WHAT’S THE BEST LIVEABOARD
When asked about the best boat to live
aboard, there is no definitive answer. It really
depends on your location and your lifestyle.
If you are living on the Gold Coast’s
Broadwater, a yacht with a nine-foot keel
may not be the way to go, but in the
Whitsundays you will find many a deep-
drafted, retired Rolex Sydney to Hobart
vessel.
In the past two decades, I’ve lived on several
yachts, a power home cruiser and several
bay cruisers, each vessel suiting my
circumstances at the time. It’s best to look
around your local marinas and see what
type of boats are the most popular. You
really have to consider whether you are
planning to muck around in a river, lake or
bay or want to sail the seven seas.
Boats types differ depending on whether
you have a family and work commitments,
or you are a single-hander with no particular
time frame.
My penchant is for yachts that are easily
singlehanded, or for traditionally-built
cruisers. But that’s not for everybody.
Don’t forget, regardless of the
manufacturer’s name, the quality of a
second-hand boat does vary significantly
depending on the way it has been treated
and maintained by previous owners. A
survey should be considered mandatory.
— MM44 trade aboat.com.au