The Essentials of Living Aboard a Boat

by Mark Nicholas

  Regarding city water, cold-weather marinas typically run their water lines deep enough underwater so that they are not exposed to freezing temperatures. But near the waterline and above, the water hoses could burst and, if used during the winter season, should be protected, even though their bursting is an inconvenience that will not affect the condition of your boat.

  If city water is to be used, the hose bringing the water to the boat will have to be insulated and heated, probably with (electric) heat tape, which will heat the hose to keep the water above freezing. The water lines inside the boat will also need to be insulated and heated, and electric heat tape is a common solution for that as well. Bear in mind that if the electricity fails for any reason, the heat will turn off and the hoses again will be susceptible to freezing.

  Many liveaboards want to continue to use their toilets during the winters (I don’t blame them!). I, however, am not willing to leave any seacocks open for fear of having to wake up wet one morning. In lieu of using raw water to flush, I use a mixture of water and antifreeze kept in a five-gallon bucket. That is also critical to ensure that the contents of the waste holding tank do not freeze, as well.

  Also, I elect to winterize my entire fresh-water system, as my primary water tank is in the very bow of the boat and impossible to properly heat. Accordingly, I drain the water and run antifreeze throughout the fresh-water system to ensure that no water line can freeze. Unfortunately, that means that during the winter, I have no running water in the galley and head, and am relegated to using the marina’s showers, sometimes having to wait in line. It is an inconvenience that cold-climate liveaboards are subjected to in order to ensure that their homes are safe and their health is preserved.

  Slick Docks

  Another safety issue that should be discussed is slick docks and dock safety. I have seen people fall and hurt themselves without making any mistake at all other than a false step. I’ve seen very competent boaters misstep getting onto their boats, and in one case watched a lifelong liveaboard walk right off the end of a pier (he had had a few drinks and was walking with a pretty woman while engaged in conversation—perhaps one of the funniest things that I’ve ever seen).

  Some of the stories told on the docks are even scarier, and involve drunken or otherwise stupid behavior causing falls and slips. Just as this book is being written, a newspaper reported a story of a woman who fell into the water while trying to fend off another boat and was killed when crushed by the two boats, even though many people tried to keep the boats apart.

  Docks are dangerous by their very nature, as they are bordered by water and have sharp edges, inflexible piers, metal faucets, very sharp cleats and dock boxes, and other obstructions that can cause serious injury and/or send the victim into the drink. Also, many docks can be very slick in wet weather and downright dangerous with snow or ice.

  A person who falls in the water might not be able to get out, and if the person falls in during the winter, he might be exposed to temperatures that can first disorient and then incapacitate, making escape from the water impossible. I will repeat a previous recommendation that you or your marina install a swim ladder at some point near your boat so you have a way to get out in the event that you fall in.

  Carbon Monoxide

  Every year there are stories told about disasters caused by carbon monoxide, a gas that is colorless and odorless. Exposure starts with a headache, then kills by gently putting the unfortunate victim to sleep.

  Carbon monoxide is released by the exhausts of engines as well as through the use of certain heating systems (such as my bulkhead heating systems) and generators; it can invade a boat’s living space and areas surrounding the boat in any number of ways, including a leak in the venting or exhaust systems. Carbon monoxide can also invade through ports or hatches if being generated by neighboring boats running their engines.

  In well-publicized cases, there were deaths caused by carbon monoxide generated by the exhausts of some houseboats. In several cases, exhaust was released and pooled under the boat’s swim platforms, and children playing in the water spent enough time around and under the platforms to end up being poisoned by the fumes, knocked out, and killed.

  Contrary to popular belief, a person does not need to be in a confined area in order to become poisoned. In no-breeze conditions, studies have shown carbon monoxide levels to increase quickly to very high levels on the deck near the boat exhaust, often more than ten times the safe limit throughout the aft (outdoor) portion of a boat. Activities such as playing or getting towed closely behind a boat, setting fishing lines, or even sitting on the back rail near the exhaust have been known to endanger boaters.

  The symptoms of poisoning might include a severe headache, dizziness, confusion, nausea, fainting, and ultimately death, while low or accumulating levels of poisoning might involve shortness of breath, mild nausea and a headache, and symptoms similar to the flu or seasickness. Low levels can also lead to drowning if the person faints.

  It’s important to mention that even a low level of carbon monoxide, if exposure is continuous, will gradually aggregate in the victim’s bloodstream, eventually becoming dangerous or fatal. This is called cumulative poisoning.

  The best defense against carbon monoxide poisoning is a combination of awareness and one or more carbon monoxide detectors. This should be an absolute requirement. Venting systems should be carefully checked and maintained and the engine and exhaust systems examined periodically. Nonetheless, since carbon monoxide is odorless, it is a very economical and important investment to install detectors that will warn if carbon monoxide is starting to accumulate. Many of these detectors double as smoke detectors as well. If carbon monoxide is detected or suspected, get the victim to fresh air and immediately seek medical care.

