Living Aboard a Sailboat

     Living aboard a boat is an adventure but at the same time consistent work to keep your boat properly maintained. There are things you will have to sacrifice and learn to live with out (creature comforts such as endless hot showers and staying indoors) but if you can adjust to these things, it is an exciting experience you will always remember, learn to love, and always want to be a part of. 

Making the plan to live aboard

     If you plan to live aboard or at least spend a significant amount of time aboard a boat, you need to think about three things: What your intended use will be for the vessel, how much you expect to travel with the vessel, and how much money you are willing to invest in your boat. As for me, I was not rich, I had a moderate income, and my intention was to live aboard full time with my significant other and our son. This was a dream we both shared and based on circumstances in our lives we decided a few years ago it was the right time to do it.

     There is alot of pre-purchase planning when making arrangements to move aboard a boat. My first advice is that if you are a new to the boating world get as much education as possible about your new lifestyle. Do not go into it blinded. Figure out your finances, estimate how much you have to budget for boat expenses every month, and save a monthly amount for unexpected expenses (and yes it does happen without warning). Learn the basics in marine navigation (also known as "the rules of the road"), boat terminology, basic boat handling, care and maintenance of your boat, and read everything you can about the vessel you intend to buy (owner's manuals, online boat forums, etc.). If you are truly planning to live aboard full time, part with things you can not take with you, or have a family member you trust watch over the things you absolutely want to hold onto. Anything you own that costs you unnecessary expenses (such as an RV, a 70 inch flat screen television your still making payments on, etc.), part with it before you move aboard. You will not need it. Keep it simple.

Choosing the right vessel for your adventure 

      Keeping the three things in mind I said earlier (intended use, travel plans, and monthly income available), We had set out on our search. I was fortunate enough to have a pretty good background in sailing and boating in the past (I was an experienced sailor who had worked aboard a sailing catamaran in Key West, Florida when I was very young, an experienced surfer, and had spent eight years in the U.S. Coast Guard as a qualifed Coxswain and Federal Boarding Officer), so it was a big advantage based on my previous training and experience. We knew we wanted something that was safe, designed to take us anywhere we wanted to go in the Caribbean or beyond, easy to sail, comfortable, and not too cramped for the three of us. From there I knew a few core things that I wanted based on my own sailing experience: A sailing catamaran (for added safety and better sailing stability for my family), something that was a used vessel (for added vessel size for our budget), liveaboard or near liveaboard ready, something well taken care of by the previous owner, a sailboat designed to handle offshore sailing, and something within the range of $200,000.00 or less to purchase.    

     After a few weeks of researching specifications of dozens of sailing catamarans, we decided the best fit for us was a 34' Gemini 105Mc catamaran which was built by Tony Smith from Performance Cruising in Annapolis, Maryland. We chose this catamaran for a number of reasons; A. The vessel's hulls and bridge deck were made from a one piece solid mold (so she was a rugged boat and could take on rougher seas if need be), B. We liked the idea of the liftable Sonic drive leg which raised out of the water and connected to an inboard 27 horsepower Westerbeke diesel engine seated in an aft compartment in the cockpit (which eliminated worries of galvanic corrosion at foriegn marinas and packing gland leaks from thru-hull shafts that could go bad), C. She had catamaran qualities underway but only had a 14 foot beam so we could put her in any marina slip, D. She was equipped with retractable centerboards which raised up into the hull and gave her a draft of only 18 inches, E. Her sails could be easily handled from the cockpit which was spacious and had a fiberglass overhead that would never let you get wet while sailing, F. Her interior accomodation spaces for her size were well laid out (with 6'1" headroom, three sleeping berths, a full main salon, galley, several overhead hatches, nice head and shower layout, and plenty of locker space.

     So we began our search for the right Gemini 105Mc. We knew we wanted the most recent version of the 105Mc (1999 or newer), and we knew we were looking for a better than average deal. We searched both broker listings and private vessels all over the United States until we found the right vessel. We looked at dozens of Gemini 105Mc's. Some we literally walked on and walked right back off within two minutes. The ones that come to mind was a Gemini that had two labroador retrieivers living aboard and the entire boat smelled like wet dog, not to mention an over abundant amount of dog hair everywhere, and claw sracthes on the cabin door and teak wood interiors. Another Gemini we looked at had so many "home projects" on it (wire nuts and electric tape joining the electric wires, wire ties supporting gear hanging off of the lifelines, non marine garden type solar panels backed with bare plywood hanging from one of the aft rails, and the clutter of gear all over the interior spaces of the vessel) that I knew the vessel was going to be full of expensive "gremlins" that would in the long run more inhibit the vessel rather than aid the vessel in long trips or crossings.

      The right vessel finally came along when a very nice and honest broker we were working with gave us the heads up on an elderly couple that was privately selling their Gemini 105Mc on the west coast of Florida. He gave us their number and we called them. A few days later we drove out to see the vessel. The vessel was amazing. She was a 2001 Gemini 105Mc. She was kept on a custom made lift in their backyard so she spent very little time in the water. Her engine hour gauge was just past 411 hours. Her amenities were almost untouched, and the faint smell of the newness of her was still there. She had alot of extras ideal for living aboard her. Some of these amenities were: A built in 16,000 BTU Mermaid air conditioning system with digital controls, pressuriezed hot and cold water with an auxillary Whaler foot pump, a 120 volt electric / propane Dometic refigerator / freezer unit, stainless steel dinghy davits, bristol condition halyards and sheets, and a secondary jib rig forward of the main jib for a 420 square foot schreecher sail for low wind sailing. After about fifteen minutes of being aboard her, my girlfriend and I knew we wanted to have this Gemini.

To finish reading the complete article go to:

http://www.suenosazules.com/Living_Aboard.html

Sincerely,

Captain John Banister
Suenos Azules Marine Surveying and Consulting
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida