Liveaboard Boat – Pros and Cons

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Live Aboard Lifestyle

The liveaboard lifestyle has attractions and downsides. If the cost of housing is high where you live, a liveaboard lifestyle may have financial advantages. Often considered being a cheaper way to live, this is not always the case.

Liveaboard boats can be luxury yachts berthed in expensive marinas or smaller boats perhaps in need of renovation. I’ll try and answer some of the questions many people ask.

UK Liveaboard Boat

The first, and possibly the most important thing to understand is that space is limited. The liveaboard in the above picture is a UK boat priced at 150k, very similar in appearance to my own boat moored in Tenerife. The boat is 30 years old, although age is rarely an issue if the boat has been well maintained. I don’t know the owner but click the image for full  details.

Secondly, it’s not always a  cheap solution, marina fees and maintenance can be very prohibitive. Think hard about whether the boat is simply home or you want to take it out, in which case you will need to consider a skippers licence.

Third, if the idea is new to you, take a liveaboard boat holiday and get a feel for whether it’s a lifestyle that would suit you. Of course, we offer our own own yacht Moovers II 🙂 moored at Amarilla Golf Marina, South Tenerife, priced at 150€ pp per week, a price you won’t see elsewhere as we don’t look to make a profit, simply cover a little of the outgoings which are considerable.

Finally, if you are thinking more about canals and barges then adjust your search terms as this is quite a different proposition.

What boat is best to live on?

A simple answer is the right boat for you! If you need space and/or you don’t want to move the boat then canal style barges will probably give you the best ‘bang for your buck’ as they say.

What is the best boat for a couple to live aboard?

Well this is a personal take but unless you are both keen on the lifestyle, living in confined spaces can put a hell of a strain on a relationship so make sure it’s what you BOTH want. Again a narrow-boat will give more space for your money.

What is the best liveaboard boat for singles?

Your first consideration is work of course. If you aren’t restricted by location, the world’s your oyster. 🙂 From large and expensive to  small and cheap,  the option are unlimited but do make sure you understand things like cost of insurance, marina berthing fees, local licensing laws if you want to take the boat out.

Can you live on a boat all year?

Absolutely you can. When I first bought my boat I lived aboard for a couple of years. I absolutely loved it but I have to say we are in Tenerife where the weather is great all year. Negatives  are again, limited space and I REALLY missed having a decent kitchen to cook in.