Living aboard: a neighbourhood on the water
Your front door opens onto the harbour, with the city, Te Papa and the waterfront a short walk away. This is city living, afloat.
Home on the harbour
Chaffers has a long-standing live-aboard community of people at every stage of life who’ve chosen the harbour as home. Te Papa, Waitangi Park, the Sunday market and the CBD are all on your doorstep.
Live-aboard status is by approval from the marina office, and all live-aboard vessels must be equipped with a holding tank.
- Five-minute walk to Courtenay Place and the CBD
- Secure gated piers with 24/7 CCTV
- Showers, laundry and waste facilities, available any time
- Power inclusive, with no separate power bill
- Common area with desks and chairs for getting work done
- Mail and courier delivery to the marina office
- Parking available for licensees and long-term tenants
Living aboard costs your normal berth fee (ownership fees or rental rates) plus the live-aboard fee below, which covers up to two people and includes unlimited power: no metering, no separate power bill.
Live-aboard fees
Casual and short-term stays of less than six months.Long-term rates, for a term of six months or more.
| Up to two people | Daily | Weekly | Monthly | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casual | $50 | $291 | – | – | – |
| Non-licensee | $50 | $291 | $725 | $648 | $7,776 |
| Licensee | – | – | $648 | $573 | $6,876 |
| Casual | $43.86 | $252.75 | – | – | – |
| Non-licensee | $43.86 | $252.75 | $630.05 | $563.56 | $6,762.71 |
| Licensee | – | – | $563.71 | $498.40 | $5,980.85 |
Fees from 1 July 2026, in addition to your berth rental or ownership fees.
Casual: $17 per day · $107 per week · $365 per month, per person (inc. GST). Long-term rates for extra people, for licensees and non-licensees, are on application. Talk to the office.
All live-aboard vessels must be insured and equipped with a holding tank, and running a business from your boat isn’t permitted. Full conditions are in the live-aboard policy on the Documents page.
Ready to move aboard?
Talk to the office about live-aboard approval and current berth availability.