Encouraging live aboards

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

GOB, you are simply wrong. Or rather, you have a very skewed and personal perspective which does not translate -- as pretty much everyone is telling you.

No point going back and forth. Our experiences and situations are very different. Maybe read a bit more about what people are saying.

But you have just given me your entirely personal perspective. Yours is right and mine is wrong.

Yet I can wheel out dozens of examples you. Can only wheel out yourself.

I’m the coordinator for 90 live aboards in
My marina. I know them all.

Virtually no one of them would agree with your perspective or want to live like you.

Hence you are an outlier. My experiences are mirrored by thousands of house holders where I’m from. They do not seek boats to live on in the artic circle.

You and others clearly need to vote in politicians that will reduce living in a well built concrete house.

And social programmes to give you one if you cant afford to buy it.

Ive read what people said. Seeming owning a expensive falling down home in Florida is dearer then living on a derelict floating junk on the water , really that’s mainstream.

[goboatingnow]

I give you this. I rowed in to the beach near the anchorage , a man drove 10 km to deliver “chicken a la crème “and French fries enough for me and the wife , all for €9 , free delivery. ( no one charges for delivery here )

I like this “ living of the land” I’d pay €9 at home just for the delivery and he’d only do 1 mile radius.


Lovely dish too , loads of yummy chicken mushrooms and creamy sauce

It obviously confirms everyone’s views that living on the boat is cheaper

Not a soul around and yummy chicken a La crème , boating at its best.

Saved me killing a chicken at home too.

[Mike OReilly]

Read my message again. I'm discussing general ideas, not my specific case (which is all you ever do).

Simple question: what's a common way most people find to save money? Moving into a smaller house tops the list. Why do you think that is? Now, extend that thinking to an even smaller boat space.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Read my message again. I'm discussing general ideas, not my specific case (which is all you ever do).

Simple question: what's a common way most people find to save money? Moving into a smaller house tops the list. Why do you think that is? Now, extend that thinking to an even smaller boat space.

Most people I know “ down sizing “ are doing it to release equity built up.

Having lived in 1600, 2800 sq foot , 2200 foot , 1800 foot

Ive lived on 7 boats

I can generalise

1. MY Houses cost way less to maintain then my boats

2. Appliances cost more on a boat as they are specialised

3. I need to buy gear for a boat no house needs

4. Foods costs the same as we eat the same , the wife refuses to spear fish

5. Drink costs the same if I can row to the same off license Mind you need slabs dont suit the dinghy.

6. My wife seems to have the same number of dresses on the boat as home.

7. It’s cheaper when my adults kids don’t stay on the boat.

8, there no damm dog

9. I miss my 1Gb fibre feed on the boat ( 25 a month at home )

10. I never see any officials in 30 years of home ownership. , whereas on a boat everyone has a uniform and a job to look for money

11. Chicken a La crème can be got on my boat much cheaper then my house , strike 2

12. My house can’t sink despite the weather flooding me to a foot!!

13 I can paint without needing a travel lift or a crane.

14. My house taxes are less then my annual boat cruising tax. (€120 v 320)

15. There’s no vat on my home. There is 23% on my boat , damm tax

So

In summary i don’t see any general case that boats living is cheaper, short of living north of the artic circle and seal hunting for dinner, or a derelict in Florida

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Most people I know “ down sizing “ are doing it to release equity built up.

Having lived in 1600, 2800 sq foot , 2200 foot , 1800 foot

Ive lived on 7 boats

I can generalise

1. MY Houses cost way less to maintain then my boats

2. Appliances cost more on a boat as they are specialised

3. I need to buy gear for a boat no house needs

4. Foods costs the same ax we eat the same

5. Drink costs the same if I can row to the sand off license

6. My wife seems to have the same number of dresses on the boat as home.

7. It’s cheaper when my adults kids don’t stay on the boat.

8, there no damm dog

9. I miss my 1Gb fibre feed on the boat ( 25 a month at home )

10. I never see any officials in 30 years of home ownership. , whereas on a boat everyone has a uniform and a job to look for money

