Low-rent liveaboard life in high-rent San Francisco Bay

[maliceacabs]

Damn this is the shizzle!!

[IIITVDANIELIII]

that boat is wierd...

[stackoleebillylions]

A barely functional boat and a Robert Earl Keen wanna be.

[420timetoburn]

it's a roof over his head. What more do you need? he's happy.

[srslycurious]

@plushsafeshethink I feel you. It's getting rougher out there. Just work another job and get a roommate. I had to do that. You have to do what you have to do to survive.

[SuperAriade]

what type of boat is it.. its beautiful

[alanalee2005]

I wanna buy and live in a boat!

[tomperanteau]

@alanalee2005 It's WAY more possible than you think.

[notoriousnews]

This would have been a cool place to live if it was occupied by a true minimalist and not this redneck, wannabe folk singer. This looks more like an episode of hoarders.

[tomperanteau]

@notoriousnews So how does it feel to be a judgmental prick?

[srslycurious]

@notoriousnews "a true minimalist" - you mean some upper middle class vegan Buddhist who lives off their trust fund? lol.

[WildeWizenheimer]

I lived as am anchor out in 80' some of the best times of my life! Who cares if people look in!!! Funniest problem I had was when the tide went out one early morning (first day of a new job in nursing whites) left me stranded in the mud..took two 5 gal buckets put them on like shoes and mucked my way to shore..good times.. good times!!

[timmyfung01]

I like the house, but there are a few problems in it, first the boat house will get really shaky on a windy day, second, there is no cover in the window, people could just stare in. but overall, it is a nice house.

[Tailss1]

how is the condition of the hull? Would suck to come home to find your house at the bottom of the bay :(

[clambetae]

This is life !

[smyeisright]

those "occupy" protesters should look to this guy for advice. " i own a home now, otherwise i would be , 40, 50 years down the line paying off some loan"

[UtotBoomTae]

sorry but that's a bit scary to live in especially if there are possible earthquakes and tsunamis :/

[sn9696]

@UtotBoomTae ,LOL... Are you serious ??

[emerald807]

He's really butchered a piece of floating art.

[heaviside1618]

@Imtoostudlyforlife Canada is like the China next door--the economy is better because of the intentionally devalued dollar. Just wait to see what the perpetually conservative government does when the other shoe drops.

[TheBomiheko]

@heaviside1618 Wtf are you talking about. The canadian dollar is on par with the american dollar. How is that devaluing? More like over valuing. Get your facts straight. It was the liberal government that intentionally devalued the dollar. Liberals caused more harm than good, good riddance! Thank god for conservatives.

[heaviside1618]

@TheBomiheko Don't worry, sheep are stupid, you're normal. As the U.S. prints dollars day and night, Canada must also print dollars day and night to keep the CND on par with the USD. If they don't, things Canada sells will be too expensive for Americans to buy which would cause massive unemployment. Same with the Chinese Yuan or RMB or whatever the hell they call it. You didn't notice the housing bubble in Canada? You like MSM, don't you?

[takenoprisoner42]

I can't live in a boat, I'd be throwing up everywhere

[ciaran6o4]

@ArmaniDemon u must be one of those hippies at occupy wallstreet. get a better education = more money

[viskitjarommit]

@ciaran6o4 Take your moldy mind and getahelloutofmy YT.

[koya25555]

I'm sure he'll never worry about water leaks!

[missfatalefemme]

What are the slip fees, water, hydro and septic costs?

[MurCurieux]

Well played sir 4:47 :-)

[SqueesitPlease]

@MurCurieux Shit son you kiboshed that timing. His annal confession starts at 4:45

[ElfSponge]

So I notice a lack of blinds o_O

[Assimilate71]

Who the fuck was complaining... he seems happy for what he has. And a fine looking lady to boot.

[ciaran6o4]

get a better job. stop complaining. fuckn hippies

[TheCagedTiger]

@ciaran6o4

They're not complaining, they're obviously pleased with these living accomodations.

[aceshigh8881]

what if it springs a leak? Have you checked it lately? It's sinking as you drink beer

[Faulkner18FTW]

That's awesome! Really. I'm in a house, and I'm jelous! That looks SOOO comfortable!

[fahdmasud]

wanna know why ?? coz the rent is too damn high !!!

[sorry09]

@fahdmasud no shit, sherlock!

[murmurp]

wait until a big storm comes

[coopmuch56]

4:46 Thats what she said

[Z3N17H1U5]

when waterworld happens, he will be laughing

[Abyssmalvideos]

How does he steer it?

