San Francisco Live aboard slip (finally!) I could use help moving the boat.

[KJB]

Apologies up front for droning on and on...

Many Bay marinas will allow you to live there temporarily as a "transient" or "cruiser". Transient berthing is generally good for 1 to 4 months depending on the marina and its rules or situation. We had a dog when we arrived here and that did not hinder our ability to LA. Although 2 might.

I promise not to post another reply for at least 5 minutes!

[Vancefish]

Originally Posted by KJB

Really very sorry Vancefish! We came to the Bay about 18 months ago as LA's and understand how difficult things can be. I do know that as of about 2 months ago (when I last read their rules) Half Moon Bay has moorings which are not governed by the State's LA laws. You can moor there pretty cheap (I think our 38'er would cost about 209 per month) and legally live aboard. It's on the Pacific side, but not far from SF.

We have had good fortune in the East Bay with our status, but it has always been by presenting ourselves in person to the HM and speaking with them, being very up front about being LA's.

We draw 6' so Vallejo didn't work for us either.

I sincerely wish you well.

This is a VERY interesting thought KJB!! Thank you!

I work in electronics and manufacturing. So the fact is that the South bay area is a better fit for my job. It's just to far south for my boat (south bay being so shallow, and with no marinas). So I've been aiming at something close to the Mid Bay. Close enough to work, but not close to Silicon Valley.

Half Moon Bay is close enough to the Southern bay that I could likely find work pretty easily! You are the first to even mention a mooring field down there!

I honestly don't mind being on the hook (or mooring). As long as it's a steady place, not moving every few days. Not having a massive criminal element like Richardson bay.

I'll call down there tomorrow for details.

[fstbttms]

It seems clear that research is not your strong suit, but there are at least 4 marinas in the South Bay, and most of them are on the Peninsula side. Have you even tried any of them?

[KJB]

Well, my 5 minutes is up.

I believe (but reserve the right to be wrong) that Half Moon Bay has the only mooring field in the SF area. Good Luck!

[Vancefish]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

It seems clear that research is not your strong suit, but there are at least 4 marinas in the South Bay, and most of them are on the Peninsula side. Have you even tried any of them?

It seems that insulting and degrading people is your strong suit.

I'm spending my homeless days hunting full time for either a Room, or Apartment. A Slip or an Anchorage?? Maybe a job, if I had an answer that included my boat's location??

As well as MAYBE selling the boat.

My research is FULL TIME, ALL DAY. For the last 4 days. Hoping to find an answer to my snafoo!! Something I can actually pull off, without breaking any laws. An apartment here in Colorado, A marina in the bay, an anchorage in or near the bay.. There is a LOT to look at, a lot to apply for and a lot of options and questions.

My Marina live aboard issue is closing in on three years running. As I've said before. I've called nearly every marina in the entire bay area. Some more then once. Some after needing to even figure out WHO said marina is (as many don't list contact information or the Marina's name on Google Earth). So I have to call other local businesses to get a name or phone number.

I'm sorry if you don't like my methods, or my wide spread options field. I need to find an answer, and I have four possible paths. It's best if I truly investigate them all.

Insults don't help me or anyone else my friend!

So thank you for your input on my bottom needs. I've made that a priority, and intend to haul asap. Per your advice (and what was already known in my own head!).

Oyster cove was missed, as was Oyster pt. I'll try them both tomorrow (So tiny on Google Earth, I passed right over them).

As for Coyote pt. When I last spoke to them, they had the same reaction as Fortman. Telling me I didn't stand a chance.

Brisbane is VERY anti-live aboard on the web site. So no, I didn't speak to them at all.

[fstbttms]

Look, we could create an entire thread just based on the things you failed to find out before planning to move aboard a boat in San Francisco Bay (anchoring off the Farallones and going ashore? OMG ) But I'm in generous mood, so I'll help you out, since you obviously haven't been able to find most of the south Bay marinas, most of which are closer to Silicon Valley than any other marina you've considered:

Redwood City
Westpoint Harbor
Bair Island Marina
Docktown Marina
Redwood City Marina

San Leandro
San Leandro Marina

[KJB]

Westpoint informed us that we could stay for 4 months as LA's. They will run a check on your boats electricals. I believe they are checking for stray current. Very nice place, one of the newest in the Bay. HM is owners brother. As others have stated, one must talk to the HM in person. A phone call will never get anyone anywhere. Not sure about the others fastbottoms listed, never contacted them.

Half Moon Bay also has an anchorage inside the outer wall (same general location as the mooring field I believe) and one may buy boat fresh seafood there as its an active commercial marina as well. If all else fails and you trust your engine, I might try that. Just contact them in person first if possible.

All the best!

