Liveaboard Sneakaboard

[jakenseattle]

Has anyone ever done this? Snuck aboard your boat to live in a non-liveaboard marina?

I was thinking of doing it 2-3 nights a week once I get my sailboat.

What's the best way to do it without getting caught?

[CSY Man]

Bad idea.. :-(

[denverd0n]

Around here at least, most marinas--even those with a "no liveaboards" policy--will still allow you to spend a night or two aboard now and then. I know one person in particular who keeps his boat in a "no liveaboards" marina, but still spends almost every Saturday night on board his boat.

I would ask about that possibility. Trying to sneak aboard, though? Like CSY Man said, bad idea.

[anotherT34C]

2-3 nights a week might not even count as 'liveaboard'.

How do you separate 'liveaboard' from 'enthusiastic owner'?

[ssanzone]

there are a few steps to sneaking aboard.

1st. find a new marina
2nd. get caught as is 100% gonna happen
3rd. move to new marina
4th. rinse lather repeat

[OnTour]

Trade your boat for a Submarine.

[zeehag]

you would do better anchoring out

[Teknav]

Something goes missing on someone else's boat...and you were known to be the only over-nighter in a non-liveaboard place...how are you going to explain yourself? Not worth it!

Mauritz
The devil's in the details.

[scotty c-m]

Check your marina's regulations. Most allow some nights per week (I checked mine, it says 3 nights per week). I do know people who have done more than that. It seems if you are friendly, very clean, and very quiet you can slip by a bit under the radar. But, always do as the harbor personel ask you!

[tropicalescape]

Originally Posted by Teknav

Something goes missing on someone else's boat...and you were known to be the only over-nighter in a non-liveaboard place...how are you going to explain yourself? Not worth it!

Mauritz
The devil's in the details.

Or as my old marina looks at it "we now have a security guard that pays us to watch the place"..

[Tayana42]

Mine also allows 3 nights per week. And usually doesn't know or care if occasionally there is a little more. Unless someone complains, so be nice to your neighbors.

[roverhi]

1. Do not park your car in the marina parking lot overnight on a regular basis. It will get noticed.
2. Do not walk by your Marina's office at 8am with a towel and Dopp kit at 8:00AM every time you stay on the boat. Take your showers at night well after those who might care have gone.
3. Do not show lights at night. Black out the ports if they are easily seen from common areas and the dock in front of your boat.
4. Keep the exterior of the boat totally uncluttered. Don't leave sail bags, etc. on the deck or clutter up the finger pier with things like bicycles or your hydroponic garden.

I commuted to my boat from a loonngg way away so stayed on the boat for several weeks at a time when I was there. Did that for for 6 years beforel the clerk in the office noticed. I bought a car and kept it at the marina when I was on the boat that got her attention. Talked with the Dock Master about it and he couldn't care less even though they had a strict limit for full time live a boards. The marina had a maximum number of days in a month you could stay aboard as a non live aboard which I exceeded regularly. Prowling the docks, could tell who the live aboards were by the amount of clutter on the boat and finger piers. The dock gardens were a dead giveaway.

[sailorchic34]

I have a friend that was a sneakaboard in the same marina for 10 years. So it is doable. Keeping a low profile is important. Much easier to do at marinas that still use a regular key to open the gates.

Many now a days use electronic keys and every time your electronic key is used, its logged on the harbormasters computer. They get a list of how many times you used the gate each month. pretty easy to tell who's living aboard that way. But the trick there is to let someone else open the gate.

[Celestialsailor]

Most marinas in Northern Ca. let you stay 3 nights a week. During a divorce, I had to do it for 6 months. What Roverhi runs true. No dock junk, black out ports and be friendly to all.

[Sam Plan B]

Well, hypothetically speaking, if you keep your boat in a certain marina for say, 18 months, and you become a friend of the marina manager then you might approch that person with a proposition. Even if live aboards are prohibited by the AUTHORITIES, you might be able to do a deal. Say you keep your head down and pay normal live aboard rates, say $600 a month, then the management may trust you to not blow the deal. Then everyone walks away a winner. But if you present yourself as an a-hole, the management will want to have nothing to do with you. Ask other boat owners there what sort of people the management is. Then proceed accordingly. But if you are successful, never tell someone you do not personally know that you live there.