Mark from Redondo Beach... soon to be first time liveaboard!

[cazwell220]

Hi everyone... I feel like I know so many of you already from all the obsessive reading I have been doing.

Anyway... I just wanted to introduce myself and mention what I'm doing and why for whoever might care... and maybe even for some that don't

I've never really been one for the "institution" as I'm finding out many people here share the same disdain. I'm a minimalist and find that my living situation is far more than I actually need. I'm currently living in Hermosa Beach next to King Harbor in a big 3 story house with 3 other roommates and getting along fine enough money wise. I started a computer repair company and I'm waiting tables for when money is light. I pay about $950 a month for the convenience of living 1 block away from the beach which I LOVE. I am a big fan of playing some competitive beach volleyball and enjoy the people and beauty of the beach lifestyle. However... I kept feeling like I was paying too much and felt that a financially smarter person would come up with a better plan.

So I started looking into urban camping as a way to save money. It's called urban camping or "stealth parking" typically using a van of some sort. Really it's just illegally parking and living in your vehicle in residential and commercial areas without getting caught. I learned how doable it would be and how you could get off the grid while saving lots of money, but I really wasn't convinced that the connotation was all that comfortable. It felt more like being homeless than stepping closer to freedom and independence.

Ultimately in my search I read an article about someone living in their boat and detailing how it worked for them. They mentioned how they paid $300 / mo to the marina for the slip and a bit more for utilities and maintenance. Needless to say... I was instantly intrigued to the point of researching every possibility ... and in 1 week... here I am... looking for a sailboat! lol

I feel like after a year of paying rent for a nice room 1 block from the beach, in the end... all I will have to show is another rent check I need to make out. Sure there are lots of things I can do in a month, like learn to sail even, but in the end... it's a TON of money that is going to someone else and THEIR personal freedom, not mine. If I buy a boat and live on it in the marina... at the end of a year, not only will I have saved a ton of money, gotten over my fear as a land dweller and shed myself of so many unnecessary things, but I will also have learned to sail... met a whole new community of great people... and I will also own a boat! That and the opportunity for adventure unlike an apartment or room could ever give me.

My plan... is to look at a bunch of old boats that have a good hull, good clean keel bolts, a deck that keeps the living quarters dry and good sails and are cheap. I don't care much about the "electronics" or anything except the important systems. And I certainly don't care about refitting and creating a huge project. My thoughts are... if I get the boat super cheap... live on it for a year... learn a bunch of things... keep it clean and do the basic maintenance... I can sell it for much the same price I buy it for and be well on my way to at least UNDERSTANDING what my dream boat would even be!!

Anyway... TLDR;
I want to save a bunch of money and live simple. I read about living on a boat and thought it would be a good thing to try. Looking for a boat that's in good condition for super cheap that I can sell in a year or so and then buy a better one.

I'm Mark btw... Have a great day!!

[Astral Blue]

Originally Posted by cazwell220

Hi everyone... I feel like I know so many of you already from all the obsessive reading I have been doing.

Anyway... I just wanted to introduce myself and mention what I'm doing and why for whoever might care... and maybe even for some that don't

I've never really been one for the "institution" as I'm finding out many people here share the same disdain. I'm a minimalist and find that my living situation is far more than I actually need. I'm currently living in Hermosa Beach next to King Harbor in a big 3 story house with 3 other roommates and getting along fine enough money wise. I started a computer repair company and I'm waiting tables for when money is light. I pay about $950 a month for the convenience of living 1 block away from the beach which I LOVE. I am a big fan of playing some competitive beach volleyball and enjoy the people and beauty of the beach lifestyle. However... I kept feeling like I was paying too much and felt that a financially smarter person would come up with a better plan.

So I started looking into urban camping as a way to save money. It's called urban camping or "stealth parking" typically using a van of some sort. Really it's just illegally parking and living in your vehicle in residential and commercial areas without getting caught. I learned how doable it would be and how you could get off the grid while saving lots of money, but I really wasn't convinced that the connotation was all that comfortable. It felt more like being homeless than stepping closer to freedom and independence.

