Greetings to all

[shellphish]

Hi. I'm Vadim, I'm living in the SF bay area and recently I've got it into my head that I want to live on a sailboat. I did some searching and actually found a fellow on this board that got the same idea late last year (and saw that he was having trouble just finding a slip,). But I haven't given up on the idea just yet. The reason that I've decided to join this forum is that I'd like to speak to someone who has already done it and meet the community.

A little about me: I have a good pair of hands and all the tools I'll even need because I work at a shop which has both metal and wood machines, I've worked on cars and motorcycles as well as done some wood working in the past so I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty. That said, I have no sailing experience but learn quickly and am very motivated.

[Celestialsailor]

Welcome to the forum Valim. I was a liveaboard in Alameda at Alameda Marina while getting my vessel ready for voyaging. Now I'm in Mexico. Let me know if I can help you with any information.

[Neo]

Hi Vadim, I haven't lived aboard for more than a week at a time, so I can't help you there, but it sounds like you have the background to manage the boats systems. Learning to sail is easy compared to that.

Once I bought a boat, I realized that every brake job I done, every head gasket I had changed, every tune up I had done (spark plugs and points), every light I or window I installed or shed I built, it was all leading me up to the day I bought a boat not too long ago. I never really wanted to do those jobs, I just had too. But now it all makes sense. I love working on my boat.

Good luck.

[gamayun]

Hi Vadim, welcome to CF and bay sailing. My boat is in a SF Bay marina, but not an area that allows liveaboards. Pillar Point Harbor just to the south about 17 miles is one place that I know has liveaboard spots. Not sure where else. Maybe you could try Brisbane, Sierra Pt, etc. Just keep asking around.

[kentobin]

Hi Vadim,

Finding liveaboard slips in the Bay Area can be a problem. You can usually find something but the location may not be close to work or where you want to live.

Liveaboards are regulated by the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission. Currently, Marinas are granted 10% of their total berthing to liveaboards. The criteria to meet liveaboard status is: Vessel must be a minimum 24ft in length, kept in good repair and in seaworthy condition. Vessel must not be permanently attached to the Dock and must leave the marina waters once each 180 day period.

I've never seen them check if anyone left the marina every 180 days but they did verify holding tanks and told us to only use biodegradable soaps. I still got a nasal infection once when I was diving in a marina at Redwood City to scrub my boat. Next time I'll use a full face mask.

It's been a year since I was last looking and I only remember two marina's with available liveaboard slips: Marina Bay Yacht Harbor | 1340 Marina Way South, Richmond, CA 94804 | Phone: 510-236-1013 | Fax: 510-236-1957 and Pillar Point Harbor, One Johnson Pier, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019, harbormaster@smharbor.com, 650-726-4382.

Doesn't mean there aren't more available somewhere else or that there are any available now at those marinas. Pillar Point, which is on the coast, doesn't have any liveaboard quotas.

The harbor master may want to see your boat and/or a survey before they offer you a slip. The last marina I was in required $500,000 liability insurance. First time buying boat insurance will probably make you a high risk which means high premium. I believe it took a year and then I switched to a more reasonable policy with BoatU.S.

Good luck and hope you enjoy the lifestyle.

Ken

[Waterway Guide]

Welcome aboard, Vadim! Hope it works out...you came to the right forum for info.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Vadim.

[shellphish]

Forums never seem to fail me and this one is no different, seems like a great community and I really appreciate the reception. I'll message those who have offered their expertise.

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha and welcome aboard!
Good to have you here.

[Fog Bank]

As Kentobin already stated, the Marina Bay Yacht Harbor does allow a certain number of live aboard slips. While we don't live aboard, we do keep our boat there. If you have any questions, feel free to send me a PM.