Wide Beam Canal Boats
These are a good option for those wanting the extra space which a traditional narrowboat simply cant offer. They are built up to 13 feet wide, and can accommodate full-sized kitchens and appliances. However, because of their size, they cannot fit along all canals and through the locks so their cruising area is limited. If you want freedom and flexibility, this might not be the choice. If youre looking for space and comfort in a more static environment, these types of boats are excellent value for money. In addition to wide beam canal boats, there is an impressive array of converted barges, both English and Dutch, on the market. These types of boats can range from 40 feet to 120 feet in length, with the larger models suitable only on rivers. Take a look at our range of wide beam canal boats and barges for sale by manufacturers such as TingdeneColecraft, SP Longboats Fitout, and Collingwood.
Moor Exclusively For Free
Free mooring is definitely possible. However, you need to be willing to compromise. Docking in a marina can get expensive very quickly, so I’d want to avoid that as much as possible.
There are plenty of free anchorages all over the world. Sometimes you can only stay there for a brief period, like one or two nights. It’d keep moving from free anchorage to anchorage, with the usual boondocking in between.
This does have two large disadvantages:
If you want to learn more on where you can moor your boat for free, I recommend reading William’s article here .
Test It Out Before Going Full
Lastly, you will want to make sure you can handle this particular lifestyle. Its not always easy and it is a big investment and a big change of lifestyle.
Before you set off for full time living on a boat you need to test it out.
One of the best ways to know if this lifestyle will work for you and your family would be to try it out first. There are ways that you can rent houseboats for a trial period that might give you a better picture of what you will be looking at in terms of change.
Living on a boat is a very minimalistic lifestyle that not everyone is suited for. But, if you are the type of person who loves adventure and fantastic views, who dont need to be loaded down with material things or fine luxuries, living on a boat might just be the lifestyle for you.
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How To Choose The Right Liveaboard Boat
March 4, 2019 by Charles Giambalvo, SYS Yacht Sales Associate
Ready to make the move and purchase a boat to live aboard? There are many types of boats that make great liveaboard options, depending on your preferences regarding vessel size, interior layout, deck space, performance capabilities and level of creature comforts. Before starting your search, its important to narrow down your preferences. The best liveaboard boat is one where the resident feel safe and comfortable, and includes all or most of the comforts of a land-based home.
Having lived aboard a 50 Jefferson Motor Yacht for the past 4 years, I would like to share my advice on how to decide which type of boat will meet your liveaboard needs.
The most important consideration for any liveaboard buyer is: will the boat be used mainly for cruising or will it be used more as a floating condo that stays at the marina? From there, you can narrow down your search further: considering your priorities for living space versus performance and operating economy. If you are planning to share this relatively small space with someone else, it is best to include them in the boat selection process. In addition, there are some companies that will allow you to rent a boat for a week or more, so you can try before you buy.
You Can Move Your Boat & Live Anywhere
If and when you want to move you dont have to sell our home you simply untie your lines and move your home to a new location. And considering your home can move with the wind , the coastal areas of the whole world are possible future homes.
Consider how easy it is to move. Instead of getting the house ready to sell, listing it, having showings, looking for a new house, making sure the logistics all work out and on and onyou simply untie the lines and move your home to a new location.
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Refrigerating Boats In Venice
Because how else would you be getting a load of frozen meat and seafood to places around town. The curious thing is that I had never seen a refrigerating boat in Venice prior to this past Saturday. And then, the second that I spotted my very first one and snapped like a dozen photos of it, two more refrigerating boats sailed by.
Click here to discover the hidden gems of Venice 101 Things to do In Venice, Italy Off the Beaten Track
Heres How To Live On A Boat Without Going Broke
- Starting at ground zero? Try a sailing school or volunteer as part of a sailing crew first.
- Budget for more than you think: Boat upkeep, repairs to plumbing and sails are expected.
- Don’t forget to insure your floating home.
Geoff Thomas, 58 years old, still fondly remembers when he and his wife, Laurie, went from being sailing hobbyists to “liveaboards.”
“We knew we wanted to take off, see the world a little bit, live on board and sail for a couple of years,” he said.
At the time, he was 33 and an executive at a shipping container company, and his then-31-year-old wife was a medical editor.
The Thomases were living out of a marina in Norfolk, Virginia, aboard Saturnalia, a Cuthbertson & Cassian 35 sailboat.
“I would dress in the marina’s bathroom and go to work in my wingtips,” Geoff said. “Then I’d shuck the suit later and get back into cutoffs.”
