Live aboard marina resource? Newbie

[Jetmex]

Hello All,

I'm new to all this and looking to buy our first water home. The question is now where to keep it while we finish wrapping up land lives? We would like to be on the east or gulf coast of the US and near an airport so that we can commute to work for a bit. Is there a resource to find suitable live aboard marinas or do you guys have some good suggestions? I wouldn't even mind someones private dock if that was an option. I seems like having enough water to get in and out may also be an issue as one of the boats we are considering is a Delphia with a pretty deep draft.

Thanks and I'm all ears,

Greg

[rwells36]

www.activecaptain.com

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Greg.

[Suijin]

Originally Posted by Jetmex

Hello All,

I'm new to all this and looking to buy our first water home. The question is now where to keep it while we finish wrapping up land lives? We would like to be on the east or gulf coast of the US and near an airport so that we can commute to work for a bit. Is there a resource to find suitable live aboard marinas or do you guys have some good suggestions? I wouldn't even mind someones private dock if that was an option. I seems like having enough water to get in and out may also be an issue as one of the boats we are considering is a Delphia with a pretty deep draft.

Thanks and I'm all ears,

Greg

Active Captain may not show you if a given marina allows liveaboards. Some do, most do not. You'll probably have to work your way through Google if you don't get specific recommendations here.

You're going to want easy access to showers and laundry unless you're on a good-sized boat with both. You're also going to want a slip in good sheltered water, hopefully away from any main marine thoroughfare. Wind and wakes can make life a bit miserable in the wrong slip.

[rwells36]

Originally Posted by Suijin

Active Captain may not show you if a given marina allows liveaboards. Some do, most do not. You'll probably have to work your way through Google if you don't get specific recommendations here.



You're going to want easy access to showers and laundry unless you're on a good-sized boat with both. You're also going to want a slip in good sheltered water, hopefully away from any main marine thoroughfare. Wind and wakes can make life a bit miserable in the wrong slip.

If you look under the dockage tab in active captain you will see the live aboard indicator.

[PuttingDoctor]

Greg, to echo what has already been written, welcome and do join Active Captain.

Now if you want the best of so many worlds check out Halifax Harbor Marina in Daytona Beach. The Daytona airport is close by and the marina is outstanding.

Floating docks, walk to restaurants and bars, up the ICW from inlets enough to be very secure in fact we fill up during storm warnings. Great care taken with our 5 bathhouses and the only shortfall is wifi. You can of course get your own cable tv and wifi.

I'm hoping this is my last month at HHM but time is racing by as I prepare to depart south and eastward.

Cheers,

Glen

[Scout 30]

I'd check out the St Petersburg Municipal Marina. Great facilities & right downtown in a vibrant city. Walking distance to Albert Whitted Airport, if you're talking about private planes and about a 20 minute drive to the St Pete/Clearwater Airport.

[Dave22q]

The East coast is not real specific. You might think about your tolerance for winter. I'm told some live aboard in Boston or Portland Me but they must be pretty tough. South of Jacksonville Fl winter is a few weeks below 60 deg., etc. Next think hard about where you want to sail. Deep draft rules out much of the Keys and Bahamas. As for airports, they are everywhere but most of the smaller ones offer limited flights and destinations. Living aboard in a city like Savannah or Miami solves that but you pay city prices.
I suspect weather and flight availability will limit your choices a lot. Then you can investigate marinas. Best of luck with your plans.

[Sidney777]

Yep, floating docks are great. Your draft & height off water & size boat may tell where you want to be. (Or have to dock). A marina that really wants your business & doesn't like disruptive noises,dogs,people. If you are going to be away from boat for weeks or months, a floating dock will keep boat tied without tide adjustments & possible scratches, etc. What is draft of boat & length & height above water ??

[captlloyd]

Go to www. waterway guide.com for all the online info you will ever need.

[Sidney777]

As a friend once told me about campgrounds and marinas; look out for the a***le factor. The problem,etc. & How close to open water do you want ?

[Ken Z]

In nw fl. there are few, some not too secure. Shalimar marina in ft. walton allows live aboards @$11.00 a foot and $50.00 per mo. for electric secure and a hurricane hole, airport 25 min. away, others are farther from airports.

[GeneM]

Check out Harbortown near Cape Canaveral. Orlando airport is near. E dock has great people.

[billgewater]

Marinas. The curse and saviour of the sailor.
In Australia there has been a sudden growth in marina numbers over the last 20 years. Some marinas appear to actually address the needs of the boating public with facilities for maintenance, nearby lift out, chandleries, etc. Many of these can be seen around Freemantle in Western Australia (unfortunately, not on the main international trade wind cruising path), but as a generalisation these types of marinas are rare.
Usually the Real Estate Developer acquires cheap wetlands or coastal mangroves and sets about dredging it out and using the landfill to raise ground levels around the hole. The raised ground level is the real estate gold mine. The hole is the marina. With variations.
Often this comes about because acquiring ocean/river frontage is actually illegal in many places in Australia, where the ocean littoral zone is seen as public space, not private.
A serious “built in” problem is that real estate style marinas cannot be varied in the future .i.e. they cannot be expanded if the clientele demand increases. So initially, they make it easier for clients and when the marina is full, they “go for the throat”. Power/rental/ maintenance all sky rocket with worsening access to facilities.
With this model in mind, it becomes very obvious why the developer is just simply not interested in providing any facilities that take up land space. So these marinas usually have minimal car parking for marina users, often no land based manager’s office and certainly no lift out or careening facilities. Often, as a concession to the expensive real estate overlooking the marina, there are restrictions on grinding, painting, awnings, hanging out the washing etc.
My advice is that if you wish to use any marina, get onto Google Earth and check out the % of pen occupancy, the relative size of the car parking (look for > 60% relative to the number of pens), the location of the parking, the presence of other facilities – lift out – managers’ office location – security systems, meeting rooms, ablutions, shade/rain cover etc. Go into the “street views” to familiarise yourself with local shops, etc.
On the ablutions - find out just where they are. It’s no joke to have to walk 200 m to the toilet .. Particularly for the many retired age sailors.
When you go to their web site, usually they sprout (just like real estate agents) all the virtues and none of the downsides. Glossy pictures, bikini clad maidens, expensive boats. Not the real world (well, not for me). Odour of rattus rattus. Caveat emptor.
Ask about nearby chandleries, access to free Wi Fi, insurance requirements, protection from cyclones etc. If you wish to leave your vessel in the marina, ask about live aboards as they can look after your boat and provide the best security in your absence. No live aboards – avoid it like hell.
The new real estate style marinas in Australia are often horrific for visiting boats. Check carefully.
Merry Xmas to all.

[svfinlandia]

Originally Posted by GeneM

Check out Harbortown near Cape Canaveral. Orlando airport is near. E dock has great people.

Last winter when I inquired at Harbortown (if you are referring to the one on the NASA barge canal between the Indian and Banana Rivers) they politely told me that they didn't have any room for a boat with a 6' draft and they did not seem too keen on liveaboards anyway.
Too bad - it's a very nice marina and well sheltered.

Al, S/V Finlandia