How to Live Aboard a Boat 0878512179, 9780878512171

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Howto Live Aboard

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Howto Live Aboard

a Boat Janet Groene

Living aboard a boat can be a low-cost,

can be more exciting, educational, rewarding, and inspiring than anything you’ve ever done. It can be a warm, family-bonding approach to raising children. It is a way to travel without a suitcase, with time to live among a variety of cultures. You may test yourself to your physical, emotional, spiritual, and psymobile way of

life.

chological limits.

It

It

is

a

way

to

grow, to

achieve, and to take control of your In

from

many

ways, your decision to

home

life.

move

water-borne vessel could be even more difficult than a land-based

to a

actually living aboard. But Janet Groene,

who

lived

on

a small sailboat for ten years,

helps to eliminate the mystery and anxiety

by detailing what the liveaboard can ex-

how

aboard can become everything you dreamed. How to Live Aboard a Boat is a practical guide filled with sound advice on everything from making the commitment, choosing the boat, and equipping your new home, to such day-to-day concerns as mail, pets, banking, and making a living. It is a unique hook about the boating life, spiced with anecdotes from the author’s pect and

life

own experiences and

those of other

met over the For everyone who wants to live on of any size or type, here’s how. liveahoards she has

years. a

boat

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https://archive.org/details/howtoliveaboardbOOgroe

Howto Live Aboard a Boat

Howto Live Aboard a Boat Janet Groene

HEARST MARINE BOOKS New

York

£

HEARST

BOOKS

SAUSALITO PUBLIC LIBRARY

Copyright

©

1983 by

Manufactured

The

Hearst Corporation.

United States of America.

in the

All rights reserved.

No in

book may be reproduced or used graphic, electronic, any form or by any means part of this

—

or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or information storage

and

retrieval systems

— without written permission of the publishers.

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

Groene, Janet.

How

to live

aboard

Bibliography: 1.

Boat

a boat.

p.

living.

I.

Title.

GV777.7.G76 1982 ISBN 0-87851-217-9

797.17

82-11971

Hearst Marine Books

224 West 57

Street,

New' York, N.Y. 10019

DEDICATION

To all those ashore and afloat who helped Gordon and me along the way: a writing job here, the offer of a dock there, a bucket of ice,

an understanding or forgiving word, the

loan of a car, the use of a washer and dryer,

dinner invitations that included hot showers, letters

from neglected

friends, the sharing of

bountiful catches, and wise advice tactfullv given.

Contents

9

Preface

PART ONE: THE GREAT GETAWAY

.11

1

Don’t Break Your Rice Bowl

.13

2

Choosing Your Liveaboard Boat

.20

3

Narrowing the Choice

.37

4

Equipping Your Boat

5

To Quit

6

Keeping Warm, Keeping Cool

.87

The Cost

105

8

or to

as a

Home

Keep

of Cruising

Liveaboard Case Histories

.55 .81

115

PART TWO: THE LIVEABOARD LIFE 9

Fitting

it

129

All in

10

Cash Flow on the

11

Mail Call

1

2

Doctor

at the

127

Go

136 145

Dock

155

13

Living Aboard with Kids

163

14

Do You Want

Liveaboard Pet?

173

Living Aboard with the Laundry

179

1

5

a

While Living Aboard

16

Making

17

Tools for the Liveaboard

193

18

Cleaning and

199

19

Safetv

20

The Road Back

a Living

183

Pests

and Security

When

a

Boat

Is

Your

Home

206 220

Preface

S

o you want to live aboard a boat? the purpose of this book to

a yawl,

how

sailboat

was

your

home

ble boat.

home

We

a

chose

a

mountain

lake,

or California Delta,

It

isn’t

a ketch or

sunsight with a sextant.

my husband Gordon

A

and me, but

houseboat, powerboat, trawler, even a trailera-

to

head

for the

Bahamas. Your dream could be

on

to take a

for ten years for

could be

the water’s fine.

you whether you need

tell

how

anchor, or

to

Come on in,

probe

all

Southeast, the Keys, and the

to lose yourself in the

South Seas,

live

the waterways of the Tennessee Valley

or to drift forever in the rivers

and canals of

Europe.

Our choice was

to cruise constantly,

more than

passages of

three or four days.

around the world nonstop, or

to sail

but in short hops and never in

You, however, might choose

to live

on board

at a local

marina,

going to the office every day.

For some, living aboard means

a

retirement

children unforgettable memories of travel. last a

life,

We

couple of years and then we planned

or a

way

to give the

had enough savings

to get

whatever jobs we

could find. Then, as we began selling our books and magazine

we earned

all

savings, a steady

We

were

money we needed

the

income, or plan

our

when

we make

as

to

to

cruised. Perhaps a living as

you

articles,

you have

go.

You may be younger, wanting to have an adventure before settling down. Or you could be ready to retire. We are a husband-wife team. You could be a couple, a in

thirties

w'e started out.

foursome, a family, college chums, or Living aboard, as this book different

modus

a hull a

home. Yet we

point out,

is

not one way of life but a

things in

who chooses to make common: our love for

much

mildew, never enough

vivendi for each person or group all

boats and the water, too

money

w ill

a loner.

have

little

many

room, too

or tune for harvesting

all

the wonders of an Earth that

is

covered more by seas than by lands.

For everyone w ho wants

how.

to live

on

a

boat of any size or type, here’s

9

Living on the water brings

many

rewards.

PART ONE ^O6ooocooooooococooooocooocooocoo6ooccodocccooccooooooo&

THE GREAT GETAWAY

Chapter

Don’t Break Your Rice Bowl >OOOOCOOOOOOCCOOOOOOQC«OOOOOOOeog>ag>Qp!X?C0^>3