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[Boatmama]

Hi, I'm a young, able-bodied, DIY lady with a dream of living on a boat. I homeschool my younger child and am hoping that boat schooling is an option for us in the near future. I'm looking for a live-aboard trawler to keep in Florida until I learn the ropes, then on to the loop and hopefully some island time. I am seeking advice on what a newbie single adult can handle in the trawler world (ideally with 2 cabins lol). Either going at this alone or I'm gonna need to find true love that also wants the boat life haha. Help is much appreciated.. even if just to call me crazy. Thanks.

 

[psneeld]

My advice is kids really need their space sometimes, a 36 footer I consider too cramped for a couple in most cases, so mother and child I recommend a 38/40/42/43. Not a huge difference in length, but interior room is quite a bit.

Also the bigger ones often have twins which can help in newbie docking, though singles with thrusters are fine too.

 

[Ted]

 

[mvweebles]

Welcome aboard - pure liveaboard slips can be challenging so you may want to crack that one first. Personally, I think raising a kid on the water is superb. It won't take you too long to figure out how to run a boat. Repairs and maintenance can be daunting (physically and financially) so a low maintenance boat is recommended - minimal exterior woodwork.

At the risk of being too bold, a single woman looking for a partner who wants to be active in boats makes you a fairly rare breed. I'm not sure the best way to find love these days, but best I can tell, the ratio of single men to women in cruising is a zillion to one.

Welcome to TF and best of luck with whatever direction you head.

Peter

 

[tvtfc]

Just FWIW, when I was scoping out lifestyle possibilities a few months ago and was in a small marina in SE Asia, I met a single (I think) woman who had a kid of maybe 10 or 12. She'd recently bought a sailboat and was sailing around with the immediate mission of figuring out where relatively higher quality work could be done as she continues to get the boat in better order.

In just talking to people face-to-face for a little while one can get an idea of what kind of common sense and proficiency and potential they might have. Her's seemed high to me. She's making things work in frustrating conditions so it seemed to me.

I'd suggest that your kid might not turn out to be a 'normie' without 'proper schooling.' To me that would be a positive, but everyone has their own ideas on such things.

Good luck with things!

 

[Comodave]

Welcome aboard. Good luck with your search.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Ms.B. Welcome aboard. "I homeschool my younger child..." Is that to mean your child is young or is he/she the youngest of 2/3/4 children? As Mr. ps posted, roominess matters and may matter more when the child(ren) grow older.