Nice Little One or Two Person Live-Aboard

[Eddie]

Definitely more of a bugout vehicle than any kind of sustainable living, although I once read about a young man who lived aboard and lived mostly on sprouts. It required him to provision with sproutable seeds once or twice a year. The book concluded with him planning to build a bigger boat than his original plastic one...and he was building a cat. Not sure what happened to him. I wonder if I still have his book. Probably. That was 30 years ago, and he defintely isn't a young man anymore, if he's still alive. A quick Amazon search did not turn up the book. There have been a lot of books written about living aboard, and the old ones seem to be dropping off the lists.

A junk or a cat would be the most versatile...both easily beached, and seaworthy designs.

Too late for me to make that jump. Better to weather the coming storm on land, and here, as long as that's feasible. Gardens and small scale animal husbandry. I'd like to add chickens soon.

I spent the afternoon yesterday out on the stead making mental lists of all my uncompleted projects. I must have 20 at some stage between dreaming and reality. Many of them could be completed fairly quickly if I had more time and lived on my place. It's a tough decision to move out there, but I see that as necessary to take it to the next phase.

Sometimes it hardly seems worth it. Definitely swimming upstream. With climate change so threatening for this latitude, it might be better to sell off and get debt free and and start thinking about moving north in a few years. It's a hard call. My wife (rightly) says that if I wanted to farm, I should have bought property to the east of here on the other side of what we call the dry line. Better soil and more rain to the east and south a hundred miles.

The timing isn't terrible to sell my land, although I really have no idea if I could recoup my financial investment. The best I could hope for probably is to break even, after seven or eight years of holding on. I haven't made a great many valuable improvements, or done the things that attract the buyers, who are mostly horse people.
 

• Tweet

[RE]

With climate change so threatening for this latitude, it might be better to sell off and get debt free and and start thinking about moving north in a few years.

Can I suggest ALASKA? 

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/JSt0NEESrUA" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/JSt0NEESrUA</a>

Great Farms available here on the Last Great Frontier just a scooter ride away from me in Palmer.

Alaska also has a shortage of good Dentists. 

RE

• Tweet

[RE]

Alaska also has a shortage of good Dentists. 

Did I forget to mention that we can also grow POT here legally? 

RE

• Tweet

[luciddreams]

Yeah, no way I could live on a boat with my two boys right now.  Maybe in five years when they are 8 and 11, but then I'm not sure I would do that to them.  Firstly what kind of life would that be for a kid?  No friends, cramped quarters, nowhere to run around and play...no fucking way that would work.  I guess if the ship was big enough it could work, but that is just fiction for me. 

Also, life on the sea is a lot more perilous than life on the land.  There is a lot more shit that can go wrong if you are on a boat, and that shit is more likely to go wrong as well.  The things that can go wrong with a life at sea will all kill you quickly as well.  You would have to be a very competent sailor with a very good boat...and a source of income that you could take with you.  Dmitri Orlov has it figured out...but he's also kidless and makes money writing.  Still, that did not stop him from asking his readers for money to help him buy a new engine for his boat. 

It's a very romantic way to pretend at surviving the rough future ahead.  It definitely has it's benefits, and in certain circumstances would offer the best means of survival.  However, if Fukushima Daiichi is any indication, the sea isn't exactly going to be a safe place to remain healthy in the future (I hear they found another leak).  There are pirates, hostile countries (especially to gringos) with hostile government and police that require money of you, shit that can go wrong with your boat that results in you dying, inclement weather with perilous conditions, and a dependence on stores of food that aren't very big, and in the meantime when BAU is going you have to have a way to support yourself financially. 

Only a very select few without kids can pull this type of thing off.  I'd be one of them if I had the money. 

• Tweet

[RE]

Yeah, no way I could live on a boat with my two boys right now.  Maybe in five years when they are 8 and 11, but then I'm not sure I would do that to them.  Firstly what kind of life would that be for a kid?  No friends, cramped quarters, nowhere to run around and play...no fucking way that would work.  I guess if the ship was big enough it could work, but that is just fiction for me. 