I would like to add that I appreciate this thread as well as your other on Sausalito. If nothing else, it helps raise an awareness of the LA situation in the Bay area for others. Your honesty concerning the search process and your frustrations with it are very revealing. Others have most definitely been there.

With 2 dogs, an anchorage or mooring may be your best shot, at least to "get your foot in the door" so to speak. Once you are able to breath a little, things should become easier as you learn the area and the way it works.

I really hope you succeed!

[KJB]

Here comes the droning again... Don't waste your time San Leandro. They are not taking any LA's period. They really don't want any new boats there as the marina is going away in a couple of years making room for new development - for better or worse).

[Vancefish]

Originally Posted by KJB

Here comes the droning again... Don't waste your time San Leandro. They are not taking any LA's period. They really don't want any new boats there as the marina is going away in a couple of years making room for new development - for better or worse).

Redwood city says the same thing. No liveaboards accepted at this time. Just like two years ago.

I do think the mooring sounds great! I'll still call those two tiny "Oyster" marinas tomorrow. Just to check depth and transient slip availability.

I'm hearing the NO live aboard speak very clearly.

My engine is great, I just installed a new wet exhaust. However a haul, paint, Transducer replacement and new prop are starting to be priority one.

Thanks again KJB!

[roverhi]

Has anybody challenged the 10% rule for liveaboards in court?? Seems like it's discrimination and limitation of basic rights.
a

[gamayun]

Originally Posted by roverhi

Has anybody challenged the 10% rule for liveaboards in court?? Seems like it's discrimination and limitation of basic rights.
a

It probably could be challenged (legally or legislatively), but liveaboards do not have a lot of political clout in the bay area nor do they have deep pockets to work it through the courts. Just a few years ago, it wasn't generally a big problem to find liveaboard space, but rents have skyrocketed in the region and the marinas are clamping down on sneak-aboards. This is from a 2001 article on SF Bay Conservation and Development Commission (known as BCDC) that describes the history of the 10% limit:

How was the limit of 10% live-aboards per marina arrived at, and how can it have the force of law?

Sections 66632(f) and 66651(d) of the McAteer-Petris Act require the Commission to issue permits for activities that are consistent with the provisions of the Act and the San Francisco Bay Plan. Section 66651(d) also allows the Commission to incorporate special area plans, such as the one for Richardson Bay, into the Bay Plan. Section 66652 allows the Commission to amend the Bay Plan. Thus, the Bay Plan and Richardson Bay Special Area Plan policies have the full force and effect of law.

The Bay Plan policy limiting live-aboard berths to ten percent of the total berths in a marina was adopted after a long public debate and much input from the boating and marina community in the mid 1980s. The Commission concluded that having residents living in a recreational marina would provide additional security for recreational boating, a primary trust use. Therefore, the Commission decided a limited amount of residential use on live-aboard boats could be considered ancillary to a water-oriented use and consistent with the public trust. The Commission decided that the best way to define "ancillary" administratively was to establish a numerical standard for the amount of residential use.

To establish this standard, the Commission’s staff surveyed existing marinas and yacht harbors in the Bay and found that on average less than five percent of the berths in the marinas were used by live-aboard boats. To ensure that no existing live-aboards would have to be evicted, the Commission chose a percentage that was double the existing figure, which was still a percentage that could be reasonably supported as being truly ancillary. The Commission also indicated that it would allow more than the ten percent in certain cases, particularly when the live-aboard boats were existing as of the time the policy was adopted, so as to avoid any existing live-aboard residents being evicted.

The Commission also adopted a regulation (Section 10128) defining a live-aboard boat as "a boat that is not a transient boat, that is capable of being used for active self-propelled navigation, and that is occupied as a residence as that term is defined in California Government Code Section 244." Government Code Section 244 establishes seven criteria for determining place of residence. One of the criteria provides that a person can have only one place of residence at any one time. So if someone lives on a boat during the summer, but has another official residence, the boat would not be considered by BCDC to be a live-aboard boat. Transient boats, sometimes called cruisers which are used as permanent residences by people on extended sailing excursions, are also considered by BCDC to be a type of recreational boat. The vessels covered by the BCDC definition of "live-aboard boat" are those that used as full-time permanent residences, so even with ten percent restriction, harbormasters can allow additional residents if they are on transient boats or are not permanently living on their vessels.

[Vancefish]

Thank you for that post Gamayun. You have been a great contributor to this thread. Such wonderful data.

This does give me a leg up when claiming full time "cruiser" status.

Once I can afford to haul and then cruise. I'm heading for maybe Half moon bay, and a few months there. Then I can show Napa, and Half Moon, predecessor to that being my current marina. Thus showing a movement and cruiser pattern that even leaves the bay.

After that I should be able to pull off just about any bay area marina with a transient slip. Maybe even get a real live aboard slip offer.