Does anyone here actually

[uncas]

Live aboard? I'm not talking about what I do.. five or six months a year. I'm talking about 12 months a year... Full time
I am wondering about some of the pitfalls... There has to be quite a few.
I am wondering about acceptance in various communities especially as now, there are many communities that don't allow live aboards or frown on them...
Serious question and one I am asking because I may be leaning this way... I want to kbnow what I would potentially be dealing with...

psss. I'm even talking about stupid things like residency.. mail, voting rights.... Some of those topics that may fall through the cracks...

[Paul Girouard]

I had a friend years ago who did while we where in the navy . His issue was no phone , before cells phones.

With the netnet, wireless access , cell phones , laundries at marinas , showers etc . I'd guess most marinas would have wireless signal these days . Many issues are no brainers these days.

I'm sure there are other issues , let hearum.

[HR]

I lived aboard my 35' boat in Toronto for 3 years. I stayed in a marina that had a decent sized (about 40 boats) liveaboard community. I used the marina address as my address for drivers license, etc and had a post office box for mail.

Because we were in a marina rather than just moored in some bay or tied to a public dock there was no backlash from the community. In fact, the marina was somewhat of a tourist attraction for the "hill people" (as we affectionately called the land dwellers) to come and see the crazies living on their boats in the middle of winter.

I found that the most difficult aspect was trying to keep the boat ready to go sailing without a lot of fuss. Because it is your home, you have a lot more "stuff" on board and it is very easy to start leaving things around that need to be stowed to go sailing. If it becomes a major chore to prepare the boat then you tend not to go.

Howard

[uncas]

HR.. umm Canada.. I have a feeling that everyone is a bit more relaxed about liveaboards...
Now the east coast of the US of A.. well, communities are getting a bit nasty.... I suspect some major problems out there....

[Joe ( Cold Spring on Hudson )]

Ive been getting interested in it here is a great forum.

http://www.livingaboard.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi

Jamie that guy in City Island we met post frequently.

[uncas]

Joe.. ain't sure.. Umm an architect right.. Nice guy... I don't know what his forum name is though.... He might be here....

Interesting link... ummmmm...

Joe, okay, I'm curious.. I can look into this liveaboard thing...but you have umm a life, a wife, Tess... You got issues that I have always wanted but have never had.. umm how are you planning on dealing with this? Call me.. I'm curious.. call me after 7pm... I'd like to say hello anyway...

[BrianW]

Fairly popular here in Sitka. The guy I bought my fishing boat from lived on it with his wife and 3 kids.

[uncas]

Searover. In a way, it is funny.. my brother mentioned a house boat on the phone yesterday.. Well, joking a bit.. He knows I like to travel..

I must admit, if I was on the Mississippi R., a houseboat would not be a bad idea.. It has its pluses in that kind of environment...

[uncas]

Very true.. and with many of the new regulations being imposed on liveaboards in Md.. at least on the Eastern Shore.. this is a concern.. one reason why I wrote the original thread.. I'm hoping someone out there is either dealing with that sort of issue or has dealt with it.

When I was in Marathon FL. two years ago, a slip.. to buy started at 250,000.. Well, that was the advertized price...

[uncas]

Jim.. there are a lot of boaters here but perhaps not that many liveaboards.
Will see..

[Ken Hutchins]

A co-worker is a live aboarder been doing it for about 25 years, his wife did mention that someday she would like to live in a real house.:rolleyes:
Another retired former co-worker has been living aboard since retirement about 6 years ago, he winters down south, Carolinas or further south and sails back to NH for the summer.:)
I believe they use addresses of relatives or friends, possibly even marinas. Voting is by absent T ballot.
I meet a fair number of live-aboarders at the part time job, some travel some stay put, one gal lives on her boat in Boston near her work, her marina fees are cheaper than what apartment rental would be in Boston.:)

[Mrleft8]

You're not getting a new boat any time soon any way.... The rules may change by then, Bacon boy! :D

[SV Papillon]