Also, life on the sea is a lot more perilous than life on the land.  There is a lot more shit that can go wrong if you are on a boat, and that shit is more likely to go wrong as well.  The things that can go wrong with a life at sea will all kill you quickly as well.  You would have to be a very competent sailor with a very good boat...and a source of income that you could take with you.  Dmitri Orlov has it figured out...but he's also kidless and makes money writing.  Still, that did not stop him from asking his readers for money to help him buy a new engine for his boat. 

It's a very romantic way to pretend at surviving the rough future ahead.  It definitely has it's benefits, and in certain circumstances would offer the best means of survival.  However, if Fukushima Daiichi is any indication, the sea isn't exactly going to be a safe place to remain healthy in the future (I hear they found another leak).  There are pirates, hostile countries (especially to gringos) with hostile government and police that require money of you, shit that can go wrong with your boat that results in you dying, inclement weather with perilous conditions, and a dependence on stores of food that aren't very big, and in the meantime when BAU is going you have to have a way to support yourself financially. 

Only a very select few without kids can pull this type of thing off.  I'd be one of them if I had the money.

For the most part, I think Live Aboard sailors are retired people who have mailbox money coming in of some type.  There are a few who have "portable incomes" they can do anywhere.  That was how Ray Jason, The Sea Gypsy Philosopher managed it for so many years.  He was a street Juggler, and could do this anywhere people would pitch money at him for his talent.  Now he is old enough to be collecting SS.  Ray also is not married, no kids.

But Ray also did not spend all that much time doing Blue Water during all those years, in fact he parked himself down around Panama and just sails the local waters there these days.  He did make a few big crossings like Palloy did, but percentage wise most of the time has been spent at one marina or another, or one anchorage or another.

This in turn requires you have all these functioning marinas, and that they will take your mailbox money for the fees they charge.  Few people live the life of a live aboard sailor, and fewer still spend most of the time in primitive anchorages.  They just go to visit them maybe a week at a time, and they bring with them all the food they need for the water based camping trip.

On its own, this is not a sustainable lifestyle.  It's main advantage for the Prepper is as a Bugout means.  If you always are aboard the boat, if it's always packed and ready to go, then any day TSHTF, you can make your Bugout.  If you lived on your boat in Syria and NATO started dropping the Death From Above on Aleppo, you weigh anchor and GTFO of Dodge.  No multiple borders to cross, you head straight for a Marina in Cornwall, walk into the Customs Office and claim Asylum under the Geneva Conventions.  You don't have to live in tents in refugee camps along the way, you got your boat as your shelter.

There is value in it.  But to live that way until TSHTF is rather a pain in the ass.

RE

• Tweet

[luciddreams]

Yeah, no way I could live on a boat with my two boys right now.  Maybe in five years when they are 8 and 11, but then I'm not sure I would do that to them.  Firstly what kind of life would that be for a kid?  No friends, cramped quarters, nowhere to run around and play...no fucking way that would work.  I guess if the ship was big enough it could work, but that is just fiction for me. 

Also, life on the sea is a lot more perilous than life on the land.  There is a lot more shit that can go wrong if you are on a boat, and that shit is more likely to go wrong as well.  The things that can go wrong with a life at sea will all kill you quickly as well.  You would have to be a very competent sailor with a very good boat...and a source of income that you could take with you.  Dmitri Orlov has it figured out...but he's also kidless and makes money writing.  Still, that did not stop him from asking his readers for money to help him buy a new engine for his boat. 

It's a very romantic way to pretend at surviving the rough future ahead.  It definitely has it's benefits, and in certain circumstances would offer the best means of survival.  However, if Fukushima Daiichi is any indication, the sea isn't exactly going to be a safe place to remain healthy in the future (I hear they found another leak).  There are pirates, hostile countries (especially to gringos) with hostile government and police that require money of you, shit that can go wrong with your boat that results in you dying, inclement weather with perilous conditions, and a dependence on stores of food that aren't very big, and in the meantime when BAU is going you have to have a way to support yourself financially. 

Only a very select few without kids can pull this type of thing off.  I'd be one of them if I had the money.

For the most part, I think Live Aboard sailors are retired people who have mailbox money coming in of some type.  There are a few who have "portable incomes" they can do anywhere.  That was how Ray Jason, The Sea Gypsy Philosopher managed it for so many years.  He was a street Juggler, and could do this anywhere people would pitch money at him for his talent.  Now he is old enough to be collecting SS.  Ray also is not married, no kids.

