Can I stay on my boat?

[Dougy]

My boat goes back in 23rd and probably wont be visited again this year when the next lockdown is announced but I cannot find anywhere on the net if I can stay overnight anchored on my yacht, RYA says it should be taken into consideration but categorical yes or no guidelines I cant find anywhere.

 

[r_h]

The intention seems to be that we are allowed only day trips away from a primary residence:
1.9 Are day trips and holidays ok? Can people stay in second homes?
Day trips to outdoor open space, in a private vehicle, are permitted. You should practise social distancing from other people outside your household.
Leaving your home - the place you live - to stay at another home for a holiday or other purpose is not allowed. This includes visiting second homes.
Premises such as hotels and bed and breakfasts will remain closed, except where providing accommodation for specific reasons set out in law, such as for critical workers where required for a reason relating to their work.

See the Cabinet Office FAQ:Coronavirus outbreak FAQs: what you can and can't do

 

[dehlerdave]

The guidance says you can only stay overnight at your main residence so no boat, no marina or caravan or second home.

 

[atol]

as a livabord for the last 35 years i would hope so,espesially since we also pay council tax to live on said yacht as our primary residence

 

[Old Harry]

My boat goes back in 23rd and probably wont be visited again this year when the next lockdown is announced but I cannot find anywhere on the net if I can stay overnight anchored on my yacht, RYA says it should be taken into consideration but categorical yes or no guidelines I cant find anywhere.

Ask Lord Chief Justice Johnathan Sumption, he will say there No Law against it

 

[Yorkshire Exile]

Ask Lord Chief Justice Johnathan Sumption, he will say there No Law against it

Former Justice of the Supreme Court.

 

[r_h]

as a livabord for the last 35 years i would hope so,espesially since we also pay council tax to live on said yacht as our primary residence

If the boat is your primary residence (or your primary residence is unavailable for you to use) then you can stay on board. The rest of us have to stay in our bricks and mortar homes.

 

[V1701]

I'd say it depends where you go and anchor, if somewhere secluded you'll get away with it (who's going to stop you?) but if you try to anchor around Dartmouth you might well not, and what time you arrive (late enough you'll get away with it wherever). I think we are officially allowed to anchor overnight though aren't we?

 

[FlyingGoose]

One needs to understand the guidelines as they are not law as sailing boats are not mentioned , although people keep wanting them to be linked to a static caravan or a house, the nature of a boat is different, clearly as it moves around , if all staying in a marina over night this could potential breach the guidelines, but the grey area comes into play when out sailing , and anchoring off,
As there can be many reasons for not travelling back home and staying overnight, weather being the biggest one, ill health, tides, daylight, tiredness etc. so one can argue that to stay over night and not go ashore is a reasonable excuse as you are taking the right decisions to minimise risk to yourself and to the emergency services by staying over night , and continuing on your Journey in safety, therefore I suspect if you keep common sense and do not try and enter other Marinas and drop you anchor and go ashore right next to a village or community you will be left alone or at least have a good reasonable excuse for safety in you mind,

 

[DipperToo]

As stated in other threads, Anglers can do night fishing....
Some have confused yesterday’s DEFRA guidance on ‘Accessing Green Spaces Safely’ as an indication that we cannot fish at night. For reassurance and clarity we have consulted lawyers today and can confirm this is not currently the case.
They state: “The DEFRA document could be clearer and ought to be clarified, but properly read is about staying on after your activity, not about when you may pursue it.”
This is because the relevant section of this document, which was amended after publication, refers to holiday and second homes and not sporting activities. This is where the confusion arises. We have asked Sport England to seek its amendment so that it is clearly in line with DCMS and the Ministerial statement in support of angling.

Fully agree with Flying Goose about why boats are treated the same as Holiday Homes and Static Caravans.

Now, If this had all happened when Ted Heath was PM, I am sure sailing would have properly addressed.....

 

[Old Harry]

If the boat is your primary residence (or your primary residence is unavailable for you to use) then you can stay on board. The rest of us have to stay in our bricks and mortar homes.

Our nxt door neighbours seem to be preparing for sons 19 birthday bash, "lets party" bunting going up in the garden .

 

[Elessar]

My boat goes back in 23rd and probably wont be visited again this year when the next lockdown is announced but I cannot find anywhere on the net if I can stay overnight anchored on my yacht, RYA says it should be taken into consideration but categorical yes or no guidelines I cant find anywhere.

If you’re in a hurry you don’t ask if you can do 80 because the answer would be no.

 

[Elessar]

As stated in other threads, Anglers can do night fishing....
Some have confused yesterday’s DEFRA guidance on ‘Accessing Green Spaces Safely’ as an indication that we cannot fish at night. For reassurance and clarity we have consulted lawyers today and can confirm this is not currently the case.
They state: “The DEFRA document could be clearer and ought to be clarified, but properly read is about staying on after your activity, not about when you may pursue it.”
This is because the relevant section of this document, which was amended after publication, refers to holiday and second homes and not sporting activities. This is where the confusion arises. We have asked Sport England to seek its amendment so that it is clearly in line with DCMS and the Ministerial statement in support of angling.