11. Chicken a La crème can be got on my boat much cheaper then my house , strike 2

12. My house can’t sink despite the weather flooding me to a foot!!

13 I can paint without needing a travel lift or a crane.

14. My house taxes are less then my annual boat cruising tax. (€120 v 320)

15. There’s no vat on my home. There is 23% on my boat , damm tax

So

In summary i don’t see any general case that boats living is cheaper, short of living north of the artic circle and seal hunting for dinner, or a derelict in Florida

You are right everyone else is wrong . have a nice day and I'm moving along

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by newhaul

You are right everyone else is wrong . have a nice day and I'm moving along

I know i find it’s a common conclusion sadly.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by newhaul

You are right everyone else is wrong . have a nice day and I'm moving along

Yup... I'm following. No point.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Yup... I'm following. No point.

Your right because unless you can generalise with mainstream data you can’t come to a useful conclusion

[smj]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Most people I know “ down sizing “ are doing it to release equity built up.

Having lived in 1600, 2800 sq foot , 2200 foot , 1800 foot

Ive lived on 7 boats

I can generalise

1. MY Houses cost way less to maintain then my boats

2. Appliances cost more on a boat as they are specialised

3. I need to buy gear for a boat no house needs

4. Foods costs the same as we eat the same , the wife refuses to spear fish

5. Drink costs the same if I can row to the same off license Mind you need slabs dont suit the dinghy.

6. My wife seems to have the same number of dresses on the boat as home.

7. It’s cheaper when my adults kids don’t stay on the boat.

8, there no damm dog

9. I miss my 1Gb fibre feed on the boat ( 25 a month at home )

10. I never see any officials in 30 years of home ownership. , whereas on a boat everyone has a uniform and a job to look for money

11. Chicken a La crème can be got on my boat much cheaper then my house , strike 2

12. My house can’t sink despite the weather flooding me to a foot!!

13 I can paint without needing a travel lift or a crane.

14. My house taxes are less then my annual boat cruising tax. (€120 v 320)

15. There’s no vat on my home. There is 23% on my boat , damm tax

So

In summary i don’t see any general case that boats living is cheaper, short of living north of the artic circle and seal hunting for dinner, or a derelict in Florida

2019 in Galveston Tx.
Sold a house for $379k property tax and insurance runs approx 4% so that comes to $15,160 per year or $1,263 per month.
Electric bill ran between $150-$200 per month so if I include association fees I’ll cut it some slack and call it $200 per month.
That comes to $1,463 per month for the house with no mortgage.
Same year the slip rent on our 40’ catamaran was $8 per foot per month plus electric. While living aboard we never paid more than $350 per month. Our insurance was $75 per month so total monthly costs $425 per month.
It cost us over $1,000 per month less to live on the boat vs. the house. That $1,000 per month covered all groceries and entertainment.
Fast forward to Nov 2022 and that house is worth over $600k and our monthly expenditures on mooring ball and insurance on the boat still about $425 per month.
So you are 100% wrong stating living on a boat is more expensive than a house. It may be for you, but it’s very location dependent.

[Fore and Aft]

I agree with Mike about being smaller. Our whole life is small, car, house and boat. No place for consumerism when you do not have the room for anything but the basics regardless of if you live onshore or onboard a boat.
Cheers

[Munoz]

I think some of the disagreement might come from confounding living in a marina and maintaining a largely land based lifestyle compared to those who live largely on the hook who often end up adopting a smaller/simpler lifestyle (of course there are also some who fall somewhere in between those two extremes)

[Phyrcooler]

Wow…

I started this thread to discuss a YouTuber encouraging dirt dwellers to “come to the water… it’s cheaper.” On both coasts of the US, we have folks, including myself lamenting the fact that our anchorages are being steadily shut down as a result of people moving to boats as a solution for expensive coastal housing. My concern then, and remains, that this is already a problem with more and more dock queens and non functional boats in our waterways. We don’t need them advertising to hundreds of thousands of viewers to try to attract more non-boaters.

