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Old 23-03-2019, 06:38   #1
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Is liveaboard life still viable?

We have been out of cruising for 6 yrs , previously we lived aboard our boat in various states in northeast and southeast. We are now thinking of buying another boat and getting back into it, but before investing 100 k in boat and miscellaneous ,we are wondering if its still a viable lifetstyle, after contacting marinas in various areas where we had livedaboard in past most do not allow it now , examples, Deltaville, va., solomons, md., oriental, nc., Wilmington, nc etc... wondering what you think?
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Old 23-03-2019, 07:06   #2
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Re: Is liveaboard life still viable?

Of course it is still viable but possibly not in some places.

On the other hand, if you truly will be cruising IE going place to place albeit sometimes staying for weeks or months in one place before moving on, then you should approach marinas NOT as a liveaboard (which implies permanent residence and to many marina owners implies a messy squatter on a marginal boat) but as a cruiser that might stay for a few weeks.
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Old 23-03-2019, 08:25   #3
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pirate Re: Is liveaboard life still viable?

As Skipmac says..

The cruising lifestyle is as a transient not a permenant fixture..
You arrive, book in for a few days, or one night then either move on or extend for a week or two..
If looking for longer term discounts then your not really cruising.. also theres anchorage's in many places and Oriental for example you can tie up opposite the Bean for 48hrs for free.. if thats still in force.
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Old 23-03-2019, 13:52   #4
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Re: Is liveaboard life still viable?

Yes to me the liveaboard lifestyle is the opposite of using marinas frequently, the whole point is the freedom that comes from the ability to live off-grid.

Thread title should IMO be changed to something like

"Where is full-time marina living still possible?"
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Old 23-03-2019, 15:36   #5
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Re: Is liveaboard life still viable?

yes I agree both counts
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Old 23-03-2019, 15:46   #6
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Re: Is liveaboard life still viable?

There are two "cruisers" on our dock. Incredibly nice people. Recently on our boat for cocktails one said "I haven't taken the boat out since the throttle cable broke three years ago" The other has lived on their same boat since 1986 and he said "we took the boat out last year to the yard to get the bottom painted". His wife corrected him "honey that was too years ago." Different strokes.
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Old 23-03-2019, 16:10   #7
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Re: Is liveaboard life still viable?

We lived aboard at Delaware City Marina for a few years. We were not there all the time but for the last couple of years every other week. Our boat was on the dock 100% of the time, short trips excepted. There were a couple of other “live aboards”, one boat without an engine, another had not moved in a decade and a third were live aboard but would go on periodic summer cruises. All gone now, we and the other couple left, the others died. Don’t know if the marina would allow any new ones to come in, maybe.

The “cruising” couple are now in Beaufort, NC pretty much doing the same thing there. We are in the Eastern Carribean and live on the hook for 6 months then go to Canada.
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Old 23-03-2019, 17:02   #8
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Re: Is liveaboard life still viable?

Sure, if your pockets are deep enough. If you live aboard and are generating income, why not? You have to live somewhere.
I can afford cruising in retirement, but not docks every night.
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Old 24-03-2019, 08:19   #9
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Re: Is liveaboard life still viable?

call them back and say you're a cruiser passing through.
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Old 24-03-2019, 08:40   #10
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Re: Is liveaboard life still viable?

If I was a marina owner, I certainly wouldn’t want dilapidated, non-functional boats tied up, taking up space in the slips along with full-time tenants. The term “cruiser” to me means having a boat on the move, not permanently tied up in one spot. “Livaboard in a marina” implies houseboat of some kind.
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Old 24-03-2019, 08:48   #11
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Re: Is liveaboard life still viable?

Quote:
Originally Posted by resoluute View Post
We have been out of cruising for 6 yrs , previously we lived aboard our boat in various states in northeast and southeast. We are now thinking of buying another boat and getting back into it, but before investing 100 k in boat and miscellaneous ,we are wondering if its still a viable lifetstyle, after contacting marinas in various areas where we had livedaboard in past most do not allow it now , examples, Deltaville, va., solomons, md., oriental, nc., Wilmington, nc etc... wondering what you think?
If you go on any marina locator site (Cruising Guide.com) you will see that most marinas offer weekly, monthly, six and twelve month leases. In some cases they have limitations on how many nights you can spend aboard but not all. And if you have a neat, tidy boat as you should, and are polite and courteous they may not pay attention. They need to get to know you and they can’t do that over the phone.
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Old 24-03-2019, 09:16   #12
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Re: Is liveaboard life still viable?

