Please critique my plan: want to buy a boat to live on; I'm clueless about boats

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by more

this RYA skipper is totally stupid.
simply come in Croatia and make skipper C category course(with radio of corse)
and this licence alow you sailing all world including Antartica,Artic yacht 30 Gross register tonnage. after this finish

simply search Boat leader licence C cat
after finish course
pick advance sailing
https://ultra-sailing.hr/ultra-sailing-school

also you can ask can ultra sailing prepare you to Boat leader licence C cat

or

https://anasail.com/en/

Rya Day SKipper is brilliant ticket, world wide acceptance , great thing to do

[more]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Rya Day SKipper is brilliant ticket, world wide acceptance , great thing to do

and what you think Boat leader license C is not wide world acceptance.
how much cost RYA open ocean include Antarctica, artic license cost.

Boat leader licence C exam cost 75€ and obligatory work medical examination 55-65€

[mlinden]

Take your father’s advice.

[Amapola]

Obtain training that will enable to charter and then charter. Even though you can afford repairs, learn to do it yourself. Things happen when you are away from shore with no help available.

[David Mathis]

Having little or no boating experience but wanting to live aboard, unless you simply want a permanently docked floating home, is somewhat similar to the high school grad who wants a PhD and is asking about schools where one can be obtained within a few months.

Relax and take some time to visit marinas and yacht clubs. Speak with (this is different than "talk to") a few live aboards to get their advice. Decide between power or sail, determine how much room you need to be comfortable (boat size), do you want guest rooms and additional heads, galley up or down, do you need large storage areas or will will a few cabinets suffice, are you realistic about crossing oceans (sailboat) and exploring unknown (to you) areas or would you be content to cruise the east coast visiting the many wonderful areas along the ICW then expand to Florida, the gulf, NYS Canals, Great Lakes, etc (powerboat)? These questions and several more need firm answers before your quest for a floating residence is launched.

[BigNut]

"My hope is also that since I plan to sail/cruise only a bit, the workload will be lower than normal."

If this is important to your aspirations, this lifestyle is likely not for you. This will likely increase your workload. Boat things like to be used.

We (couple) started from raw beginners 5 years ago, on a "world cruise", but had no need to work. It has been a blast (so far), but expect your free time to be taken up with loads of boat work. It does not matter whether you buy new or used, whether you have lots of money or not, unless of course, you are one of those uber-wealthy who have "boat people" who do everything for them.

Hope this is useful.

[MWhite]

The plan sounds good except for one thing: you don't like people and you like large living spaces. I imagine your girlfriend is a people. And as no relationship is 100% perfect, take whatever relationship issues you currently have and multiply them by a factor of 5 if they are mild, by a factor of 10 if they really bother you or your girlfriend already. Those are random numbers. You can choose whatever numbers suit. But you get my point, I'm sure. Before you invest in a boat, I agree with previous posters you should try living in a small space. Like maybe a tiny house. See how that goes first. Because unless you want to start with a really big boat (and that brings challenges of its own), it's going to be more of a challenge than you probably think. And you need to give it time for those challenges to become real. There will be the 'honeymoon period' where everyone is excited to be doing something new and different, so you have to wait for that to pass before you can see what the day to day reality is going to be. Boats are the same as tiny home living with the additional stress of being able to work as a team when the **** hits the fan on the water and constant problem solving. You may be able to pay someone to fix your boat, but what if there is no one available? That's the reality in many locations. Or, even if no fan is hit, you need to be prepared to be hunkered down at anchor together due to weather, unable to leave the boat or each other. These issues are real and we know plenty of couples who abandon the boat lifestyle because of them. There is no way that a two week vacation aboard a sailboat can teach you these things. (Although that's a great way to get experience aboard and learn about boats.) Aside from that, considering that you will need really good internet connectivity in order to keep your job, this means you will really be stuck close to (wait for it...) people. Because that's where the internet is. Don't get me wrong, boat life can be pretty great. But there are many challenges. If you end up basically going from marina to marina in order to get internet, that might cramp your style of seeking solace and privacy. Truly I don't want to discourage you, but it's best to be informed of these things before jumping in. It's good to start asking these questions in advance of making this kind of big change to your life. Best wishes and fair winds!

[OneBoatman]

You have a lot a friends but you don't like living near other people. Freedom as a newbe wandering liveaboard in the era of Covid will be like being in prison with an unknown release date. Do you think you and your girlfriend could live together as campers for 30-60 days in a row? Are you could at taking tests and filling out forms? Also the very few people I've met that have jumped into boating without experience spend ~25% or more of the purchase price of their boat annually for the first few years as they "learn the ropes" independent of type, which is about double what those with experience spend. You could buy a mini-home on 50 acres if all you want is less space and freedom from having close neighbors. Our liveaboard experience was only 7 1/2 yrs in a pre-Sars Covariant 2 World, but we never were all-in because we also own a home. It had many challenges despite my sailing experience of ~50yrs and boat ownership of more than 30 yrs, yet our marriage survived. You can probably become competent as a Captain and learn to do most repairs on your boat in 5-6 yrs if you really work at it, know how to use the internet, have the can do attitude of DIYer, and are a good listener. Cruising and seasonal boating is different than being "all in". Be forewarned that people with the services you will certainly need tend to take advantage of those without experience. If you can post to this forum you probably are able to use the internet to locate training in diesel maintenance, weather, navigation, sailing, safety at sea, radio communications, fishing, and general boat maintenance. You also might consider volunteering with an agency equivalent to the US Coast Guard to spend part of a Summer getting a pre-view of the types of things that happen to folks on and in the water.

