Help & Advise Zero Budget Liveaboard Essex

[5W33P3R]

Hello everyone.
I'm brand new to sailing, only sailed a one man Pico boat about seven times and went on a Competent Crew course for five days after buying my Ohlson 38 back in July. I'm soon puting my 38 feet yacht in the water for the first time since I bought her, and I want to live off grid with zero cost. I hoped to find somewhere in, or near, the Blackwater in Essex where I could leave it anchored all year round and close enough to paddle to a local town where I would leave the car for a few days in a side street.
Does anyone know if this is remotely possible, and if so, where I could achieve it please?

 

[potentillaCO32]

I can't think of anywhere sheltered on the blackwater that you could anchor long term within paddling distance of somewhere you could leave a car parked.

 

[sigma38dave]

Living aboard permanently at anchor on the East Coast, I'll do you a favour by advising you to forget this plan but I'll salute your pluck and determination if you decide to give it a go.

 

[5W33P3R]

It's looking like Blackwater is a no go. I may have to convert to living on her and traveling somewhere far much sooner than I'd like, or, finding a marina affordable and running some numbers to see if I can indeed afford it. I'm not a rich man.

 

[potentillaCO32]

Thinking about it, I wouldn't want to be hanging off my own anchor when that january storm went past with 80mph winds.

 

[potentillaCO32]

It's looking like Blackwater is a no go. I may have to convert to living on her and traveling somewhere far much sooner than I'd like, or, finding a marina affordable and running some numbers to see if I can indeed afford it. I'm not a rich man.

There are cheap swinging moorings on the east coast though.
Essex marina on the crouch also priors and rice and coles. There are moorings at paglesham on the roach and a few on the blackwater. Whether they allow liveabords i'm not sure. But you would probably get parking. There aren't many/any boats on them in winter though.

 

[Jerome Mayhew]

Hello everyone.
I'm brand new to sailing, only sailed a one man Pico boat about seven times and went on a Competent Crew course for five days after buying my Ohlson 38 back in July. I'm soon puting my 38 feet yacht in the water for the first time since I bought her, and I want to live off grid with zero cost. I hoped to find somewhere in, or near, the Blackwater in Essex where I could leave it anchored all year round and close enough to paddle to a local town where I would leave the car for a few days in a side street.
Does anyone know if this is remotely possible, and if so, where I could achieve it please?

It's a bold plan you have there. I've been based on the Orwell and can't see a zero/v low cost solution in the Harwich/Orwell/Stour area. The moorings above and below Pin Mill are probably the cheapest options.

 

[sigma38dave]

Do you have a day job that requires you to be somewhere at regular times?

What you’ve described living full time at anchor will be hard graft. Just basics like provisions, water, power, doing your laundry, worrying about weather etc and looking after the boat will be a full time job in itself.

Realistically you’ll probably want to visit a marina during prolonged spells of bad weather, you could easily find it too rough to get ashore by dinghy and be trapped on the boat, or finding your dinghy missing when you get back to it ashore isn’t unheard of.

If you devote your life to it anchoring out full time is probably possible, there’s just not enough hours in the day for a job too.

If you want to live on it, find the cheapest roughest marina you can and keep your head down. Somewhere around £4k a year is starting money for a 12 m berth though.

 

[fredrussell]

I think Walton and Frinton Yacht Club have cheaper-than-most pontoon berths.

 

[MoodySabre]

Have a look at Mooring & Storage Fees – Blackwater Marina

 

[Lucky Duck]

Have a look at Mooring & Storage Fees – Blackwater Marina

I find the webcam overlooking the creek strangely compelling despite it showing mud for most of the time

Mundon Creek in Maylandsea Webcam

 

[Gargleblaster]

Most Marinas offer cheaper winter rates that may solve your bad weather problems and purchase or rent a swinging mooring on a river of your choice possibly right outside the marina you use in winter. Most insurance companies will not insure you on a swinging mooring or anchoring between Nov and March. In my experience insurance is a waste of time anyway as they often reject a valid claim.

I much admire the Ohlson 38 as a sea going boat. One famous round the world sailor complained the rudder didn't have quite enough bight, but that may have been with wind vane steering. Shouldn't worry you as a liveaboard.

 

[Keith 66]

Its a big boat that draws nearly 6 feet, the fact that is a deep fin keel will rule out most top of the creek "marina's" simply on account of you wont be able to get into most of them unless at the top of a monster spring tide & then will find the boat laying at a crazy angle until the keel has hopefully dug a hole. Doesnt matter where you go someone will have their hand out asking for money!