Colorado River Adventure (and boat house search)

[easy does it]

We have been home now barley a week from our summer on lake powell, Jackson lake and yellowstone lake, I felt different at yellowstone lake then I had ever felt before ..better..no worries etc. so we were headed back to lake powell tomorrow for two weeks but I was awakened last night and this voice said "There is a special place in Hell for those that leave their C Dory out in the sun and the weather" Holy Shumolli I have been up since 1:30 A.M. granted this issue has been bugging me for 2 years but move from your wonderful house just for a boat? Crazy! but then again being a fear based person I made a change in plans. I found a brand new house with a 50' R.V. and boat garage with a 17' door for only $285k and there is other house with an R.V. Garage and a swimming pool for $280k now granted these are in Las Vegas and I hate cities but my wife has agreed and is packing Pura Vida as I write. We will leave tomorrow at 2 A.M. to get through the heat and traffic of L.V. Look at both houses by noon and make a decision. Wow, I do like the adrenaline rush! Tomorrow evening we will drive over London Bridge and put in at the free site 6 launch ramp. We will spend the night there on the beach and then go south to the Bill Williams river National Wildlife area just above parker dam. Later we will drive along parker dam rd past the donkeys to the free BLM park and boat ramp to cruise the parker strip. Tues we will head up to Willow Beach launch and go N to Hoover Dam..this is spectacular scenery, I have done it before by Kayak. We will post pictures of our journey. ..I am so happy to have a wife that supports this lunacy!

[thataway]

I am a little confused. I understand the feeling about being free to just travel and live aboard the C Dory 22. But have your sold your primary residence and want to just live on the C Dory, or are you going to sell. your primary residence in St. George and buy another one in Las Vegas. If so, Why? What is the attraction of Vegas vs St. George? (Personally I would not want to live in Las Vegas. We kept our C Dory 22 and 25 there along with a van at a friend's "back 40". It was handy for Powell and S. Calif. Easy to fly into. But when Vegas is busy, it can be a traffic nightmare.

Several have lived aboard the 22's for years (Bill and El). More have lived aboard with the 25.You might ask what people like Bill and Becky (Blue Days) for 7 years or Jim and Joan (Wild Blue) felt were the challenges they faced.

There are also a few of us who sold all land bases items, (except a few precious items which went into storage), and sailed away for years, before re-establishing a land based existence.). If you do sell all, then consider what the inflation of housing will be during your absence from home ownership--how to protect the investments from inflation. There are plenty of answers for issues like a "place of residence" for voting, driver's licenses, taxation, etc.

One other word of caution: swimming pools are great, if you like to swim and will use it. They are also a lot of work (or $$ to have someone else care for it). There is the question if they are an asset or liability when it is time to sell. (We have owned 3 houses with pools, including the current house which is in Florida)

In any case--enjoy the ecstasy which comes with C Dory ownership and travel. It sounds like you have a bad case of "C Doryitis"!

[JamesTXSD]

That is definitely going "all in" (Las Vegas lingo )! There is something to be said for having a safe and convenient place to house the boat and RV right there. And, having a spouse that supports the desire.

Over the years, I have said I'd be happy with a 4-stall garage, with a couple doors for "the big stuff", and a one bedroom apartment attached. Then, Brent and Dixie built that dream. Now that we have downsized a time or two, I think I'd be good with a three stall garage and the one bedroom apartment with room for a music studio. It could happen. I like the way you have jumped right into this C-Dory lifestyle! Wishing you many years of boat happiness.

[WeekiTiki]

Mine's out in the sun

[colbysmith]

Less than $2000 will get you a full custom cover. Colby

[hardee]

OK OK OK,,, so, St George is HOT this time of year, soooooo, maybe you need some time in a place with some really good AC, no Alcohol, or any of that other mind altering stuff, and take a looksee at what's up. OK, the trip across the bridge and up on the water sounds great, but it is still close to 100+ degrees, so take plenty of . . . . root beer and ice cream.

Check your budget and your $$$ reserves. Check your living space now, and where you are looking at. (Going form St George to Las Vegas, hummmm, (or should I say Sizzzzle --> frying pan to fire version )

It would probably be not that hard to find a way to cover your C-Dory while staying in ST G, for a lot less $$$$$$ than moving away to anyplace.

