Posted on 03/10/2019 9:48:59 AM PDT by amorphous
Boats make a hole in the water which you full up with money.
Row boats to yachts, they all qualify.
I did it for 5 years in the 70’s. BEST YEARS OF MY LIFE!!!
Yes it is a lot of work, NOT worth it if you are going to live in 1 spot. IT IS ONLY FOR SERIOUS CRUISING.
I did the far east, Indian Ocean islands, South and East Africa, Red Sea and Eastern Med.
Nothing compares to real cruising but be prepared to be self sufficient. YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN.
This is pretty low down on my fantasy list, it I have thought about it as part of my SHTF fantasy package.
I took sailing lessons as a teenager on LI Sound. When I was done, I was pretty confident. My teacher asked me “so, do you know how to sail?”
When I said, I suppose so, he told me, “I never say that. I only say, I’ve been sailing”.
His point was, something new always comes up on any passage.
I’m 68 now, and I’m pretty sure if I tried sailing across oceans I would get myself killed. But that would be the only reason (oceans) I would ever even think about living on a boat instead of a structure designed for humans to live in.
Knew a guy that tried. Imagine heating yer house ... submerged in water. Blew thru many a heat pump and they, are not cheap. Also have to consider the marina; how choppy is the water. He moved to the other side of the river to find it TOO rough. Off to a condo at that point.
My wife and I lived in an RV for more than ten years....really enjoyed it. As a matter of fact we are selling our lake house and thinking of going back to an RV for a couple more years!!!
Never heard that one before, but I totally can see it. LOL!
I’ve never wanted one. Just need to find a friend who has one.
A boat is a money pit. A big boat is a big money pit.
Otherwise, they can certainly rent a houseboat for a month or so and get it out of their system without having the risk of having to sell it later at a loss.
Tell them to look for boats for sale down in the islands... many people attempt this lifestyle and quit half way through their island tour.. those boats go cheaper. Also, do a week or two boat rental somewhere with or without a captain to see if you really like the lifestyle.
I left NH where it was -16 and I’m sitting poolside in Tucson right now.
LOVE AZ!
Interesting. I wonder who lives there who has “disappeared” from society. Jimmy Hoffa? Maybe John Kennedy Jr. has been holed up there. A visit to the place would make for an interesting tv show.
they may be able to rent a boat for a month or so and test the life and see if they like it before they make the big decision
Experienced RVer here. Smaller may work for some, but most newbies that are RVers go bigger once they get on the road. Cabin fever sets in during inclement weather. Most couples need space from each other from time to time. I don’t know what you consider small, but most people that FT(Full Time) that have a decent retirement income, live in a 35 foot or large MH (Motor Home) with a tow behind or tow vehicle with a 5th wheel.
People that live FT in an RV need one that is made to live in FT. If you buy one and live in it FT without it being made for FT living you void your warranty.
The ones that are made for FT living have larger refrigerators, pantry, fireplace (artificial) extra insulation, multiple power sources (hook-up, generator, solar), larger closets, washer/dryer closets, etc.
The nicer ones also have automated leveling systems and slide outs to give you even more space. We can back into a spot and be sitting in our recliners in 15-20 minutes.
And I get a lot more MPG than 7 when I am towing my RV.
Here is an example of what I am getting at. A friend of mine from college had success in several house flips and in scoring good antique finds, so, when his marriage failed and he was uncertain what to do next, he sold his remaining real estate project, put most of his stuff into storage, bought an annuity with a chunk of his savings, and moved onto his recreational boat to save money. He figured that it would last about six months or a year.
Seven years later, my friend is still on his boat, now relocated to Baltimore Harbor. He spends his time reading books, watching old movies, dating, dining out, and seeing the local sights. For medical issues, my friend has Johns Hopkins. He would relocate and move back on land to marry again, take up a conventional job, or to be near family, but my friend is not looking to do any of those things just yet.
My point is that for my friend, the choice of life on a boat was a logical adaptation to his circumstances that continued because it was successful. Most of all, my friend enjoys but is not trapped into living on his boat. He could easily give it up.
We did the RV. It’s just a lot easier.
1- better LOVE the water
2- Carribean is the place
Look Before Leaping
Before jumping into the deep end of full-time water residence, consider renting or leasing a boat home for a trial period.
Boatsetter is the equivalent of Airbnb for boats. The largest peer-to-peer boat rental company in the world, it offers more than 5,000 cruisers, yachts, houseboats, and sailboats in 2,300 locations around the United States for full- or half-day rentals.
Link: https://www.boatsetter.com/
A friend of mine bought a house boat.
When asked how big it was, he said,
“It sleeps four and f**ks eight.”
If you can afford a 100 footer and someone to maintain it this is good. If you can not, stay on the land. If the boat does not have the square footage of your house, you will not be happy. Maintaining a boat such as this is serious money. You will always be scrapping, sanding, and painting. When you have mechanical problems the 100 dollar and hour mechanic will fix them. Boat parts are expensive!
Hope you have a good furnace in it if you do it in the winter.
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