Does anybody know why......

you can't live on a boat in a marina in the UK? I assume it is something to do with council tax....? How many months of the year onboard equates to living on it? Is there a way around it? Is there anybody already doing this? I ask because we will need to live aboard for about 18 months (to save cash) before we go off cruising. Unfortunately we can't marina hop because we have jobs. Any ideas?

Does the same apply to moorings and canals ?

I know people who live on boats in marinas. who says you cant ?

at least six boats, plus it gives some security to the rest of us.

St. Katherine Dock - possibly others but these are the two that I have looked at. No, I don't know why, but they have it in their small print. I understand caravan/ camping sites have the same rules. Would hate to sell the house and then find out that we have nowhere to live (violins please).

NM

Not so long ago i was in a marina in Milford Haven. Now I don't want bother for someone so i wont say which. There were 3 or 4 liveaboards there and they received a 50% rebate on their dues for just being there to prevent bother. Small fee also paid for night security if required. Don't think anyone owns up to the tax man.

Perhaps it's just Dover - the tone of their rules and regulations just makes me want to hand over the cash and not inconvenience them with leaving my boat with them. I would lie awake at night waiting for the "Dover Marina Police" to come and arrest me as rule 3.4.4 of their tariff booklet clearly states "no person may live on a craft nor use it as a houseboat in the Marina" (punishable by keel hauling no doubt)

I had no idea that there were marinas where you couldn't live aboard your boat! If anyone has more inforamtion on the subject, I, for one, would be very grateful to hear about it. We don't have anywhere else to live! Nor are we in a position to be able to afford a boat and somewhere else. We, like most ordinary people, can just about manage one home and a reasonably frugal lifestyle. Ours happens to be a floating home. The last time she was in the UK was, admittedly, quite a few years ago, but when did certain marinas start having no live-aboard rules, I wonder, and why?

,,,

nm

There's a neat litle pontoon on the tidal Thames just upstream of Hammersmith and I thought it would be fun to leave my masts down-river somewhere and keep her there next winter. Answer: This pontoon is available only to "visiting residential vessels." Great address, by the way.

my job is in Ashford and Tim works in Dover. I mentioned St. Katy's because because I used to live in London and that's when I last looked into the liveaboard thing. At the time I thought it was just London that had these ridiculous rules but apparently not.

but don't make a nuisance of yourself, don't hang washing over all the place, make yourself useful and then most places will turn a blind eye, and be thankful that there's someone around.

....because they know what filthy, polluting sort of people all yachties are.

And I think some marinas aren't prepared to deal with emptying holding tanks and so on, too.

Nice family, we're moored next to them. They've bought a garden centre on the welsh border I think and havent been living on board over winter (cant blame them with the storms).

... another problem is "Security of Tenure2 and their not being able to evict you from your home.

MDL have this in their contrasct but a good few people get around it. All you have to do is go stay with a friend for a couple of nights. How many people sleep in the same bed for 365 nights every year (hope that doesn't bring out the wags!)

Steve Cronin

I've got a mate who lives aboard in Brighton Marina - he's been there for over a year, refurbishing his boat before sailing to sunnier climes. Likewise on my pontoon in Chichester Marina, there's someone living on a motor boat. I suspect there is rules and regulations set by individual councils, bit it depends on how the marina operates them.

Yes, it's true, you can't just live aboard your yacht in an average UK marina. The reason is because of various council regulations (you are liable for council tax, for one thing), which makes it prohibitive for the marinas. Most marinas don't seem to mind much beyond that, except possibly that you just might establish permanent rights to a berth.

But hundreds of people do live aboard in marinas. We lived in one for two years until last year. You just sign the marina agreement promising not to live aboard, smile sweetly and go right ahead. Don't cause too much fuss (a high profile in the berth-holders association might be a bit risky). Take the yacht out from time to time to show willing (though not everyone even does that). Get a postal address ashore and don't use the boat or the marina office as your address.

You can tell the marinas where this happens. The tell-tale signs are television ariels hoisted on masts, and cabin lights showing during off-season weekday evenings.

Very occasionally the local council will have a purge. Its happened just once in the last 20 years here, but other councils are more antagonistic, and these need to be avoided.

Try to pick a marina with electricity included in the price. That's what decided where we ended up!

BTW many yacht insurances forbid living aboard, something else to watch.

The Dover Harbour Board police responsible for the marina (I won't name them) were always very pleasant and chatty to us people who were errr ... 'staying' ... on our yachts.

The sight of a 'bobby' riding a bicycle along the pontoons on his evening round is something you don't see everywhere. Dover marina has an excellent security record, which given the area is remarkable.

There is a thing called a right of adverse possession that applies to land. If you take over and use a piece of land, and the owner does not complain, after a while it becomes your property. I can't remember if the time span is seven or twelve years.

It might be that, having claimed ownership of the sea bed when building a marina, the operators are a bit touchy about somebody else ruining their eventual claim to adverse possession.

But there again, I might be absolutely wrong, and the 'no live here' comes from a committee of people airing their prejudices.

Colin H.

Crown Estates Commissioners (The Treasury) and a select few others e.g. Lord Montague have that pleasure.

And we get charged handsomely too, don't we.

Depends on the Marina. There are several liveaboards in the Poole area. I also have a friend who lives on his boat on a swinging mooring in Poole Harbour.

nm

this was a an Aussie family in a very racey looking one off.

I'm sure that provided you go for a saill every now and then it's quite legit.

Tom

This is to do with council tax, and rules such as you mention are there more for the local council than for the customer.

Some marinas with several live-aboards come to a deal with the council and get it all legal. Port Werburgh does.

There are ways and means. When I asked St Kats a couple of years ago, I was told that I must not live aboard, not ACTUALLY live aboard, but.... etc

Absolutely right

It's always better to do it and apologise afterwards than to ask permission and be refused.

He must get some sleepless nights, or be onto something good!

We have people living aboard here. I think that the objection might be that whilst many are good citizens, living aboard attracts many antisocial hippy types.

NM

I pose the following question. If as I often do, take the boat away for 3 weeks holiday sailing and get weather locked into a marina, I stay aboard for the full time. Am I contraviening some local bye law or could I for instance say, stay 3 weeks in Ramsgate then sail down to Dover for 3 weeks then come back to Ramsgate. Please no jokes about staying 3 weeks in Ramsgate its a genuine observation.

a) Keep their yacht serviceable, and occasionally use it.

b) Have a postal shore address (a friend) for marina and insurance bills, where they can claim to be really 'living' if push comes to shove.

c) Specify no 'out of commission' period on the yacht insurance.

Thanks everyone for your postings. I didn't think such a totally boring question would provoke so many responses.

I think we'll probably take Bergman's advice when the time comes.

Thanks again and good sailing to you all.

Andrew's advice re insurance is correct, but most insurers will cover you for no extra charge. But it must be declared and you must get "permission to use as houseboat" (which words I find a bit insulting).

I think it has been established that 6 months at one place is not a permanent home. So try moving regularly and don't take out an annual berth.

Did somebody say that we British are free?

No. He's got a large motor sailer moored in Holes Bay, when he's not in the Channel Islands or France. He's lived on it for about 4 years now.