[counterclockwise123]

@Abyssmalvideos he doesnt

[diduhear]

To those of us living in a one room apartment with another person its quite roomy

[bumsukify]

oh i thought you were his wife

[TheVietNation]

What happens when winter comes around? Does the water ever freeze over? If there is snow, does it affect you or your home in anyway? Other then that I think he lives in a pretty cool home, and best of wishes go out to him.

[BeerTimeGaming]

@TheVietNation I don't think it gets very cold in that part of California. Certainly not cold enough to freeze ocean water.

[NealanB]

I'M ON A BOAT

[huhjustin]

Im curious. this guy lives in cali yet hes wearing a coat?

[FullMettle]

@huhjustin it was a frigidly cold 78 degrees that day, poor guy, XD

[Mehtaphorical]

@huhjustin I find San Francisco to be a very chilly city. It doesn't get freezing, but even in July you want to wear a sweater, the ocean breezes keep the city quite chilly.

[pearlzenith]

@huhjustin It's northern Cali and he's on the bay. The winds there aren't the warmest, so yeah, wearing a coat is a good plan.

[WildeWizenheimer]

@huhjustin The coldest winter i ever knew was a summer in San Francisco..i forget who said that..Hemmingway??

[counterclockwise123]

Awesome, but I could only live in a space that small by myself.

[noobertoober1]

Cozy :)

[plattawabbe]

It looks a lot bigger than my bachelor apartment, and they have two people in it. The high ceiling really allowed them to practically double the space, very nice. I wouldn't like to see how it gets in a big storm though, isn't it the point of shelter to not shake along with the elements?

[Jex134]

Housing in my city is woefully expensive & hard to find---but empty lots are cheap.

For that reason I turned a shipping container into a small house, and got a small empty lot to put it on. Its actually bigger than any apartment I've lived in---if I didn't make each room so big I could have slipped in a spare bedroom for rent / family. $3500 for a used shipping container, $4,600 for a lot, and about $2500 on materials to turn the container into a house.

$10,000 for a 1000sq/ft house = win.

[scooter540360]

4:47 That's what she said! :p

[TheBigNickDigger]

Seems nice but I think I would get seasick

[aierce]

this guy can't sing

[MrOscRib]

I wonder if they ever leave that spot with the boat, and what happens when the weather gets rough, how hard or easy is it to deal with. It would be neat to meet him and ask him questions

[novalcrusade]

y r u trending

[superhooyooman]

it is coOoOoL

[SuperWadesworld]

It would work in Canada in wadesworld hahaha that's me bud..wade. hey I have a house boat too. well it's my camp / studio /house boat. I love what you got there I could l live in that and like it lol

[jfarrell85]

@SuperWadesworld Doesn't look like it would be very warm when its -20C out side.

[gordo250r]

Well this kinda year round living would NOT work in canada.. lol

[Jex134]

@gordo250r A houseboat would be tough to work through Canadian winters, but another form of very cheap housing is remodeled shipping containers. I myself live in one I bought & renovated into a small house a few years ago. Its about 1000 sq/ft, bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, living room, dining area, and two closets (if I didn't make each room so big I could have had 2 bedrooms) all for just shy of $10,000 for all materials & the empty lot. Warm enough to keep me cozy through these Winnipeg winters

[gilo1223]

I would actually live there.

[jklfds85]

Not gonna be fun if there ever will be an earthquake or tsunami in SF!

[1412Bunny]

Cool house. Hate the singing though.

[Wad9591]

Cool digs man. Your chick has GREAT tits too!!!

[daydreamidealist]

Thanks!

[cestoblique]

What happens to the idyll if there's a hurricane or tsunami?

[anuraggosain]

@cestoblique the chances of hurricane or tsunami in california pacific coast is less than earthquake in california.

[memtp]

That is the coolest thing! I admire the space and the lifestyle....

[SpaceHeadMonkey]

To many of us living in the over-crowded, expensive UK this guy's boat looks luxuriantly spacious. 

[kirstendirksen]

@SpaceHeadMonkey Hm. It's less than a fifth the size of the average American home. Yeah, it does feel spacious inside. High ceilings and views help too.

[daydreamidealist]

Who is this guy? I love the songs!

[kirstendirksen]

@daydreamidealist I added a link to Fiver's music in the text (to his myspace page). He's a singer/songerwriter with a band as well.

[esbonkansas]

I miss northern California a lot. But it is so incredibly expensive and that's why I purchased a home for a fraction of the price in Esbon Kansas. I am on Tripping and will be hosting travelers in 2012. I purchased a 3 bedroom home and an acre of land for around $20,000. Way far from civilization but this little village is a nice getaway from city life. I would like to see more innovation in the homes around here like solar panels and turbines but everything is about 10years behind around here.

