If you could homeport anywhere, where would you homeport?

Tom J

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Sep 30, 2008
2,301
Catalina 310 Quincy, MA
Florida offers year round sailing, warm water, warm weather, nearby the Exumas, Bahamas, Caribbean islands, the Keys, dockside restaurant heaven throughout the coastline, the Gulf coastline, diving on the bottom isn't torture...

Having said that, I still prefer Newport and the RI/MA offshore islands of Nantucket and MV. At least in June and July.
I agree, Don. My boat is berthed in Quincy, MA, but her homeport is Englewood, FL. We enjoyed cruising the Florida area, and now enjoy the New England area in the summer. Someday, we might end up at our homeport again.
 
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Gunni

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Mar 16, 2010
5,937
Beneteau 411 Oceanis Annapolis
For now, the Chesapeake, in retirement, the south coast of Grenada.
 
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TomY

Alden Forum Moderator
Jun 22, 2004
2,758
Alden 38' Challenger yawl Rockport Harbor
Everyone has different priorities. My first priority, far above any other, is a great sailing geography which is: Being located on a beautiful coastline with prevailing winds that seem designed for best sailing.

Chart Key: Star-Homeport.
Blue arrow-prevailing summer winds.
Red arrow- 70 nautical miles of coastline that is usually easy to sail, in either direction.
il_fullxfull.1597878082_jghr.jpg

That was easy. :) (The lighthouse off my homeport).

Indian Island 2017.jpg
 
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Jun 14, 2010
2,081
Robertson & Caine 2017 Leopard 40 CT
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Stonington/Mystic/Noank area. Stonington is the best, IMHO. 13 years on a waiting list to get a mooring there, and that's where I like to be. The town itself is a well preserved Colonial New England place, with a revolutionary war and whaling history (more "real" than Mystic) with nice restaurants and it's a 10-minute drive to downtown Mystic with more shops and restaurants. Daysailing in protected Fisher Islands Sound and it's an easy shot WSW across The Race to eastern LI (Gardeners Bay area) in a NW wind (when a front comes through) and SE 18NM to Block Island on a beam reach out and back in the prevailing SW winds makes for a nice weekend during settled weather. Or due East to Narragansett Bay and Buzzards Bay, and Marthas Vineyard. All of these are within an easy day's sail away ("easy" depending on winds and current timing).
 
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NYSail

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Jan 6, 2006
3,048
Beneteau 423 Mt. Sinai, NY
View attachment 160478 View attachment 160479 View attachment 160480 Stonington/Mystic/Noank area. Stonington is the best, IMHO. 13 years on a waiting list to get a mooring there, and that's where I like to be. The town itself is a well preserved Colonial New England place, with a revolutionary war and whaling history (more "real" than Mystic) with nice restaurants and it's a 10-minute drive to downtown Mystic with more shops and restaurants. Daysailing in protected Fisher Islands Sound and it's an easy shot WSW across The Race to eastern LI (Gardeners Bay area) in a NW wind (when a front comes through) and SE 18NM to Block Island on a beam reach out and back in the prevailing SW winds makes for a nice weekend during settled weather. Or due East to Narragansett Bay and Buzzards Bay, and Marthas Vineyard. All of these are within an easy day's sail away ("easy" depending on winds and current timing).
I’ll see you out there this summer.....

Napatree beach, Watch Hill September 2018

19B3B56B-1C19-440A-AB44-13A52B03B6DD.jpeg

after the kids go back to school....Life doesn’t get any better!
 
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TomY

Alden Forum Moderator
Jun 22, 2004
2,758
Alden 38' Challenger yawl Rockport Harbor
I'd swear we were on your mooring, Larry, or one nearby. We had that exact view of Scott Kraft's Alden Caravelle in the foreground. There is also an Alden Challenger nearby, to the left in your photo.



We were on a rental from the large marina just into the right side of the frame.

We loved it there, the marina was very handy and we enjoyed the restaurant there. I also anchored one night in the outer harbor which I'd do again. My only complaint is the phony ice down that way. :) Frozen slush. Here, we have the real thing.

On our way out of Mystic, we anchored off Fishers Island for the night. Had the anchorage to ourselves, in August. It was beautiful.
 

NYSail

.
Jan 6, 2006
3,048
Beneteau 423 Mt. Sinai, NY
I'd swear we were on your mooring, Larry, or one nearby. We had that exact view of Scott Kraft's Alden Caravelle in the foreground. There is also an Alden Challenger nearby, to the left in your photo.



We were on a rental from the large marina just into the right side of the frame.

We loved it there, the marina was very handy and we enjoyed the restaurant there. I also anchored one night in the outer harbor which I'd do again. My only complaint is the phony ice down that way. :) Frozen slush. Here, we have the real thing.

On our way out of Mystic, we anchored off Fishers Island for the night. Had the anchorage to ourselves, in August. It was beautiful.
That’s wife and mine favorite place indeed!!
 
Dec 29, 2008
805
Treworgy 65' LOA Custom Steel Pilothouse Staysail Ketch St. Croix, Virgin Islands
We’re there - the Caribbean Sea, and in our case, St. Croix. Though, I might be persuaded to Guadeloupe or points south. We have good friends who seem to like it on Grenada...
 
