Living onboard!

[anthony_t]

Hi people!
I`m new to this so be gentle with me! I have a question which i hope you can help me with!?
I wish to buy a yacht to live on as i`ve always wanted to do it and with the house prices the way they are down here in Cornwall i believe that it would make sence from a money point of view too!!
I was just wondering where you stand legally as reguards to Council tax, rates, etc,etc? I thought that if you are paying mooring fees these would be included???
Is there a maximum amount of time you can live onboard each year as is the case with a static caravan?? Does anyone know the in`s and out`s, any advice would be appreciated!!
Finally does anyone have any suggestions about which type of yacht to go for? I have around £6000 and have seen a few 25` yachts around this price, would this be suitable?
Thank you in advance, anthony.

 

[Col]

Try posting this on the liveaboard forum.

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.arweb.co.uk/argallery/colspics> Cols Picture Album</A>

 

[poter]

Hi Anthony,
As Col suggested you should get some feedback from the liverboard forum. However you really need to give some more info first.
Whats your sailing experience
Are you looking at a permanent mooring or will you want to use the boat.
Are you looking at a sailing yacht or a motor cruiser
Will there just be yourself

As you are looking at a liverboard instead of a house, maybe you should use the £6000 as a deposit and finance the balance with a marine mortgage.

Anyway I am sure you will get some answers on the liverboard forum.

good luck

poter.

 

[firstspirit]

Anthony T.

You mention a few interesting reasons for buying a yacht but it is not clear which one is clearly motivating you the most. Is this idea you have to fulfill a dream, get out of the rat race or what?
I'm only asking 'cause if you are not clear before you start you might regret it later on. That being said I had a five year 'plan' to refurbish my floatie but that was eleven years ago! I also had a budget, but.......be warned all boats can kill your pocket. Anyway, speaking therefore only from a comfy, non-sailing viewpoint. Can you tolerate the cold and what levels of damp can your bones manage? Winter last a long time living on a boat. In considering the vessel you choose will it have 240 mains electrics, cooker fridge, microwave, decent heater etc? Is is easy to ventilate, loads of my best clothes have ended up as polishing rags because of the damp. What will you do about your laundry needs, is there a facility at your berth? Water supply? Is there electric at your berth, if so try not to get caught into paying through the nose. If you declare yourself a live-aboard, assuming the dock or marina will allow it, you may be able legally to request a domestic rate of electricity. If you do not fit in though, you may have your card marked, so be warned. However, doing this may also alert you to council tax people who as I understand things, apply different rules in different areas. I think it depends on which way the wind blows really. House boats are generally speaking taxable, but then you may decide you're a boat afterall, it's a simple mistake! It's is up to you.
Patience, lots of it is required. You will have millions of odd jobs which will all need to be done NOW. Do not get caught up into thinking you have to have the latest state of the art electo-seeking thingymagig if you hardly ever sail. If your looking for a home on the water, then do just that, make it homely first. As a dream it sounds as if your a little bit romantic at heart, and if you stick at it, believe me you will never be able to imagine living in a house ever again. It is a way of life, but only for those who don't see it as a lifestyle. Don't rush anything, it will offend the serenity of the environment and always remember the creator gave us two ears, one for listening the other to let it out! That's me off me soap box for now, I'm sure there is lot's more advice to come of others, wish you the very best of luck.

One last thing, be prepared for every single person you ever knew, giving you something boatie for special occassions, lots of criticism from people who envy your bold declaration of freedom and keep an eye open for the occassional rat.
TARA!

 

[Trevethan]

Hi Anthony!

You need to be a bit careful. It appears as if you are embarking on this adventure with eyes either closed or blurred by rose coloured glasses.

Regarding council tax and moorings. Its a bit of a grey area as far as I can see. Some people [pay it, otjers don't. What you need to be sure of though is that yopu have a permanent address somewhere. Banks here look at you askance if you give an address c/o XXXX marina.

Second, most UK marina frown on liveaboards and have rules preventing you from doing so. I'd recommend you call around and find what places will accept you. Some place say we you can't liveaboard per se, but if we don't see you doing it then.... In those cases you need to keep your boat and surroundings spotless... no junk left out, etc..

Third.. the size of boat you talk about is really really small to live on. I have a 44 footer that I might be living on for a few days a week if I get relocated. My wife and I looked at a lot of boats before settling on Gayle Louise, and saw nothing, that even me on my own could live on happily less than than 32 feet. Don't forget, in addition to your clothes etc, you'll hjave books, maybe a TV, microwave, heater etc etc etc, all the things that a basic summer season boater doesn't bother with, but that you will need.

A 25 footer for £6000 is likely to be fairly basic.

You'll need a heating system. Ducted air systems by companies like Eberspacher are pretty good. and you can run the ducts through hanging space to reduce damp. A new one will run out at about £1000, though yyou can pick up second hand ones for between 200 and 300

You'll want a boat with a shower, which requires a method to heat water and a means to pressurize it. That alone to install new will cost between £1000 and £2000

You'll need a functional galley with a fridge (boat fridges are tiny and cost a packet)!

and you also need a good battery supply, battery charging system amd shore power system.

