Hello from Vancouver, BC

[rdempsey]

Hi
Its been a few years since I've sailed. Started with dinghies on the prairies, then a few charters in Florida and here on the westcoast. Last time I was out was a cruise up to the Queen Charlottes on my fathers Gulf Island 29.

Want to get back into it and will looking to buy a boat within the next 6 months and possibly live aboard. Anyone know where you can liveaboard in the Greater vancouver area? All the marinas I have checked with say NO liveaboards! Someplace you can live off the hook maybe?


Love the forums! Great subjects and responses. Learned alot in the last few days.

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Rdempsey,
Welcome aboard!! Hope you get some answers. Vancouver is a great place. My wife and I will be up there in a couple months. She's never been so it'll be fun to take a day tour.
Kind Regards,
JohnL

[Pleiades]

rdempsy;

Mosquito Creek and Shelter Island are two that I know of (subject to availability of course). The further you get from the city, the more likely you'll find liveaboards.

Regards
John

[mars bar]

Hi and welcome Rdempsey
I’m new to this site as well, and yes it’s a site full of information, I’m still finding my way around it. As for on the hook boaters, Vancouver is a bit of a hostile environment and I’m speaking from experience, but Vancouver, it’s a great city. I was allowed to stay only 14 days on a permit after that your boat gets impounded and the VPD were always letting me know that. I’m now at Shelter Island but only temporary. If I find or know of a place I’ll post it. I hope you get back on the water soon. It’s a great life. mars bar

[rdempsey]

At the boatshow I asked the guy at the Shelter Island booth and he said no liveaboards. Strange. Maybe he just didn't like me. I'll check again and I'll look into Mosquito Creek.
Thanks.

Originally Posted by Pleiades

Mosquito Creek and Shelter Island are two that I know of (subject to availability of course). The further you get from the city, the more likely you'll find liveaboards.

[rdempsey]

Yes, False Creek is definately out now.
I was thinking of looking into Bedwell Bay by Belcarra and in that area.
Shelter Island an OK marina?

Originally Posted by mars bar

As for on the hook boaters, Vancouver is a bit of a hostile environment and I’m speaking from experience, but Vancouver, it’s a great city. I was allowed to stay only 14 days on a permit after that your boat gets impounded and the VPD were always letting me know that. I’m now at Shelter Island but only temporary. If I find or know of a place I’ll post it. I hope you get back on the water soon. It’s a great life. mars bar

[Buddy_Y]

Welcome to the board. I'm new to the Vancouver sailing scene myself, but this year I did the same search you're doing, for months. The short answer is: unless you have a whole mountain of cash to buy into yacht clubs etc or are willing to wait years on a waiting lists, it won't work. Those Vancouver region marinas that have liveaboard slips have huge waiting lists and they charge $$$.

If you're willing to go completely gypsy, then you only need a whole hill of cash, as opposed to a mountain of it. Others on this board will know immensely more about this topic than I. BTW, Bedwell Bay is a popular place with lots of nice folk in nice houses living along the shoreline, so please consider wisely if you're thinking about anchoring on their watery front lawn, even with the best of intentions. That's the kind of thing that ruined what could have been a model floating communty in False Creek.

An inside tip is: some of the Vancouver region marinas that have a 'no liveaboard' policy actually do allow liveaboards, but only 'under the table.' Why? Insurance, I was told. This was explained to me by a local broker trying to sell me a liveaboard at such-and-such a marina. It sounded fishy to me, but then I went to the marina in question and spoke with some of the liveaboard folk personally, and they confirmed this. Some had been there for years. You can get these slips if someone is selling the boat in it -- but, the seller will factor in the value of the slip in the boat asking price, and the cost of the slip per month will be an additional serious chunk of cash. ($600 per month, if you're lucky.)

I won't publicly mention which marina does this, for fear of causing ripples in this delicate wink-nudge situation. If you're serious (i.e., in heart and wallet) then PM me. Remember, though, you won't be saving money. The boat price will be quite higher than the boat would normally sell for -- and, there's nothing to say that the management won't change their policy, and your $50k boat and assumeable slip combination will suddenly become a boat without a slip that you can't unload even at $10k. (The Vancouver boat market is flooded with unsaleable boats -- no slip, too big to trailer, no buyers.)

Mosquito Creek has a long waiting list, but if you buy a boat there in their regular slips, they'll allow you to 'sleep over' on it up to 60 days a year. (This, a broker told me. Never verified.) They're also expanding. Might be something there, but if so, people with serious bucks are likely to gobble up spaces and drive up prices. Can't hurt to check.

Other marinas are really quite serious about no liveaboards, because individuals of the community have ruined it for others by letting their boats become filthy shacks. The marina I eventually bought a (non-liveaboard) boat at, Reed Point, is very adamant about no liveaboards. (They are even taking steps to roust out any boat that is not adequately cared for.)

After my long, painstaking search for a liveboard in the Vancouver region, I came to the mathematical conclusion that buying a mid-size boat and renting a modest apartment actually made far better financial sense. Especially for a newbie like me.

Good luck.

p.s. However, I never fully investigated the marinas beyond the south of the city, e.g., Ladner, but I've seen ads for 'live-aboard' boats in that region.

[Solitude]

Bedwell Bay probhably isn't a realistic place to be a livaboard. Its a nice place but you would have next to no access to anything. Its a long way from there to any city infrastructure by land.

[Livia]

Welcome from Victoria.

[Pleiades]

All;

I have just vacated my 50' slip at Mosquito Creek (B148). It is one of the best slips in the marina and they do allow liveaboards for an additional fee. Annual non-liveaboard rate is C$5847 taxes & power included.

I am moving to Semiahmoo Marina near Blaine, WA, where the rate is much cheaper and the marina is much nicer and it's near White Rock where I live. You'll need a Nexus card to deal with the border though. 44' slip is US$300/month and they have planty available.

John

[Solosailor]

rdempsey: I'm from the Vancouver area. Actually New Westminster like yourself. I believe the advice given to you by Buddy_Y is good and accurate. The situation in Vancouver is terrible. I hear people put off buying a boat only because they can't find a slip. Liveaboard space I understand is near impossible.

Do you have to live in Vancouver. You can get space in the Gulf Islands. I don't know what the situation in Sidney on the Island is like. It may be worth checking out. Personally I think Vancouver is becoming a less and less livable city. The traffic really sucks here and after a year of living in the Interior I'm thinking of moving.

One positive suggestions I will give you is to join the Blue Water Cruising Association. You will find people there who may be able to help you out. You may find you can "sublet" a slip from somebody cruising.

[Traynter Turpin]

Hi guys, Capt.T in Fla. My brother in law passed away suddenly and he had a 30 Fraser. Engine was almost new with reciepts. Has roughly 500 hours (volvo). I can get pics and info. to anyone interested but need it gone NOW ! Take first resonable offer. It needs attention from what I can see but it's all there. It's in a liveaboard marina (have to look up name) I put my info in the classified section here. 561-722-3583