But Ray also did not spend all that much time doing Blue Water during all those years, in fact he parked himself down around Panama and just sails the local waters there these days.  He did make a few big crossings like Palloy did, but percentage wise most of the time has been spent at one marina or another, or one anchorage or another.

This in turn requires you have all these functioning marinas, and that they will take your mailbox money for the fees they charge.  Few people live the life of a live aboard sailor, and fewer still spend most of the time in primitive anchorages.  They just go to visit them maybe a week at a time, and they bring with them all the food they need for the water based camping trip.

On its own, this is not a sustainable lifestyle.  It's main advantage for the Prepper is as a Bugout means.  If you always are aboard the boat, if it's always packed and ready to go, then any day TSHTF, you can make your Bugout.  If you lived on your boat in Syria and NATO started dropping the Death From Above on Aleppo, you weigh anchor and GTFO of Dodge.  No multiple borders to cross, you head straight for a Marina in Cornwall, walk into the Customs Office and claim Asylum under the Geneva Conventions.  You don't have to live in tents in refugee camps along the way, you got your boat as your shelter.

There is value in it.  But to live that way until TSHTF is rather a pain in the ass.

RE

However, the key that unlocks that possibility (short of being independently wealthy) is being a loner with no family to support.  Well, I suppose a couple could do this, but that would be one rare woman...at least doing it on a smallish boat on the cheap. 

For the rest of us it's just a romantic day dream.  It would be fun for a week, but then it would just mostly be difficult and lonely and occasionally pretty treacherous.  Not a life for family. 

• Tweet

[RE]

However, the key that unlocks that possibility (short of being independently wealthy) is being a loner with no family to support.  Well, I suppose a couple could do this, but that would be one rare woman...at least doing it on a smallish boat on the cheap. 

For the rest of us it's just a romantic day dream.  It would be fun for a week, but then it would just mostly be difficult and lonely and occasionally pretty treacherous.  Not a life for family.

Basically, ALL the ideas for getting off grid presuppose no family to support, whether it is sailing, living in the Tropical Rainforest or in the Bush of Alaska.

Having kids, particularly young ones for the most part eliminates these possibilities.

I will say though that I did run into a few family sailors in my early years, and the kids generally were quite happy.  They got to swim all the time, play on the beach etc.  Kids are very adaptable.

Grown Women?  Not so adaptable.

RE

• Tweet

[jdwheeler42]

Basically, ALL the ideas for getting off grid presuppose no family to support, whether it is sailing, living in the Tropical Rainforest or in the Bush of Alaska.

Lol... alright, I'm going to invoke the ghost of MKing here....

If you want to live on a sailboat, you can live on a sailboat...
If you want to live in the rainforest, you can live in the rainforest...
If you want to live in the Alaskan bush, you can live in the Alaskan bush...
If you want to live like the Amish, you can live like the Amish...

If DOOM is a convenient excuse for living the way you want to live, more power to you.  But don't go completely disrupting your life out of what you are afraid is going to happen. ]MKing off[  No matter how hard you prepare, you're probably not going to survive anyway, so don't sweat it.

• Tweet

[RE]

No matter how hard you prepare, you're probably not going to survive anyway, so don't sweat it.

That would be the Guy McPherson Philosophy.

The Diner Philosophy is to figure out the best way you personally can manage the spin down to see as many more sunrises as you can.

Never give up, never quit, never say die until the last breath leaves your body.

When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.

You know the drill.  This is the fucking DINER.  NO QUITTERS!

...and while you are trying to save yourself...

SAVE AS MANY AS YOU CAN!
RE

• Tweet

[RE]

Asking $60K, I bet you could offer $40K and get this one.

Old as a 1978 but impeccably maintained with all the electronics.  Also, if the fiberglass held up this long, it's going to last forever (or longer than I will live anyhow)

I always liked canoe stern boats with a classic look, and this one is just loaded with teak finishing with round portholes which I like much more than the long ones on the modern "racing" style of boat.

Alas, it will remain a dream...