Hope I haven't put you off. But it looks to me like you are going into this under budgetted... try and get a bit more money together, either marine mortage if borrowing above £15 k or a personal loan. (Barclays Marine finance do a good deal on a 10 yr personal loan up to 15k (Payment on the 15 grand we borrowed works out at £190 a month.. a lot less than a house mortgage for you!

You also need to spend some time on a boat.. in good weather and bad... It can be a damp and miserable prospect!

Also when working out how long it will take for you to sort out the boat to get it comfoortable, take your first guess in and triple it at least. I hoped to have finished refitting my boat after 6 months. So far I have nearly finished the aft cabin and got the engine and electrics working. I still have 3/4 of the boat to do and I only have 1 month left before my deadline!

If you do it rightyour reward will be amazing. My neighbour lives aboard his boat. A beautiful old wooden lifeboat rigged as a gaff ketch, He is off in France with teh vessel at the moment and seems to thoroughly enjoy himself. Another tip byw.. get yourself a girlfriend with a house/flat for when it gets too cold/miserable or you want a space you can swing a cat in.. Handy for laundry too!

Reards,

Nivk.

 

[anthony_t]

Thanks guys!
Had thought about most of the problems youv`e mensioned!! I know that 25` is a little on the small side but it will only be myself living on it. Things like electric fittings/wiring etc will not be a prob as i have my fingers in many pies!!
Like i said before the reasons that i`m considering it are that i have always fancied doind it and now that i`ve reached the ripe old age of 23 i feel a little too old to stay at home with "mummy"!! And the housing situation down here don`t help either, i earn approx £11,500 a year, a starter home is approx £80,000 and rising daily!! So it seems to make economic sence aswell, rather that rent a bedsit for £80 a week i would much rather move into a nice little yacht!! At the end of the two years that it would take me to pay off the loan i will own a nice little yacht!!! So it seems to make sence in my little wierd world!!
Thanks for all your feedback, it all helps!!!
Cheers, anthony.

 

[Trevethan]

Interested in knowing where you plan to keep the boat. I presume you'll be using a marina as living aboard on a swinging mooring without the benefit of a generator/massive solar array/wind turbine. isn't going to be practical. Also lack of shower etc in a small boat.

Running your engine just to charge the batteries/heat water could cause the bores to glaze over.

Regards,

Nick

 

[Paragon]

As long as you have carefully thought out the practicalities of life afloat (or at least partially - some shoreside drying moorings are often cheap!) then I'd say go for it, you're only young once!

As has been mention, the size you are contemplating is very small for extended accomodation however greater size increases costs so it's finding a mean between the two but I would seriously think of something a little bigger.

Given that you are living on it and have some spare time, it could be worth trawling the boat yards for "projects" that may be liveable but you could do up over a period and improve your "capital asset".

Anyway, that's my two penny w'rth

Good luck with it anyway!

 

[rex_seadog]

Another perspective on the 'size matters' comments. When viewing boats several years ago I came across a guy who lived aboard his 19 foot Seawych for several months when his marriage went pear shaped. This, I understand, included the winter months when his only means of heating was a catalytic gas heater. Not sure how he coped with all the water vapour given off. He was moored on a half tide mud berth so no electrical connection etc. and as far as I can remember, no shoreside showers, toilets etc. Reaching the boat at low water meant a 50 yard treck through foot deep mud. I remember it well because I slipped onto my *rse when negotiating one of the gullies! Anyway, it didn't seem to put him off - on the contrary, last I heard he was looking for a 26 footer to sail down to the Med.

And don't forgot Shane Acton who spent 7 years on a 18 foot Caprice during his circumnavigation, albeit with several breaks ashore.

It all depends on how much you value home comforts. Each winter I spend a few nights on board in a sheltered boatyard with an electric fan heater, two sleeping bags and a hot water bottle. I'm always glad to get back to my decadent central heating and hot showers.

Anyway, good luck with your endeavour. Give it a crack - you can always visit Mum for Sunday dinner.

 

[Twister_Ken]

When I first started work I lived in a bedsit in a grotty part of London that had one narrow bed, a one ring gas burner, a sink with a gas geyser, and an electric fire for warmth. (Both the gas and electric meter ate shillings coins at an alarming rate.) A snug little boat ought to offer at least an equivalent level of 'luxury', probably more!

In my case the saving grace was a job in office that had lockers and showers (for bicycle commuters) and a canteen that served cheap breakfast and lunch, combined with a pub on the corner where a pint and a shepherd's pie could be made to last a long time.

As someone else has suggested below friends with a half reasonable flat can provide an injection of sanity/sanitary from time to time.

Incidentally, a school friend short-circuited the accomodation trap for a long time by buying an uncoverted narrow boat. While he was single he lived in the boatman's cabin while converting the hold, at which point he married and wife and old english sheepdog lived aboard, joined a few years later by a daughter. In the early days he would move around the London area canals staying on the move to avoid the various houseboat regulations/restrictions. After a year or two he was able to afford a BWB permanent mooring licence, and he could stop having his mail delivered to the nearest pub!

 

[wpsalm]

Anthony
I started living aboard when I was about your age some 30 yrs. ago
my advice find a small boat with standing head room in at least one place and no leaks in the deck or cabin top... and good luck wpsalm