The Essentials of Living Aboard a Boat

by Mark Nicholas

  One last thought about pets: Some countries have very strict limitations on the importation of animals of any kind. If you do any international cruising, be absolutely sure that you know and understand the policies and procedures of your inbound destinations. A mistake in this regard could end up unexpectedly quarantining your pet for an extended period of time or the duration of your stay.

  Max the Cat Sleeping While Under Way

  A satellite dish and a television (crucial amenities for many). Things are much easier with flat screens and modern methods to bring media content aboard.

  9. Amenities

  This is my favorite topic. I like toys. I like TV and I like the Internet. I work from wherever I am, love to write, and therefore need my laptop computer and a power source at hand. I love music and demand a great sound system. There are amenities that I don’t need, such as a landline telephone.

  Our boats are our homes and we should be as comfortable as we want. If we deprive ourselves of certain luxuries, it should be by choice—and most of us do not want to adopt a lifestyle that resembles camping. Liveaboards who enjoy a minimalist lifestyle may decide to employ fewer of these amenities, or none at all. It is the freedom to decide for ourselves how we want to live that makes our lifestyle so special.

  If you want to do something aboard, you probably can, provided that you are able to operate within the space and structural limitations of your boat. I have seen a 50-foot boat with a full-sized hot tub in its v-berth, although in order to make this tub operational, special jets had to be added to remove the water from the tub within seconds in the event that the boat ever needed to quickly get under way. I’ve seen basketball nets installed on deck, disco balls placed on masts, and a lobster boat modified to look like a prehistoric Flintstones-like cruiser. Boaters are only limited by their imaginations; just bear in mind that if you get too creative, you may find that no future boater wants to take ownership of your masterpiece, no marina wants to berth her, and no finance or insurance company is willing to come near her.

  Every day, technology opens up new possibilities in satellite communication, navigation, and comfort. Digital music is entirely portable, providing liveaboards (and lubbers alike) with immense choice, hardly any risk of damaging original copies, and wonderful economy in physical storage space. You can now make phone calls from anywhere on the globe, as well as accessing e-mail and the Internet.

  Magazines offer terrific ideas and examples of what is possible and available, but despite my love for toys, few, if any, are necessary. Boaters have been cruising the world for centuries without GPS, chartplotters, radar, or inverters. A $100 handheld GPS will give you the same exact position as will a $5,000 chart plotting/radar system. Even today, cruisers who strive to conserve energy, as I do, write or listen to music by lantern until going to sleep. Whenever away from the slip, I shut down the general power systems (except for refrigeration) just a couple of hours after dark, offering light only from lanterns and sound only from conversation—with a few exceptions, such as a baseball game on the radio or some background music for stargazing.

  The biggest challenge in discussing amenities is that there are too many alternatives to speak about. I’ve tried to pick a few of the more popular ones. If you want more choices, go to your local bookstore or marine store and pick up a few magazines, and you’ll see what’s out there. Get catalogs issued by major marine retailers, including West Marine and Boat US, catalogs that not only show many products, but also provide lots of advice. Catalogs from other retailers, including electronics stores, often provide more specialty options and product choices. The ancient mariners must be rolling over in their graves. Whatever happened to celestial navigation?

  Entertainment and Fun

  Music/Stereo Systems

  As a music lover, I believe that a good stereo should be a staple aboard every boat. Luckily, there are a few options for providing music in boats of any size.

  Space and sound quality are two major considerations for the type of system you choose. Space is often solved with the purchase of a car stereo type of system, which is often a fine option, although owners of larger boats might choose more elaborate “rack” systems. Car stereos work so well because they are designed to house many features in a small space and operate on 12 volts and very low amperage.

  Sound quality is typically not an issue, since the listening environment is not acoustically ideal, anyway. It is important that your amplifier be more powerful than you think you need in order to provide a nice, clean sound and prevent your speakers from clipping (distorting) and being damaged prematurely. A properly powered amp will improve sound quality even at low volumes. Take a trip to your local store and you will notice that different speakers will sound dramatically different. Listen for muffled sound and bass and treble frequencies, and make the best choice for you.

  As we discussed, condensation is likely to form everywhere within a boat, including inside the stereo and speakers. Even if your system and speakers are located away from water sources, moisture and salt air can still damage the units; consequently, it is often a good idea (but certainly not necessary) to buy units designed for the marine environment.

  Many liveaboards want to have speakers in both the salon/living quarters and on deck. There are various options for this, one being a speaker select switch, which is the most versatile, and the second being to take advantage of a typical feature of car stereos using a fader to put sound in the front speakers, rear speakers, or a combination. That is how I set up my system—my salon speakers were on the front speaker selection, and my deck speakers were on the rear speaker selection. I could put the sound down below, up top, or both. On a cautionary note, don’t forget where you set the sound, or you might inadvertently be sending music throughout the marina when you least expect—soon to be followed by an angry knock on the deck at 3 a.m.

