Liveaboards or cruisers?

[AA3JY]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Cruisers are liveaboards while cruising, but live aboards aren't cruisers lots of times and lots of times the boats they are on is a floating trash pile and that is the problem. Some places have definitions of what a lveaboard. In the last 6 years of full time on the boat no marina has ever asked me if I a liveaboard. But if they did I would say “no I am a cruiser in transient”

We'd love to hear your definition of what is "Boat Scum" again..<Grin>

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by Davidadventure

Hi all, I’ve spoken to the owner of a Prout I like in London. These posts make me believe that I can ‘live the dream’ but am I dreaming? Apologies if this is inappropriate. I currently own prime real estate in London but I fear that the economy’s going to hell and would like to sail away. My IFA thinks I’m mad but that’s in their interests I suppose.

David, welcome to CF

You might have a chat with Atoll on here and have a ready of his thread finishing of a Prout hull, an amazing piece of work:

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ft-103739.html

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by AA3JY

We'd love to hear your definition of what is "Boat Scum" again..<Grin>

I have decided there are least 3 levels:

boat scum
boat scum scum
boat scum scum scum (called boat scum cubed)

People on any boat that is not large enough to have paid crew falls into at least one level. But having paid crew may just make you boat scum with money and a sub level.

[rsysol]

Originally Posted by BajaBound2024

Hi all,

We are a couple in our 30s/40s that plan to cruise down the California coast with our mid size dog (25 bls) from the Bay area. We are landlubbers. We will rent out our home and move onto our boat in May. Our bay area marina gave approval for us to liveaboard from May to August.

Our plan is to spend August to December in the Ventura/Channel Islands/LA/San Diego area before leaving for Mexico in December 2024.

Before we leave for Mexico in 2024, my husband needs to work remotely from the boat 5 days a week. We can only move on the weekends. He has a management job so he's on a lot of calls. He thinks it might be easier to do it in a marina.

I've contacted a few marinas in the Ventura area about liveaboard slips. It seems they all want a recent haul out survey, insurance that's not Progressive, and even then, there is an extensive waiting list for a liveaboard slip. Some marinas are not pet friendly at all, some don't want older boats.

Our boat is from 1979 but we've refitted every system for cruising over the past 5 years. She's in great condition. We will have a starlink system for wifi.

I am wondering if we are thinking about this wrong, it seems very difficult to get a liveaboard slip in SoCal and we only need it for 4 months.

How do other cruisers do this? Could we live on the hook and work remotely? With what I described, are we considered cruisers or liveaboards? I feel like we are missing something...

Would love some perspective/advice!

Lots of great recommendations here, one other would be to consider Ensenada Mexico for that stay. Cruiseport or Marina Coral are excellent for preparation to move south and they can assist with clearing into the country. Ensenada is a busy but fun port town, IMHO.

[Nicholson58]

Get a Star Link system. Many Salty Dawg members had them for the Hampton Virginia to Antigua transit. They streamed movies at sea. Once on anchor they are totally connected everywhere.

[SV__Grace]

Originally Posted by BajaBound2024

Before we leave for Mexico in 2024, my husband needs to work remotely from the boat 5 days a week. We can only move on the weekends. He has a management job so he's on a lot of calls. He thinks it might be easier to do it in a marina.

California is not liveaboard-friendly or cruiser-friendly, so the "easier" option might be to get to Mexico ASAP instead of dealing with the hassle and expense of trying to live aboard in CA.

We cruise full time and work remotely from our boat. We don't work while on passage, but when anchoring at our destination we stay as long as we want and as work demands our attention.

Two days at a time or take a couple of weeks off and you're there and then you don't need to stress about dealing with expensive and scarce CA coast marina options.

The shift from the comforting umbilical cord tying you to a dock to the freedom of living on the hook (with occasional stops in a marina) can be scary before you do it, but afterwards you will be glad you did and kick yourself that you didn't do it sooner.

[Smokeys Kitchen]

Hi BajaBound,

I do have a couple of questions, and sorry if I missed them in your opening. We are currently in Puerto Vallarta having come down the coast from Seattle a year ago this past August, so that is where my experience on this comes from.

Do you intend to work when you get to Mexico as well as when you are traveling down the West Coast of CA? I ask because reception for most services (note: we do not have Starlink) can be hit or miss in some places in Mexico. Even in some marinas that advertise "wi-fi" to go along with the slip, the bandwith can be slow. If your husband really needs to work even after you get to Mexico, you should consider a system like Starlink.

