Liveaboard in Sydney, NSW.

[giant]

Does anyone liveaboard their boat or spend a lot of time on it (three or four nights a week) anywhere in the Sydney region?

Specifically I am more curious about Pittwater.

Seems MSB do the rounds pretty regularly checking everything.

[Boracay]

If you see any Maritime Authority officers ask them how long that really big boat taking up the middle of the only anchorage in Blackwattle Bay has been there, and if it's still there how long it's going to stay and how come they're talking to you and not looking at Blackwattle Bay which is right next to their waterfront head office.

[boden36]

I think it depends on how zealous your Waterways officer is, and whether anyone complains.
Basic rules like no washing hanging out, move around if possible, cover ports at night, and park your car not in front of the same house all the time will all help. Lots of people do it for years.
We did it for five months in Brisbane water, and my daughter was on the Parramatta River for months, no problems some years ago.

Regards,
Richard.

[gspeak]

Am really interested in this thread, even though we currently live & cruise the Far North Queensland coast which is so live aboard friendly. However, we plan to cruise down to Sydney in the future to visit the family.

We used to live aboard in Balmain 30 plus years ago, but all I have read recently say that this is not possible any longer, even for short stays. Be good to hear from more recent experiences.

[jannw]

Yes, people do. There was at least one long-term liveaboard on a swing mooring at my home yacht club. I can also recall seeing larger yachts on swing moorings around middle-harbour with dinghies frequently attached to the aft, and solar and wind generators a-spinning, a sure sign of someone living aboard.

I think the trick is to be relatively discrete.

[sepeteus]

Rozelle Bay, one guy has been hanging around there for 15 years. He was spoken to by Sydney Port officers very first time just recently. Go for your life, I will be there next year!
Ciao

[Delancey]

Sounds like it used to be okay, but livingaboard is now prohibited in Sydney? Please, do tell more.

[Normanby]

I believe it's technically illegal, but done discretely as mentioned above.

I'm from Melbourne so I don't know, but I recently bought a boat through a broker in Church's Point, in the Pittwater. As the broker was taking me to the boat on her mooring, I was asking him about liveaboards, and he pointed out about a dozen boats along the way that were living aboard. Kind of an open secret, done discretely.

A truly beautiful spot it was too, surrounded by million dollar waterfront homes and a national park.

[giant]

Thanks everyone.

Church point is probably the ideal location for me, got some friends in the area and I race out of RPAYC twice a week. It is very pretty, the locals seem laid back and it is more protected from the weather... one of my favorite parts of Sydney. Mac Carrs creek has an awesome park too, great for the road bike through the National Park and close to the Northern beaches. Too bad the commercial fishers have stripped out all the fish.

I can do discrete just don't want to be paranoid.

No boat yet think I will keep saving and buy next winter, probably something like a Clansman 30 or ideally a Cavalier 32 if my budget allows.

Got questions about insurance on an older boat and getting a mooring too.

Regards,
Anthony.