Live aboard in NYC

[deckhanddave]

I was wondering if there are any live aboards in the New York City area. I currently live in Brooklyn, and I'm rebuilding a T 30 in New Jersey. While I plan on doing some cruising as soon as she's capable, I'm already wondering if it's possible to live near my current digs (Williamsburg, Brooklyn) when I get back? I know about Hoboken, and all of the Long Island marinas, but what else is there?

[deckhanddave]

nothing? come on... there has to be a nibble at least.

[camaraderie]

Have you tried these guys?
http://www.gateway-marina.com/

This noonsite link may give you a few more possibilities:
http://www.noonsite.com/Countries/USA/NewYork

I recall seeing stories of people living aboard their boats in the great south bay but don't really know anything about Brooklyn.

[hellosailor]

Dave, AFAIK the only place where you can legally and officially live aboard in NYC is the 72nd Street Marina on the west side. Anyplace else, you need a wink and a nod and to stay very much off the official radar. In the summer "I'm not living aboard I'm just spending lots of time on the boat" can often fly. Most marinas are not insured for "residential" use and they're afraid of someone slipping off the icy docks and drowning in winter, which happens.

[marty1916]

Theres A Place At The End Of East End Avenue In Brooklyn Forgot The Name Where They Let You Live Abord Also On City Island In Queens There Are Moorings In Summer About 35$ A Foot If You Are Independent For Power This Might Work

[hellosailor]

There's an East End Avenue in Brooklyn that goes down to open water??

[brak]

I heard of people living on boats moored in Sheepshead bay. My friend has a boat there (and is a member of a club) and he met a few of those guys. I am not sure having no direct access to land without a dinghy and no shore power is what you are looking for, though.

[hellosailor]

A lot of clubs and marinas informally will wink and nod if you say "Well, I'm going through a divorce and may be staying on the boat a lot" but if you want to live aboard, and know that you won't be asked to leave "Now" one day...there are very few who will sanction it full time. And very few who run launch service outside of the summer season. Sneaking in quietly can work, but in NYC waters you've also got one other problem: No working pumpout stations. Yeah, they're listed, they're all either just closed, out of order, or listed incorrectly. Little problems like that. (OK, there's one up in Bayside, in the summer only, and one about two hours "inland" from Sheepshead Bay up one of the creeks. Good luck.)

[brak]

I find that lack of pumpouts just causes everyone to pump overboard quietly. Not that I am advocating anything like that.

Too bad the marina at Port Imperial is gone - they did permit liveaboards specifically.

[sailingdog]

Most marinas have sanitary faciliities, so if there isn't a pumpout facility, then just use the shore-based ones instead. That way, you can also leave the head system winterized, and prevent problems with freezing, at least in the wintertime.