Where do Liveaboard Crew live whilst boat is out of the water?

[lenseman]

If you live aboard your Mobo or Raggie and it is lifted for the winter, where do you live?

What is it for GRP, one week out of the water for every month in the water? So if it has been in the water for 18 months it is lifted for 18 weeks? Are there different times out of the water for different constructions, (steel, ferro, wood)?

I was down at one of the Medway marinas recently and was told of a few vandals who got drunk and after leaving the pub on the shoreline tried (decided) to knock out some of the legs of boats which had been lifted and were on the hard standing!

Do you all secretly sleep on board or do you retire to your country cottages, manors, flats or caravans? Perhaps you sleep in a car? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

What is the general situation please?

 

[Abaker]

My wife and I have been liveaboards for most of the past 17 years. Our yacht is GRP with vinylester in the first layer under the gelcoat, and has several coats of Interlux epoxy on top of the gelcoat below the waterline, which we applied ourselves. We have never had any indication of osmosis in either freshwater or salt. We usually lift it out each year, for as little as a weekend just to do the anti-fouling and zincs, or as much as two or three months on occasion. We have lived aboard while the boat was on the hard, with permission of the yard, in Canada, the US, and the UK. In the UK we did so at Falmouth Marina, and at Southsea Marina. We always take the precautions of asking first when choosing a yard for haulout, and making sure that we never pump sewage from the holding tank onto the ground. When we have needed to have the boat on the hard for six months of Canadian winter a couple of times, we have rented a furnished flat locally. Living aboard on the hard during subzero weather would not work because the freshwater plumbing would freeze, but that doesn't happen while living aboard afloat because the surrounding water and interior heating keep things flowing. As for vandals kicking out the props, I wouldn't use props while living aboard on the hard. To be secure you need a proper steel cradle or jackstands, and decent security.

 

[chrisc]

onboard?

 

[looly]

We live aboard and our boat only comes out for work - ie antifouling and zincs. I haven't heard the 'one week out for every month in water'? & I am sure that very few (if any) liveaboards do this as a matter of course (unless they are seasonal liveaboards).

 

[White_Lady]

Yes onboard! We have just returned from our boat which is ashore in Almerimar.We stayed on board for a week,with electricity and water.Toilets in yard,and using shower as normal.Great views as boat is elevated.
Seems they don't mind ,as long as you behave.A few weeks wouldnt have beena problem.
Great time!

 

[tcm]

quite so, many yards areset up for this with showers and loos.

 

[KellysEye]

We only go on the hard for maintenance/antifouling - minimum period 5 days, max 3 weeks, so far. Having spent some time living on the hard in the UK I really wouldn't want to do it again, so we find a cheap apartment or hotel in or near the yard we happen to be in.

 

[absit_omen]

We find living aboard whilst on the hard quite tough. The lack of running water in galley, heads and shower, traipsing in dirt, noise of power tools, shot blasters, fuel cleaners, dust, glare of security lighting, access in and out of yard, relative isolation, negotiating wobbly ladders when inebriated, trying to find your ladder which someone has 'borrowed' whilst inebriated etc. A little easier if facilities are ok but many are not as they are primarilary for the use of employees during the daytime.

Contrary to what some people are saying, some yards will not allow you to sleep on board due to 'insurance'. Indeed, some will not allow you to do your own work - including antifouling (e.g. Almerimar). Check carefully with each yard.

 

[Abigail]

Echo all the above having lived aboard while on the hard in two or three different yards. The insurance issue is real - and for example in Spain at the moment, due to an accident a few years ago, many of the yards are being v tough about it.

I think if over two months I would investigate a cheap local rental, for all absit omen's reasns. Add to his list a permanently slightly nauseous feeling because the boat *isn't* moving! If you are in a 'holiday' area but off season it should be possible to find somewhere pretty cheap.

Never heard of th week/year thing. I have kept GRP boats in the water for two-three years at a time and then very thoroughly scraped and refouled, with no problems (except the eternal grief of the rudder which is a menace on Roaring Girl). What I have tried to do is a long stretch every now and then, and so we are talking about a long trip (by air) to NZ in early 2008, which would give her 3-4 months out of the water!

 

[Swagman]

Not sure where you got the one week drying out for every month in the water.........and cannot think of any justification either.
We've stopped on board on the hard for only three days once - and like the others, unlikely to do it again. Suggest a local small hotel or rental flats the better options.
Cheers
JOHN

 

[charles_reed]

Well I take my boat out of the water in the 2 summer months of July & August and go back to my home in the UK.

Living on a boat on a hard-standing is uncomfortable, I've done it in the past, and it's OK for a few weeks - all depends on how good and how close to the boat, the toilet and washing facilities might be.

When I was working on the boat in MIYY last year I used a local hotel - it was too hot and the facilities non-existent in the yard.
Many I know will hire an apartment for the time the boat is out of the water - but, unlike N Europe, boats don't regularly come out for the winter period; there are too many and too little hard standing area.

Which brings me to the last point, boats in the Med are probably out for 2 weeks in 52, and osmotic blistering doesn't seem to be any more of a problem than in UK waters. So there is really no rule of thumb or much connection between the two - it's all down to how good the layup is on the boat, not the period of time drying out.

 

[trouville]

Just stay aboard. You just have to put garden hoses from the fittings to a drain or if not wash your teath and shower at blocks almost aways provided.
In Italy in some ports choose a cafe with a clean toilet and open in the morning!

If you want to come out for 18 weeks?? Choose somewher where boats are stored as places on land to do your antifouling/work cost more than being afloat, in Italy and France often theres a 3 day limit maximum with begging and a wooden boat 5 days with luck!!

 

[temptress]

Onboard - but we don't like it so stay in the water unless we have a specific job to do on the hull.

Why lift it for the winter? In the UK in winter the hull will not dry out unless it's placed in a shed, have the gell coat peeled and then heated.

I have had I several GRP boats over the years and only ever take them out for the minimum time needed. Yes Osmosis ocurs (and can be treated) in some boats but you get very divided opinions from so called expercts as to what is the best way to avoid.it IMO it is all in the initial build anyway.

If you are using it (ie living onboard with the boat in full commission) then why do you need to lift it out?