Challenges of Living Off the Hook

[sww914]

It is hard but good. You can't beat the view no matter how much you spend and the JW's won't bother you on Saturday morning, ever.
The good-
Natural beauty
Solitude
Freedom
Independence
Low cost
In fact, nearly every part was cool.

The bad-
Carrying water
Fixing the boat is a hassle
Making your own electricity is expensive
Refrigeration may not be possible depending on your $$$ situation, now we're carrying frozen water too
Carrying your poop
Carrying your laundry
Carrying your groceries
Finding dinghy parking
Sometimes you'll get stuck on land, sometimes you'll get stuck on your boat because of weather
$%^#%ing outboards that won't start. IMO, 2 stroke engines do not belong near water, ever.

If you can handle it, you can't beat it. I still miss living on a mooring and I did it for 2 years with a sick infant. We probably never would have left if it weren't for a tracheostomy.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by At sea

This is a bit of a drift but I've often wondered how it works across the lakes where the border runs down the middle. I know that in areas straddling the border regular land crossers can get a fast card or similar to expidite the process, but what about boaters? ...

The NEXUS pass allows card holders expedited travel across the US Canada border by land, air, and water.
➥ Cross often? Make it simple, use NEXUS
➥ U.S. Customs and Border Protection - Travel

The FAST card is for commercial travelers.

[Wand]

Thanks CLOD, muchly appreciated

[witchcraft]

For us the biggest pain has been becoming a two dingy family. Our work schedules are not atuned so that we can go back and forth together. Still it works. Our inflatable dingy with the motor is a car essentially, bringing water jugs and provisions. We have access to pump out. Of course it also means carrying in my work clothing, changing ashore before heading out to work.
Our 130 watt solar panel keeps up with our power needs i the summer. We may have to run the engine once a week during periods of cloudy weather. We are discussing a generator. We have a refridgeration ( about five years into living aboard we decided to do that) but that is our biggest draw and it's fairly modest.
Here in the land of snow and ice we are at a dock, will be pulling off the dock May 1 and pulling back in sometime in October, at least that is the current plan.
We have more privacy, better views, less noise than on the dock, less expensive too. We have more work ( getting water etc.) As with everything on a boat there are trade offs. We have begun year nine of living aboard...so we dont find it too much trouble yet.
Have fun and Fair winds
P.S. We sail every chance we get...this is all about work schedules for us not about Live aboards sail less.

[barnakiel]

Private docks ave very common in some places. I think they are a swell idea and will definitely get myself one when we retire from sailing.

b.

[MoonlightShadow]

How about a hand operated water maker? Would that not solve the problem of carrying water?

[AnchorageGuy]

Originally Posted by MoonlightShadow

How about a hand operated water maker? Would that not solve the problem of carrying water?

Most every hand operated unit I have seen, produces very little water for a lot of effort. These are generally best suited for use in a life raft, or a similar situation. Chuck

[witchcraft]

some folks have a watermaker, depending on where they are anchored it may or may not prove useful...one thing for certain you require a fair bit of power to operate one of those guys. the hand operated ones as mention above, are really for emergency situations.
Fair Winds

[teejayevans]

Watermakers are also expensive, the smallest liferaft one is $900.
Tom

[cbtucker]

It's great hearing not only the "oh this is the perfect life" stuff, but also some of the struggles that exist. That said, it does not diminish my desire to one day join your ranks! The sailing community seems very helpful, and honest about the reality of what they face. I love it!

[sww914]

If you go the other way, big house with a big garage and big cars and big TV's you have big hassles as well. I like the simple way. I'd rather carry water than get bossed around by a recent college grad who's 1/10th my age or be forced to kiss the butts of jerks so I can get their money. I'd rather worry about bilge pump failure than worry about commodities prices, and I'd rather scrub the decks than deal with the community owner's association measuring my lawn height and sending me a nasty letter because I exceeded the maximum lawn length by 1/8".

[zeehag]

onliest thing i dont like---i dont care about cable or television reception, which you do not get at anchor without doing something contractual....LOl even dish is contractual for many bits of it....is that ye cannot ever get a pizza delivered , nor water delivered to your boat from the truck, LOL, although mine was delivered by a sweet, handsome, respectful young man next door with muscles of steel,in a rowboat, for a few years.......... thankyou, nat!....rofl...now , where were we.......
yeah, like i would trade THIS...i would not trade my life or lifestyle for the world....what i cannot have , i do not want.....except mebbe i am starting to soften a lil small weee tiny bit toward possibly thinking about adding some kinda cold maintaining device for foods in my boat--- omg--please donot saay the word!!!!! rofl......

[VirtualVagabond]

Originally Posted by sww914

If you go the other way, big house with a big garage and big cars and big TV's you have big hassles as well. I like the simple way. I'd rather carry water than get bossed around by a recent college grad who's 1/10th my age or be forced to kiss the butts of jerks so I can get their money. I'd rather worry about bilge pump failure than worry about commodities prices, and I'd rather scrub the decks than deal with the community owner's association measuring my lawn height and sending me a nasty letter because I exceeded the maximum lawn length by 1/8".

+1

It's what it's all about.