Looking For A Home

[01kiwijohn]

"nice" winter weather? Relative to ???
Since you're from the PNW, have you thought about San Fran Bay or San Diego. You could sail down to either one, just pick a likely weather window and you'll do fine. Both locations have relatively protected sailing areas. If I can help further, let me know.

[SouthernPride]

North Summit Marina on the Chesapeake canal. Well protected. You have Philadelphia about 4 to 6 hours. Chesapeake right there. Long haul yard, quiet, safe, very close to all markets, lowes, home depot, etc... Housing available, it is in Bear Delaware. My Hat is in the yard there while I finish up work.

Good luck

[alansmith]

Look at the Delta Region in San Francisco. Weather is perfect almost year round. Pull up Google maps and put in the town of Benicia. Benicia sits in the North West corner of San Pablo Bay...which is like an ear lobe on the head of San Francisco. Protected waters...mostly fresh water once you go up river for awhile. Birding, wild life, slow down mentality, and cheap prices all over the place.

Once you get used to boating a little bit you can get your action in San Francisco Bay. Prices in San Francisco Bay are unpleasant. It is a difficult process to find a marina that will accept liveaboard status. But many threads for strategy are located under Google search. There are still marinas in the Delta region that have liveaboard status available.

Sea of Cortez is also a wonderful cruising venue on the west coast. Prices are cheap, people are super friendly, weather fabulous....and not to misrepresent...hurricanes can go all the way up the western seaboard of Mexico....further north...less chance of it.

But Sea of Cortez is fabulous sailing. Great for getting boat work done. Projects like Biminis are a third of the cost of San Diego or San Francisco....Did i tell you about the Chili Relleno Tacos? OMG...to die for. My wife and I with 2 beers and tacos, salsa, and chips....about 12-14 dollars.

[Lepke]

The Sacramento River/San Joaquin Rivers and connecting delta has many places to dock. In the winter there are docking bargains. I haven't been there in many years, but the winter weather is much warmer and dryer than the PNW. The further south you go, the less rain, but the central valley can have weeks of fog.
When I had a commercial fishing boat I usually wintered on the Sacramento. I could do off season painting during the winter. I remember one winter when we had 3 weeks of 70°+ days. In the off season I could find dockage at half the usual rates.