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What are your options for living aboard a boat?

I have lived aboard for the majority of the past seven years and love it. Whenever people come over to "my house", they are usually amazed and full of questions.

There are three main ways to live aboard. Each of the three has pros and cons and should be considered.

The first is at a marina, which is where I currently am. Marina living is similar to condo or trailer living, in that yo own your own "home" and pay rent. It offers many amenities such as electricity, laundry, parking and showers. The downside of marinas is the cost as well as the noise. You are attached to land and have any noise from neighbors that are around you. You also need to check and see if the mariena you're interested in allows liveaboards.

The second way, is anchoring out, or being "on the hook" as it's called. It"s cost effective, as you are using equipment you already have and there are no fees involved. When you're anchored out, you are out on the water relying on your anchors to keep you in place. You use your engine or a generator to produce your electricity and use the water in your tanks or collect rain water for whatever water purposes you have. It is a very self-sufficient way to live. I did it in Key West for almost two years and loved it. The cons are that you must use a dinghy as transportation to get to land, which is lovely on nice days, but tough during foul weather. You must make sure you are out of all shipping lanes when you anchor.

The third option is a mooring the only real differences between a mooring and your anchor are that they are preinstalled so you don't have to worry about your anchor dragging and that you pay for mooring use.

Learn more about this author, Regina Marie.
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