I have been living aboard with the growing fam for 10 years in the NW CA and mexico. It seems like where ever we have went there is a marina that will tolerate liveaboards. Whether live aboard is a four letter word depended on the area etc. With the advent of cheap cell phones and wireless internet it is pretty convient. Finding a marina with good facilities, bathrooms showers and laundry as well as locked gates is a big plus. The biggest concern most places is where you will be using the head. Alot demand pump out recipts etc. Investing in a waste treament system like the one raritan sells will solve that. Most cities have private mail services and a moorage bill will cover all voting / permanent address requirments. Althought the public library in Friday Harbor still thinks we are dirty people and want a refrence before they will give you a book.
Jake

[Nanoose]

Lived aboard for 4 years (family of 4), and spent one of those 'sailing away'. No pressure water, or hot water. Still know many in the live aboard community.

We got a post office box for mail, but there were times we needed a street address - the marina address sufficed. If you were anchored out, it may be a problem. Some used the addresses of friends or family for the 'permanent' address of an often considered 'unpermanent' lifestyle.

Some marinas have pump outs at every berth along the dock (and phone and cable lines) - at one, we had to move over to the pump out station to empty the holding tanks as necessary (used the head on shore mostly).

The earlier comment about it being harder to head out sailing for a day was often more work/planning, yet, when we did head away, I liked that everything that was 'home' was there. We lived lean - even with the kids- and learned to live pretty 'stowed'. Loved it.

It was great. For the most part, we miss it. There are things we don't miss...but we are talking about 'when we retire'...we hope to move back aboard March-October...gunkhole our way up to Alaska, the Queen Charlottes etc. We prefer the winters ashore.

It is a very relaxed lifestyle- the community is great (but you know these things because you live aboard a chunk of the year already). Can't recommend it highly enough, and the kids often mention how they loved and miss it.

p.s. Our neighbor at the marina (retired single guy) has lived aboard for over 20 years. He used to sail a lot, but not as much now as he's getting older. It is getting harder to singlehand, maintain the boat and meet the demands of a more physical lifestyle as he ages.

[uncas]

Thanks all.
You brought up several of my concerns.. There is a big difference between living aboard for 4-6 months than living aboard 12 months out of the year.
The only thing I am seeing here on the east coast is a lot of towns are now frowning, through ordinances, on liveaboards. It is or has happened in Oxford for example. I saw a lot of activity leading in this direction when I was in FL.

I am thinking about this and is one of the things I am taking into account while looking for Uncas 2... I pay way too much in rent... and that is wasted money..

[paladin]

Jamie...all the above....
When I was in the U.S. I used my work location as my address, and indicated that it was alright to send mail there...otherwise I used a P.O. Box....
At Herrington Harbor I used the street address, and the slip number, and wrote "retired" next to the address and never had any problems...even if I wasn't retired...if travelling I used my brothers address and had the mail forwarded because I had no regular bills that needed paying except health and auto insurance...and it's easier to pay them twice a year by card rather than monthly..
I also had the long range radio phone...and still do...but the equivalent is a ham radio style e-mail packet that seems to work as well as a commercial system, and I get automatic weather maps downloaded by satellite in real time...
There are plenty of transient places that don't charge for the night if you buy fuel, and several "city docks" that have minimal charges if you are ashore for a day or two for supplies.....then move out of the way and sit on the hook....it's quieter and less skeeters.....
....and the lectra san unit solves lots of problems...as will the nicro solar vents if properly installed...my cooking was with diesel, rarely carried more than a gallon or two of premixed fuel for the seagull....and a properly insulated box will work for a couple or three weeks at a time, most safeways now carry dry ice and an insulated blanket keeps it cold....I used a good watermaker and consigned my liquid capacity to 15% water, the rest fuel....had 5 anchors on board....
Now...with an antenna at masthead height you can travel the caribbean and not be out of cellular range for very long...and wifi is getting pretty common....

[uncas]

Thanks Chuck.. you filled in a few more gaps...

I see myself travelling more than being stationary.. south in the winter..north in the summer.
Even being away for six months,, constantly ran into mail issues.... Ask Doug.... he knows...
Communication systems are better than they have been. But I'm considering one of the sat. programs for communication...

