Living Aboard

Living Aboard

"You are the hero of your own story. Make sure it's a good one." - Tom MacNaughton

"These are the good old days" - 1970s popular song lyric

The managers of this web site have all spent thousands of nights afloat. Tom and Nan MacNaughton lived and had their offices aboard their boats for seventeen years, up until we moved ashore to be near Tom's elderly mother. The live aboard life is wonderful. We are now in a position where we can again move back aboard our own modest voyaging yacht. This is the same little voyaging yacht, "Charis", that we started out living aboard many years ago. We have bought her back and are restoring her into the ultimate voyaging yacht she was when we had her before.
Having grown up with cruising boats and having devoured all the information we could find about living aboard and voyaging, the transition to full-time life aboard was easy for us. Our expectations were accurate and easily fulfilled.
Unfortunately many people contemplating the live aboard life are not so lucky in their understanding of what they are getting into. It is a fact that only a small percentage of those who move aboard stay with it for any significant length of time. This is to a large extent due to a lack of preparation for the experience.
Once a suitable boat has been obtained, it is not a matter of money. We have seen no indication that those with lots of money are any more successful at living aboard than those who live on minimal amounts. Those unsure about the money side of living aboard should read the classic The £200 Millionaire by Weston Martyr and our own article reprint Living Aboard: Figuring the Costs which is available through our marine publishing order form. The first teaches the extraordinarily low cost of the lifestyle by an actual example, endearingly told. The second allows you to figure your own living expenses before you start. It will startle you how little you will need. Most of you will have many questions and we welcome them. We keep track of the questions asked and to save time and allow us to answer more people as fully as possible we have written up a publication called Living Aboard - Frequently Asked Questions which attempts to cover every question which we get. This book also includes the "Living Aboard - Figuring the Costs" article. You can order this through the marine publishing order form. It should save you a lot of time and even answer questions you didn't know you should ask. We'd recommend reading this first and then asking any additional questions you have. This allows us to devote the maximum time to each person's unique concerns. This is an unusual publication in that, like our Yacht Design School lessons, it will continue to evolve over time. If, after reading of these two publications, you have further questions you will be helping us and others by asking them. We will take your Click Here for More...

Living Aboard

Product Description

This is the story of one couples adventures living and traveling aboard their 47-foot cruiser, "Farfetched". It starts with their getting hooked on boating and traveling by water, many years earlier. It tells how they made their decision to really make this move and of their search for the right boat.In 1997 they sold their home and all of their possessions to became full time live aboard boaters. During that eight-year odyssey, they traveled over 32,000 miles and visited every major city in the eastern U S. They got to cities teeming with activity and to isolated anchorages where no one else was within miles. They experienced the serenity, beauty and solitude of anchorages in crystal clear waters off deserted beaches in the Exhuma Islands. There were also the spectacular sunsets as they made overnight passages across the Gulf of Mexico and cruised the North Channel of Lake Huron in Canada.It also tells of the anxiety they experienced when running in high seas or looking for unseen shoals. There was also the sudden panic as they went aground and struggled to get free again. They encountered seven hurricanes in those eight years and tell how they had to deal with them.

Summer and Fall Trips for the Sea of Cortez are filling up fast!

Winter trips to the Socorro Islands are now available!

Please contact Dora Sandoval at 602-558-9580 for
availability, questions, trip options and details.

Welcome to Rocio Del Mar - your liveaboard to experience the unique splendor of the northern Sea of Cortez and the Socorro Islands. With clear, deep blue waters, abundant sea life, white sand beaches and inspiring vistas, the Sea of Cortez - known as the Gulf of California - is a breathtaking destination for amazing fishing, scuba diving, snorkeling, sailing, boating, and exploring diverse marine creatures. Legendary diver Jacques Cousteau described the Sea of Cortez as the "world's aquarium" and the "Galapagos of North America.” Dive on untouched walls and reefs abounding in marine life. Encounter great and small whale species, whale sharks, manta and jumping mobula rays, and sea lion colonies. Hike and explore remote uninhabited islets. Dine under the stars in a calm anchorage, socialize with your shipmates and make new friends. Then melt into a luxurious bunk in your own finely appointed cabin with private bathrooms and hot showers. All in a day aboard Rocio, combined with personalized service to enhance Click Here to Read More

Tacoma Liveaboards

The Tacoma Liveaboard Association (TLA) is a growing group of authorized liveaboards who reside on our vessels in the Tacoma area. The TLA provides a conduit to share information, education and experience among liveaboards, our marinas, and other stakeholders to address issues that affect our waterfront communities and our ability to live aboard our vessels. We believe that good stewardship begins with being aware of and appreciating our natural resources. We actively collaborate with other interested parties to create sustainable solutions to preserve those resources.
We welcome all boaters to join us as good stewards of Puget Sound's waterways – some of the world's richest natural treasures – and as liveaboards who make valuable contributions in our communities.
Click Here to Read More

