Long Term Planner from Australia

[BentSailor]

Just thought I'd introduce myself given I created an account and am actually enjoying the information, stories, and conversation hereabouts.

I'm about three decades young, married, have four boys, and am planning on sailing the world with my wife in about ten years time. In the meantime I'm learning sailing skills, putting money away to buy the boat of our dreams, and seeing what I can do about Australia's oppressive live-aboard regulations.

Am loving especially the stories of young sailors doing what I wish i could have (and have a son who probably will given his enthusiasm). My wife actually got hooked before I did when she followed Jessica Watson's trip.

[Hartley18]

Welcome to SailNet, Bent. It's good to have a few more Aussies here.

This is a big country: Where are you based? Perhaps you could add a few more vague details to your profile. Have you joined up with a yacht club anywhere??

As far as the current oppressive live-aboard regulations goes, SimonV is the expert. You are not alone.

[tdw]

Originally Posted by BentSailor

Just thought I'd introduce myself given I created an account and am actually enjoying the information, stories, and conversation hereabouts.

I'm about three decades young, married, have four boys, and am planning on sailing the world with my wife in about ten years time. In the meantime I'm learning sailing skills, putting money away to buy the boat of our dreams, and seeing what I can do about Australia's oppressive live-aboard regulations.

Am loving especially the stories of young sailors doing what I wish i could have (and have a son who probably will given his enthusiasm). My wife actually got hooked before I did when she followed Jessica Watson's trip.

Well welcome to the site. You find plenty of helpful info and plenty of helpful people.

Where in Oz are you ?

Ref Live Aboard ...care to explain further ?

[BentSailor]

I'm a NSWelshman, living close to Lake Macquarie. My family, children included, are part of a local sailing club, but my wife & I won't be joining a yacht club until we're happier with our basic skills. We're aware that we'll need to relearn some skills going from the smaller boats to actual "yachts", but we'd simply feel more comfortable starting on them with some skills under our belt.

On the live-aboard regulations here in NSW (the one's I know best), it is quite frankly impossible to live-aboard without lying to the water police and having the assistance of someone on shore. Basically, the maximum amount of time you can live aboard is 21 days in every 6 months, after which you need to obtain need special permission from NSW Maritime (or the Crown) to be classified as a "moored houseboat". The hoops they require you to jump through on this are incredibly onerous (gaining explicit permission from land-owners & local council for a SINGLE boat) can only be described as deliberately impossible.

[tdw]

You are essentially correct but there are loopholes in reality. Most marinas will allow you to live onboard and NSW Maritime will ignore you provided the marina has shore facilities (toilets and showers) for use by liveaboards.

The point of the liveaboard rules is to try and prevent liveaboards discharging untreated effluent and thats not just sewerage, showers and washing up water also come into it.

Live aboard and move about, i.e adopt the cruising lifestyle and maritime will simply leave you alone providing you have holding tanks. Simply live aboard in the same spot on an ongoing basis and you will be doing what they have set out to prevent.

Self interest says that I agree with wanting to be able to live aboard unfettered, logic, knowing that the mooring fields would be infested with liveaboards makes me agree with the official policy.

Originally Posted by BentSailor

I'm a NSWelshman, living close to Lake Macquarie. My family, children included, are part of a local sailing club, but my wife & I won't be joining a yacht club until we're happier with our basic skills. We're aware that we'll need to relearn some skills going from the smaller boats to actual "yachts", but we'd simply feel more comfortable starting on them with some skills under our belt.

On the live-aboard regulations here in NSW (the one's I know best), it is quite frankly impossible to live-aboard without lying to the water police and having the assistance of someone on shore. Basically, the maximum amount of time you can live aboard is 21 days in every 6 months, after which you need to obtain need special permission from NSW Maritime (or the Crown) to be classified as a "moored houseboat". The hoops they require you to jump through on this are incredibly onerous (gaining explicit permission from land-owners & local council for a SINGLE boat) can only be described as deliberately impossible.

[BentSailor]

I know there are "loop holes" provided you are friendly with the right people and have a friendly marina manager and don't, by pure coincidence, get on the wrong side of a local busybody and...

I understand the reasons the laws were drafted, just as I do the reasons behind anti-terrorism laws post-9/11, anti-bikie laws, etc. However, just as with these other laws, they go too far when they can be used against you whilst NOT doing what they are designed to prevent. We don't live in a world where only the "good guys" exercise power, but one where power is exercised for maintaining vested interests, personal vendettas, and even just for the thrill of exercising power over someone else.

For example, it is possible for someone with a grudge to ensure you cannot live-aboard even if you are doing all the right things the laws were supposedly designed to prevent. There is a hard limit of three weeks every six months. You exceed that and, no matter how good a citizen on & off the water you are, someone can ensure that you cannot live on your boat. That rubs me the wrong way.

For the record, I am not one of those that think the "water police are out to get me". I have a brother-in-law who is a member of the regular "land police" (for want of a better term) and I know that, in general, police do their job to the best of their ability and without holding grudges. They do, however, have to check on breaches of the law when informed of them - even when they know said information comes from someone who might hold a grudge or unreasonable view about the perpetrator.

Sorry, thought I should clarify my viewpoint before I get labelled as a someone with something against the "water / customs police", because it is not them I have an issue with, just overly broad legislation

[Ilenart]

Welcome aboard as well.

We also have plenty of livaboards in our local marina. The main focus of our club is to provide facilities for international visitors who may stay for a couple of months waiting for the right weather conditions. However we also have plenty of locals who live long term.

Hope you get lots out of this website. I know I do.

Ilenart

[Gunny]

Hey guys,
Thought I'd join this string...
I'm a WA based sailor...I have a small 7.2 m "offshore sloop" but I'm about to go into a cruiser Hans Christian 38 subject to the survey and sea trials.
The live aboard rules over here are much the same as rest of oz...I agree with the pollution "issues" and suppose that if the trusty administrators relaxed the rulles too much it would be up to the dropkicks to ruin it for one and all.
Anyway in terms of the site I've been surfing her for the past month mainly trying to research the previous owners of my HC38 called "Starshine" no response so far and that probably due to the fact she's been in Oz for the past 10 years.
I'm looking forward to cruising the Whitsundays and then heading out into the pacific.
Regards,
Gunny
Cruising Yacht Club
Rockingham WA