So... the next boat I buy, I'm gonna have to design, arrange the inside to meet all of the obvious requirements... I'm actually looking forward to this aspect....

So, just thinking about needs and what I will most likely have to do with the interior of any boat I buy....

[paladin]

..as you are well aware....The boat had the big bed forward...rarely used......I would sleep amidships when sailing...
To start from scratch...and now single....I would move the head all the way forward and make hanging lockers either side...expand the main cabin with wide settees and a fixed table offset from center, with the galley on one side and a desk/navigation area on the other....

One settee could be expanable to a wide double berth..

communications....there are several packet radio programs that can be used to respond to a pager signal. using a notebook computer. A small radio system (I gave one to Ed Harrow) connected to the notebook will monitor weather, cell and pager channels. It has a POCSAG decoder and when turned on, will search and download all messages to that pager...then you can use the cell phone...there is a small box that will extend the transmit and receive range of the cell phone and the antenna is as small as a vhf system....and today is probably cheaper than a fixed phone.

[uncas]

Chuck.. we are on the same page.... My thoughts exactly.... right down to the hanging closets....

[Thad Van Gilder]

Not currently living aboard full time, but I did.

I used a PO Box, when I needed a physical address, I used the address of the school I taught at.

I used a combination of wood for heat and electric in the winter, and I showered at the local gym.

I didn't have a phone at the time, but my buddy who lived down the street did, and he worked with me, so he'd inform me when we had a snow day.

I um... didn't um... have a problem with getting a holding tank pumped out... wink wink...

-Thad

[TomF]

Jamie,

You might read this article on Tom MacNaughton's website: http://www.macnaughtongroup.com/living.htm

Many of MacNaughton's boats are designed as liveaboards, and he and his wife lived aboard for years - their daughter's living aboard again now. Some very fine thinking over on that site, and MacNaughton himself is very free with his e-mail and forum-posted comments.

Frankly, I'm thinking that you might want a boat somewhat smaller than some you've been discussing - cheaper to keep, easier to run, and probably as much room as you'd really want.

T.

[Don Z.]

On the subject of mail:
I'd suggest the use of a private mail service... the best I've used is in Annapolis. Basically, that was my address... but they held my mail for me, and when I got someplace, I'd have them forward what they had to where I was... Then they'd start holding again until I got to the next place. They were great. I'd recommend them highly.

[Ian McColgin]

Except for the gap between the loss of Granuaile in spring 2006 and next spring (I'm doing so much to Marmalade's interior I don't want to live in it this winter!) I've lived aboard since 1981. Most of the time I was tied to a shore job and did not travel that much.

The Coast Guard (for documentation) requires a physical shore address, not a PO. If you're moving about as I will be next year, you'll want a shore agent to collect mail and handle to some extent recurrent bills, though now with the internet and all most of that's pretty easily handled afloat and really all your agent will need to do is toss the junk mail and forward the key things like annual documentation renewal.

I personallyt hate living at a marina and especially hate it in season. But it's hard to beat being able to walk to the store when it snows. Many marinas require liability insurance, which can be a problem if you've no shore property unless you carry a professional policy on a Captain's license. Liability's not a bad idea anyway if you want to be able to assist anyone you and your boat might injure or whose property you might damage.

I wish there were such a thing as catastrophic wreck insurance. That would have made my financial life better than the incredible out-of-pocket expense of wrecking Granuaile. There's a guy on the beach in Hyannis Port right now who may have just this problem - a salvagable boat but pretty high up and he's not the resourses to get a crane in.

There's huge prejudice building against liveaboards as so many of us are a bit fringe, but most of the prejudice can be mitigated by a well kept boat, clean bilges, a capacious holding tank and good hygene.

Thing to keep in mind: KISS.

No one needs pressure water as foot pumps in galley and head work better.

No one needs central hot water as the garden sprayer works better.

No one needs air conditioning as a good awning and intelligent choise of location work better.

One actually does not need refrigeration as everything that demands refrigeration is bad for you off-shore, ice is cheap, and any beer that must be refirgerated is goat urine.

