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From: David, Anne Marie and Hannah (no email)
Date: Thu Aug 26 1999 - 11:37:00 EDT
My wife and I are living (on and off) in a 30' sailboat. We bought it
cheaply about six months ago, gutted it and rebuilt its insides.
Finally three weeks ago we launched it and moved aboard.
Unfortunately the boat isn't really finished, and our life suffers as a
result.
We have a two year old daughter who is still getting used to the place as
well - which isn't easy. But I must add she is easier than you would
think! We bathe her in the sink, she sleeps in a customized lazarette crib.
A simple gate keeps her fore, away from the hot and smelly engine (the
engine cover is being rebuilt!)
I have yet to hook up the head as the "bathroom" is being rebuilt - at the
moment it is completely empty! We rely on the marinas bathrooms
completely. I also avoid washing clothes. The laundromat is close but I
can imagine on cold winter days it would be a drag.
We are also living with the old (smelly) cushions as new ones are made, and
I am in the middle of ripping out the old icebox and installing a
refrigerator.
Lastly I am rewiring everything so many things just don't work. Last night
I finally hooked up a lamp in the V-berth so we can read after dark!
Space is small and not very private. We have yet to install the doors that
separate the V-berth and the rest of the cabin.
Lastly I am always hitting my head on the damn compression post whilst
ducking from the cabin into the head and V-berth.
However:
The marina is a great place. The people are friendly and compassionate.
Its a pleasure to merely step aboard, feel the boat rock slightly as you
transfer your weight on board. The cockpit is small but cosy, the woodwork
feels warm and firm under your fingertips. The gentle roll of the boat
rocks you to sleep at night. The rain, when it rains, gives a firm,
visible and audible message that you are inside, warm and protected. The
galley, though small and sometimes rocking, is a pleasure to use. We have
a two burner gas range and a round gas bbq of some sort that is mounted
outside on the push pits. Occasionally we will motor out into the bay just
to get a better view of the sunset as we roast something or other in the
bbq, enjoying a glass of wine and a hot meal as Hannah (our daughter)
plays on the cockpit floor, watching the last rays of the sun set over the
dark silhouettes of those on the land. Every once in a while we wake early
on a sunday morning, gently cast off the lines holding us to the mundane
world, pull into the wind, raise the sails and sail off down the channel to
admire the sun rising off the glittering water and spend the rest of the
day tacking back and forth chasing the wind and the occasional bunch of
kids in little sunfish sailboats...
do it. what are your other choices?
just make sure you finish the damn boat before you move aboard! :-)
david
At 08:17 PM 8/25/99 -0700, you wrote:
>Hello all,
>I am new to the group and would like some honest opinions. My husband
>so desperately wants to buy a bigger boat and live aboard but I just
>can't convince myself this is for me. Can you give me the pros and cons
>(I will expect more pros than cons from all of you) of living aboard?
>Appreciate the input.
>
>Sincerely,
>Leann
>
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_________________________________________________
David Wilsmore
S/V Straylight 30' Pearson Coaster
http://members.home.com/dah98 Liveaboard
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