To: Bally79 et.al., Living aboard in Baltimore

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Delaware Jim

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Oct 7, 2002
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10399
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303
Bally79 in Solomons asked what living aboard in Baltimore is like... after 50 hour + weeks in the current assignment, we been trying to winterize as fast as we can. Still have some plumbing to insulate and the genny engine to add AF to. Very windy here on Monday and 5" of snow yesterday... the real challenges are still to come... most all the comforts of home on this 50' Chris Craft Constellation - only a few hundred yards away from her "godfather"- the USS Constellation.

More later.

Delaware Jim
 
I don’t winterize, we have block heaters in the engines and from heating the living quarters it also stays fairly warm down there. My engine and generator rooms are under the galley and dining salon. We are aboard a 48 foot 1966 Chris Craft Roamer, we moved aboard this boat in May of 2005 and at time we were at Fort Washington, Maryland. Prior to that we have lived on a sailboat and houseboat, love living aboard.

The PO had lived aboard for 25 years and insulated everything really well, for a boat that is.

I know right where you are, was at Inner Harbor back in October 2006 with our daughter and grandsons. We took the youngest to the aquarium for his birthday.

I like the 50 foot Constellations, they have a great layout and should be a good boat for living aboard. A friend and I always talk about how you buy a boat for what you intend to use it for and that is a good one to liveaboard. I saw on Craigslist that there is one for sale in DC at the Gangplank Marina. It should sell easy since it is a liveaboard slip and those are hard to get for larger boats there.

If you have any questions send me an email and I will be glad to answer them.
 
Staying at the new Inner Harbor. Not as good as the old one. Water is available only in 55 gallon drum filled from a hose in the laundry room, Pump out is only by calling a portable agent. Nice docks, but lack the second entry and the security is non-existent.

Boat-safe heaters in engine room and under the master bed for the water tank. Heat pump still working as the water temp is 48 degrees. Will winterize that before the end of December.
 
Hi Captain Ed- We just spent our first night aboard at Inner Harbor Marina. Disappointed that the so called "winter water" was turned off already for the winter. They could have kept it running until after New Years Eve as a lot of people will be there for fireworks. We were told it would stay on and pumpout working at each slip until a really hard freeze occurs. We are not close to that yet. So now it seems that we all will be peeing into buckets in the middle of the night rather than the walk to bathrooms on dock. I guess this is luxury camping in very expensive boats.
 
quote:
Originally posted by plexi1

Hi Captain Ed- We just spent our first night aboard at Inner Harbor Marina. Disappointed that the so called "winter water" was turned off already for the winter. They could have kept it running until after New Years Eve as a lot of people will be there for fireworks. We were told it would stay on and pumpout working at each slip until a really hard freeze occurs. We are not close to that yet. So now it seems that we all will be peeing into buckets in the middle of the night rather than the walk to bathrooms on dock. I guess this is luxury camping in very expensive boats.

Click to expand...

Stop by sometime if teh ladder is down we are aboard.
"End Game" - right by the gate
 
I guess the buckets will be pretty full by the time I come down to the Baltimore Boat Show. You guys are better men then me to hang on this late in the season. Good luck and stay warm.
 
Hi gang!
Been offline for a few days with laptop issues. Yes, this Constellation does have a great plan and a lot of space. Over here, each dock have one faucet with "dripping" water available all winter. All I have to do is run a hose (about 250' unfortunately), but I do it about every week and a half. Water temp is still about 43, so heat pumps still working OK. Got piping insulated OK and on each. I considered block heaters, but trying a couple of heaters in the bilge and blocked off the air vents.

I installed a Purasan Hold n Treat system a couple of months ago, so the black water problem is solved... but I have to admit the pumpout boat did a good job last winter...

Stop by is you get an opportunity.

Delaware Jim
 
Living aboard in Maryland isn't too bad. We are on our 3rd season and love every minute of it, even during the cold months.
 
JANUARY 10 UPDATE:

The air temps were down to about 12* on Thursday and Friday mornings and the water temp is advertised on TV at 39* at Fort McHenry. Some ice on water surface for 2 days...Heat Pumps still working ok - using 2 16K units in lower and upper salon and a space heater in aft cabin (low setting - 850 watts). A single oil filled radiator in bilge maintinaing 55* - in short, everything pretty good! Over weekend was in upper 60's and had doors open for ventilation!

We're enjoying the heck out of our winter so far here!

Delaware Jim
 
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