Tips on Living Aboard

"A first in design terms...this title is a stimulating focal point for all boat owners."—The Bookseller

"'Gorgeous' is the only word for this book."—Lifeboat

"Something to look forward to"—Canal Boat and Inland Waterways

Product Description

This gorgeous coffee table book is filled with ingenious interior design and furnishing ideas for all kinds of boats and other small living spaces. The book also gives an enticing peek through the portholes of the lives of people who live full time aboard boats from sunsets on your backyard deck to the ease of changing scenery at the set of your sail.

Video Of Boating Rules of the Road

Video Description: Learn must have tips and advice from The Encyclopedia of Boating Tips. In this video,you'll learn about the rules of the road.

Boating Rules

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Amazon.com Widgets

Here's what is in the latest issue of Power Boating Canada:

July - August 2010 (25-4)

Columns (click on the link to read the article)

Lifeline - A Cleaner Discharge

Technology - Yamaha's new 4.3L V6 Outboard
Ask The Expert - A Wandering Solution

Feature Story - Family Friendly Tow Boats
Worlds Fastest Pleasure Boat - 193 mph is FAST !
Life Afloat - Downstream - A shared responsibility

To see previous issues of Power Boating Canada, visit our Archives.
Last Updated on Wednesday, 10 November 2010 11:21

Fathers Boat

IT'S Father's boat we're watching,
Away out on the sea,
She's named the Pretty Polly,
One hundred and ninety three,
Father called her the Polly,
After Mother and me.

There isn't a smarter boat
Than Father's on the sea,
The Pretty Polly is our ship,
Father's the skipper is he,
And we are watching for Father,
We're watching, Nancy and me.

Sometimes the wind blows wildly,
But Nancy, and Mother, and me,
We sing a bit of a hymn we know,
The hymn for those at sea,
Although when we think of Father,
We're as near to choke as can be.

To-night the moon will be shining,
A sight it will be to see,
Father's ship all in silver,
A'sail on a silver sea,
And Father himself a coming home
To Mother and Nancy and me.
By Lizzie Lawson

Galapagos Live Aboards

Speak out the word ‘Galapagos’ and you will have even the most seasoned of divers going misty eyed and loose tongued. Diving in this island chain is an experience that is different from all others, and when you do it living aboard a boat, you enjoy the freedom to enjoy the best pelagic encounters. Why choose Galapagos for Liveaboards experience?
* Galapagos is considered to be one of the top spots for diving on Earth. In fact, you will be stunned by the richness and variety of wildlife both above the water and beneath it. The waters are famous for schooling hammerheads and the volcanoes that lie submerged beneath the sea are favorite haunts of white tips and Galapagos sharks. The water is rich in plankton and all sorts of fish come to feed on the delicious spread.
* There are many wondrous spots for diving making Galapagos Liveaboards an experience of a lifetime. The Darwin and Wolf Islands are open only to divers. Besides these, there are many famous spots like The Gordon Rock, Devil’s Crown, Cousin’s Rock and Kicker Rock.
Galapagos Liveaboards – Things to remember
Nearly all diving spots in Galapagos require high levels of skill. So, intermediate to advanced divers who have the ability to withstand tough conditions like low visibility, strong currents and inaccessibility to compression chambers may consider Galapagos Liveaboards. You cannot even rule out encounters with large marine creatures like the whale sharks. There are a few less-challenging sites for divers with lesser skill and experience. But the true experience of Galapagos Liveaboards is for seasoned divers.
If you are looking for a calmer, clearer and warmer Liveaboard experiencein Galapagos, try and go in the wet season which lasts from January to May. However, if you want to observe teeming marine life, the dry season from June to December is the best, notwithstanding strong currents.
Keen diving enthusiasts would do well to hire liveaboard Galapagos boats that specialize in providing divers the ultimate diving experience. If you are going to distant islands, it is important to book with a reputed service provider as you need fast boats to reach these places.

Galapagos Livaboard experiences are truly out of this world, which is why people like to live it up when they are aboard. But, remember to be a good neighbor because sound carries easily from boat to boat. So, if you are enjoying TV or a game with your friends, do not let it be a hindrance for neighbors who want to catch a nap.
And lastly, even though you are visiting the Galapagos for a diving trip, make sure that this interesting island vacation comprises of a number of shore excursions too.
DivEncounters is the worldwide representative of the luxury Galapagos liveaboards.

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