Challenges of Living Off the Hook

[CDunc]

Cpt Force,

Is it you that had a slip at Aspasia marina in South Portland Maine summer of '07?

[Lexam]

LMAO. Thanks for the corrections that's why I put in the grain of ignorance. I couldn't remember if it was "Off the hook" referring to the docks looking like hooks maybe, or "On the hook" being the anchor. I took a 50/50 chance.

Thanks for the insight. I think I would agree with an earlier post. This would be easier if you did not have to work. But so many things would be easier then.

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by CDunc

Cpt Force,

Is it you that had a slip at Aspasia marina in South Portland Maine summer of '07?

No, I've taken moorings at CYC, Portland Yacht Services & Peak's Island, but no slips.

[PaddyoRiley]

We lived on the hook for about 7 months, spending the night at a dock a total of 3 times. It was really hard to replenish water and stores while living at anchor, sometimes we'd have to make 4 quarter mile trips in our rowing dinghy. However, we never had bug or rodent problems like so many dockside liveaboards experience.

Patrick

[Play Actor]

We've lived at anchor for 11 years now, up and down the east coast from the Chesapeake to the Bahamas and up the Gulf Coast of Florida. We've spent the last 7 years in the Eastern Caribbean, and can't even remember the last time we tied up to a dock. We catch rain wherever we've been, and can count on our fingers the times we've had to carry water in jugs. We do carry diesel in jugs because we like to prefilter it into the tank, but we use very little.

We are full time cruisers, though, so that may make a difference. We've ocassionally spent a few months working ashore in the states in different places, relying on the dinghy and public transportation.

It's a different life. We prefer it.

[boatman61]

The 'water thing' is no big deal really.. everytime you finish a jug... chuck it in the dinghy... when you go ashore.. fill em.. on average I hit shoreside at least twice a day when anchored... the beach... shopping... a walk... meet friends.. a couple every days a lot easier than a fortnightly mission of who knows how many jugs...
Waters usually available near the tie up/beaching areas so just top up before heading back.. pick your anchoring spots carefully and its a doodle..

[Wand]

Originally Posted by boatman61

The 'water thing' is no big deal really.. everytime you finish a jug... chuck it in the dinghy... when you go ashore..

Ditto. Take a couple of five litre containers each time and you'll never run out and never notice the load. Fuel the same. I'm not a liveaboard, that's true (couldn't cope without the shed ), but by estimation I'm sure boatman is right (this time ).

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by At sea

but by estimation I'm sure boatman is right (this time ).

Cheers mate... I'm hitting my average 1 outa 10 right... I'm happy... Don't worry

[feelsgood]

26 ft Sadler bilge keel in Spanish Ria at anchor FREE drop in to marina any day for 6 hrs for water do the shopping or laundry and back to anchor no problems no cost and al FREE. See size does matter.

[AnchorageGuy]

Originally Posted by feelsgood

26 ft Sadler bilge keel in Spanish Ria at anchor FREE drop in to marina any day for 6 hrs for water do the shopping or laundry and back to anchor no problems no cost and al FREE. See size does matter.

That may be so where you are located, but it will not be allowed in many, if not most other areas. Especially in the southeast US. Chuck

[feelsgood]

Originally Posted by Waterwayguy

That may be so where you are located, but it will not be allowed in many, if not most other areas. Especially in the southeast US. Chuck

WOW and I thought everybody wanted to live the good old US of A. NOT

[HappySeagull]

Originally Posted by Lexam

Reading the "Marinas Hate Livaboards" thread got me thinking. (remember take everything I say or ask with a big grain of ignorance). What are the challenges of living outside a Marina? And is there and option of having a private dock? (I would imagine this would be rather expensive).

I just like the idea of being able to move when ever I want, but I guess that's the dream.

The dinghy is the thing.It must suit.EVERYTHING goes in the dinghy.If you have big tides,it cannot be heavy because you need get it up or down the beach at low water.No motor or at least portable dolly given a smooth,hard beach... It need be tough.No inflatables.It need be "not too nice" but this is not enough protection in itself because the most common thieves are kids joyriding.It need be locked and you might consider having a spare including oars somewhere ....A friend with property ashore is a godsend.

This Liveaboard hates Marinas...why people pay for the racket and lack of privacy is beyond me except maybe very short-term.

As to moorings,many people hereabouts foul the anchorages with them.99% have no legal basis unless a boat is attached.If they are in my way,I ignore them or tie to them as a second anchor.They usually get abandoned (when the thrill is gone)and they are too much trouble to hoist and check so abandoned,they sink to the bottom,and snag a sailor's anchor ....They are litter.

[S/V Alchemy]

Jokes aside, between the security mania and the disdain for cruisers in many places, I find the U.S. to be less attractive as a cruising destination. This is not the case everywhere, of course...in fact it's somewhat irregular...but some cruisers of my acquaintance have written off Florida outside of the purposes of a day spent in one of the "boat junk" warehouses, and another spent loading half a ton of provisions into the boat. "Hanging out" seems expensive and discouraging in many areas.

I understand that the U.S. has the right to guard its borders as it sees fit, but it has to be accepted that in some cases, this is going to deter foreigners from visiting. I also understand that some liveaboards have not been great guests in certain locales, leading the residents to either ban them or to remove moorings or to raise rates very high. That too is a disincentive.

Around here (Lake Ontario), the process of visiting the south side of the lake has been made harder, and the USCG is more frequently boarding and inspecting Canadian boats. That's their right. But fewer people from my Toronto-based club want to bother with the charming small towns of "New York's North Coast", and reports continue to show that this is hurting these places economically.

[Wand]

Originally Posted by S/V Alchemy

Around here (Lake Ontario), the process of visiting the south side of the lake has been made harder, and the USCG is more frequently boarding and inspecting Canadian boats. That's their right. But fewer people from my Toronto-based club want to bother with the charming small towns of "New York's North Coast", and reports continue to show that this is hurting these places economically.

This is a bit of a drift but I've often wondered how it works across the lakes where the border runs down the middle. I know that in areas straddling the border regular land crossers can get a fast card or similar to expidite the process, but what about boaters? If you sail across the lake, can you anchor on the other side or even tie up somewhere for, say, a limited time without it being an issue? Or do you have to have organised the immigration stamps beforehand? I guess I'm asking whether there are immigration 'bylaws' that cover such weekender cross-lake cruisers or whether you'd get boarded and dragged away? (there's nothing comparable to instruct down here - sail out from here and next stop the antarctic)

[capnorv]

Originally Posted by doug86

exactly what I was thinking too.... perhaps the OP meant "off the grid", and to live off the grid by living "on the hook".

If you're not "on the dole", your phone won't "ring off the hook" and you can live "off the grid" by keeping your boat "on the hook"; i.e. at anchor.

BTW, what do people who live off the grid do on their day off?

If you set your alarm clock to go off at 6am, how come you turn if off again to make it stop ringing?

After five years living on our boat, we moved to our off grid cabin, and on our days off, we went to the boat. The good thing about an off grid cabin is, when we brought boys of color home and the neighbors turned us in for not getting building permits, the county's reaction was to turn our utilities off, but they weren't theirs to turn off. fyi