The past 2.5 years I’ve been the length of the eastern USA 3 times. I haven’t really seen this “anti liveaboard” thing that always gets screamed about on cf. i haven’t seen it, because it doesn’t apply to me, but I bet there is an “anti boat trash” at most marinas and this gets called anti liveaboard by many.

Im a cruiser and am anti boat trash also. Only other boat trash likes boat trash.
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Old 24-03-2019, 14:22   #13
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Re: Is liveaboard life still viable?

Quote:
Originally Posted by john61ct View Post
Yes to me the liveaboard lifestyle is the opposite of using marinas frequently, the whole point is the freedom that comes from the ability to live off-grid.

Thread title should IMO be changed to something like

"Where is full-time marina living still possible?"
The thread title basically said the same thing: live aboard life.

The way I see it, aside from people actively cruising, there are three basic types of live aboard.

1) bums, drunks, dealers and addicts that live in a piece of crap on the water because its cheap and mess up the place they live or otherwise cause trouble. Check out the Hand Brother’s marina on Nabbs Creek in Glen Burnie, MD and you’ll see a whole marina full of them.They are terrible and give live aboards a bad name.

We’ve all seen those types, unfortunately.

2) people who like to sail but, have no intention of long term cruising ( either due to funds or responsibilities or some other reason ) . And, although they have no intention of cruising long range, they love being on their boat, love living there, and can’t see any reason to have a life on land that they do not want. Most often, these people are considerate and responsible people that don’t affect their neighbors negatively and can even be a benefit as they keep an eye on the marina.

I know a few of these and they are nice people. One of the ones I know is an old lady that’s spent her entire lifetime sailing the bay and living aboard. At her age, she’s not going to go cruising long term, anymore, and she never wanted to sail the ocean. I certainly don’t see any reason she should be forced to give up the life she loves or be looked down on for not living at anchor in some distant port. She goes to work every day ( although definitely past the age where she could retire ), doesn’t bother anyone else, and she keeps an eye on the marina. What’s the harm?

3) those of us who are preparing our lives, boats, and finances for long term cruising and have to go to work every day to do so. We use our marinas as a home port and cruise local waters on weekends or weeks off while we get our lives ready to cast off.

Like number 2, above, we are considerate and responsible and keep an eye on the marina. I have even replaced deteriorating dock lines on sailboats that are berthed at the marina but rarely visited....out of a spirit of being a good neighbor and becsuse I’d hate to see something bad happen to someone’s boat.

Yeah, people like me could live on the hook and take the dingy back and forth to shore but, it would be needlessly inconvenient. I use very little electric. I only hook up for ac current to have heat in the winter. Use of water and easy access to land make the cost of a slip worth it since I have to be in one location doing the 7 to 4 job thing every day. Living on the hook during this time just wouldn’t make sense considering the affordability of a slip.

Lifestyle number one is terrible and hurts us all. But, lifestyle 2 and 3 hurt no one and are just as valid as living on the hook and moving from place to place.

I agree, though, because of type number 1, it’s best if you don’t mention wanting to live aboard unless you know, ahead of time, that the marina is live aboard friendly. There are still marinas like that out there. You just have to look..

The old lady I was talking about and one guy in a powerboat were grandfathered in as live aboards ( thanks to the efforts of the previous marina owner ) when the marina came under new management.

Right now, I’m living In Philly in an apartment , unfortunately, three hours from my boat, on a temporary basis. I intend to remedy that situation as soon as I can. I hate it here and I hate life on land. You do what you have to in order to get where you need to get in life. I’m doing what I have to do so I can cast off and cruise. Living for the day I can shake the dirt off my heels.

But, I was living aboard without proclaiming it. During the week I left for work before anyone was in the office and i would get back from work after they left. I kept a ‘permanent’ address at my mother’s house for mail and so I wasnt officially living there.

I bothered no one. Picked up trash around the marina because I care for my environment and even shoveled snow off the dock my boat is on and the one the two official live abosrds were on. I got along very well with the management and still do.

If you want to live aboard but can’t fibd a place that allows it, you can always try my way. Some people will call you a sneak aboard and look down on you for it but, as long as you pay your bills and don’t bother anyone, who are you hurting?

People on sailing sites seem to have gotten a lot more anti-live aboard on sailing sites, over the last few years. And that’s especially odd on sites that have a forum for live aboards. It didn’t use to be that way.
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Old 24-03-2019, 14:45   #14
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Re: Is liveaboard life still viable?

Firstwind

Spent many years in Philly and also hate it.

