I made a mistake and I need some old seabears to help me out

[Sandy]

But why dont the marinas just get the licenses? People who live aboard take better care of their boats. So theyd spend more money on services and dry docks potentially.
And also would go to the chandlery often to buy stuff they need. Atleast more often than someone who only goes to sail 5 times in the summer and then waits the other 3 seasons out without enterin the marina again.

When I am next out on the Exeter Canal I'll get some pictures of "liveaboard" boats and you will understand why they don't want them!

 

[Seastoke]

Liverpool marina has live ins and they have real log burners chucking soot on other boats and other things

 

[V1701]

Liverpool marina has live ins and they have real log burners chucking soot on other boats and other things

Antisocial behaviour is unacceptable, whether they're "live ins" or not is irrelevant...

 

[nortada]

Antisocial behaviour is unacceptable, whether they're "live ins" or not is irrelevant...

Trouble is, Give a dog a bad name and we all get tarred by the same brush.

 

[duncan99210]

It’s a never ending saga. Basically, if you want to offer residential moorings, you have to get planning permission for the marina to have them. That’s a simple none starter in many places, often due to local residents objections.
If the marina got planning permission, the local council would then have the ability to charge council tax, which in turn would cause difficulties for the marina accountants as that would conflict with the need to pay business rates on the majority of the marina but getting it abated for their residential moorings. And so on and so forth. It’s not an easy set of equations to solve and most marinas are simply not interested, hence the route of don’t ask, don’t tell.
My brother lived on a narrow boat in a marina for a couple of years on that basis. He couldn’t have mail delivered to the marina and had to use an accommodation address for all his dealing with officialdom. In theory, he lived in a warehouse on an industrial estate in Wrexham....
No problems living aboard in Spain or Greece, but the local, laws regarding residential moorings are much looser there.

 

[dgadee]

Gillingham Marina have been anti-liveaboard for as long as I can remember. I tried there once : plainly no question of a blind eye being turned and the "keeping schtum" tactic will not work . I'm surprised you weren't aware earlier as they were completely upfront with me (and no, I didn't mention my intention).

I spent four weeks there (doing some work in London) during my tour of Britain in 2014 (I think). I think you are correct - never saw a liveaboard there at all.

 

[t21]

Medway Bridge Marina, is that still a thing? Very close i hink. Definitely fine there liveaboardy, cheaper in the muddy moorings

 

[25931]

It’s a never ending saga. Basically, if you want to offer residential moorings, you have to get planning permission for the marina to have them. That’s a simple none starter in many places, often due to local residents objections.
If the marina got planning permission, the local council would then have the ability to charge council tax, which in turn would cause difficulties for the marina accountants as that would conflict with the need to pay business rates on the majority of the marina but getting it abated for their residential moorings. And so on and so forth. It’s not an easy set of equations to solve and most marinas are simply not interested, hence the route of don’t ask, don’t tell.
My brother lived on a narrow boat in a marina for a couple of years on that basis. He couldn’t have mail delivered to the marina and had to use an accommodation address for all his dealing with officialdom. In theory, he lived in a warehouse on an industrial estate in Wrexham....
No problems living aboard in Spain or Greece, but the local, laws regarding residential moorings are much looser there.

Also Portugal and there are plenty of places apart from marinas, a different way of life which is why some of us who arrived here 40 years ago still haven´t left

 

[DangerousPirate]

Medway Bridge Marina, is that still a thing? Very close i hink. Definitely fine there liveaboardy, cheaper in the muddy moorings

Well yes, but theyre full currently and Im on a waiting list for an open spot. Unfortunately.

I spent four weeks there (doing some work in London) during my tour of Britain in 2014 (I think). I think you are correct - never saw a liveaboard there at all.

First hand experienced here. So I spend this month in that marina, and they have given me all the signs that they wont have me there another month.

I wasnt even seen really. Or heard. Im quite. I neverleft anything outside of the boat, didnt even talk to the other boaters really. If it wouldnt be for the security to mark when you come and go they probably wouldnt have ever known that I would be there.
I usually stayed over the day and slept, was off at the nights to go work in peace on my laptop..

Yet, they came up to me and told me that I could stay in the more expensive pontoon area because they couldnt be bothered moving me down to the tidal area when Im leaving next week (end of the month).

I thought its like any other marina, but theyre REALLY anti-livaboards. Even considering I gave them a post adress in Canterbury and they didnt say anything about staying on board in their contract.