[R Hutcheson]

If you are making the kind of money you are indicating, definitely go for it. Having excess funds can solve almost all you problems, After, and this is a big After, you undertake the training and develop the skills to keep yourself the the yacht safe. Running a generator is certainly not going to bankrupt you. Though you might get tired the constant oil changes, and fuel runs to keep it going. If you aren't using it to run air conditioning constantly, the maintenance requirements will be much less frequent. Also, some amazing things are happening these days with renewable energy sources, though the systems are still expensive and complex currently. I'm not familiar with EU regulations, but there are MSD's available which will treat waste to the point it can be discharged directly in most areas. As long as you can maintain your income, and again, get adequate training to prevent getting hurt, the worst probable outcome is you blow a lot of money and discover you hate it. If so, go back and make money to replace it.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by more

and what you think Boat leader license C is not wide world acceptance.
how much cost RYA open ocean include Antarctica, artic license cost.

Boat leader licence C exam cost 75€ and obligatory work medical examination 55-65€

if you can get an open ocean licence for 75 euros, its not worth wiping your arse with

[Carl-T705]

So let's review, you can't stand being around people ,unless they are doing something you deem important for you, such as teaching you something, disposing of the waste you create. Then you can tolerate people for a very short period. Every where you have ever lived basically sucks for you after a very short time . I'm amazed that after 30 years your Dad still tries to offer advice that you seek and you still blow him off as being clueless. Then the people that you abhore are the ones that you seek advice from. It is nice you have a great source of income, it should be a nice comfort for you. It would be great to hear from your girlfriend .... you know if you haven't blown her off yet. It doesn't sound like cruiser advice it what you really looking for is it?

[ChrisJHC]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

if you can get an open ocean licence for 75 euros, its not worth wiping your arse with

Come on, the course is 31 hours long and the main prerequisite you need is to be over 18 years old.

After you pass, you are qualified to operate boats internationally (including with up to 12 passengers) that are up to 15m or over 15m and less than 30 tonnes.

What could possibly go wrong?

http://www.adrialibar.com/tecajevi/b...gory-c/54.html

[Joka]

Hi,

Well I'll share a bit of my first hand experience, as someone who had no experience in boats whatsoever and bought a cheap yacht and learnt most by himself.

First of all, the good news is nowadays, almost ANYONE could sail by themselves with little experience, provided they have the right approach and mindset.
Technology has evolved so much you can get very accurate weather predictions, and receive them anywhere around the world. GPS can accurately guide you through the unknown, while the autopilot will keep the hand on the helm while you trim the sails or work around the boat.

This being said, I really insist on "right approach and mindset". Sailing, even offshore, is safer than driving. But you need to have the right understanding of your boat and of the surrounding elements.


The good thing in your case is you have the money! Lucky you, I'm sure more than half the readers here regularly put projects on hold by lack of funding...
This means you can afford a new, modern boat where all systems work flawlessly, you can pay for reliable technology that won't bail on you, and pay someone to repair it when it fails.

I would still advise you to do your homework though before heading off to the big blue. When you're out there on your own boat and without crew/skipper, when things fail (WHEN, not if), you're on your own, no matter how much money you have.
That's Why it is important to know your boat well and have the skills to fix anything that fails, or know what the plan B is.

That's why I feel sailing is not made for everyone, even when you have the means, and if you want to sail without skipper, you need a lot of skills and experience to be really safe regardless of the situation.

But in my own experience, it is perfectly possible to gain the experience and skills necessary. There are schools that offer excellent courses on sailing, but also technical courses on boat maintenance, engine mechanics, electrical, plumbing (yes, all those skills are rather useful on a boat!), and also first aid and safety at sea.
But in the wonderful age of internet, you can also learn everything and face every problem online, with the help of the forum community, YouTube, blogs etc, if you wish so. If you decide to learn on your own and rely on internet, I can only advise to triple fact check every single piece of advice and info you receive! Unfortunately, many sailors blog or have a YouTube channel now and become superstars, but not all of them are careful about what they say, and some of the advice they give can be completely wrong!

Being a sailor is a full time lifestyle that requires a lot of personal investment an work (although money can easily ease the latter).
From what you say you seek, you are correct, the yacht life can offer it. Now it all comes down to whether you are made for the yachtie life and its unavoidable challenges!

If you are a hard worker more than a couch potatoe, if you like learning new skills and are curious about everything, if you seek adventure, testing your limits and you are not afraid of challenge, if you are good at planning and anticipating for best and worse, if you are ready to make concessions (less space, less comfort) so you can go further, then yes, I would believe sailing is for you and will offer what you seek.

I am not completely unlike you (although broke!), and sailing has offered me a way to change locations when I need dynamic in my life, to avoid humanity when I feel like it, and to travel around the world (well... soon I hope! Covid put a hold on many projects for everyone).

Hope that helps!

[argonauta1]

Suggest you follow up on your charter idea but find a weather friendly place tio do it like the BVI. Given your interest and desire vs no skill then the best option is invest nothing other than the cost of a one or two week chanter in yes, the BVI and hire a teaching skipper to get you going. I did the same in 1993 and never looked back and completed a circumnavigation in 2006. Do not worry about all the complications; water etc. All that will fall into place. Enjoy! Oh by the way, the Med can be challenging especially going westbound.

[Tetepare]

Buy a motor home.