My Florida native wife is growing less and less tolerant of NJ winters, and has lately been very energetically pushing for a move back to her original comfort zone, near Clearwater. Her Florida experience, however, is not that of a sailor, but more of a beach-goer. While I can appreciate the obvious elements that attract to the area, I have some doubts about how it would work for everything else, and especially sailing. Although we lose on sailing from late October through April in NJ, we have spring, some fall, and all of the kids' summer vacation to choose to sail if we want.
I think the Clearwater coast would offer lots of cool day trips and overnights, and satisfy some of the BVI experience we know and love,. But also... I know summers are hot. and humid. and stormy. and someone even said windless.
Do all/most sailors who cruise in summer need a generator and ac? Is the heat and humidity as oppressive as I read about? Is it advisable just to take the summer mostly off from sailing? Is it better to live and sail somewhere else year round? Are there any sail-only, or mostly-sail marinas near to Palm Harbor?
I hope to hear all opinions. I'm lucky enough to have a good home-based job, so my employment is not a worry. It's nice to save on income tax and property tax (at least while the coast still looks like it currently does, and before it starts shrinking faster). I like non-chain restaurants way more than chain restaurants. I'd like to know my kids are getting a strong public school education.
Like anything else, I'm sure there are trade-offs. I'd like to know better what I'd be trading.
I think the Clearwater coast would offer lots of cool day trips and overnights, and satisfy some of the BVI experience we know and love,. But also... I know summers are hot. and humid. and stormy. and someone even said windless.
Do all/most sailors who cruise in summer need a generator and ac? Is the heat and humidity as oppressive as I read about? Is it advisable just to take the summer mostly off from sailing? Is it better to live and sail somewhere else year round? Are there any sail-only, or mostly-sail marinas near to Palm Harbor?
I hope to hear all opinions. I'm lucky enough to have a good home-based job, so my employment is not a worry. It's nice to save on income tax and property tax (at least while the coast still looks like it currently does, and before it starts shrinking faster). I like non-chain restaurants way more than chain restaurants. I'd like to know my kids are getting a strong public school education.
Like anything else, I'm sure there are trade-offs. I'd like to know better what I'd be trading.