Living Aboard in New York City

[Passages]

Well ain't life full of surprises?

I'm interviewing for a job in Manhatten. If I get it, the plan will be to keep the house in CT and I'll get a small place to stay in the City during the week.

Thinking of going the live aboard route as opposed to some boring apartment. Have a few questions:

1)Is it practical to live aboard during the winter in NY?

2) Willing to spend up to $200,000 for a livaboard. I'm considering a trawler, cockpit motoryacht or motorsailer 43-60'. I would need a boat that can stay warm in the winter. Can Hatts be insulated enough to endure an NE winter in the water?

3) Would need a marina that allows liveaboards on the east side of the hudson or anywhere between NYC and Stamford. Any suggestions?

[Pascal]

funny... I just saw the same post on the liveabaord forum from a new member named Passages... i guess it's not a coincidence!!

Living aboard in winter up north! now that takes some guts :-)

I think some people live on the Jersey side and take the ferries across, we were impressed when we stopped in NY about the number of ferries... what a great way to commute!

Liberty landing and the other ones allow liveaboards i think...

you'll need a good heater... the big issue i think is to make sure the water hose and waste hose dont' freeze out on the dock! I don't see why Hatts couldt be insulated... at least the glass is thick!

[34Hatt]

Jim another Job

Well I am sure Noel will have plenty to tell ya, but yeah you can stay warm he is raising a little one onboard year round. I think he keeps it warmer then my house and fuel burn was was pretty small. Don't remember the exact #s but I was shocked it wasn't a bigger #.

[Funat50]

Passages,
I had the same idea. We have an apt at 55th and thought a boat would be just as good. I could get off the apt and have a boat then go south in the winter. The biggest problem I found was dockage. There is a marina at 72nd on the west side, very reasonable. Unfortunately they is such demand that the website said they charged $75 just to add you to the waiting list which they stated was very long. I got the feeling that season passes to the Masters would come my way before a boat slip in Manhattan. If you find space grab 2 and give me a call. Of course you could do like businessmen of the Guilded Age and run your comuter back and forth everyday. What do you say Mr. Rockefeller?

[Passages]

funny... I just saw the same post on the liveabaord forum from a new member named Passages... i guess it's not a coincidence!!

Yeah, that's me. This thread will likely turn up at BoatUS, Boatered, THT as well.

Funat50 - Thanks for the insight. The job would be a few blocks from GCS so it would be easy to take Metro-North in. NYC-Stamford would make for an ok commute so I don't HAVE to find a marina on the island.

[MikeP]

THere was a 60ft Passagemaker in our marina in Northport that wintered over every year I was there. He had some sort of diesel-fueled heater that, as he said, would run you out of the boat. The marina would ice up solid in Jan/Feb but with the marina's bubblers and his own "ice eaters" he and his wife were comfortable and said they didn't disconnect any systems at all. People in our marina on Kent Island use the same sort of heaters but I don't know what they are called or how involved it is to install one.

If we were to do it, I would disconnect the water lines to the ice maker and FW water washdown (back deck) and the windshield washer lines. IF you cut them inside the boat and capped or installed a gate valve/way to drain them, there would be no worries at all. Everything else would be fine with any heat in the boat at all.

We normally kept our boat in the water for the winter and I didn't have any type of heat at all. The systems were winterized but I used to leave a pan of water in the boat over the winter just out of curiosity and it never froze.

I don't think there would be any need to add insulation though it would probably reduce the amount of fuel needed to heat. On the other hand, insulation might cause a problem during the season by retaining moisture in places that you don't want it retained but I don't know...

[nyrussell]

Hey Passages,

Get my reply? We do live aboard up here Pascal. Have a Multi Million Dollar View too. As for 79th St. Nope, bad place to try and get in too. Rob Brueckner has some liveaboards at his marina in Westchester too. Longer commute but closer to Ct. We have a 10 minute commute through the Lincoln Tunnel so it is not bad either.

Call me @ 407-466-7588 as we have (and are still looking too) some knowledge of the areas. Besides a good neighbor is invaluable.

Noel

[spindrift]

Regarding the heaters. In my prior 52 I had a Espar diesel heater installed. It is like a little furnace. Just chugs away draws of the main tanks, burn very little fuel and will roast you right out of the boat. Puts out a lot of dry heat. Another is the Webasto, which other yards in the Northeast install.

spin

[nyrussell]

As regards our heater, Hurricane II diesel heater. Pulls from the main tank as well. Added a radiant floor this winter (see thread titled as such). Not bad either. Will be insulating with concrete barrier soon too.

Noel

[DAlter]

Harbor House Marina or Brewer's Yacht Haven East (both in Stamford) have winter liveaboards.