How We Found a Live-Aboard Boat in B.C.

Enlarge Image Image Gallery RIGHT: The boat we were looking for and which our systematic search of the B.C. coast turned up. Our prize is a 33-foot diesel tug, 25 years old and just fine. A spectacular (and probably near-unrepeatable) bargain at $975, fully equipped. Ain't she pretty as she ""serves the people"" in Deep Cove, B.C., near Vancouver. FAR RIGHT: The Fisheries Wharf in Vancouver's False Creek. There is more docking space in Vancouver than anywhere else in B.C. and this is a good place to start a boat hunt in the province. Remember, however, that any search for a bargain watercraft must be exhaustive. The one-of-a-kind buy you have in mind may well be hidden away by itself far from ""regular"" wharves or docks.

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British Columbia, Canada is a fertile hunting ground far those folks into boat living. The large fishing industry here spins off whole fleets of used vessels in a variety of types and sizes not matched in many places. These older boats are often available at very reasonable cost, especially after losing their commercial licenses and becoming a liability to their fisherman-owners.

As these are work vessels, most are deep-drafted, roomy . . . and thus quite seaworthy and comfortable. Many are exceptionally well built-rugged enough for continued commercial work —and adapt well to the needs of someone seeking a home/transportation/possible-income situation.

We spent six weeks stalking the waterfronts of the southern B.C. coast in search of a boat which would meet all of most of the following requirements: (1) seaworthiness and soundness of hull; (2) potential livability for three . . . or at very least, two; (3) a good motor, preferably running; (4) potential for commercial use including fishing, towing, hauling, etc.; (6) esthetic appeal; (6) and most important, err unusually low price . . . preferably under a thousand dollars.

By arduous searching we found several boats which satisfied most of these requirements, and one—the one we got—which satisfies them all!

Following is what we learned about boathunting in B.C., including why we settled on certain types of vessels as being best suited to the purposes given above.

Of the numerous types of watercraft available in B.C., the fishboat seems to offer the best deal to those seeking a live-aboard home, This isn't to say that other vessels might not prove more suitable to some folks . . . in fact, we didn't get a fishboat ourselves. A large percentage of the used watercraft we located, however, was fishboats . . . and they filled more of the abovementioned requirements more often than any other kind of vessel we inspected.

Sailboats are attractive, but have serious disadvantages. Such craft, to serve as both work and home bases, must be large . . . practically speaking, that means a length of at least 45 feet to house two people. Sailing boats also must be built with low, streamlined superstructures to give boom clearance and to avoid wind resistance. They're not generally beamy (wide) and thus have reduced living space. Finally, sailboats are almost universally expensive, far outside the scrounge budgets of most would-be boat livers.

We also ruled out houseboats even though there are a surprising number of them (some converted from fishing or river vessels) here in B.C. We decided against these craft in spite of their roominess and general livability, because most houseboats aren't powered (and thus require the expensive services of a tug to move around) and because they're not seaworthy enough for open water travel.

We were left, then, with two possible choices besides fishboats: tugs, and the odd "mongrel" vessel. The latter are craft which are highly specialized, such as log salvage boats or nondescript general workboats.

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