Book Description
Revised and updated for today’s younger, savvier RV owners, this new edition of Janet and Gordon Groene’s classic features a new section on home schooling, a more comprehensive resources section, and updated coverage on using the Internet to take care of such things as banking; staying in touch with friends, family and business associates; medical care; bill paying, and other essentials. Readers will also find the latest on new RV models. Yet, despite all the changes, Living Aboard Your RV retains the many timeless features that have made it the top-selling guide of its kind.
Customer Reviews:
not the typical.......2006-03-16
Some new viewpoints and useful information. Doing the laundry in a trash can enroute? You betcha! Hints for freebie overnights and how to deal with medical issues. I found this book very informative, and it covers many aspects of RV travel.
There are better resources.......2005-11-20
90% of what's in this book can be obtained from any of the various first timer websites.
If you never owned a vehicle, went camping (of any form), made or lived on a budget, had to figure out how to get health care while on vacation, cleaned out your closets or bathroom, then you may find this book of use.
So much of the material in this book is very common sense stuff. Out of the 189 pages I did find six sentences that were informative. Unfortunately none of the comments went into details. I had to look elsewhere for details on the comments.
I'd suggest one of the inexpensive used copies if you feel you really need this book.
A Lot Light on Detail.......2002-05-08
I bought several books on full-timing in an RV - and this was the least helpful. While they touch on many topics, none are explored in depth - I learned nothing new from this book. In fact, I felt they kept telling me things that are simply commom sense. For example, in their section about waste water, they don't tell you how to deal w/ frozen waste lines - but they do advise you not flush disposable diapers!
This book was a disappointment - and will be returned.
Living Aboard Your RV-2nd Edition.......2000-08-22
As a family contemplating full-time RVing, this was a great first RVing book. It covers everything from what to do with your possessions, equipping your RV, traveling with pets, mini-hobbies, maintaining your RV and so much more! It was an easy read packed full of great advice. You will need a highlighter to keep track of important information. This book will definately go with us on our journey.
Living Aboard Your RV-2nd Edition.......2000-08-22
As a family contemplating full-time RVing, this was a great first RVing book. It covers everything from what to do with your possessions, equipping your RV, traveling with pets, mini-hobbies, maintaining your RV and so much more! It was an easy read packed full of great advice. You will need a highlighter to keep track of important information. This book will definately go with us on our journey.
Book Description
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.
Essentials explains, among other things how to:
•Figure out your needs
•Choose the right boat
•Buy your boat
•Choose the right marina
•Prepare for the lifestyle
•Outfit your boat
•Plan for all climates
•Forecast your costs
•and more!
Customer Reviews:
If you're looking to live aboard a boat, or are slightly interested in people that do, then this is the book to read!.......2007-07-19
My wife and I have held the romantic notion of living aboard a boat for many years, even before we met. Shortly into beginning the process we came across Nicholas' book. And we are glad we did early on! It has saved us plenty of time...and money. Not only is it informative, covering A to Z, but it is entertaining and a very good read! He lays it out there, giving the reader the in and outs of what it is really like to live aboard a boat, and how to turn your dream into a reality!
Not about crusing.......2007-02-09
This book is about living aboard a boat in a marina. A life style many
may choose. I thought is was a good read.
The good , the bad, and the ugly.......2007-02-06
The book does it's best to prepare anyone wanting to live aboard for all possibilities. Living aboard is not for everyone so the author explains everything involved in order for a person to make up their mind whether this lifestyle is right for them. At the same time the good and the romance of the lifestyle is still emphasized. A real eye-opener of a book.
Excellent Book!.......2006-09-25
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!
More like how to live aboard a barge........2006-07-27
Unfortuately, the book seems to be written much from an RV or houseboat mentality. The major factor in a choice to live aboard a boat is expense, or at least I gather from this read. Much more useful is anything by the Pardeys--always useful classics, or more recently FitzGeralds "Sea-Steading"
Book Description
The Cruising Life: A Commonsense Guide for the Would-Be Voyager, Jim Trefethen. The funniest, drollest, wisest book on the shelf for the would-be cruiser. Trefethen pulls no punchesÑhe tells you just what will be involved if you and your family decide to "let slip the surly bonds of earth" and set sail. How to get ready, how to finance the voyage, how to live on your boat with maximum peace of mind and minimum hassle, and what equipment you do and don't need. (What you don't need may surprise you.)
