# Australian Marina's that allow liveaboard



## thedrages

Hi All,
Anyone know of Marinas around Australia that allow you to liveaboard?


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## St Anna

Gooday 'thedrages' 
Well, in qld, Hope harbour on the Goldy, East Coast in Wynum Manly, Mackay, Breakwater in Townsville, Marlin in Cairns. I have stayed in Gladstone but they were changing rules and I dont know the new rules.
Most likely many others that I havent resided in. All allow short term for cruisers passing through. Where are you and where are you intending to go to. 
cheers


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## thedrages

At the moment we are down in Vic ( Jan Juc, near Bells Beach ). Moving aboard in a few years . Just getting a feel for whats around up there. I'm concerned that in Port Phillp Bay you can't liveabord anywhere and that this trend will spread everywhere!


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## St Anna

Yeah I guess its a worry, but I cant see it happening everywhere - liveaboards pay their way [usually] and a marina is a business.

What sort of boat do you have?


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## thedrages

Guess your right. At the moment , no boat  . Looking at a Hartley 18' to keep myself amused while cashing up for something around the 35' - 40' foot range. Doing the five year plan to save,sell up and stuff kids and wife onboard, sail away!


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## arvicola-amphibius

You can live aboard at Scarborough Marina near Brisbane for a modest extra fee over the standard cost of the berth - to cover electricity & use of the hot showers etc.

Also for a much greater cost, a couple of upmarket marinas in Port Stephens allow it. For those into that sort of thing, they offer considerable luxury including sauna, internet etc. Other places exist around the Australian coast where liveaboard seems to be tolerated for extended periods. In some (e.g. Western Australia) you may have to keep a low profile because officially it is not allowed. Plenty of sailors spend quite extended time aboard while tied up to the dock and plenty more on swing moorings in places as diverse as Cairns, Hobart etc.

Even on the crowded Gold Coast there is a place colloquially known as Bum's Bay where you can spend 7 days at anchor for free, then move for a day or two to another nearby anchorage (of which there are several, though not as convenient) and return to do it all over again for another 7 days.


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## thedrages

Cool thanks for the info, I lived aboard in a marina in San Diego. There policy was " You sure spend alot of long days sorting out your boat " Cheapest rent in the city! $250 a month including power. Real pain in the behind there is nowhere near Melbourne!


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## thedrages

Hi Mike,
The Marina's near me are about $6000 per year , don't haul out in winter. But no liveaboard allowed 
Dean


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## tdw

Generally speaking live aboard for greater than (I think) 21 days in any three month period is illegal in NSW. Certainly it is illegal to liveaboard permanently except under very specific circumstances and a yacht is not going to comply.

However ... if you are in transit then you are, practically speaking OK, provided you adhere to a few unwritten rules .... don't pollute, don't hang washing from the rigging or life lines, don't in fact do anything to piss off the NSW Maritime lads and ladesses who are in the main good people. 

Liveaboards in a marina berth where the marina has on shore shower/toilet facilities are more tolerated than on a mooring if only because their is not real risk of pollution. There are a number of such places around Sydney Harbour but finding a vacancy may be the most difficult issue. 

The question is really what do you mean by liveaboard ? If you are thinking to pull into a marina in any large city on the east coast of Oz and use your boat as a floating apartment then you are going to have problems unless you can do that in a very low key manner. If on the other you are simply passing through , even staying afew months, then you are probably going to be OK.


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## Classic30

I've not much to add other than, if you look hard, there are out-of-the-way places like Yaringa Marina, Westernport, that, being private rather than public marinas, might (no guarantees) turn a blind eye to liveaboards who mind their own p's & q's and stay under the radar. Further afield, around Metung/Paynesville there are narrow creeks and private berths where one could spend a considerable time aboard without anyone being overtly worried.. but a capital city? Nope. Doesn't happen.

The nearest alternative would be a boat-sized apartment at Yarra's Edge with the boat parked in the marina down below - for ~$10k/year plus costs..


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## tdw

Hartley18 said:


> I've not much to add other than, if you look hard, there are out-of-the-way places like Yaringa Marina, Westernport, that, being private rather than public marinas, might (no guarantees) turn a blind eye to liveaboards who mind their own p's & q's and stay under the radar. Further afield, around Metung/Paynesville there are narrow creeks and private berths where one could spend a considerable time aboard without anyone being overtly worried.. but a capital city? Nope. Doesn't happen.
> 
> The nearest alternative would be a boat-sized apartment at Yarra's Edge with the boat parked in the marina down below - for ~$10k/year plus costs..


Melbourne is undoubtedly tougher tha Sydney. In Sydney it can within reason be done.


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## emce

Just checked the marina live aboard policy in WA and read live aboard travelers are allowed in ALL public marinas with facilities ashore for periods up to six months.


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## William Massart

Thanks Emce, that is good news indeed,as I was concerned cruising around Oz for extended time
Will


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## emce

Hi I know no more than that except to say five years or so ago I had my yacht in two or three marinas in Queensland (Cairns and Townsville ) and never had a worry. I only stayed a few weeks in them just the same. Apart from insurance, no one even asked what I was doing. There was only my ex and i and we obviously were travelers. I'm in The Philippines now and are soon to return to Aust.

Emce


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## William Massart

HI Emce
No prob in the Philippines? my wife is from Bicol in Luzon and no way will she want our yacht to be in the Southern parts, as low as Bohol; she said and that's it; even there is only a short hop to Mindano but at least better patrolled by the navy...
Cheers
Will


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## emce

Hi No no probs here. We're in Samal island marina (yes the one that the rebels took the hostages from) and we were there then but now it would be the safest marina in Asia. (Five or six heavily soldiers patrol the marina itself plus a small naval patrol boat 24/7 plus four armed guards on the marina entry gates. 
It was a real pity the kidnapping because the marina is clean and well run. (Cleaner than many in Aust and better run than any I've been in in Aust.


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