My Experience

Bad:

• Humidity

• Cramped living spaces

• Limited storage

• Expensive maintenance (budget ~10% of the vessels value in maintenance costs per year)

• Winter can be quite brisk in San Diego

• Laundry

• It's basically a floating trailer park

• The sound of sailboat halyards banging against the mast in unsettled weather is not my favorite thing

• Your home is a depreciating asset and without constant maintenance will deteriorate quite rapidly

Good:

• Humidity

• Can be less expensive than living on land

• Limited room for possessions

• On the water all the time

• Views are usually awesome!

• Closer to nature

• Just a step away from an awesome dinghy ride!

In a marina - ***Monthly cost of slip rent plus a liveaboard fee of typically a few hundred dollars a month. ***there is very limited availability in San Diego in marinas.  See below***

On a mooring ball - Approximately $150 USD per month.  The wharfage contract from the San Diego Mooring Company explicitly forbids living aboard, but its a very dificult rule to enforce on the open water in the mooring fields with no access cards at gates and electrical usage data to monitor.  Recently, there is more signage at the mooring areas that encourages the general public and other boaters to report liveaboards.  

As a drifter - Priceless out by the Zuniga Jetty, but regulations have changed and I have no firsthand experience with the new rules and their enforcement.

Shelter and Harbor Island:  There are lots of slips in the boating center of San Diego, but the waitlists for liveaboard status are years long at every marina that I've ever asked at.  Some people will sneakaboard with regular success.  Most marinas allow 2-3 nights per week aboard overnight without liveaboard status, with allowances for a couple two week stays per year.

Mission Bay: Liveaboard is not allowed in Mission Bay per San Diego Municipal Code: §63.25.71:

"Living on Board Vessels, Overnight Anchorage Regulated (a) It is unlawful for any person to remain overnight on board any vessel in Mission Bay Park unless the vessel has a functional, self–contained toilet on board that does not discharge into the waters of the Bay. It is unlawful for any owner of any vessel to occupy it or allow it to be occupied overnight in Mission Bay Park for a period of more than ninety (90) days, whether successive or cumulative, during any one calendar year. A vessel is presumed to be occupied overnight when there are one or more persons on board after midnight. The lessees of land in Mission Bay Park are primarily responsible for the enforcement of this subsection, 63.25.71(a), on the water abutting their leased lands."

Downtown: Last I heard, the Marriott Marina does not allow liveaboard.

National City & Chula Vista: 

• Pier 32 - 

• Safe Harbor Bayfront - Allows liveaboard, calls it 'extended stay' and typically has availability quickly if you don't look like a bum.  However, Last I spoke with the dockmaster at Safe Harbor Bayfront, they have recently dropped their allowed liveaboard % of slips from 10% to 5%, so the wait is likely in the 5 year range as they dwindle down the current liveaboards to 5%.

• Safe Harbor Southbay - Same as Safe Harbor Bayfront

Coronado:

• Glorietta Bay Marina - Not allowed.  

• Fiddler's Cove Military Marina:  Liveaboard can sometimes be found for active duty military at Fiddler's Cove Marina depending upon the current policy of the Navy Leadership.

• Coronado Cays Yacht Club: They allow a small number of liveaboards in their private yacht club.

• Coronado Yacht Club: 

Yacht Clubs:  Yacht clubs typically have long lists for slips and even longer for liveaboard slips.  For instance, in August 2021, Silvergate Marina had a 7-10 year waitlist for slips and even longer for liveaboard status in those slips.  Of course, you must be a yacht club member to even get on those waitlists.  Living aboard at a  Yacht Club can be a more economical alternative to living aboard at an 'open to the public' marina, but you'll likely pay an entry fee of thousands of dollars to get in and then years of membership dues (typically around $200/month) before you're able to execute your liveaboard plan.