Customer Reviews:
Must have for all crusiers or those thinking of cruising.......2007-01-02
Can't say enough about this book. Stright talk about cruising life, not just another euipment & tech guide. To top it off he mixes in enough humor to keep a smile on your face. My wife and I fight ove who gets to read it.
Thanks for giving us a truley great book Jim!
Impression.......2006-07-09
This book was about how to become a "minimilist". (In other words, get rid of all your material stuff, your ideas of "status", start to live simply, start exercising, and start saving, saving, saving!!) By building your "kitty", you're able to buy your boat with cash. It, too, was about practical stuff and a much simpler life! The only regret I had was that it didn't have any pictures! Other than no pictures-I loved it!
Not a practical sourse of information.......2006-03-25
Ok if you need som basic advice about making a decision to live aboard. Mostly it is posturing by the author and not much by way of real information, or thought provoking stories.
Written for Americans.......2005-05-15
This is a book written for Americans by an American. As a non-American some advice was irrelevant to me. Apart from this, I found it very useful; valuable insights as to what to expect from a cruising lifestyle, motivation to take the plunge and above all a humorous writing style. I found it compelling. Definitely a good book to read before you buy your yacht, and reread many times before you leave.
Cruising for people with more sense than money........2004-06-16
This is a book about how to go cruising.
What he is really dealing with in this book is the fear of what might go wrong if we go cruising, and how to plan for the best possible cruise.
He does not say it in his book but the reality is that more yachts are wrecked by badly judged finances than the sea, and proper financial planning is the core of this book.
If I were to consider this book to be at one end of the cruising book spectrum then 'Steel Away' by Smith and Moir would be at the other.
This book could save you time, money and much anguish.
Book Description
Ever daydream about what it's like to quit your job, sell your house and most of your possessions, say good-bye to your neighbors, and set sail with your family--permanently? Tom and Mel Neale left their 9 to 5 world nearly two decades ago and never looked back. In 1979 the Neales left their law and education careers and traded their suburban home for a three-room boat. Now their neighborhood is a Chesapeake Bay cove, or a secluded Bahamian beach, or anywhere else they choose to anchor. And along the way they raised two daughters. For the Neales, living aboard and cruising is about taking control of their world and their environment, a sometimes difficult but always rewarding existence. All in the Same Boat is one family's testament to the belief that you can lead your own life, whatever that might be. For the Neales, it hasn't been a vacation. Instead of living to work, they work to live, but they make time for adventure and play, too. Here's everything you need to know to follow them: choosing the right boat; provisioning for long-term cruising; getting along in close quarters; learning what you can leave behind; earning a living--and how to hold on to the money; what to expect in the cruising life, and how to handle it; preparing the crew and boat; raising--and educating--kids; keeping in touch; making the ocean your backyard.
Customer Reviews:
A great practical and insightful guide to cruising and living aboard!.......2005-07-27
My wife and I found this book shortly before purchasing a Gulfstar 47 like the one the Neals' owned while writing this book, and it was a significant factor in our deciding to purchase the boat. In our nearly four years' living aboard in Sausalito, we were never able to quite 'cut the cord' and go cruising as we'd hoped, but we gleaned a quite a bit of useful information from this book, as would would anyone with a boat in the 30-60 ft range that they intend to live on. We found many of the insights (everything from how to anchor without endangering others or being endangered by others, to hints on how to not drive each other crazy while hanging out together below decks during the rain) repeated in our own experiences and the experiences of others who had cruised from Alaska to Ecuador.
We moved off the boat in anticipation of the birth of our daughter (we've known people who've raised infants aboard, and decided we're not that hardcore), but this book remains on our shelf in anticipation of the year when our children are old enough to undertake the voyage!
Wonderful.......2002-02-19
This is a rare book about cruising that gives you a taste of the attitudes of long-term voyagers. I loved reading a book in which the author reveals his desire for hot showers and ice-cubes for his evening cocktails. The spartan life may be ok for me but my wfie and kids? Lots of good technical information. Escape the system that has enslaved us without our knowing!
