Advice for Living Aboard in UK

[boatman61]

Its all down to where the owner wants to be.. the closer to London the fuller the good marina's with all the services get..
If somewhere like Plymouth is okay head upriver and take up moorings or a possible berth at one of the small yards upstream.. if you've heating.
Spend the money saved on a cheap old banger with T&T and go exploring..

[Seymore]

Marinas Archive - Practical Boat Owner

On www.duckduckgo.com, search on UK Marinas

[AD 2]

Just a quick reply to all - thanks for the advice and suggestions. Our situation is that we have been living on our Morgan in Toronto for the last four years, which can get a bit cold in the winter!

Last summer we picked up a boat in England, it's a 1978 Tucker designed 36' steel ketch. I'm British, my wife is Canadian and we are planning to head back over there this year. Too many Canadian winters for me... So we're just trying to figure out our options.

I've heard various things, as you do - marinas are down on liveaboards because they're concerned that they will drag down the property values by littering the place with junk; councils are looking for council tax, and marinas don't want to have to deal with it, and so on. Also, we're not that familiar with the terminology, so 'trot mooring' goes right over our heads, as does 'alongside mooring'! Any translators out there?

Our new boat is in the water, at the moment, but that mooring is not going to be a liveaboard option for us. In terms of location, we're mostly looking for somewhere we have relatively easy access to the fleshpots of Europe.

Thanks again for the responses - we'll go through them with a nit comb, and we'll be back with more questions. Oh, here's one - does anyone have any experience with Sandwich Marina? We were kind of enchanted with the facilities they have listed on their website.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by AD 2

Just a quick reply to all - thanks for the advice and suggestions. Our situation is that we have been living on our Morgan in Toronto for the last four years, which can get a bit cold in the winter!

Last summer we picked up a boat in England, it's a 1978 Tucker designed 36' steel ketch. I'm British, my wife is Canadian and we are planning to head back over there this year. Too many Canadian winters for me... So we're just trying to figure out our options.

I've heard various things, as you do - marinas are down on liveaboards because they're concerned that they will drag down the property values by littering the place with junk; councils are looking for council tax, and marinas don't want to have to deal with it, and so on. Also, we're not that familiar with the terminology, so 'trot mooring' goes right over our heads, as does 'alongside mooring'! Any translators out there?

Our new boat is in the water, at the moment, but that mooring is not going to be a liveaboard option for us. In terms of location, we're mostly looking for somewhere we have relatively easy access to the fleshpots of Europe.

Thanks again for the responses - we'll go through them with a nit comb, and we'll be back with more questions. Oh, here's one - does anyone have any experience with Sandwich Marina? We were kind of enchanted with the facilities they have listed on their website.

just to clarify,a trot mooring is a chain swinging mooring generally supplied and maintained by the council ,port captain or yacht club
by along side I was referring to a tidal berth where the yacht dries out against a wharf or harbour wall between tides.

the yacht that I live on is 63ft and a berth in the marina would work out to around £12k a year.

all people using their yacht as their primary residence are liable for council tax in the uk,though many avoid it illegally,or are transient residents.

[ausnp84]

Originally Posted by atoll

all people using their yacht as their primary residence are liable for council tax in the uk,though many avoid it illegally,or are transient residents.

Both marinas I built the boat at were happy with liveaboards as we offered informal security.... All depends on the marina really, and how open you are with them. If you tell them you're transient and passing through on your boat (even if that takes a year or three), then you shouldn't have an issue.

n

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by atoll

just to clarify,a trot mooring is a chain swinging mooring generally supplied and maintained by the council ,port captain or yacht club. . . .

Umm, swinging and trot moorings are different. A "swinging" mooring is what you described -- an anchor on the bottom, chain to a buoy, strop to your boat. You "swing" around it in the tide.

A "trot" mooring is made up of a "trot" of moorings similar to the above, but you don't swing, because you moor fore and aft to them. The "trot" is the line of buoys. The anchors are often connected by a chain along the bottom (also called the "trot"), or a "bridging rope" between the risers to stabilize the distance between the buoys.

