| Once upon a time I was a college president and, when | | | | When I say cruising I don't mean around the world, at |
| the students were not outside my office protesting | | | | least not in the beginning. After a year or so you might |
| about one thing or the other, I used to dream about | | | | decide to stick with the US coast, the Bahamas, the |
| cruising around the world on my sailboat. One day I | | | | Caribbean or just about anywhere. That revelation will |
| resigned, moved to Florida and started on my journey. I | | | | come to you after you decide whether you like |
| chose FLorida because I believed, rightfully so, that if | | | | passage-making or whether your happiest moments |
| you wanted to learn about boats you should go where | | | | are when you finally drop the anchor in some lovely |
| the boats are. That was when I started my love affair | | | | harbor. |
| with living aboard. | | | | Today, if you know what you're looking for, you can |
| The first learning experience for me was the fact that | | | | buy a 35 foot, well-built sailboat for about $40,000. If |
| I had to earn a living while pursuing my dream and the | | | | you don't know what you're looking for there are |
| first job I got was driving a taxi in Ft. Lauderdale. From | | | | plenty of people around who will help you. Just go to a |
| college president to taxi driving was not as much of a | | | | few marinas where they allow live-aboards and talk to |
| cultural shock as you might imagine. I got to hanging out | | | | the people. Believe me when I say that people doing |
| in sailor's bars when I was not driving and, once again, | | | | full-time cruising on a sailboat love to talk about their |
| if you want to learn about sailing go where the sailors | | | | experiences. Take your time, as much time as you |
| are. Five years later I was sailing, on a sailboat that my | | | | would if you were buying a house, because that's |
| wife and I had designed and that we built, from the | | | | what you're doing, buying your next home. |
| ground up. We laid up the hull, built the boat (with a lot | | | | Now, you and your mate have agreed to living aboard |
| of help from time to time) and my wife became a | | | | and you have your boat. If you want to live a very |
| certified Master Sailmaker. | | | | inexpensive existence, but a wonderful one, pay |
| Along the way we learned an important lesson. One | | | | attention. Stay away from marinas! First of all, the |
| should not pursue a dream at highway speed but | | | | number of marinas that allow live-aboards is dwindling |
| rather take the slow and easy approach. My first bit of | | | | and the prices to rent a slip are rising. When we first |
| advice to anyone wanting to live aboard a boat is to | | | | started to live on a boat we were parked at Dinner |
| take your time. Don't decide to do it one weekend, buy | | | | Key Marina, almost in downtown Miami. The rent for a |
| a boat the next weekend, and start living aboard the | | | | 45 foot slip was $45 a month and that included power |
| following weekend. It won't work. Living aboard can be | | | | and water. Today, that same slip goes for $650 a |
| a wonderful lifestyle, and in these economic times it | | | | month. If you want to live as cheaply as possible, when |
| may be the least expensive way to live a great life, | | | | you buy your boat purchase a really good dingy as |
| but I have some information and advice that might | | | | well and some good anchors. With those two items |
| keep your dream from becoming a disaster. | | | | you have just freed yourself from the shore. |
| By far the most important thing is to make absolutely | | | | How cheaply can you live, you might ask? Well, to |
| certain that your wife, your significant other, your | | | | begin with, dropping you anchor has no charge |
| boyfriend or girlfriend understand what it's like to live on | | | | attached to it so you are paying no rent. At the most |
| a boat and agree to do so. For the sake of this | | | | you might rent a tie-up in a sheltered harbor but those |
| discussion we will assume it is a sailboat. Anyone living | | | | are usually very inexpensive. Recently we ran into an |
| aboard a power boat these days had better keep a | | | | old friend who was in the States to visit his parents. |
| lot of money in reserve, especially if they want to | | | | His boat, and his girlfriend, were anchored off the |
| cruise. | | | | coast of Venezuela. I asked him about the current |
| I can't begin to count the number of couples we met | | | | budget one would need for cruising. He told me he and |
| while cruising where the husband was living his dream | | | | his companion each chipped in $250 a month, ate out |
| and his wife was miserable. Make sure you are both | | | | about five nights a week, and at the end of the month |
| on the same page. For starters, imagine you are both | | | | still had money left over. |
| looking at an apartment to rent that has only 350-450 | | | | The fact is, that even with today's prices, you can live |
| square feet of living space. Pretty cozy wouldn't you | | | | aboard a sailboat, in some very exotic places, for $500 |
| say? Well that's about what you get with a 35 foot | | | | a month or less. However, as with everything in life, |
| sailboat. If you don't get along too well there's not much | | | | things are not as simple as they seem. You can do it |
| room to hide. | | | | but you had better know how. Look for the second |
| After that issue is settled you need a well-founded | | | | part of this article in the near future. |
| boat, one in good shape that is capable of cruising. | | | | |