We are a family of 4 in Hong Kong. What would be the best liveaboard for a family? The idea is to use the yacht for week trips eventually building up to some long cruising, but it would also be our primary dwelling.

Any experiences and advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hi...can you tell us your previous boating experience and an approx budget and the age of the "Family"...it will help for some Quality advice??...your in a good spot to get good value for money.

Hi there. Family of 2 adults and a 3 year old and a 5 year old. Spent my life sailing dinghies and windsurfing etc but no offshore experience at all. The plan is to remain in Hong Kong for about 10 years I guess and then head off on long cruises. Thats the plan anyway. Looking forward to your advice.
Regards

Well if you have done some dingy sailing and windsurfing you can easily slot into a cruising yacht or trawler and while you live aboard and do short cruises learning about bigger boats you will have a ball....I always have "wish-lists" but reality hits home when the budgets kick in but one thing is for sure I don't think I would rush out and try to buy the ultimate boat as your first boat for long term/long distance cruising if you plan to be living Aboard full-time in Hong Kong for about 10 years first...with the two kids they will be 13-15 when you take off and may be looking for their own cabins.

For 10 years you will want some space to keep your sanity with pleanty of alongside features and I am not sure if you want to rough it?? but either way...go do the "marina walk" in Hong Kong and do some "tyre Kicking" ...looking at boats on the second hand market...Take your wife of coarse, as it is a team thing ...there are some absolute bargains around..but you will see all the different options that are around...get the speck sheet on every boat...you don't have to get too detailed on your inspections, but look at the engineering,electrical,in the bilges and lockers, mast rigging hatches and ports....them move onto the next one...checkout yachts and Trawlers...you will learn a lot and get the feel for a size and features that feel good even before you go to sea...but do not buy anything yet! Look over at least 15-20 boats even if you think they are not suitable.

Subscribe to Passage maker magazine and if you can afford it maybe a year or two of back issues....you will learn at lot...get onto the Yachtworld site and start dialing in some budgets/size in there search engines for sail and power boats...and read all about them..again you will learn alot.

If there is anyway of joining a yacht club in Hong Kong to so sail on someone elses boat do that too...you will learn alot.

Then Definitely Hop a ferry to the Seahorse Yard and check out the Ducks and also their 52 Fibreglass trawlers.

One thing for sure ..there is no such thing as the perfect boat..and everyone has different ideas...which I hope they will write about here...but for a 10 year live aboard I would be thinking, get a boat now that is a good Marina boat with ocasional cruising, simple,low maitinance,.. then about a year or so before you want to set off on your big cruise ...think about another boat...your ideas will probably change by then as to the best boat for the job anyway....10 years latter you will need a big refit as well...so go for a comfortable livaboard for the young family first and check out the second hand bargins if budget is an issue, if not go the Seahorse 462 or the 552 or their Glass Power 52...but then again I am Biased??

Good luck...it is a fun adventure and you will meet some great people along the way.

Thank you very much for the information. We have started looking around and are in no real rush to buy so will take your advice and head out with a checklist of sorts. I have just bought my first issue of Passage Maker, which has been enlightening.

I will certainly be back on the forum with loads more questions I am sure!