They enjoyed marine life enough that they decided to set a date, save aggressively and part ways with their jobs so that they could sail Saturnalia to Bermuda in 1993. The couple kicked off a two-year jaunt that eventually brought them up and down the East Coast and into the Caribbean.
But the going was far from easy. “We had difficulty getting health insurance, said Laurie. “We came back after two years with our bank accounts depleted, got our jobs back, and have had employer-based insurance since then.”
Here’s where to begin if you’d like to take a shot at living aboard a boat.
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What Kind Of Boat Can You Live On
The Best Types of Boat to Live on After Retirement
- Ocean Liveaboard Boats.
. Also know, what do you call a boat you can live on?
Liveaboard can mean: Someone who makes a boat, typically a small yacht in a marina, their primary residence. Powerboats and cruising sailboats are commonly used for living aboard, as well as houseboats which are designed primarily as a residence. A boat designed for people to live aboard it.
Additionally, can you live on a boat in a marina? The cost of living can be much lower. Boat owners in a pay a monthly rent for the boat slip. Other costs include electricity and some charge a live aboard fee.
Likewise, is it legal to live on a boat?
But generally, a boat on a long-term mooring shouldn’t be occupied as your sole residence, however well appointed it might be for life as a full-time liveaboard. On the other hand, if you licence your boat as a Continuous Cruiser, without a permanent home mooring, then you can live on board to your heart’s content.
How do people make a living while living on a boat?
How to make money while sailing around the world
Trawlers People Live On
Trawlers are pleasure boats that have a resemblance to fishing trawlers. They often have a semi-displacement hull instead of a full displacement hull used by most fishing trawlers.
These boats have wide hulls, less draft, and hard chines. A hard chine means that there is little rounding in the front of the hull and is often a harder angle. These boats can have single or twin engines depending on need.
Types of Trawlers Include:
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Pick A Small Sailboat Instead Of A Powerboat
If you’re planning on cruising and moving around a lot, I’d definitely consider picking a sailboat for my liveaboard.Fuel is expensive, and motorboats use A LOT of it. But if you know how to sail, you can go anywhere at absolutely no cost, if you have the time. The wind is free, after all.
If you’re interested in learning to sail right away – and cheaply – read my article How To Learn to Sail for Practically Free here – opens in new tab.
Sailboats are notoriously expensive. However, you can get a good second-hand sailboat for a reasonable price. I’ve researched sailboat prices in-depth for another article. Here’s what I came up with:
Essentials: Stowage Comfort & Connectivity
When you move from a 2,000-square foot house to a 40-foot boat, all the closets are smaller, the cupboards are fewer and theres no two-car garage. In preparation, youll need to de-clutter kitchen gadgets, tools, mementos and clothing. Keep winter clothes in off-boat storage and your business attire at the office if possible.
Make sure the boat is warm and dry with plenty of ventilation. Mildew and condensation will become a part of life and youll need a whole new set of cleaners and tools.
Plan your connectivity needs. Whether a dish for TV or high-speed internet access via the marina WiFi, youll need a connectivity solution so youre not cut off from work, friends, family and entertainment.
Beneficial Skills to Have for Living Onboard
Maintenance on a boat may be worse than in a house in terms of frequency and specificity. Basic plumbing, electrical and mechanical skills will be needed because boat systems are generally less reliable than their household counterparts. The alternative is calling a contractor for every issue.
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Where To Moor Your Boat
Where to moor your boat will also be a decision.
You can moor it in a liveaboard marina so that you have more utilities and luxuries, or you can spend less money to moor in a mooring bay or harbor. This choice will affect not only your cost but your comfort level as well.
Mooring in a bay normally means no electricity hook-up or hot water. You will also have to take a dinghy back and forth every time you want to go from your home to shore. This can get quite annoying if you are also ferrying people, pets, groceries, or other supplies.
Liveaboard marinas are also hard to get into.
They often have waiting lists that can go on for years. If you choose to live in a liveaboard marina, make sure you have a spot, before you invest in a boat.
Why Might Someone Want To Live Aboard Their Boat In California
California is one of the best states to live in. This is for a few reasons. Primarily though, the economy and the weather. The weather especially plays a big part if you are planning on living aboard your boat. California only gets about 33 days of rain a year. Or, less than once a week. If you are living on your boat then the above deck areas account for a very large percentage of your space. If you are forced to live below deck because of constant rain, you are essentially losing half of your home. This isnât an issue in California. California is a very liberal state. Weed is legalized, it has a very young and diverse population, and its economy is booming. Whether or not all of those things can be seen as good is purely subjective. California is also home to some incredible sporting opportunities. Especially hiking.
