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Liveaboard Catalina 25 in winter in MA?

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 09/08/2009 : 12:25:27

Have you spent a week or more aboard? ...in less than ideal conditions? What's your plan for heat (including during power outages)? Water? Sewage? Do they run bubblers? If so, where will the compressor be? (Hint: You don't want it close to your boat.

)

Excerpt from blog: "C-C-C-C-C-C-COLD!!"

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PCP777
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1225 Posts

Response Posted - 09/11/2009 : 13:04:58

We stay on ours all the time as kind of like a summer home. Last weekend myself, our 2.5 year old and my wife spent Friday, Saturday and Sunday night on board but as far as just staying on the boat? No way. We spent most of our time by the marina pool or going out on friend's power boats as there wasn't a lick of wind all weekend. We had a great time but I can't imagine just being cooped up on the boat for that long. Even the ability to dry clothes on the life lines and boom is important.

We also have great weather and nice marina facilities that include showers, bathroomws, pool, store etc.

Having grown up in New England I can't imagine living aboard a C25 in the winter.

Sounds like you work for yourself as you don't have an office to go to? Why don't you sail south?

Edited by - on

Scooter
Navigator

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USA
228 Posts

Response Posted - 09/11/2009 : 13:44:19

The fact that you're even considering it means you can probably do it (with some preparations).

Being 40 could be a factor. How's your health? I did something similar for a shorter time in Marshfield MA. I was leaving the Coast Guard in a few months and lived in the back of my Pickup. I was 24 years old and was saving money knowing I was getting out soon. It had a small cap on top. Not a fancy live-in type but about a foot higher than the cab empty shell. I "did-up" the inside to make it managable. Storage and a bed.

1. Have a good heater and a backup heat source not on AC power.
2. Have a plan to avoid key things from freezing if the heat fails. (Remove Porta Potty for example.
3. Have a backup place (or two) to live if power is out or if you just want a change.
4. Take many short "vacations" from living aboard. Plan to visit family if the weather won't snow while you're gone. Sometimes a day or two away is enough.
5. If you can afford it, eat out more often and take your time.
6. Go for long walks, often.
7. Set a time limit goal if it makes sense.

I think this is more of a personal thing. It won't be easy but as long as you go into this knowing that, you can manage almost anything. I strongly suggest taking breaks whenever possible. If you don't have many distractions you may start getting some major Cabin Fever.

If you're doing it to save money for something special then that helps. Just knowing that this ordeal (oops... adventure) has a purpose can help overcome what should be a test of one's mettle.

I don't think there's a right or wrong answer.

Life's short. Go for it but have breaks and set a time limit.

Ask yourself: "Will I be sorry if I DON'T try it?"
Also ask yourself: "What have I got to lose?"
"What's the worst that can happen?"

If your OK with the answers to these types of questions then I say go for it.

Life's too short to take too seriously.

2 cents,

Scooter

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calden
Navigator

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USA
194 Posts

Response Posted - 09/12/2009 : 07:20:25

Wow - what an idea.

Reading all the responses and thinking about this reminded me of living in China in 1986. The heat in my apartment did not work and wasn't repaired until after a month of cold weather. I was miserable, much more so than I thought possible. I was also reminded of an ice storm in our area in 1996, and we had no power for 11 days. Although we had hot water and gas for the stove, it was stunning how tough it was to have a normal life in arduous conditions. And this is despite having had a lot of experience backpacking - when you're just trying to live life it's very difficult to do so when cold, even a little bit.

If you do this you'll be forever cramped from not standing up, you'll dread the daily oncoming gloom of the dark, you'll have nights where you just cannot warm up, you'll have days when no matter how many hot showers you take you can't shake off the cold, every morning you'll find a yellow crusty ice dam in the porta pottie, wondering how you're going to pee, and you'll be looking for excuses to be at friends' places.

But I say do it! It sounds like a great adventure! Get a whole bunch of deep dark novels (Crime and Punishment is a good place to start, Martin Eden by Jack London is excellent) and get into a morbidly dark winter frame of mind.

You always have the option of quitting and getting someplace to stay if you need to, even for a short period.

Carlos

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glen
Captain

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359 Posts

Response Posted - 09/14/2009 : 09:48:28

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by calden
 Wow - what an idea.

If you do this you'll be forever cramped from not standing up, you'll dread the daily oncoming gloom of the dark, you'll have nights where you just cannot warm up, you'll have days when no matter how many hot showers you take you can't shake off the cold,

Get a whole bunch of deep dark novels and get into a morbidly dark winter frame of mind.

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I guess that I missed the part about “morbidly dark winter frame of mind”

during the 2 winters I lived aboard in Michigan. As stated before it’s all about preparation, I had as much sunlight as anyone in my warm clear shrink wrap bubble. Yes the boat I did it on was a 30 footer, and I agree a 25 will be cramped, but I don’t think Mlally will need to read anything by Victor Hugo, I don’t see him morphing into Quasimodo

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Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 09/14/2009 : 09:55:34

How would you keep the holding tank from freezing? What about freshwater? How long between pumpouts?

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glen
Captain

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359 Posts

Response Posted - 09/14/2009 : 10:16:48

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Prospector
 How would you keep the holding tank from freezing? What about freshwater? How long between pumpouts?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I kept the boat warm, so there was no problem with the port a potty freezing. The marina had a restroom with a shower that was kept open in the winter. For drinking water I brought my own water jugs on board as needed. For general washing I had a filtration system that was set up by another live on board. He would actually drink that water. I passed on that idea, and just used it for washing dishes. Then I would rinse with the fresh water I brought on board

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redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3474 Posts

Response Posted - 09/14/2009 : 10:22:35

Hey... I've got a novel idea... sell the boat and the office and buy a house and live/work out of it. I'm just thinkin out loud here but you could push bamboo under your fingernails to make up for the fun you'd be missing in the winter small boat conditions.

You could go to the marina in Dec. and research what it is like to live aboard in a Ma. winter, but oh wait, they sailed south for the winter didn't they.

Go rent the movie "Into the Wild" and maybe the feeling will pass.. No Really go see it...

"We're gonna need a bigger boat"

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