'Liveaboard' not Leper

A friend who is sailing round the world, by which I mean that she is meandering over the seas whither her fancy takes her, told me of a recent experience.

She has some jobs that need doing on the boat, one of which involves removing the mainsail.  She feels a bit vulnerable at anchor, with no sail; and some of the other jobs would be a lot easier either done ashore, or with the aid of electricity.  She examined her bank balance and reckoned she could afford 2 months in a not-too-expensive marina.  While she could leave the boat without worries, she'd have a bit of a look round the country, too.

So she rolls up at the marina and wonders up to the office.

'Hi.  I'm a (foreign-flagged - identity hidden to preserve privacy) yacht, just come in from overseas a few weeks ago.'

'Great - welcome to our country.'

'Thank you.  I'd like to keep my boat here for a couple of months - I have some jobs to do on her.  She's 29 ft long.  Do you have space?'


The staff member looks at his computer.  'Yes, no problem, we have three or four empty places for boats of your size.'

'Oh good.  It will be reassuring to have somewhere secure for the boat when I travel round and this looks like a great place to live.'  She reached into her bag so that she could pay.

'To live?',  the staff member queried.  'You mean you intend to live aboard?  We don't allow liveaboards.'

'Well of course I intend to live on board,' my friend replied.  'I told you that I'm a cruising sailor.  My boat is my home.  But I will be moving on as soon as my work is finished and I've done a bit of travelling.'

'But we don't allow liveaboards', he repeated.

'I'm not a liveaboard - I'm a sailor!'

'Sorry, but you can't stay. We don't allow liveaboards.'


What is this thing about so-called liveaboards?  Can you imagine driving to a caravan park, arranging a space for the caravan and then being told, 'but you do realise you're not allowed to come and stay in it?'  'Liveaboards' aren't lepers, they are ordinary people who want to live the way they choose.  What possible harm does it do to use a boat for the purpose it was built, ie cook in the galley, sit in the saloon, sleep in the berth provided by the builder?  'Liveaboards' have been shown time and again to add immeasurably to the security of their neighbours' boats.  They report malfunctioning equipment, police things like rubbish disposal and pollution and, generally, after 2 weeks, or months or years or even decades, leave as quietly as they arrived. 

In the meantime, these people are generally independent.  They ask for nothing.  They pay their way.  A voyager at the end of his or her career should be allowed to continue to live on their boat, their home of many years, without harassment; without being made to feel indebted.  Authorities should be glad that people at the bottom end of the socio-economic pile are still prepared to find themselves a home - even if it's not what most people would choose - instead of asking to be housed at the nation's expense.

'If we allow one person to live on their boat, everyone will want to', is an excuse so often given.  But this is rubbish. Most people would not choose to live on a small boat - they like their comforts and conveniences.  They strenuously avoid everything in life that might take a little bit of effort.  Living on a boat often needs a lot of effort.

In these days, it would be nice to think that people living in a minimalist, green  way might received some encouragement.  All we ask is to live our harmless lives in peace.  Is that so much to ask?