Most cruiser-friendly region on Florida's east coast

[John_Trusty]

Great advice above, but if I could add some things.
1. East-coast Florida goes from marginally expensive in Jacksonville / St. Augusting, down in price in the middle, and then astronomical as you get towards Ft. Lauderdale / Miami (a single city). The reason the roads are so fast and dangerous is that everyone lives where they can afford and drives to where they need to work.
2. Your profile does not list your boat (time to add that). If you are thinking about a catamaran, your options begin to limit by about 10x for dockage. If you can find one, it will be double of a similar sized monohull. Only economic thing for cats is anchoring / mooring ball.
3. If you arrive in August, you will find slips because no one wants to be here in August. I'm a native, and I find it uncomfortable to live without AC in August. Visitors that are not from central america cannot stand it.
Welcome to Florida!

[jbrasseul]

Sunset bay marina, Stuart Fl. On a mooring ball, or on a dock (more expensive), great installations, great spot, great town.
https://jbrasseul.wordpress.com/2012...et-bay-marina/

[AiniA]

If you want to get to the Caribbean (I assume Eastern - Leeward and Windward), Florida is a terrible place to start since you are going pretty much to windward. Better starting from Chesapeake Bay or North Carolina. Check marinas there. In Chesapeake, up around Annapolis is expensive, further south is better - and closer to departure point.

[captainmarknc]

Originally Posted by jbrasseul

Sunset bay marina, Stuart Fl. On a mooring ball, or on a dock (more expensive), great installations, great spot, great town.
https://jbrasseul.wordpress.com/2012...et-bay-marina/

I second Stuart.

[houseofcharm]

Vero Beach has become a hot spot for cruisers in the last few years. There's a nice anchorage, moorings at the marina and they take 'liveaboards' but are likely full in season.


It's a small town but the marina is a short dinghy hop to shopping and it is also a decent hurricane hole-only downside is ~10 miles to an inlet in either direction.

[Russ]

Cape Marina nice place but you need a car to go anywhere Also if there is a hurricane the boat has to leave the marina
Telemar Bay in Indian Harbour Beach is nice been there 20 years, 10 as liveabosrds.
Gear Hurricane hole

[svfinlandia]

Originally Posted by Caribbeachbum

Your problem won't be in finding a marina so much as it will be finding a cheap marina. The relatively inexpensive places have waiting lists and can be very picky about who they let in.


We stayed for several months on just a 24-hour notice at several marinas, but they were very expensive (Cape Marina in Port Canaveral and Las Olas Marina in Fort Lauderdale, for two examples).


Also the general meaning of "liveaboard" in popular use is not the same as the technical and legal definition. At least on the Florida coasts, a liveaboard is generally a "rent beater" living on the anchor on a boat that has no working engine and no good sails, and that never goes out to sea -- a derelict. It's a pejorative. When booking a slip, be a cruiser looking for a short stay. Never call yourself a liveaboard. If you're not "liveaboards," extending the stay is often easy, and for as long as you want.

It has been my experience that the farther south you go in Florida the more expensive the Marinas are.
My particular favorite, and about the cheapest one I have found, is Titusville Marina in Titusville, FL. It is a very nice Marina owned by the city, but they contract it out to a very responsible outfit.
Of course, I would call them first to make sure that they have a slip. Especially this time of year when all the snowbirds are in.

Al, S/V Finlandia

[WE9V]

Originally Posted by fnees

...if I stay aboard for more than 10 days a month, I am considered a liveaboard according to Florida law.

I agree with this, and with the statement that we believe things because the marina told us so.

But in the case of Pensacola, FL, many of the marinas have "underwater land contracts" from the county. I have found some of these land contracts online, and indeed they state that you cannot stay aboard for more than 5 consecutive nights or 10 nights in a month. So while it may not be a Florida law, it may be a county ordinance or condition of the marina's lease.

I have tried to find a marina anywhere on the Gulf coast of FL that "allows more than 10 nights aboard" and there's only about 5, on the entire West coast, and they all have 1-2 year waiting lists.

[myketch42]

I am the third to suggest Sunset bay in Stuart Fl , But I suggest the mooring field at 475 .00 a month ....An important but often overlooked learning process for a newbie live aboard is dingy operation and confidence , mooring versus a slip will provide that. Stuart is the home of Chapman school of seamanship , possibly the answer to your schooling ...In my experience , no one even blinks if you are a foreign national .as they all become that , on a ten hour sail east.

[MicHughV]

You could try this place"

Palm Cove Marina......

I was there not so long ago, and the place was practically empty...I have no idea of their marina rates...but friends that used to keep their boat there said it was very reasonable...

[svfinlandia]

Originally Posted by myketch42

I am the third to suggest Sunset bay in Stuart Fl , But I suggest the mooring field at 475 .00 a month ....An important but often overlooked learning process for a newbie live aboard is dingy operation and confidence , mooring versus a slip will provide that. Stuart is the home of Chapman school of seamanship , possibly the answer to your schooling ...In my experience , no one even blinks if you are a foreign national .as they all become that , on a ten hour sail east.

$475 a month for a ball in a mooring field?!!
That is more than twice as much I pay for a months slip rent in my marina!

