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."
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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
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 out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
61 of 63 people found the following review helpful
Format: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.
37 of 37 people found the following review helpful
Format: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.
31 of 31 people found the following review helpful
By Morris
Format: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.
34 of 37 people found the following review helpful
By rir
Format:Paperback
A good book.
The subtitle "the definitive guide for liveaboards" is a too aggressive. Nicholas' experience is primarily living in a marina in Boston year round; the book is based on that experience. This book puts forth Nicolas' idiosyncratic views; they are sound and interesting enough, but this book is not an "essential" manual nor a "definitive" guide.
Dock side living in winter climes; dealing with or balancing the electronic entertainments; and cost estimating are the subjects in which this book shines. There are also many tidbits relating to existing in the landlubbers' world while residing dockside.
The subtitle "the definitive guide for liveaboards" is a too aggressive. Nicholas' experience is primarily living in a marina in Boston year round; the book is based on that experience. This book puts forth Nicolas' idiosyncratic views; they are sound and interesting enough, but this book is not an "essential" manual nor a "definitive" guide.
Dock side living in winter climes; dealing with or balancing the electronic entertainments; and cost estimating are the subjects in which this book shines. There are also many tidbits relating to existing in the landlubbers' world while residing dockside.
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
By Janie
Format:Paperback
This book far exceeded all of our expectations. If you want a book on living aboard while underway or even just cruising, get another book (like the Pardey book). But the author says that himself in the first chapter. Living aboard is just about living aboard, perhaps even right at the dock. If you already know all this, then find another book. On the other hand, my husband Will and I think that this is the most helpful boating book we've ever read.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By K. Broussard
Format:Paperback
This was by far the best book that I've read on owning a boat and living aboard (and we've even been passed it around the marina). This book was a great resource and was worth much than its cost. Very highly recommended!
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I have no experience in boating except for occasionally riding ferries and cruise ships, and I live in a landlocked area with few boats. However, I decided to read this book after several vacations in coastal areas, where I saw a lot of marinas and yachts, and this piqued my interest in this topic. And for me, the book met its intended purpose, in giving a comprehensive overview of the "liveaboard" lifestyle, as well as an introduction to the topic of boat ownership. The information presented is very basic, which of course was fine for me, but I imagine it might seem obvious or already-assumed knowledge for readers with a lot of boating experience. As other reviewers have noted, the book draws heavily on the author's experiences in a Boston marina, meaning there is a lot of information presented on coping with cold weather.
For me, the most interesting part of the book was the estimated costs section about mid-way through. Using five widely disparate examples of boats and liveaboard situations, the author systematically reviews all the categories and subcategories of costs that one could incur with boat ownership, especially buying the boat and owning it for the first year. This was really eye-opening - definitely shows that the purchase price is only the very beginning! Some of the listed expenses are not ones I would have thought of right away, as a person unfamiliar with the topic (e.g. new sails really cost $2000 - $5000?). Only one example of a liveaboard powerboat is included in the cost surveys; I would have preferred to see another in this category included, perhaps a different size or price - if only because I have seen so many powerboats in my coastal travels.... Read more ›
For me, the most interesting part of the book was the estimated costs section about mid-way through. Using five widely disparate examples of boats and liveaboard situations, the author systematically reviews all the categories and subcategories of costs that one could incur with boat ownership, especially buying the boat and owning it for the first year. This was really eye-opening - definitely shows that the purchase price is only the very beginning! Some of the listed expenses are not ones I would have thought of right away, as a person unfamiliar with the topic (e.g. new sails really cost $2000 - $5000?). Only one example of a liveaboard powerboat is included in the cost surveys; I would have preferred to see another in this category included, perhaps a different size or price - if only because I have seen so many powerboats in my coastal travels.... Read more ›
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Worth the download price
My wife are interested in possibly buying a sailing catamaran and doing a part-time charter business in the years to come and live on the boat maybe 6 months a year. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Staci
4.0 out of 5 stars
A must for the first time Liveaboard
I have decided to make the life change and move aboard a boat, I am a novice sailor with a couple ASA certs and 11 or so sailing adventures under my belt. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Mardagan
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very helpful information
By sharing his experiences, the author gives wonderful insights. A must read if you are considering the live aboard life
Published 2 months ago by Brenda Mehta
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very educational
As I was finishing this book Boston got hit with over two feet of snow. Hope you made it ok Mark. Good book with a lot of information.
Published 4 months ago by Daniel J
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lots of usefull info!!!
If you are ready to take the big jump this is the book that will get you to take the right decision!!!!
Published 4 months ago by sebastien ferland
5.0 out of 5 stars
information needed
Great information that you would need if you want to live on a boat, that is updated with the time.
Published 5 months ago by Dave
5.0 out of 5 stars
fantastic
First non novel I have read in a long time cover to cover. VERY informative and well written, I think I am going to order it in physical form.
Published 5 months ago by Tellach
4.0 out of 5 stars
Informative
This book was exactly what I thought it was going to be. Informative about the lifestyle with plenty of advice. Read more
Published 5 months ago by William J Carmody
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good thorough book, but relatively basic.
A great read and very thorough. Repeats himself often and many chapters overlap substantially, however it was still worth while reading.
Published 5 months ago by Benjamin Taylor
5.0 out of 5 stars
Comprehensive
Anyone considering serious cruising should read this book. Read a chapter at a time, not necessarily in order, when you get the chance and learn what an ocean going boat would be... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Saltidawg
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