Longer term Florida Anchorage Suggestions Near Grocery Stores?

[CaptainGeo]

Manatee Pocket (busy) and Pecks Lake (quiet) are great spots but would require a mile plus bike ride to the grocery

[CaptainGeo]

Travel from Sebastian south on the inside is not a problem unless your taller than 65'

[team karst]

Chotu is at 75’. Post 1.

[pressuredrop]

Originally Posted by flightlead404

PBSC is now like $40/day with a minimum of 3 days! I know they have longer term deals, but its still pretty expensive.

As a 20 year member I have told them over and over again that they have lost their minds... Reasonable enough for a month tho...

[svfinlandia]

Originally Posted by Chotu

My life has changed. The world has changed.

I need to spend the winter in Florida. But I still have some work left to do on the boat. Not crazy amounts, but enough. Marinas seem to have become untenable at this point.

I could never actually afford to put my boat into a marina. I knew that building it. I just got lucky that I found some cheap ones over the last several years. This has changed. Either the marina prices have skyrocketed, or the policies have become onerous.

For that reason, I have to go back to anchor.

Now, obviously I won’t be able to have a car with me. So, I’m hoping to find somewhere that isn’t too strict on the longer-term anchoring, maybe a month or two, but it’s also close enough to grocery stores that I can get fresh produce. That’s where my life has changed.

Due to the health problems, I have to eat the Mediterranean diet. And that involves fresh produce. That doesn’t involve the way I used to eat trying to go to the grocery store once a year or something. Ha ha. I cannot have that type of diet. It must be loaded with fruits and vegetables. Absolutely loaded with them. And because I can’t eat meat really much anymore, it means that the fruits and vegetables are the highlight of what I’m eating. If I don’t have good fruits and vegetables, I might as well not eat.. Lol there would be nothing interesting left to eat at all.

So I’m trying to reason out some places that might be close to grocery stores. Maybe a boat ramp would be nice. Or some kind of landing for the dinghy. Especially if there’s an overnight option to store the dinghy. I often have to leave the dinghy overnight. Yes, I do need a social life as well.

A huge bonus would be next to a Whole Foods so I can receive Amazon packages of Boat products that I need to install. Or at least next to an Amazon locker. A marine supply store would also be an option.

I can think of several places up north that work for this. But I can’t think of one in Florida off the top of my head right now. Because everything changes so quickly in Florida. I’m almost thinking I could do Fort Myers. Because everything is destroyed. There might not be so much concern about a boat anchored out and going about its business doing a refit. Or actually in my case a pre-fit. Ha ha

But does anyone else have some decent ideas? I will not stay there for more than two months. I just need to get the boat together so it can start moving from place to place. I also need to step the mast. Heck, even if somebody knows of a dock that’s available pretty cheap and has parking, that would work also. But I don’t think there is such a thing. So, I am looking for the anchorages.

So I’m wondering, from the collective wisdom here, can anyone send me a private message that might suggest an area they think is good?

Thank you very much! Thanks in advance. I know people will say, look it up! I have. But I haven’t settled on anything that looks great. Asking the collective is always better because there is a wealth of information just sitting in someone’s memory somewhere. For instance, I could tell you about a lot of great anchorages, they just aren’t fitting exactly what I need. And I have a 75 foot air draft. So that’s an issue.

Maybe take a look at the anchorages around the bridge at Titusville, FL.

Al, S/V Finlandia

[svfinlandia]

On my first read, I missed the fact that you have a 75 foot air draft. If my memory serves, you can still come in at port Canaveral and all of the bridges are drawbridges from there to Titusville. But, it’s been a while since I’ve been there so check the bridges first before taking my advice.

Al, S/V Finlandia

[catalystcat]

Peck's lake is about 1 mi from a Publix. Manatee is about 1mi from a Winn-Dixie (and cheap pizza).

Another place that can be good is Ft. Pierce Inlet, if you go North of the causeway. (It currently opens and is supposed to be replaced with an 80' clearance bridge soon.) There's a Publix up the hill about 1/3 mi. There's also a good meat shop relatively close and the Marine Liquidators pretty close. (Not nearly as cheap as it used to be, but has a crazy assortment of stuff that can come in handy - e.g., starboard scraps (at a high price). You kind of have to develop some local knowledge to access some of the most interesting anchoring spots around spoil islands and some other nooks and crannies. Of course, you could anchor out in the main inlet area, if you can resist strangling the weekend maniacs and tolerate the currents.

All of these places are accessible with your mast from their respective inlets.

