Q&A
18 September 2012 | Some Easy Answers
Posted By: Live-A-Board Bozo Hobo Rich
I have had a few emails asking some questions dealing with our new home here in Port San Luis (PSL from here on out) and knowing that others may have some of the same questions, here are a few answers.
Question: How much does it cost to live-a-board in PSL?
Answer: Depending on the size of your boat your mooring will cost from $3500 to $5000 for the harbor district to build and install. Then you will have to collect aluminum cans and clean out your car ash tray for coins to afford the roughly $400 per year for the mooring. Then the harbor pulls your mooring once a year and will do any needed repairs and then bill you, typically a few hundred dollars. That's it.
Question: What about free anchoring in PSL and in California in General? Do they run boaters off?
Answer: Free anchoring in California is about as rare these days as A) an honest politician and B) a balanced California State Budget. There is free anchoring to in Avila Beach but the anchorage is more exposed to the prevailing N NW winds and with the mooring so cheap, it makes sense over free anchoring. PSL takes a live an let live approach to anchored boats as long as they our outside of the mooring field, not harassing them like in San Diego where the anchoring laws are there to prevent easy anchor living. While living aboard is allowed here, it's also discouraged due to the lack of facilities and winter storms. The lack of facilities doesn't bother us and we will soon find out about these winter storms with Morro Bay and Motel 6 as our back-up plan
Question: What about the Sea Lions...will they jump on your boat and damage it?
Answer: Yes and Yes. The tourists love them, we hate them. The good news for us is that we sit pretty high out of the water and living aboard keeps enough activity aboard to keep the beasts away. Not to mention, Cortez is always on guard!
Question: Is there a good dingy dock and safe place to leave your dingy?
Answer: No and No. There is a public dingy landing but is isn't convenient and back in 2008 before we left here for Mexico we had our dingy stolen from the PSL dingy dock! With all the half rotting skiffs tied to the dingy dock, it's a hazard coming and going. But on the other hand it sure beats the typical Californian's freeway commute, so life's a trade off.
Question: Are you going to keep posting your Cost of Living numbers?
Answer: Yes, and I have a pile of receipts that I'm working on organizing now for our first month back numbers...be afraid...be very afraid because I am in looking at them.
Question: What is your worst experience since coming back?
Answer: This is an easy one. I'm currently wearing TWO pairs of socks, sweat pants, a sweatshirt, and a wool bini cap. The worst thing so far is freezing to death! But out new Dickenson Antartic Diesel Heater just arrived and we can't wait to get it installed! It should keep us warm and our hot water tank HOT.
Question: Have you seen the otters yet? We stopped through last year and there were baby otters all over the place!
Answer: Yep...there is an Otter family that lives in the kelp attached to an unused mooring about 500ft from our boat. The kids and I always slow down on our way to school to say good morning!
Question: How long do you plan to live aboard in PSL?
Answer: We have the same plan time table that we did while cruising in Mexico, which is another way to say, "We have no idea". Could be until the kids are out of high school in 5 yrs and we head back to Mexico. Or Lori could find a great place to rent here and refuse to return to the boat, which is why I don't let her off the boat unattended!
Question: Curious what they use for the actual mooring, care to share? Meaning is it a block of concrete, a Helix, what?
Answer: The amount of weight is based on the size of your boat and the actual weight, by my understanding when I asked, is rail road car axles/wheel sets bundled together. I've never seen it myself, but do plan on being aboard the Harbor's mooring boat the next time they pull our mooring for inspection, cleaning and maintenance, so I'll snap a few photos.