Land Transportation do you Keep a Car

[irwin37]

After 4.5 years of totaly rebuilding an irwin 37 (Sunk at dock) we have decided to head south. The wife retires this spring so we hope to travel the Chesapeake this summer to test systems then head south in the fall if all goes well. Do not know how far we will get but after this winter any little bit of warming will help.

What I am interested in knowing is how many keep a car at their home base and go and get it when your staying some where for more than a few weeks. We will be new to living on-board and are thinking we might stay on the boat a month at a time next winter and head home for a few weeks in between and for holidays, if we like it we will sell the house, if not maybe we will be part timers.

Also if you keep a car whats the most popular style, IE minivan, wagon or what?

Thanks

John

[casual]

Pick up truck with camper shell. Makes a great dock box.

[haiqu]

VW Transporter with a trailer hitch.

[Jim Cate]

No,we gave up on the idea of keeping a car back in the states many years ago. too much hassle with insurance,maintenance and storage. Now if necessary we rent a car when needed. But we don't go back very often these days, so the expense is minimal.

Jim

[cortez]

John,
I don't have an answer for your car question, but my best guess is yes keep a car.
I have a question for you. I have a Irwin 37 Ketch. Where my auto pilot goes thru the hull, under the bed in the aft stateroom it is leaking. It there a secret to replacing that seal or packing.

Thank you,
Byron

[irwin37]

"John,
I don't have an answer for your car question, but my best guess is yes keep a car.
I have a question for you. I have a Irwin 37 Ketch. Where my auto pilot goes thru the hull, under the bed in the aft stateroom it is leaking. It there a secret to replacing that seal or packing."

Nop, I have not found an easy way, in fact I built a new rudder and for some stupid reason did not replace the packing. I added one piece to stop any leaks but the old stuff has to come out this year when I pull the boat to do the bottom. May have to drop the rudder... hope not. I have used dental picks and such on other boat to remove the old packing but there is not much room to get between the gland and the steal support.

Good luck and let us know how you make out.

[rw58ph]

Most have vehicles to store thing in. We have a pick up with canopy. For short one of two weeks we do not move the car. We take the motor cycle, couple hundred pounds and/or bicyles. We use to move the boat around the Puget Sound during the summer and we would move one of the vehicles. We would sub rent commercial moorage when the trawlers went to Alaska for a couple hundred bucks per month.

This summer I am going to sell the motor cycle and buy something a little lighter and easier to lift and handle.

[h20]

we kept two cars and a 17ft pwer boat while living on a 35 oday.
working out well. May someday sell cars and get a beater. Now the beater will be old enough to work on without a computer! like a 1975 ford truck!
Seems like everyone has a system they like. We had to juggle the other day and a taxi cab helped for 7 bucks. When we stop doing business and get out to go hook to hook i will sell the cars and fishing boat. Ya, was thinking about the car insurance and all the other BS! yep may be a lot cheaper to rent when need. 400 post you have great ideas out there, good luck, H20

Originally Posted by irwin37

After 4.5 years of totaly rebuilding an irwin 37 (Sunk at dock) we have decided to head south. The wife retires this spring so we hope to travel the Chesapeake this summer to test systems then head south in the fall if all goes well. Do not know how far we will get but after this winter any little bit of warming will help.

What I am interested in knowing is how many keep a car at their home base and go and get it when your staying some where for more than a few weeks. We will be new to living on-board and are thinking we might stay on the boat a month at a time next winter and head home for a few weeks in between and for holidays, if we like it we will sell the house, if not maybe we will be part timers.

Also if you keep a car whats the most popular style, IE minivan, wagon or what?

Thanks

John

[h20]

whoops sorrrrry.
400 views not post

Originally Posted by h20

we kept two cars and a 17ft pwer boat while living on a 35 oday.
working out well. May someday sell cars and get a beater. Now the beater will be old enough to work on without a computer! like a 1975 ford truck!
Seems like everyone has a system they like. We had to juggle the other day and a taxi cab helped for 7 bucks. When we stop doing business and get out to go hook to hook i will sell the cars and fishing boat. Ya, was thinking about the car insurance and all the other BS! yep may be a lot cheaper to rent when need. 400 post you have great ideas out there, good luck, H20

[Hudson Force]

We have not had a car since we retired in 2002. The expense of occasional rentals are far less than ownership, maintenance & insurance. I also calculated that, if I expect to rent a car for more than 14 days each year, it's less costly to decline the car rental company's insurance. We use the collision coverage that is available on our credit card and we buy a "non-owners" liability policy. I understand the appeal of car ownership for those that liveaboard without cruising, but if you are on the move regularly, it doesn't work well. We keep two bicycles stored below; two kayaks on the deck; and an RIB on davits for short distance transportation.

[Land an]

To those who keep cars- where do you park them for weeks or months at a time? That seems to me to be a huge issue.

[exMaggieDrum]

We sold our cars. If you keep one some insurance companies can provide lower coverage for parked cars. Finding a place to park one is an issue though. Family and friends can help if they have room and like you well enough. We rented a storage unit at our home port for all the stuff we couldn't part with. And rented cars when we needed to coming home. It would have been great to keep a car for convenience and pay to store it at a storage yard but it wasn't worth the cost, insurance, hassle, etc.

We did buy cheap cars in Mexico and New Zealand when we were there more than one season and then sold them when leaving for good. That was really a very good thing for us. If we go to Mexico for an extended time next cruise we might do the same. But that only works if you are in and out of the port where the car is and you still have to find a place to safely park it.

[h20]

easy. we have one at marina, one in storage, another boat in storage when not tied to sail boat. But soon as we get to know people will look to get in
a back yard.

Originally Posted by Land an

To those who keep cars- where do you park them for weeks or months at a time? That seems to me to be a huge issue.

[Hudson Force]

There are many lots in Florida that store RV's and boats on trailers. They'd take a car for a reasonable fee.

[Lepke]

The people that rent a car make a good point. I currently pay $100 a month to park my truck. Many places I go don't have much in car rentals. I spend my winters usually in one place and having a vehicle is convenient. Sometimes I can find a non-commercial parking place. I've been thinking of some kind of motor bike that would be easy to carry on the boat.