RE

36' EO Union Sailboat - Used Cruising Sailboat FOR SALE

LOA: 36' HULL: Fiberglass ENGINES: Perkins M50 Diesel new in 1996 YEAR BUILT: 1978 Located in Pensacola, Florida

This is an exceptional find and a really good deal. Unfortunately, the owner has had some health problems which have caused him to stop cruising (please pray for Marty and his upcoming liver transplant). Marty & his wife Becky finished a 6 year Caribbean cruise and, in 2002, had fully refitted this yacht to cruise the Caribbean for the next 5 years when the physical health problems began. This fine yacht has been nicely updated, lovingly maintained, well equipped, and is totally ready for (and fully capable of) ocean travel and circumnavigating the world. Click here for Parts & Equipment List This classic blue water, double-ender, cruising sailboat has a 50h.p. Perkins diesel, new in '96 (which currently has under 800 hours), and a Honda generator with 600 watt inverter. It is a 36 foot boat that has the room of, and sails like, a 40 footer, with 6 foot + head room and ample beam. FEATURES: 16 mile radar, 2 EPIRB's, Pur 40E watermaker, 12000btu marine air cond. w/heat pump, new salon cushions, full galley w/Adler Barber refrig., new chainplates and turnbuckles (heavy duty standing rigging) 2002, epoxy barrier coat 2000, 3 awnings, dodger, bimini, 2 new life slings, 2 new solar panels, Capt.Voyager charts & programs, and lots more.

PRICE: $59,500 OBO For more information or to arrange a visit please call  1-877-228-1569 Parts & Equipment List New roller furling - Profurl 42 JRC Radar 16 mile (2 years) Pur 40E Watermaker (pickled) 50 hp Perkins Prima M50 (704 hours) New June '99 Adler Barbour Coldplate Marine Air 12,000 BTC A/C Heat pump 10 Gal Stainless steel water heater - 110 or engine heated. 2 new 150 watt solar panels (adjustable) 1000 watt Honda generator 1000 watt inverter 112 volt 6" Color TV Autohelm Autopilot 4000 ST 2 Autohelm Depth meters 50 Amp Battery Charger (2000 Newmar) Rack and pinion steering (worm gear driven) Computer charts: Caribbean, Cuba, Mexico, Gulfcoast, etc. Capt. Voyager and Navtrek Epirb Weems & Plath Offshore 406 New head Built in fuel cleaning system (custom) Heavy Air Whisker Pole Deck windlass - manual 4 bilge pumps Standard VHF (2) Stereo GPS New faucet in galley Double stainless sinks New cushions Jan 2004 New countertops in galley V-berth cushions mattress quality foam - new Propane stove w/oven w/2 large propane bottles Magma grill Assorted spare parts, too many to list Spare new Bosch alternator   DECK All teak done last summer with Armada (real nice) Wooden helm Natural teak decks All inside teak walls & sole recently varnished Assorted bumpers & boards 35 lb.  CQR W/ 300ft Chain 3/8 Triple Braid 35 lb. Bruce w/ 350 ft. 3/8 Triple Braid chain 28 lb. Danforth 50 ft. chain, 250 ft. 3/4 rode Anchor snubbers (2)   RIGGING New in 2002 running rigging standing rigging chainplates turnbuckles chainplates removed and added new bolts & plates.   New 4 bladed propeller Bottom 3 years, epoxy barriercoat 2000, Interlux Interprotect Water tank 150 gal. Fuel tank 100 gal. Boat Design: Robert Perry Max bridge 49 ft. Dry weight 22,000 lbs Max Draft 5' 11'' Sails all Sunbrella Dodger 3 awnings Bimini Heavy Mylar drifter 1100 Sq. ft. drifter w/sock New main new jib backdrop hatch covers bug screen inside all hatches custom furl guard cover cockpit cushions OLIN kit 2 Life slings Life Harnesses EPIRB 406 SHe has been to the Caribbean, Mexico, Cuba, Virgin Islands, & Bahamas. A serious blue water boat. Extra large nav station & drawers.

• Tweet

[Eddie]

Nice. I used to dream about having one of those Colin Archer inspired canoe stern boats. But you give up a lot of room below. Very seaworthy, supposedly.

My find of the week. Also going for 59K. A steal. Hardin 45's are a luxury apartment on the water.



Description:   Hardin 45 Island Trader


"Yolo" (You only live once)


Is a Fully Loaded, Blue Water, Cruising yacht.