[conachair]

Originally Posted by ausnp84

Both marinas I built the boat at were happy with liveaboards as we offered informal security.... All depends on the marina really, and how open you are with them. If you tell them you're transient and passing through on your boat (even if that takes a year or three), then you shouldn't have an issue.

n

Agree, though in most you need to keep a little bit under the radar and using the marina office as a postal address can be a problem. Limehouse winter deal is different in that respect as you can get all your new ebay stuff delivered to the office. In St Kats it was not an option.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by conachair

Agree, though in most you need to keep a little bit under the radar and using the marina office as a postal address can be a problem. Limehouse winter deal is different in that respect as you can get all your new ebay stuff delivered to the office. In St Kats it was not an option.

My address was something like this..

Boatman61
s/v Spearfish, 46 D
Cobbs Quay Marina,
Poole, Dorset.
Post code.

As far as the Council is concerned if you claim unemployment/council tax rebate for example your boat will be inspected by them as to suitability for habitation.

[conachair]

Originally Posted by boatman61

My address was something like this..

Boatman61
s/v Spearfish, 46 D
Cobbs Quay Marina,
Poole, Dorset.
Post code.

As far as the Council is concerned if you claim unemployment/council tax rebate for example your boat will be inspected by them as to suitability for habitation.

How long ago was that? Past few years some marinas I've been in seem to be a bit more cautious than in the past.
There does seem to be no real consistency. It all kicked off in Brighton a few years ago with the council coming after tax, apparently after someone at the marina gave them a list of boats with liveaboards. Seems to have calmed down since. After over a decade onboard, some unfortunately in Northern Europe/UK ( ) . I've found the best plan is to keep your head down, pay instantly and keep the boat looking like it might actually be able to sail within an hour or so Never had a problem, there are even a few boatyards hidden away where you can live on the hard.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by conachair

How long ago was that? Past few years some marinas I've been in seem to be a bit more cautious than in the past.
There does seem to be no real consistency. It all kicked off in Brighton a few years ago with the council coming after tax, apparently after someone at the marina gave them a list of boats with liveaboards. Seems to have calmed down since. After over a decade onboard, some unfortunately in Northern Europe/UK ( ) . I've found the best plan is to keep your head down, pay instantly and keep the boat looking like it might actually be able to sail within an hour or so Never had a problem, there are even a few boatyards hidden away where you can live on the hard.

This was in the early 90's for about 3yrs when I worked full time in winters servicing a large proportion of the moorings in Poole harbour and part time summers as bosun at Lilliput YS... lived on a Virgo Voyager 23 Cobbs Quay winters.. swinging mooring at Lilliput in summer.
Getting their heads (councils) wrapped around the 'liveaboard' is the task.. but a visit by an inspector and you can show its more sophisticated than a cardboard box all is good.
Winters everyone gets lifted out and the marina's are greedy to let any/all the empty berths.. so end of Sept to April 1st is a pretty sure time to get a berth.. after that the locals get floated and 'No Liveaboards' again.
Tho'.. if one is discreet it can be done..

[ausnp84]

Originally Posted by conachair

I've found the best plan is to keep your head down, pay instantly and keep the boat looking like it might actually be able to sail within an hour or so Never had a problem, there are even a few boatyards hidden away where you can live on the hard.

Agreed - hanging acres of washing out on your lines and having sh*t all over the deck generally doesn't go down well. Still, we had well over 500 packages delivered to us at both our boatyards (who knew a boat build needed so many "bits"????) and there was never a problem. But yep, if you get state assistance and address it to yourself at the boatyard, the council is going to come knocking....

n

[Zven]

Regarding having an address, there are plenty of companies in London that will be happy to set up a mail box for you, and receive parcels etc. Then you just go there to collect whenever you wish. Prices start around 100 pounds per year.

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[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Zven

Regarding having an address, there are plenty of companies in London that will be happy to set up a mail box for you, and receive parcels etc. Then you just go there to collect whenever you wish. Prices start around 100 pounds per year.

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I've had no problem using a marina as my only UK address -- even a marina where I don't have a berth (just a dinghy berth). I am, however, not a resident for tax or other purposes. Could be different in that case.

[boatman61]

If you are a foreigner/non-EU then council tax etc is not going to effect you as a live-aboard as your passport/visa marks you a transient.
If however you are UK/EU then just register with all the relevant Gov agencies as you would a mud dwelling.. its comes under the same category as Caravan Parks/Houseboats/canal boats... pay your dues your left alone..

[Zven]

Originally Posted by boatman61

If you are a foreigner/non-EU then council tax etc is not going to effect you as a live-aboard as your passport/visa marks you a transient.

I think that should be "IF your passport/visa marks you a transient"...


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