Liveaboard on the hard

[kmrtraptow]

Has anyone ever lived aboard a sailboat on the hard in a boat yard in Canada (west coast) while working on it? Do you require special insurance or sign some waiver from a boat yard?

Cheers
Kevin

[Nicholson58]

No Canadian experience.

In much of the Caribbean this is common, no special insurance. There are a couple of old guys in the Chaguaramos, Trinidad boat yard that never leave.

[chris mac]

A friend did in Vancouver for a couple months, no extra insurance. However there are definately extra concerns for living. Water, bathroom use, and a lot of up and down the ladder are the big ones.
Your best bet is to talk to the boat yard you are wanting to use and find out if its possible straight from them

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by kmrtraptow

Has anyone ever lived aboard a sailboat on the hard in a boat yard in Canada (west coast) while working on it? Do you require special insurance or sign some waiver from a boat yard?

Cheers
Kevin

No, not in Canada. But insurance would be good, and I'd not be surprised if the yard didn't require a waiver.

Why? Highly dangerous. Especially going up and down the ladder. Especially at night. I've heard of several people who've missed a step or fallen.

Two examples:

Ed, From Constance, missed a step and landed hard on his heel and broke bones in his foot requiring surgery and a very long recuperation.

Jean Socrates, fell and broke her back. Long recuperation. Long term damage to her neck.

I've lived aboard in the yard, once or trice, but won't do it again. Too much risk, plus, it just doesn't feel right.

[kmrtraptow]

Originally Posted by wingssail

No, not in Canada. But insurance would be good, and I'd not be surprised if the yard didn't require a waiver.

Why? Highly dangerous. Especially going up and down the ladder. Especially at night. I've heard of several people who've missed a step or fallen.

Two examples:

Ed, From Constance, missed a step and landed hard on his heel and broke bones in his foot requiring surgery and a very long recuperation.

Jean Socrates, fell and broke her back. Long recuperation. Long term damage to her neck.

I've lived aboard in the yard, once or trice, but won't do it again. Too much risk, plus, it just doesn't feel right.

Thanks for this. I wasn't thinking long-term just maybe 6 months or so to refit maybe? How long did you live in a boat yard?

[kmrtraptow]

Originally Posted by chris mac

A friend did in Vancouver for a couple months, no extra insurance. However there are definately extra concerns for living. Water, bathroom use, and a lot of up and down the ladder are the big ones.
Your best bet is to talk to the boat yard you are wanting to use and find out if its possible straight from them

Good things to think about thanks!

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by wingssail

No, not in Canada. But insurance would be good, and I'd not be surprised if the yard didn't require a waiver.

Why? Highly dangerous. Especially going up and down the ladder. Especially at night. I've heard of several people who've missed a step or fallen.

Two examples:

Ed, From Constance, missed a step and landed hard on his heel and broke bones in his foot requiring surgery and a very long recuperation.

Jean Socrates, fell and broke her back. Long recuperation. Long term damage to her neck.

I've lived aboard in the yard, once or trice, but won't do it again. Too much risk, plus, it just doesn't feel right.

Hmmmm. Felt just fine in Trinidad 4-10 weeks per season.

See if the marina can set you up like this. Shrink cover outside the drip line of the toe rail. Walk up steps and landing with railing. Carry two bags of groceries and walk directly onto the deck. Chaguaramos really knows how to treat us.

[kmrtraptow]

Wow that's awesome! So maybe I just need to move to Trinidad! Screw this Alberta weather!

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

Hmmmm. Felt just fine in Trinidad 4-10 weeks per season.

See if the marina can set you up like this. Shrink cover outside the drip line of the toe rail. Walk up steps and landing with railing. Carry two bags of groceries and walk directly onto the deck. Chaguaramos really knows how to treat us.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

Hmmmm. Felt just fine in Trinidad 4-10 weeks per season.

See if the marina can set you up like this. Shrink cover outside the drip line of the toe rail. Walk up steps and landing with railing. Carry two bags of groceries and walk directly onto the deck. Chaguaramos really knows how to treat us.

This arrangement would be safe in my opinion, though it is better with shallow draft. My eight feet would make a long set of steps.

But the issues of toilet, water, grey water, all still exists, and it does not feel right to me. Each to his own.

And what you can do in Trini might be different in a first world country.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by kmrtraptow

Thanks for this. I wasn't thinking long-term just maybe 6 months or so to refit maybe? How long did you live in a boat yard?

We never lived aboard in a boat yard for more than a few days. In 34 years we've never had a refit that went longer than a few weeks or a couple of months because we don't wish to be unable to sail for such a long time. We'll do it in stages to keep the boat in service.

Those times when the boat was going to be worked on for more than a week or two (rarely, maybe three tines in 34 years) we either did it in the water or we moved into shoreside accommodations.

We've had some great adventures in cheap (really cheap!) shoreside hotels. Old town Puerto Vallarta, Boat Lagoon in Phuket, and a yard in Chaguaramos, Trinidad come to mind.

[kmrtraptow]

Originally Posted by wingssail

We never lived aboard in a boat yard for more than a few days. In 34 years we've never had a refit that went longer than a few weeks or a couple of months because we don't wish to be unable to sail for such a long time. We'll do it in stages to keep the boat in service.

Those times when the boat was going to be worked on for more than a week or two (rarely, maybe three tines in 34 years) we either did it in the water or we moved into shoreside accommodations.

We've had some great adventures in cheap (really cheap!) shoreside hotels. Old town Puerto Vallarta, Boat Lagoon in Phuket, and a yard in Chaguaramos, Trinidad come to mind.

Awesome! I'm probably overestimating the time it takes for a refit lol

[Mike OReilly]

I tend to live on the hard for weeks to a month at the outside on either end of the season. This has been in Newfoundland, so the opposite side of the country.

Insurance has never been an issue, although to be honest, I've never asked my broker about it. One yard did not allow it, but I think that was more because they were being dinks. Otherwise not an issue.

It is hard to live on the hard. Up and down the ladder is difficult and dangerous. The boat's water systems are not really functioning properly. Luckily our composting head is OK, but the boat just feels wrong being in that position.

Still, it certainly can be done.

[ilanortho]

Great thread; I've often thought of doing this. Tried it one winter night in a large indoor heated yard. Very creepy. All the hulls there in the dark seemed to resent my intrusion on their solitude.

[jharding]

I pulled in a yard in Texas for a two week bottom job, ended up staying for 4 months, that's how projects can go. My Bassett hound and I had no problems, felt quite comfortable. I made a sling with a block and tackle hooked on the boom lifted him up and down 2-3 times a day. Staying on the boat you can get a lot more done, sometimes working on something till 11pm. I have a composting toilet so that was no problem, everything else worked fine except no A/C, fans seem to do the job, same as being out on anchor. If you have a problem with ladders build a set of stairs, not that big a deal. It is not so easy finding a yard that lets you work on your own boat and then to stay on it. A simple extension cord powers boat quite well when not using A/C

[gbowen]

I stayed on my boat at Halibut Point Marine in Sitka, Alaska while the boat was hauled out multiple times. The folks were great and facilities good (water, rest rooms, power). No waivers required and you could work on your own boat. It is not a motel, however. They have problems with deadbeats too. If you need to haul out and pay your way, they are accommodating.