I've heard the waiting list isn't so much a waiting list but a dreaming list. The waiting list is for people who dream of being a live aboard. You can call and they will put your name on a list. In our case we steamed into the marina on a modern catamaran, basically looking like we're dripping with money. The dock master wants to be able to vet you and a new, modern boat is far fewer problems than an older boat.

Where I live the marinas have a problem with derelict boats. The owners buy them for cheap and then abandon them and go no-contact once the repairs get too high. So now the marina is stuck with $20k+ disposal. Financially, boats don't make sense so if you approach the marina as a live aboard trying to save money (LOL!) they will see right through it and imagine the headache you're going to be.

Yep, the savings don't take into account the limited number of available slips. And nobody is going to live aboard on a mooring. Dinghy rides are fun when you're headed to a new place. As part of a daily commute, they're annoying, and that's before you account for bad weather.