Liveaboard Marinas around Chesapeake Bay (Baltimore or Annapolis Area)

[FutureStories]

Originally Posted by pickpaul

Check out the Anchorage welcome committee! We're a friendly bunch :-)

Does anchorage allow AirB&B? Was looking at slip prices and it seems like a no brainer to buy a slip. And is the 500 quarterly for everyone. Or just renters. The website was unclear.

[pickpaul]

Originally Posted by FutureStories

Does anchorage allow AirB&B? Was looking at slip prices and it seems like a no brainer to buy a slip. And is the 500 quarterly for everyone. Or just renters. The website was unclear.

Strictly no AirBnB so no opportunity there. It's not $500, there is a liveaboard fee of $100 per month for renters only. Slip owners pay coop dues that are billed quarterly which varies by slip length. My 35ft slip is $450 per quarter + min electric of $40. Hope that clarifies things.

[FutureStories]

Originally Posted by pickpaul

Strictly no AirBnB so no opportunity there. It's not $500, there is a liveaboard fee of $100 per month for renters only. Slip owners pay coop dues that are billed quarterly which varies by slip length. My 35ft slip is $450 per quarter + min electric of $40. Hope that clarifies things.

Yup. Was a little confused based off their site. I wanted to make sure I was reading it correctly

[Pendragon35]

PIckpaul is right, I was just giving numbers from memory and assuming buying a slip. We own a 40' slip, there is the coop fee (about $450) and the electric. I know that liveaboards pay an additional fee, not sure what it is for slip owners.

My suggestion would be to call the office, there has been a big transition in management at Anchorage, I'm sure the website is lagging policy.

[pickpaul]

Originally Posted by Pendragon35

PIckpaul is right, I was just giving numbers from memory and assuming buying a slip. We own a 40' slip, there is the coop fee (about $450) and the electric. I know that liveaboards pay an additional fee, not sure what it is for slip owners.

My suggestion would be to call the office, there has been a big transition in management at Anchorage, I'm sure the website is lagging policy.

To be clear there is no liveaboard fee for owners, just for renters.

[Pendragon35]

Originally Posted by pickpaul

To be clear there is no liveaboard fee for owners, just for renters.

Good to know! who knows when I can fulfill the fantasy of moving aboard Pendragon? lol

[ardoin]

I was at Eastport Yacht Center. Nice location and the price is not that bad. Floating dock is usually booked up for a year or more. It is also a working marina with a really nice bathhouse.

[brazerbramon]

Awesome discussion. I am new to liveaboard lifestyle and planning on being in Annapolis during the winter. Anything I need to know before making the journey to live on a boat in the water in the middle of winter?

[RickG]

Originally Posted by brazerbramon

Awesome discussion. I am new to liveaboard lifestyle and planning on being in Annapolis during the winter. Anything I need to know before making the journey to live on a boat in the water in the middle of winter?

We had a rough winter last year on the Cheseapeake. If you are going to liveaboard in the winter, a good book to read is Mark Nicholas's 'The Essentials of Living Aboard a Boat'. He is a Boston liveaboard. Pay special attention to insulation, heating systems, humidity control, winterining, bubblers and safety on icy docks.

This winter was our first aboard and we moved the boat to Charleston, SC. The water stayed warm enough that our reverse cycle heaters worked most of the time with the aid of a oil radiator and an (awesome) EcoSeb dessicant dehumidifer. Still, we had ice covered docks and water shutoffs during the coldest periods.

Good luck and don't let the details scare you. We reduced our expenses by 75% by moving aboard.

Cheers, RickG

[brazerbramon]

Originally Posted by RickG

We had a rough winter last year on the Cheseapeake. If you are going to liveaboard in the winter, a good book to read is Mark Nicholas's 'The Essentials of Living Aboard a Boat'. He is a Boston liveaboard. Pay special attention to insulation, heating systems, humidity control, winterining, bubblers and safety on icy docks.

This winter was our first aboard and we moved the boat to Charleston, SC. The water stayed warm enough that our reverse cycle heaters worked most of the time with the aid of a oil radiator and an (awesome) EcoSeb dessicant dehumidifer. Still, we had ice covered docks and water shutoffs during the coldest periods.

