The decision to liveabaord
August 2019
It is no secret that the housing situation in much of BC is dire; home prices have skyrocketed, with rental fees following them up to unattainable levels. Early this year, Hannah and I started to ponder the idea of living aboard as means to live affordability when I started grad school at the University of Victoria. We investigated the moorage situation in Victoria, and to our surprise and delight, found many different options at good facilities. Waitlists are certainly the norm, but they are not impossibly long.
Having discovered that we should be able to find moorage at a reasonable rate, we began the process hunting for a bigger boat that would be a comfortable long term liveaboard. We had a Cal-29 that we loved, but having spent a several months living on it last fall and winter, we knew it was just a bit to small to be comfortable and happy on during the long winter months.
It is certainly a buyers market in BC, and south of the boarder in Washington state. We found no shortage of well prices, decent looking sailboats that would suit our needs for the short and long term. Wanting to find the perfect boat for us, we made a spreadsheet with several categories: needs, wants, and bonuses. What we decided we needed, among other things was 1) ample space and storage 2) a functional galley 3) a dodger 4) a healthy engine 5) proper and safe wiring 6) no harsh odors. Wants included 1) roller furling 2) a wood or diesel cabin heater 3) wheel steering 4) some sort of winter cover such as a boom tent. Bonuses that we would love but could go without included 1) offshore capable 2) an asymmetrical spinnaker 3) solar panels 4) davits 5) radar. So with these things in mind, we scoured the internet, and started to arrange boat viewings all over Vancouver Island.
Properly viewing a boat takes time and patience. There are so many nasty things that can be hidden away in damp holds, and so much to consider as you view. With flashlights and screw drivers for taping the deck in hand, we carefully inspected every accessible area, sometimes going so far as unscrewing hatches if the owner or broker gave us the ok. We found all kinds of stuff apparently unknown to sellers; mold, mold, and more mold, leaks, hairline cracks, sketchy wiring, and in one case, a hooked up battery in a hard to reach spot the owner did not know was there! We were quick to walk away from several boats we viewed that were clearly not as advertised. Many other boats were very interesting, but had that classic "boat smell" that we just did not want to contend with as liveaboards.
As we viewed boats, we prepped our existing Cal-29 for sale. Just as fast as we listed it, it sold! We were boatless! With the start of the semester getting close, and having carefully viewed around 10 boats, we decided it was time to do one last search and make a decision. During our last scan of the local listings on craigslist and the like, we came across a 33ft Westerly Discus located north of Nanaimo. Being on the west coast of Canada, British made Westerly sailboats are almost non-existent here; we had never even heard of the Westerly brand! The design is quite different than your usual west coast cruiser, but we were intrigued. It looked tough, well cared for, and we recognized the make from a climbing/sailing film we had seen called "The Dodo's Delight," in which Bob Shepton and a group of elite climbers venture around the Greenland and Canadian Arctic coast in search of big walls to climb. We added the Discus to the list, and set off on one more weekend of viewings on the South Island.
Unusually rainy August weather exposed significant deck leaks on the first few boats we viewed that weekend, helping to cross them off the list. We viewed an immaculate Aloha 34 listed at the very top end of our budget. We had out list down to a few boats, but before we decided, we opted to make the trip up island to view the Discus.
From the second we stepped aboard Sea Dream of Clyde, we knew this was the one. The care and love the owners had for it was clear. Everything was well looked after, with a fair share of updates evident including auto-pilot, dinghy davits, fresh vanish throughout, a completely redone bottom, and more. All of our needs, wants, and many of our bonuses were there.
Shortly after viewing Sea Dream of Clyde we put in an offer, which was quickly met with a fair counter offer. We accepted, pending a satisfactory survey and sea trial. We were lucky to find a good surveyor in short order, and after a fun sail from French Creek to Nanaimo, we saw her out of the water, and were very pleased to learn that there were very few problems needing to be addressed. Sea Dream of Clyde was ours!
Hannah had a remote job to head off to, so I set off figuring out the new boat solo! Nice weather made for an excellent first trip repositioning Sea Dream of Clyde from Nanaimo down to Fisherman's Wharf in Victoria where we had secured moorage. More on that trip later.