[captstu]

West Palm Beach city doc has an excellent long-term anchorage and free dinghy access. There is water and a pump out available for nominal fee. There’s a free bus to a Publix and a full range of support stores. It is located just south of the Lake Worth inlet with one bascule bridge and no fixed bridges.

[Normanskier]

Originally Posted by Chotu

My life has changed. The world has changed.

I need to spend the winter in Florida. But I still have some work left to do on the boat. Not crazy amounts, but enough. Marinas seem to have become untenable at this point.

I could never actually afford to put my boat into a marina. I knew that building it. I just got lucky that I found some cheap ones over the last several years. This has changed. Either the marina prices have skyrocketed, or the policies have become onerous.

For that reason, I have to go back to anchor.

Now, obviously I won’t be able to have a car with me. So, I’m hoping to find somewhere that isn’t too strict on the longer-term anchoring, maybe a month or two, but it’s also close enough to grocery stores that I can get fresh produce. That’s where my life has changed.

Due to the health problems, I have to eat the Mediterranean diet. And that involves fresh produce. That doesn’t involve the way I used to eat trying to go to the grocery store once a year or something. Ha ha. I cannot have that type of diet. It must be loaded with fruits and vegetables. Absolutely loaded with them. And because I can’t eat meat really much anymore, it means that the fruits and vegetables are the highlight of what I’m eating. If I don’t have good fruits and vegetables, I might as well not eat.. Lol there would be nothing interesting left to eat at all.

So I’m trying to reason out some places that might be close to grocery stores. Maybe a boat ramp would be nice. Or some kind of landing for the dinghy. Especially if there’s an overnight option to store the dinghy. I often have to leave the dinghy overnight. Yes, I do need a social life as well.

A huge bonus would be next to a Whole Foods so I can receive Amazon packages of Boat products that I need to install. Or at least next to an Amazon locker. A marine supply store would also be an option.

I can think of several places up north that work for this. But I can’t think of one in Florida off the top of my head right now. Because everything changes so quickly in Florida. I’m almost thinking I could do Fort Myers. Because everything is destroyed. There might not be so much concern about a boat anchored out and going about its business doing a refit. Or actually in my case a pre-fit. Ha ha

But does anyone else have some decent ideas? I will not stay there for more than two months. I just need to get the boat together so it can start moving from place to place. I also need to step the mast. Heck, even if somebody knows of a dock that’s available pretty cheap and has parking, that would work also. But I don’t think there is such a thing. So, I am looking for the anchorages.

So I’m wondering, from the collective wisdom here, can anyone send me a private message that might suggest an area they think is good?

Thank you very much! Thanks in advance. I know people will say, look it up! I have. But I haven’t settled on anything that looks great. Asking the collective is always better because there is a wealth of information just sitting in someone’s memory somewhere. For instance, I could tell you about a lot of great anchorages, they just aren’t fitting exactly what I need. And I have a 75 foot air draft. So that’s an issue.

Check out ST. Augustine Municipal Mooring fields. They also have a Marina. They have three fields one of which is fairly depth restricted. Everything other than that shallow field is close to town. Good luck. And you can consider some of the grocery delivery service.

[layz2]

Chotu,


We used this anchorage in the past. You can dinghy to Publix/Mcdonalds floating dock for maximum convenience. Also we enjoyed spending time biking around St. Pete. Best of Luck!

https://www.waterwayguide.com/review...idge-northeast

[Large Luke]

I would suggest getting a Skipper Bobs. Then you will have all you're options at your fingertips.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Large Luke

I would suggest getting a Skipper Bobs. Then you will have all you're options at your fingertips.

I’ve definitely got one. Also cruising guides to Florida. And I do have some years experience here also. Mostly on the East Coast. I was kind of just curious what has changed and also places that are more friendly to staying for a couple months.

thanks for all the help, everyone.

there are definitely some good options here. Still a couple weeks off from being able to go anywhere.

[billdomb]

Lake Worth just south of Blue Heron Bridge might work for you.

If you can get to shore, can readily WALK to a Publix market.

[Floridajohnb]

There’s a nice mooring field in key west. It provides water, showers, and laundry machines. The grocery store is about a mile away from the dinghy dock.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Floridajohnb

There’s a nice mooring field in key west. It provides water, showers, and laundry machines. The grocery store is about a mile away from the dinghy dock.

Thank you. But I have to confess, I don’t really like Key West. I don’t like the atmosphere. I don’t like the noise. I don’t like how far away from everything that you might need it is. it’s not really my kind of place. Not exactly easy to get materials when you are all the way out on the end like that.