DSK wrote:
What were you working on for the previous decade?

The last 7+ years I've been a forcast & inventory analysts / planner.
Before that a manufacturing plnner and Quality Control Inspector - all
experience in a field broadly known as Supply Chain Management -
answers to the 2 questions any biz with inventory has to answer - how
much do you need and when do you need it?

In general, dockage is cheaper than rent. Utlities are lower
too. But it can be a higher stress life style than you
imagine.

Stress - do you know that at my present company you get promoted by
being an ass-kisser - to the main boss whi is such an insecure bi-atch
that I actually heard him say "Just kiss my ass - you know I like that"
Can you believe that. The penalty for not being an ass-kisser and thus
a member of the clique - you get fired or shunned. One of my
predecessors was fired for challenging the head boss - I keep silent
but am shunned by the scumsuckers in the main clique - so when it comes
to stress - I'm under way more than you are. And I actually enjoy a
honest day of labor. There's always a feeling of accomplishment when
you do something with your hands.

Boats take more maintenance than houses, more work
goes into everyday living arrangements... for example, you
don't have to pump out your house's holding tank and you
don't have to dinghy your laundry ashore.

Well at present I ride my lauddry on myback with my mountain bike up a
hill almost 10 blocks away - I don't like it - but that is what I have
to do to do my laundry. I don't know what it takes to pump out a
holding tank but I'm sure it won't keill me.

Lots of people try it and hate it.

That may be me but I'll never know until I actually try it.



Insurance, licenses? Theft? Can you take it with you on board?

Doubt it - probably won't happen.


- Utilities? They should decrease, right? I love camping so luxuries
won't be missed.

Camping is fun as a change of pace... day after day after
day, as a way of life, it gets kinda old.

looooooooove camping - I go at least once a year to Assateague Island
and camping on the beach - always a soul-cleansing and reflective
experience. Not sure how long I could do it before it got to be a drag
- although my first apt I did not have a bed so I slept in a tent in my
bedroom for a year :-) (...the thought of a bug crawling on me why I
slept was not appealing.)

- Are there charges for docking up and re-charging battteries and
getting water? How much?

Yes. Varies very very widely, and all the cheapest places
are getting co-opted and prices raised.


Ho much ya got? What are your standards? Boat stuff is very
expensive. If you are a skilled mechanic, electrician,
carpenter (and/or fiberglasser), canvas-worker, etc etc, you
can get by pretty cheap.

I'm sure I can work on my engine and so canvas work - my dad's a
mechanic and my uncle owns a boat - get some tips and help there. My
carpentry skills are not the best but I'm not all thumbs either.
Electrician, fiberglasser - no and no - could probably learn electrical
basics but no clue on fiberglass repair.


the fly, and other cruisers are generally very helpful. But
if you are the type to want to hire work to be done for you,


Like I said - I'm from a blue collar family and if I can do it myself,
I will do it myself



I know of some people who live aboard, and basically make
ends meet either with tiny pensions, investment income,
and/or doing odd jobs... probably in the neighborhood of
$15k per year. They also don't live very high on the hog.
But they enjoy a wonderful live afloat... and cruising...

Man oh man - yes - yes oh yes - I'm sure that I can make at least that
much selling my photos - also understand that web design pays well and
all I have to do is learn C+ and Java and xml. I already know SAS, SQL
and VBA - so what's a few more languages. I'll have a better idea in a
few years.


No room for the clutter & useless
bric-a-brac most people fill their houses with.

I was hoping to move to Brussles Belgium in my last job - they were
based out of there. As a result I threw out, sold or gave away a lot of
my shtuff - I am due to trim what I have now down even further =
guitar, clothes, photo equip, basic kitche ware and maybe a few books.

Conveniences
are costly in money, space, & power. You can't take the
basics for granted.

The basics/necessities to live:

1st: Water - can't live more than 3 days without it - so I need that
and a spigot of some sort.
2nd: food - if you have water you can live without food for only 10
days or so - so I need at least a cooler but a small fridge and canned
food would be better.
3rd: clothing/warmth - I already have the basics from camping in cold
weather
4th: Shelter - that wiould be the boat
5th and final: fuel - to cook and and keep warm if need be - not sure
what the best method is here but I'd prefer to be in the south in the
Winter time.

All other things - would be ranked according to my preferences - my
photo equip and laptop for my business - my guitar for my pleasure - a
radio - after that - dunno?

A live-aboard, rooted to one spot, is basically a tiny
apartment stuck in an inconvenient & potentially dangerous
environment.

Yo ushould see me in a traffic jam - I'm type A - I prefer to keep
moving - I would only stay in one spot long enough to photograph the
helll out of the area.


I'll be going to the local sailing club - The Philadelphia Sailing Club

Philly?!? I thought you said you were in a WARM climate!

No - I never said that - I'll be in a warmer climate during the cold
months when I do this.

This is a great idea, joining a club and learning from the
members as well as taking lessons.

They have a training class in a couple of weeks.

If it
takes 2 years - it takes 2 years. If it takes 4 years - then 4.
Whatever it takes, I'll wait but I feel I need to start now -

Good! Do it now! Unfortunately you seem to have missed the
summer,

I'm shooting for 4 years from now.

The Appalachian Trail is a lng long way from navigable
water! A heck of a scooter ride! But it's good that you have
already found a potential market for your photos.

True - not sure what to do there. If I make enough money I'll rent a
car? I have a few years to work out all the details.

Jim