So whoever reads this for advice: Never tell em you stay at your boat and just arrange a postal adress to give to them. Avoid all the trouble. But dont try this at Gillingham Marina, because they really have an eye out for you.


Probably will go to Chatham now. Just a question how I get down there with a broken engine and unstepped mast ^^.

Regards
Pirate

 

[adamedwards]

Gillingham Marina have been anti-liveaboard for as long as I can remember. I tried there once : plainly no question of a blind eye being turned and the "keeping schtum" tactic will not work . I'm surprised you weren't aware earlier as they were completely upfront with me (and no, I didn't mention my intention).

However there are marinas not so far away that will not be a problem. I would recommend trying Hoo St Werbergh. I also spent time on a mooring off Queenborough and also at Conyer Creek Marina (NOT Jarmans Yard) , but do not know what their attitude is these days.

I know this is an old post and you might not even see this. But I'm thinking of doing the same in Queenborough Harbour. I was wondering how you got in with Queenborough, as I work close by and it's the best option for me as a liveaboard.

 

[AndrewB]

I know this is an old post and you might not even see this. But I'm thinking of doing the same in Queenborough Harbour. I was wondering how you got in with Queenborough, as I work close by and it's the best option for me as a liveaboard.

Sorry, I can't help you with Queenborough Harbour itself, assuming you mean the pontoon mud-berths in Queenborough Creek, for which you need a boat that can take the ground. (There was a plan to lock the creek in order to have floating moorings, but I don't think that came to anything). There was a small office in South Street not far from the Yacht Club which dealt with administration of both the Harbour and the Swale moorings, and I'm sure you can find a website for them.

I spent most of a year on a deep-water mooring out in the Swale. Obviously no power, but the real issue was rowing the dinghy to and from the All-Tide Landing when the tide was running hard! The Medway area had a bad reputation in those days and I left after my boat was broken into one day. I fitted steel bars into all the hatches after that and was never broken into again.

 

[steve yates]

If your not entirely tiedto the medway I think Gravesend has liveaboards, and also benfleet creek ( NOT the sailing club on opp shore) across the estuary from you has them and is very cheap . Smallgains creek on canvey island also has liveaboards.

 

[DangerousPirate]

I am no longer there but from roaming around a little in that area I know this (since this has been unearthed..):

Gillingham is just annoying to deal with and they take it way too far with their anti-liveaboard policy. It's not like the boat never moves and you hang up your undies on the railing, have pots on the deck and the pontoon is littered with steps, folding bikes and such... There are liveaboards however, it seems to be favourism. It's so bad between me and them, they bad mouth me to strangers years later still. I heard some of the things they said about me second hand from friends, one guy was turned down to stay for a week because he was german (like me) and I suppose he reminded them of me too much or something.

I never did anything bad beside pay on time, keep my head low and work on the boat. So Gillingham being this vindictive and holding a very strong grudge YEARS LATER should be a real red flag for anyone. Either way - non recommendable.


They also have Thunder Pier (or whatever it is called, next to the dockyard) which is exposed, not well kept, expensive and has a very, very rude and moody owner who just has an attitude with everyone he seems to talk to. Sometimes makes up prices on the spot, when he thinks he can charge more than his rates and then gets upset if people quote him on his prices.

Gravesend is difficult to get into, they don't like new people there and I never got a spot even when I just needed one for one month and not even longterm. (I long stopped telling people about my intentions). But from what I hear, it has many barges and people living there full time. So if you get in, it does sound very nice. Very well connected with trains and buses in that area going in all directions.


Chatham is an easy marina to get into and stay due to their high traffic, but ever since the new management is in, they systematically get rid of the liveaboards. There is one gentleman who lived on his well kept powerboat since 14 years at the same, and they tried to kick him out, too. He sued them, last thing I heard. Boat looked good and clean, sometimes took it out for sails. Still tried to get him out.


BUT still worth a try, don't let them know how long you'll stay, don't show up in the office a lot. Get two or three keycards (guest keycards and never return or something..) and they'll never know anything.

Queensborough is very, very limited in space. It might be closer to where you plan to be, but I doubt that will work. And since it's very tidal, it's difficult to stay on the hook for good, unless you can get a mooring somewhere (the tides will definitely be bothersome after a few weeks.). But even those are more gillingham/chatham than rainham/queensborough, and then you'd still be on a mooring without facilities, shorepower etc.

 

[steveeasy]

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