Liveaboard Wannabe

[Brian.clarity]

I live in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. I have been living aboard my Hughes 38 off and on over the last two years. One thing I don't understand is how people are able to liveaboard their boats year round in Toronto where the weather is much colder and snowier than where I live. I am only able to liveaboard from April to the middle of November. What is the big deal?

[Tim R.]

It's easy. Install a heater and shrink wrap the boat. We live aboard in Portland and get plenty of snow here. We cruise from April to December.

What is it that is stopping you?

[Brian.clarity]

I have my boat in the watrr and on some of the warmer days I still take her out with friends but it is a club bylaw that restricts the livaboard time frame

[Brian.clarity]

The club administration are citing safety and liability reasons for not having year round livaboards

[fkittson]

A lot of us in port credit harbour are starting to get worried about being cut off from being a liveaborde due to the fact that in the last 3 years we have had three boats on fire and two people have fallen into the water and drowned. We haven't started to liveaborde yet but are planing to do so in the next three years. Just looking for the rite boat.

[The Other Gary]

I am in Frenchmans Bay 17 miles east of Toronto. We have 40 liveaboards here this winter and I am in my 11th year.
Frenchman Bay marina was built as a winter liveaboard marina.
The water is not turned off, they drop the lines 3 feet and I use a heated line to the boat inlet.
There is a travelling pumpout to do your holding tanks as often as you need.
We have very reliable electricity, I have had only one outage in winter in ten years.
There are several bars and restaurants within a 5 minute walk and they love boaters.
Lake Ontario is deep and does not freeze so th harbour never fully freezes as well. I use an ice eater but no more than 25 days a year, some do not even have ice eaters.
I do shrinkwrap to save the heat being stripped by the wind and for personal comfort but many don't.
So, in a nutshell, we liveaboard here properly with running water and onboard showers and head all winter. I only go to the showerhouse to do laundry.
There is a huge DVD and book exchange in the showerhouse as well and we have cable and internet available at each slip.
This winter they are building a new harbour entrance that will triple the water exchange into our bay. This means even less ice next winter as Lake Ontario seldom goes below 40 degrees F.

OK, I would rather be in Key Largo but since I am still working for several more years this is a very comfortable way to spend the time.

[Tomi]

All great stuff! I'm looking for a boat this summer and hope to live aboard. Do you know if there's a liveaboard friendly marina/club West of Port Credit? Burlington maybe?

[Mark1977]

Originally Posted by Brian.clarity

I have my boat in the watrr and on some of the warmer days I still take her out with friends but it is a club bylaw that restricts the livaboard time frame

Hi Brian, what club are you at? A friend of mine lives aboard full time at Armdale.

[fkittson]

I don't think there is any live abord marines west of port credit. But you can always google it

[Brian.clarity]

Originally Posted by Mark1977

Hi Brian, what club are you at? A friend of mine lives aboard full time at Armdale.

I am the the Dartmouth Yacht Club. Armdale told me that you were not allowed to liveaboard there but they must not enforce it

[Mark1977]

Originally Posted by Brian.clarity

I am the the Dartmouth Yacht Club. Armdale told me that you were not allowed to liveaboard there but they must not enforce it

Yeah, not sure what the official rule is, but, there is more than one livaboard there.
He uses electric heaters and his boat is always warm. I am not a liveaboard but i have a small lunenberg foundry wood stove to take the chill off.

[georgehoskins]

We lived full time aboard our 29' c & c in newfoundland and cape breton for nearly 3 years before we sold it.