A bit of advise to those suddenly facing SSI and Homelessness

[Wiley50]

consider a sail boat. they are designed to be reliable shelter in very wild wet conditions And there are thousands of them laying around unused and cheap.

I started learning to sail in a Sunflower, a shallow open boat made of molded Styrofoam with a harder molded plastic shell, a plywood dagger board (KEEL sort of. it makes the boat go forward even when the wind is blowing from the side. and a plywood rudder that attached with a door hinge.
Someone gave it to me as they bought one (they;re pretty cheap new even) and never used it. You'll also need a life vest (mandatory. I don't care how well you swim , you are a sailing novice) and a paddle ( obviously you cannot sail into the wind and sometimes the wind just goes away. You can find one for $100 or less on ebay, Craig's list ect.

I just loaded it on top of the car and taught myself to sail with my,then, 4 1/2 year old step daughter. pick a pretty day with moderate winds ( 10-15mph) and just develop a sense of which way the wind is blowing, for me, I learned to feel it on the back of my neck, or you can tape about 10" of old cassette tape to the top of the mast.

NOW, that's if you want to learn to sail, but a homeless person can find good shelter for cheap or even free. There are many many boats people need to get rid of, say they moved up to a bigger boat, can't sell the old one, but don't want to pay a disposal charge so they leave them sitting around in back yards and boat yards, mainly in the 30 ft and under sizes and they can be bought for a few hundred to a couple of thousand or they might even give it to you because their wife is on their ass to get it out of the yard.

Advantages of a boat as self contained living module on land or water:

They are designed to shed water and small leaks around screws and such are easily fixed with a dab of of caulk or putty.They are usually laid out with a kitchen (galley) as soon as you go through the hatch and down 3 04r 4 stairs. You are in the main cabin. On the side opposite the galley is a sofa (Settee) that generally folds out in to a bed for two if one doesn't kick too much in their sleep. Opposite that bed is another shorter settee beside the galley that is great for a kid to sleep on . Ahead of the main cabin is a bathroom (*head) usually with a toilet and sink and if you are lucky, a shower or, on land , take out the toilet and put in a porta pottie, they are easier to empty or, if imaginative you can leave the toilet
in, remove that bronze thing near the floor that the out flow of the toilet is attached, and unscrews into two parts, one inside one out side, if you look inside it from the out side you will see two little nubs. Get something small enough to fit inside the hole but large enough to lodge against each nub,have someone inside to hold that part while you unscrew counter-- clockwise. it comes right apart. Now run that hose into a larger hose and they might even rent you a spot in a trailer park as you can run that larger hose right into their septic system. Opposite the head is a pantry. and a door that will either close off the head or the whole master suite: head, pantry and a very large bed (V-Berth) that can easily sleep 3.

Something to think about when reducing your shelter space or, if homeless already, it's a damn good little apt that's easy to clean. The galley always has a sink and, if lucky, a propane or alcohol cooking stove. I added a small refrig/freezer and a micro wave.I have a 5000 BTU Air Cond in the hatch. Really need 10,000 btu unit to cool the whole boat but i close off the master suite and the single bed in back (quarterberth , I forgot to tell you about.
In winter insulate with whatever you can afford even old newspapers if that's all you can afford. A friend gave me enough of that insulation with aluminum foil on both sides.contact cement it to the fiberglass and if you want glue some light indoor/outdoor carpet to it

If it floats you can get a slip for about $150/mO. IF LUCKY YOUR BOAT IS WIRED FOR SHORE POWER WHICH USES A SPECIAL 30 OR 50 AMP CORD FROM THE DOCK TO THE BOAT TO A BREAKER BOX AND OUTLETS THROUGHOUT THE BOAT.If not and your dock master is agreeable there's usually two 20amp (regular house outlets in the same box where the shorepower plugs into the box ion the dock. Get a couple of heavy duty construction cords to get the power inside through a window or the hatch and then string as many surge protected power strips that way, if you overload something, it just tyrips the breaker on the power strip, not the ones on the dock.

By the way most marinas now offer utilities included including cable TV and Wireless Internet and phone service is usually available.

It's not for everyone but for the homeless , shelter is shelter and there is a lot of fiberglass lying around the US that people are happy as hell to get rid of.

PS DO NOT BUY A WOOD BOAT HOWEVER PRETTY. They take constant maintainence and money to keep from rotting. Fiberglass lasts forever ( which is why so many abandoned boats are lying around.

Looks like I'm gonna have to leave this one here. I can't afford to have someone haul it from Nashville to CA. But I've got an 80 year old uncle who is still alive keeping the bank from liquidating the trust my grandfather started who died in 1970. The banks and siblings have drained it down pretty good in 40 years but we each should get 15-16 thousand. Enough, if I shop right to get a well equipped boat in the 35-40 ft range

HAPPY SAILING! or Just a home of your own

[DeSwiss]

1. K&R

- Thanks matey!

[Catherina]

2. Rec'd. n/t

[mmonk]

3. I live in hurricane country.

[Wiley50]

4. Move to Rio Dulce, Guatemala, Best Hurricaine hole in the Carribean

Just go there boats and everything else is cheaper

[happyslug]

5. SSI, or Social Security?

SSI is Supplemental Security Income and unlike Social Security Disability, has asset limitations. SSI asset limits are as follows:
1 One Car, but only if needed to see a Doctor (In most of the US that is a given)
2. The home you are living in, which can be a boat, if you are truly living in it and SSA accepts it as your residence.
3. Household items, what you have in the house
4. $2000 in other assets, including any boat or homes you have other then your principal residence.

I mention this for people get SSI and Social Security Disability mixed up all the time. Both are administrated by the Social Security Administration, both use the same definition of disability, but Income taxes pays for SSI, Social Security taxes for Social Security and Social Security Disability. Different rules for different programs for people who are disabled.

[Bluenorthwest]

8. Thanks

I was going to do that.

[PJPhreak]

6. Double Post,Nt

[PJPhreak]

7. Ummm,

My S.O is Disabled and the idea of a Sailboat is just not within her abilitys,dealing with Sailboat specific maintenance would be WAY above her capabilities.She would not even be able to tyeoff correctly to compensate for the Tides,much less anything else Marine Related...God Forbid she had to move from Seattle to The Bainbridge Free Mooring Slips for example...But She can drive With the Best,VeeDubs to School Busses....Not a Problem!!

For the same cost one could buy a used RV and park it in a number of places that would offer the same services(Elect,Cable,Sewage,Internet). Lots of RVs are also Fiberglass skinned.

And Honestly,A Chrysler 440 is actually cheaper to maintain and rebuild than a Palmer Marine 440 (Basically the same engine)and finding a Bodyman/Mech/Tech to fix the damage of backing onto that tree is by far easier/cheaper than finding a Shipwright to fix a Hull after grounding it on those rocks!

I Know,I Know R.V's DRINK Gas,But since we are discussing slip living/campground living it seems that Neither one is gonna be Sailed/Driven so the costs of ownership are most likely near the same

Plus...An RV won't Sink!