Fully agree with Flying Goose about why boats are treated the same as Holiday Homes and Static Caravans.

Now, If this had all happened when Ted Heath was PM, I am sure sailing would have properly addressed.....

Not true he’d have just ignored it.
Boris went to his second home. The queen and prince Charles did too. I’m happy to be led by common sense and example rather than by strict adherence to arbitrary rules.

 

[pvb]

Just stay over if you want to. There's no way in which you're endangering your own or anyone else's safety. The legislation has been introduced hurriedly and is open to challenge in lots of areas. The interpretation of it by, for example, the College of Policing (often linked to here) seems just to be designed to help plod to fine people, as key bits are highlighted in bold. If you get challenged, simply say you felt faint and didn't think it was wise to drive home.

 

[Elessar]

The guidance says you can only stay overnight at your main residence so no boat, no marina or caravan or second home.

Guidance.
Look the word up.

 

[Greenheart]

I'd say it depends where you go and anchor, if somewhere secluded you'll get away with it (who's going to stop you?) ...I think we are officially allowed to anchor overnight though aren't we?

That is commonsense, sir. Nice to see lots of people on this page thinking similarly.

Now that we're allowed to sail again, I wonder how lucky you would have to be, if you picked a couple of days of nice moderate no-thrills minimum-risk weather, and sailed with madame a few unambitious miles from your home mooring, anchored somewhere sheltered, stayed on board overnight, then were back on your home berth within 36 hours of leaving...

...how lucky would you have to be, NOT to find yourself in execution dock? I don't think you'd need to be lucky at all.

Draconian interpretations of this year's temporary laws have been adopted with unhealthy enthusiasm by some members of the forum. Hard to believe they're boat-owners at all, when they're primarily telling us not to demonstrate any intelligent independence.

 

[greeny]

Ok so the law is the law, guidance is guidance.
My boat is not my holiday home. Its not a caravan, nor a chalet, nor an apartment.
So I can sleep on my boat.
But, if my boat is in a marina and the marina rules say "no overnight sleeping" then if you sleep onboard, you are breaking the marina rules not the law.
If you anchor in a harbour, sleep onboard and the harbour authority forbid this, then you are breaking their rules.
The problem is not the government but the people who are running and controlling marinas and harbours. Their interpretation of the guidelines is clearly incorrect but none of them are big enough to break rank and make the required changes to take the next step on lockdown recovery.
If these type of people are typical of the people "in charge" in our society then I fear the road to recovery from covid will be long and hard.
I'm probably going to attract criticism for saying all this but I believe we need to get adult about the situation, make our own decision based on the law and the risk and then own those decisions if we get challenged. It's a pity those in charge of marinas and harbours haven't done that.
My boat is not in UK so this has minimal effect on me right now, but when I see fellow sailors being fed this treatment it really gets my back up.

 

[Elessar]

Ok so the law is the law, guidance is guidance.
My boat is not my holiday home. Its not a caravan, nor a chalet, nor an apartment.
So I can sleep on my boat.
But, if my boat is in a marina and the marina rules say "no overnight sleeping" then if you sleep onboard, you are breaking the marina rules not the law.
If you anchor in a harbour, sleep onboard and the harbour authority forbid this, then you are breaking their rules.
The problem is not the government but the people who are running and controlling marinas and harbours. Their interpretation of the guidelines is clearly incorrect but none of them are big enough to break rank and make the required changes to take the next step on lockdown recovery.
If these type of people are typical of the people "in charge" in our society then I fear the road to recovery from covid will be long and hard.
I'm probably going to attract criticism for saying all this but I believe we need to get adult about the situation, make our own decision based on the law and the risk and then own those decisions if we get challenged. It's a pity those in charge of marinas and harbours haven't done that.
My boat is not in UK so this has minimal effect on me right now, but when I see fellow sailors being fed this treatment it really gets my back up.

but as I said if you are in a hurry you don’t ring up and ask if you can do 80 do you?

 

[Blue Sunray]

But, if my boat is in a marina and the marina rules say "no overnight sleeping" then if you sleep onboard, you are breaking the marina rules not the law.
If you anchor in a harbour, sleep onboard and the harbour authority forbid this, then you are breaking their rules.

Marina rules may or may not be covered in the berthing contract, however most "harbour authorities" simply do not have the power to make a rule forbidding one from sleeping overnight on a boat nor any right to impose a sanction (standfast where they are renting you a mooring from said authority where a contact might apply).

Just because a myriad of minor officials across the land have decided to send out emails, post on Facebook, Twitter et al does not mean that the content of said emails has any merit or that any 'rules' contained therein actually exist in any meaningful form.

 

[greeny]

but as I said if you are in a hurry you don’t ring up and ask if you can do 80 do you?

Agreed. But doing 80 is breaking the law. Sleeping on your boat isn't in my opinion. For what it's worth.