2015 Daytona 500 Slip Wanted

[Brilliant Sea]

Hi all!

This will be a long post, my apologies!

Ok, I have been talking to my sister who lives in Montana and is a HUGE Nascar fan. I have my 32' sailboat with a 4 1/2' draft. We are trying to plan a trip to Daytona next year and I am looking for an affordable way do make it happen for us.

The dates I'm looking for is Feb.18th to the 25th 2015, one week.

I am asking if anyone here has a slip or knows one who has that can help! No, I don't want it for free but I can only wish. I have a couple of ideas how we could work something out though.

I will have my sister, her husband, my gf and me and to make it more comfortable we would like a slip with shore power and water. I don't think it would be comfortable to anchor out as I have no means(yet) of keeping charged up without running the motor too much. I have a shower in the head and a great hot water heater to keep us smellin good.

I am broke pretty much all of the time and it will take some hard work to save up just to get the boat ready to get there, then all the expense of the race and all. My sister will be spending a pretty hefty amount to fly down as well so we won't have much left. I'm not begging here as we will collectively try to share the expense but don't want to go away broke either.

I am a carpenter craftsman by trade and pretty dang good at fixing things so I could do a project in trade. I could even get there earlier and stay later if it's a big project to be fair I could work off a premium price for the slip but would expect to get paid for extra hours if it doesn't balance out. That's my best offer I have and I'm sure my visitors can do something as well. You name it, we'll do it! I hope to make us good friends too!

We are good people, my sister will be 50 right after that and I am 46, We drink beer and have a good time but are very respectful. We would probably go out sailing a few times and I just want to show them a great time.

I'm starting a year early with this plan in hopes of finding what I am asking for and to be able to breath easy knowing we have it all set up.

Please folks, I ask of you to think about this and offer some awesome positive feedback.

Thank you,
Markus

[Vasco]

Put a dollar a day in a jar and you'll have enough to stay in the marina. There aren't a lot of private slips in Daytona.

[Brilliant Sea]

Originally Posted by Vasco

Put a dollar a day in a jar and you'll have enough to stay in the marina. There aren't a lot of private slips in Daytona.

True but I am just trying to cut costs here. There are a lot of docks off of private homes up and down that part of the ICW as well. I'm just reaching out.

There is also the possibility of empty slips that are rented and they and their boat might be in the Bahamas or Caribi. at that time. So I'm reaching out to those folk as well.

Thanks,
Markus

[Opie91]

Why not Halifax Harbor? $10/ft for a week. $340 thats pretty reasonable for race week.

Halifax Harbor Marina - Dockage Rates | Daytona Beach, Florida

Also It has been a few years since I lived in Daytona, but there are not alot of areas to anchor out without harrasment by law enforcement.

Also if you do not mind a bit of a drive you could go down by Ponce Inlet. I lived at this marina about 15 years ago and it was nice. Private chanel, but it handled my 5' draft no problem.

Adventure Yacht Harbor

[Brilliant Sea]

Yes, that is very reasonable!

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by Opie91

Why not Halifax Harbor? $10/ft for a week. $340 thats pretty reasonable for race week.

Just a dollar a day. The few empty slips I've seen in Daytona have million dollar houses attached to them. I anchor near one when I'm in Daytona and have yet to see anyone living in it, just the staff and the dogs. They must be in Aspen that time of the year.

[Brilliant Sea]

Is that a true anchorage right across the ICW from Halifax harbor? My Navionics shows an anchor symbol right there. Another thing would be to reserve a slip right away. I bet it will be full 6 months out from the 500. Anchoring out for a week would not be that good with land lubbers. I will try to have solar and wind by then so it could be an option if we can take showers at the marina for a small fee.

[Vasco]

I've been anchored in Daytona quite frequently over the years in February but Halifax Harbor Marina has never been full. Don't think the Nascar crowd comes by boat.

[Brilliant Sea]

Really? I would think quite a lot would being so close to the track and much cheaper than hotels.

Maybe I can start a new trend!!!

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by Pwdrskr

Really? I would think quite a lot would being so close to the track and much cheaper than hotels.

Maybe I can start a new trend!!!

First you need a boat. Second you have to get it to Daytona. Much cheaper to book a hotel or take your RV.

[Brilliant Sea]

Uhmmmm, I have a boat. Read my post.

[Opie91]

Originally Posted by Pwdrskr

Uhmmmm, I have a boat. Read my post.

I think he is saying the average NASCAR fan does not have a sail boat.

Cant say for sure, but pretty sure you can anchor north of the Seabreeze bridge too. Last time I knew they wanted you to be on your way after week or so...

[onestepcsy37]

i live in daytona. here's the scoop.

halifax harbor marina, where i keep my boat, is about 60% full. they are begging for boats, and that's with the 500, the 24 hour, and bike week coming up soon. there is a 'north' area and a 'south' area. the north area has fixed docks and you can stay for a month at around $11 a foot. the south area has floating docks and is about $1 a foot more. someone above posted their website. all docks have electricity/water/heads/showers/laundry/security/pumpouts/fuel. it's about a mile from daytona speedway.

our sailing club (halifax sailing association) is located just south of the marina. and just south of us, off the water treatment plant, is a free anchorage area. go to the south side of red marker 42 and make a u-turn into the anchorage - you'll see about a dozen or more boats anchored there, most belonging to club members. you'll see a fishing pier just north of the anchorage; the town dock is just past it. anchoring is in about 8 feet of oozy mud. don't try to 'drag' set your anchor. just let it soak in, put out plenty of chain, and let wind and tide set it. the police will not hassle you but be sure to keep an anchor light on at night. about once a year the city's coffers are empty and they need to get $75 any way they can.

if you're staying at the marina, parking a rental car is no problem. at the anchorage it's not possible to park a car nearby; you may have to park it a couple of blocks away. walking to the speedway is possible but not for the faint of heart. there is city bus service and it's pretty decent.

as others have said, private docks right around daytona are hard to rent. i've tried. if you have any questions fire away. if i think of anything else i'll post again.

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by Pwdrskr

Is that a true anchorage right across the ICW from Halifax harbor? My Navionics shows an anchor symbol right there. Another thing would be to reserve a slip right away. I bet it will be full 6 months out from the 500. Anchoring out for a week would not be that good with land lubbers. I will try to have solar and wind by then so it could be an option if we can take showers at the marina for a small fee.

I don't know what a true anchorage is but I anchor in that area when going through Daytona. The holding is good. I do not like the anchorage at marker 42 because the bottom is slimy gunk (from the nearby sewage plant ?) and it takes a long time to wash it off the chain. I have not been hassled by the local authorities in Daytona but the longest I stay is a couple of days.

[onestepcsy37]

hey c'mon vasco, we love our slimy gunk! and yes, it almost certainly is a byproduct of the water treatment plant. but that water treatment plant is what makes our sailing club possible; otherwise, there would probably be a high rise condo where our clubhouse is.

actually, it is pretty slimy, and takes a heavy anchor and time and tide to really give it a good set. but it does have the convenience of the town dock. i know of some people who anchor in that trench across from the marina but getting shore access is a bit iffy, especially for long periods of time.