Anybody ever live on a sailboat?

**BFD** · 01-17-2007, 01:31 AM

I thought you were buying a hot water heater. Don't know where you plan to sail this boat but if it is anywhere cold I would recomend a pilot house. Here in AK. you see alot of sailboats without them, all sitting in the harbor. No matter how long the boat it sucks to look out the window and be two feet off the water. Living on the boat you'll apreciate being able to sit up in the pilot house and enjoy the view.

**Free Range Lobster** · 01-17-2007, 06:40 AM

Originally Posted by BLOOD SWEAT STEEL

I'd be willing to trade some in some comforts for durability and/or more recent upgrades. That said, it needs a heater. Hot wash/shower would be nice - like, 75% mandatory, and a small a/c fridge (although a long shot) would be really nice. Cheaper to retrofit these things later on? The ladies need to be comfortable and little things make a big difference. ESPECIALLY on the water where shit can get ugly fast. She's tough, but she's still a lady.

The only problem with all of this is its all VERY expensive.
heater, hot water can be retrofitted, a reefer is much more difficult and expensive.

BLOOD SWEAT STEEL · 01-17-2007, 11:07 AM

Built in - yes, I've seen the prices. An extra $4k for a reefer is ridiculous. For the most part, I don't plan on being in the cold for extended periods of time. Regardless, open water can get chilly and a little heat would be nice during the cooler periods. Is it reasonable to consider fitting a small, low draw a/c fridge and a small ceramic a/c space heater with a tough enough electrical system?

Seems to me the cost to upgrade the electrical system/ battery storage (not to mention an upgrade the entire boat would benefit from) would be cheaper and easier to maintain than finding something with an integrated engineered syatem. - For my needs, anyways. Aside from the fact that if one of them burns up, it's a hell of a lot cheaper and easier to just junk & replace a $25 heater or a $150 refrigerator than to rebuild/replace integrated pc boards, refrigeration units, and god knows what else...... ???

I'm not planning on ever really sailing anywhere north of San Francisco, save maybe the St. Lawrence in the summer.

I really don't know, that's why I'm asking.

**Free Range Lobster** · 01-17-2007, 12:12 PM

Inverters chew up batteries bad, especially on what size boat you want to be on.

Having say a Seafrost reefer (cold plate) in the long run is much easier to maintain and care for than putting something that wasn't made to be in that environment in there. It'll pay for itself over time.

Also you can get nice little diesel fired heaters from say Force 10 etc for not much money and they barely sip diesel.

On the opposite end of the spectrum you can go with an Espar heater. (My father has one on his boat, and most of the big sleds I race on have em for cold(er) weather races.)

Forced hot air and very VERY very nice, but very expensive.

And then there's always getting a little Fischer Panda genset, then you can go with some AC solutions and be ok.

**snorkeldeep** · 01-17-2007, 12:15 PM

lobster, whats that in your avatar?

**Free Range Lobster** · 01-17-2007, 12:21 PM

Originally Posted by snorkeldeep

lobster, whats that in your avatar?

Andrews 70 flying an A3

**snorkeldeep** · 01-17-2007, 12:33 PM

nice boat. where are you primarily sailing out of?

spent the summer racing mumms, various j-boats, and a few others and working on a 505 campaign now for this coming year.

**Free Range Lobster** · 01-17-2007, 12:41 PM

Newport & South Dartmouth

mostly on big boats.
currently hunting down another new(er) International 14

505's are a good time.

**snorkeldeep** · 01-17-2007, 12:55 PM

nice.. im down in nyc. if you ever need an extra hand for deliveries or racing, keep me in mind. have a fair amount of offshore experience, and like breeze.

**Free Range Lobster** · 01-17-2007, 01:00 PM

Heh, I had an offer a couple weeks ago to take a Morris Apogee 51 from Cape Horn to the Carribean.

**snorkeldeep** · 01-17-2007, 01:34 PM

friend of mine just picked up a bieker 3 i believe.. going to be doing a bunch of sailing with him this summer i hope.

**Free Range Lobster** · 01-17-2007, 01:37 PM

Originally Posted by snorkeldeep

friend of mine just picked up a bieker 3 i believe.. going to be doing a bunch of sailing with him this summer i hope.

Nice.

TFoil?

**Tye 1on** · 01-17-2007, 01:37 PM

Own a fun lil San Juan 23, but when I get to the full or most time sailing/liveaboard stage [which is indeed in the plans] it's going to be on a catamaran, which open a whole 'nother can of lobsters. That's my vote tho

**snorkeldeep** · 01-17-2007, 01:39 PM

Originally Posted by Free Range Lobster

Nice.

