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What is a Liveaboard Yacht?
A liveaboard yacht is a concept more than a specific vessel type. Typically, if the owner lives fulltime aboard his yacht, the vessel is considered a liveaboard yacht. When you’re choosing a boat that you intend to make a home aboard for the long term, you should consider precisely what you need before buying. If you plan to remain mostly docked in the marina or anchored out, your needs will be different from someone who intends to live and sail aboard their boat. Liveaboard vessels can be both sail or motor vessels, monohulls or multihulls, from trawlers to catamarans to house boats.
What Are Liveaboard Yacht Made of (Construction Material/Hull Design)?
A liveaboard yacht, with its broader definition, can be found in many different configurations, so the construction materials could include all possibilities from fiberglass, wood, aluminum, steel, composites, and more. If your selection is a sailing yacht, the hull characteristically would be displacement, but if you choose a motor yacht, the hull configuration could be displacement or semi-displacement (also known as semi-planing by some). Each offers distinct benefits – the displacement hull makes for a more stable, comfortable vessel, which is a positive if you’re spending a great deal of time on board and if you’re sailing. A semi-displacement hull has elements of both displacement and planing hull – the stability of the displacement form with some of the speed typical of the planing form. But a planing hull, while faster and fun for a day on the water, usually has a shallower hull and can roll, which is not ideal when you’re living fulltime on board. Draft concerns could also inform your ultimate choice depending on where you plan to be based or to cruise. Research your possible cruising areas – if the water is customarily very shallow, a deep draft displacement vessel might not be your best bet.
Why Should You Buy a Liveaboard Yacht?
You should buy a liveaboard yacht if you daydream about living and making a home fulltime on the water and you thoroughly enjoy the liveaboard lifestyle. Depending on what boat you settle on, it could be cheaper than housing ashore and more environmentally responsible – depending on your boat size – than a house. You can customize any vessel to suit your needs and create your own space with all the comforts of home with the option to be mobile at any time.