  There are pamphlets warning boaters of the risks of carbon monoxide, including pamphlets developed by the U.S. Coast Guard and many states; any search of the Internet should identify several sources.

  General Health

  While ours is a world surrounded by carcinogens and pollutants and things that can inflame allergies and cause discomfort, there are three general health issues that liveaboards need to be aware of: safe food, safe water, and mold/mildew.

  Safe Food

  Safe food is a product of good refrigeration and proper cooking temperature (for most food, excluding staples such as chips and pop tarts). Great care should be maintained to ensure that food is adequately maintained and prepared.

  Moreover, it is sometimes difficult to clean dishes, utensils, and cooking essentials to the extent we would like, particularly if we are trying to conserve water while cruising. Additionally, due to the excess moisture in the environment, even clean dishes can show mold after a very short time.

  Safe Water

  Water hoses and holding tanks are prolific areas for the growth of bacteria that can result in off-putting odors, bad tastes, and illness. Water that is kept aboard for extended periods will be more likely to become stale and contain bacteria.

  Many liveaboards will not drink water that flows from the water tank, and always have gallons of fresh water for drinking.

  Many other liveaboards use only one tap in the boat for drinking water and install filtering systems to try to improve the taste and cut down on bacteria (often a designated drinking water faucet so as to preserve the life of the filter). More aggressive filtering requires that water be filtered while being brought aboard as well, and some liveaboards have set up very impressive systems designed to make drinking water safe.

  Tablets should also be purchased for the water tank; adding small amounts of bleach can help to improve the situation. Be sure to run the water sufficiently, if necessary clearing one or two tanks of water in order to help clean the tank and move any antibacterial chemicals through.

  Mold and Mildew

  Mold and mildew can often be handled with a good cleaning program, ventilation, and a dry boat. Mold that permeates fabrics and other similar materials may b
e hard to clean. There are also air filters that help to clean the air of contaminants and particles; these can often help as well with the interior atmosphere of the boat.

  Sanitation

  Common sense and decency should dictate behavior with regard to general cleanliness. In the event that common decency is not a sufficient incentive to be responsible, there are laws and health codes that make certain actions illegal.

  One of the traits of liveaboards is that we pay attention to the details that surround us, and can quickly identify unsafe or unsanitary conditions as a community. With regard to sanitation issues, we are often the first to complain in order to make our lives more comfortable.

  We’re talking, of course, about things like leaving garbage on board boats or on the docks or pumping out our boats in the marina. Unfortunately, there is clearly not enough common sense or decency in this world, and the behavior undertaken by many members of our community and the world is not only indecent, but deplorable. On more than one occasion I have awoken to a marina whose water left the hull of my and many other boats coated with a layer of human excrement. On occasion I’d hear the macerator in a boat and know which boat was emptying its holding tank. Ironically, my marina provides a free pump-out service, and the boat owner does not even need to be available, for the marina staff will just swing by and do it. Was it so difficult that the guilty boat owner did not even want to call the marina to schedule a pump-out?

  I appeal to common decency, but absent that, think we should take a moment to talk about the laws regarding sewage and sanitation issues. While I personally don’t like laws telling me what I can and can’t do, I believe the law telling people that it is illegal to cover the environment and neighbors’ homes with sewage is a pretty good one.

  Sewage (Also Known as Black Water)

  It is illegal to discharge your holding tank or otherwise release sewage within a certain number of miles of the coast of the United States (currently three miles). There are similar laws in much of the world. Confined waterways have their own rules and regulations, but most are “zero-discharge” zones, meaning that regardless of where you are in that body of water, it is illegal to discharge any sewage at all. Many confined waterways even prohibit treated sewage. Penalties for failure to comply with this requirement can be very severe.

  Many boats, mine included, are equipped with a variety of options for dealing with sewage. Your boat may be configured to flush not only to a holding tank, but also directly overboard. In addition, many holding tanks can be connected to a macerator that processes and then pumps waste from the holding tank overboard.

  The Coast Guard and other authorities that police boats for sewage discharge are familiar with these systems. Marinas may police this, as well. If you are in regulated waters at a marina or cruising, you are subject to inspection for sewage discharge. The authorities expect that the direct discharge valve is off; indeed, they might require that the valve be taped in the off position with a specific kind of tape that cannot be removed without being torn. The authorities might drop dye tablets into your head and flush out the system, and should the outside water change colors will cite the boat owner for violation of this law.

  Also, for boats with macerators and the capability of discharging holding tanks overboard, the authorities will often require that the discharge seacock be closed at all times while the vessel is within their jurisdiction. Sometimes the authorities will even require that boats in particular jurisdictions disable overboard systems entirely. Failure to follow these laws will result in a citation or more significant penalty.