Good luck and don't let the details scare you. We reduced our expenses by 75% by moving aboard.

Cheers, RickG

Thanks RickG. I will check out that book now. And great advice. I am in Charleston now, looks like we are on reverse life paths.. Ha.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by brazerbramon

Awesome discussion. I am new to liveaboard lifestyle and planning on being in Annapolis during the winter. Anything I need to know before making the journey to live on a boat in the water in the middle of winter?

The short version is that you need to solve winter water, winter heat, winter pump-outs... and you'll likely need a de-icer, a snow shovel, and a broom at least once over a typical winter around here.

And if you intend to rely largely on marina shower/head facilities, you should expect some occasional slippery docks.

Assuming you'll be in a marina, pick a good one.

Originally Posted by brazerbramon

Thanks RickG. I will check out that book now. And great advice. I am in Charleston now, looks like we are on reverse life paths.. Ha.

We spent last winter aboard in Charleston; it was easier, there.



-Chris

[Suijin]

Originally Posted by brazerbramon

Awesome discussion. I am new to liveaboard lifestyle and planning on being in Annapolis during the winter. Anything I need to know before making the journey to live on a boat in the water in the middle of winter?

1. Don’t fall in the water. No joke. It’s cold, there is no one around to help you, and it’s easier than you think. Wood docks with skim ice are deceptively treacherous, and after an ice storm they can be downright lethal. I had days where I did not step off my boat, even with crampons, because it was just not worth the risk. Seems like at least one liveaboard in the area buys the farm each year from falling in.

2. If you can afford it, have your boat shrink wrapped with clear plastic. Makes it much warmer, cuts down on condensation in the boat, don’t have to shovel snow off the boat, and protects the deck from the ravages of snow and ice freezing and thawing.

3. You’ll put some electric heaters on your boat even if you have a heat pump or diesel. If you plug them in in your boat be damn sure your AC wiring is up to it. Better yet, plug them in with oversized extension cords to the dock pylon, and check the plugs frequently for signs of trouble.

4. Enjoy it. The creeks in Annapolis are empty in winter except for wildlife. You’ll have flocks of buffleheads buzzing about your boat, a duck most Annapolians have probably never even seen. It’s cool.

[brazerbramon]

Originally Posted by ranger42c

The short version is that you need to solve winter water, winter heat, winter pump-outs... and you'll likely need a de-icer, a snow shovel, and a broom at least once over a typical winter around here.

And if you intend to rely largely on marina shower/head facilities, you should expect some occasional slippery docks.

Assuming you'll be in a marina, pick a good one.

-Chris

I will be in a marina, hoping to find a great one. I'm reaching out to them now. Any suggestions? Are there quite a few people living on their boats throughout winter? Might be a dumb question, but does the water ever freeze?

[RickG]

Originally Posted by brazerbramon

I will be in a marina, hoping to find a great one. I'm reaching out to them now. Any suggestions? Are there quite a few people living on their boats throughout winter? Might be a dumb question, but does the water ever freeze?

Water freezes, you may see very low water, marina may have water turned off (jug water), you will likely need to winterize your head/holding tanks, sinks, thruhulls in general.

Cheers, RickG

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by brazerbramon

I will be in a marina, hoping to find a great one. I'm reaching out to them now. Any suggestions? Are there quite a few people living on their boats throughout winter? Might be a dumb question, but does the water ever freeze?

Not dumb at all... and yes, sometimes. Hence a de-icer.

Don't know how many folks live aboard in winter around here.

I don't have any current recommendations, but you can look at ActiveCaptain for ideas, reviews, etc... and then basic questions when you're talking to the marinas would be about first, whether they allow liveaboards... and then if so, about periodic holding tank pump-outs, winter water availability, whether electricity is included or metered (you'll probably take whatever you can get, depending on the other factors), parking, etc.

Whether you have to fully or partially winterize depends on some of those answer. For example, if you have the pump-outs solved IN SLIP, then you can likely winterize your main engine(s). Probably the generator, too, if you have some... with the understanding that you may have to unwinterize that temporarily if the marina loses power for an extended period of time.

Will you be working? Got a commute to consider, too?

-Chris