Why Do Marinas Seem to Hate Liveaboards?

[mermaidserena]

it is an unsaid rule when your a liveaboard in an anchorage that people should keep their boat looking neat enough to go unnoticed. If us liveaboard's don't draw too much attention we can preserve our way of life

[h46le]

...that too many marinas don't want liveaboards because too many liveaboards don't know how to untie a cleat knot.

Three simple rules for liveaboards from someone who has spent more than a decade living aboard:

1. Pump out once a week, even if you claim only to do #2 ashore.

2. Don't monopolize the parking spot closest to the ramp. (Corillary: if there are 30 boats on your dock, and you figure that the choice spot ought to be yours more than once a week, take a math class.)

3. Never, never, never store your golf clubs, refrigerator, ficus tree, or anything porcelain on deck.

[SteveMH]

At Shilshole Bay Marina in Seattle they do allow some liveaboards. My personal observation is that most of the derelict boats at this marina are owned by day sailors. When management has been asked about these eyesores, their response has been "Oh, they pay their rent and don't ask for any services or use little in the way of utilities because they obviously never use their boat". So after considerable hassling and haranguing of liveabnoards at the marina (no, I am not one of them) they have stopped. Personally I think that it is advantageous to have liveaboards present. It seems to cut down on security problems and some boats have been saved from sinking at the dock by an observant liveaboard. Bad boat owners are bad boat owners regardless of their status.

[forsailbyowner]

We liveaboard and visit marinas pretty regularly about 2
days a month usually were also cruisers and get tired of an area after a couple of weeks and move on. Were well aquainted to what we call the dock rats who are living on floating pieces of junk, have no regard for those around them and mostly just no common sense as to how to get along in a small community. Keep your image such as you dont bring down the marina (blue poly tarps, junk everywhere etc.) dont do things that annoy your neighbors, and dont make petty complaints about your neighbors to the management. 3 golden rules that will serve you well. Since were cruisers and like to travel weve seen a wide variety of marinas from the snobby to the clean middle to the absolute dive whos docks arent even safe to walk on.
We'd be welcome back at any of them.

[sneuman]

Originally Posted by SteveMH

At Shilshole Bay Marina in Seattle they do allow some liveaboards. My personal observation is that most of the derelict boats at this marina are owned by day sailors. When management has been asked about these eyesores, their response has been "Oh, they pay their rent and don't ask for any services or use little in the way of utilities because they obviously never use their boat". So after considerable hassling and haranguing of liveabnoards at the marina (no, I am not one of them) they have stopped. Personally I think that it is advantageous to have liveaboards present. It seems to cut down on security problems and some boats have been saved from sinking at the dock by an observant liveaboard. Bad boat owners are bad boat owners regardless of their status.

I absolutely agree. I would say 40% of the boats didn't see their owners this season, and half of those haven't been touched since I've lived aboard (2 years now). One guy never leaves the slip, but the one time he does show up -- at the end of the season -- he places 3 or 4 hideous tarps all cockeyed over the boom. Frankly, it doesn't bother me much, but I could see where others would consider it an eyesore.

[exranger]

Hey Magic!! How's it going? Thought you were coming back up to the Bay this summer/fall?

[forsailbyowner]

Im up to my ears in work. Were in Stuart Fl now. Been stuck working on the same boat for a month now. Still have tentative plans for the bay, the canadians still are wanting a camperback for Devils Playground. Will email you and catch up on local news.

[trinescape]

Having been a live aboard before [2.5years]and seen other live aboards living like pigs with crap everywhere i can understand some marinas not wanting liveaboards but they do help with security . The club where i am now to be a live aboard it has to be approved by the commitee and there are guide lines that must be followed if they are not then they are asked to leave ,we are lucky at our club all our liveaboards are good people who do the right thing

[Mike Ryan]

I sold my home and I am thinking of living aboard after purchasing a boat. My issue is that most marinas seem to have the same cost as renting an apartment, even though your just tied up to a small dock space. Yes, I realize they have other services there also. I would like to live in South Florida but the hurricanes are a concern. South California seems to have very high marina rental rates. If your cruising, can you pull into marinas for one or two nights? I feel like I am just banging my head against a brick wall and making no progress. It would be nice if I could find a small piece of land on a canal or something at a low price, but I cant find that either. I have the savings to buy a boat and/or a small lot. I dont have enough savings to see it go down the drain paying $600 a month just to tie up somewhere. I dont have to be able to connect to utilities. Any ideas would be helpful, otherwise I am just stuck. Maybe I should look for cheap land on a large lake with a dock? I work at home and would like to sail as a hobbie later in life.