Perfect for Living the Dream

Priced to sell now. Spacious and comfortable, this extremely well equipped blue water, ocean cruiser sailed/motored 1200nm from Deltaville VA to Indiantown FL in Jan 2016. She spent a year on the hard and splashed Jan 2017.

Sitting in Indiantown Marina, Stuart, she is in the water and ready to go. Completion of extensive works and carrying an impressive amount of kit to include

Remounting all the stanchions onto the toe rail.
Stainless hard rail introduced to the stern.
Bottom painted in Jan 2017.
Decks made good.
Interior woodwork all made good.

Be the envy of the anchorage with this head turning, stylish yacht with features to include a rich, luxurious teak interior and tremendous storage, complete with stunning custom door panel original carvings.

A palatial, full beam master stateroom, with oversized double berth located aft and a completely functional galley to include an LPG stove and oven. A huge top and front opening fridge, an even bigger top opening freezer and a bread maker ensures you are fully equipped for island living.

There is a fully enclosed head with separate shower, electric toilet flush and marble counters.

A spacious, bright and airy Main Saloon, with separate Dinette area provides massive storage capacity throughout and is ideal for extended cruising, family or live aboard.

The large cockpit essentially provides pilot house steering & additional protected living space with full instrumentation, adequate storage cubby holes and full electronics array including Raymarine chart plotter, auto pilot, radar, AIS and more.

If you are looking for a heavy duty displacement blue water classic yacht that can sail to distant ports or local waters in comfort and with peace of mind, then Yolo is for you.

Equipment:   Five large solar panels and 200w air-x wind generator giving 30plus amps into large battery bank (the boat is power self-sufficient).
Powerful inverter providing 120volts throughout, in addition to 12v system.

700 litres fuel (Full) and 700 litres water tanks.
New sea water cooled freezer pump. Very large freezer and fridge
Water maker 18GPH
Recent vetus bow thruster
Hydraulic auto pilot

ICOM SSB radio
VHF radio with AIS
C80 Raymarine chart plotter
Wind speed and direction
Depth and speed log

Lofrans electric windlass, delta anchor 2000 foot chain, plus 60 lbs CQR and 35ft chain.
90HP Ford Lehman engine, uses 4 litres per hour @1200 rpm 6 knots. 8 knots @ 1800 RPM
Spare starter motor, alternator, engine re build kit, water pump, engine gaskets, heat exchanger, numerous impellers filters etc.
Excellent engine access for a sailboat, with opening and fully removable door panels.
Full set of tools to cover all aspects, power tools drill, jig saw, router, sander.

Aluminium masts and good little used sails. All can be controlled from centre cockpit.
Full Bimini and cockpit closure.
New rudder fitted.
Full documentation of all history and systems on the yacht including instructions advice and receipts all filed away on-board.
Gas fired Taylor heating and cooling fans.
Office area with pull out IT desk and chair and office storage
State cabin with masses of storage, double bed with sprung mattress plus 2" memory foam topper.
High quality solid teak inertia throughout. Masses of storage everywhere.
Second VHF radio and sound system
Electric flushing head, holding tank and shower.

Eight man life raft.
Hard bottomed dinghy with new mercury 3.5 hp engine
One person kayak
Comprehensive electronic and paper charts, pilot books and navigation information.
Brand new EPIRB.
3 x Mullion 275 nt, twin canister, high rise life jackets with crotch strap (cost £200 each brand new)
Grab bag.

http://www.sailboatlistings.com/view/63547

• Tweet

[RE]

Nice. I used to dream about having one of those Colin Archer inspired canoe stern boats. But you give up a lot of room below. Very seaworthy, supposedly.

My find of the week. Also going for 59K. A steal. Hardin 45's are a luxury apartment on the water.

Canoe Sterns are supposed to be the best in a following sea, for obvious reasons.  They also LOOK really cool.   I would sacrifice a little space below for this.

36' is certainly enough for 2 people, even 3 or 4 if you all get along.  You also have to remember all your marina fees increase with every extra foot at the waterline, and then sails are bigger and cost more for 45' boats too.  Plus, unless you are using electric winches, harder to hoist sail and harder to reef.  Engine bigger, more costly to maintain or replace.

I always considered the mid-30' boats to be the one I would choose.  Sailable for a Solo, but large enough for an attractive First Mate. 

RE

• Tweet