One does not really need an outboard if the tender is seaworthy and has proper oars. Maybe a sail.

One really needs an excellent cooking stove, three burner and oven minimum.

A good heat sourse whether solid fuel or gravity feed natural burn diesel (I admit no other choises) is mandatory.

An industrial strength head - the prime LeVac is the only real choise here - and a huge holding tank are important. It's well, by the way, to plan sink drains as switchable (remember to put in a water trap or suffer direly) to the holding tank, with all Y valves labled and lock/sealable so you can deal with places that allow no head discharge and no grey water discharge. This is why the big holding tank!

Have four or more anchors with one, if possible, on an all chain rode and the others with chain leaders a boat length long. I do not favor the "lunch hook." My lightest anchor is always at the heavy end of what the books call for for the boat. Heavies a size or two up. I favor manual windlasses.

Welcome to the life. Remember, a house is just a badly designed boat that's so hard aground no one could float the stupid thing anyway.

G'luck

[uncas]

Ian et al..
Very good points from many of you..

Mail has always been my biggest problem... especially travelling... Two years of having mail returned, forwarded etc. The mail server makes sense...
My big problem is that I really do not plan on having much of a home base... Travelling... umm with the seasons...
Hence, a good system for communicating. Important...

Designing the interior.. waiting for pictures.( of said canadian schooner ).. to accomodate stuff...
software, hardware etc.

I'm not concerned about keeping any boat I buy shipshape so that should not be a problem...

Liability is a major issue.. I do own land and that may work.... although I am never there.

Thanks for the link.. will check that out.... Heck, there is probably a few books out there as well.

I want to go into this prepared... know all the pitfalls and the problems as long with the good things about living aboard.

[TomF]

I know nothing about this firsthand ... but I've read repeatedly that one has to be very careful about keeping top-notch antifouling especially on oak, when going tropical. Oak seems more susceptible to the borers etc. than some other woods.

Somebody with actual experience might want to weigh in ... just thinking of that oak-on-oak schooner, and your proposed seasonal meanderings.

[uncas]

Well.. I am calling the yard this afternoon where this particular Mason Schooner is kept.. Am hoping to have photos sent of the interior...
Will see.. but looking at my life, there is no sense spending big bucks for a rental..and I mean big bucks!!!!!!! with no return.. where I am presently...

[TomF]

Jamie, were our situations reversed, I'd be doing exactly what you're considering. I just don't want my enthusiasm to colour your choices ...

If you receive more pictures, 'twould be lovely to see them ...

[uncas]

TomF
I am such a neophyte posting pictures.. I will try.. I doubt very much whether the interior is designed for a live aboard.. Which means, I'm gonna have to design one accordingly... So, right now, it is a wait and see. The broker sent my request for interior pics to the present owners who are elderly.. They are not selling the boat because of possible problems.. just that they are old.. That is a plus...
Talking to the boat yard that did the previous work is gonna help..
Bottom line.. a good wooden boat surveyor.. and I guess a trip to NS for me...
Now if only the IYRS coimes through and rakes Uncas as a project... Uncas is front of a committee at the moment.. and they will make the decision. I hope they do.. I would like to see Uncas being part of the Newport Boating scene...

[willmarsh3]

I know a couple of people who lived aboard their boats in my marina. The marina owner liked the extra security provided by the presence of an extra pair of eyes and ears. What he didn't like was the shower being left messed up.

[uncas]

Will
It only takes one to wreck it for the others.... I can see this...
I also see that one in ten hunters have no idea what they are shooting at...
I consider myself a neat person.. Any mess I make, I clean up..

I also can understand a marina manager making a fuss over the heads....

An issue...

[Nanoose]

I know a couple of people who lived aboard their boats in my marina. The marina owner liked the extra security provided by the presence of an extra pair of eyes and ears. What he didn't like was the shower being left messed up.

Jamie - our experience as well. The marina we were at for 2 years was large and had about a dozen live aboards. It was great for security and when the freak snow storm hit one winter and some boats were in danger of sinking under the weight, the live aboards kept the tragedies at bay.

