"The Essentials of Living Aboard a Boat" is an excellent guide for potential, or inexperienced liveaboards and boat owners alike. This guide is full of "need-to-now" information that can make life for a boat owner alot easier, and safer.

Most importantly for myself, this guide lays out, in detail, the possible expenses and monthly costs of owning a boat and living aboard. Before reading this guide, I had severely underestimated the investment.

Also incorporated, are many humorous and inspiring stories from actual liveaboard experiences, making this guide educational and enjoyable.

This book describes a person's experience on buying and living on a boat. Overall it's an easy read and it gave me some ideas to look for and watch out for when living aboard.

This is a must have for anyone thinking about living aboard a boat. Extremely well written -- and will save you $$$$. Read before you buy or even think about living aboard.

i liked the book. but i would like to read a more positive slant also

This book is a terrific find. I'm still unsure if I will take the plunge and live aboard, but whatever decision I make it will be far more informed than it would have been without reading this book. The author goes over every aspect of preparing to live aboard in great detail. If you are considering living aboard, or you already have decided to, you should definitely pick up a copy of this book.

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!

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 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.

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!

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!

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"

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"

This book far exceeded all of our expectations. If you want a book on living aboard while underway or even just cruising, get another book (like the Pardey book). But the author says that himself in the first chapter. Living aboard is just about living aboard, perhaps even right at the dock. If you already know all this, then find another book. On the other hand, my husband Will and I think that this is the most helpful boating book we've ever read.

This book is a waste of money for whomever buys it, a waste of paper, totally useless and offers absolutely no useful info beyond what any reasonable person does not know. The writer merely lives on a parked boat and might as well live in a cramped apartment from where he can write the same worthless stuff. There are no "essentials" in the book. Believe me, go spend your money somewhere else!
Dutch West.

FOcusing primarily on the north east, this book is a treasure trove of important facts anyone thinking about owning a boat should know, much less living aboard. Very well written in accessible language, it is the kind of book you hope will produce a sequel.

A must have book for anyone thinking about living aboard a boat.

I believe this book will make me a much better boat buyer! Mark gives great insight into planning the search, where not to make compromises, and much more.
This book will be a part of my collection, and refrenced often, for years to come!

I had initially read Mark's first edition of Living Aboard prior to reading this edition. I enjoyed and found the first edition so informative and helpful that I acquired and resd this edition. Mark has truly tried to write, "the Definitive Guide for Liveaboards." The areas covered amount to the A to Z coverage with much depth to each of the areas. Mark includes how to choose a boat, estimating the cost of purchasing, selecting a marina, maintaining, preparing to live on a boat, Amenities ( communications, entertainment, refrigeration) safety, sanitation and many more. He also discusses the liveaboard issues and accomidations for families, children and pets. Mark has chapters on many issues that are often not considered by the first time liveaboard and I found some issues and ideas about livingaboard related to cruising that I had not considered myself even though I often cruise both inshore and offshore. I have recommended Living Aboard to many friends and individuals on websites for liveaboards and cruisers. Many have emailed me to let me know they found the book beneficial in their decision making process.

I love this book! It is a must read for those people that want to know about living aboard a boat! Very helpful on what to expect! Wonderful Job Nick!!

Stacey

A seasoned and experienced sailor, Mark Nicholas has written an ideal introduction for anyone aspiring to enjoy life aboard any kind of boat in The Essentials Of Living Aboard: The Definitive Guide For New Liveaboards. The reader will learn how to choose and buy a boat that is appropriate for one's needs, including the finesse of the buying process, negotiations, insurance, and financing, amenities aboard a boat, navigation and safety matters, sanitation issues, legal issues, tips, tricks, and techniques, and more. Of special interest is the warnings about search, seizure, and forfeiture - even though a boat may be one's home, it does not have the same protections against search and seizure as a landbound home. Furthermore, forfeiturelaws mean that the government can seize property (including the boat one lives upon!) and never return it, even if the owner is never accused or convicted of any crime. An absolute "must-have" for anyone considering making a boat one's permanent dwelling.