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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>My wife and I lived aboard our A30 for 9 months
while I was in the military in North Carolina. </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>It
started as a six month trial and lasted another 3 months. My wife responded
better than I did. This was not a live aboard/cruising experience. The boat was
basically our house, although we did travel offshore on one occasion, and took
weekend trips.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The A30 is a small thirty footer by modern
standards. I kept my uniforms, clothing and gear stored at my office. I kept
tools and such in a locker at the marina. My wife worked a professional job and
kept her dresses in sealed hanging bags onboard. We kept all our possessions in
dry storage which we occasionally visited.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Our boat had not had a major refit in its life when
we started to live aboard, so it required new plumbing, AC-DC electrical, and
resealed portholes. We did these repairs either immediately before or during our
live aboard time. This made the experience very difficult. Of all the repairs,
resealing the portholes and eliminating leaks was the most important as it kept
the interior of the boat dry. Of course we did this repair last--big
mistake.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>A simple fact of living aboard is that you will
sail less on that boat than you would if you were not living on it. It is a lot
of work to "pack up your house" for an afternoon sail. I had a Columbia 26
before the A30 that I sailed every day, 365 days a year, and I quickly began to
miss it.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>If you do not have confidence in the systems/parts
of your boat (say because they are 30 years old and deteriorated) you will fret
endlessly about sinking or blowing up. These boats are old, and the parts can be
older and dying. I would inspect every thru-hull as well as any gas tank and
other "destructive" parts before living aboard.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Some reality notes:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>We used a $100 standard window air conditioner
bought at Loews which we put in the companionway. Cheap solution, and the AC was
great.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>We powered electric heaters, TV/VCR combo,
hairdryers, etc via AC plugs with extension cords. Be sure to use heavy duty
(orange) extension cords instead of cheaper light weight cords. We had one close
call where a cheap cord melted from high current and we almost had a
fire.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>One month into the experience my wife and I awoke
in the middle of the night screaming in pain from charlie-horses (cramps in the
calves/thighs of the legs). We were dehydrated and because we did not have a
refrigerator or a convenient supply of drinking water we had not been consuming
enough water. We later used a 12v thermo-electric refrigerator with great
success and drank from bottle water. The water tank on an A30 requires
modification/upgrades to use for sustained use as good potable
water.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>We used a 75amp battery charger.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>We ate out allot until we got a stand alone BBQ
grill to put on the dock. Then the dockside eating/social experience really
blossomed. This is the high point of living aboard, sharing food and
stories with other live aboards as the sun sets. Best part of
experience.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I would strongly recommend getting a professional,
custom made mattress for the V-berth. We used the cushions that came with the
boat and another 4 inches of foam. Not enough and it hurt like hell after a
while. I will not do that again. Mattress costs $1200 from custom makers in CA
or east coast area.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>We used the bathrooms at the marina and since our
marina was the barest military-type facility it was pretty bad. Although I
thought about rigging a shower, never did it and don't see how that would work
with living aboard--simply too small an area. We have used the sun-shower system
in the cockpit or on deck while cruising with great success.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>We had many visitors and were a novelty for a while
being so young and on such a small boat at our marina. We put guests in the O
club and entertained in the cockpit and at the dock. Clearly, every colonel who
saw my boat decided they would never consider this-- having stood next to the
Island Packet 38 next to us. This is a one person boat. Two, if you really like
the second person and get very intimate in space. That is the realistic
limit.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>My last thought: if your boat is not "finished" you
will drive yourself insane trying to fix it while you live on it. If you want to
go sailing, you will die of frustration by never being able to leave the dock.
Permanent cruising would be the only exception to this rule. But that would be a
different live aboard experience--and I would think your A30 must be
"completed". </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>However if you really want to try the live aboard
experience why not do it on a classic boat that is probably paid for and cheap
to maintain?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I would never trade my experience.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Please email direct for further
questions:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Joe #499</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>"One Less Traveled"</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><A
href="mailto:alberg30@mindspring.com">alberg30@mindspring.com</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
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style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A href="mailto:Hijoe5@aol.com" title=Hijoe5@aol.com>Hijoe5@aol.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
href="mailto:public-list@alberg30.org"
title=public-list@alberg30.org>public-list@alberg30.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, February 18, 2001 11:19
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Alberg30] live aboard</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><FONT face=arial,helvetica><FONT size=2>Hi we're new to the
thread and were wondering if any of you Alberg 30 owners <BR>are living
aboard. We hope to retire in Sept. and are considering an Alberg <BR>30 to
live aboard and cruise the East coast and possibly venture further. <BR>Also
has anyone rigged a shower onboard and have you ever had friends visit <BR>for
a week, how did that work out? We appreciate any info at all.
<BR>
<BR><BR>Joe & Debi <BR>Presently Boatless</FONT>
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