Ultimately in my search I read an article about someone living in their boat and detailing how it worked for them. They mentioned how they paid $300 / mo to the marina for the slip and a bit more for utilities and maintenance. Needless to say... I was instantly intrigued to the point of researching every possibility ... and in 1 week... here I am... looking for a sailboat! lol

I feel like after a year of paying rent for a nice room 1 block from the beach, in the end... all I will have to show is another rent check I need to make out. Sure there are lots of things I can do in a month, like learn to sail even, but in the end... it's a TON of money that is going to someone else and THEIR personal freedom, not mine. If I buy a boat and live on it in the marina... at the end of a year, not only will I have saved a ton of money, gotten over my fear as a land dweller and shed myself of so many unnecessary things, but I will also have learned to sail... met a whole new community of great people... and I will also own a boat! That and the opportunity for adventure unlike an apartment or room could ever give me.

My plan... is to look at a bunch of old boats that have a good hull, good clean keel bolts, a deck that keeps the living quarters dry and good sails and are cheap. I don't care much about the "electronics" or anything except the important systems. And I certainly don't care about refitting and creating a huge project. My thoughts are... if I get the boat super cheap... live on it for a year... learn a bunch of things... keep it clean and do the basic maintenance... I can sell it for much the same price I buy it for and be well on my way to at least UNDERSTANDING what my dream boat would even be!!

Anyway... TLDR;
I want to save a bunch of money and live simple. I read about living on a boat and thought it would be a good thing to try. Looking for a boat that's in good condition for super cheap that I can sell in a year or so and then buy a better one.

I'm Mark btw... Have a great day!!

Hi Mark... Welcome to CF! One suggestion if I may... I would recommend you begin looking for a marina with liveaboard slips available prior to purchasing a boat. In California, most marinas can only devote 10 percent of their slips to liveaborads. In the California Delta and Bay Area (where I boat), most marinas are up to capacity and have long waiting lists. I'm not sure what the situation in southern California is, but I'd advise looking into it well in advance.

As far as costs go, expect to pay very close to what you are currently paying. In southern California, slips run $18 and up per foot. If you have a 35 footer, the slip fee alone will be $600-700 per month, not including electricity. There is also an additional liveaboard fee of $200-400 per month typically assessed. Add the cost of insurance to the picture (at $2000+ per year for liveaboard coverage), you see where this is heading. If you own a car, some marinas charge a monthly fee for keeping the car in their lot.

Most people live aboard because they want a simpler life, but do not end up saving much over a terrestrial abode when living in an area like LA where the cost of living is higher than most places.

Best of luck in pursuing this, but be prepared to be paying more than $300.

Just my two cents...

[cazwell220]

Originally Posted by Astral Blue

Hi Mark... Welcome to CF! One suggestion if I may... I would recommend you begin looking for a marina with liveaboard slips available prior to purchasing a boat. In California, most marinas can only devote 10 percent of their slips to liveaborads. In the California Delta and Bay Area (where I boat), most marinas are up to capacity and have long waiting lists. I'm not sure what the situation in southern California is, but I'd advise looking into it well in advance.

As far as costs go, expect to pay very close to what you are currently paying. In southern California, slips run $18 and up per foot. If you have a 35 footer, the slip fee alone will be $600-700 per month, not including electricity. There is also an additional liveaboard fee of $200-400 per month typically assessed. Add the cost of insurance to the picture (at $2000+ per year for liveaboard coverage), you see where this is heading. If you own a car, some marinas charge a monthly fee for keeping the car in their lot.

Most people live aboard because they want a simpler life, but do not end up saving much over a terrestrial abode when living in an area like LA where the cost of living is higher than most places.

Best of luck in pursuing this, but be prepared to be paying more than $300.

Just my two cents...

HI! I appreciate the information... I went today to look at a 69 Columbia 26 foot boat in King Harbor. The slip is $300 as the seller manages to fit his 26' in a 25' slip as per the docks regulations. He did say the liveaboard is $600 per month, but he knows the marina and if you are not a trouble maker then they don't bother you if you are paying non-liveaboard status. I guess the trick is to not let them know you are a liveaboard. I don't want to be sneaking around or anything, but from what I understand there are quite a few that do it and have been for many years at King Harbor and at Marina Del Rey. As a non-liveaboard you are allowed 9 days a month to sleep on the boat... but I'm not really sure how they would monitor that yet. In the worst case scenario I can crash at my friends houses here and there. We will see.

I ride a motorcycle and parking is much more convenient than a car. Luckily the marina supplies you with a parking spot... so even if I don't use it myself, i can give lend it to guest that come over I can't imagine the insurance being $2k per year on a $3k boat??