In typical CF tradition, the thread tacked 90°, and the next several days and hundreds of posts were spent vehemently arguing whether or not it is cheaper to live on a boat. Most of you were basically making the argument that it IS cheaper. Yup… I inadvertently stared a thread that just added fuel to the fire. Hey… let’s invite MORE people to the party! Boy did I screw up starting this thread!

To respond to a couple posters… first, as I already stated in one of my comments, I have no issue with BOATERS wanting to liveaboard. As I increase my cruising in the future, I hope to mostly occupy my boat. My issue is with land dwellers taking valuable dock and anchorage space trying to create housing for non-boaters. To the junior who’s response started with F-you…

Yes. I know the video was a “million dollar” boat. And no, I absolutely don’t think it is much of a stretch to think that others at lesser income levels could catch an epiphany regarding boat dwelling. Do I understand that many YouTubers are “selling a lifestyle”?… absolutely. There are few I bother to watch. I guess I was overly disappointed as this is one couple (The Wynns) I’ve enjoyed watching over the years, and I felt had a bit of cruiser cred.

Ultimately, wherever you stand in all these comments, I would hope that your first goal is to support BOATERS and the ability to actively use our waterways. The continuing threat to cruisers as a result of the encroachment of dock queens and barely functional or obviously derelict boats is real.

I’ll catch the lights when everyone is done.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Phyrcooler

To respond to a couple posters… first, as I already stated in one of my comments, I have no issue with BOATERS wanting to liveaboard. As I increase my cruising in the future, I hope to mostly occupy my boat. My issue is with land dwellers taking valuable dock and anchorage space trying to create housing for non-boaters. To the junior who’s response started with F-you…

Yeah! Maybe we need to force everyone to take a test to prove who is a BOATER and who is an unworthy land dweller. Then we could kick those 'land dwellers' off the water and save it for the real BOATERS.

Oh wait, nearly everyone, including you, is a land dweller who also uses a boat some of the time, taking up dock or anchorage space. Damn... reality strikes again

[Phyrcooler]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Yeah! Maybe we need to force everyone to take a test to prove who is a BOATER and who is an unworthy land dweller. Then we could kick those 'land dwellers' off the water and save it for the real BOATERS.

Oh wait, nearly everyone, including you, is a land dweller who also uses a boat some of the time, taking up dock or anchorage space. Damn... reality strikes again

Seriously? THAT’S what you got out of my post?

The difference is a BOATER wants to actually USE their boat. The other folks are looking for a place to live, and don’t give a crap if the boat can go anywhere. And yes… I would be happy to demonstrate annually that my boat can safely and happily move.

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by Phyrcooler

I was quite displeased to find a pair of popular YouTube channels (Gone with the Wynns / Nautistyles) collaborating on a video that encourages the idea of “Live on a boat… it’s cheaper than ashore”. While their example was a million dollar used yacht, the overall impact of their statements apply at all levels. In my humble opinion, this is a horrible message they are sending. We have enough issues with people trying to move onto boats as a way of living cheaply. Both coasts are seeing more and more anchoring grounds being restricted as jurisdictions try to keep out the derelict liveaboards. I’m not against a boater living aboard. I AM against encouraging complete non-boaters to go move onto a boat because it’s cheaper than ashore!

I’ve enjoyed many of The Wynns videos in the past due to their interesting travels, and excellent videography, but this one kind of set us off as we watched last night.

Here’s a link. If you bother to watch, I hope you’ll comment on the stupidity of this video. I didn’t bother watching the Nautistyle video as I have never like their channel.

https://youtu.be/qtu7IPvfWWs

While I get your take on the Youtube money makers that may promote a liveaboard lifestyle, your original post reeked of entitlement. So basically you set up the parameter of the thread. If you don't like people around you living cheaply, go to another marina. If you have a problem with "derelict liveaboards ", then go to the monthly city council meetings and make you case.