Al, S/V Finlandia

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by WE9V

But in the case of Pensacola, FL, many of the marinas have "underwater land contracts" from the county. I have found some of these land contracts online, and indeed they state that you cannot stay aboard for more than 5 consecutive nights or 10 nights in a month.

Good point, which I should have been more clear about.

There may be city, or county, laws that limit how many nights you can stay aboard in a local marina. These are NOT laws of the state of Florida, but may be local, city or county laws.

That's the thing about the United States of America. There are federal laws. There are state laws. There are county laws. There are city laws. Some times there are even local, community laws. These all add different levels of laws.

It can make it HUGELY difficult to understand exactly what laws apply in a specific situation.

In any case, when someone tells you, "I can't do that because of the law," it's a good idea to ask them WHAT law, and follow up on it. They may be telling you the truth, or they may be blowing smoke. My personal experience is that I find that in a lot of cases, they are blowing smoke.

[fnees]

Guys, I lost track of this thread. I guess I had it open in one of my browsers so the site engine decided I didn´t need the emails! So, I will quote each one as a Thank You!

Originally Posted by John_Trusty

Great advice above, but if I could add some things.
1. East-coast Florida goes from marginally expensive in Jacksonville / St. Augusting, down in price in the middle, and then astronomical as you get towards Ft. Lauderdale / Miami (a single city). The reason the roads are so fast and dangerous is that everyone lives where they can afford and drives to where they need to work.
2. Your profile does not list your boat (time to add that). If you are thinking about a catamaran, your options begin to limit by about 10x for dockage. If you can find one, it will be double of a similar sized monohull. Only economic thing for cats is anchoring / mooring ball.
3. If you arrive in August, you will find slips because no one wants to be here in August. I'm a native, and I find it uncomfortable to live without AC in August. Visitors that are not from central america cannot stand it.
Welcome to Florida!

Thanks John, the reason I need a slip is because of my A/C! I have also updated my profile.

Originally Posted by jbrasseul

Sunset bay marina, Stuart Fl. On a mooring ball, or on a dock (more expensive), great installations, great spot, great town.
https://jbrasseul.wordpress.com/2012...et-bay-marina/

Originally Posted by captainmarknc

I second Stuart.

Originally Posted by myketch42

I am the third to suggest Sunset bay in Stuart Fl , But I suggest the mooring field at 475 .00 a month ....An important but often overlooked learning process for a newbie live aboard is dingy operation and confidence , mooring versus a slip will provide that. Stuart is the home of Chapman school of seamanship , possibly the answer to your schooling ...In my experience , no one even blinks if you are a foreign national .as they all become that , on a ten hour sail east.

The nearest school is in North Palm Beach, 45 min on I95, but with so many votes we will look into it carefully, thank you!

Originally Posted by svfinlandia

It has been my experience that the farther south you go in Florida the more expensive the Marinas are.
My particular favorite, and about the cheapest one I have found, is Titusville Marina in Titusville, FL. It is a very nice Marina owned by the city, but they contract it out to a very responsible outfit.
Of course, I would call them first to make sure that they have a slip. Especially this time of year when all the snowbirds are in.

Al, S/V Finlandia

Originally Posted by Russ

Cape Marina nice place but you need a car to go anywhere Also if there is a hurricane the boat has to leave the marina
Telemar Bay in Indian Harbour Beach is nice been there 20 years, 10 as liveabosrds.
Gear Hurricane hole

Nearest to Titusville and Cape Canaveral would be either Merlbourne or Daytona. Telemar Bay is well under consideration! Thanks!

Originally Posted by MicHughV

You could try this place"

Palm Cove Marina......

I was there not so long ago, and the place was practically empty...I have no idea of their marina rates...but friends that used to keep their boat there said it was very reasonable...

Many ESL schools in Jacksonville, will keep that tip, thanks.

Originally Posted by houseofcharm

Vero Beach has become a hot spot for cruisers in the last few years. There's a nice anchorage, moorings at the marina and they take 'liveaboards' but are likely full in season.


It's a small town but the marina is a short dinghy hop to shopping and it is also a decent hurricane hole-only downside is ~10 miles to an inlet in either direction.

A friend of mine has highly recommended Vero Beach, if we don't stay there it will sure be a place to spend weekends on!

Originally Posted by AiniA

If you want to get to the Caribbean (I assume Eastern - Leeward and Windward), Florida is a terrible place to start since you are going pretty much to windward. Better starting from Chesapeake Bay or North Carolina. Check marinas there. In Chesapeake, up around Annapolis is expensive, further south is better - and closer to departure point.

We chose FL as we go there quite a lot and one friend had a boat there. We hope to spend holydays in the Bahamas and in the Keys, but I am aware of how thorny the path is from there south eastwards. Anyway, I reached a point in life where I won't be ashamed of turning around or sending the family by plane and taking the boat myself. Thanks anyway!

Great stuff here, as always. I can't thank you guys enough!

[gs41escapade]

After picking up our new boat in Fort Lauderdale, we stayed for at least 6 weeks at Bahia Mar marina in Fort Lauderdale last year around this time. A very nice marina. Not cheap, but no issues for the long stay provided they have the slip space.