Boat Life in GA (Atlanta, Macon: property taxes, living, price)

[NativeNYinMD]

I live on a boat, (Yacht) in Maryland and I am looking into relocating to the Kingsland, GA area. I heard that it is against the law to live on a boat in GA. I find this hard to believe, however one never knows all the laws of the land I guess!!!!
So is it against the law to live on a boat in GA? And if not, are there any nice Marina's in the Kingsland, GA area? If not, then where should I look within a 50 mile radius for a Marina?
Thanks in advance for any reply's!!
John

[JBrown]

I am from NJ and presently down here in the Fl.Ga area with an interest in doing somethiing like you describe. It does seem as though Ga. passed some regs that basically make it illegal to live on a boat for more than 30 calender days in a year. I don't have the reg. number in front of me at the moment but I spoke to a dock master & marina owner in Ga. that told me they have been informed that they are required to keep track of who and for how long a particlualr boat is in the area. He was a salty dog kinda guy and wasn't to happy about it but he clearly wasn't looking to buck the state coast guard police etc.
BTW it also seems that the same activity is OK in Fl. as I see "extended live aboard" slips available...I'm looking into both sistuations...keep me informed as well since that's one of the reasons I'm here...ie. exploring all possibilities etc

[JBrown]

OK I have a copy of a memo infront of me. From Georgia Department of Natural Resources. It says in less condensed form what I've already said. It looks like it's covered under O.C.G.A. 12-5-288 b.8
I really like this phrase:
" Occupying a live-aboard for more than 30 days during any calender year IS NOT IN THE PUBLIC INTERESTS....

Gotta love that BS. What's not in GA's interest is the potential loss of property taxes. Typical bureaucratic nonsense.

Let me know if you find out anything more

[sailorgirl]

Give Brunswick Landing Marina (in downtown Brunswick, GA) a call. Many of us "long term transients" enjoy the place immensely. The price is right ($8.50 per foot per month plus somewhat expensive metered electric). Lots of us return here season after season from all over the world. But call way ahead as they are generally full!

[NativeNYinMD]

Hey SailorGirl,
Thanks for the info on Brunswick Marina! I may check it out. I checked it out in another forum and they didnt have much good to say about it. I hate living by what others say though, so I always check things out myself to satisfy my own opinion. You did talk about "long term transients" though also. I am looking at living aboard year round. I live aboard year round now in MD. There are a lot of Live Aboards here in MD. Where it gets cold in the winter and can freeze around the boats. It just amazes me that some southern states do not allow live aboards.
Thanks for the Info.
John

[NativeNYinMD]

Hey JBrown,
Thanks for the reply's. I will let you know more about what I find out as I get more info. I am heading down this coming week and will try to see what else I can find out. I guess not having a Chesapeake Bay like we have here makes it tough for GA to allow live aboards. Less water area can make a differance I guess though. I may have to live in Jacksonville, FL instead. They won't mind getting my slip fee money I guess.
I'll keep you informed about what I find out. It may be a year or so before I move there. All depends on any job offers I get. They have to be pretty good to beat what I am making now.
John

[sailorgirl]

I cannot imagine anyone saying anything negative about Brunswick LANDING Marina. Be careful. There are 2 marinas in Brunswick. The one I refered to is Brunswick Landing, not Golden Isles. There are several "long-term transients" who have been here several years straight. You'll find marinas in FL MUCH more expensive.

[XTR]

Found this by accident doing another search and though I'd drop a note in here.

I believe that the main reason for GA passing this legislation was the growing number of "house barges" that were filling up the lakes around Atlanta and not salt water sailors. I grew up on the coast and in my experience the GA state government has no clue that the state actually extends south of Macon.

[LovinDecatur]

Originally Posted by XTR

Found this by accident doing another search and though I'd drop a note in here.

I believe that the main reason for GA passing this legislation was the growing number of "house barges" that were filling up the lakes around Atlanta and not salt water sailors. I grew up on the coast and in my experience the GA state government has no clue that the state actually extends south of Macon.

I believe the main problem was the proliferation of these ersatz "barge" communities on the Altamaha River in Long and McIntosh counties...essentially the floating homeless. The DNR was regularly having to come in and run them off, as they were considered a health concern (not to mention trespassers).