The Essentials of Living Aboard a Boat

by Mark Nicholas

  Storage, which is one of the biggest problems for liveaboards, is often presumed to be more plentiful in longer boats. True, but many smaller boats, particularly with newer designs, have significant storage as well. For sailboats, some boats that are designed with comfort in mind will intentionally sacrifice performance and quality of sailing in exchange for a more luxurious living space. For instance, an Island Packet 34’ sailboat has as much storage and living area as do some boats 12 feet longer. While the tradeoff is the diminished ability to sail in light air and toward wind, liveability is greatly improved. These are compromises that only you can decide on; do so knowingly and thoughtfully.

  Many liveaboards have told me that if they had a magic wand, their boats would be smaller and lighter. Boaters often buy boats that are too big for their needs, and get caught up in that image thing, and in doing so, end up incurring higher maintenance, storage, and operating costs. Every linear foot of a boat brings added expense. And as the corollary to that, every foot smaller results in a significant cost savings.

  I should mention that boat manufacturers are getting better and better at designing their layouts with liveability in mind, and are figuring out how to do this with less sacrifice of the boat’s performance. Powerboats, however, have not been subjected to this same tradeoff, since many have always been geared toward comfort and liveability.

  Space and Storage

  When you talk to liveaboards about what they have given up for their lifestyles, you tend to hear stories about the lack of space. It seems as if liveaboards enjoy every other aspect of their undertaking, but regret not having certain of their possessions aboard.

  Liveaboards do give up many of their possessions, at least while they are living aboard, and permanent liveaboards give up certain possessions forever. This includes obvious things like furniture. In a sailboat, furniture (like the settee) is built into the boat. In a powerboat, there might be room for a sofa and the like, but space for furniture remains quite limited. This isn’t like living in a small house, where the attic might provide ten times the storage space of even a large boat.

  In my experience, furniture is not the biggest loss. The biggest loss is of the more precious possessions: things like artwork on the walls, photo albums and books, grandmother’s china, a guitar and guitar amp, or that closet full of clothes and shoes. Sentimental stuff. But that’s just me.

  Bear in mind that possessions are left behind for various reasons. Would it be possible to find space for the photo albums? Probably. Would it be advisable to bring them aboard? Probably not. At least not the originals. Water damage can happen at any time. Condensation can occur everywhere there is moist air. And salt air will erode anything it touches.

  Temporary (or trial) liveaboards often pay for storage facilities. Mine cost slightly more than $100 a month. If I had had a good friend or relative with an empty room, I might have tried to impose my possessions upon that person as well. What are you going to do? Sell stuff? Store stuff? Lend stuff to others? It’s part of the liveaboard plan.

  There is an upside that I truly enjoyed: it is impossible to buy anything else. Spending sprees are no more. There is no room for furniture or wall space for artwork. And since everything on board must be properly secured/stowed before cruising, there is an incentive to limit unsecured possessions. My relatives and friends were all told that gifts should be limited to beer (in cans) and wine, trips to restaurants, and other things that do not take up any space. For everything that is added, something must be removed.

  Chris Birch cites that liveaboards often move aboard to escape civilization, and then bring civilization aboard with them. This includes having their mail delivered to the boat, and overwhelming their living space with guitars and skis and clothes and stuff. [Note that there are alternatives to all situations, such as post office boxes, services that provide an address for cruising liveaboards to use for mail and vehicle registration, and so forth.] For those who try to use the boat as a fully functional apartment on the water, the experience can become anything but an escape. Chris recommends that all that stuff be kept somewhere else, since keeping it aboard both detracts from the experience and imposes a major restriction on the use of the boat (it takes more time to leave the dock if stuff needs to be stowed properly before heading out). In addition, too much clutter aboard imposes a major safety issue, as nooks and crevices of the boat are filled with things that need to be removed if there is suddenly a need to get to or inspect key equipment such as seacocks, hoses, and wiring.

  Chris’ views become more radical when it comes to some of the other amenities on board that are often regarded as essentials. For instance, Chris argues that you should consider removing the shower from the boat. With no shower, you get an entire locker with significant space, since the entire cabinet where the water heater once sat can now be used for storage. You can always take advantage of the free showers provided by your marina. Chris argues further that the marine head should be removed, along with the holding tank, and replaced with a five-gallon bucket with a toilet seat lid. His justification, which is very well thought out, is that a lot more space is gained, including all of the space where the holding tank rested, and a primary system which produces odors and difficulty is removed. I think that this approach is too radical for me and most liveaboards, but this is something to think about, for the advice is an example of how, in one fell swoop, one may resolve many of the challenges of living aboard—including costs, space, and odors—with a simple yet dramatic change in livestyle.