We did pretty good with the showers, but marina staff cleaned the restrooms every day as well. However, having a boat with its own shower aboard would be important to me if/when we live aboard again. You have more freedom to do/go where and as you like.

[uncas]

Just talked to the yard where the boat is and where the work was done.. Seemed like a decent bunch.
As I suspected, a lot of work is gonna have to be done on the interior.. She is set up for racing at the moment...
Asked foir a list of what had been done..
Requested a list of things that it felt should be done..without taking into account the present interior...

Again, decent sounding folks... Will let you know and hopefully will be able to post pictures.

[Nanoose]

Sounds good, Jamie. And remember when it comes to boats, it's a buyers market. LOTS of boats out there! If the interior isn't right/gonna cost an arm and a leg to make her right, maybe keep looking?

[seayou7]

Matinicus is liveaboard material. So I hear; Naval Architect students are given hull form and told to fit accomodations defined. Hard to exceed.
And, owning a classic with resale value has a nice ring to it.:)

[uncas]

Okay.. had a good talk with the yard owner...
approx 70 % of this schooner has been redone (Hull....new). When I mentioned the price, the guy said it was a very good deal... New ribs, new planking, new stern post.. the hull is basically new...

Now the issues..
perhaps some deck work
a water tank.
A bigger fuel tank.
A holding tank
Interior work for a liveaboard...

This is what I have asked for at this stage..
A letter indicating waht has been done
A note indicating potential work to be done say in the next ten yrs.

an idea of what it would cost for the following:
Holding tank
fuel tank
Deck work. if needed...
Cabin redesign.
water tanks...
A surveyor....

At 35.00/hour.. hell....

Am going to talk with the current owner tonight. Left a message...

[sv Lorelei]

Jamie:

I'd check some of the cruisers boards like the SSCA board amongst others. Many of these issues are shared with those planning on shoving off for a year or three, and get discussed regularly there.

Our marina used to allow liveaboards but discourages it now as the last few years he allowed it only had a few boats and it was a lot of bucks to keep the bubblers going water and electricity on one dock for only a few people. I'd suggest looking for marinas with established liveaboard communities, and go visit and talk to some of the folks there.

[SV Papillon]

Keeping it simple seems to be the best advice we have ever gotten. That and slow down. After getting our first boat together with no expieriance, going mostly off of the how to books , I would take it much simpler in hindsight. Regardless of how much you read and how much absolute advice you get from people you will undoubtabley find your wants and needs on the boat changing considerably the longer you are on board. The more you cruise and the farther you get away from the 60 cycle hum the more your priorities will likely change. By keeping the boat as basic as possible and putting your money in seaworthyness you will give yourself the oprtunity to let the boat grow around you. As Mr. Twain put it "most generalizations including this one are false."
Fair Winds
Jake

[jack grebe]

Jamie, My wife and I have been living aboard our motor home for over 3 years and do not have a physical address to use since we sold the house.We use a mail forwarding service in Tn. as a street address and have our cars reg. there as well as ins., lics. etc. everthing is is then forwarded to us where ever we are. many times we have had mail sent ahead to "general delivery" at the post office where we can go in pick it up. I did lose my voting rights in Tn. though when they passed a new law restricting the use of a commercial address(mail forwarding service) for the purpose of voting.

[uncas]

This is gonna be an interesting move.... between the good comments and suggestions and the links... a lot to think about...
I appreciate everyone's responses....
Just trying to redirect my life a little.. One advantage.. its just me and C'dog... Makes it easier in many ways.

[paladin]

It makes life a lot easier when you get somewhere that you wanna park for a few days/weeks/months.....the farther off the grid the better you are except for medical service....and the less that you are forced to maintain, the better your cruising will be.....

[uncas]

Chuck.. I agree although I don't mind maintaining a woodie...
gives me something to do... LOL...

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid144/p5ffdc85863113d519f5da0d0309e4204/f67e47a3.jpg

[paladin]

somehow...plastic boats ain't the same..although I owned a Sunfish and CSY 44....and the CSY required more work than the wood boat...ya just can't bond bulkheads etc with polyester resin....Tana Mari had everything conceivable....and it was too much.....

