BC Liveaboards Association

[michaelmrc]

if you pm me his email info i would love to lend a hand

[Sonrisa]

Its posted on his site: simon@bcliveaboard.com I'm sure he'd love to hear from you.

[Brent Swain]

Originally Posted by Sonrisa

Cool thread, we live aboard in False Creek. I was speaking to an employee of Steveston Marine who lives aboard, who is trying to do something similar. He's just recently created this website.

Welcome to BCLiveaboard.com

The need to enter the code at the bottom of the page to post a message on that site is a major discouragement to anyone posting there, Get rid of that, and it will become more active. Other chatlines don't have that disincentive.

[Viking 1]

There is a new one in BC recently incorporated by some boaters in Victoria that hope to expand to cover the coast.
British Columbia Nautical Residents Association


http://www.bcnr.org/

The website is still under construction but is a start

[Capt Phil]

As a former live aboard now landlocked/retired in Nevada, I 've followed the Nanaimo Port Authority saga, exchanged a few friendly comments with Brent Swain and really support what you folks are doing up there. This is a great example of what CF can be used for... positive, productive and of great value to all who have chosen the live aboard lifestyle. I hope you folks get organized enough to have representation at the Municipal meetings at Whistler on Oct 1. My best to all of you who are keeping that way of life alive... cheers, Capt Phil

[Viking 1]

In Nanaimo we formed our own group we named the Nanaimo Harbour Boaters Community - we had over 5 members and our goal was to interact with the Nanaimo Port Authority on the formation of their Extended Stay Permit they introduced last year.

[Viking 1]

Correction to the last post - that was 50 members not 5

[Brent Swain]

People wo don' t liveaboard, should be aware of what a short step it is from charging for anchoring longer than two weeks, to chargning for overnight anchoring, in increasing numbers of BC anchorages.
In Victoria the BC Supreme Court ruled that baning tents in parks is a violation of the Charter Right to Life Liberty and Security of the person. I appears that ruling can also be applied to those who's only alternative to homelesness is living aboard.
Dont blame peole for doing what it takes to survive, blame the circumstances which give them no option.
Change those circumstances.
Very few boats anchored out when moorage was reasonable. Blame the bureaucrats who forced it to unrereasonable levels.
Don't further empower them.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Brent Swain

... In Victoria the BC Supreme Court ruled that baning tents in parks is a violation of the Charter Right to Life Liberty and Security of the person...

Homeless people can camp temporarily in public parks if municipalities can't provide them with sufficient alternative shelter, British Columbia's highest court ruled in December 2009.

Read more ➥ CBC News - British Columbia - B.C. homeless win right to camp in parks

[Maggie-K]

With all due respect Gord you don't live here and you don't know what's going on.
bchannelnews.tv » Council Seeks to Ban Camping on 900 Pandora Block
What I find concerning is the media assuming all anchored derelicts are live aboards
The are a small number of bad apples ruining it for the rest of us in the live aboard community whofor the most part are respectful and courteous.

[Capt Phil]

Hi Maggie-K... you bring up an excellent point. Every harbour I've lived aboard in has had both liveaboards AND derelicts. The derelicts were as much a hazard to the liveaboards as anyone else, perhaps more. As one of several liveaboards, we approached the Harbour Master and offered our support in trying to deal with the problem. We found the marina managers, Harbour Masters and Harbour Police really appreciated the teamwork in finding a solution. A couple of the derelicts suddenly came to life and became really good neighbours. This occurred in Sausalito in the 80's. You seem to have large group up there with common interests and probably have a better insight into solutions than folks who have spent their whole life shoreside. Good Luck... Capt Phil

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Maggie-K

With all due respect Gord you don't live here and you don't know what's going on...

With all due respect Maggie, I don’t have to live there to know what's going on.
This issue has had a long history in the B.C. courts, which will, no doubt, continue to develop.
My only point was to moderate Brent’s overreaching statement that
“... the BC Supreme Court ruled that baning tents in parks is a violation of the Charter Right to Life Liberty and Security of the person. I appears that ruling can also be applied to those who's only alternative to homelessness is living aboard ...”
I don’t believe the court’s ruling was as broad as Brent would like to believe, nor as portable to the liveaboard situation.
I could be wrong.

[Brent Swain]

There are no derelicts or criminals on land? All land dwellers are good neighbours?
Duuhh!!
Force honest sea dwellers off their boats and into the ranks of the homeless, and they may well become criminals, with a score to settle.
I think this is a feeble excuse for the gulible, to justify violating the Charter rights of those who manage to escape the claws if the real estate industry , or who are consumerism's heretics.
What liveaboard organisations should concentrate efforts on is getting a court ruling upholding the right of liveaboards to exercise our charter rights, by living where we damned well please.
People living on boats in the harbour are no skin off any landlubbers ass , and thus none of their business, unless the landlubbers in question are real estate agents, or other profiteers of the real estate scams.
Actually, our much tinier environmental foot print is a benefit to everyone, including landlubbers, and their offspring, for generations to come. We also offer a safety net option for landlubbers, who in the future may be otherwise forced into the ranks of the homeless.
It's great to hear that people in Nanaimo are refusing to pay for anchoring. After the first world war they tried to bring in a gun registry. They had to drop it when everyone ingored it. The same happened after the second world war. There used to be a license to operate a CB radio. When every one ignored it, they were forced to drop it. Ditto with VHF licenses.
Laws only work if a majority of people bother following them. The best way to get rid of unjust laws is for the majority of people to oppose them.
If the Harbour authorities come to your boat, at anchor , and you don't open the hatch, you are under no obligation to do so, even with the cops there. If you open it, then close it, that may be called "Obstruction", but if you don't open it in the first place, you are under no obligation to do so. Say nothing.
They need a search warrant to come aboard. If they do so without a search warrant, the Supreme Court of Canada recently ruled that you can sue them for violation of your charter rights, and go after their personal assets, like wages, bank account, pensions, property , etc, in a civil suit.

[Capt Phil]

Hey, Brent... you may have misread my post. I was referring to derelict vessels, not derelict individuals which are in great supply shoreside.

[Brent Swain]

They have had their hands out for anchoring fees to boats which are as seaworthy and well kept as any, including one recent circumnavigator.
The term "derelict boats" is just a smoke scren, which will be applied to mean " All anchored boats" which it has already been interpreted as meaning.
The fact that more and more are refusing to pay is an indication that, legally, they have no ground to stand on.
Any boat which is the only home some can afford, is not a derelict, and is subject to charter protection.
The same does not apply to unoccupied boats.