Getting a slip!

[Calif. Ted]

The warmer winter sailing of Florida is appealing, however that part:
" The entire marina was brand new in 2005 (replaced after Hurricane Ivan demolished the old one). " scares me.
Dana Point is celebrating it's 40th anniversary soon, renovations are in the works because it's never been sucked off the earth and it's old. I know some people with a beach house in Sakonnet, RI because it washed up on their beach a couple generations ago, so is that why theres so many boats in Maine in the summer ? How do you dodge the hurricanes long term? And where is 33 degrees N on the Atlantic coast?
BTW I sold my 270 last June for 10% under my asking price after 6 weeks without a broker, you can selll REALLY clean boats at reasonable price in any market.
A friend sold his Capri to a buyer from Oregon in about the same amount of time.
Both boats had no deficiencies on surveys.

 

[gwhastings]

SFGary - OK, so for you FL is out..you don't like hurricanes. Those of us on the east side don't like earthquakes!
I've got my 25' Lancer at the Mobjack Bay Marina, an easy country-drive from Richmond, and I pay $570 for six months!

 

[robertsapp]

Slips in Paradise

Well, on the down side, here's a picture of what the marina looked like after Ivan. On the up side, Pensacola hadn't been hit by a storm as intense as Ivan in almost 100 years. The marina is well protected from most storms, and the only reason Ivan was a problem is because the storm surge was so high that it lifted the floating piers off the pilings. When they completely rebuilt the marina, they made the pilings taller than the maximun storm surge from Ivan, so we should be OK unless we get an even BIGGER storm.

Personally, I've never gotten the whole fear of hurricanes thing, especially since I lived on the left coast for 15 years. Unlike TSUNAMIS!!! or earthquakes (which let's face it, are not a big deal for boats), a hurricane doesn't just appear, you always have at least three or four days warning. As a boat owner, I then have three choices - 1) motor fifteen minutes to the boatyard to get a short term haulout, much of the cost of which is reimbursed by insurance, 2) center the boat in the slip, double up my lines and remove my sails and high windage items, 3) take her out in the bay, tuck into a cove and set my storm anchor and hope for the best. Lot's of warning, and lots of options. In any of these choices, I sleep soundly knowing that that's what insurance is for. If by some chance I did lose the boat, I'd shed a tear, but I'd get a nice big check to help soften the blow.

Did I mention there are like a half dozen beach front bars within a couple of hours sail where you can tie up to a pier, sit on the beach under a palm tree drinking cold ones, and dance under the stars to live music?