# Live aboard at a yacht club



## Don1500 (Nov 16, 2010)

I have been around boats most of my life but never been concerned about joining a club. I just have a few questions:
1. Do yacht clubs allow live aboard. 
2. Overall, with dues and all, is it cheaper to have a slip in a club over a municipal marina? A private marina?


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## Yorksailor (Oct 11, 2009)

It is rare for private clubs to have live aboards and the slips go to old members.

Municipal marina will probably be cheaper.

Phil


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## Don1500 (Nov 16, 2010)

That's what I thought. I was also wondering because of reciprocal agreements, but I don't think they are a good enough reason to join.

On a side note. are there any co-op marinas (real co-op where the owners are the slip owners, not some conglomerate)


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## CalebD (Jan 11, 2008)

Don1500 said:


> ...
> On a side note. are there any co-op marinas (real co-op where the owners are the slip owners, not some conglomerate)


I think that the answer to this question depends a lot on your location (your profile gives no hint as to where you are or where you want to keep a boat). 
Down south (Gulf coast, FL up to Chesapeake) there are some privately owned docks that you might be able to buy into. I doubt that this option would be cheap either and would likely include fees to the taxman.

We belong to a 'working' club where the members do almost all of the work to maintain the club. The dues are extremely reasonable, in part because there are no slips to maintain; all keel boats sit on owner owned moorings. Not as convenient for a live-aboard but it could be done. Since we are in the northeast the club is more or less shut down for about 6 months. I wonder if a similar kind of club exists somewhere near you (wherever that is).


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## Tim R. (Mar 23, 2003)

Our club is the same as Calebs. We do not have any type of co-op marinas in Portland but we do have some condo slips. You buy the slip but it is maintained by a condo assn. About 50k for a 40ft slip.


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

"co-op marinas"
Never heard of it. Dock-o-miniums are common though. You own the bottomland under your slip, and sometimes your slip itself, and the "condominium association" owns and maintains the common property, i.e. the main docks, parking lot, buildings and other stuff.
Sometimes the ownership is outright, sometimes it is a 99-year lease...and like any other group ownership scheme, you really need to look at the complete financials for the whole group before you buy in.


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## boatpoker (Jul 21, 2008)

We have lived at Port Credit Yacht Club (just west of Toronto) for thirteen years. After prorating the initiation fee it became less expensive than a marina after three years.


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## QuickMick (Oct 15, 2009)

there are places that have a provision in the by-laws that you can only stay overnight on your boat x number of days a week, but if you are nice and not some crazed party animal it is often ignored.


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## Fstbttms (Feb 25, 2003)

Yorksailor said:


> It is rare for private clubs to have live aboards and the slips go to old members.


Not around here it isn't.


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## Fstbttms (Feb 25, 2003)

Don1500 said:


> On a side note. are there any co-op marinas (real co-op where the owners are the slip owners, not some conglomerate)


Yes.


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## Don1500 (Nov 16, 2010)

boatpoker said:


> We have lived at Port Credit Yacht Club (just west of Toronto) for thirteen years. After prorating the initiation fee it became less expensive than a marina after three years.


That sounds good, except for one little thing. "(just west of Toronto)", unless that's Toronto, Fla, Thanks but no thanks.



Fstbttms said:


> Quote:
> Originally Posted by Yorksailor View Post
> It is rare for private clubs to have live aboards and the slips go to old members.
> 
> Not around here it isn't.


Where is "here"? I think you're in SF Bay area, right? Not Chesapeake Bay.


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## Fstbttms (Feb 25, 2003)

Right off the top of my head I can think of four yacht clubs here in the SF East Bay Area with their own marinas that allow liveaboards.


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## QuickMick (Oct 15, 2009)

this is a decent resource to see what is close, while the links to the sites may not say 'yea or nea' to the live-a-board question, you can at least glean the contact info and give them a ring.... searchable by locale

marinas.com


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