  In the last few years much of the marine industry has started to incorporate satellite radio technology, which suits liveaboards, particularly those who cruise. Satellite radio requires a special antenna and receiver, and in return, provides CD-quality sound anywhere with more than one hundred commercial-free stations, including genre-specific, news, sports, and entertainment stations. The advantage to this type of system is that you will receive clear reception throughout your cruising grounds, whether coastal or offshore. The disadvantage is a slightly higher initial cost for equipment as well as a monthly subscription service cost.

  Within the last year, satellite radio technology has made some significant strides toward becoming mainstream, and its perfect reception makes it ideal for liveaboards. Typical monthly fees range between $9.95 and $16.95.

  My favorite technology is compressed music. The most common formats are iPod-compatible MP3 and video, though new formats are being introduced all the time. In the old days, meaning as recently as only a few years ago, music was distributed and carried in a traditional format, primarily on CDs, that were capable of storing approximately 70 minutes worth of music. Smart people have figured out how to decrease the size of the music data file in order to allow more music to fit onto a CD or other data storage device (such a hard drive). The general rule is that within any one format, the more the music is compressed, the more music can fit and the poorer the sound. Newer technologies are able to improve the amount of compression while still keeping the music sounding amazingly good. It is not uncommon for CDs to now contain more than 600 minutes of music.

  If your boat has a way of playing compressed music on board, such as an iPod and an auxiliary input on your stereo or a designated docking station, a music collection comprised of hundreds of albums can be carried on just a few discs. Also, hard disc recorders and computers can store and play music files using various types of compression, allowing the liveaboard to get away with having virtually no CDs on board. Even stereos that cannot play these types of files might be equipped with an auxiliary input connection or a 1/8” input jack connected to a handheld MP3, Atrac3, or hard di
sc player (such as Apple’s iPod).

  Many car stereo systems can be purchased with detachable faceplates in order to make the system less valuable if stolen. Also, remote and amplified antennas will often do wonders for improving radio reception in more remote areas. It is advisable to place the system at the navigation station or salon in order to protect the unit from weather, as well as to provide increased security.

  One more important point to consider is that the location of your stereo could pose a problem in case you need to immediately address a problem and/or communicate with others (e.g., a boat looks as if she is going to hit you, a boat is trying to hail you, you need to give orders, there is a man overboard, and so forth). Many boaters typically require that their VHF radio be on so they can communicate, particularly when in traffic. In either circumstance, it is critical to be able to cut the volume of music at a moment’s response. Many systems now come with wired or wireless remotes; if the stereo is located away from the helm, it’s important to use a remote control to ensure safe communication with those aboard and on other crafts. It is often only $80, money very well spent.

  Television and Reception

  When I started living aboard, I purchased a 9-inch television that could work on 110 volts with shore power or 12 volts while cruising. I paid quite a bit more to get the 12-volt system and never (never ever) watched TV away from dock. I used two elastic cords connected to eye bolts to ensure that the TV was kept securely in place. My small TV took up a lot of shelf space.

  There are other workable options: flat screen TVs (plasma or LCD) and flat, multi-use computer screens (LCD). The dual computer screen/TV can be acquired for much less than current flat screen TVs, typically comes with a TV remote, and is an acceptable option even if you don’t intend to connect to a computer. Both types of screens can be mounted directly to a bulkhead, where they take up little space and are secure in weather. Consequently, it is possible to get much larger screens with no inconvenience or lost space. The downside to using these types of viewing monitors is that they typically work on higher voltages and therefore often cannot be used when 12 volts are all you have (an inverter would solve this problem).

  Another option is to purchase a TV tuner for a laptop computer, often connecting through a standard USB port (very economical and available everywhere). All of the systems that I looked at will work on any computer with a USB port and allow the use of picture-in-picture, so you can use the computer and watch TV at the same time. My system performs perfectly and requires no additional power source. Since laptop computers can typically connect to 12-volt sources or run for extended times on an internal battery or portable inverter, they are often perfectly suited for use while cruising as well as at dock. In addition, almost all laptop computers now come standard with DVD players; therefore, the laptop can now act as a full multimedia center, offering music, TV, and DVD as well as GPS, all in addition to the computer’s typical capabilities.

  Reception is the biggest challenge for the TV watcher, whose three choices are antenna (now including HDTV antennas), cable, or satellite. Unless the signal is received over an antenna connected directly to the TV (e.g., rabbit ears), you will need to run a wire from a separate antenna or cable source to the TV. Some people will run the wire through an open hatch, which, if the hatch is closed, will damage the hatch gasket over time, as well as let water into the boat during storms. An alternative is to put a cable jack outside the boat running to a cable outlet inside the boat.

