Make sure that your boat insurance company is aware that you are living on the boat,the rules and rates change.

Good luck! I lived on this beauty for 3 yrs. ha-ha Couldn't wait to get off.

The insurance for the Carver I lived on for a summer actually went down! Granted not by a huge %, but down! Then when they discovered I have my Captain's License, there was another discount.

Both those discounts were then spent on dockage since the marina had an up charge for live-a-board.

The insurance agent explained the discount was because there would be someone around the boat all the time.

I have lived on a 52' Harbor master and a 75' Summerset. Great experience, and will do it again, once my son is older.

You stayed on the 75' all winter, correct?

thats a good way to loose your membership here lol (but yeah . . . .i do get it)



I have seen Carver mentioned throughout the thread, its really hard to beat those things for roominess. They really know how to pack in the square footage for a given size boat. If i was gonna live on a boat it would have to be an aft cabin. I dont think i could make it to long on a pointy stiff little bed tilted at three degrees.


Silverton is another that knows how to max out space

I think it sounds like fun!! I would not do the 40ss. I love that boat but holding tanks are way too small to live on. you would be filling water and pumping out the crapper every day

+1 on the 40ss, not big enough and not enough storage. I have thought about doing the same and even found the perfect boat for it - a pluckebaum 60ft houseboat. Not designed for open ocean, but it is more of a house. I'd get you a big old hatteras or maybe a chris craft roamer with aluminum hull if you want to get on the open water. You could also get you a dockominium with a 31-35 cruiser or go-fast.

better go for a house boat. A regular boat specially at 40ft is going to get small real quick

Would be fantastic. If it's been your dream, no better time than the present to plan it out.

#1 on the list would be where are you going to work. This would determine what marinas you need to get ahold of. Most have transient dockage, be it daily, weekly, monthly, but you need to determine who has space in advance. Just a thought.

If possible, it's always preferable to have marinas that have very nice accommodations. Showers/maybe some storage, etc.. Many have complete laundry-room facilities as well.

I think most are spot on regarding the Formula. You could do it, and probably enjoy boating a lot more than in a cruiser. You'd have to make do with either a remote storage unit, climate-controlled would be a must, or stash in the aft cabin. The storage lockers are fairly narrow on most boats, even many of the big ones. I'd prefer a newer design that puts the cooking area in the cockpit, leaving far more room in the cabin.

This would be a choice. http://www.fourwinns.com/model/V435/photos_video

I'm not a fan of Searay in regards to their space management. Whenever I see a new Regal or FW, it reminds me how old some of Searay's designs are. But as some have said, many trawler-styles are great choices for what you want to do as well. I'd go with twin diesels, and I'd go with the joysticks.

Now that we're in the $500k and up category, what price range are you looking in? I'm real happy for you, since after my divorce I was debating whether to buy an inflatable raft or used swim flat