Has anyone managed to liveaboard while working on their boat in a yard?

Thatgirl48

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Hi,
new to the forum.
I'm trying to work out logistics, plan is to sell house, buy a boat that is not wreck but needs a fair amount of work and live aboard for a couple of years befoe deciding whether to live aboard longer term or find ahouse again.
Decision is driven by work logistics mainly. I already work in the industry and am a qualified marine engineer so the work needed on the boat doesn't phase me and I have enough contacts to bring in outside help for the things I can't do.
I don't want to pay rent on a flat or a house if i can help it as well as fees to be in a yard so, I was considering approaching a yard to see if theres a possibility to live on the boat whilst working on it? Possibly a stupid question but worth asking while I'm working things out I guess.
 

veshengro

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In which area of the Country are you? After 17 years living aboard (Ashore now) I found berths/attitudes differed from area to area.
 

Thatgirl48

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Thank you, that's really helpful.

Any tips on how best to persuade a yard to let me do it would be great if you've got any. I guess they'll want to avoid a project boat ending up sitting in their yard when an owner runs out of steam but I think if I approach them with an actual plan and timeline that could help.
 

WoodyP

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I managed to do a lot on weekend stopovers in Brighton, but I was using some of the local providers for specialist work. There were a number who did this at Fosdyke Yacht haven, but that's a bit far from your required location.
 

veshengro

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Understood. The closest to Felixstowe I ever lived, on a couple of occasions,over wintered that is for 4-5 months, was on a mooring at West Mersea and as it was only somewhere to live between foreign voyages I can't give any advice on longer term local possibilities for that area I'm afraid.

It can be accomplished. I fitted out a bare steel hull over spring and summer months while living aboard, but that was in Sussex and back in the 1990's
 

Thatgirl48

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Thank you,this is really encouraging! I've fou d a couple of local boatyards so I'm going to have a day visiting them and seeing if anyone will have a conversation about it.
 

Tranona

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While this type of living was fairly common in the past there are very few yards that will permit that now, in part because they are not classed as residential and in part because refitting a boat is not a trivial task, either from the work or money point if view so many such projects get abandoned leaving the yard with a problem. you can only ask, but be prepared to get negative responses.
 

ylop

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Thank you, that's really helpful.

Any tips on how best to persuade a yard to let me do it would be great if you've got any. I guess they'll want to avoid a project boat ending up sitting in their yard when an owner runs out of steam but I think if I approach them with an actual plan and timeline that could help.
I used to keep a boat in a yard that had a strict no liveaboard policy but there was one notable exception - the guy who helped around the yard, and therefore made sure stuff was locked, loose stuff weighted down in high winds etc. officially he didn’t live there but everyone knew he did.

I don’t fancy living on a boat in a yard long term - toilets? I don’t fancy living on a project boat - dust? I’ve seen the chaos required just to do something like service the engine - getting the spare filters, the oil filter wrench etc from their hiding places means half the boat gets moved around. The companionway is blocked. Needing to clear stuff away to cook food, or find your bed to sleep in would hinder progress. Even a camper van on site at the yard would be more pleasant than in the boat itself.
 

ducked

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Even a camper van on site at the yard would be more pleasant than in the boat itself.
Camper van off-site near the yard gets you around the yard agreement thing, but would be illegal, if that bothers you.
I lived in trucks and vans in London for a few years around the turn of the century, so it was a possible if parenoid lifestyle, but there is a lot more surveillance now.

If you can find a yard that is administered by a sailing club, rather than by a biziniz, and get yourself "integrated" into the community, you might either get acceptance or a collective blind eye applied.
 
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greeny

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If the boat is sailable and safe then come to Portugal. Its normal to live and work on your boat in the yard down here.
 

Boathook

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I used to keep a boat in a yard that had a strict no liveaboard policy but there was one notable exception - the guy who helped around the yard, and therefore made sure stuff was locked, loose stuff weighted down in high winds etc. officially he didn’t live there but everyone knew he did.

I don’t fancy living on a boat in a yard long term - toilets? I don’t fancy living on a project boat - dust? I’ve seen the chaos required just to do something like service the engine - getting the spare filters, the oil filter wrench etc from their hiding places means half the boat gets moved around. The companionway is blocked. Needing to clear stuff away to cook food, or find your bed to sleep in would hinder progress. Even a camper van on site at the yard would be more pleasant than in the boat itself.
The yard I'm at has no sleeping on board whilst the boat is ashore. The rule was bought in as a local camped on his boat all summer. They are OK with me sleeping on board as they know I have quite a journey to get there and back home and I do it as little as possible.
I would not like to sleep on board all winter ashore and find one night enough. As mentioned dust and constant moving stuff around and it causes a lot of issues with the council, etc. You may also find the electric supply limited to 5 amps or so, so other forms of heating are required.
 

Tranona

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I lived on board on and off for a year in a 26' wooden boat on the hard in the yard where I worked at the time, going home at weekends. Plugged into the mains so could use a fan heater and normal lighting. toilet was close by. Tolerable when you are young and maybe have no better option, but would not want to do it while working on the boat.
 

Wansworth

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As Tranona comments depends on your age as a younger person it’s possible to put up with inconveniences but I think use of a we and shower helps even the most rustic.Complete say the fore cabin and use as sleeping area with an all over transparent over and the cockpit can be used as a workshop and weather doesn’t upset 5he schedule
 

Obi

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10+ yrs ago. I did mine at Birdham Pool, which is a lovely unspoiled, charming yard with good services/trades last time I looked. It is only a v short walk through to Premier at Chichester with it's facilities, bars etc.

Also stayed onboard, on the hard at Port Solent whilst anti-fouling (40') single handed, for a couple of weeks or so.

Port Solent had nice bathrooms near the boats dry storage area. Maybe even with underfloor heating on the nice stone floors, a couple of sofas and magazines. This was nice after a warm day in protective gear anti-fouling.

Both times I ran a hose from the grey water to a waste water container to make it a little easier day to day. Toilets required a trip to the facilities.

As long as you can find a yard that will let you, then I would say go for it and enjoy it.
 

capnsensible

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Stayed aboard in a couple of Spanish yards for short periods and twice in a Moroccan yard.

It helps focus on getting up at dawn and working til dusk because it's not a bundle of fun and the shorter time out the better. And getting inventive when you need a pee in the night. And washing up.
 
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