It is no secret that the housing situation in much of BC is dire; home prices have skyrocketed, with rental fees following them up to unattainable levels. Early this year, Hannah and I started to ponder the idea of living aboard as means to live affordability when I started grad school at the University of Victoria. We investigated the moorage situation in Victoria, and to our surprise and delight, found many different options at good facilities. Waitlists are certainly the norm, but they are not impossibly long.
Having discovered that we should be able to find moorage at a reasonable rate, we began the process hunting for a bigger boat that would be a comfortable long term liveaboard. We had a Cal-29 that we loved, but having spent a several months living on it last fall and winter, we knew it was just a bit to small to be comfortable and happy on during the long winter months.
It is certainly a buyers market in BC, and south of the boarder in Washington state. We found no shortage of well prices, decent looking sailboats that would suit our needs for the short and long term. Wanting to find the perfect boat for us, we made a spreadsheet with several categories: needs, wants, and bonuses. What we decided we needed, among other things was 1) ample space and storage 2) a functional galley 3) a dodger 4) a healthy engine 5) proper and safe wiring 6) no harsh odors. Wants included 1) roller furling 2) a wood or diesel cabin heater 3) wheel steering 4) some sort of winter cover such as a boom tent. Bonuses that we would love but could go without included 1) offshore capable 2) an asymmetrical spinnaker 3) solar panels 4) davits 5) radar. So with these things in mind, we scoured the internet, and started to arrange boat viewings all over Vancouver Island.
Properly viewing a boat takes time and patience. There are so many nasty things that can be hidden away in damp holds, and so much to consider as you view. With flashlights and screw drivers for taping the deck in hand, we carefully inspected every accessible area, sometimes going so far as unscrewing hatches if the owner or broker gave us the ok. We found all kinds of stuff apparently unknown to sellers; mold, mold, and more mold, leaks, hairline cracks, sketchy wiring, and in one case, a hooked up battery in a hard to reach spot the owner did not know was there! We were quick to walk away from several boats we viewed that were clearly not as advertised. Many other boats were very interesting, but had that classic "boat smell" that we just did not want to contend with as liveaboards.
As we viewed boats, we prepped our existing Cal-29 for sale. Just as fast as we listed it, it sold! We were boatless! With the start of the semester getting close, and having carefully viewed around 10 boats, we decided it was time to do one last search and make a decision. During our last scan of the local listings on craigslist and the like, we came across a 33ft Westerly Discus located north of Nanaimo. Being on the west coast of Canada, British made Westerly sailboats are almost non-existent here; we had never even heard of the Westerly brand! The design is quite different than your usual west coast cruiser, but we were intrigued. It looked tough, well cared for, and we recognized the make from a climbing/sailing film we had seen called "The Dodo's Delight," in which Bob Shepton and a group of elite climbers venture around the Greenland and Canadian Arctic coast in search of big walls to climb. We added the Discus to the list, and set off on one more weekend of viewings on the South Island.
Unusually rainy August weather exposed significant deck leaks on the first few boats we viewed that weekend, helping to cross them off the list. We viewed an immaculate Aloha 34 listed at the very top end of our budget. We had out list down to a few boats, but before we decided, we opted to make the trip up island to view the Discus.
From the second we stepped aboard Sea Dream of Clyde, we knew this was the one. The care and love the owners had for it was clear. Everything was well looked after, with a fair share of updates evident including auto-pilot, dinghy davits, fresh vanish throughout, a completely redone bottom, and more. All of our needs, wants, and many of our bonuses were there.
Shortly after viewing Sea Dream of Clyde we put in an offer, which was quickly met with a fair counter offer. We accepted, pending a satisfactory survey and sea trial. We were lucky to find a good surveyor in short order, and after a fun sail from French Creek to Nanaimo, we saw her out of the water, and were very pleased to learn that there were very few problems needing to be addressed. Sea Dream of Clyde was ours!
Hannah had a remote job to head off to, so I set off figuring out the new boat solo! Nice weather made for an excellent first trip repositioning Sea Dream of Clyde from Nanaimo down to Fisherman's Wharf in Victoria where we had secured moorage. More on that trip later.
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