Suggestions on South Florida Towns to Retire To?

[IWannaGoSailing]

I'm planning to retire in 10 or so years and would like to start spending more time in Florida towns that I could eventually retire to, so I can choose a favorite.

My criteria is:

• Smallish town with an Old Florida feel
  • Not super touristy
  • Within 45 minutes of a decent size airport
• Great sailing
  • Active clubs with cruising & racing events
  • Preferably deep enough water for a 5-6' fixed keel
  • Plenty of options for repair & supply shops
• Nice golf courses
• Good healthcare nearby
• No further north than St. Pete

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[dLj]

I'd look in the Tampa area - i used to sail down there a bit. But that was quite some time ago so folks with more up-to-date knowledge should chime in.

dj

p.s. OK - I just realized that's pretty much where you first said you'd want to be no further north than... Had my brain wrapped around St. Augustine, the other side and much further north...

 

[IWannaGoSailing]

@dLj thanks! I've never been to St. Augustine but I heard it's beautiful. I'm just dreaming of a day when I can leave these cold winters behind and I've heard it can get pretty chilly there at times.

 

[dLj]

@dLj thanks! I've never been to St. Augustine but I heard it's beautiful. I'm just dreaming of a day when I can leave these cold winters behind and I've heard it can get pretty chilly there at times.

Got a friend that lives down in Punt Gorda, she likes it there a lot. But she is no longer a sailor so no idea of sailing down there.

St. Augustine is very nice. If you haven't been there, you should go at least to visit. One of my favorite places in Florida!

A major problem in my mind down there are hurricanes... They are very real for a significant part of the year...

dj

 

[PaulK]

The east coast of FL might be better suited for the draft you want. Palatka, on the St. Johns River has a pleasant vibe and nice historic district. There's also a yacht club: https://www.palatkayachtclub.org/ Though it might be further north than you like, on the plus side in ten years it might have salt water frontage instead of fresh.

 

[dlochner]

The only two places in FL that I would consider are Key West and St Augustine.

There is an interesting video on YouTube about why Florida towns look the way they do, mostly strip malls an planned development. Key West and St. Augustine are towns that developed way before the big boom in tourism promoted by draining all the swamp land and Flagler's rail road. I prefer towns that are more organic than the massive planned sprawls like the Villages.

 

[Tally Ho]

Wife and I went to Ft. Lauderdale area last week, and Naples area this week (we have friends on both coasts).

We are looking at a place north of Naples (Bonita Springs) for a second home and to become snow birds. We chose this area because we want warmth in Jan-Mar months. We stopped at my brothers place in Tampa and had a fire one night and the next morning

Ft Lauderdale areas (Boca, Deerfield Beach, Lauderdale by the Sea) all seemed very “busy”.

We spent a day on a boat out of Naples Bay and it seemed a lot “slower“ paced.

I might also look at Burnt Store marina area….too far north for my wife, but I think some good amenities for sailors.

Greg

 

[IWannaGoSailing]

@Tally Ho That's a great suggestion! I'm heading to Fort Myers next week and plan to scout out a few towns within an hour of there. I'll check out Bonita Springs. We'll also be snowbirds, so our goal will be the same; to find someplace warm in the coldest winter months. I love the St. Pete/Tampa Bay area, but I have been there several times when it was very chilly.

Last time down I drove through Burnt Store Marina and even had lunch there. It's a great community but it's a little too far away from everything for us, and it didn't feel like they were maintaining the place as well as I would have expected.

 

[shemandr]

The OP's criteria may need revision:
Sailing with "5' to 6'" draft eliminates a lot of Florida. You do still have Punta Gorda, the keys and St.John's River as per @PaulK. You could not pay me to live in the keys - the traffic is horrible in season.
"Not super touristy" would eliminate Key West and St Augustine. St. Augustine has a terrible traffic bottleneck (As does Naples).
Nice golf courses are pretty much anywhere in Florida.
Active sailing clubs? This one is tough. There are tons of "Yacht Clubs" around but many, if not most, are social organizations. Our local "Sailing Club", which is nationally recognized focuses on youth programs. Being on the Indian River Lagoon forces them to sail centerboard boats or catamarans. Another local club sails keel boats on the St. Lucie River and does host events but the turnout is 10 or so boats. Racing a keel boat on the St. Lucie River reminds me of turning a golf cart around in a tunnel.
I would rate local heath care as "Fair." I haven't been able to discern if it isn't better due to the quality of the providers, the consultation of private practices into large companies, or if it's because I transferred to Medicare shortly after moving here. It feels like fake medicine to me and the communication with Dr.'s offices is terrible.
Take a look at insurance rates before buying. Both auto and home owners are going to be much higher than you anticipate. In some cases with homeowners the insurer of last resort is the state $$$.
It was cold this winter! Even friends who visited from up North were surprised that the weather was as cool as it was. It was pretty windy too. When the "Northers" come it isn't beach weather - maybe not even golf.
One thing I like about where we live is that everyone is from somewhere else. A native Floridian is hard to find. This phenomenon makes the social climate positive. Most folks are looking for others to interact with.
I'm sorry this post reads negative. We were retirement shopping about 10 years ago and tried several areas of Florida, North Carolina and Virginia. I'm just relating some our observations. Florida's attractions are plentiful. But it's not all positive.

 

[Roland5048]

Having sailed mainly the west coast of Florida with occasional trips to the Fl. Keys and up the Fl. east coast the last 40 years, I have to agree with everything @shemandr had to say. Here on the west coast, you will be tide challenged with anything over a 5 foot draft. I only draw 4 feet and have to be mindful, lest I spend time sitting on the bottom or waiting for the tide to rise so I can get back in, or out, for that matter. You'd really need to stay south of the Tampa-St. Pete area as you mentioned you already want to do. The upside is that the gulf usually provides a much more pleasant place to sail and ports and anchorages are plentiful and not too far apart. "Not super touristy", however, is pretty subjective. Good luck with that one anywhere you decide to go. Just remember, though, it's the tourist $$ that help keep our taxes fairly low. Unfortunately, because everyone wants their little oasis in the sunshine, housing and insurance costs are through the roof and our infrastruture is, to put it mildly, on the brink of collapse. But, as a fellow sailor, we welcome you to the mayhem and chaos we call home.
Cheers,

 

[Rick Webb]

Seems to me the further south in Florida you go the more Yankees you find.

Venice has always been a nice visit though I have no interest in moving anywhere at this point.

Wherever you go if you are buying a house line up your insurance before you close. Insurance companies are going bonkers here. You can almost count on replacing the roof and water heater if they are more than a couple years old in order to get a policy.

 

[Kings Gambit]

I lived in St Pete for 12 yr, sailed the SW coast in my Pearson 30 for 11 of them. Pearson 30 is a 5-ft draft, and I was perpetually with a keel having no bottom paint at the foot. Many instances of scrapping and bouncing off the bottom trying to enter passes, and secluded anchorages such as near Terra Ceia among others, and locations off the ICW such as ‘Tween Waters at Captiva Island. I was fully aground maybe only 3 or 4 times, but each was a bit unnerving, etc. Stuck on a mud mound along the ICW on a falling tide with gathering twilight, and so forth. People who live in FL really should own minimally three boats not counting dinghies and kayaks. A shoal draft cruising sailboat, a racing sailboat, and a 24-26’ fishing boat that can go off-shore.

It’s fun to plan for a future situation 10 yr out, but paraphrasing Patton: Plans are essential when going into battle, but useless once there, etc. So when you arrive, just be prepared to act on the best situation that arises, etc.

BTW. Palmetto, FL might be worth a look if going to visit FL; and other sites on or near the Manatee River.