  Storage issues should be carefully considered and planned. Some liveaboards will keep their belongings in storage to make sure that the lifestyle is for them, or to ease the transition until a permanent commitment to the lifestyle can be made. If there is more than one person aboard, careful consideration of locker and drawer space should be made. If you like shoes, how many pairs should be brought aboard? I don’t know, but probably less than the number that are kept currently in your house. If there is any relief to this dilemma it is that condensation will cause all of the shoes brought aboard to get really moldy anyway, so it will be good to have some extra pairs in storage.

  Use

  If you want a boat that will be able to sail across the ocean, you need a boat that can sail across the ocean. If you want a boat that can handle social gatherings, you need a boat that can handle social gatherings. If you are expecting to be hosting booze cruises or sunset cruises on board, you will need a boat with the capabilities and amenities, as well as the safety precautions that will make your boat successful in its endeavor.

  If you want a boat that can sail across an ocean, don’t buy a boat designed for booze cruises. If you want a boat that will see almost exclusive use coastal cruising on weekends in good weather, don’t waste money on a boat designed for transoceanic journeys. Most liveaboards rarely, if ever, leave the dock. You can buy an amazing amount of boat for your money if you decide that you do not need a working engine.

  If you know what you need, and choose and buy accordingly, you can use your budget effectively, efficiently, and wisely, and maximize the amount of boat for your money.

  Despite the fact that this makes perfect sense, this is probably one of the rules most often breached, particularly by novice boaters. Boaters screw this up because they either: forget or don’t know what they expect to be doing with the boat, have unrealistic expectations, are not honest with themselves, get caught up with name-brand manufacturers or status, or just fall in love with the wrong boat.

  Equipment

  We’ve talked about how boat buyers should focus primarily on the boat and not on the boat’s equipment. That doesn’t change the reality that a boat gets real attractive when it sports the equipment you’re looking for.

  Boaters have a wide variety of equipment choices, whether it be for safety, navigation, comfort, fun, communications, or other purposes. Unlike living in a house, there is no such thing as a “standard” equipment package. I know several liveaboard
s (me, for instance) who do not have a refrigerator, only an icebox, and I know others who would never consider living this way. Even in the freezing cold winters in the Northeast, I know liveaboards (me, again) who do not have central heat, but only use bulkhead heaters and/or space heaters.

  Are there things that you absolutely can’t do without? Bear in mind that there are typically solutions and equipment configurations to solve any given problem.

  Examples of different types of extras might include:

  Safety

  Navigation

  High Quality Anchor

  Life Raft

  MOB

  EPIRB

  GPS/Chartplotter

  Radar

  Comfort

  Fun

  Refrigeration

  Central Heat

  Air Conditioning

  Lifeline

  Cushions

  Hammock

  Deck Chairs

  TV/DVD/VHS

  Stereo/Speakers

  Communication

  Other

  Single-Side-Band Radio

  VHF Radio

  Satellite Systems

  Generator

  Inverter

  Battery Charger

  Windlass

  Laundry Machines

  Remember that all of this gear can be added after purchase, and that your most important responsibility is to select the absolute best boat possible, irrespective of the extras. Discipline!

  Comfort

  While comfort is subjective, if you have a general idea of what you need and expect for comfort, it would make your boat search far more efficient. Comfort factors into every aspect of a boat, whether it be something as obvious as headroom and overall space; a boat’s general configuration; the number and location of ports and hatches (for light and air); space in the head, galley, and cockpit area; deck space and configuration for spending time topside; or overall comfort of the cushions and mattresses.

  Don’t skip any of these details. This is your home and you will have to live with your choices. There are, of course, compromises that are made. Since boats have a finite amount of space, every inch of space that is being used for one function cannot be used for any other. Your needs must match that of the boat’s design.

  In addition to spatial and design compromises, there are practical compromises. Boats designed for heavy-weather cruising might have a galley in a smaller, circular design so that the cook would be safe and secure during heavy weather. This, just like all other factors in a boat, is a compromise. A faster boat will sacrifice space. A more comfortable boat will sacrifice performance and speed, as well as the ability to perform in lighter air. A powerboat that rises high out of the water is more affected by wind and may have a higher center of gravity than other similar displacement boats, and therefore will be less comfortable in rocky conditions. A deeper draft boat might perform better, but will be unable to go to all of the places that a shallow boat can go.

