Philadelphia liveaboard questions

[Xtra_hoppy]

Originally Posted by spj8864

First of all ignore all of DeborahLee's comments. Philly can be a wonderful place to live. Keep in mind non of the marina's there allow full time live aboards! It does not mean they are not there, but technically it is not allowed. I will not mention which I prefer, but it is my winter home.



Parking is not a problem, as long as you follow the rules. The marina I am in, comes with a one spot in a gated lot. Not the closest lot, but a two minute walk from my boat.



Most of the time if I go out at night or the weekends, I use Uber. Then i do not have to worry about parking or if I want to have a drink or three.



There is a small store within walking distance, and several more within a short drive. Including an Acme, Shoprite and Walmart. Does DeborahLee really think the people in Philly do not grocery shop?



There are so many things to do in Philly, it makes it hard to choose what to do on any given day.



Let me know if you have specific questions I will be glad to answer them for you.



Pier 3 and Pier 5 are great, they provide water year round, but no pumpout in the winter, and no overboard discharge. Parking is available for a cost and a 4 minute walk.



Other then Dredge Harbor NJ not many brokers in the area.

I'll assume DeborahLees comments were well meaning, but these are not my real concerns. I lived in New Orleans for many years and enjoyed it immensely despite the poverty and high crime rate. I look forward to getting familiar with this part of Philadelphia and discovering new restaurants, etc. Already been to Monks cafe a few times for mussels and their impressive tap list.

Visited Pier 3/5. Met some very friendly boat owners their and came away feeling generally encouraged about the possibilities. Ideally dredging will happen soon but I don't think I'll count on that.

[Xtra_hoppy]

Originally Posted by rwidman

Most folks live near where they work. It's a difficult commute otherwise. So, I'm assuming the OP has chosen to live in Philadelphia because he works there or nearby.

Every town or city has places where sane people don't go, especially at night. My city just got off the "ten most dangerous cities" list a few years ago yet I've never actually seen any crime or been afraid of my safety. There is a high crime area and the rest of town.

My concern for living on a boat in Philly is that it gets cold in the winter. Someone mentioned water and pumpout services. Not having pumpout services for six months at a time could be a problem. Also, iced up docks could be pretty dangerous in the winter.

Other than that, I can't say anything about which marinas might be best for liveaboards. Best would be to visit the marinas if possible and talk to them.

Correct - living in Philadelphia I'll have a reasonable commute via train to work. My girlfriend will need to commute by car to her new job, but it shouldn't be bad. We're hoping to greatly reduce our dependence on driving and this scenario may even allow us to get rid of one of our vehicles.

From my visit to the area marinas, at least one has heat traced and insulated potable water lines. I'll have to ask around about how reliable water service is in the winter, but at least the attempt is made to keep it on year around.

Pump out will be a challenge. I'm thinking a composting head will help. And will certainly have to be cautious with icy docks and decks.

[ikebartlett]

peir 5 is great

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by Xtra_hoppy

............ Pump out will be a challenge. I'm thinking a composting head will help. .............. .

You can reduce your need for pumpouts by using the marina facilities as much as possible. You can rig a standard macerator pump to attach to your pumpout deck fitting and pump your holding tank into a portable tank which you can take to the marina facility and empty into the toilet.

Or find out what other boaters do in the winter and do the same.