Beach House versus Boat

[N4061]

Well after only nine months after selling the boat and living within walking distance of the water, we decided it wasn't close enough so we have decided to sell the beach house and get back on the water. After close to 10 years of living aboard part time (with some breaks in between) we thought it was time to stay on land and really never expected to want to spend nights aboard. I guess we wrong and probably a little crazy but then again life is so short so what the heck.

Curious if there are others out there that thought they were done only to realize they missed the water and returned to living aboard even if it was only part time?

John T.

 

[Codger2]

Curious if there are others out there that thought they were done only to realize they missed the water and returned to living aboard even if it was only part time?

Great to see that you are coming back, John! We don't live on the beach but we do look out over the Pacific....Life's a bitch, isn't it?

The photo is a view from dwhatty's room.

 

[ksanders]

Yes, welcome back!

We also understand the pull of waterfront living.

This is looking from the lake to home.

You can do both, just be a little frugal with the boat.

I know you love your Nordhavns, heck everybody here probably does... but you don't have to spend a million bucks to buy a round the world capable boat when you're a guy that doesn't have the time at your stage in life to go around the world.

 

[O C Diver]

Seems like doing both would be a good option. I plan to spend a fair amount of time cruising, but see no need to give up my home. I like the idea of getting away when you've had enough and coming home when you've had enough.

Ted

 

[Diesel Duck]

This is the view from my living room. Only one choice for me... I'm giving it up for a life on the water in my future Diesel Duck.

But all is not so bad... This is the view I'll have when I do get off the boat and spend some time back on land:

 

[psneeld]

Not quite sure what living aboard part time is....

 

[Tom.B]

We have tried for over a year and a half to buy coastal property. Three failed attempts (for lots of weird reasons) said that Karma was trying to tell us to get back on the water... So we are.

IMHO, there is little need for our bigger and slower boats when you have a base of operations on dirt. Our boat WAS our destination and where we operated from. We know a few boaters that had bigger boats (trawlers), moved to a coastal community, then realized the boating needs change when you are right near the water. Certainly this isn't the case always, but if you are right on the water, the water becomes a recreational highway. Being able to scoot around quickly and get into more shallow area seems to be the norm. Many get center console boats and skiffs while some opt for something to go "boat camping" and get a cuddy cabin or smaller Sea Ray like boat.

I guess there are a lot more factors than these. It's just what I have noticed anyway. I'm not sure it makes sense. I hope it reads right.

 

[Off Duty]

Unfortunately, I've never had to face that predicament

We were recently looking at some waterfront property in Yankeetown, about an hour and a half north of where we live now, and we've also looked at some condo's and small homes on the Gulf and ICW from Hudson to Port Charlotte. Like ksanders said, you can do both if you work at it.

But my guess is, we'll likely always have an inland dirt home, and eventually get whatever we decide on to spend weeks, weekends and maybe a few months at a time on. I can't see us moving aboard full time for a variety of reasons from family to business commitments.

If it were not for the latter part, I'd say I'd probably choose the boat.
That way, if I don't like my neighbors, or tire of the view, I'll raise the anchor and change it

 

[Northern Spy]

I just stopped in here after perusing waterfront vacation property online. I've always wanted an island.

I too have a water view at home. I truly have no idea what I was thinking.

 

[Bay Pelican]

Approximately one third of the cruisers in the Eastern Caribbean are full time, that is they live on the boat 12 months a year and do not have a dirt side home. We are part of the group that have homes to go back to and we enjoy the change. Because we live in both worlds the desire to finish up with boating doesn't seem to arise.

 

[Larry M]

When we sold the sailboat, we moved back on land and Lena went back to work. After 4 months she asked if we could find another boat. We found another boat got rid of the dirt dwelling (again). We do talk of moving back on land at some point but also about what size boat we'll have (smaller and faster)

 

[TDunn]

I don't have waterfront property. I live a five minute walk from the ocean (through Acadia National Park), so I can hear the surf at night and fog horns of boats transiting the Bass Harbor Bar during the occasional Maine coastal fog. I compensate for living inland by having two cruising boats (one power and one sail). They are pretty far away from the house though. It takes about fifteen minutes to go from sitting at home to sitting on either boat.

The harbor where I keep my boats.

 

[Codger2]

I just stopped in here after perusing waterfront vacation property online. I've always wanted an island.

I too have a water view at home. I truly have no idea what I was thinking.

 

[BandB]

Because we live in both worlds the desire to finish up with boating doesn't seem to arise.

You may have hit a major point. As to living aboard "part time" well we spend over 2/3 of our time on a boat, so that would be my definition.

We know for us, living full time on a boat and having no land home just wasn't the right way to go. We love our time on boats but we love coming home to our land home as well. It is on the water. Also, by having both, they can be at too distant locations through the magic of air travel.

I would expect over the years our percentage of time on land vs. water will vary and change. As we age I can see the trips becoming shorter, not as adventurous or far from home, perhaps more time on our land base and the boats more for local cruising than long range.

I know many don't, but we would miss having a land home. Our home is where we spend time with all our family and friends that can't cruise all the time, those who work the majority of the time.

On the other hand, no matter how much we loved a home, I can't imagine us ever not having a boat and not wanting to be out on the water. I'm sure that day may come but it won't be for lack of desire, but for lack of physical ability and health.

 

[Codger2]

As we age I can see the trips becoming shorter, not as adventurous or far from home, perhaps more time on our land base and the boats more for local cruising than long range..................