So, first off, I get having the boat in out of the sun, weather, rain and snow, so I agree, your mission is valid. I have had my boat inside for almost all of it's life. And yes, it takes commitment, effort and $$$. It is great "to have a wife that supports this lunacy!" and if you are financially set so that this move does not jeopardize your financial stability or future, go for it.

All the best, but, take a breath once in a while. It;s a good habit.

Harvey
SleepyC

[thataway]

If you just want to cover the boat, then one of the freestanding "RV/Boat" "Carports", which have steel square tube support and aluminum siding and roofs. They can be insulated, and a swamp or compressor cooling unit added. That is a lot cheaper than changing houses! (Or if you want full time on the boat, get one with a casita along side--and do the cooking and lounging inside..lots of RV parks have lots for sale for this.). We have had several Aluminum buildings for our RV's and boats. Cost in the $2500 to $3000 range for the C Dory 22.

[hardee]

Bob's advice about the metal (carport) building is good advice. It is probably what I am going to do. I wound up having to rent storage space due to a conflict with a local ordnance so I am looking at bringing the boat back home to metal shed.

Harvey
SleepyC

[smckean (Tosca)]

As Dr Bob suggests, I built a boat house for my CD25. The cost was about $2500 for the kit. You can customize the dimensions; I had to go 14 feet high so the radar could clear. The concrete slab was a luxury and cost about the same. I could have gone gravel and saved money.

I love having it because not only does it protect the boat from the elements, but it also makes it very easy to work on the boat. In bad weather, I work on it while it is in the boat house; in good weather, I quickly attach it to my 4Runner and pull it just outside where I have better light and can allow the various drains to spill onto the ground.

[colbysmith]

Unfortunately, some municipalities frown upon those type of buildings...

[easy does it]

Wow thank you your response. So at the moment we have a 69' ft Rv pad in a subdivision where if you fart twice you are in trouble. I have a double cover and the boat is out of the weather but I like to hang out with my boat. Last october we bought a condo in west Maui and have not even set foot in it yet do to repeated cancellations due to covid. The house we are in in St George I do not care about but I am not ready to give up my boat. So we need to downsize with one of those beautiful structures you showed me. It is not that easy. Lake havasu has a lot of RV garages and reasonable prices. So we did the trip as planned and believe me the time to go through Vegas is the middle of the night. We arrived in Ft Mohave but the low priced houses there were yet to be built so on to Lake Havasu. The foreclosure there had people living in it and after driving around for a few hours we decided to get the hell (it was hot) out of there and head for page via flagstaff. We are done with this idea of moving there.
While camping at wallmart in page I had tightness of chest and took nitro. This time we did not go very far in and had the same wonderful amazing times. The tightness in my chest got worse and I just had a quad bypass with no heart attack which is a miracle story. So we put our house on the market and plan on renting a storage place for pura vida, the expedition and the few precious things. I am just so happy to be alive!!! I want to get back to lake powell but 8 weeks recovery puts us in the last week in Oct...no way Jose. I really like those metal structures..that is our answer. Thank you and have a blast on lake powell with out all the crazies.

[hardee]

Easy, Sounds like you came close. Glad you are still on this side of the daisy bed. Yes sir, you found some serious HOT, but then, you live in St George, kind on like going from the fry pan to the stove top. All kidding aside, after wondering what happened to you since no comments, I'm glad to hear you are back and getting things sorted out a bit. Take your time, and it sounds like you will have more of that now, so enjoy. You have 3 months of reasonable weather ahead. Do some internet research and planning over those next few rehab weeks. Stay safe, healthy and careful.

Harvey
SleepyC

[thataway]

Sorry to hear about the cardiac issues. Good for catching the symptoms, taking action and getting the bypass. I had total occlusion of Left Anterior Descending Coronary Artery in 1987, only lived because I had the attack in the hospital and was in the Cath lab in minutes. My first bypass was in 1989. My second was 10 years ago this Oct. (21 years on the first bypass). I am slowing down a little at 84, but still am able to do a lot of things in life--had a few more stents and procedures, 100 % paced, But today you can go ahead and live a normal life after a bypass. (OK diet and medications are necessary). I did back packing and downhill/cross country skiing after my first bypass. So say your prayers and move ahead with life!