Check out DELAWARE City Marina. It’s 1-1/2 hours away, and fairly reasonably priced. There is bus service but I don’t know if you can get to the Wilmington train station reasonably via bus.

Personally I would show up and stay a while, get to know the owner. Go reaaal easy on shoreside power. If it’s a lot then the Owner has no way of getting compensated and is forced to put in a separate meter. He’s been burned before with that. Let things ride for a while, just kinda be there and become part of the furniture. He sells seasonal slips, so months long is no problem. Winter ice floes can be an issue but then I’ve seen bubblers there. Two couples we know moved down from Philly and found it a vast improvement. Gone now, as are we.
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Old 24-03-2019, 20:08   #15
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Re: Is liveaboard life still viable?

Quote:
Originally Posted by first wind View Post
The thread title basically said the same thing: live aboard life.

The way I see it, aside from people actively cruising, there are three basic types of live aboard.

1) bums, drunks, dealers and addicts that live in a piece of crap on the water because its cheap and mess up the place they live or otherwise cause trouble. Check out the Hand Brother’s marina on Nabbs Creek in Glen Burnie, MD and you’ll see a whole marina full of them.They are terrible and give live aboards a bad name.

We’ve all seen those types, unfortunately.

2) people who like to sail but, have no intention of long term cruising ( either due to funds or responsibilities or some other reason ) . And, although they have no intention of cruising long range, they love being on their boat, love living there, and can’t see any reason to have a life on land that they do not want. Most often, these people are considerate and responsible people that don’t affect their neighbors negatively and can even be a benefit as they keep an eye on the marina.

I know a few of these and they are nice people. One of the ones I know is an old lady that’s spent her entire lifetime sailing the bay and living aboard. At her age, she’s not going to go cruising long term, anymore, and she never wanted to sail the ocean. I certainly don’t see any reason she should be forced to give up the life she loves or be looked down on for not living at anchor in some distant port. She goes to work every day ( although definitely past the age where she could retire ), doesn’t bother anyone else, and she keeps an eye on the marina. What’s the harm?

3) those of us who are preparing our lives, boats, and finances for long term cruising and have to go to work every day to do so. We use our marinas as a home port and cruise local waters on weekends or weeks off while we get our lives ready to cast off.

Like number 2, above, we are considerate and responsible and keep an eye on the marina. I have even replaced deteriorating dock lines on sailboats that are berthed at the marina but rarely visited....out of a spirit of being a good neighbor and becsuse I’d hate to see something bad happen to someone’s boat.

Yeah, people like me could live on the hook and take the dingy back and forth to shore but, it would be needlessly inconvenient. I use very little electric. I only hook up for ac current to have heat in the winter. Use of water and easy access to land make the cost of a slip worth it since I have to be in one location doing the 7 to 4 job thing every day. Living on the hook during this time just wouldn’t make sense considering the affordability of a slip.

Lifestyle number one is terrible and hurts us all. But, lifestyle 2 and 3 hurt no one and are just as valid as living on the hook and moving from place to place.

I agree, though, because of type number 1, it’s best if you don’t mention wanting to live aboard unless you know, ahead of time, that the marina is live aboard friendly. There are still marinas like that out there. You just have to look..

The old lady I was talking about and one guy in a powerboat were grandfathered in as live aboards ( thanks to the efforts of the previous marina owner ) when the marina came under new management.

Right now, I’m living In Philly in an apartment , unfortunately, three hours from my boat, on a temporary basis. I intend to remedy that situation as soon as I can. I hate it here and I hate life on land. You do what you have to in order to get where you need to get in life. I’m doing what I have to do so I can cast off and cruise. Living for the day I can shake the dirt off my heels.

But, I was living aboard without proclaiming it. During the week I left for work before anyone was in the office and i would get back from work after they left. I kept a ‘permanent’ address at my mother’s house for mail and so I wasnt officially living there.

I bothered no one. Picked up trash around the marina because I care for my environment and even shoveled snow off the dock my boat is on and the one the two official live abosrds were on. I got along very well with the management and still do.

If you want to live aboard but can’t fibd a place that allows it, you can always try my way. Some people will call you a sneak aboard and look down on you for it but, as long as you pay your bills and don’t bother anyone, who are you hurting?

People on sailing sites seem to have gotten a lot more anti-live aboard on sailing sites, over the last few years. And that’s especially odd on sites that have a forum for live aboards. It didn’t use to be that way.
Wouldn’t it have been more appropriate to label the bums, drunks, addicts and dealers as #2?
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