GL: Houseboats

[ghechtman at aol.com]

 Some excellent  points have been made; here are my 2 cents, having recently gone through this process:

As for chartering, there are many places around the US to do so. We did this for years until we could cruise full time. Pick up a copy of Passagemaker magazine and there will be ads from most trawler charter companies in the back. We cruised the Pacific Northwest, California and Florida this way; Maine and the Chesapeake also have charter trawlers. Many of these places will provide training (and won't rent to you unless you can prove proficiency).

 The economics and responsibilities of owning don't make any sense to me unless you can use the boat all the time. Any way, chartering proved invaluable in deciding : a) WE (I repeat, WE)  liked cruising for more than a few days and b)  what we wanted in our own boat

I scratch my head when folks just go out and buy a boat without doing this, or alternatively spending a lot of time cruising (NOT just visiting on the dock) with friends. 
 
After chartering "Trawlers" (Grand Banks and Mainships) for years, WE ended up buying an older Hatteras motoryacht when it came time to move on board: "real" furniture in the salon, roomy, easy to service and oh by the way, sea worthy. 
 
I  have seen some very well made house boats, purpose built for use on inland lakes and rivers (and most of the ICW for that matter) and as someone said here, you could spend a lifetime exploring those without the need to poke one's nose into big water. 

George

Taking an extra day in Marathon to wait out some weather... It is called PLEASURE boating! Isn't it?
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