To avoid outlandish rent prices, one San Francisco woman moved onto a 136-square-foot sailboat

[KamaAina]

http://www.sfgate.com/technology/businessinsider/article/To-avoid-outlandish-rent-prices-one-San-6535703.php

The median rent for a one-bedroom apartment is about $3,500 a month, a deterring reality all young professionals face when moving to the Golden Gate City.

One such millennial — 23-year-old Sarah Carter, who recently moved to San Francisco for a new job with a large e-commerce company — figured out a creative solution to this real estate conundrum: Rather than settling into an overpriced apartment, she moved onto a sailboat....

"I was looking for apartments at the same time because I had to find something pretty quickly for my job and was weighing all of my options," she says. "I was leaning towards a sailboat, but thought it might be a bit impractical."

She didn't have to search long before finding something both affordable and practical. "I took the first boat I looked at," she says. "It was in amazing condition and I was comfortable with the marina, so I snatched it up quickly."

[msongs]

1. tough cookies "young professionals" you've caused the problem so live with it eh? nt

[Xithras]

2. This isn't going to be an option for most people. Or her by next week...

Most marinas in the SF Bay Area prohibit liveaboards because of the regulations that come with them, and the few that DO allow liveaboards have long wait lists for the slots (marinas are only permitted to give 10% of their berths to liveaboards). I know people who have been waiting on lists for YEARS wanting liveaboard space, and the wait has only got worse since Bair Island closed and those liveaboard berths went away permanently.

As I read the article, I couldn't help but wonder how this lady managed to snag THIS berth. Based on the buildings in the background and her description that it's "45 minutes and one toll" to SF, it's fairly clear that she's in the Emeryville Marina...which is one of the most sought after liveaboard sites in the Bay along with the neighboring Berkeley Marina. Both of these marinas have waiting lists of 4-5 YEARS. I also couldn't help but question her math on her "break even point", because both of those marina's charge liveaboard fees of around $700 per month, and not the $350 she was claiming. $350 more like the cost of a slip rental...

Then it hit me. Ms. Carter isn't a liveaboard. She is what is known in the boating community as a "sneakaboard". People who move on to their boats without telling anyone and without paying the fees. Advertising that fact in an article was an EXTREMELY stupid thing to do, and she can probably expect a visit from the marina manager in the next day or two. Most marina's take an extremely dim view of this type of thing, so they aren't going to go easy on her. Not only are they going to immediately prevent her from living on the boat, but they're probably going to cancel her slip rental at the end of the month and make her move the boat to another marina. Given the serious overcrowding problems that many of the centrally located Bay Area marinas are experiencing right now, I wouldn't be surprised if she ended up way out in Martinez or in Vallejo. You can bet that the phone at the marina office is RINGING OFF THE HOOK right now as angry people call wanting to know why they've been waiting for a slip for YEARS while this "young tech worker" just gets to waltz right onto her boat and move in.

Dumb move on her part.

[KamaAina]

3. A few of my Facebook friends were talking about buying a marina

and turning it into an intentional liveaboard community. That 10% thing would kind of put paid to that.

[Xithras]

6. They should look into it.

I don't claim to know the exact law, but the commission that regulates the water quality and development around the SF Bay does limit commercial marinas to 10% liveaboards. They may want to look into it and find out if there are any exceptions though, as I've personally only dealt with the marinas at Bair Island, Alameda, Sausalito and Berkeley. All are limited by the 10% rule, but the rules might be different for a "dedicated liveaboard" community.

FWIW, I'm of the opinion that the SF Bay SHOULD have a few marinas dedicated to liveaboards...if they can be placed in areas where they won't harm the environment. The old seaplane lagoon at Alameda NAS is an example of a spot where one could be built with minimal impact.

[KamaAina]

7. Perfect! Alameda is rather anal about mutlifamily housing

but the boats would be individual units.

Apparently the 10% rule comes down from the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission.

http://ci.berkeley.ca.us/Parks_Rec_Waterfront/Marina/Marina_FAQ.aspx

Berkeley Marina does have liveaboard vessels provided each vessel meets criteria for legal liveaboard status. The Marina is regulated by San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission permit. Currently, Marinas are granted 10% of their total berthing to liveaboards. The criteria to meet liveaboard status is: Vessel must be a minimum 24ft in length, kept in good repair and in seaworthy condition. Vessel must not be permanently attached to the Dock and must leave the marina waters once each 180 day period.

Not sure there's a workaround for that.

[snpsmom]

4. Might not be feasible in SF

But it is in New Orleans. My slip fees run less than $500 per quarter with no liveaboard fees. Considering the size and cost of most rental shotgun houses, my 36 footer us an incredible bargain.

[KamaAina]

5. Is this in Lake Pontchartrain?

I lived down there for an all-too-brief couple of years, so I know the territory.

[snpsmom]

8. It is. n/t

[mackerel]

9. Maybe it's Alameda? I think they're a little more lax there. My neighbors

live there half the year. Although I noticed they've been here for longer than usual.