Do you have pretty good experience anchoring? While you may be able to marina hop in many places in So Cal, once you leave Ensenada, you won't find a lot of marinas on the West Coast of Baja until Cabo san Lucas. There are lots of good spots to anchor, but they do require a level of experience that some folks don't have if most of their boating time is spent sailing or at a marina. No slight intended, I just didn't see what your experience level was.

Good luck in your adventure and happy sailing!

Smokeys Kitchen

[Nicholson58]

Beware of issues regarding the dog and Mexico. I have heard this can be tough in Mexico. Some countries are harder on pets than people. Even one improperly signed form in Trinidad and our friend’s cat was put down. We placed our dog with dear friends when we left. Ecstatic to see us every summer.

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by Smokeys Kitchen

Hi BajaBound,

I do have a couple of questions, and sorry if I missed them in your opening. We are currently in Puerto Vallarta having come down the coast from Seattle a year ago this past August, so that is where my experience on this comes from.

Do you intend to work when you get to Mexico as well as when you are traveling down the West Coast of CA? I ask because reception for most services (note: we do not have Starlink) can be hit or miss in some places in Mexico. Even in some marinas that advertise "wi-fi" to go along with the slip, the bandwith can be slow. If your husband really needs to work even after you get to Mexico, you should consider a system like Starlink.

Do you have pretty good experience anchoring? While you may be able to marina hop in many places in So Cal, once you leave Ensenada, you won't find a lot of marinas on the West Coast of Baja until Cabo san Lucas. There are lots of good spots to anchor, but they do require a level of experience that some folks don't have if most of their boating time is spent sailing or at a marina. No slight intended, I just didn't see what your experience level was.

Good luck in your adventure and happy sailing!

Smokeys Kitchen

Excellent advice.

No substitute for a good, modern anchor. We have 121# ROCNA. there are now several good ‘new design’ anchors. Get the biggest you can fit, at least one size larger than recommend.

[Happ]

When you mentioned the requirement for insurance I might suggest you give State Farm a call. They have a policy for within I believe is 75 miles of shore. They will require a survey from a licensed surveyor but they may not require a haul out. If they do you could always get a short haul which is a lot less the having to haul the boat and block it for the survey and then have the put back in the water.

I lived in CA for almost 30 years and my guess is you would be well advised to have a survey done anyway. You may find it easier to get a slip down south if when you contact a marina you can tell them you just had a survey and would be happy to provide a copy if they would like. It may stop the issue of having an older boat.

[MVDarlin]

Recomnend you get the Starlink Sat system. Affordable reliable internet anywhere. Also, stop calling yourself "live aboard" this triggers many opressive bureaucratic rules. Call yourself transient, you will get better treatnent.. Get to San Diego, Shelter Island as fast as you can and outfit your boat for MX. You will find accommodating marinas as long as you are having work done on your boat by their vendors. Solar panels with lithium batteries, watermaker skiff tune up are some of the items to address.
And head to the Sea of Cortez as fast as you can. Get a minimal phone plan. You can make calls with Skype, Whatts app, voice over IP.
Don't bother to stop anyplace unnecessary on the trip to the Sea of Cortez. Get to La Paz. Check in at Ensenada to get your TIP, temporary import permit. Get a slip at hotel Coral in Ensenada and pay $100 to have their expediter help you get your permit. It will go much faster. Enjoy your adventure. I left San Diego in 2012.

[jsanton]

Lotsa good advice. My boat is in a marina in La Paz right now. Almost a year waitlist. Get yourself on wait lists and work with the results.

Try anchoring at Catalina for a while. Good resources. Safe anchoring. Easy access to the city.

[J. Greg]

Ventura West Marina, Ventura, Ca Every other slip is a liveaboard slip. Dog friendly 805-644-8266

[rpackard]

Last spring in the Sea of Cortez I found marina moorage VERY hard to get, except for mooring balls in Puerto Escondito. There was not one single slip available for my forty ft. boat in LaPaz. However, you can reserve a slip several months ahead of your planned arrival.

[Cynara]

Cruisers, liveaboard are just words that people use and neither have specific meanings. Talk to the marina people tell them what you would like to do.