Either way... it is very nice to meet you! And I 100% appreciate the warning and will do my best to know everything I'm doing before I do it.

[Astral Blue]

Originally Posted by cazwell220

HI! I appreciate the information... I went today to look at a 69 Columbia 26 foot boat in King Harbor. The slip is $300 as the seller manages to fit his 26' in a 25' slip as per the docks regulations. He did say the liveaboard is $600 per month, but he knows the marina and if you are not a trouble maker then they don't bother you if you are paying non-liveaboard status. I guess the trick is to not let them know you are a liveaboard. I don't want to be sneaking around or anything, but from what I understand there are quite a few that do it and have been for many years at King Harbor and at Marina Del Rey. As a non-liveaboard you are allowed 9 days a month to sleep on the boat... but I'm not really sure how they would monitor that yet. In the worst case scenario I can crash at my friends houses here and there. We will see.

I ride a motorcycle and parking is much more convenient than a car. Luckily the marina supplies you with a parking spot... so even if I don't use it myself, i can give lend it to guest that come over I can't imagine the insurance being $2k per year on a $3k boat??

Either way... it is very nice to meet you! And I 100% appreciate the warning and will do my best to know everything I'm doing before I do it.

Great to meet you as well. Best of luck...and feel free to ask as many questions as you wish!

[cazwell220]

Originally Posted by Astral Blue

Great to meet you as well. Best of luck...and feel free to ask as many questions as you wish!

I will have lots and lots of them I'm sure...

I just started the boat search today... I'm taking video of each that I see and uploading to YouTube. If you or anyone else would like to have a look and critique what I'm looking at or SHOULD be looking at rather... that would be awesome.

I can imagine most people would NOT want to do this of course, so I won't spam the boards with YouTube videos of me fumbling around various ugly sailboat while not knowing what the heck I'm doing!! haha

[barnakiel]

Hi Mark,

This car thing you do I have friends here (in Europe) who do the same. I am not quite sure why but local govts try to make my friends lives difficult. So it is a game but my friends are, at this stage, winning ;-)

You may find living on the boat similar. A boat is less mobile, there are more limitations, sure, but then again it opens up new areas - one can sink into the landscape and return to the civilization only to stock up on beer and corned beef.

If you have not seen that Jarmusch movie you may have a look:

Permanent Vacation (Jim Jarmusch) - YouTube

It sort of relates.

Cheers, fair winds in your travels,
barnakiel

[cazwell220]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

Hi Mark,

This car thing you do I have friends here (in Europe) who do the same. I am not quite sure why but local govts try to make my friends lives difficult. So it is a game but my friends are, at this stage, winning ;-)

You may find living on the boat similar. A boat is less mobile, there are more limitations, sure, but then again it opens up new areas - one can sink into the landscape and return to the civilization only to stock up on beer and corned beef.

If you have not seen that Jarmusch movie you may have a look:

It sort of relates.

Cheers, fair winds in your travels,
barnakiel

Hiya Barnakiel!

I don't live in a car right now... I was just considering it. I did read about a lot of people that were doing it and finding success. I like the thought of "owning" something at the end of a year of paying cheaper rent... and having the opportunity to learn to sail and meet a whole new world of people.

It would be nice to sail out for a week... and leave the world behind and come back another day to find it just like I left it. This is one of those re-defining moments in a persons life. And I feel that the investment is minimal... Time will tell! I'm excited though... I know that much.

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha and welcome aboard!
Good to have you posting here. I did much as you have done in the past and as long as you don't flaunt the fact that you are scamming the marina and don't cause problems too many guests or parties you can usually fly under the radar. Occasionally stay somewhere else a night or two.
kind regards,

[GeoGoddess]

Hi Mark,
Welcome, from a fellow Redondo Beach resident. It sounds as if you're really enjoying exploring the liveaboard scenario. I'd like to invite you to come on a free Sunday Sail with Redondo Beach Sailing Club. We have members who are boat-owners, experienced sailors, sailing instructors and newbies. I think some have lived aboard and we all know people in King Harbor who liveaboard. You're welcome to come along on a sail and pick peoples' brains for information and opinions. We're a mellow and congenial bunch. Yesterday, we sailed on a beatiful Catalina 350 2006 owned by one of the City's sailing instructors and he talked a lot about several of the liveaboards on A dock. If you'd like more info, please PM me and I'll tell you how you can find out more. Happy researching!
Sara