Free: Boat Sitting over Winter

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by dlj

My annual dock costs are about $2k per year. I have neighbors on all sides and we all watch each other's boats. We let each other know if we are traveling and can't be around. We also have permission to check/add/change dock lines if needed. I have a very cool marina. In my opinion...

Can't speak to your financial state, but mine it makes absolutely no sense to add in the added risk of someone screwing up my boat. And yes, I certainly think they can do well over my yearly marina costs in damage. Not to mention the time and anxiety related to fixing whatever they broke...

dj

Agreed.

it makes no sense whatsoever in your case. I wouldn’t be interested either if i had your exact situation.

The closest marina near to me that i actually have rates for (most simply don’t publish them anymore - you have to call) has me at $2,225 a month before taxes, electric not included.

That’s $2,225 a month year round with in water storage over the winter to save some money.

$26,000 a year buys a LOT of batteries and whatever else people may use improperly in my case

The rates aren’t a lot better in florida anymore either.

You could stick it on a mooring for 6 months , but that’s a huge mistake. i learned my lesson with hurricane damage from doing that. never again.

So like most things on the forum that are a dichotomy, we are all reasonable people looking at our own personal situations which can differ greatly.

[S/V Illusion]

Anyone seriously considering allowing anyone else to occupy their boat should understand their liability. This isn’t a house and the liability issues as well as protections are far different.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by S/V Illusion

Anyone seriously considering allowing anyone else to occupy their boat should understand their liability. This isn’t a house and the liability issues as well as protections are far different.

What, exactly, is the difference and how does it differ from all the airbnb boats, RVs, bareboat charters and other similar situations?

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by 5BTM

To continue with the blunt theme, I don't care about the house sitting world.

He is not offering to sit a house, but a movable object.

Good thing it’s not about you. House sitting is the obvious comparison. There are lots of ways for a land home to develop problems. Yet your requirement is distantly rare. There’s no reason to apply a different standard here.

[Iron E]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

This attitude is not prevalent in the house-sitting world.

Boat ≠ House

Originally Posted by dlj

I have neighbors on all sides and we all watch each other's boats. We let each other know if we are traveling and can't be around. We also have permission to check/add/change dock lines if needed. I have a very cool marina. In my opinion...


dj

Yep. We have each other's cells, exchange Christmas cards, and do all of the things friends/neighbors do.
We all know boats, what to look for and take care of each other... hell, we even throw a rinse on the neighbor's bird poop while we have the hose out.

IMO, if someone isn't making friends at their Marina, I doubt they're the type that's going to ask a stranger to watch their boat

[dlj]

Originally Posted by Iron E

Boat ≠ House



Yep. We have each other's cells, exchange Christmas cards, and do all of the things friends/neighbors do.
We all know boats, what to look for and take care of each other... hell, we even throw a rinse on the neighbor's bird poop while we have the hose out.

IMO, if someone isn't making friends at their Marina, I doubt they're the type that's going to ask a stranger to watch their boat

I'm the type to make friends at the marina. But I'm also not the type to have a stranger watch my boat. I guess the logic connection is not there...

A close friend? if they know my boat, sure. A stranger? nope.

dj

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by dlj

I'm the type to make friends at the marina. But I'm also not the type to have a stranger watch my boat. I guess the logic connection is not there...

A close friend? if they know my boat, sure. A stranger? nope.

dj

Question. your location is super far inland. Where is your marina? what body of water? Hudson River?

[dlj]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Question. your location is super far inland. Where is your marina? what body of water?

I keep my boat on the Chesapeake Bay. Not far from Annapolis. But I'm currently running the trade winds from Europe into the Caribbean. Hope to be back to the Chesapeake first quarter of next year.

Current position:

14 42.615 N
054 30.355 W

dj

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Quite right, and I have yet to hear of a good boat sit, either. But the question is not unreasonable.

The problem that I see as a boat co-owner is that I am not keen to have a stranger on my boat, period.

Plus I would not want someone unfamiliar with boats on mine when I was not around. Land based folks just don't understand boats, nor living aboard, unless they are sailors, too, and then maybe they might be okay, and maybe not.

It is a big ask.

