Liveaboard in Tampa, FL
Hey y'all,
Sorry if this post is super repetitive. I'm sure you get several of these a week.
GF and I broke up last week and I've been debating living on a sailboat for several years now. She never wanted to do it, and I was totally fine with that, thinking we could buy a boat later in life and just cruise on weekends, but now that we broke up, I thought I'd explore what it would really look like day to day and what it would cost.
I currently live in Boston, but my parents live on a power boat south of Tampa. They love it, and have been very encouraging in this short search so far. I know there are tons of marinas there, so I was hoping to hear from people who live on sailboats in the area.
I'm 30 years old, about 6'2" depending on which convenience store I'm leaving, and I have an 8-year-old dog who is about 70 pounds. He's a sweet boy, and he's still as active as ever, but he's getting into the final chapter of life, and I would absolutely hate to put him in a bad spot where he's uncomfortable in his later years, so if any of you have dogs on board, I'd love to hear your experiences. We live right by Boston harbor and his favorite thing to do is to go down to a dock and stare at the fish and ducks in the water, so I feel like he'd at least get some enjoyment out of roaming the docks if we were to move to a liveaboard.
I'm part of a sailing club in Boston that lets you take boats out on the Charles River (big river that runs through the heart of the city). I just started sailing this year, 15' centerboard with a mainsail, and I love it. I know it's completely different than a larger liveaboard boat, but the small experience I've gained lets me know it's something I want to do more throughout my life.
Specifically, I'm hoping to learn about makes/models that might be more comfortable for headroom/living day to day with a pet, and any marina recommendations would also be super helpful. Finally, if there's anything you recommend I keep in mind while I make the decision, or some tips for shopping to know what to look for and what to avoid. I don't really know what I'm looking for boat-wise, and I don't know what I don't know, so I figured the internet pros could help.
My goal is to eventually circumnavigate. That's obviously many years of planning and saving and gaining experience away, and probably something I won't do until my boy goes to the big dog park in the sky, but I figured that might be helpful for those making recommendations.
Thanks so much in advance. My lease ends in December here in Boston, so hopefully I can get down to Florida when the new year begins.