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Monthly costs associated with being a liveaboard can vary from resident to resident, according to Alcock. Living aboard a 40-foot vessel in a marina where the slip fee is $20 per foot means a liveaboard would pay $800 per month to the marina. Other costs include electricity, sewage pumpout, bottom cleaning, topside cleaning, maintenance, insurance and taxes. These costs could add another $500 to $600 or more per month to living expenses. Another potential monthly expense: payments, if any, on the ves- sel.


San Diego County Randy Sysol has lived aboard a 55-


foot trawler at National City’s Pier 32 Marina with his wife and son for about four years. Transitioning from a land residence to one on the water was not easy, he said. “The process of moving aboard was painstaking as we sold our home of 16 years and divested ourselves of any- thing that did not fit on the boat. “We did this as we were planning on travel- ling for a couple of years and didn’t want to be worried about storage of ‘stuff,’” Sysol explained. He continued the relative newness of Pier 32 Marina makes it an ideal location for liveaboards. “[The marina] has tons of amenities and a good liveaboard community. We like the pool in the summer and the jacuzzi anytime. We don’t particularly like the location of the marina as much as others but the amenities certainly make up for the long run out of the bay,” Sysol said. “The liveaboards here are a friendly group, looking out for one another as well as having occa- sional parties and potlucks. It’s been a welcoming place to live; lots of dogs, too.” Being a liveaboard does come with a few pitfalls, Sysol observed, though specific shortcomings obviously vary from boater to boater. One San Diego boater said being a


liveaboard could be cheaper than liv- ing in a land-based house or apart- ment, but the affordability of residing in a recreational vessel ultimately depends on marina rates and boat’s type, size and quality.


Los Angeles and Orange counties


Donna Ethington has lived aboard a boat for decades and currently makes port in Wilmington, which is home to Island Yacht Anchorage, Cerritos Yacht Anchorage, Lighthouse Yacht Landing, Pacific Yacht Landing, California Yacht Marina and Holiday Harbor. Finding a liveaboard slip at any of


the Port of Los Angeles marinas is no easy task. The Port of L.A. limits living aboard a vessel to 5 percent of avail- able slips at each marina.


Those who do decide to live along


the Cerritos Channel and adjacent the Port of L.A.’s East Basin will find a unique blend of charm and challenges, Ethington said. “You have a lot of different reasons


why people move in [to any of the port’s marinas]. It’s kind of a vacation atmosphere. You’re always on the water and in touch with the weather,” Ethington said, adding liveaboards also live in San Pedro or Wilmington for camaraderie, solitude, or they may be in between residences. “I’m totally fascinated with the port. I think a lot of people are. It is a really good environ- ment.”


The Log • Feb. 12 - 25, 2016 • 21


Helene Webb lives aboard her houseboat, Barj Ma-hal, in Santa Barbara Harbor. Webb, a former Santa Barbara Harbor Commission member, was also a liveaboard in Marina del Rey.


Liveaboard Quotas* How many liveaboards are permitted at your harbor?


Santa Barbara Harbor 113 Port of Los Angeles 5 percent of marina’s slips Long Beach


230 Newport Beach


7 percent of offshore moorings * partial list


Liveaboard slip rates in Wilmington


are generally competitive and more affordable than marinas in Long Beach or San Pedro, Ethington said. Challenges include frequent ship


traffic, industrial noise and air pollu- tion. Ethington added liveaboards in San


Pedro and Wilmington play a unique role in watching over local marinas. “The only reason the Port of L.A.


allows any liveaboards is for safety and security. No marina owners live in these marinas and only a few of the marina managers are liveaboards,” Ethington said. Because they walk by the same boats every day, liveaboards notice if a boat is taking on water, or if there’s a boat that doesn’t belong here. Because they’re familiar with the sur- roundings, liveaboards will call the Port Police if there’re unusual activities in their marina or in the area, and many of us have had valuable CERT and USCG training.” Neighboring Long Beach allows up to 230 liveaboards, or 7.8 percent of slips, in all of its marinas, according to the city’s marine operations manager, Elvira Hallinan. Shoreline Marina in downtown Long Beach has the highest number of liveaboards in the city, with 169 slips (10.5 percent of the clip count) assigned to those living aboard a vessel; Alamitos Bay is home to 58 liveaboard slips (4.5 percent of slip count) while three vessels at Rainbow Harbor/Marina double as a primary residence (3.5 percent of slip count). A handful of boaters call their


respective vessels home at Avalon Harbor, where live- aboards experience busy summers and potentially tumul- tuous winters. “There are a


select few and hardy individuals that not only choose to live in Avalon but choose


to live in Avalon Harbor,” Avalon Harbormaster Brian Bray said. “While the summers are busy and full of activ- ities, the winter can be quiet, peaceful and sometimes stormy. Avalon Harbor is not considered a ‘safe’ harbor and can be a dangerous place during the winter adverse weather conditions, especially during Northeastern wind events.” Winter weather is just one of a few


considerations liveaboards should take into account before taking residence on a mooring in Avalon Harbor. Boaters planning to stay in the harbor for two weeks or longer must fill out a long-term vessel application and meet the city’s insurance requirements. Moorings are also privately owned, which, according to Bray, means live- aboards might have to change moor- ing locations on a daily basis. “They may also be moved outside of


Avalon Harbor to a mooring in one of the outer coves, Descanso Bay or Hamilton Cove,” Bray added. Access to amenities is yet another factor liveaboards should think about before claiming a mooring in Avalon for two weeks or longer. “Shoreside facilities, like groceries, public showers, restrooms and laun- dry, are available in Avalon. However the facilities are not available in a sin- gle location as in other harbors, and are spread throughout the town,” Bray said. “None are inaccessible, though, as Avalon is a small town with these facilities generally located within a six- block-by-two-block area.”


Current mooring fees range from $31 to $126 per night depending upon length of the vessel; all vessels there are also required to have a working head and be dye-tabbed to insure compliance with the harbor’s no dis- charge policy. A small number of liveaboard per-


mits are available on the central Orange County coast, where Newport


See LIVEABOARDS page 22


Parimal M. Rohit photos


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