Living on a boat in a marina part-time

Moodysailor

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All very anecdotal I know, but my wife and I spent a month aboard our boat last August, using it as our holiday home for a month, working and doing projects getting her ready for this season. We were upfront with our marina and they were most accommodating - even delivering our parcels with the morning rounds if we forgot to collect them from the office. They commented on more than one occasion how glad they were we were on board as an extra pair of eyes.
We did stick to our word and left in September so i'm not sure if it would have passed scrutiny if we were lying and stayed longer, but a large part of me didn't want to leave :)
 

Freebee

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I stayed on my 8m mobo in Poole for 2 years, I enjoyed every minute of it, except the frosty winter nights when I just could not get the boat warm and how slippery it was getting off the boat on frosty mornings, condensation also a problem could not keep decent clothes on board because of mould. Its an exercise in minimalist living and at that time there were a number of us doing the same. Its the local councils who don't like it because they cannot catch you for council tax and therefore don't want people doing it.
 

dankilb

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I hate to say this, as I've always been a die-hard believer that I'd live aboard in the UK given the motive and opportunity... But I'm not sure I'd do so for a 1-year MSc, especially in a part of the country with cheap rent (compared to berthing).

If it were me, in anticipation that the most intense work (study) will be between October and April, I'd still buy the boat but stick it on the hard and rent a cheap, modern, furnished 1-bed on a 6 month tenancy!

But as I said, can't quite believe I'm suggesting that myself. The being in the marina part is, of course, fine as others have said - just don't take the p**s and be prepared to show council tax (being named on parents' is fine) in the unlikely event of being challenged.
 

oldgit

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Don,t tell Don,t ask.
Be very suprised if there is single boatyard/club or marina both POSH or otherwise without its under the radar LAB population. ?
 

dom

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My daughter is doing an MSc at Plymouth next year and was thinking of living part time on a boat (she expects to inherit enough money to get say a 15-25 year old 31-34ft AWB with amenities like shore power AC circuit separate heads etc)
I can’t reconcile fact that annual berthing contracts usually preclude permanent residence yet clearly people do liveaboard in marinas. Her occupancy would probably be 3/4 nights a week
Do some marinas allow this - or turn a blind eye?


Knowing a couple of marina owners, I'm going to take the other side of this and strongly advise pre-clearance. Your daughter doesn't want to be sneaking around for a year. She'll want to invite her friends over for drinks, cheerily wave good morning to the harbourmaster as she sets off for university, feel part of the community, and generally live her life. Sneaking around for a year, by contrast, only risks her mental health and will make her look needlessly suspicious.

As for the rules: what marinas don't want is to become permanent places of abode where tenant laws apply, eviction orders are required, Council and other Tax implications are invoked, and where their facilities are taken hostage by those pursuing an 'alternative' lifestyle. Issues surrounding permanent place of abode is why UK marinas were advised not to ask nobody to leave during the Covid-19 pandemic.

My advice: first, find the manager or whoever is in charge. Tell them upfront that your daughter loves sailing and intends to sail many weekends + hols, that her permanent address is with you, and that she is enrolled on a 1 Yr MSc (coming across smart and studious is no bad thing even if that's politically incorrect these days). Explain that she'd like to stay a few nights each week on her boat while she's attending university for the duration of her course.

Most will be happy to quietly agree. And if they turn out to be old grumps then that's no place for a young person anyway. It's not that there is a shortage of marinas around Plymouth!

Good luck to your daughter, it's a great idea (y)


Edit: one for the old man! Sort her heating system out, install carbon monoxide and smoke detectors, and get her vessel a proper Gas Certificate before she moves aboard! That's what dads are for :)
 
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syvictoria

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"For the avoidance of doubt, a Boat shall be regarded as being used for residential purposes if, amongst other things, the Owner or anyone else with the Owner’s knowledge:i. uses the Boat as his principal or main place of residence; orii. stays on board the Boat in excess of an average of three nights per week over a twelve week period; oriii. uses the Company’s offices at the Marina as his mailing address. "

Wow re: ii! And in return we (mostly) get a vastly over-priced berth where the marina demand a 1% share in the boat if sold whilst there in to boot! It's crazy that we accept this!
 
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