It IS a big ask. I’m constantly amazed that people are willing to open their homes to what are, essentially, strangers. Although this cuts both ways. We as sitters are taking a risk by going into a new person’s home. Trust is essential, which is why we spend a lot of time getting to know new home owners. There have been a few times where we’ve bailed out of house-sits because the spider-sense started tingling. It’s all about trust. Money (a bond) can’t replace that.

Boat sitting would require someone with special experience and skill, for sure. I would never invite someone to live on my boat who had no boating experience. But the same goes for more specialized house-sitting. We’ve been in interesting locations, managing farms and odd critters. So it’s no different.

[S/V Illusion]

Originally Posted by Chotu

What, exactly, is the difference and how does it differ from all the airbnb boats, RVs, bareboat charters and other similar situations?

Renting an RV or bareboat typically contains indemnification as a prerequisite and, as such, rental agreements are a different animal than what is being discussed here.
Understanding the differences is important as they are many and varied including the liability. My suggestion for anyone contemplating this is consult an attorney. This isn’t the venue to solicit or give legal advice.

[Iron E]

Originally Posted by dlj

I'm the type to make friends at the marina. But I'm also not the type to have a stranger watch my boat. I guess the logic connection is not there...

A close friend? if they know my boat, sure. A stranger? nope.

dj

I'll break it down (pretty sure we're in agreement).

I, like you, have many dock neighbors and we watch each other's boat, so we don't need (or want) a stranger "Boat Sitting"
The curmudgeon boat owners definitely won't be having a stranger "Boat Sitting"
Most of the rest have part-time or full-time crews.


I don't know what that leaves, but, I won't be investing in the "Boat Sitting" business plan...

[Mike OReilly]

My sense is that boat sitting isn’t prevalent because it is not really needed. As others have already said, in most cases the boat would be in a marina, surrounded by other boats and boaters. You only need a sitter when you don’t have a better option, like immediate friends or family.

[HeinSdL]

't is all about trust really, and what better time of the year to talk about this. Now I wouldn't probably have someone boat sit my boat, mainly due to its complexity, as with any boat, but if I did, at some point there would need to be a whole lot of trust involved.

Yet, interestingly, the level of trust involved fades to nothing when compared with the trust needed when choosing a life partner. Because there, at time of entering a commitment for life, we have no clue about the level of success of the outcome (it's quite low really) with potentially huge downside in case of failure (I think I'd prefer to lose my boat), yet how many have prenuptials, etc?

I think we all need to trust a bit more, would make the world a less harsh place. Maybe something for 2024.

[wholybee]

When someone rents a house, it comes there is the rent, a security deposit, the landlords policy, and the renters policy. I have only heard of "housesitting" in the case of a close friend or relative, and they do go sideways.

In many ports worldwide, you can find caretakers. They don't live on the boat, but look after many boats in the marina, for a fee. There is a need for that in places. But living on a boat causes wear and tear, and creates a liability and carries risk that probably isn't covered by anyone's insurance.

The only person that I know personally that has allowed a caretaker look after her boat for an extended period had her boat stolen, and ultimately was lost to a crusher.

BoatUS does (or at least did in 2019) offer a "Peer to Peer" plan just for this:
https://www.boatus.com/expert-advice...er-boat-rental

Getmyboat offers a service similar to Air BNB for boats:
https://www.getmyboat.com/

[JPA Cate]

Jim reminded me of something I hadn't thought of in a long time.

In the years prior to 9/11, many of the cruisers would leave their boats in a marina for a longish trip "back home". One of those couples was Canadian. And they did use a boat sitter, a young local man from a boating background. The marina was associated with a boat club that had a restaurant, and a "happy hour". The young man, employed, partook of the BBQ and club functions, so many of knew him. And, so far as I know, both parties found it worthwhile: i.e. the young man and our Canadian friends.

*************

So, one issue for our OP is how to establish himself as someone "worthy"--in the sense that the boat would be safe with him. And then "feel good" to the boat owner, so that trust would happen, that the boat would still be there. Our OP is actually, probably a pretty good bet (I don't know him personally), but maybe someone else here could put in a good word for him?

Ann