TFoil?

yeah. stoked!

**Free Range Lobster** · 01-17-2007, 01:41 PM

Originally Posted by snorkeldeep

yeah. stoked!

FKNA.

I've built 2 sets of TFoils so far including my own.
Just sold my Ovington (its headed to France to get refit and raced there)

Yous guys should do the Buzzards Bay Regatta. There's enough boats for a fleet start this year and the perpetual trophy is coming down from Canada to its rightful home.

**snorkeldeep** · 01-17-2007, 01:44 PM

im almost positive we'll be there, we've already discussed. going to be a bit of a balancing act between the 14 and the 5 oh, but hard to say no to the 14

**Free Range Lobster** · 01-17-2007, 01:52 PM

It'll be the first time the 14's have been back since I *think* 88 or 89.

I think the thursday before is just a checkin day?
You guys can come play on a big boat thursday evening.

**snorkeldeep** · 01-17-2007, 02:03 PM

sounds good

**Blashyrkh** · 01-17-2007, 03:02 PM

Man you guys are making me jealous. I just moved away from my 14 owning friends in Alberta (although the boat has been undergoing repairs for a while). Sailed a 49er for a few years with my dad and raced lasers on the Alberta team throughout my teenage years.

Now that I'm out in Vancouver I'm looking to crew for some larger boats in some longer races. I'll be a regular crew on a 242 in the weekly series at RVYC.

You guys are making me jones for some dingy action on the side, though. It's been a while.

Oh, yeah. My thinking is that a boat in the 30+ range would be a whole lot better as a live aboard. The difference in living space between a 25', 30' and 35' can be enormous. And when it's your primary residence that space could make your time a whole bunch more pleasant. In my experience you don't start getting much more than a v-berth and a quarter-berth until you hit around 40'. Just more space.

BLOOD SWEAT STEEL · 05-23-2007, 01:35 PM

The dream is not dead. More specifically, it will become a reality 2-3 years down the road so I can get adequately prepared (experience/open water time + saving up funds so I don't have to cut corners.) I've been sailing a 22' Capri on Tahoe lately, plus completed a few ASA courses and some home study stuff. I'm in the market for a j22/cat 22 to tool around on locally, and I've pretty much narrowed my cruiser down to an Islander 30 with a Yanmar or Volvo, which I'll be looking to acquire this coming winter. I'll be keeping it in Stockton (delta) so it's in close range for weekend work/daysails, and SF Bay access for coastal cruising. So if anybody knows of a well equipped, well cared for one on the west coast for sale, keep me posted.

**hop** · 05-23-2007, 04:42 PM

Originally Posted by DrFlask

You just had to go bust out the Mac26...

AHHHH the Bayliner of sailboats!

**Free Range Lobster** · 05-23-2007, 05:19 PM

Originally Posted by hop

AHHHH the Bayliner of sailboats!

And I repeat:

FOURTH MODE!, bitches.

**gamma** · 05-23-2007, 08:11 PM

Blood Sweat Steel. Go hook up with the local 14 and 505 fleets in california.. you won't regret it!!! 'specially if u like to fly!

youll forget about the torture which is long term living on a boat..

**Snow Dog** · 05-26-2007, 07:57 PM

My random thoughts:
I knew a couple who lived on a 40' sailboat. They found it cozy and wouldn't go under that for 2 people. The narrow beam of a classic sailboat doesn't leave a lot of room below decks. It had a wood stove for heating. Good at the dock (their locker was full of wood) but not so good on the open sea.

Another friend went the trimaran route for his round-the-world sail. Roomy and stable.

Another aquaintance lived on a two masted 50' (or 56') sailboat. You can sail anything singlehanded with the right rigging.

Using an electric heater on batteries is just unworkable. Your typical 12V RV battery is rated at 85 amp-hours which is 1 (yes, one) kilowatt-hour. Your average heater draws 1.5 kw/hr. Do the math.

I've seen some cool Diesel cooktop/heater units made specifically for boats. Not cheap but you need a cooktop anyway and Diesel is much safer than propane.

**addict** · 05-27-2007, 12:41 AM

I've done some ocean racing and also sailed 2 handed from Mexico to Australia through the south pacific over 6 months in a 35ft steel ketch. Very basic (no shower, refrigeration toilet, etc.). It was fine, but 35ft is the min I'd want, and still easy to single hand. Living in a 30fter you'd get serious cabin fever. Steel or well-built ferro are the ideal for long term, GRP or aluminium will have serious problems over time.