Deadline approaching, still undecided

[Bonzai]

Well,the time is fast coming up,end of January,when I need to move my newly acquired sailboat to new location.Factors involved; (1)I have located very affordable dockage in a marina with facilities and security.Problem with this is the location is,as I understand it second hand,not the best of sailing areas for the draft of boat (4'8") and is a loooong sail to get to the Keys,Bahamas and East Coast.I am talking about Panama City Beach Florida area in the Gulf.(2)My main cruising interests lie in the Bahamas and Eastern Seaboard up into New England.(3) My budget will not handle the normal prices I have found to moor or slip a boat in the areas I would like to keep it.They are about double what I can afford.I have lists of anchorages with lots of good info, and wonder if there are some in my preferred areas where I might anchor and safely be able to go home for up to a few weeks before resuming travels on boat.Are there anchorages where people liveaboard full time and would,for decent compensation,keep a good watch on someone else's boat?It seems everyone is being forced into expensive totalitarian marinas these days.Ideally I need a spot near or about Savannah,Ga.A decent anchorage with some good folks or a private mooring or dock within my budget.(If a private mooring or dock I am willing to allow some light use of boat as part of deal to a qualified person.)Wanted to put it out there once more here as I have gotten alot of good advice and info from this forum.I hope to keep the boat in motion and not sitting in one place very long so don't really need a powered slip etc.Basically a place to keep boat when in between adventures.Any ideas or suggestions from the more experienced greatly appreciated!I now own a real cruising boat and am anxious to put it to use.

 

[Nodak7]

Re: Deadline approaching,still undecided

Bonzai, when you get done would you please share your listing....

 

[Bonzai]

Bonzai, when you get done would you please share your listing....

I would if I knew what that meant...lol..

 

[woodster]

Re: Deadline approaching,still undecided

after looking at some of the chris craft sailing rigs for sale on the net ....i am very impressed with your boat ....you couldnt have gotten a better designer to make a boat for you ......good sailing.....

regards

woody

 

[Bonzai]

Re: Deadline approaching,still undecided

Thanks Woody,hope to see u out there!

 

[jimmcgee]

Re: Deadline approaching,still undecided

Three things I'd try in Savannah if I were you:
- Craigs list
- Savannah Morning News classified ad (http://savannahnow.com/)
- An ad in Connect Savannah (http://www.connectsavannah.com/), the local freebie arts paper

Just place an ad "Want to rent a dock for X months".

I know classifieds are old school but you might get lucky.

 

[Sailm8]

Re: Deadline approaching,still undecided

I don't think that this plan is going to work unless you find a private mooring of private slip for rent or trade. This is exactly what all of the problem is in the Florida anchor rights fights going on in the state. Unattended boats left in someone's"backyard". I think you run a risk of a municipality declaring your boat derelict and making plans to have it removed. Live aboards are different animals from anchored and left for a few weeks. I would not like to take the chance.

 

[Bonzai]

I don't think that this plan is going to work unless you find a private mooring of private slip for rent or trade. This is exactly what all of the problem is in the Florida anchor rights fights going on in the state. Unattended boats left in someone's"backyard". I think you run a risk of a municipality declaring your boat derelict and making plans to have it removed. Live aboards are different animals from anchored and left for a few weeks. I would not like to take the chance.

I don't intend to leave my boat unattended anywhere.Have located a marina near Charleston SC with some relatively well priced slips for sale.Nice place w all amenities and 24 hr security and is liveaboard approved.Sailm8,you sound a bit provocative there...not sure what you are accusing me of ..............perhaps you can clarify?

 

[Sailm8]

Re: Deadline approaching,still undecided

Didn't mean to be provocative at all. Here in Florida unattended boats are considered a public nuisance in my area. The police here will make you relocate about every 5 or 6 days. This only requires moving a hundred feet and re anchoring. They are very polite and very reasonable about it. They also check the y valve.
It is one thing to stay on your boat at anchor for a long period of time. It is another to anchor the boat and leave it for weeks at a time. I guess I misunderstood your post. Good luck with the new boat.

 

[juslookin]

You might want to look

You might want to check out Panama City more, before you write it off. More than your draft, the mast clearance will limit you in that area. If you need more than 50' of clearance, you will not be able to go very far east or west in the ICW. However there is some very good sailing in that area, not just in the bay. All of the panhandle of Florida, and the west coast offer good sailing, virtually year round. You will not find that draft to be much of a problem.

 

[Bonzai]

Didn't mean to be provocative at all. Here in Florida unattended boats are considered a public nuisance in my area. The police here will make you relocate about every 5 or 6 days. This only requires moving a hundred feet and re anchoring. They are very polite and very reasonable about it. They also check the y valve.
It is one thing to stay on your boat at anchor for a long period of time. It is another to anchor the boat and leave it for weeks at a time. I guess I misunderstood your post. Good luck with the new boat.

Thank you Sailm8.I do want to find a place I can leave my boat while between trips.That is the point of my post.Being as inexperienced as I admittedly am,I am asking for advice from the much more experienced as to how to achieve this without breaking the law in any way.I have spent over 30 yrs in the legal system and am well aware of...shall we say...colloquial intricacies.So, am looking for any and all available options to keep my boat in the area I want to sail from.Personally,I would never dump waste illegally anywhere.Don't need to...have a 20 gal holding tank.I am not looking to "liveaboard" full time either.Not yet anyways...til I can head it for Europe in a yr or 2....:dance:

 

[Bonzai]

You might want to check out Panama City more, before you write it off. More than your draft, the mast clearance will limit you in that area. If you need more than 50' of clearance, you will not be able to go very far east or west in the ICW. However there is some very good sailing in that area, not just in the bay. All of the panhandle of Florida, and the west coast offer good sailing, virtually year round. You will not find that draft to be much of a problem.

Hello Juslookin.I admit that I have been turned away from the Gulf area by friends who tell me that I will be grounding alot or waiting for high tide to get in/out of Bays etc...and that to go for a good sail one must go so far outside to find depth that the problem of rigs and associated traffic becomes a danger.They say that the diving sux and sharks are a constant bother if you try.Please tell me they are wrong...lol!I know it is a long trip from there to the Bahamas or even the Keys.I may wind up trying it for a year due to not being able to do otherwise,but at least I can use that time to improve my sailing abilities.Also,with time comes contacts and understanding of a new environment.My air draft is about 48'.

 

[Sumner]

Hello Juslookin.I admit that I have been turned away from the Gulf area by friends who tell me that I will be grounding alot or waiting for high tide to get in/out of Bays etc...and that to go for a good sail one must go so far outside to find depth that the problem of rigs and associated traffic becomes a danger...

I might be wrong, but I just looked at the area with SeaClear and it looks like the water there is plenty deep in lots of places and I don't think you would be much further from the keys than where you are considering up the east coast. Probably closer and easier to get there. We hope to get up into that area with the Endeavour and it draws 4' 6".

If you don't have the charts I'd get them or just download SeaClear (free) and the NOAA charts (also free) and take a look. I have this stuff on all of our computers not just for navigating, but to check out places that people talk about.

Good luck and I Googled boats like yours and they sure are pretty. Have you posted pictures of yours yet?

Sum

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[Bonzai]

Re: Deadline approaching,still undecided

Hello Sum! Good to see you again!It's looking like PCB may be the way to go for now.I am just much more interested in the East Coast/Bahamas.Let me know when you plan a trip with the Endeavor and will try to coordinate.