  Gray Water

  Gray water refers to waste water that is not sewage. Examples of gray water include shower water and water that has run through either the galley or head sinks (used for washing dishes, brushing teeth, and the like).

  Gray water regulation is fairly new, but appears to be gaining momentum. Boats were typically fitted with through-hulls for direct discharge of sink water, while shower water was often discharged with a separate bilge pump and pumped directly overboard.

  Gray water regulation is developing. It raises many complications for liveaboards should boats be prohibited from discharging gray water directly. What do we do with the water? Should boats add an extra holding tank, like RVs? Boats lack excess space, and the amount of gray water created from a shower or resulting from washing dishes can be significant, and can quickly fill up the sewage holding tank. Some boat owners in no-discharge zones mount buckets below the sinks and handle the discharge manually. Obviously, there are very real dilemmas in this regard, and as the rules develop, there will be more to come on this.

  Pollution Generated from Cleaning and Washing Solutions

  Boaters wash their boats with boat soap and waxes. They clean their bilges with bilge cleaner. They wash their dishes with detergents. All this gray water is often permitted to be released directly overboard.

  These soaps, or the things we are washing, might contain pollutants. It is important, therefore, for the environmentally conscious liveaboard to pay attention to the soaps and detergents that are used on board. Marine stores often offer a wide variety of choices. (Choose nonphosphate, biodegradable products.)

  Garbage

  Mice and rats and cockroaches and other insects like food and garbage. Garbage smells.

  Many marinas have rules regarding the handling of garbage, requiring that garbage be placed in containers or a dumpster provided by the marina. Health codes probably require this as well, and if there is an increasing sanitation problem, there is typically some recourse.

  Personal responsibility suggests that liveaboards should remove garbage from their boats regularly so as not to attract unwelcome animal guests, and not store garbage on the docks for the same reason. There’s not much else to say on this issue.

  Sunken boat

  Bikes

  and shacks...

  12. Government Oversight

  It seems unfortunate that we have to take time to speak about government oversight and regulation, but while this is relevant to all boaters, it is exceedingly relevant to liveaboards since our boats are our homes and we open up our homes to the inspection of our government. This section is intended to provide a brief overview of the types of laws and rules that impact liveaboards.

  The water not only causes countless injuries and death, but also provides traffickers of illegal items (including drugs and weapons) a significant path in and out of the country, justifying increased oversight over our coasts and waterways. Moreover, in today’s climate of terrorism, we all recognize that ports and ships—including cruise ships, LPG and natural gas tankers, cargo ships, and many other types of ships and property—provide high-profile targets for terrorism and importation methods for contraband. The U.S. Coast Guard, as well as law enforcement and U.S. Customs Service, are working very hard to ensure that illegal activity, including terrorism, does not strike U.S. ports or enter through U.S. waters. While this oversight has always been an imposition on boaters, its current increase is a symptom of the times.

  As you get to know more members of the liveaboard community, you will probably find that many of us enjoy the idea of departing from civilization. We like to be left alone and want to be able to head out to the wild blue whenever we seek freedom from interference. And while many of us excel at the legal requirements for safety and care more deeply about sanitation issues and environmental concerns than does the general public, the additional governmental scrutiny is contrary to our lifestyle. It pains me to know that by virtue of our life on the water we have waived our rights of privacy and freedom from unreasonable search and seizures within our homes.

  In the United States, laws are created by the federal government, as well as state and local governments. Sometimes these governments delegate rule-making authority to agencies that, after following certain procedural requirements, establish rules that also have the power of law. Laws can be criminal—meaning that a person convicted of the law can be charged a
monetary penalty as well as sentenced to serve time in jail—or civil, in which the sole penalty is monetary (except as you will read below in the subject of forfeiture). Criminal offenses must be proved beyond any reasonable doubt, while civil judgments can be rendered whenever it is “more likely than not” that a civil offense was committed.

  Governments and states typically create their laws assuming that people live on land. This is often a problem for liveaboards. Perhaps in a water-bound society the laws might be more considerate of the liveaboard lifestyle, but in the United States they are not. As an example, many liveaboards use post office boxes as their only means to receive mail, and find that they cannot register their driver’s licenses because in some jurisdictions a P. O. Box is not legally sufficient. Problems such as registering a car make simple tasks far more complicated. Also, in the modern climate of the world’s battle against terrorism, the U.S.A. Patriot Act, money laundering provisions, and similar laws that have existed throughout the world for some period of time, all financial institutions (banks, stock brokers, etc.) are required to receive a physical address as well as other forms of verifiable identification from their clients. Will your bank be willing to take a P.O. Box as an address anymore? No. What about a marina address? Maybe.