsailor.com

Sign up to the Liveaboard Mailing List and ask those folks. I'm not sure if
this is current but try sending an email to
with a text message that says "subscribe
live-aboard". You will then receive emails posted to the list and can ask
questions.
There is also an archive at
http://www.irbs.com/lists/live-aboard/
and a forum at
http://www.irbs.com/forum/viewforum....cd3e9f61 557a

As for living aboard, not much room for big hobbies like wood working g.

"Brien Alkire" wrote in message
...
My wife and I took up sailing just last June. We started with dinghies
and
then took the usual sequence of ASA classes. We don't own a boat, but
we've
been sailing consistantly ever since. To make a long story short, the
sailing bug has bitten us hard.

We're now considering a dramatic step. We're considering selling our
townhome, buying a boat and living on it. We have no children and don't
need much space. We work near the marina (the townhouse is an awful
commute). I'd say we are about 60% serious about it.

Would anyone like to share opinions or their experiences in living aboard
a
sailboat? What did you miss about living on shore? What did you wish you
had considered before you made the move?

I'm sure I'll have many detailed questions as we work through this
decision.

Some basics: we sail in So Cal. We enjoy coastal cruising at the local
islands. We're not interested in any bluewater stuff in the near term,
though we both earn lots of vacation and that could be interesting later.
I
enjoy racing but the boat would be strictly for a home and for local
cruising. I don't know what kind of boat yet, but my preliminary thoughts
are on a 10-20 year old boat in the 38' to 45' range, and something that
holds value (as boats go).

Thanks.

Sign up to the Liveaboard Mailing List and ask those folks. I'm not sure if
this is current but try sending an email to
with a text message that says "subscribe
live-aboard". You will then receive emails posted to the list and can ask
questions.
There is also an archive at
http://www.irbs.com/lists/live-aboard/
and a forum at
http://www.irbs.com/forum/viewforum....cd3e9f61 557a

As for living aboard, not much room for big hobbies like wood working g.

"Brien Alkire" wrote in message
...
My wife and I took up sailing just last June. We started with dinghies
and
then took the usual sequence of ASA classes. We don't own a boat, but
we've
been sailing consistantly ever since. To make a long story short, the
sailing bug has bitten us hard.

We're now considering a dramatic step. We're considering selling our
townhome, buying a boat and living on it. We have no children and don't
need much space. We work near the marina (the townhouse is an awful
commute). I'd say we are about 60% serious about it.

Would anyone like to share opinions or their experiences in living aboard
a
sailboat? What did you miss about living on shore? What did you wish you
had considered before you made the move?

I'm sure I'll have many detailed questions as we work through this
decision.

Some basics: we sail in So Cal. We enjoy coastal cruising at the local
islands. We're not interested in any bluewater stuff in the near term,
though we both earn lots of vacation and that could be interesting later.
I
enjoy racing but the boat would be strictly for a home and for local
cruising. I don't know what kind of boat yet, but my preliminary thoughts
are on a 10-20 year old boat in the 38' to 45' range, and something that
holds value (as boats go).

Thanks.

"Brien Alkire" wrote in message ...
My wife and I took up sailing just last June. We started with dinghies and
then took the usual sequence of ASA classes. We don't own a boat, but we've
been sailing consistantly ever since. To make a long story short, the
sailing bug has bitten us hard.


Hey, try this URL. It is a pretty good article to read if you are
going in that direction. I have never lived aboard, but I found this
article very interesting:
http://groups.google.com/groups?dq=&...ver.com&rnum=7

Scotty

"Brien Alkire" wrote in message ...
My wife and I took up sailing just last June. We started with dinghies and
then took the usual sequence of ASA classes. We don't own a boat, but we've
been sailing consistantly ever since. To make a long story short, the
sailing bug has bitten us hard.


Hey, try this URL. It is a pretty good article to read if you are
going in that direction. I have never lived aboard, but I found this
article very interesting:
http://groups.google.com/groups?dq=&...ver.com&rnum=7

Scotty

....Unless you live on a wooden boat! ;-)

"Gordon Wedman" wrote in message
news:0e6Bb.26414$d35.9076@edtnps84...
As for living aboard, not much room for big hobbies like wood working g.

....Unless you live on a wooden boat! ;-)

"Gordon Wedman" wrote in message
news:0e6Bb.26414$d35.9076@edtnps84...
As for living aboard, not much room for big hobbies like wood working g.

I like living abord because you have your house on your back, like a snail,
and can move where interesting things happen, where the nature is amasing or
where the partying is hefty - and most of the time where the climate is
plesant.

If you live in a city (on a boat) and have a nine to five job, you really
can't enjoy all the benefits of living on board, but are left with the manny
disadvantages: Bathroom facillities for two people, both going to a job in
the city in the morning, are not sufficient. You will have to get rid of
most of your books, most of your kitchen tools, most of your clothes and so
on.

Of course you can live with the problems for a period of time, if you are
saving to go cruising, and are willing to suffer now, while looking forward
to later, but otherwise I cant really se the benefits.

