living aboard in the UK

[overworked]

<font color="red">hi can anybody give me details of where to start and the pitfalls of living aboard in UK, specifically scotland.
And does anybody have any info on marina fees etc
thanks
stuart.</font>

 

[snowleopard]

I expect you have a specific area in mind. The simplest way to find out is to ring round a few and just ask if they accept liveaboards; some do some don't.

In terms of fees, you generally get what you pay for- expensive marinas will have clean showers, secure parking, restaurants and bars etc. Cheap ones will have manky old pontoons, smelly draughty toilets, parking on waste ground etc. It's up to you to decide what you are prepared to pay for and what you can put up with.

 

[pragmatist]

Well actually I think if asked up front if they accept liveaboards most will say no - lots of councils actually prohibit it. However when we did it we explained that we had a work project which meant we'd have to spend time on the boat in that area. As it happened they freely accepted liveaboards (lots of washing in the rigging is the clue !) but they weren't supposed to be doing it, according to the council.

 

[pragmatist]

Hi overworked !

Know the feeling ! You kept your post short so didn't give much info - do you have a boat ? Do you have a specific location (e.g. a job) ? We are impermanent liveaboards - do it when we can and retreat to house/office when we can't. But as SnowLeopard says you need to decide what your preferences (and budget) are - we hate standard marinas but have had a great time on a pontoon on the River Dart (no walk-ashore access) but now have electricity & water and also at the top of the River Crouch in a drying "marina" in a creek. The "marina" was delightful - just a single run of finger pontoons in the middle of a salt marsh - walk-on access, electricity & diesel. The showers were grim (rapidly got an immersion heater fitted!) - wonderfully rural (owls, shelduck, fantastic wild flowers (not everyone's favourite hobby admittedly!!) - but then we don't do restaurants and the glitzy stuff. What I can say is that even paying marina fees it saved a whole lot of money when compared to house bills - and if you like or grit your teeth a little bit and can get a non-marina berth then you could save a LOT ! Our River Dart pontoon mooring including unlimited electricity costs £2k pa for 41 feet.

Good luck ! Its great fun - except when it rains all the time which could be a problemette for Scotland

/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[pessimist]

Fun? I remember fun. I think....

 

[Birdseye]

One comment made to me was not to underestimate the difficulties of having "no fixed abode" . Lots of institutions apparently dont want to know you. With any luck that might include the Inland Revenue but somehow I doubt it.

So get all the accounts etc set up before you do it.

 

[snowleopard]

[ QUOTE ]
One comment made to me was not to underestimate the difficulties of having "no fixed abode" . Lots of institutions apparently dont want to know you. With any luck that might include the Inland Revenue but somehow I doubt it.

So get all the accounts etc set up before you do it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes indeed. I was surprised to find that MDL didn't have an objection to us living aboard (Northney Marina) but they did specify that we had to have an address they could send bill etc. to, other than the boat.

If you have a base in a marina you can generally get mail sent there but if you are mobile you can get into strife. For example your credit rating can vanish. There have been some human rights issues for example people living on narrow boats have been refused bail - like they are going to abscond at 3 mph!

 

[Shanta]

Hi there, over worked.

We didn't actually anounce that we were liveaboards we just turned up and started working on / living on our boat. While holding down land based jobs. We were not aware of any restrictions at the time apart from not being allowed to put washing out to dry !!( MDL.) Which was incredible as one the weather was rarely fit for it and two, all the boaters which came only for the weekend or even the odd day. Didn't take any notice and hung stuff all over the place.
Any way, you really need to hang on to a land address. It makes life much simpler for all official stuff.
and most importantly invest in a good dehumidifier it makes all the difference. We ran ours every day while we were out at work and it kept all the damp out of every thing and made it much easier to heat in the winter. And thats on a wooden boat.
Good luck and enjoy.
Ah Scotland, make sure you got a good heater.

 

[hairbox]

Don't do it absolute nightmare