S
o you are considering the
ultimate sea change. You plan
to buy a boat to live aboard.
And your friends either think
you have completely lost the
plot or they want to run away to sea
with you. I’ve owned and lived aboard
boats for almost 20 years and wouldn’t
change my lifestyle for quids. It’s not for
everybody. But most boaties say there
are more pros than cons.
When buying a liveaboard boat the
most basic advice for first-time owners
is the best – check that the hull and
motor are sound. You wouldn’t buy
a car with rusty chassis and a seized
motor because you adore the seat
covers. So don’t buy a boat on the basis
that the interior looks homely enough
to live in. It’s not a house. It can sink
and there is nothing enjoyable about
having a motor fail when crossing a bar.
But you would be surprised how
many first-time boat owners buy a boat
because they love the way it looks and
say they will worry about fixing the
motor and the hull later. Bad move.ANCHOR, MOORING
OR MARINA
Living aboard can be as cheap or as
costly as you want it to be. Being out on
anchor is free, but you are constantly
at the mercy of the weather and always
aware you may have to find a new safe
haven when the wind changes. You
also need to be aware of government
legislation on waste management
requirements, time limits, restrictions
and distances from structures
applicable for your area.
The states and territory have
differing legislation. In Queensland,
Maritime Safety Queensland, an
agency of the Department of Transport
and Main Roads, is responsible for
establishing controls and restrictions
on marine zones. The legislation
is again broken down into council
areas. For example, on the Gold Coast
Broadwater legislation prohibits
anyone from living on a boat within
3nm of one place for more than seven
consecutive days in any 60-day period.
It’s a bit of an attitude test as well.
If you mouth off at the maritime
boys or the water police they are
unlikely to be forgiving about any of
your accidental indiscretions. They’re
out on the water just doing their jobs.Remember these are the same men and
women who may one day be there on-
the-spot doing something to save you
or your boat if things go wrong.
Swing or buoy moorings are your
next cheapest option. You can either
rent from a yacht club for a weekly fee
or apply to the government for your
own swing mooring. Again, depending
where you live in Australia, there may
be restrictions on the amount of time
you spend living aboard on your swing
mooring. In Queensland there are more
than 4000 swing moorings and a lease
is obtained through Maritime Safety.
It costs in the vicinity of $40 a year to
renew the lease.
Establishing a mooring block and
tackle can cost around $3000 and is the
responsibility of the mooring holder
to maintain. Swing mooring leases are
popular and you may have to go on
a long waiting list. It’s also a catch-22
situation – you have to own a boat
before you can lease a swing mooring
off the government.
The third option is the marina. While
marinas are the most expensive, the
advantages are many, including easy
access, security, a safe haven for your
boat, power and water on tap, and
a good social environment. Marina
fees also vary wildly depending on the
popularity of the area. For example,
during a recent trip up the Queensland
east coast, I paid $25 a night at
Gladstone Marina, $39 a night at
Mackay Marina and $85 a night in
the Whitsundays.
The costs of a marina berth drop
dramatically if you are able to pay a
full year’s fees in advance. Prices are
dependent on the size of the boat
and a price list is available either at
the marina office or by emailing your
local marina. In the Whitsundays, at
Meridien Marina, Abel Point, a recent
printout of fees showed their daily
rate for a 12m monohull is $70, weekly
rate $340, and quarterly $3150. At
Mooloolaba Marina, a 12m monohull
costs $43 a night, $241 weekly and
$2082.60 quarterly. Liveaboard charges
may also apply.ANCILLARY COSTS
On the plus side, life on the water
means there are no more council
rates but on the downside, you have
to pay for boat registration and yourtradeboats.com.au 41