Hello from Yokohama Japan

[oftngone]

Good day everyone!

Considering a trawler for live aboard in Florida and understanding that many marinas restrict live aboards. I work onboard a ship overseas. I’m typically gone for about 35 days then back home for 30 before repeating the rotation. Question is, what exactly constitutes a live aboard? While yes when home I’ll be living at the marina, im wondering if the frequency and duration of my time away, will let me sneak by.

Obviously once I’m a little closer to finding the right boat I can simply call and ask around, just wondering if anyone had any thoughts on the matter.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions or comments!

 

[Comodave]

Welcome aboard.

 

[TowLou]

Greetings! Take care my my Mac tool buddies out there especially Toru he does some beautiful pin striping and such if he still around there

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Welcome aboard.

 

[oftngone]

The welcome is much appreciated!
Seems to be an active forum and I’m sure a wealth of knowledge and experience.

 

[RedRascal]

Welcome! I am in Washington State and what I have seen here will probably be similar in Florida. The options are typically:
-No Liveaboards
-Okay to spend X number of nights per week on board
-Okay to spend X number of nights per month on board
-Liveaboard okay

It will vary by marina.

 

[fgarriso]

Welcome Aboard !

 

[oftngone]

Ahhh…such is life. Good to know the typical breakdown though. You have officially dashed my first potential money saving idea as I embark on my new journey, I’m sure there’s many more to come!
Thanks for responding, cheers!

 

[Deckape]

Marina Bay i , Yacht Heaven , in Fort Lauderdale . Both near port and airport .

 

[tpfbdf]

I live in Florda and my wife and I are back to searching for a boat and marina (after taking a step back during the covid pricing crazyness). RedRascal is basically right on the money. What we have found is that some marina's simply do not allow liveaboard at all. I'm not sure if that's a marina's choice or if the choice is impacted by regulations and/or insurance. Most places that DO allow liveaboard classify it as n number of days per month. In most cases I've heard 6 days/month or 8 days/month. Once you go past that number... they add a flat fee to the monthly slip charge: anywhere from $100/per person to $250 for up to 2 people. It seems to depend on if electricity is metered. (They worry a great deal about AC usage here in Florida.) One marina owner commmented that several of their folks simply group the night together such that they take 8 days at the end of one month and 8 days at the beginning of the next... thus they can take two weeks in a row. I hope this helps. Peace - Pete

 

[rgano]

Welcome. Did I see the words "money saving" in this thread about living aboard? HAHAHAHA. I spent five years living abord in marinas in San Diego and here in Panama City, FL. YOU WILL NOT SAVE MONEY. Having a boat is a luxury, and everybody has their hand out to us "rich" yacht owners.

 

[sjisailor]

I can't speak for Florida but here in the PNW there is typically a multi-year wait-list for live aboard. As others say, it varies by marina as to the details

Some other factors I've heard, adding to those mentioned, are marinas that limit live aboards to x% of slips , such as 10% of capacity, and that have vessel requirements. Often those have to do with local permitting issues, as well as marina preference.

I recently saw one that required any live aboard vessel to have its head completely decommissioned and inspected as such (must use marina restrooms only). I think there would be significant unintended consequences to such a rule (e.g. almost all cruisers would say no thanks) but there are such rules around.