Fantastic.......2001-05-20
I loved this book! As a current live aboard I really enjoyed everything presented about family life for cruisers. The insights the young daughters give helps understand how kids aboard percieve the experience. Excellent reading for anyone thinking of moving onto a boat with a family.
All in the same boat - Bitterness and Contempt.......2001-05-09
Although there is much useful information contained in this book, the tone is simply awful. After reading this book I could not help but think that Mr. Neale is a bitter man who gave up his former life only to find himself broke living his chosen life of perpetual vacation. According to the author the rest of us are stuck in mindless consumption working away in sterile cubicles. The author seems to have conveniently forgotten that his boat, fuel, supplies, food, computers, software, etc., etc. would not exist along with his chosen lifestyle without the rest of us working our jobs and actually contributing something.
In addition, the author uses every opportunity to present examples of incompetent boaters who unlike the master seaman that he is are a hazard to themselves and others. Continuous whining about the faults of current boat designs also adds to the overall obnoxious tone of the book. According to the author boat designers and manufactures don't know what they are doing. He thinks that a boat designed for weekend use and docked in a harbor should work just as well continuously at sea. If that is what he wanted, he should have bought a vessel designed for commercial use and paid the price, not whine about design tradeoffs that were made to make boating more affordable to the public.
What is missing from this book is a little humility and gratitude. Gratitude that he as been able to live his dream instead of contempt for others who do not choose to or are unable.
All in the same boat - Bitterness and Contempt.......2001-05-08
Although there is much usefull information contained in this book, the tone is simply awfull.
After reading this book I could not help but think that Mr Neale is a bitter man who gave up his former life only to find himself broke living his choosen life of perpetual vacation.
According to the author the rest of us are stuck in mindless consumption working away in sterile cubicles. The author seems to have conveniently forgotten that his boat, fuel, supplies, food, computers, software, etc., etc. would not exist along with his choosen lifestyle without the rest of us working our jobs and and actually contributing something.
In addition, the author uses every opportunity to present examples of incompetant boaters who unlike the master seaman that he is are a hazard to themselves and others. Continous whinning about the faults of current boat designs also adds to the overall obnoxous tone of the book. According to the author boat designers and manufactures don't know what they are doing. He thinks that a boat designed for weekend use and docked in a harbor should work just as well continously at sea. If that is what he wanted , he should have bought a vessel designed for commercial use and paid the price, not whine about design tradeoffs that were made to make boating more afforable to the public.
What is missing from this book, is a little humility and gratitude. Gratitude that he as been able to live his dream instead of contempt for others who do not choose to or are unable.
Book Description
A comprehensive handbook on how to prepare a sailboat for extended cruising as well as for living aboard. The author considers the equipment, systems and modifications that will transform a basic sailboat one already operational and of sound construction into a long-range cruiser. There is a wide range of topics covered, from the bare essentials to improvements on deck and below deck to safety afloat, electronics, and much more. A well balanced, very accurate, reliable and exceedingly accesible book.
Customer Reviews:
Ready for Sea.......2006-07-22
I sold my house and am leaving for the sea shortly. Tor Pinney has gone a long way to get me to get it right. I am on my third reading now. Almost every bit of helpfull advice will become part of my plan to go to sea. The best book I have read to prepare me for cruising the Caribbean and beyond. Thanks Tor!~
Little Point.......2005-12-10
The content is broad, the advice general, and this book just doesn't rise to the level of the works of other authors who have tackled this subject. There are many fine books on this subject, and this is not among them. Pass.
Excellent reading for a newbie like me !!.......2005-11-03
I really love this book, even though te pretty much only covers the tip of the iceberg, this books gives me an insight in to the things to consider when outfitting and choosing a boat that i plan to buy. I love the way Tor has written the book, it had made me understand the fundamentals in a simple and illustrative way
Very Useful.......2002-11-30
I am using this book to help me oufit my boat for Caribbean cruising. I find it useful almost every day. Lots of great ideas.
