Can anyone guide me as to which marinas in the Tampa Bay area would accomodate a Hunter 410 with 5 ft draft? I found a list of marinas but it is huge and would like to focus my search, depending on what I hear. Thanks.
Marinas in Tampa
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Jack Tyler
G, offer more info to get helpful replies...
There aren't many places that can't accommodate 5' draft (altho' there are a few where a glance at the tide tables will eliminate surprises). You have 4 basic areas to choose from: 1. S end of Pinelas County (Tierre Verde, St. Pete Beach) essentially at the S end of St. Pete 2. St. Pete's downtown area (on the Bay side of the Pinelas pennisula) 3. Ruskin, across the Bay from St. Pete on the Tampa side and the best single hurricane hole (you didn't mention if you will be here for one or more storm seasons) 4. Clearwater and the beach communities to its South, off the Gulf ICW, along and at the N end of Pinelas County What's important to you? Will you be cruising and seeing the sights during a short stay (in which case downtown St. Pete has much to offer, including free downtown bus service). Will you have a car? (Clearwater's strips & traffic jams don't appeal to me; Ruskin and S Pinellas are fairly remote while downtown St. Pete has 2 interstate spurs that easily take you up/down the pennisula and over to Tampa). Do you want that 'beach feel'? (If so, nothing will satisfy like being along the ICW). Is this a permanent relocation? (Some marinas are booked well in advance and their availability might shape your preferences. Jack
There aren't many places that can't accommodate 5' draft (altho' there are a few where a glance at the tide tables will eliminate surprises). You have 4 basic areas to choose from: 1. S end of Pinelas County (Tierre Verde, St. Pete Beach) essentially at the S end of St. Pete 2. St. Pete's downtown area (on the Bay side of the Pinelas pennisula) 3. Ruskin, across the Bay from St. Pete on the Tampa side and the best single hurricane hole (you didn't mention if you will be here for one or more storm seasons) 4. Clearwater and the beach communities to its South, off the Gulf ICW, along and at the N end of Pinelas County What's important to you? Will you be cruising and seeing the sights during a short stay (in which case downtown St. Pete has much to offer, including free downtown bus service). Will you have a car? (Clearwater's strips & traffic jams don't appeal to me; Ruskin and S Pinellas are fairly remote while downtown St. Pete has 2 interstate spurs that easily take you up/down the pennisula and over to Tampa). Do you want that 'beach feel'? (If so, nothing will satisfy like being along the ICW). Is this a permanent relocation? (Some marinas are booked well in advance and their availability might shape your preferences. Jack
Harborage?
We used tokeep our H380 at the harborage in St. pete. It was well protected, had lots of nice people at the dock, floating docks, nice facilities, and there was a pretty nice food/bar area about 30r 4 blocks away.. plenty of deep water also. It took about an hour to get to the gulf. Brian s/v CREW REST
We used tokeep our H380 at the harborage in St. pete. It was well protected, had lots of nice people at the dock, floating docks, nice facilities, and there was a pretty nice food/bar area about 30r 4 blocks away.. plenty of deep water also. It took about an hour to get to the gulf. Brian s/v CREW REST
More info
Thanks Brian and Jack for your responses. I will be relocating to Tampa permanently. A 'social' marina with access to food and bars would be awesome but not necessary. 1 Hour access to the gulf is decent. I'm with you regarding the traffic in Clearwater. Is the St. Petes downtown area protected in case of a storm? The info you both game me provides alot of insight. Any particular favorite marinas in the downtown St. Pete's area and Ruskin? Gil
Thanks Brian and Jack for your responses. I will be relocating to Tampa permanently. A 'social' marina with access to food and bars would be awesome but not necessary. 1 Hour access to the gulf is decent. I'm with you regarding the traffic in Clearwater. Is the St. Petes downtown area protected in case of a storm? The info you both game me provides alot of insight. Any particular favorite marinas in the downtown St. Pete's area and Ruskin? Gil
Just in case you are wondering why I am relocating
The high was about 7 degs F that day *pop . Time to go buy the icer the marina never provided *grr . Gil
The high was about 7 degs F that day *pop . Time to go buy the icer the marina never provided *grr . Gil
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nick maggio
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Jack Tyler
Gil, welcome to Tampa Bay...