If you have monney to get yourself a 55' well-equiped boat, it might be
tollerable, but otherwise the only advantage is that you can minimise your
pendeling time.

I don't know what will work for you, the above is just some general
thoughts.

Peter S/Y Anicula

"Brien Alkire" skrev i en meddelelse
...
My wife and I took up sailing just last June. We started with dinghies
and
then took the usual sequence of ASA classes. We don't own a boat, but
we've
been sailing consistantly ever since. To make a long story short, the
sailing bug has bitten us hard.

We're now considering a dramatic step. We're considering selling our
townhome, buying a boat and living on it. We have no children and don't
need much space. We work near the marina (the townhouse is an awful
commute). I'd say we are about 60% serious about it.

Would anyone like to share opinions or their experiences in living aboard
a
sailboat? What did you miss about living on shore? What did you wish you
had considered before you made the move?

I'm sure I'll have many detailed questions as we work through this
decision.

Some basics: we sail in So Cal. We enjoy coastal cruising at the local
islands. We're not interested in any bluewater stuff in the near term,
though we both earn lots of vacation and that could be interesting later.
I
enjoy racing but the boat would be strictly for a home and for local
cruising. I don't know what kind of boat yet, but my preliminary thoughts
are on a 10-20 year old boat in the 38' to 45' range, and something that
holds value (as boats go).

Thanks.

I like living abord because you have your house on your back, like a snail,
and can move where interesting things happen, where the nature is amasing or
where the partying is hefty - and most of the time where the climate is
plesant.

If you live in a city (on a boat) and have a nine to five job, you really
can't enjoy all the benefits of living on board, but are left with the manny
disadvantages: Bathroom facillities for two people, both going to a job in
the city in the morning, are not sufficient. You will have to get rid of
most of your books, most of your kitchen tools, most of your clothes and so
on.

Of course you can live with the problems for a period of time, if you are
saving to go cruising, and are willing to suffer now, while looking forward
to later, but otherwise I cant really se the benefits.

If you have monney to get yourself a 55' well-equiped boat, it might be
tollerable, but otherwise the only advantage is that you can minimise your
pendeling time.

I don't know what will work for you, the above is just some general
thoughts.

Peter S/Y Anicula

"Brien Alkire" skrev i en meddelelse
...
My wife and I took up sailing just last June. We started with dinghies
and
then took the usual sequence of ASA classes. We don't own a boat, but
we've
been sailing consistantly ever since. To make a long story short, the
sailing bug has bitten us hard.

We're now considering a dramatic step. We're considering selling our
townhome, buying a boat and living on it. We have no children and don't
need much space. We work near the marina (the townhouse is an awful
commute). I'd say we are about 60% serious about it.

Would anyone like to share opinions or their experiences in living aboard
a
sailboat? What did you miss about living on shore? What did you wish you
had considered before you made the move?

I'm sure I'll have many detailed questions as we work through this
decision.

Some basics: we sail in So Cal. We enjoy coastal cruising at the local
islands. We're not interested in any bluewater stuff in the near term,
though we both earn lots of vacation and that could be interesting later.
I
enjoy racing but the boat would be strictly for a home and for local
cruising. I don't know what kind of boat yet, but my preliminary thoughts
are on a 10-20 year old boat in the 38' to 45' range, and something that
holds value (as boats go).

Thanks.

Brien Alkire wrote:

My wife and I took up sailing just last June. We started with dinghies and
then took the usual sequence of ASA classes. We don't own a boat, but we've
been sailing consistantly ever since. To make a long story short, the
sailing bug has bitten us hard.

We're now considering a dramatic step. We're considering selling our
townhome, buying a boat and living on it. We have no children and don't
need much space. We work near the marina (the townhouse is an awful
commute). I'd say we are about 60% serious about it.

Would anyone like to share opinions or their experiences in living aboard a
sailboat? What did you miss about living on shore? What did you wish you
had considered before you made the move?

I'm sure I'll have many detailed questions as we work through this decision.

Some basics: we sail in So Cal. We enjoy coastal cruising at the local
islands. We're not interested in any bluewater stuff in the near term,
though we both earn lots of vacation and that could be interesting later. I
enjoy racing but the boat would be strictly for a home and for local
cruising. I don't know what kind of boat yet, but my preliminary thoughts
are on a 10-20 year old boat in the 38' to 45' range, and something that
holds value (as boats go).

I'd say you're in a perfect place to try it. Dockmate a decade ago had a
low-level job, but sunk the "rent" into a 45+' quality cruiser -- far
more than he could have afforded if he had lived on shore and kept a
boat. The Chesapeake is CHILLY in the winter, but 3 heaters kept him
toasty those winters he didn't have a girlfriend onshore.

South CA is far more benevolent, and the housing costs CONSIDERABLY
higher than the MD eastern shore, so I'd go for it in a NY second. (boy,
am I mixing a bunch of things!)

When our dockmate was laid off, he sunk the 6 months of unemployment
into the kitty and final commissioning and then headed south with his
current girlfriend. We didn't see them for a few years. Saw him and his
boat last season (when we visited our old marina), both well worn, but
haven't debriefed him on the experience.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/