Winter living on R-23

G

gwen

Member
Joined
Aug 2, 2024
Messages
7
Fluid Motion Model
R-23 (Outboard)
Hi,
I live in Massachusetts and I have my R-23 at a marina in RI for the summer. Is it possible to live on this boat over the winter on the trailer? I have a new Venture.

I'm thinking living on it kind of like an RV, that you just park somewhere.

Noob here.

Thx!
 
I don’t see why not, would be better than living out of a car or a cardboard box under the rail-road bridge! I would consider shorePower, water and sanitation hook up.
A R-23 would not be my first choice for living off-grid but with a little ingenuity could be doable! Good luck Bob
 
bob daily said:
I don’t see why not, would be better than living out of a car or a cardboard box under the rail-road bridge! I would consider shorePower, water and sanitation hook up.
A R-23 would not be my first choice for living off-grid but with a little ingenuity could be doable! Good luck Bob
Click to expand...
Thank you Bob! I absolutely love the living space, it's perfect for me.
 
It’s the same as spending a cold winter in a very small travel trailer. With one important exception.
You will need A/C electricity to keep everything in the boat above freezing so you don’t burst your inside the boat water plumping and pumps. You will need a fresh water supply to the boat that won’t freeze before it gets to the boat.
And, here’s the exception, you will need a way to pump out or otherwise dispose of the contents of the small black water tank on a regular basis.
Travel trailers typically have both gray and black water tanks. And connections to make discharge relatively easy. Your boat does not have those easy discharge/disposal fillings.
Good luck!
 
You will also need heat and the boats aren't insulated, and that will keep a heater running full time and it will probably have to be bigger than a 2000-watt heater.
 
I have no experience with the R23. I have owned a 2012 R27 for eight years.

If your R23 is like my R27, the problem I see with trying to live on the boat in the winter is that there is no insulation in the boat whatsoever and air gap leaks galore. Consequently, whatever you use for heat will run nearly constantly to maintain a comfortable temperature. It’s very much like a car in that respect. What happens when you shut off your car in winter cold? The interior gets cold, fast. Your boat will be exactly like that.

Condensation inside the cabin will be a constant problem. Remember what happens in your occupied car in cold weather with the engine shut off? The windows steam up. The same will happen in your boat, except worse. The warm moist cabin air rising to the uninsulated glass of the overhead hatches will condense and then drip back down. This will happen CONSTANTLY whenever the boat is occupied.

You also need to think about how you will get water to the boat. If you are going to use a hose, whatever spigot you use will have to be frost-free. And during periods of below freezing temperatures, the hose will have to be drained after every use. And if severe cold weather hits and there is a power outage, your boat plumbing will suffer catastrophic freeze damage unless you have a back-up generator capable of powering whatever you use for heat.

Are you also going to take care of personal hygiene in the boat? If so, that 22 gallon fresh water tank will need constant refilling. The 11 gallon waste holding tank will need to be pumped out every few days.

As cozy as your boat seems now, it won’t be in the dead of a Massachusetts winter.
 
Thank you so much for responding!
 
ive lived on our 28 through a winter. (2 people)
some tips from memory
we used marina showers and not the onboard shower
watch the shore power connection if you are running electric heat. easy to corrode the standard plug/socket with continual high power draw
electric heat was better than the diesel heater long term but as non insulated it will draw a bunch of power.
get good wifi 🙂 starlink unlimited would be my choice
get good bedding
finding a good seat to relax in inside is difficult.
a 23 does seem cramped but doable
 
Cutwater28GG said:
ive lived on our 28 through a winter. (2 people)

we used marina showers and not the onboard shower
Click to expand...
Was the water to the docks on all winter while you lived on the boat? I own a slip at a marina on the Ohio River near Louisville, Kentucky. The water to the docks is shut off and the system winterized from mid-November to mid-April. Same for the showers.

From what the original poster wrote, their intention is to live on the boat while it is on a trailer and not in the water at a marina. I have “boaterhomed” a fair amount on multi-day tow trips so I have experience staying on the boat while it is on a trailer. In temperate weather, it works great. In cold weather, not so much. That’s how I know about the overhead hatch condensation issue. I’ve also experienced overhead hatch condensation on some cold nights with the boat in the water. I can’t imagine living on the boat for months during the winter while on a trailer.
 
Condensation can be easily controlled by air flow, either leave a window cracked open or a fan. A good sleeping bag designed for below freezing temperatures would also be ideal. I would winterize the water system and use bottle or jugs for water. If you are by yourself and not making some princess comfortable you don’t need the temptation up to 75-80 degrees!
Any good sporting store that caters to hunters and backcountry enthusiasts will have the supplies needed.
I have spent many nights/weeks in a wall-tent with temperatures below zero and 2-3 ft of snow on the ground, I also stay on my R-21 in the state park during November and December for my crabbing trips and have got up to freezing temperatures.
Though your ideal is not the best situation for most, but the money you’ll save should warm your spirits and keep you determined
Good luck and keep us posted especially about how much money you’re saving!
Bob
 
water is left on in the PNW all year, except for a few days
 
Cutwater28GG said:
water is left on in the PNW all year, except for a few days
Click to expand...

Just about every marina in the Midwest and the Northeast U.S. has water shut off and the system winterized from late fall to early spring.
 
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