We'll assume you are dismissing the Clearwater area, and the waters north of there become too shallow for your draft (Tarpon Springs and N...). Since you say you'll be relocating permanently to "Tampa" I'm not sure if you'll be working in Tampa, living there, both...or are just using it as a generic term. There are marinas on the Tampa side near the airport but it isn't a great place to locate a sailboat (shallower water, raised bridge segments you'd need to get under). The yacht club on Davis Is., located in a very tony residential area right outside downtown Tampa, is popular for racing but you haven't mentioned that interest, nor is dockage likely available. Still on the Tampa side, this takes you further S to Ruskin (just N of Port Manatee, if you have a map)...or across to St. Pete's downtown area. One location or the other would make more sense depending on where you'll be living. Ruskin's marinas are inside a dredged basin and, altho' not immune from tidal and wind effects of any major storm, this is the most protected dockage in Tampa Bay - and even here, the dock pilings can become killers, as is true of the cheek to jowl boats. Anchoring in a protected basin (e.g. up a long channel or basin in a residential area, which is possible) is about your only 'fighting chance' in a storm. I'd suggest you give up the hope of your boat escaping a major storm and instead exercise all reasonable prevention (the marinas will have guidelines) and increase the hull value on your policy. Re: the downtown St. Pete area, The Harborage is a bit remote from the immediate downtown area (where the park concerts, sailboat show, street parties, all but one museum, etc. are located) but it's the nicest of the St. Pete downtown marinas re: amentities, and it does have floating docks. The main marina is the SP Muncipal Marina (see info at www.stpete.org) which is again going thru an improvement program re: the docks. The muni marina offers basic, safe, clean dockage and facilities (no pool; tons of eateries nearby, as is a small WM Express store and another chandelry) and so it is ideally located and also cheaper than the Harborage or the Vinoy Marina (at the base of the restored Vinoy Hotel just a bit further N and much pricier). But all 3 (Harborage, Muni, Vinoy) are pleasing places and offer differing amenity & service levels for different costs). We've docked twice at the Muni Marina, once in each main basin (N and S), both as liveaboard and non-liveaboard customers. We've found the privacy vs. central location and basic amenities for lower cost to be unbeatable if seeking downtown dockage. Call the marina and arrange to get on their waiting list *right now*, even if you don't end up relocating there. The list for your size boat isn't two years worth (it is for a 'B' slip which we would need) but it's long enough to make the $25 risk of not accepting an offered slip worth the investment, IMO. If you look at dockage at the S end of the Pinellas penninsula, watch out for wake & surge; the docks down in the Tiere Verde and nearby areas seem to lack much protection. Good luck! Jack
We'll assume you are dismissing the Clearwater area, and the waters north of there become too shallow for your draft (Tarpon Springs and N...). Since you say you'll be relocating permanently to "Tampa" I'm not sure if you'll be working in Tampa, living there, both...or are just using it as a generic term. There are marinas on the Tampa side near the airport but it isn't a great place to locate a sailboat (shallower water, raised bridge segments you'd need to get under). The yacht club on Davis Is., located in a very tony residential area right outside downtown Tampa, is popular for racing but you haven't mentioned that interest, nor is dockage likely available. Still on the Tampa side, this takes you further S to Ruskin (just N of Port Manatee, if you have a map)...or across to St. Pete's downtown area. One location or the other would make more sense depending on where you'll be living. Ruskin's marinas are inside a dredged basin and, altho' not immune from tidal and wind effects of any major storm, this is the most protected dockage in Tampa Bay - and even here, the dock pilings can become killers, as is true of the cheek to jowl boats. Anchoring in a protected basin (e.g. up a long channel or basin in a residential area, which is possible) is about your only 'fighting chance' in a storm. I'd suggest you give up the hope of your boat escaping a major storm and instead exercise all reasonable prevention (the marinas will have guidelines) and increase the hull value on your policy. Re: the downtown St. Pete area, The Harborage is a bit remote from the immediate downtown area (where the park concerts, sailboat show, street parties, all but one museum, etc. are located) but it's the nicest of the St. Pete downtown marinas re: amentities, and it does have floating docks. The main marina is the SP Muncipal Marina (see info at www.stpete.org) which is again going thru an improvement program re: the docks. The muni marina offers basic, safe, clean dockage and facilities (no pool; tons of eateries nearby, as is a small WM Express store and another chandelry) and so it is ideally located and also cheaper than the Harborage or the Vinoy Marina (at the base of the restored Vinoy Hotel just a bit further N and much pricier). But all 3 (Harborage, Muni, Vinoy) are pleasing places and offer differing amenity & service levels for different costs). We've docked twice at the Muni Marina, once in each main basin (N and S), both as liveaboard and non-liveaboard customers. We've found the privacy vs. central location and basic amenities for lower cost to be unbeatable if seeking downtown dockage. Call the marina and arrange to get on their waiting list *right now*, even if you don't end up relocating there. The list for your size boat isn't two years worth (it is for a 'B' slip which we would need) but it's long enough to make the $25 risk of not accepting an offered slip worth the investment, IMO. If you look at dockage at the S end of the Pinellas penninsula, watch out for wake & surge; the docks down in the Tiere Verde and nearby areas seem to lack much protection. Good luck! Jack
seems like Ruskin and St. Pete are the choices!
Thanks Jack for your detailed message. This along with the other replies narrow down my search, quite considerably. I will be working in Tampa starting mid July and will probably live in the Apollo Beach area. Ruskin might be ideal but the trip to St. Pete might be worth it for a change of scene. Thanks again.
Thanks Jack for your detailed message. This along with the other replies narrow down my search, quite considerably. I will be working in Tampa starting mid July and will probably live in the Apollo Beach area. Ruskin might be ideal but the trip to St. Pete might be worth it for a change of scene. Thanks again.
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