Jun 11, 2011
1,243
Hunter 41 Lewes
Home Port will be Hilton Head Island, SC. Already have a house on the island and a slip in Windmill Harbour which is a hurricane hole. But the point of having a sailboat is to follow the sun and fun with it. That's my intention within a few years as I will be a retired electrician and a full time sailor.
 
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Jun 14, 2010
2,081
Robertson & Caine 2017 Leopard 40 CT
I'd swear we were on your mooring, Larry, or one nearby. We had that exact view of Scott Kraft's Alden Caravelle in the foreground. There is also an Alden Challenger nearby, to the left in your photo.

We were on a rental from the large marina just into the right side of the frame.

We loved it there, the marina was very handy and we enjoyed the restaurant there. I also anchored one night in the outer harbor which I'd do again. My only complaint is the phony ice down that way. :) Frozen slush. Here, we have the real thing.

On our way out of Mystic, we anchored off Fishers Island for the night. Had the anchorage to ourselves, in August. It was beautiful.
Dodsons is very nice, plenty of boat porn at that marina, and The Dogwatch restaurant at the dock is a great spot. Further down Water Street are beautifully preserved antique homes one after the other, and some other really worthwhile restaurants. Definitely a great walking town.
Where off Fishers did you anchor? East Harbor is a great lunch stop or overnight in settled weather, due South of Stonington and has no shoreside facilities. West Harbor has a yacht club and the lobster boats will sell you their catch, and has a couple of stores in walking distance where you can get a few essentials, and an ice cream shop is there.
Another good stop is In the bight on the east side of Ram Island (South of Mystic) which is sheltered in the prevailing SW winds. Horses roam free on that private island (no landing allowed, so not good for dog owners except as a lunchstop).
 
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TomY

Alden Forum Moderator
Jun 22, 2004
2,758
Alden 38' Challenger yawl Rockport Harbor
Dodsons is very nice, plenty of boat porn at that marina, and The Dogwatch restaurant at the dock is a great spot. Further down Water Street are beautifully preserved antique homes one after the other, and some other really worthwhile restaurants. Definitely a great walking town.
Where off Fishers did you anchor? East Harbor is a great lunch stop or overnight in settled weather, due South of Stonington and has no shoreside facilities. West Harbor has a yacht club and the lobster boats will sell you their catch, and has a couple of stores in walking distance where you can get a few essentials, and an ice cream shop is there.
Another good stop is In the bight on the east side of Ram Island (South of Mystic) which is sheltered in the prevailing SW winds. Horses roam free on that private island (no landing allowed, so not good for dog owners except as a lunchstop).
Dodson, right. Great place as was all of historic Stonington.

It must have been East Harbor and winds were light. It was comfortable with a few small rocky islands to land on. We didn't know there were stores at West Harbor (found out later on a download of AC of late). We needed provisions so that would have been good to know.
 
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Jun 14, 2010
2,081
Robertson & Caine 2017 Leopard 40 CT
Dodson, right. Great place as was all of historic Stonington.

It must have been East Harbor and winds were light. It was comfortable with a few small rocky islands to land on. We didn't know there were stores at West Harbor (found out later on a download of AC of late). We needed provisions so that would have been good to know.
Stonington would be the better bet for provisioning. There's a Big Y supermarket about 5 minutes from Dodsons if you catch a cab or Uber/Lyft.
You might also have noticed North Dumpling Island -- a private island when you sailed the west end of Fishers, with a lighthouse and private residence it is well-equipped with solar and wind, and a replica of Stonehenge on its west side. The owner is reputed to be Dean Kamen - the guy who invented the Segway. At various times you might see an amphibious vehicle on the island, which has beach but no dock.
 
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Oct 19, 2017
7,733
O'Day 19 Littleton, NH
My ideal homeport would be somewhere I can get "there" from here. Sailing is an adventure that takes you places. Best is if those places are also adventures. I love the coast of Maine, there are some of the best boat builders in the world right there. Supplies and top quality work at great prices is at an easy drive or sail from where ever you are.
That said, I'm partial to the tropics. The southern coast of Puerto Rico would offer great year round sailing and the perfect "short hop" jump off spot to some of the most beautiful destinations in the world, without being crowded and priced out by too much "civilization"

-Will (Dragonfly)
 

BarryL

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May 21, 2004
1,000
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 409 Mt. Sinai, NY
Hey,

My goal / dream is to spend the summer in Maine, then work my way down the coast in the fall, and spend the winter in Florida. In February I'll be visiting family in Tampa and I will be checking out the Punta Gorda area.

Like NYSail, I'm in the LI Sound area. It's really a great place to sail but the season is too short for me.

Barry
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
My goal / dream is to spend...work my way down the coast....It's really a great place to sail but the season is too short for me.
Barry, I can understand how we grow up on a location and tend to stay there through the decades. As you transition to this second period of life, you might consider a change. I read your text and yes I have highlighted only parts of it. These are the action parts as I read your comment. I wonder if you want your dream to encompass a period of forced work to have more time to do what you want. Perhaps there are alternatives that, at least for a while, might be fun to stretch your perspective - explore. Might enrich your life, because it is too short and will be gone before we blink.