If you could homeport anywhere, where would you homeport?

Oct 26, 2008
6,043
Catalina 320 Barnegat, NJ
After getting a little taste of seeing the sandstone cliffs at Apostle Islands, we realized how much more there is to see at Pictured Rocks. We only passed thru Munising at the end of our trip last year, but after passing by Marquette, I was amazed at how appealing the lake shore is as we approached Munising. I couldn't help thinking how ideal retirement might be in that location. Apparently the masses are also beginning to find out as I saw an article about how tourism has spiked recently and the locals are getting resentful. Still, what people consider to be "hordes" in the upper Midwest doesn't even begin to compare to what we consider "hordes of people" in the east. When we drove by Munising, I was thinking it's kind of sleepy, but just enough people around to be interesting. Of course that was mid-September and not exactly the tourist season. I'm betting that when the U.P. feels overwhelmed by the crush of people, I would be thinking that it is refreshingly quiet! :confused::confused: I'm guessing that the popularity of kayaking, and now paddle boards, has really brought people there.
 
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May 25, 2012
4,333
john alden caravelle 42 sturgeon bay, wis
i love the U.P. jackdaw grew up there. i visit allot as i can see it from my summer home. lots of wild places, my favorite. here is a U.P. state park dock over labor day 2 years ago.

the ranger asked me if i had reservations. no one else showed up. great sailing. beautiful wind patterns roll off the great plains and slam into the great lakes. the super cell thunderstorms are our biggest worry.
 
Oct 19, 2017
7,732
O'Day 19 Littleton, NH
I live here for the last 17 years. Punta Gorda FL
I like the Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte area. Good central spot to sail North or South from. Well protected too. We have rented a couple of houses there while exploring up the Peace River. Two steps to wild and undeveloped inland FL.

-Will (Dragonfly)
 
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Feb 20, 2011
7,990
Island Packet 35 Tucson, AZ/San Carlos, MX
Southern Mexico in the Winter, then North during hurricane season, if I must have a home port in N.A....
 
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Jun 8, 2004
2,841
Catalina 320 Dana Point
After the way you savaged poor Brian I hesitate to tell you I choose Dana Point because I don't "do" winter or hurricane season. We don't need screens in the ports and hatches, heaters, air conditioners or cockpit enclosures. The hailing port on the transom is still San Francisco but it's too cold there (in summer) to be home port.
 
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Jun 14, 2010
2,081
Robertson & Caine 2017 Leopard 40 CT
Ill second wickford. Especially as my current home port in that area. Fall River MA.
K
Narragansett Bay is good sailing, but IMHO too crowded in summer close to Newport and going SSW to Point Judith and beyond can often be a tough slog -- with the opposing winds/currents.
 

capta

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Jun 4, 2009
4,766
Pearson 530 Admiralty Bay, Bequia SVG
Sue and I were at the Annapolis boat show many years ago and I was a little put off by the name of the Hailing Port on a beautiful specimen of a Morris sloop that was being shown at the docks. It must have been 40 or 50' of sheer elegance. On the stern was emblazoned "ASPEN". Of course, anywhere in the world, there is no mistaking that location. It needs no qualifier such as Colorado or USA. I suppose the European equivalent would be DAVOS or GSTAAD.

To me, it is the height of pretentiousness … as if to say "Look at me! If you think my yacht is impressive, you should see my home in Aspen!" All right … maybe I'm just a tad bit envious. :rolleyes::rolleyes: But if the homeport on the stern said NEWPORT or ANNAPOLIS or NEW YORK or MIAMI or even RED BANK (New Jersey), I wouldn't have given it a second thought. I envision that the boat belongs to some billionaire from, say, Teaneck, NJ, whom has a need to illustrate all of the fantastic places and boats that "they" (there's that California pronoun police in action! ;)) own.