Excellent book.......2002-11-20
I've read Tor Pinney's "Ready for Sea" and, after seeing Christopher Korody's comments below, I can not imagine he even read the same book. Pinney has a friendly, easy-going writing style, a pleasant way of sharing his vast, first-hand knowledge on the subject at hand. I think he's a very fine writer, better than most in this genre. I wish more boating books were as easy to read as this one. It's more concise than many of the longer books on the subject. "Ready for Sea" covers a great deal of solid information in just 200-odd pages, and some very novel ideas, too - like the last chance trip line. I highly recommend this book to anyone thinking about going cruising.
Book Description
"An excellent and practical step-by-step manual to help prepare you for the cruising lifestyle and to entertain you as you learn." --Cruising World
More than two decades ago, Tom and Mel Neale moved onto a boat full-time with their two daughters. Now their neighborhood is anywhere they choose to anchor. Here's all the information needed to follow in their footsteps, including choosing a boat, earning a living, raising and educating kids, and much more.
Customer Reviews:
Absolutly the best book I've read about cruising........2007-09-03
This book is outstanding! This is the most thorough, down to earth, well thought out how to account of cruising life that I've found. If you find a better book out there about the realities of cruising please contact me with the title. I can't imagine anyone who is thinking about living on a boat not being thouroughly satisfied with this book.
Excellent and informative.......2007-07-15
Being homeschoolers we have a number of friends who live full time on their boats and many sail around the world which is a great hands on learning experience.
The thing I like about this book that other books lacked, is information on things like what to do about mail, TV via satellite, computer use, and information that helps you realize even if you live on land, just how much stuff you DON'T need. It's a book that will inform the 2007 reader well.
Banking, paying bills and everyday information that is a must to know. And buying food locally, fishing etc. Visiting other places and knowning the stuff you need to know there.
As well as how to have the right boat for your needs so that you have the comforts you need and even some you want. Now that I am a widow I am seriously considering getting back to living on a boat full time.
Great coastal cruising book.......2006-07-22
I'm a wannabe bluewater cruiser and this is the first book I bought to learn about this adventure. I would highly rate this book for basic and technical information, with some limitations. Neale covers all the systems on the boat and the problems and the advantages of each. There are four limitations of the book though. First of all he is a coastal cruiser primarily and the open ocean sailing part is not there. Secondly, there is some other info that's left out. An example is anchoring. He discusses this thoroughly because of its importance, but never tells you what a CQR or Danforth anchor really is. I know there are limitations on length. Also, he never mentions product names. It would be good to have some names of products that really worked well or were dismal failures. This is probably my biggest gripe. And some cost factors too. We can adjust for the time factor. But again, this is a great book. I understand much more how the electrical inverters, toilets, stoves, water systems, frigs, etc. operate on a boat and why I do or don't need them. Buy this book if you're looking for a good read that's loaded with info.
Impressions.......2006-07-09
My husband and I both loved this book because we think it offered very practical advice. I also loved the pictures and the input from the author's wife and children. I highly recommend it!
Excellent.......2005-01-02
This book is an excellent resource worth much more than the price. I've read a few books on this subject and this is by far the best. We are in the process of looking for our live aboard boat. We feel we have a better understanding of what we need and what we want since reading what the Neele's had to say. I enjoyed the different viewpoints from all the family members. Highly recommended!
Product Description
This charming book sails away from the typical photographic tours found in most houseboat books, focusing instead on the stories of the enchanting people who dwell by the docks. Undoubtedly, Seattles Lake Union is a stunningly beautiful area. But it is the marvelous mishmash of freshwater folks and the unique community they create that makes living off-land so intriguing.
Customer Reviews:
Warm. Heartwarming series of stories........2007-08-04
Fun read. Soul deep stories of common folks who share a lifestyle of living in floating houses. Not about living on boats. Not an instruction on living on a boat, nor was it intended to be. Wonderful read. Nice peek into the soul of humanity. Also revealing the greed of the realestate industry and intolerance of any lifestyle out of the ordinary.
