I live in Iowa. Have a boat here. I have sailed back and forth across the same little lake a thousand times. I want to sail on big water in Florida. With a lot of seniority on the job, I could visit Florida a few weeks per year in the winter. I want to buy a sailboat to keep in Florida. I would like to find a marina that would store the boat on the hard for me most of the time and put it in a slip or or on a mooring when I can come down. I know they do this with small power boats. I assume this would be less expensive than taking up a premium slip space year round, and also reduce the maintanence on the boat (bottom cleaning and dock damage from unattended storms). I know people think it's hard on boats to be out of the water for long periods, but we are on stands here 6 months every year. I have done a couple of Florida charters, but the costs and hassels are huge. If anyone knows of a good place where this idea might work, I would sure appreciate hearing from you. Thanks in advance. David
Florida help needed by landlocked sailor
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How big a boat would you like in FL? Budget? Trailer sailer or in the water for just haulouts? More info would help.
Stu, I don't really have a budget. Not because I have unlimited funds, but because I don't know what it costs. I expect that an older boat could be resold for close to what I paid for it, so the main expense would be a place to keep it and repairs. I'm looking for the best option.
Low thirties would be a nice size, but we could get by with as little as 26 feet for accomodations. We once spent a week on a Balboa 25. My impression is that under thirty feet is generally pretty small for unprotected water. My car wouldn't pull a trailer. A marina could launch and store on a trailer, but sailboats larger than 25 feet with a trailer are somewhat rare. Buying a new trailer for an older sailboat probably would negate the savings from putting in and out. Any suggestions?
david,
I live in West Palm Beach Florida and know many boaters from out of state who do exactly what you are talking about. Near as I can tell the most affordable option near our area is here:
http://www.indiantownmarina.com/
The marina is quite a ways up the Intracoastal from the ocean but affordable as a result. Dry storage anywhere near the ocean is quite pricey. Quite afew of these people come down for a few weeks, launch their boats and are able to sail to the Keys or the Bahamas and back in realatively short time periods.
To be honest I'm responding here as I am trying to sell my boat in order that I have the fund to move to Hawaii (can't afford to sail there or I would). My boat is perfect for what you want to do and is allready set up for liveaboard. It's 34ft and under your price range. If you're interested you can have a look at it here:
http://billwoodard.tripod.com/
I hope you find what you're looking for , feel free to email me at :
mikearmada@gmail.com
Best of Luck,
Mike
I live in West Palm Beach Florida and know many boaters from out of state who do exactly what you are talking about. Near as I can tell the most affordable option near our area is here:
http://www.indiantownmarina.com/
The marina is quite a ways up the Intracoastal from the ocean but affordable as a result. Dry storage anywhere near the ocean is quite pricey. Quite afew of these people come down for a few weeks, launch their boats and are able to sail to the Keys or the Bahamas and back in realatively short time periods.
To be honest I'm responding here as I am trying to sell my boat in order that I have the fund to move to Hawaii (can't afford to sail there or I would). My boat is perfect for what you want to do and is allready set up for liveaboard. It's 34ft and under your price range. If you're interested you can have a look at it here:
http://billwoodard.tripod.com/
I hope you find what you're looking for , feel free to email me at :
mikearmada@gmail.com
Best of Luck,
Mike
Right now dock properties that were selling for $300k - $400k are selling for less than $100K some asl low as $25K.
If you did not want a dock property then there are many marinas that do what you ask. Dry storage until you are ready. You really have to wiegh heavily what comes with the Marina....laundry rooms....shower facilities.....pool......how many areas are close that are good sailing destinations.
Another less expensive route is to store a trailer boat at a storage facility and then move it to the marina when you are there. You can rent a truck for a day to move it and come out a lot better offf than spending money on dry storage at a marina.
I am partial to St. Augustine. I know that you can put in at The Conch House Marina and they will let you park your truck and trailer in a yard for the whole time you are there. The place is right in the middle of everything so it is very nice to do things besides sailing.
Conch House Marina
If you did not want a dock property then there are many marinas that do what you ask. Dry storage until you are ready. You really have to wiegh heavily what comes with the Marina....laundry rooms....shower facilities.....pool......how many areas are close that are good sailing destinations.
Another less expensive route is to store a trailer boat at a storage facility and then move it to the marina when you are there. You can rent a truck for a day to move it and come out a lot better offf than spending money on dry storage at a marina.
I am partial to St. Augustine. I know that you can put in at The Conch House Marina and they will let you park your truck and trailer in a yard for the whole time you are there. The place is right in the middle of everything so it is very nice to do things besides sailing.
Conch House Marina
Thanks, for some good suggestions. I'll look into that marina. I noticed you have an O'Day 25. We have a couple of those on our lake. They are nice boats and have trailers, which sounds like a good option for me. Are you able to go out most of the time during winter on a boat that size? Unprotected areas? We get a lot of 25-30MPH winds here, but the waves only get a couple of feet high on a small lake.
The O'Days handle very good in heavy wind. They are a pretty heavily keeled boat for their size. The 25 has about 2000 lbs of lead in the keel. I am a rather fair weather sailor. I stay in when it blows hard. We keep our boat on a lake and trailer it to the coast. The mast on any 25 is a bit of a PITA, I have to use a gin pole to raise and lower. We are currently looking to buy a Catalina 22 for just weekend trips to the beach. We will still take the O'Day for week long trips. My wife and I are both Teachers so we get some long trips during the year.
I envy you for those long work breaks. I am more concerned about the weather since I would only be able to come for a week or a little over at a time and it has to be planned in advance. I can't wait for a nice day. It's take a chance or bum trip. My first sailboat was a Catalina 22. I sold it for practically nothing. I wish I had kept it just for trailering to interesting places. I think it would be great for what you are talking about.
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