stupid question

[newtoboating]

I have in the past always associated live aboard boaters with narrow boats and wide beam barges and as my interest in the live-aboard life has grown I now know that this is not the case but what’s the cost of moorings I like the coastal marina life and by what I understand you cant officially live full time in a marina (is this true?)
I would like to travel but I can see myself having to spend long periods in one place due to work commitments.
What’s the most cost effective way to get moorings?
I am on the south coast near Ramsgate it is handy for the channel but I think a bit expensive.
The tidal Medway would be the next choice but I have no idea of the cost side of things.
I know it depends on boat length but without being silly should I limit size down to keep the cost down I know it sounds like a stupid question but what (if any) is a practical length for two people with room for guests so maybe a 5-6 berth to live on full time in reasonable comfort.

 

[SirSnoozalot]

[ QUOTE ]
I understand you cant officially live full time in a marina (is this true?)


[/ QUOTE ]

Not quite. There are some Marinas and moorings which have full residential planning permission, but there are not that many of them. Ask about at the Marinas, and they will tell you the score. Try Hoo Marina on the Medway.

Most of the rest of your question is a bit like the bit of string thing. Depends what you and your partner feel comfortable with. The type of boat will also matter if the mooring dries out at low tide. Look on Yachtworld or similar at the interior pics of a load of boats, that will give you an idea on space.

 

[gerry27]

Try Wellington Dock in Dover. An island bed and two heads and a decent shower make for happy living especially if you have visitors. We live on 38ft but we have friends who are very comfortable on 30ft. Good luck.

 

[TNT]

Most marinas in the UK have a strict 'live-aboard policy' this usually means that if you are onboard for more than 3-4 nights a week & you use this as your postal address there maybe a surcharge...............that's if they allow it at all.
Speak with the marina manager for a direct answer.

 

[oakum]

===Most marinas in the UK have a strict 'live-aboard policy' this usually means that if you are onboard for more than 3-4 nights a week & you use this as your postal address there maybe a surcharge...............that's if they allow it at all.
Speak with the marina manager for a direct answer. ===

Never heard of this before - my attitude is, if I'm paying for a berth and I want to stay on it while I'm there then that's my business - I know all the arguments will now come in about council tax et al - but the fact is you're paying for berthing - whether you are on board or not should make no odds. As for ASKING the marina permission well I normally cross that bridge when I come to it.

When cruising abroad the same question never seems to come up - it's simply implied that it's your home.

 

[newtoboating]

I couldn’t agree more you spend so much money on moorings it shouldn’t come into question how long you stay on your boat
So is it not better to just stay onboard and keep a low profile or should you get it sorted before hand?
I have heard that if your not causing a nuisance the marina operators normally turn a blind eye to it.
I don’t intend to have washing hanging out or anything that would draw attention to the fact im living onboard and I don’t intend to use it as a postal address I would have all my mail sent to a family’s address im just looking for a few pointers.

 

[oakum]

===So is it not better to just stay onboard and keep a low profile===

Now you're getting the idea - they'll know you're there but if you're not advertising the fact such as hanging out washing, partying til 4a.m. etc etc (leave that to the w/enders) you'll be ok - and yes don't use it as a postal address even it means getting a PO Box somewhere - this is easy to do abroad by the way

 

[BlueSkyNick]

Not sure about a PO Box - I looked at it recently, but found you need to have a registered building address to be allowed a PO Box - certainly as a business, anyway.

 

[newtoboating]

Many thanks Oakum the idea living aboard for me is to keep myself to myself and live a free and hopefully peaceful life.
You mention council tax I assume if your not using it as a postal address then you wont have to pay any?
It’s not that im tight I don’t mind paying what I have to but will I have to?
And what about the cost of this life in general I assume it’s cheaper than bricks and mortar or is that incorrect
At the moment with the rising cost of electricity and gas council tax insurances house maintenance etc etc etc surely it is cheaper to live on board?