  Cable TV requires that there be a cable hookup at the slip as well as cable service. Some marinas offer this hookup, most do not. Even if your marina has the hookup, getting service might still be a challenge. In any event, cable service requires a monthly fee (unless your marina provides cable to all slips) and stops working once the wire is unplugged.

  Reception over the airwaves requires an antenna and a broadcast signal. Even in downtown Boston, I was only able to watch three channels, and only two of those reliably. There are a variety of marine antennas available, some designed to be mounted on elevated parts of a deck, and others designed to be hoisted up the mast. Some antennas are powered and others aren’t. It is possible to purchase a signal amplifier, in both 12-volt and 110/220-volt systems. Some antennas are designed to double as an am/fm antenna, as well.

  Satellite systems are the most versatile method for TV reception, permitting excellent reception away from transmitted signals and offering hundreds of television stations, CD-quality music stations, and data transmission services such as e-mail and Internet.

  A satellite system requires an antenna (like a dish or mounted signal receiver) and a decoder (to translate the signal). The decoder consists of a receiver and, for most networks, an ID card that has been registered with the company offering the service. There is a subscription fee for the use of this service. While some receivers and cards are offered on the black market, this is theft, and the service providers are always searching for illegal units and disabling the contraband systems as well as periodically filing complaints against users.

  The satellite dish needs to be mounted pointing toward the incoming signal, which is easy if you only want to use the system while at dock and the marina allows you to mount the antenna on the dock. This task is far more complex if the antenna is mounted on the boat, since any boat movement will change the relationship of the antenna to the signal. A boat under way, at anchor, or at mooring will certainly make a fixed dish useless.

  This problem of movement is solved with either a self-tracking system or a tracking mount designed to rotate the antenna so it remains fixed at the proper heading and angle. While a fixed mounted system can be quite economical, a tracking system’s initial costs can be extremely expensive. The advantage is versatility.

  DVDs, Digital Video, and Videotapes

  Many liveaboards enjoy watching videos or DVDs. Video tapes deteriorate (more so at sea, being susceptible to damage from moisture) and take up more space than DVDs. DVDs can be brought aboard in a storage book and their cases can be discarded, which allows hundreds of DVDs to be aboard in a minimum space.

  DVD players can be found everywhere, whether in portable Walkman-like systems, portable laptop computers, or fixed systems. Video tape decks are generally more bulky. Video and DVD players are quite economical, although care should be taken that your unit operates on the available voltage.

  Some truly impressive systems combine one or more of the above options, including TV, DVD, radio, CD, and MP3 capabilities. Some mount in a position that allows a screen to drop from the unit, allowing the screen to be put away when not in use, and some even provide connections to external amplifiers and speakers so that the liveaboard has the best of all worlds.

  Video is now fully incorporated into handheld devices such as iPods, dedicated multimedia players, Pocket PCs, and Palm Pilot devices. These devices can easily be used as video players and recorders, and computer programs now allow DVDs to be compressed onto memory cards that can be used with the portable devices. While I find that the viewing screen is quite small, they can also play the videos onto any TV. I am entirely sold on this new technology.

  Communications

  Most liveaboards want telephone service, and many want Internet and e-mail. In addition, for those liveaboards who head out cruising, second to safety equipment there is nothing more important than being able to communicate reliably.

  Telephone Service

  There are now several methods of telephone communication: cell phone, landline, Internet (VOIP), and satellite. Ship-to-shore services are another option that provides telephone capabilities and other services.

  The most common telephone for liveaboards is the cell phone. Its advantages are that you can use it both on and off the boat, the cost is about the same as landline service, plans often allow for Internet and e-mail access both on the phone and when connected to a computer, and long distance is typically free. Cell phones can also be charged and operated with any 12-volt connection (car a
dapter). Consequently, they are terrific replacements to the traditional telephone. The disadvantage to cell phones is that they cannot be relied upon as your sole means of communication when away from land, since there are locations on and near shore where there is no signal. Just off shore there is often no signal at all.

  Many marinas offer landline telephone service to individual slips. The advantage to landline service is that the signal is typically high quality, and for liveaboards who use the Internet at dock, a direct phone line can provide dial-up service and, in some locations, DSL high speed service. While a few telephone providers offer free long distance and unlimited usage for a flat fee in order to compete with cell phone providers, this is still not the standard—it is still customary for long-distance carriers to charge for long distance. The only disadvantage for landline service, if it is really a disadvantage, is that most liveaboards also acquire cell phone service for periods away from their boats or while cruising, thus increasing their costs by paying for two service providers.

  Voice-over Internet protocol (VOIP) is revolutionizing communications, permitting global communication for a very economical monthly fee. Satellite telephone service comes in two versions: regional and international. Some regional satellite plans provide the equivalent of cell phone service out to approximately 200 miles off shore in North, Central, and South America and much of the Caribbean. For the cost of the phone, approximately $500, you can subscribe to a plan offering a reasonable monthly fee and per-minute usage.