Desperately Seeking Winter Liveaboard Rental

[seaglassartista]

I am looking to rent a live aboard almost anywhere in Florida, maybe Georgia, or Caribbean for any or all 3 months, January thru March 2016.
I need a vessel with a full head and kitchen, preferably walking or bussing distance to supermarket and a downtown area. I live car free and would like to continue to do so.
I'm a very responsible, recently retired educator/artist. Can give great references. Looking for marina/area with community vibe (no I don't mean nightly drunken bashes).
Thanks so much for any leads you can send me, i.e. possible rentals, websites to search, other classifieds to check out, et. Al.
Hope your day is surrounded by sparkling light on the water.

[JMK]

There have been some other discussions here about the same concept. What you're looking for would be great, but very few owners are willing to rent out their boat for somebody else to liveaboard.

One option to consider is that there are many, many boats for sale, and for three months you can live in a pretty small, inexpensive boat which would allow you to explore the lifestyle. I once spent six months living aboard in the Keys on a 24' trailerable sailboat and had all the room I needed. A small boat can be stored easily on the hard if the other part of the year you are living somewhere else, and if you go trailerable you can easily change your winter locations.

Good luck,
J.M.

[Greenhand]

Part of the problem is that you are seeking to use someone's boat during peak use season.

What you are looking for is going to be gray market: owners are getting into odd territory with both insurance and marina regulations. That being said, check out the normal gray market sites, like craigslist (maybe even post a wanted ad - perhaps an owner who hadn't thought of it will be looking through), or boatbound.co, which is the airbnb of boats. Someone may be willing to offer you their boat for the season at a reduced rate, so that they don't have to worry about multiple rentals to make what they hoped. If you just want a place to stay, rather than actually taking the boat out, you might even try airbnb.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, seaglassartista.

[valhalla360]

As others have suggested, as a renter it sounds like a great idea. As an owner not so much. What you are proposing is hard to do legally and legitimately without getting very pricey. They would have to get commercial insurance at much higher rates. The marina would have to approve a commercial operation, often with higher slip rates. Many marinas limit liveaboards. While they may overlook and owner who stays a little long, someone setting up a long term rental buisness is likely to be considered differently. Then you get into wear and tear. Charter boats are notorious for taking a beating. Your idea of what is acceptable and the owners may not be consistent.

I am curious what you think is a reasonable monthly rate.

If you do pursue this, make sure to get a written contract and make sure the insurance and marina know what is going on and are OK with it or you could find yourself kicked out on short notice.

[gonesail]

Originally Posted by seaglassartista

I am looking to rent a live aboard almost anywhere in Florida, maybe Georgia, or Caribbean for any or all 3 months, January thru March 2016.

you and a few million others

[TrinitySeas]

looky here:
Home - Free Boat - Free-Boat.com
Bone Yard Boats -- Free Boats
Particularly since you are looking for a floating home and not a seagoing boat, AND some of them come with an assumable slip, you might just hit the sweetspot. Good luck! Kurt R/VTrinitySeas

[freelandken]

Are you looking for a sailboat, specifically? And do you plan to take it anywhere? The motor yacht beside me in Key Largo is rented out, but isn't moved.

[Maka]

Besides what you are willing t pay for rent and deposit, what is your boat experience?

Boat systems operate quite differently than house systems.

You will probably need references too. No owner wants to come down to his boat and find it gone.

Best of luck to you. You sound like a good tenant.

[wolfesmy]

As suggested by others. Go on a boat search. You can probably find your own vessel at a modest cost. Especially if you don't plan to move it. With power you have the option to change locations. After 3 months you can probably recover your investment. If you make improvements you might even make some money. Or get bitten by the cruising lifestyle and keep going. Life is full of possibilities.

[ski69sail]

Hi there Im in New Zealand, but when i was living overseas I had tenants on my yacht in the local marina. There were also other tenants on other boats. It is just a matter of finding the right boat at the right time. Better to have a person on a boat than leave it unattended for extended periods of time.......Best of Luck

[captainwireman]

Maintenance and general upkeep is an every day task when living aboard. Perhaps you could put together some sort of résumé on your skills. I have seen liveaboad in exchange for work offered. Could be an option.

[captlloyd]

This might be a lot more possible than what some of these folks think. My uncle did it, he was an alcoholic, and alcoholics have a tendency to fall into these things. This was in the Clearwater area of Florida. And I don't think he paid much. I would look at an ad on Craigslist in the ''boats for sale'' section and post some ads in some of the marinas on their notice boards.

[Enchantress]

You will have a challenge in Florida, with DEP starting to crack down on Marina's obeying the provisions of their live aboard limits.

Honestly, it's hard enough for owner/liveaboards in FL without having people renting out as well, so I second the suggestion you find a boat on the cheap.

[seaglassartista]

Originally Posted by freelandken

Are you looking for a sailboat, specifically? And do you plan to take it anywhere? The motor yacht beside me in Key Largo is rented out, but isn't moved.

Well, thank you. No traveling necessary. Just want to float on water. Can you send me details or connect me . Best to email directly to : seaglassartyoga@yahoo.com . Appreciative.