My husband just bought a 40' Hunter Sailboat. We are now looking for a home on the west coast of Florida where there is room to dock to sailboat in the back of the home AND have access to the Gulf of Mexico. The realtor is asking questions about the boat that I don't know and my husband is out of the country. I have no idea how deep the water needs to be, or whatever other information would be necessary a realtor would need to make sure the boat fits. She said most people have smaller ski boats and those fit anywhere. Can anyone help me...
Help with dock information
- Thread starter Momof3k
- Start date
@Momof3k ,
You've come to the right place! The Hunter 40 is a pretty sizable boat; 40 feet long and 14 feet wide, she's gonna take up a good amount of channel or dock, depending on where you're located. The keel of the boat is also pretty deep, reaching about 6 feet on a good day. That would mean the water would have to be at least 8 feet deep to ensure the boat doesn't get stuck in the mud when the tide goes out. Is the dock at your location a floating or standing dock?
You've come to the right place! The Hunter 40 is a pretty sizable boat; 40 feet long and 14 feet wide, she's gonna take up a good amount of channel or dock, depending on where you're located. The keel of the boat is also pretty deep, reaching about 6 feet on a good day. That would mean the water would have to be at least 8 feet deep to ensure the boat doesn't get stuck in the mud when the tide goes out. Is the dock at your location a floating or standing dock?
And don't forget bridges and overhead wires. Depending no which model of the Hunter 40 you'll need about 65 feet or more of clearance for the mast.
https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat?f...signer_name]=&filter[builder_name]=&sort=name
https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat?f...signer_name]=&filter[builder_name]=&sort=name
Simon,
All chart sounding are done at Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW). It already has tides factored into it. There is no need to add an extra level of depth to protect from that.
Well yeah, but our poster may not know that. Just threw tides in just in case! Better safe than sorry!
It makes it look like you didn’t know it, and just confuses everyone else that didn’t.
The west coast of FL is pretty long. My guess is there is a sailboat marina somewhere near where you want to settle that the realtor could talk to. Is mooring an option?
A backyard channel mooring is a great way to save marina costs and keep your boat close to home. Often the absolute requirements will have more to do with your comfort motoring in close quarters, bridges, and time it takes to get to open water. A good idea is to look for other sailboats of similar size on the canal. Either a direct inspection, or Google maps search. We did that when looking for a place for our 36.7 in Miami and it helped a lot.
Thank you all...that is ALOT of information for someone that knows nothing except it is a 40" Hunter sailboat and that he wants Gulf . Mooring isn't an option. That is what he's doing now, only 2 hours away from home, but near his office..long story. We are really hoping to find a home, with a dock for the boat right out in our backyard. The east coast of FL, where we are now is just way too expensive. Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties are not even close to what we could afford.
Here are all the dimensions. If you have questions about any of them, ask.
https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/hunter-405-legend
Ft. Myers is really nice, but it is farther from the Gulf. The areas around St. Pete are easy access to the Gulf, but can be pricey (though not as bad as Broward/Dade).
From Miami, one of the closest (by car) sailboat friendly marinas on the Gulf Coast is Naples City Marina. Naples itself is an expensive place to live, but the rates at the marina might not be too bad. I took a slip there a couple of times, and the last time I was there, I took a mooring for $10/night. The restaurant in the marina is very good.
I looked for a dock at a private home for my C310, which only draws 4 1/2 feet, and I didn't find anything available in the Englewood area. I had settled on buying a canal front home in St. James City on Pine Island, but then I moved to Hawaii instead.
Typically, the depth of the waters on the Gulf Coast are not deep. It is called "skinny" water. It will be necessary to first determine the depth of the approaches to the area you want to settle in.
I personally prefer the Gulf Coast over the East Coast, so I hope you do too when you get settled in.
I looked for a dock at a private home for my C310, which only draws 4 1/2 feet, and I didn't find anything available in the Englewood area. I had settled on buying a canal front home in St. James City on Pine Island, but then I moved to Hawaii instead.
Typically, the depth of the waters on the Gulf Coast are not deep. It is called "skinny" water. It will be necessary to first determine the depth of the approaches to the area you want to settle in.
I personally prefer the Gulf Coast over the East Coast, so I hope you do too when you get settled in.
Last edited:
We visited the marina at Ft Walton Beach . It was reasonable even by our standards. It doesn't sound like a marina is what the OP is looking for.
Good point. At first I thought the OP was looking to rent a dock at a private home, which is what a lot of folks do on the Gulf Coast. But after rereading the post, I think she is looking to buy a home with sailboat access, in which case I stand by my choice of St. James City on Pine Island.
We looked extensively for a home with a dock and sailboat access, back in 2010. We wanted to stay in the Charlotte Harbor area, north of Ft. Myers Beach, and south of Venice. We found what we wanted at St. James City, Pine Island. Lots of canals with sailboat access, and moderately priced homes. Some of the homes were modular, which was fine with us. The main thing was, they had docks and some could accommodate our sailboat and our 17' center console. Access to the Gulf was good, under the Sanibel Causeway to the south, or north to Charlotte Harbor. Across Pine Island Sound was Sanibel Island and Captiva Island.
Good luck in your search. If you specify to your realtor that you need "sailboat access", he should know what to look for.
Last edited:
The west coast of Florida take in a lot of area. Where are you looking. I live in Ft Myers Beach and lived for a few years in Punta Gorda Isles, perhaps if you you narrow the area down somewhat I maybe able to answer some of your questions.
Welcome to the Sailboat Owners Forum Momof3k. You are in the right place for answers and friends of sailors. It is good to have you.
There are a lot of fine answers above. The Fort Myers Beach area, Naples, Sanibel, Punta Groda and Port Charlotte are great areas.
I grew up in Clearwater and know a little about that area. Clearwater Beach has several good options that are not canals, but larger coves. The water is relatively deep and Clearwater Bay is easy access to the Gulf. I don't know how the cost compares to Dade County, probably ok. I would consider looking a little farther North to Dunedin, and Tarpon Springs. Those areas will be more affordable. And Tarpon Springs has a big boatyard that handles some very large commercial boats. Look for a town with a working marina. They are likely to have well dredged bays and easily navigated bridges. Most are drawbridges, so mast height isn't a problem. Clearwater Causway Bridge didn't use to be on a schedule, you just blew your horn three times to get them to stop traffic and open the bridge. It might not be like that anymore. The Pass Bridge was tall enough for most sailboats to not require opening it.
-Will (Dragonfly)
There are a lot of fine answers above. The Fort Myers Beach area, Naples, Sanibel, Punta Groda and Port Charlotte are great areas.
I grew up in Clearwater and know a little about that area. Clearwater Beach has several good options that are not canals, but larger coves. The water is relatively deep and Clearwater Bay is easy access to the Gulf. I don't know how the cost compares to Dade County, probably ok. I would consider looking a little farther North to Dunedin, and Tarpon Springs. Those areas will be more affordable. And Tarpon Springs has a big boatyard that handles some very large commercial boats. Look for a town with a working marina. They are likely to have well dredged bays and easily navigated bridges. Most are drawbridges, so mast height isn't a problem. Clearwater Causway Bridge didn't use to be on a schedule, you just blew your horn three times to get them to stop traffic and open the bridge. It might not be like that anymore. The Pass Bridge was tall enough for most sailboats to not require opening it.
-Will (Dragonfly)