PUNTA GORDA / PT CHARLOTTE AREA *!

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chet p

Well i need some help here gang. I may be considering a major life style change and my wife and i are thinking of a move to the Punta Gorda/ Pt Charlotte area with our 37' sailboat. We were over there last week on a fact finding mission (I was also there to have some medical work done) and realise that there are limited areas that a sailboat can be kept. The realestate market is booming right now so i better move quickly. Charlotte Harbor appears to be deep enough to sail in but how long does it take to get to the gulf? Are there any marinas in the area that i can haul and service the boat? I am looking for "sailboat" realestate to keep the boat in my back yard so slip space is not necessary. Any sailing clubs or the like that i can contact? Any information you can supply would be great so thanks in advance... you can email me direct at 1keladi@comcast.net :D
 
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Art

Punta Gorda

While I have no personal experience...I have heard that this area does not get much wind during the summer months.
 
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Patrick Randall

Too bl**dy hot in summer!

Most locals don't sail much in the summer as its too hot. Fairly predicatable weather most summer days.. calm mornings, wind gets up, nice saling (but hot!) then the clouds gather and the thunderstorm brews up. You need to be home by then. At most other times of the year its good sailing. NE winds can drive water out of the harbor (and canals) so watch your MLWs. About 3 hrs typically from top of harbor to Gulf (Boca Grand Pass). A couple of decent haul-out facilities exist. You could also crane into your back yard from the canal (if your deeds allow it (not PGI!) Good luck.
 
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Larry Long

PG/PC area

It will take you 4 hours to get to the Gulf from PG/PC. MANY winter days with the wind out of the north the water will be blown out of the harbor and you will not be able to sail. Sailboat accessible real estate is not cheap. I have seen people pay $400K for a house on a Punta Gorda sailboat canal and then bulldoze it down to build a new house. There are several boating/sailing clubs in the area. They all have membership limits and the waiting list is long.
 
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Browndog

Check Southwest Florida Yachts

Check out the area where Southwest Florida Yachts is located. It has become one of my favorite places to charter from. It does take approximately 2 hours to sail out of Charlotte Harbor from there but its a beautiful trip and there are great places to sail to from there. Lots of boats your size and larger that frequent the Charlotte Harbor. Check out the real estate that is near this Marina. Really great spot I think and the Marina is probably tops on the Florida Gulf side.
 
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Warren Renninger

Great Place

As a 10 year resident, I love the place. Good water, and winds most of year. During the heat of summer it is normally calm in mid day. Land breezes in AM, Sea breezes in PM. Nothing in mid day except thunderstorms. Best to have 4ft to 4.5 draft in most areas. The canals in Punta Gorda Isles are mostly 6-7 ft but the entrances are 4-6 ft (being dredged to 6 as I write). With environmental department slowing dredging, you are best off with 4 to 4.5 draft. See http://www.charlotte-florida.com/Community/PGICA.htm You can't get your boat up Alligator Creek to get to Burnt Store Isles which is next to Punta Gorda Isles. Need 4 ft draft or less. Also great place where I live with my H27 (3.3 draft) see: http://www.bsia.net/ Great Marina, overpriced homes in Burnt Store Marina. about 10 miles from Punta Gorda, shorter access to Gulf and deeper water. see: http://www.floridamarinarealestate.com/ Most of Charlotte Harbor is 8-18 ft except mud/sand bar about 1/4 mile out from edges. Great for casual day sails and good places to eat and anchor. Sailboat access land now running 350,000 per lot.
 
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Rodney

Burnt Store is the only place

Chet: The housing in Burnt Store Marina and Country Club is a bit more pricey than the surrounding area, but not in the league with Marco Island and Naples to the south of us. There are single family houses in the complex for approximately $200K, and the Marina is a short trip from anywhere in the complex. If you really want the boat behind your house you are in the $650K range, and there are homes on the marina-front available at that price. The passage into the Gulf is a straight shot to the west, almost 10 miles, and is an easy sail. If you can lay your hands on Claiborne S. Young’s Cruising Guide to Western Florida I think it would give you a great deal of information about the area. There are over 500 slips in the marina and I am sure that there is currently space available. The only new units currently showing up on WCI’s web site (they are the developers) is the new high rise units. Those suckers are going for $500K and higher, but there are other, some would say more reasonable, options available in the secondary market. For the secondary market I can recommend Jennifer Calenda to you: http://www.floridamarinarealestate.com/ Jennifer was a neighbor of mine until she sold her condo and built a new home. The new home and the condo are both in the complex. I have no financial interest in Jennifer’s business, nor in Burnt Store other than being a condo owner and keeping my boat in the Marina. If you have questions let me know: grod@vt.edu Good luck, Rodney
 
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steven f.

now here it from a true local

Most of the others responses are fairly correct. Yeah, summer is kinda warm, duh. As for locals, we still sail in the summer but we are a lot more careful about thunderstorms, usually. Burns Store is about half way from PG/PC to Boca Grande Pass but twice the cost. Punta Gorda has a better reputation but you pay dearly for it. Your local home owners assosciation will eat you alive if you let your grass grow too fast/slow/high/low/green or whatever. They are a bit anal about every single rule they can dream up. Pt. Charlotte has no home owners assosciation but some real jems may live next to you. As for the boating, PC has more saiboat areas, the areas by the beach are by far the best, especially the SE side. If you have money to burn try PG, if you live on a budget than definitially PC. If you want to live in a condo and hope your slip is available to you in 15 years than try Burns Store.
 
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paul

buy property, not condos

All good answers to your question however I just have to say you should buy a house/lot on GOOD sailboat property not a condo with an assigned slip. Never trust the condo assosciations, the rules will change, you just don't know how or when.
 
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nick maggio

Hi Local Any Marina's in Port Chartlotte

I'll be living in port chartlotte in a few years,what's it like getting a sailboat slip and not getting house on the water. Is it hard finding a good marina. nick
 
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paul

private

Lots about this topic as of recent. I'm one of the few life long locals who sail and live on the water. I think that the old Crackers mostly feel as I do (transplants feel we are just crying about the sky falling). The issue of where to put a sailboat is becoming a critical issue, at least in this area anyway. marinas are mostly going private/condo and in this area there were only a couple to begin with. Fisherman's Village is closed for the indefinite future in Punta Gorda, the Holiday Inn under a 45' bridge in Punta Gorda (floating docks that get beat to hell in a solid west wind), Burnt Store Marina I belive still allows some outsiders to rent a slip but don't count on this being the case for long. Gasparilla Marina is going private/condo. The marina's in Englewood are either private or soon to be. Your best bet is to find a house with a dock in Punta Gorda or Pt. Charlotte. If you can't afford to pay 500k for a house than post a sign in a local marine store for a slip wanted. There are tons of houses with empty docks in the back yards. I'd have to guess on the rate but probably in the area of $200-$300 per month. Good luck, your quest is a nobel one indeed. Just do us locals one favor when you get here, don't complain about how we do it down here. We do most things differently than up north and simply hate being told how it is done up there, I-75 runs north also.....
 
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chet p

thanks to all

again thanks for the imput. I still am not sure what our future brings but i will be looking at sailboat property in pt charlotte next week... will keep you all updated cp
 
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