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Old 07-10-2008, 07:17 PM   #6
chockwald
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Location: Riverside, California
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Hi Richard...I can give you a comparison between living on a sailboat and in a motorhome. While I loved the time I lived on my sailboat, wonderful sea air smell, and the mostly comfortable climate, like anything there are pluses and minuses. There is the continual battle with salt water corosion, mildew, and moisture. The bottom (if your slip is in a warm climatic area) must be cleaned at least once per month to keep the salt water growth and beasties at bay. At least once every 4 years you must haul the sailboat out of the water and clean, prep and repaint the bottom with growth resistant paint...very expensive paint. This hauling and repainting can cost upwards of $2,000 if you have no fiberglas blisters to be repaired, and no through hull fittings have gone bad. Of course, there are the holding tanks that must be emptied (no sewer hookups that I am aware of at any marinas in Southern California).

Electronics take a beating due to salt air, even if you have marine grade electronics, which cost about 7 times (I'm exagerating) what non-marine electronics cost.

In California you must pay registration fees every 2 years (why every 2 I have no idea), county property tax on the assessed value of the boat, county property tax on the "land" under your slip, and a monthly slip fee that can range from the mid $200's to $400. And, if you are not fortunate enough to own your boat outright, and monthly loan payment.

Then, of course, washing and waxing the fiberglas decking and hull, re-varnishing the brite work (wood) continually, polishing the stainless steel. If you do not keep up with this on at least a bi-monthly basis things go south quickly. If you choose not to do this routine maintenance and pay someone else to do it then add that to monthly costs.

The pluses.....nice climate year round (in So. Cal.), always a breeze, ocean air..I love the smell, great people all around you who will give you the shirts of their collective backs, much more laid back atmosphere, and then, of course the trips to Santa Catalina Island, and other channel islands, which is like another world altogether!

I switched to RVing for seveal reasons, the primary being that my grown kids and their children are into that, and not into sailing. But aside from the kids, I can easily drive my coach anywhere in the U.S. and park in some of the most amazing places. I can stay on the shores of Lake Tahoe for $40 per day, when it would cost $500 per day to rent a cabin, or condo with the same view and accessability. My "home" is always with me whatever view I am enjoying, and I can work on the coach in my front yard, instead of driving 50 miles to Long Beach to work on the boat.

I love not having to worry about cleaning the hull, cleaning the stainless steel, sanding and varnishing the wood, hauling it out of the water, etc. I don't have to dive into 50 degree water in the winter to unclog the knotmeter. Walking into West Marine every Saturday and dropping $200 for one thing, or another. I miss the gentle swaying, rocking motion while going to sleep.

Now, don't get me wrong. If someone came along tomorrow and said here is a 45' sailboat...all you have to do is live on it and someone else will pay for, and do all the aforementioned stuff...I'd be there tomorrow...LOL!
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1982 Newell 36’ DD 6V92 TA
2002 Thunderbird Retro
Cannondale Tandem
Cannondale Bad Boy
Cannondale F600
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