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Boats You Can Live On:
While in a technical sense you could live on any boat with a cabin, the best boats to live on will offer house-like comforts including a galley , head , and a comfortable berth . There are six different types of boats you can live on and they all vary in size, comfort, seaworthiness, and cost.
- Floating home
Floating homes
Floating homes are the most house-like boat living experience but they are generally permanently moored and are not convenient to move or travel with. They can cost as much as land-based houses to purchase.
Houseboats
Houseboats offer space for comforts like a full-size fridge and kitchen. Theyre great for travel in protected waters and some can even be beached on the land.
Tugboats and Trawlers
Tugboats and trawlers have decent head space and can accommodate comforts like big-screen TVs, full-size kitchens, showers and sometimes even bathtubs. As most living space is a above the water-line, they also tend to have lots of natural light.
Sailboats
Sailboats are a bit like the basement apartment of liveaboards and often do not have fridges, showers or hot water. However, they also generally cost a lot less to purchase than motor vessels and you can travel long distances without fuel cost.
Catamarans
Cooking in a small galley with limited water supply takes some getting used to
Disadvantages Of A Small Boat
While itâs not a good idea to buy a boat that is larger than you need, it can also be a mistake to purchase a boat that is too small for your needs.
Despite the fact that small boats generally cost less and are easier to maneuver, they do have their downsides. There is less storage, less living space, and less amenities. That means youâll need to purchase supplies more often as you will not have room onboard to store them.
A 30 ft boat is limited in when it can travel on the open ocean. A 50 ft boat would likely be able to handle 5-10 ft seas without much difficulty. However, a 30ft boat could become swamped easily in seas that size. Even in 4-5 ft seas, a 30ft boat can become a pretty uncomfortable place depending on the spacing of the waves.
A 30 ft boat is generally too small for dinghy davits, as the weight of the davits and dingy will affect the boats ability to handle waves. A boat over 35 ft is necessary if you intend to have dinghy davits on board.
Smaller boats are generally slower than larger sailboats as they have smaller engines. Travel time increases at slower speeds.
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Why 35 To 45 Feet
Generally speaking, vessels that measure between 35 and 45 feet normally steer well and have a good sea-keeping ability. They usually have assisting self-steering arrangements, tolerable sailing speed, and good storage capabilities. Better still, such sailboats can be designed in such a way that a single person may perform all the sailing tasks completely unassisted.
Below the decks, these sailboats generally offer comfortable seagoing sleeping berths for one person, as well as additional space for the occasional guest. That’s not all the galleys are usually very workable and safe even for continuous use. The navigation station is independent, comfortable, and large enough so that you can lay the charts out flat and permanently. You also have additional storage that is perfect for additional charts.
One of the most overlooked factors when considering the ideal boat that can be perfectly handled by one person is the storage capability. If you’re planning to sail single-handedly to far-flung areas, the boat should have a hoard of equipment. The boat should have fuel storage, a dinghy, oars, secondary chains, life jackets, anchor rods, EPIRBS, storm equipment, engine spares, additional batters, and many more. There should also be enough storage to accommodate food and water provisions for at least two months. With that in mind, 35-45 feet long sailboat should have enough storage space to accommodate everything that you need to sail perfectly, safely, and single-handedly.
Build An Insurance File
Second Step: Put together a boat insurance file. It should include:
- your current policy
- a copy of your last survey
- a resume of the owners boating experience, and
- and a list of recent upgrades that you made to your boat.
Think of it as a marketing tool for getting the best rate available from the underwriters. Submit these documents, along with any application that you fill out, to the underwriter. They will appreciate it.
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And If You Need Help With Choosing A Marina
Grab a copy of my best selling guide, Checklists for Sailors as theres a Choosing A Marina checklist with over 50 questions/considerations youll want to gain answers to. Some questions include:
- Is there a fee for liveaboard status? Do you accept liveaboards?
- Is there a black water pump-out facility that comes to the boat or do we need to move the boat to it?
- How easy is it to enter and exit the marina?
- What is the marina hurricane policy?
- Are there any restrictions on working on your boat?
- Whats the hull growth like in the area?
Get more questions like these in my Choosing A Marina checklist so you know before you go! In addition to this checklist youll get others like, Leaving A Boat In The Marina , Selecting Insurance For Your Boat, Cleaning And Maintenance Checklists, Maintenance and Servicing Checklists, Medical Checklists, Passage Planning and more! Get your copy here: Checklists for Sailors