[autumdiver]

Anybody know how much he paid for the boat?

[creapah]

It would be so cool to live on the sea, i always thought of a way to build a floating platform that can be extended maybe into a small town to walk on, maybe it would help the over population and give ideas to make cities on the water, it could be possible if you are even allowed to do so, Ofcourse there will be comments like "thats dumb what if it floats away, or sinks or what about natural disasters?!" yeah right, if you think ahead, everything can be preventive.

[ajfscorpio]

Really great video Kirsten, thank you. Fiver has a great home ... and voice! I'm in the UK and really enjoy your Channel and vids. I'm an advocate of Voluntary Simplicity and Simple Living so your vids are always inspiring. Keep up the good work please.

[dalehoppert]

Your home is amazingly clever and I am quite jealous. The others are right though... no one should see this as a template for moving to the SF Bay area but rather as an example what's possible in a small and unusually shaped space in a non-traditional setting with recovered materials. The WHERE is your own thing... and the world is SLOWLY becoming more accomodating, often out of necessity, of these sorts of living arrangements.

[rorogarion1]

i'm glad you report on these different living situations. I'm also glad that other posters add more info to the story about what the true expenses are and "grandfather" clauses, etc.

you make sense in that it's "possible" to do this in a place where berth space is not a hot commodity. I wonder whether crime is a consideration.

[DivineNewsNetwork]

God bless. Your free...

[TinyHouseTalk]

Wow this is so unique and awesome

[gdrewpowers]

What about his waste water? Does it just discharges into the bay?

[kirstendirksen]

@gdrewpowers They are hooked up to the city's sewer system (as well as power grid) so there is no discharge into the bay.

One thing I wasn't able to edit into the video is the fact that the community Fiver lives in is a cooperative. So he did have to pay to buy into it, but the cooperative also has worked with the city over the years to negotiate their right to live there, as well as things like sewage and power. They also have community bathrooms and laundry (and even a clothesline).

[juniper30]

You say "only 13 feet by 37 feet (481 square feet)" like it's a bad thing! This would be AWESOME! :)

[wisyakman]

I would love to see a story on modern earthships

[Sassymarkrep]

I'm always intrigued at how people live. This was interesting.

[TheGhostGorilla]

If he wanted to move it would he need it to be pulled or does it have a motor?

[newbutthunt]

eww..looks like it smells in there.

[heomak]

watching this makes me wanna buy a boat.lol.

[romeox600]

hippies

[Moonessence1]

@romeox600 Damn Skippy! :)

[dobe762]

health and truth ... live and be content ;-)

[Malegnius]

This home could be SO nice if he'd de-clutter his life and use some nicer items :))

[nagaempress]

Oh Kristen, thank you for bringing these glimpses into the lives of others. They are inspirations:)

[nagaempress]

I knew someone that lived there. She was a real cool lady. The people who can live like this are unique :)

[SnuggleBear1970]

I thought California was getting rid of live aboards. I want to live aboard.

[rriverstone1]

so, like what IS the rent for dock space, and who is that woman?

[SnuggleBear1970]

@rriverstone1 I don't know about his situation but I can tell you when I was a live aboard I paid $8 to $10 a foot. Since I had a 27 foot sloop my rent was $270 a month including water and electricity.

[tomperanteau]

Precisely why we chose the live aboard lifestyle.

[Hossified]

This small houses are very interesting. You really don't have to live without the normal things today either. You could still have your modern items while taking up minimum space.

[krl8814]

There

[krl8814]

This is bs if he sold this boat an birth space he would sell it for around 200k. this was grandfatherd in you could not do this now . good vid an story but people think its easy to do this but now is almost impossible

[johnnnyreb51]

@krl8814 lol lots better then 2mil.

[kirstendirksen]

@krl8814 You're right, he was lucky to get this spot. But I couldn't resist doing this story when I walked by and saw his small space. Most people aren't used to living in 480 sq ft and I like seeing how even something relatively small can look so desirable. And as a concept, this could be replicable at a lower cost in other locations where there isn't the demand for berth space.

[monkeysize]

@kirstendirksen 480sqft is far more than any human requires to live. I'll live my whole life and never understand why this pathetic society finds it such a difficult concept to understand.

[LovelyHerbanRenewal]

this is really cool. Ive seen a website where you can rent out houseboats while you are on vacation. Kristen you do such a great job of reminding us that there are many ways to live simply if we just think outside of the box.