  Boats with wider beams, particularly those that carry their beams farther forward and aft, will be much more comfortable than narrower boats, although they too might sacrifice performance. A classic example of such a boat is the sailboat made by Island Packet. The Island Packet is a very stable boat, with a heavy displacement and ballast, and also carries its wide beam throughout. The boats are all extremely spacious and comfortable, but are notorious for their lack of performance in light air. Island Packet owners joke about having to turn on their engines in order to tack in light air, below 10–15 knots. (Incidentally, 10–15 knots of wind will have my boat at or near its hull speed.) In return for a beautiful and comfortable boat, an owner often gets a boat that might perform below her peers. This is the most common problem I see with novice liveaboards’ first boats, a mistake that results in significant discomfort and rarely happens again. Nonetheless, everything is a tradeoff.

  A center-cockpit sailboat offers a full stateroom with a queen-sized bed aft with standing headroom, which is not possible with a traditional aft-cockpit configuration. The center cockpit also places the crew up and out of the water and protects them from the elements while sailing. Powerboats provide a wide variety of cockpit configurations, including a possible indoor helm.

  The more boats you visit before you make the leap, the better will be your picture of your comfort choices.

  Quality and Finish

  These are the final touches, including things like that extra (ninth) coat of hand-buffed varnish, marble/Corian countertops, things like that. These are the luxuries that you want, but you don’t need them and you can save money shopping for boats without all of the niceties. Or maybe they are very important to you. To each his own.

  We’re not going to take any time on this. If you want a perfect boat, you can evaluate the boats that are perfectly constructed and finished, such as Oysters and Hinkleys, among others (as examples of sailboats). My preference is for the boats that are more simply constructed with less wood and varnish, making maintenance far easier. Many boat owners don’t need a perfectly finished work of art, but love terrific boats that are more cost effective, often equally loaded with the same exact equipment and systems. Still, how can anyone take perfectly varnished brightwork for granted? It’s just that not all of us want to maintain it or pay for it.

  Location

  There are thousands of boats for sale in just about every corner of the country and the world. Nevertheless, as you refine your search and begin to understand your exact needs and wants, you will ultimately decide on a final make and model of boat, and you might find that your ideal boat is not available in your area.

  It is common for boat searches to involve trips throughout different geographic locations. If you find that the boat you are seeking is not in your area, you have two choices: You can wait for new boats to come onto the market, or you can expand your search by boat type or geographic location.

  Before you get too excited about distant boats, speak with a company or captain that moves the type of boat you are seeking. Talk to them about their process, timing, and costs. Keep in mind that boat delivery can be quite expensive, in the thousands of dollars. When I was looking at boats, the prices I was quoted were far outside of my budget (I received a $5,000 quote to deliver a boat 200 miles). As a result, my search was limited to local purchases, which was not that difficult, given the extensive boating culture in the Northeastern United States. At the same time, many buyers in other parts of the country expect to have to ship their new boat great distances—buyers from Canada will often shop for their boat throughout much of the United States.

  Resources

  If you decide to engage a broker, as discussed in much greater depth in the next chapter, you should expect your broker to work diligently to identify great boats. Not good boats, but great boats. The identification of appropriate boats is, after all, one of the primary reasons for a broker’s existence. If a broker is not following your guidelines or requirements, or it looks as if the broker is representing less than satisfactory boats as ideal purchases, then you are dealing with either a bad broker or one who only wants to close a deal and is not looking out for your best interests. Bad brokers will easily waste all of your time, and you will likely settle for a less-than-ideal boat.

  In many ways you no longer need a broker in this Internet day and age. In the old days brokers and boat dealers, as well as advertisements in publications, were the only ways of finding and identifying prospective boats, and buyers were limited to this small universe of identified boats. Today, the Internet provides buyers with an incredible ability to search through and learn about every available boat in the world. I would encourage every boat shopper to spend a great deal of time on what is probably the biggest site, http://www.yachtworld.com, as well as other boat listing sites where you can search through thousands of boats with many different criteria in any geographic location. It’s a great way to spend a night in.

  Also, don’t forget to read the magazines and reviews. Look at the p
ictures, read the stories, and ask questions of the wide audience of liveaboards both in person and on the Internet. With a little time, you’ll get your answers.

  Robert Doty’s Candide

  Rob’s salon (above) is his office (computer),

  dining room, and entertainment center

  (TV and rack stereo system).

  Note the cramped galley (below)

  for safe meal preparation while under way.

  Robert Doty’s Candide

  Hans Christian Traditional 38

  Jacksonville, Florida

  4. Buying Your Boat

  At this point, with luck, you have chosen your perfect boat. Remembering the rule that boats do grow on trees and that if the purchase of this boat doesn’t work out, surely another better boat will come along soon, let’s figure out what you need to do to take ownership.

  Do You Need A Broker?

  You might already have your own broker; perhaps one helped you locate the boat. The seller may be using his own broker. So there may be one or two brokers in the picture already. While using a broker is not essential, it often makes very good sense.