The Essentials of Living Aboard a Boat [Paperback]

Mark Nicholas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2005

The Essentials of Living Aboard educates both dreamers and explorers with information about this wonderful and rewarding lifestyle. Mark Nicholas has combined his experience of life aboard with the advice of other liveaboards, marina owners, technicians, boat manufacturers and advocates in order to detail the challenges and offer real advice for success. This lifestyle, typically thought to be out of reach or "for other people," is now available to all who dream.Read this book if you've ever been gripped by the romantic idea of living on water. Mark Nicholas presents a rich mine of information for potential liveaboards, information he gleaned the hard way. As a self-confessed "expert at what can go wrong," who better than Mark to pass on the solid advice you need?-John Vigor, Author

Editorial Reviews

Review

An absolute "must-have" for anyone considering making a boat one's permanent dwelling. -- Midwest Book Review - October 2004

Before you [liveaboard], read this well balanced look at the subject. You'll encounter fewer surprises. -- Lin Pardey, Author, Educator and World Cruiser

It's straight talk from a liveaboard sailor who made the mistakes so you won't have to. -- Linda Ridihalgh, Editor, Living Aboard Magazine

From the Author

With the advice of some of the best live aboard and boating experts that I have ever had the pleasure to meet, I have sought to put together a resource highlighting many of the most significant issues and challenges that any liveaboard would one day have to endure - all being the kind of things that I wish that someone would have taken the time to teach me before I was literally ankle deep in water.

Living aboard is a wonderfully rewarding lifestyle, and while not easy, is anything but impossible. In looking back on the research that I did before undertaking this lifestyle, I felt as though much of what I read did not provide an objective portrayal of the liveaboard lifestyle. I wanted to put together an honest and passionate depiction of the lifestyle and its issues and challenges, along with solutions and ideas and caveats so that potential liveaboards are provided with a valuable tool to start out with. I hope that is what I have provided.

Sincerely wishing you the best of luck, --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 268 pages
• Publisher: Paradise Cay Publications (April 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0939837668
• ISBN-13: 978-0939837663
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #65,228 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Outdoor Recreation > Sailing > Instructional
  • #15 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Outdoor Recreation > Boating
  • #42 in Books > Professional & Technical > Transportation > Ships

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For anyone aspiring to enjoy life aboard any kind of boat, October 12, 2004

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Essentials of Living Aboard a Boat (Paperback)

A seasoned and experienced sailor, Mark Nicholas has written an ideal introduction for anyone aspiring to enjoy life aboard any kind of boat in The Essentials Of Living Aboard: The Definitive Guide For New Liveaboards. The reader will learn how to choose and buy a boat that is appropriate for one's needs, including the finesse of the buying process, negotiations, insurance, and financing, amenities aboard a boat, navigation and safety matters, sanitation issues, legal issues, tips, tricks, and techniques, and more. Of special interest is the warnings about search, seizure, and forfeiture - even though a boat may be one's home, it does not have the same protections against search and seizure as a landbound home. Furthermore, forfeiturelaws mean that the government can seize property (including the boat one lives upon!) and never return it, even if the owner is never accused or convicted of any crime. An absolute "must-have" for anyone considering making a boat one's permanent dwelling.

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The wanabe's Definitive Guide for Living Aboard, January 8, 2006

By 

Daniel H. Grant (Richmond Hill, GA.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Essentials of Living Aboard a Boat (Paperback)

I had initially read Mark's first edition of Living Aboard prior to reading this edition. I enjoyed and found the first edition so informative and helpful that I acquired and resd this edition. Mark has truly tried to write, "the Definitive Guide for Liveaboards." The areas covered amount to the A to Z coverage with much depth to each of the areas. Mark includes how to choose a boat, estimating the cost of purchasing, selecting a marina, maintaining, preparing to live on a boat, Amenities ( communications, entertainment, refrigeration) safety, sanitation and many more. He also discusses the liveaboard issues and accomidations for families, children and pets. Mark has chapters on many issues that are often not considered by the first time liveaboard and I found some issues and ideas about livingaboard related to cruising that I had not considered myself even though I often cruise both inshore and offshore. I have recommended Living Aboard to many friends and individuals on websites for liveaboards and cruisers. Many have emailed me to let me know they found the book beneficial in their decision making process.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Saved Me $$$$$$ and Lots of Stress, July 17, 2006

By 

Morris "S.V. Charity" (Somewhere in the Intercoastal) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Essentials of Living Aboard a Boat (Paperback)

Without any question, this book helped me save thousands of dollars and really keep perspective when I chose and bought my boat. If I had to sum it up, this book is mostly about perspective on a lot of things, such as the lifestyle of living on a boat, and also on choosing a boat, buying a boat and upgrading a boat. I walked away from 2 boats because of this. And the cost table is like one big myth buster revealing all of the tons of hidden costs of boating. It not only should be read by every liveaboard but I recommend this book for every boater too.