[Mark Van]

In Florida, marinas that lease their underwater land from the state only let liveaboards stay at their marina for a maximum of six months. You are generally not considered a liveaboard if you only stay at a marina for a few months or less. Marinas are much more willing to let "transient cruisers" stay than "liveaboards".
I've been living aboard for five years now, I am currently staying at a dock where I work.

[donald branscom]

Live aboard? I'm not talking about what I do.. five or six months a year. I'm talking about 12 months a year... Full time
I am wondering about some of the pitfalls... There has to be quite a few.
I am wondering about acceptance in various communities especially as now, there are many communities that don't allow live aboards or frown on them...
Serious question and one I am asking because I may be leaning this way... I want to kbnow what I would potentially be dealing with...

psss. I'm even talking about stupid things like residency.. mail, voting rights.... Some of those topics that may fall through the cracks...

There aren't any pitfalls. the ONLY problems are with the people who don't like you or your lifestyle. Certain people don't like the fact you are not paying thousands for taxes ,garbage,water,electriity etc.,.
You MUST use more stuff. Buy more stuff and have more payments and MORE debt.,

[uncas]

donald.. I have no debt.. well, a couple of hundred bucks.. I think....I am trying to cut back on what I pay out.. no small amount.. I figured why spend rent money when I can live on a boat?
That's all..
But having never changed my life to that degree and being cautious, I thought it was worth my time to ask for ecperience in that way of life. Six months aboard just doesn't qualify.

[Nanoose]

We were down to check on Nanoose yesterday, and it was pouring rain...and we remembered the down side of living aboard...WINTER!

BUT, you have the freedom to follow the sun south when it starts getting colder than you like.

I absolutely agree, Jamie, with "why spend rent money when I can live on a boat?". Six months aboard is different than full time, yet, it is a long enough stretch to really give you a sense of what life is like.

The only other thing I can possibly think of is age related health stuff, and I don't know how you are faring in that department. Our liveaboard neighbor is finding things harder as he's getting older, and after over 25 years living aboard (single fellow).

I say, "Go for it!" :)

[uncas]

Nanoose..
I am fine.. a bit round.. nothing serous... Complain to myself once in a while about my knees....
But certainly able to liveaboard and sail from here to there.....

[Nanoose]

Good. So, keep it simple (systems you can fix and maintain yourself) to keep the costs of living down (e.g. forget about the air conditioning!!!!!) and your life a lot more hassle free.

I'd need a shower, the next time we live aboard.

A small fridge is nice, but it makes the boat more complicated...something I could probably do without.

Simple, small and "goable" - small enough that you feel confident single handing. We definately subscribe to the Annie Hill/Pardy simple sailing school.

How exciting!!!!!!!

[paladin]

GO Now!:d

[uncas]

Chuck.. I'm working on it.. believe me, I'm working on it...
Computers, e-mails, phones are great but even using them, there is a delay. I'm not sure what the delay is here but there obviously is one...

[ssor]

Jamie, First off , I am glad you're still here!
I have friends, quite young, that lived aboard for four years on a 27 footer with a dog, a cat and a parakeet. They summered in Perryville and wintered in Marathon when they could make it that far south, one winter in Hampton, VA. Their life style was as simple and minimal as the name of their boat implied ;WALDEN. They have since moved ashore. They kept in touch with friends by way of Pocket Email. Suzanne would seek office work and Dobbs would seek shop work and they learned to fish. Living aboard can be spartan or you can surround yourself with as many or as few of the modern comforts as you like.
Nancy and I are land locked by choice and circumstance. We sail when we can and work when we have work to do.
Remember what you don't spend you don't have to earn.
Ross in Bel Air.