It makes me laugh when I see people in a tropical location sporting their Big Mountain credentials by wearing baseball caps and tee shirts that illustrate Aspen or Vail or Lake Tahoe or Snowbird or Jackson Hole or Sun Valley or … you get the point. When you go to the mountains, you see the opposite. When in Big Sky, you see all of the really swell sports whom are wearing their hats and tees that advertise their boating credentials and their visits to tropical locations. Basically, people pack their wardrobe with the intention of showing everybody how fantastic their lifestyle is. :cool: That tee shirt that the guy in Big Sky is wearing that advertises the Antigua Race Week is worn with a purpose!

I'm no different. I proudly wear my tee that shows that I've been to Hayward, Wisconsin … home of the freshwater fishing hall of fame. My tee has a big musky on the front! You should see that thing in person!

https://www.freshwater-fishing.org/
I put "Due West, SC" as my hailing port because there isn't anyplace I call home and I thought it interesting on a cruising boat. There was also "Three Anchors, SC" another place I've never been.
 

capta

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Jun 4, 2009
4,766
Pearson 530 Admiralty Bay, Bequia SVG
being fed doc means that you are a floating piece of the U.S. and the U.S. will protect you. if you are given a coast guard inspection your home port better match your passport address or you'll get fined. they are sticklers on that.
In 2009 I asked the document center and they said that the owner of a non-commercial pleasure vessel may choose any place in the US or her territories as a hailing port. The only regulations were about the size and font. It need not have anything to do with one's physical environment at all.
I cannot say that the rules have not changed since then, but I've seen no notices to that effect since 2009.
As for documentation having any use other than as an internationally accepted form of registration, that is well in the past. Back when the document did mean the vessel had some tie into and some protections by the US government, but it was primarily as a list of vessels that may be conscripted by the military in time of war.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,989
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
asked the document center and they said that the owner of a non-commercial pleasure vessel may choose any place in the US or her territories as a hailing port.
:plus::clap:
 
May 25, 2012
4,333
john alden caravelle 42 sturgeon bay, wis
i said i was wrong. that i learned something new. i like learning :)
 
Sep 26, 2008
546
Hunter 340 0 Wickford, RI
Oh..it's Wickford, RI . Like LeslieTroyer says....."Perfect....It's where you want to be."
When we get to our boat....we feel we have Arrived!

Now don't everybody come here all at once

41.56.09 / 71.45.14
 

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Oct 22, 2014
20,989
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
By the way... Portland OR is not landlocked. The Columbia River flows through it. The Columbia empties into the Ocean. You are not land locked if you have a route to escape.

Just ask Meriweather Lewis and William Clark.
 
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Apr 8, 2010
1,942
Ericson Yachts Olson 34 28400 Portland OR
By the way... Portland OR is not landlocked. The Columbia River flows through it. The Columbia empties into the Ocean. You are not land locked if you have a route to escape.

Just ask Meriweather Lewis and William Clark.
The sailing in Portland is fine but being a river the venue is narrow.... albeit 90 miles long. :)
Lots of places might be better, for a lot of different reasons.
Among the few I have seen on the West Coast, I would like to sail in SF Bay. San Diego sure looked good when we visited once, as did the LA area. Really Nice weather.
Anywhere in the Puget Sound region would be fine, too.

Probably no 'wrong' answers!
:)
 
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Jul 7, 2004
8,402
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
After the way you savaged poor Brian I hesitate to tell you I choose Dana Point because I don't "do" winter or hurricane season. We don't need screens in the ports and hatches, heaters, air conditioners or cockpit enclosures. The hailing port on the transom is still San Francisco but it's too cold there (in summer) to be home port.
Boy I have fond memories of that area, even though MCAS El Toro was my address. Long before I owned a boat I would ride my Kaw down to the marinas and watch the sun go down. My aunt and uncle are retired in Laguna Beach.
 
Jan 5, 2017
2,263
Beneteau First 38 Lyall Harbour Saturna Island
I have to go with the PNW. For me it has everything except warmth in the winter, and that can be overcome with proper clothing and an enclosed cockpit. We have reasonably large cities ( Seattle and Vancouver) and miles of less populated places to explore. The coast of Washington,BC and Alaska if stretched straight would go twice around the world.
We’ve gone weeks exploring without seeing another boat so it’s not too crowded.
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