Living aboard in Florida?

RECESS · Aug 7, 2011

What part of Florida? There are live aboards everywhere in the state. We keep our boat and sail out of Carrabelle Florida. We lived on it during the summer.

higgs · Aug 7, 2011

Punta Gorda would be a spot I would seriously consider if wintering on my boat. nice marina there who cater to live aboards.

higgs · Aug 8, 2011

Punta Gorda marina is Fisherman's Village: http://www.fishville.com/. The only drawback is that it gets bumpy in strong NW winds.

I winter in North Fort Myers in a condo. There are quite a few places to berth and live aboard in the area. Drawback to Fort Myers is it is an hour trip out to the gulf if you want to do a sail.

From Punta Gorda south there is a noticeable difference in temperature during the winter, which is why I looked for a winter home in that area. Warm is important. I also like the gulf coast over the Atlantic, though that is a matter of opinion.

Tim R. · Aug 8, 2011

Why move to Florida to live aboard. Living aboard in Maine is awesome and perfectly comfortable.

Bill1565 · Aug 8, 2011

Casco bay said:
Thanks Higgs--do you recall the name of the marina? I'm somewhat familiar with that area and I agree it seems like a great place.

Fisherman's village. Harbor master Jim Branch. 941-575-3000

We were liveaboards passing thru Punta Gorda, stopped there, bought a home and moved ashore. Currently in Florida municpalities do not have the right to limit anchoring even for "long term cruisers".

"liveaborard' here refers to derelicts not cabable of movement under their own power

Tim R. · Aug 8, 2011

Casco bay said:
My goal is to be somewhere warm during the Maine winter--and the best option I can imagine for an aging sailor with a grandchild in Florida, is to live there in the winter on a boat. I live in Maine and love sailing during our short summers. So to get more boat time I love the thought of living on one for several months at a time. I don't know anyone who lives aboard and it's a new idea for me, so I welcome any feedback.

Good reason Casco Bay. Let me know if I can help in any way. No experience with sailing/living in Florida though.

Bill1565 · Aug 8, 2011

Good thought Tim. Casco Bay Let me know if I can help

Cayennita · Aug 8, 2011

We lived on one of the isles in Ft. Lauderdale on two different boats. Off las Olas Blv. there are plenty of homes and apartment buildings that rent dock space. It is mandatory to have a hookup to your holding tank, usually supplied by the renter. Every slip has one. Also there are showers, heads, and laundry just about in every place. You can go from there by dinghy to the supermarket or to town. It is very eye pleasing and lts of canals to explore. With your boat you can go up New River to marinas farther in. Interstate 95 crosses but plenty of clearance for your boat.
We lived on our 51 footer at Venice Isle. Now we are in a condo in the Virgin Islands and the boat is for sale. Old timer body.

RECESS · Aug 8, 2011

Casco bay said:
Thanks Recess. Don't know where Carrabelle is but I'll check it out. What about Sarasota, Cedar Key, Marathon? From your point of view, what was most difficult living aboard for the summer? There are 2 of us and two smallish dogs....pretty spartan boat. If I found a place I really liked, would probably sell this boat and buy something with refrigeration, etc.--if planning to stay for 4-5 months.

We did it on a 25 Oday. We used a small dorm refrigerator on the boat. We found while sailing that it keeps items cold for 12-14 hours when not plugged in. We also used a marine carry on AC unit. We found it best to store in our truck when sailing, they take up some serious space down below. The biggest challenge is space. How how much clothes is reasonable. Where to put food and most important, do frequent shopping trips so you are not filling the boat with food. We found that having a marina with grocery and hardware stores nearby is very important. We considered another marina but these things were not close. You also need other activities close by. We had tennis courts near us and good hiking trails. You really have to look at what is around the marina as it can be just as important as the marina itself.

RON20406 · Aug 8, 2011

We spent 10 Winters in Florida before crossing to the Bahamas/Caribbean and much preferred the East Coast because of its close proximity to the Keys, the Gulfstream, world class reef and offshore fishing, diving, abundance of marine related industries and first class cuisine. And, there is no comparison of the water quality/color of the Gulf versus the Keys and the Atlantic. For an active cruiser who likes the option of variety, it's no contest. It is also possible to live on the hook and move from anchorage to anchorage and never spend any time in marinas if that is your goal. Even if you choose the west coast, you must experience this great area. Good luck and good sailing, Ron

Tim R. · Aug 8, 2011

rognvald said:
We spent 10 Winters in Florida before crossing to the Bahamas/Caribbean and much preferred the East Coast because of its close proximity to the Keys, the Gulfstream, world class reef and offshore fishing, diving, abundance of marine related industries and first class cuisine. And, there is no comparison of the water quality/color of the Gulf versus the Keys and the Atlantic. For an active cruiser who likes the option of variety, it's no contest. It is also possible to live on the hook and move from anchorage to anchorage and never spend any time in marinas if that is your goal. Even if you choose the west coast, you must experience this great area. Good luck and good sailing, Ron

A little confused here Ron. Did you mix up East and West? I have never been there but it would seem the keys would have better access from the west coast.

RON20406 · Aug 8, 2011

Tim R. said:
A little confused here Ron. Did you mix up East and West? I have never been there but it would seem the keys would have better access from the west coast.

Tim, One of the most beautiful keys in the chain is Eliot Key which is a 4-5 hour sail from Key Biscyane in Biscayne Bay, just south of Miami. We kept our boat at Dinner Key Marina, Coconut Grove, for ten years before heading over to the islands and frequently sailed to the upper Keys in between preparing our boat for our Winter cruise. This is one of the greatest sailing locales in the country since you can sail the bay when its blowing 25 knots in moderate seas and the Gulfstream is kicking up nasty growlers. East coast Keys sailing is well protected with numerous safe and secure anchorages, especially on the bay side. Contrawise, we stored our boat for two years on the West Coast at Bahia Beach Marina in Ruskin (now defunct) and once we sailed to the Factory Bay anchorage in Marco Island, you had an overnight sail to Key West (14-18 hours) or you could sail 20 miles offshore around Cape Romano shoals and then another 20 miles to the Shark River anchorage on the SW tip of Florida to anchor for the night (8-12 hours total) before hauling the hook for an all day sail to Marathon the next morning. So, an overnight sail from Marco to Key West arriving the next afternoon or a 2 day sail from Marco to Shark River and Shark River to Marathon. We always preferred the 2 day route since the sail from Marco Island to Key West is littered with an unimaginable number of crab pots and a late night dive with a knife and flippers is not my idea of leisurely cruising. Keys access from the Gulf side is an open roadstead with few secure anchorages, very few ATON'S and very thin water once you hit the banks. If you're caught in a blow there are few places to hide and you most likely would need to go back into the Gulf for a proper beating. Ergo, go for the East side. Faster, better and safter access to the Keys. Sounds like a commercial, huh? Good luck and good sailing, Ron

Tim R. · Aug 8, 2011

Understood Ron.

When you said East coast, images of Jacksonville and Cocoa Beach flashed. I could not imagine them being prettier than the waters of the gulf.

Obviously, the east coast of Florida is a large area and spans many degrees of beauty.

higgs · Aug 8, 2011

If you are looking for a warm place to be during maine winters, maybe a condo is the most economical way to go. I bought one in N Ft Myers - nice complex, fully furnished for 42K last year. A friend just bought one this year in the same complex for 37k furnished. there are more for sale at bargain prices as home values continue to drop.