Lots of history, but not a how-to.......2005-11-01
This book focuses on the stories of the people who live aboard floating houses (very few boats) on Lake Union in Seattle. Lots about their history, a little about what it's like to live aboard a boat, but not very useful to someone (like myself) interesting in what it's like to live aboard a boat (a houseboat is more like a little house, complete with rooms and insulation and plumbing and suchlike).
For what it is, it's enjoyable (although more pictures to illustrate the stories would have been nice).
Book Description
Living Aboard is not another "How we did it," book derived from the experiences of one couple or family. It is not about sailing around the world or to selected far off destinations. It is about living aboard a boat, whether in a slip, on the hook, or at sea. Granted, Janet and Gordon lived aboard for many years and in doing so learned the liveaboard lifestyle the hard way. They not only draw on their days as liveaboards but relate other cruisers' lives as well. By relating knowledge from a varied and diverse group of liveaboards, the Groene's have made this book a true insight into the lifestyle. A lifestyle that is wonderful for some and a nightmare for others. The time to learn if this lifestyle is right for you is now, before you move aboard. After reading this book you will know if the liveaboard lifestyle is right for you. Living Aboard explains what to expect from the lifestyle. Janet's companion book, Creating Comfort Afloat, (Bristol Fashion Publications) explains how to make a boat your home. The Groene's have written hundreds of articles on the liveaboard lifestyle. Now you can have all that knowledge in this one volume, the Groene's nineteenth book, Living Aboard. Illustrated
Customer Reviews:
Overview for boaters transitioning to liveaboard lifestyle........2004-07-24
Description: Written by Gordon and Janet Groene, Living Aboard offers practical advice and solutions for numerous issues that occur when you stop visiting the boat and begin actually living aboard her. This book details their transition from landlubber to ICW transients and liveaboards -- both at the dock in marinas and at anchor.
Please Note: There is a Living Aboard by the Moeller's... It is an okay book, but I preferred this one. It's more in depth than the Moeller's book. Both are okay, but if you're only going to buy one, this is the one you'll want.
This is not a be-all/end-all book, however it does have enough information in it to be worth the purchase price. Divided into 20 chapters, it is well-organized. Chapters (paraphrased titles for brevity) include (1) Equipping Your Boat (2) Keeping Warm, Keeping Cool, (3) Cost of Cruising (4) Cash Flow (5) Mail on the Go (6) Doctors/Health Care (7) Liveaboard Pet (8) Laundry (9) Earning $$$ Underway and more.
I believe it to be a fairly good overview of the topic -- better than many as a matter of fact. This couple is not living the Pardey life, but has chosen a more (better!) complicated lifestyle. They balance nicely their wishes for the "goodies" along with the inherent repair issues which go along with those upgrades to life.
Book Description
A hardback book celebrating the diversity of living afloat.
Author Gary Cookson interviewed the owners of a variety of floating homes to find out why they chose to live afloat, what decisions they made to achieve their dream and discussed the pros and cons of the liveaboard lifestyle.
This book lets you take a peek through the portholes of some great floating homes. From permanently moored houseboats, to liveaboards that are permanently travelling and everything in between. And just like their skippers and crew they come in all shapes and sizes with budgets large and small. Inside you will find people living on historic ex-commercial Dutch barges (both sailing and motor, tjalk and luxemotor), narrowboats, tugs, sailing yachts, motor yachts, purpose built houseboats, a floating log cabin and a look at concept dwellings of the future.
With over 300 colour photographs of homes in the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, the USA and Australia there is inspiration for anyone who has ever wondered what it would be like to live on a boat.
Customer Reviews:
wonderful photos.......2007-08-04
Nice coffee table book. Well taken pictures. Text could go into greater detail as to the construction and equipment of each home. Nice book.
Book Description
Fueled by 18 years of the best letters, articles, and firsthand accounts from Living Aboard magazine and the results of hundreds of surveys, Gently with the Tides is a compendium of the challenges of living aboard a boat and how to meet them. Includes information about the ``perfect'' boat, galley and provisioning hints, the law and liveaboard rights, and much more.
