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Liveaboard census data

3K views 11 replies 9 participants last post by  lapworth 
#1 ·
Does this exist? I wonder how many liveaboards there are in the USA. For the most part, they must be confined to the coasts, with some adds on the larger lakes.

There have been a number of issues raised that you would think a commercial enterprise could solve, but I have a feeling the population is just too small to be worthwhile. There is a thread on car insurance, for example. There are some solutions for mail, but not universal. Voting. Are they generally liberal or conservative or the same split as the rest of the country? I wonder how the liveaboard population would compare to the general population. High, lower or same credit scores, as an example.

To all of our resident liveaboards here on SN, no doubt you are shining examples of the best of the bread.

I suspect, as a rule, they are friendlier people with more sympathy for their neighbors. Seriously. That's just from my experience of cruisers I meet on the water compared to people I meet on the street.
 
#4 · (Edited)
In 2000, we were living aboard and stopped in the Ft. Pierce City Marina for awhile. The census bureau came to the marina, asked about live-aboards and were directed to us and all of the others in the marina who were living aboard. The census taker came to our boat and took our information.

In 2010, we were never counted. We happened to be in Beaufort, SC and had access to a car. We saw a census bureau and thought we should do our civic duty, so went in and tried to give him our information. When we got to our address, we gave him our mail forwarder - the address was in a different state, of course. He told us we should be counted in that state, and we explained that it was a mail forwarder.

He said, according to law, he needed a dirt address.

We told him we lived on a boat.

He asked, "Where's the boat?"

We told him it was at anchor.

He asked where we lived when we were ashore.

We told him we had no home ashore.

He said, "Well, give us an address of a relative or something."

"Wouldn't that be lying to the government?" we asked.

"Technically, yes." he answered.

Well, we wouldn't do that. So he tore up the form and threw it in a waste basket, saying, that because of Homeland Security rules, he couldn't count us because we didn't have a dirt address.

We asked him how not counting us could possibly help us have a more secure homeland.
He said he didn't make the rules, just followed them.

I wonder how many homeless people aren't counted. I wonder home many homeless veterans aren't counted. I wonder how our government, especially Homeland Security can come up with so many asinine rules.

Because of the Homeland Security Rules, we couldn't even open a bank account because we didn't have a dirt address. So we gave an address of a local marina - lied - so we could open a bank account.

You can bet your booties, though, that the IRS won't ignore us because we don't have a dirt address.

Sorry for the rant.
 
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#5 ·
is there a reason to count the souls living aboard boats not on the grid?? why?? you sound very "by the book" which really doesnt fit most of the folks i met living aboard boats in various places. government is already waaay too big and phat to bring any good to folks...might be a god idea to ask souls to volunteer for a project along this line, as the census isnt going to answer the questions you seem to wish answered.
there are many homeless not counted--i know those residing aboard boats are considered homeless if they do not use marinas. good luck with your quest.
 
#6 ·
Not really on a quest. More of a curiosity.

In the grand scheme of things, I suspect the number of liveaboards don't move the needle enough to matter. However, say there are 1 million of them. It would be very realistic to have a business that might be able to sell their wares to 100 thousand and they have some specific needs.

But that's we're the follow on curiosity comes in. Is the population, as a whole, more or less financially responsible, affluent, liberal, whatever. It matters to what you sell them and how.

Hey, it takes all kinds in all walks of life, I just wonder what the overall pic looks like. There's what got me thinking. There is a thread about getting car insurance as a liveaboard without an address. It's likely that the insurers just haven't made an exception, given the size of the niche. So start a niche company? Well, that got me thinking about overall demographics. It's statistically well established that the quality of your credit score correlates to how much of an insurance risk one is. Seems unrelated, but it isn't on a macro scale.

In any case, I have a day job. Just musing.
 
#8 ·
As a liveaboard for 50 years, I have probably had every problem one who has no "dirt" address can have. I couldn't even get a driver's license in SC without lying (giving a false address). Yet somehow I always get called for jury duty and someone ALWAYS wants taxes. In most places there are no services (EMT's, ambulances, security, fire help, sewer (must pay to have your holding tank pumped), water (again supplied through a marina, not city), wifi, or electricity. If you are anchored out you get NOTHING from the local government, not even the reasonable use of a dinghy dock (2 hour max in Bristol, RI, for instance, and a $50.00 fine if you are longer);try going shopping by bus in 2 hours or even have a nice meal at a place not on the waterfront.
If you use a U.S. Post Office PO Box, you cannot have your mail forwarded for more than a year, because of homeland security. Like a sailor forwarding mail is some huge threat to the homeland (motherland?).
These are only a few of the things a liveaboard without a "dirt" address will encounter in the quest to live as they please. You are only a "real" citizen of this country if it wants your tax money or if they want you out of there.
 
#10 ·
LinekinBayCD
Of course I want you to pay for those things!
If you use those things or if they are available to you why shouldn't YOU pay? They are NOT available to those of us without a "dirt" address. The only time the police are around is if they want to give those of us who live off the grid a hard time. Dinghy stolen? Too bad, you've got a yacht; you're rich, buy another.
If you are at anchor (or on a mooring), you'd better get in your dinghy and get yourself to a hospital, because the marine patrol sure can't be bothered to help you at 3AM or PM for that matter.
I could go on and on but I think you get the idea. As for pump outs, sure I pay for that, but why should I the pay for sewers too? I don't use them, the company that charges me the exorbitant pump out fees uses the sewers.
If the powers that be don't consider us part of their community why should I?
 
#11 ·
The gubment always gives me that warm, fuzzy feeling, and Homeland Security really makes me feel more secure - NOT!

When it comes to taking money, the gubment makes Al Capone look like a choir boy. This has always been the case in the People's Republic of Maryland. Just heard on the radio today that Maryland will now require all Moped and scooter riders to wear helmets, install windscreens, carry full coverage insurance, and the fines for non-compliance are higher than most automobile fines. The Ayatollah O'Malley never saw a tax he didn't like, and he says Marylanders are willing to pay higher taxes to get more government.

If the Census Bureau guy comes to my anchored boat, at least I'll have some more crab bait to work with.

Cheers,

Gary :cool:
 
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