[beau]

We have found that the best way is to book in for a month or so, help out wherever you can, helping boats come in and tying other boats up etc. Keep your boat tidy and get to know the Marina staff.
Then ask to stay on longer.
Also it helps if you can rent directly from a marina berth owner not the marina management ( you can do this in Australia)

After seeing how some liveboards "live" I can understand why management does NOT want to turn there marina in a "trailer park"

[Boracay]

As an Eagles fan all I can suggest is to:-

Take it easy...

It sounds like you have only a small knowledge of boats and waterfront land so all this could be a big learning process.

My suggestion is to focus on getting a nice piece of land with some sort of shack on it. One of the old real estate rules used to be that the price of land with a shack was the same as without.

Don't rush into buying a boat. They really are holes in the water kept from sinking by the application of large numbers of thousand dollar bills. A nice piece of land may, over time, actually rise a little in value.

Once you have the land then start looking for the boat to suit. Monohulls need a fair depth of water to float and multis are probably over your budget at the moment.

[SteveMH]

Re: LOST

I agree with Boracy's post, invest in land even a waterfront recreational lot if you are not prepared or in a position to live aboard at the present. Get a nice used old 27 foot Catalina or so and experience life on the water and living in close quarters. Here is Seattle live aboard spaces are scarce with two and three year wait lists common place. At a local marina in my neighborhood which is a city run facility there are a minimal number of live aboard slips. My observation has been that the live aboard boats at this marina are kept clean and in good condition and the same cannot be said for some of the "day" users. There is a once long ago beautiful C&C 37XL next to the berth that friends of mine have that I would guess to be about a 1990 vintage boat. It is covered with mold and gull droppings to the point that the boat looks green and grey. In spite of complaints the marina does nothing about it as they say that the boat owner always pays the moorage. These same managers have from time to time harassed the live aboard community usually after the Department of Natural Resources has flexed its muscles. The live aboard community has organized and now retains legal counsel and management has assumed a more reasonable posture.

I guess my point is that there are good and bad boat owners and it dose not seem to be related to whether they are live aboard or not. Responsible people are responsible people and good neighbors. Personally I have given up the idea of being a live aboard in a marina. Loud drunks returning from a days outing I am guessing are usually not the live aboards. As you build your sailing kitty just take an extended one or two year trip and live primarily on the hook. At daily rates of $50 to $60 for a marina invest in a few more onboard creature comforts instead. Good luck.

[hasuehounds]

Originally Posted by Mike Ryan

I sold my home and I am thinking of living aboard after purchasing a boat. My issue is that most marinas seem to have the same cost as renting an apartment...

Mike,
Try North carolina, prices at most marinas are around $400 permonth, many include water and electric. Depends on the ammenities you wish. We lease a slip from may -nov (we cruise to bahamas and south the other months) and it runs around $400 monthly Plus electric is seperate.
Youll find marinas also in virginia, and maryland too that are reasonable prices, esp in delta ville
I belong to a list on the internet called liveaboard crusing (they have a magazine too) and it discusses marinas, what they offer and prices.
Also if you find an area you like you might want to purchase a slip, many of us have had one in the past, if your not cruising a sl ip is a good way to learn the ins and outs of marina life, and get you ready for living aboard as well

If you email me privately I can give you some marinas to try and some good resource books..

Fairwinds and calm seas

Kathleen
s/v Legacy
currently in route to the islands in vero beach

[Gordon b]

Hey Brent,
You are living my dream, but I'm right behind you. I recently launched my boat and plan to live aboard and mostly off the hook. I've been told I can't do that but that's what I heard when I started building her about 7 years ago, and I heard that when I decided to manage my own cancer treatments a couple of years ago. Nice to see someone else doing it, maybe we'll cross paths somewhere.
Gordon

[MrBillFLL]

nantucket this summer.... nuff said.