My wife and I will be retiring in 4 yrs and wondering what most sailors do with their boat when they return up North. I would like to travel down the Erie Canal and coastal sail to Florida and make that our home away from home. My question is, do most of you dry dock your boat in Florida? I checked some prices and wow, 14-16 dollars per foot per month for dry dockage seems like alot. Maybe someone has a better idea? Maybe I should travel down the coast and back to NY each season? Thanks for your imput. Jerry and Kathy
Dry storage for snowbirds!
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Anchoring out is free. And we prefer it to any other night on the boat. The bow faces the wind, and sweet breezes flow through the whole boat through our forward hatch. We increase that flow with a "down the hatch" sail we mount over the hatch in light winds. There are many anchorages from Miami South, and on the west coast of Florida. We visit the dock to pump out, take on water, and buy food and supplies. Sometimes there are town docks, or docks at stores that will let you dock for free while shopping.
Mooring is less expensive than a dock. We moored in the bay inside Islamerada in the Keys a couple of years ago. There is a water taxi that can take you ashore if you don't have a dinghy. We carry an inflatable dinghy on our 27 footer that we can deflate and stow when we don't need it.
Another idea is to network among friends who have a place in Florida. Many are on canals, and may be willing to let you tie up at their dock for free.
Anchoring out is free. And we prefer it to any other night on the boat. The bow faces the wind, and sweet breezes flow through the whole boat through our forward hatch. We increase that flow with a "down the hatch" sail we mount over the hatch in light winds. There are many anchorages from Miami South, and on the west coast of Florida. We visit the dock to pump out, take on water, and buy food and supplies. Sometimes there are town docks, or docks at stores that will let you dock for free while shopping.
Mooring is less expensive than a dock. We moored in the bay inside Islamerada in the Keys a couple of years ago. There is a water taxi that can take you ashore if you don't have a dinghy. We carry an inflatable dinghy on our 27 footer that we can deflate and stow when we don't need it.
Another idea is to network among friends who have a place in Florida. Many are on canals, and may be willing to let you tie up at their dock for free.
Most long distance cruisers I know who haul their boats to avoid the oppressive heat of summer in the SE seem to prefer hauling out between Charleston SC and Beaufort NC - much much cheaper than FL and with lesser risk of being 'rolled' by a hurricane. Many insurance carriers will give you geographical limits of where to haul out (or cruise) for summer - many require 'north of Norfolk VA' ... or your ins. rates go 'exponential'.
Jerry, I have friends that kept their boat in Deltaville each summer for a few years while sailing the Florida/Bahamas in the winter. After a few years they got tired of doing the ICW and switched to the Indiatown Marina for a few years and were very happy with the service and prices. The difference in insurance costs in this case were not that great.
I suspect you may be trying to do a budget estimate for this life style. If you search any of the liveaboard/cruiser forums there have been lots of disclosures on their costs that help a lot to make this big step. The main factors seem to be how often you stay in a marina and if the boat needs any major repairs.
Once you get your boat down south there will be lots of current information available from other cruisers.
good luck, many of us share your dream, Bob
http://www.indiantownmarina.com/rates.html
I suspect you may be trying to do a budget estimate for this life style. If you search any of the liveaboard/cruiser forums there have been lots of disclosures on their costs that help a lot to make this big step. The main factors seem to be how often you stay in a marina and if the boat needs any major repairs.
Once you get your boat down south there will be lots of current information available from other cruisers.
good luck, many of us share your dream, Bob
http://www.indiantownmarina.com/rates.html
Thanks for the quick responses!
Bob, Rich and David, thanks again for your information. This is a great start for Kathy and I to follow our dreams. I like the idea of keeping the boat in SC or NC. We welcome more ideas from fellow readers! Thanks again!
Bob, Rich and David, thanks again for your information. This is a great start for Kathy and I to follow our dreams. I like the idea of keeping the boat in SC or NC. We welcome more ideas from fellow readers! Thanks again!
Jerry and Kathy,
Shoot me an email if you like. I've been doing a great deal of research on this very issue as Judy and I will be doing the same thing in a couple of years.
We're in Penfield, near Rochester.
Jim (jdeatsch AT rochester DOT com)
Shoot me an email if you like. I've been doing a great deal of research on this very issue as Judy and I will be doing the same thing in a couple of years.
We're in Penfield, near Rochester.
Jim (jdeatsch AT rochester DOT com)
If it's only a 25' boat I'd tow it down and leave it and the trailer at a long term storage lot. We would drive out car to the central Keys and leave it at a fenced storage lot, take the boat and leave. It was something like $40.
Ray
Ray
Jim
Yes, I did try to send you an email and it came back. I did receive your email and I will send you mine. Thanks again! Jerry
Yes, I did try to send you an email and it came back. I did receive your email and I will send you mine. Thanks again! Jerry
Ray
Thanks for the info! We would probalbly have a bigger boat by then and hopefully sail it down the coast.
Thanks for the info! We would probalbly have a bigger boat by then and hopefully sail it down the coast.
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