 

[oakum]

Agree, but there are mail forwarding co's or in newtoboatings case I would suggest family, friends etc as a holding address, impossible to give definitive answer without knowing personal circumstances - just saying there are ways around - and of course the internet is a great means of contact these days. I'm not prepared to go into the council tax side of things that's a decision for you to take and my past experience here is that it leads to heated discussion at best and mud-slinging at worst.
If you're going for the liveabord life is it to get afloat and go cruising or is it just to drop out a bit and live on the cheap? There are ongoing expenses obviously - maintainance, mooring etc but you tend to live more frugally with regard to food, entertaining etc - there's reams that can be written and read on the subject - and there's any number of liveaboard forums out there to research so whatever you choose - good luck!

 

[Abigail]

Some quetions that come up from the thread:

(i0 most marinas will blind eye a liveaboard but actually it's a damn pain eg not hanging out the washing and constantly being slightly wary. Some marinas will welcome liveaboards as long as your boat does not deteriorate into a floating shack and really they want you toa ctually take the boat out occasionally and keep her seaworthy. If they know about you you can get your post there and that does actually make life easier in the long run.
(ii) A yacht is not usually a hereditament in the meaning of the Council Tax rules if she is self-contained (loo, cooking), can and does move when you want to, the marina has the right to move her about, you do not have the post delivered to the boat itself and similar tests. By these tests a yacht in a marina is not a hereditament and therefore not liable, but some inland barges, with permanent moorings, are included and you are liable. For the full descriptions visit the Valuation Agency website.
(iii) size is immensely personal - and it matters! We live with 2 of us, and occasional guests on 40ft, normally all year (though off for a few months to earn some dosh, which is very trying.) We would struggle with 36ft but have known v happy couples on 33ft.
(iv) pricing and costs depend on your current mortgage. If it's way down on a small house and you're looking for a solent marina berth, well maybe it won't be cheaper to live aboard. Costs of power often less, and even better if you invest in some of your own generation. You don't buy stuff in the same way - no furniture, mantlepieces etc. But chandleries aren't often nicknamed swindleries for nothing ... There are lots of books - try Voyaging on a Low Income by Annie Hill.

Hope this helps.

 

[NornaBiron]

We spent 18 months 'keeping a low profile' at Ramsgate marina. It is probably one of the cheapest marinas on the south coast and there is a great community spirit within the inner harbour. Electricity is apparently being metered from April this year. PM me if you want more information.

 

[newtoboating]

When I talk about live aboard I am not thinking about an old wide beam barge im thinking more in the line of a nice well maintained motorboat I hate the sight of washing at home so I certainly wouldn’t want it hanging from my boat mail is not a problem most of its junk anyway all the important stuff I do over the internet (banking/bills etc) and the way its going with the internet it wont be long before we can screw shut our letter boxes anyway.
Just as a point of interest it was a guy at the boatshed in Ramsgate that told me the marina are not bothered and turn a blind eye as long as your not causing any bother.
(Or maybe he said that because I was looking at a possible live aboard)
If I was to opt for a birth at Ramsgate the prices do seem reasonable I would consider this my home port so I would be spending most of my time there due to work etc
But at the same time I would like to get some boating experience around the south coast across the channel with a view to later on venturing around to the med etc
So although I would like to travel as much as possible I would still like someware that I can call home?
I would be doing all the maintenance myself as I have no trouble finding my way around an engine I have a good knowledge of most things, electrical plumbing etc
I only have a small mortgage so when I do finally sell I will have some cash in the bank no bills so apart from moorings insurance and lifting charges is there anything that I should budget for?
I’m not saying that I expect living on a boat to be free but I find houses are money pits anyway its still constant maintenance replacing furniture cost a fortune to heat etc
And I wouldn’t need a mower for the garden, every time I go to the diy centre for a bit of wood for something it costs an arm and a leg.
So what’s the difference?

 

[Spuddy]

Hoo is one option - there's the marina and then the ex trawlers + lightship next door. Apart from the marinas others have mentioned there is up the Stour at Sandwich : I knew someone who had a big Nicholson in the lower part and there's also motor boats much higher up at Grove Ferry.