Customer Reviews:
countercultural live aboard.......2006-11-18
Interesting collection of articles from a magazine dedicated to the "living aboard" lifestyle of cruising and marina boat life. Gives an invaluable listing of livaboard marinas and how much they cost in the back. All kinds of interesting perspectives on things you wouldn't have noticed until you actually moved aboard; from psychology of families and relationships, to business matters, to marinas to legal rights. Downsides? It's written by people who aren't writers, and so it can be, well, difficult at times. Sort of like reading scrappy people who post long articles on the internet. Really, it reminded me of something published in the 1970s, for people who wished to drop out of society. Sort of a Whole Earth Catalog or Foxfire for people who like boats rather than living in Yurts.
Great Fireside Reading.......2004-04-15
I got this for Christmas and was very happy with it. Poor grammar makes it a bit tough to read at times but it gives a very good feeling of what a live aboard lifestyle would be like. A must for those thinking of living aboard, or those just dreaming vicariously of such a lifestyle and wanting a more vivid idea of what it would be like.
A Wonderful In-depth Look at Living Aboard.......2001-11-02
If you are curious about what life aboard may be like, or simply want to live that life from your armchair, pick up this book. It covers everything by relaying stories of normal people who live aboard and have experienced it firsthand.
I had been trying to convince my wife to live aboard for years, but had no way to really show her what it was like until I found this book. I am not saying you will achieve similar results, but she agreed to move aboard shortly after reading the book. We ended up living on an 80 foot motorsailer that was a floating Club Med, but I figured it was at least one step in the right direction.
The book covers everything from the boat, relationships aboard, the lifestyles and even the rights and laws surrounding living aboard, which is more like a three-ring circus with monkeys running the show, at least here in SF.
I highly recommend picking this book up. It is relatively cheap and is a great and comforting read.
The Sea Beckons Gently.......2001-02-06
There are those of us that "go down to the sea in ships" and others that simply like "messing around in boats", both only an excuse for being on the water. As we immerse ourselves in water- related activities, the cleansing ritual of boating for many becomes obsessive. This obsessiveness often spawns the desire "to cross the final frontier..." not the one in outer space, but at the end of the dock. We want to become a liveaboard so that we too may move "Gently With the Tide".
This is a nice compendium of short essays from those with liveaboard experiences tied together gently with editoral skill.
It is not specifically a "how to" book yet the experiences related certainly provided a liveaboard education. The value of the book to me is the "feel" reading it engenders. The feeling of what it is like to liveaboard.
Read the book. If you like the feeling it leaves you with, you too might be ready to go "Gently With the Tide".
Books:
- Lofting
- Man o' War: A Legend Like Lightning
- Mavericks at Work: Why the Most Original Minds in Business Win
- Nigel Calder's Cruising Handbook: A Compendium for Coastal and Offshore Sailors
- Nymph-Fishing Rivers And Streams: A Biologist's View of Taking Trout Below the Surface
- Nymphs Volume II: Stoneflies, Caddisflies, and Other Important Insects: Including the Lesser Mayflies
- On the Ice: An Intimate Portrait of Life at McMurdo Station, Antarctica (World As Home, The)
- Pistol: The Life of Pete Maravich
- Reeds Maritime Meteorology
- Runner's World Runner's Diet: The Ultimate Eating Plan That Will Make Every Runner (and Walker) Leaner, Faster, and Fitter (Runners World)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The Law of Attraction: The Basics of the Teachings of Abraham
- Shopaholic & Baby
- Never Too Late: My Musical Life Story
- Librarianship and Human Rights: A Twenty-First Century Guide
- Public Administration: Understanding Management, Politics, and Law in the Public Sector
- Shadow Dance: A Novel
- Murder in Samarkand: A British Ambassador's Controversial Defiance of Tyranny in the War on Terror
- Accounting and Financial Management: Developments in the International Hospitality Industry
- Microeconomics with Electronic Study Guide CD-ROM
- Sushi for Beginners: A Novel
Reference
| How-to & Home Improvements
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Complete Guide to Full-Time RVing: Life on the Open Road
RV Living in the 21st Century: The Essential Reference Guide for ALL RVers
Movin' on: Living and Traveling Full-Time in a Recreational Vehicle
The RVer's Bible: Everything You Need to Know About Choosing, Using, & Enjoying Your RV
Full-Time RVing : How to Make it Happen
