Best Place for Fitting Out

[CaptainNoah]

Hi!

I have a boat that I am preparing to move aboard and start cruising and I was originally thinking of doing all the work here in Milwaukee. But, I have no reason to stay here, so once I have the boat prepared to go off shore, maybe there would be a better place to work on things such as creature comforts, more sails, additional anchors, upgrading port lights, electrical systems, etc.

Some things that I think the ideal location would have:
-affordable parts. Maybe a large assortment of second hand stuff.
-affordable mooring. Dock space with electricity to run power tools.
-easy transportation. Would be nice to go everywhere by dinghy.
-fun stuff to do. Nightlife and crew bars to blow my money at.
-cheap beer.

I am stuck in the great lakes and east coast and maybe the carribean, but for the sake of the question lets say anywhere...

Thanks!

[Dockhead]

Turkey.

Not a very practical answer, but you asked.

[CaptainNoah]

Haha. Thanks, If I hadn't lost my job last week I would actually be sailing that way right now. Oh well. Now we know turkey has cheap beer and boat supplies.

[klem]

My favorite place on the east coast for this sort of thing is Rockland, ME. I might be a little biased since I used to work commercially out of there. It is a commercial town that is where a lot of fishing boats and windjammers are fitted out. The standard boatyard facilities exist as well as a few well known riggers, sailmakers, mechanics, a Hamilton marine, etc. The only facility that is really lacking right now is a good welder/fabricator. There used to be an excellent one but unfortunately, he is no longer with us. It should be noted that this is not a really yachtie town, it is a real commercial town which means prices are lower but if you are looking for real high end, it isn't ideal. You can go just north to Rockport or Camden for that.

This is certainly not the only place around to fit out but one that you should definitely consider.