Strategies for Long Term Canadian Liveaboards

[Darb]

I expect that there have been similar threads in the past but my scan of the Forums hasn't lead me to them. My question likely applies to all liveaboards but I'm specifically interested in that which has worked for Canadians in the Caribbean. I'd like to know how others have arranged their affairs so that they could leave Canada aboard a boat for a protracted period of time, say 4 to 6 years, while keeping some of their home based affairs in a reasonable order. Some things such as residency for income tax purposes and for provincial health insurance coverage are the larger matters but there are also more mundane items such as maintaining drivers licenses (three year maximum renewal), mailing address and dealing with other health care needs(my wife and we are in our late 50s and in relatively good health). There are likely other things that I haven't considered as well. I'd appreciate even direction to earlier threads on this topic. I'm sure that once we are 'out there' we will have the opportunity to discuss this with others that have also learned from trial and, in some cases, error.

[gunkylump]

You can apply for a two year extension for OHIP. After that, I believe you have to be in the province for six of the twelve months for four years, then you can again apply for the two year extension....it might still be five years, but I thought I had read somewhere that it is now every four.

Health care here in Grenada is really quite good....not brain aneurysm good, but great for mundane items like colds, flu, etc. My wife recently suffered a broken arm, and the total bill was under 500 E.C. for the hospital visit, doctor consultation, x-rays and soft cast. Pretty hard to beat that in Ontario. If you purchase insurance to get you home in case of major health issues, all is good. DAN.....check them out...Divers Alert Network now has a BAN or boaters alert network which is worth looking at.

Things such as driver's license and such, you just time your visits home to accommodate those issues....that's what we do. We are also listed on our daughter's car insurance as casual driver's so as not to lose our good rating.

A family members mailing address or a good friends will suffice not only for mail delivery, but also residency so to speak if you "rent" a room......

It is not as formidable as it seems, do your research on the government sites, educate yourself and away you go. This is great fun, a lifetime of adventures each and every day!

[Darb]

Thank you Gunkylump; you covered many of the bases for me. I like your idea of 'renting' a room in a friend or family's home! Do you make a point to get back to Ontario on a regular basis to comply with the OHIP rules or follow them a little more loosely? You don't have to answer. I did have a look at the DAN website but they seem to focus more on getting you to medical care near your current place of residence (i.e. where the boat is) as opposed to back to the US or Canada. I'll look more at DAN and other medevac providers. I have always assumed that I'd get some sort of medevac and 'pay as I play' for more routine health care. Still, medevac without OHIP will still not provide you with the assurance that you would want.

Sounds like you are enjoying your adventure; I hope that we cross paths at some point.