Date: 23 July 2015. Finding Your Boat
(part 2)
© janice142
Finding and
purchasing your boat home takes time and there is a learning curve.
Looking online is a good way to get an education without spending
your perfectly good money. Do not be in a hurry. That ideal boat is
not without flaws. One just like it is probably available and for less
money. Tuck your wallet away for the moment.
I know: Women
shop and men buy. At present, shopping is your goal.
John is
fortunate. He has some savings and the desire to live aboard. To
reiterate, he said: You are living the life I covet. I
receive a VA pension of about $1000/month. But my pension isn’t
enough to survive here in Southern California… So, I have been
living in my van… And actually been able to save some money.
John
wondered if he could buy a boat, live aboard and do so all on three
times the income I have. I started seven years ago and if I can do
it, so too can he.
That said,
I did have an advantage in that I knew and understood what it
required to live aboard. I grew up afloat with less than most
contemporaries ashore. For instance we did not have a refrigerator
until I was a teenager. Ditto, no television. I still do not own a
television, but that is a story for another day...
No boat is perfect,
and the lowest priced boats can be just awful!
So we need to observe carefully. Pictures posted online tell a story.
Being able to study the photos is helpful in determining condition.
The listing descriptions provide an education too. Look and learn
all you can.
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A friend was admiring
a boat. She was reasonably priced and he was and is enthusiastic.
Then I looked over his choice. There were a lot of
lovely pictures in the listing. Please examine the following
two pictures from the sale page. |
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I spotted an aluminum pan (such as you
would cook a
turkey in) under one of the fuel tanks. It was stained. I
cannot imagine why a pan would be there except to catch a
leak/drip from the tank.
Is that a deal killer? Probably
not. But it is something you need to be aware of. Any surveyor
should notice anomalies like that. Additionally surveyors always
miss stuff so there is that too...
And those batteries in the picture
on the right need to be secured. Still, this is a dock queen and for
that usage the batts can be a lower priority than that leaky fuel
tank.
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Please note: I am not an expert.
I am observant. |
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Your next step in this education process is to
examine critically the photographs posted online of boats you like. Is
that flaw something
minor or cosmetic in nature? Can you fix it yourself or is this an issue
requiring the services of a professional?
I rely on hired help as I can afford to do so. Saving
to pay for expertise and muscles is a given for me.
I am certain those with physical strength can learn the skills to
accomplish a lot with
Calder's
onboard.
Do you have both
the skills and determination to finish the job?
Anyone can start a project. Completion is the key to success.
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Folks boat
shopping need to invest in two books prior to
purchase and one afterwards. These are my recommendations:
#1)
This Old Boat, Second Edition. Yes,
you do need to have the most up-to-date version available.
This will help guide you as to what repairs need to be done,
in what order, and provides instructions on how to do so.
#2)
To spark the imagination,
Why Didn't I Think of That? is
terrific. I still reference mine. And it has notes in it too
as I adapt new ideas to my Seaweed. Though primarily for
sailors, I find it a useful and regularly suggest it to
friends.
#3)
AFTER purchase then buy
Calder's latest edition.
Seriously, it is a scary book. I pull mine out when I have a
problem, then read. I like his checklists. It is overwhelming
though... so complicated on first read as to intimidate all
but the most experienced. I always have to read through more
than one time to fully comprehend though I suspect fellows
will find it far less intimidating. |
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This Old Boat, Second Edition: Completely Revised and Expanded by Don
Casey
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Why Didn't I Think of That? : 1,198 Tips from 222 Sailors on 120 Boats from 9 Countries
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Calder's Boatowners Mechanical and Electrical Manual 4the
Edition
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Affiliate Links
↑ provided. |
Craigslist can be your friend. Check boats for sale. Last week
there was a houseboat, 30' long for sale on a trailer for less than
$2,000. Is she perfect? No. Is she capable of supporting life
tomorrow? Yes, provided you can live short-term in a war zone while
you tidy up the interior.
And no, this is not a blue water
world traveler. Instead the houseboat is an inexpensive coastal cruiser. With
some investment of time and effort you will have a comfortable
floating home.
eBay too
has boats for sale. Just look, and look thoroughly and carefully at
the pictures provided by the sellers. Learn to spot minor and major
problems in the boats you like.
Skipper is next to my
copy of
Boatowners by Calder.
Refer often to these two books to
determine if you can fix-it-yourself.
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Don Casey's This
Old Boat
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Calder's
Boatowners Mechanical and Electrical Manual
And do not worry that Calder's is
too complicated. It won't be... not always. Sooner than you can
imagine you will be flipping through the pages, skimming for answers
and following the how-to's laid out in that book.
Like anything, we learn with
experience. I knew some but had forgotten tons and tons. Anyone
capable of learning can make this life a reality. A previous
article,
Capable of Learning,
covers that topic.
Norman Rockwell's Daydreaming Bookkeeper speaks to the urge some of
us have. The possibilities are endless.
At this point it is a good idea to
get a couple of wish books. You'll want to know what things cost at
retail prices.
West
Marine and
Defender
have catalogs filled with boat stuff. Both are valuable.
West Marine is great because if
there's boating in your area, they have a store. Defender is
primarily mail order and offers wonderful prices on new gear. I
bought my windlass and chain from
Defender.
The Rocna anchor came from
West.
My copies of the Defender and West
catalogs have seen a lot of use:
Mostly, at least at my economic level, I
am not paying retail. Buying
used items at consignment shops and from marine flea markets and
swaps is sometimes a real bargain. Or I trade.
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A while back I swapped some stainless hinges
for five sockets and ten LED bulbs. Both Guanahani and I won,
and that's how all great trades are. The lights are very low
power consumers and the one by my bunk is just perfect for
reading.
Another one I installed in the galley. It is on
24/7. With a power use of just .01 amps I can run the LED for
four days before using one amp hour. I also made a light for
Algae using the same bulb. It's described in the
Anchor Light for Dinghy
article.
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My reading
light ↓
Algae's anchor light
→ |
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In the meantime, horde your pennies. Part 3 is upcoming. You're going to spend some money
next in
the drive to find the perfect boat at a price you can afford.
Perfect is of course a relative term.
Whatever boat you
chose will be a compromise between
your desires and the funds available to pay for same.
How and where did you discover the boat you bought?
And, what made you pull out the wallet and make her yours?
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Categories:
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