On the other hand, no matter how much we loved a home, I can't imagine us ever not having a boat and not wanting to be out on the water. I'm sure that day may come but it won't be for lack of desire, but for lack of physical ability and health.

I took a page out of Moonstruck's life a few years ago and bought a place in the mountains of AZ. (He has a cabin in the mountains of SE US. Actual location is undisclosed.) You see, Moonstruck is one of my heroes & really knows how to get the most out of life!

Since we have a water view from our dirt house & our boat, we can escape the boredom of seeing that every day and hole up in our mountain home. (I know, I know...that was pretty crude!)

 

[Phil Fill]

We decided goat as they were cheap and can be moved to different location. We also decided motor home over fix land. 8 months in the RV down south in the winter and 4 month in the summer on the boat. To many places, people and things to do to be fixed in one place as we are not tied down with stuff.

 

[Hawgwash]

This is the view from my living room. Only one choice for me... I'm giving it up for a life on the water in my future Diesel Duck.

This doesn't look like Medellin

 

[ksanders]

I took a page out of Moonstruck's life a few years ago and bought a place in the mountains of AZ. (He has a cabin in the mountains of SE US. Actual location is undisclosed.) You see, Moonstruck is one of my heroes & really knows how to get the most out of life!

Since we have a water view from our dirt house & our boat, we can escape the boredom of seeing that every day and hole up in our mountain home. (I know, I know...that was pretty crude!)

OK Walt Arizona in the winter is where all of our neighbors are going.

Around our lake we are all reaching a stage in life where we don't like Alaska's winters anymore. Many are going to the Phoenix area. Several are snowbirding in Havasu city or Bullhead City.

We are going on a look and see if we like it trip this winter to the Bullhead City area. If we both like it, we'll be snowbird house shopping after that.

Not spending a mint on our boat is the only reason we are fiscally able to make that choice.

 

[siestakey]

This doesn't look like Medellin

So many amazing lakes around Medillan both natural and man made

 

[GFC]

We probably would never be in a position to want to full time it on a boat. Right now we have a house in WA situated right on the Columbia River and Beachcomber is 10 minutes away, plus we have a Whaler dinghy in the garage. And a pool in the back yard.

I don't say that to brag, but to show why we're not going to full time it on the boat. We also have a condo in the Phoenix area because we don't like the winters in WA.

My bucket list includes a 4 month cruise around the coast of WA and into Desolation Sound and Puget Sound. After that trip has been completed the boat will probably be up for sale.


Our journeys then will be by air and by car. Lots of this world you can't see from the water.

 

[Moonstruck]

I took a page out of Moonstruck's life a few years ago and bought a place in the mountains of AZ. (He has a cabin in the mountains of SE US. Actual location is undisclosed.) You see, Moonstruck is one of my heroes & really knows how to get the most out of life!

Since we have a water view from our dirt house & our boat, we can escape the boredom of seeing that every day and hole up in our mountain home. (I know, I know...that was pretty crude!)

Yeah, we have a rustic cabin in the North Georgia Mountains. In fact we will be going there after this trip to the boat. When I say rustic, I mean rustic. We have no A/C, and heat by fireplace and supplement with a propane heater. It is our kick back and put the feet on the furniture place. Walt's place is gorgeous with views to die for. I think Walt is living life to its fullest without my help.

 

[Diesel Duck]

This doesn't look like Medellin

You are correct sir. It is the view from my winter home in Bahias de Huatulco, Oaxaca, Mexico.

15°46'02.0"N 96°04'37.0"W

 

[markpierce]

If I had a beach (river-front) house ...

 

[CPseudonym]

I took a page out of Moonstruck's life a few years ago and bought a place in the mountains of AZ. (He has a cabin in the mountains of SE US. Actual location is undisclosed.) You see, Moonstruck is one of my heroes & really knows how to get the most out of life!

The only way I could take a page out of Don's book is if it was his checkbook

 

[Codger2]

We are going on a look and see if we like it trip this winter to the Bullhead City area. If we both like it, we'll be snowbird house shopping after that.

Kevin, I lived in Scottsdale for 31 years & it's delightful IN THE WINTER! It's terribly hot about 7 months of the year. Yes, 7 months! I had a 28 foot pontoon boat on Lake Havasu and loved it. Took it on the Colorado River, through the Topoc Gorge to Bullhead and loved that also. It's a neat area but except for Laughlin, NV, it's pretty boring.

 

[ksanders]

Kevin, I lived in Scottsdale for 31 years & it's delightful IN THE WINTER! It's terribly hot about 7 months of the year. Yes, 7 months! I had a 28 foot pontoon boat on Lake Havasu and loved it. Took it on the Colorado River, through the Topoc Gorge to Bullhead and loved that also. It's a neat area but except for Laughlin, NV, it's pretty boring.

Thanks Walt!

We're thinking the area might be perfect for us being near the lakes. We could get a small boat and zip around Mojave or havasu or the river. Possibly get one of those side by side ATV's or take the one we have in Alaska that we almost never use and scoot around the desert a little.

We love our life here but we need to get somewhere warmer from late October through the first of April.

I've had allot of discussions with the wife about spending the winter on our boat somewhere warm and for me it sounds great, but for her well, that just doesn't have much appeal. A small dirt house somewhere warm, low maint yard for the dogs to play, etc... lakes nearby... that has allot of appeal for both of us.

 

[hollywood8118]

The way I always viewed this topic is,

A boat can serve as a beach house, but a beach house is just a beach house.

Whenever we travel someplace in winter it is always on the water.. we always regret not being on a boat vs. being on the beach.

HOLLYWOOD