[py]

Stop worrying so much, just do it and the details will sort themselves out. I lived aboard for 2 years, with family. Started with 2 kids, finished up with 3. Admittedly it was a biggish boat at 52' but we loved it, kids loved it. The boat had a hot shower and fridge, and aircon when plugged into shore power. Went out for a sail every 2nd weekend or so. This was in Papua New Guinea, where regulations and community attitudes were, err, different. Used work for snail mail adress, had a landline phone and shore power. Sailed home to Australia when we finished in PNG. It was great.

[Thad Van Gilder]

On a related note, Now I am living aboard a 29 foot 1969 airstream...

-Thad

[uncas]

Thad.. It isn't cold yet.. Could ya post say in January? I'd like to know how you are doing and what you think then.. LOL.....

[Thad Van Gilder]

Well, actually, I moved into it 3 and 1/2 years ago after moving out of IVY and moving up to Pa for grad school.

So, I have already done 3 winters.

-Thad

[uncas]

:)..:)

[Thad Van Gilder]

yes, I am trailor trash, but very educated trailor trash.

[paladin]

absolutely ain't nuthin' wrong with that......so accustomed to living on the boat I didn't particularly care for apartments, so when I came back to work at Lockheed I bought a used 31 foot airstream, fixed it up sorta like the boat, big reserve batteries, 4 solar panels on top etc.....and when I eventually sold it got more than double what I had in it....feller took it to Waste Virginny and stuck it on a mountaintop....:D

[Thad Van Gilder]

technically mine's a Streamline, but I did put a teak sole in the entire thing...

-Thad

[donald branscom]

Live aboard? I'm not talking about what I do.. five or six months a year. I'm talking about 12 months a year... Full time
I am wondering about some of the pitfalls... There has to be quite a few.
I am wondering about acceptance in various communities especially as now, there are many communities that don't allow live aboards or frown on them...
Serious question and one I am asking because I may be leaning this way... I want to kbnow what I would potentially be dealing with...

psss. I'm even talking about stupid things like residency.. mail, voting rights.... Some of those topics that may fall through the cracks...

When you give your address IT MUST BE A STREET ADDRESS.
Give the address of the marina office and if they say it won't qualify as a residence just pick any address near where you live.
But only use it for official purposes.

The state goverments tried to deny vetrans food stamps etc because they only had a PO box. (A govt PO box) It was declared illegal but to this day it is still some people have not accepted. But to take advantage of the law you have to have a lot of money. (The golden rule)

[TimothyB]

For those with a few more duckets, you could buy a rental property (even just a cheapo seasonal one somewhere) with the aim of breaking even, and have things addressed to you there. The property manager or relative/friend would then pick up and forward your mail to wherever you were at the time.

Maybe a landlord could work something out legally with extra mailboxes and etc on an existing property to get around the 'commercial forwarding service' designation problem.. tho that would be a state by state thing.

For taxes in MA it is this:

2. How do I determine my residency status?

Massachusetts tax law defines residency status as follows:

You are a Full-year Resident if your legal residence (domicile) was in Massachusetts for the entire taxable year or if you maintained a permanent place of abode in Massachusetts and spent in the aggregate more than 183 days of the taxable year in Massachusetts, including days spent partially in and partially out of Massachusetts. Note: A day in Massachusetts while on active duty in the United States Armed Forces is not counted. If you fit this description, you should file Form 1, Massachusetts Resident Income Tax Return. For more information, please see TIR 95-7.

..and from the treasurer's office it is this:

What determines Massachusetts residency?
The following criteria, although not exclusive, can be used by state and local agencies and the courts to determine residency. By law, you are considered a Massachusetts resident if you receive a local property tax exemption, file a state resident income tax return or receive a rental deduction, register to vote here, enroll your dependents in a local public school or pay resident tuition for them at a state college or university, receive public assistance from the state, declare that mortgaged or insured property located here is your principal residence, or obtain any employment, benefit or privilege by claiming Massachusetts residency. You may be fined up to $1,000 per year if you illegally register in another state, or misrepresent the principal place your vehicle is garaged in this state. You are also subject to assessment for unpaid taxes with penalties and interest.

It looks to me like there are a number of ways to be legally qualified as a resident of MA that don't entail having a whole apartment or house, and definitely if you own a rental property.