Mooring Fees

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Rakuflames

That is most certainly NOT the west central Florida I live in.

By the way, the shelling is *fantastic* on Venice beaches. The farther south you go, the better it gets. The best one can only be reached by water, but you can anchor off, swim 10 feet and then wade in.

Sorry. Did not mean to denigrate your area and really didn't mention west central Florida specifically. I also acknowledged that there are nice places in FL and did try to mention a few of the areas I am personally familiar with.

Originally Posted by skipmac

There are certainly some interesting and non-trip mall places in FL. Certainly Miami, at least downtown, Miami Beach, Coconut Grove and vicinity.

Some others: The Keys, Ybor City in Tampa (be sure to eat at the Columbia Restaurant), St Augustine, Tarpon Springs are a few that come to mind.

There are many other great places in FL, in my opinion mostly smaller towns and the countryside. The springs in north Florida are some of the most beautiful in the world and not to be missed. I have met people at the Florida springs from Japan, Germany, Phillipines, UK, Switzerland, all over the US, and more.

On the other hand, you have lots and lots of fairly dull cities (which I will not list to avoid annoying others) which are as I described. I have live in FL off and on for forty years and work has required me to spend way too much time in dozens of generic strip mall towns.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by LauderBoy

I'd say most of Florida is pretty boring. It's a weird mix of hick middle of nowhere towns with suburbia surrounding tourist attractions. The tourist spots can be interesting to visit though and between the hick towns Florida has some amazing wilderness.

If I was tripping to Florida and from the UK I'd probably hit both. Enjoy anchoring out in the less worn paths(west coast of Florida and keys are great for this) and maybe park the boat at a slip in Titusville(cheap nice marina) and bus into Orlando for a few days to catch the tourist traps.

The way things are spaced out in the state you could pretty easily switch back and forth between tourist spots and beautiful scenery.

And I would say that most of Florida is fascinating. Just because a place draws tourists doesn't make it bad ... Even Orlando has genuinely interesting things to offer.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Rakuflames

Even Orlando has genuinely interesting things to offer.

Other than going to one of the dozens of theme parks; Mickey, Seaworld, Universal, Epcot, etc what would you recommend?

Last thing I enjoyed in Orlando was taking my father-in-law to Cirque du Soleil for his 80th birthday. Did the theme park thing when my daughter was a child and I have zero interest in seeing another one of any variety.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by skipmac

Other than going to one of the dozens of theme parks; Mickey, Seaworld, Universal, Epcot, etc what would you recommend?

Last thing I enjoyed in Orlando was taking my father-in-law to Cirque du Soleil for his 80th birthday. Did the theme park thing when my daughter was a child and I have zero interest in seeing another one of any variety.

There are great eco-tours in the area, lots of pretty, quaint towns on the outskirts. There's a place to go ziplining north of Orlando and also east of Orlando. I don't think it's as good as zipping across a jungle canopy, but it was a lot of fun.

You can also do indoor skydiving there. I haven't done that one yet but give me time!

Then there's the talking mouse. I kinda like the talking mouse, but everybody knows about that one ...

Seaworld I'm not as wild about. YMMV.

Go OUT of Orlando to eat. NEVER had what I considered a passable restaurant meal in Orlando. Supposedly there's good food at the better restaurants in DW, but they're very expensive for what you get.

[ranger58sb]

We enjoyed taking visitors out into the 'glades -- just down the street from our house, at the time -- in our (motorized) canoe for 'gator watches...

But we also liked visiting downtown Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, St. Augustine, the Keys, etc. when we lived in FL... and even downtown Jacksonville and Tampa/Ybor City was interesting to tour. I'd say check places out, move on once you're satisfied...

-Chris

[Khagan1227]

Since I sail up in the panhandle area of Florida, I am partial to that area. It is a lot less crowded, and the slip fees are less as well. It is about $1.50/ft per night for short term and about $500 for live aboards in the Carrabelle/Apilachicola area. Both towns are quaint and "interesting" depending on what one considers interesting.

The further west you get on the panhandle, i.e. Panama City, Ft. Walton Beach, etc., the higher the prices.

One thing of note, you need charts as the water gets pretty skinny up there.

The picture I've attached is one of the anchorages off Dog Island, and as one can see, no neighbors.

[Kettlewell]

You can cruise the entire East Coast of the USA and anchor out every night for free, and I have done so. There are very few places where there is not at least some anchoring room, and in almost every case there are alternative nearby anchorages. Dockage and swinging mooring fees are highly variable, as some have mentioned, with peak prices being in the Northeast (New Jersey north). However, I can't recall the last time I rented a dock space or a mooring in the Northeast as there are so many anchorage possibilities. Dockage is much less expensive in the Chesapeake, and then even less in the Carolinas, and much of Florida offers reasonable dockage. If you need to leave your boat for awhile there are often private docks behind homes for rent where you can get a very low monthly rate. As to swinging moorings, prices range from $20 per night or less in Florida, to an average of $40 per night in the Northeast, with some harbors up to $65 or so. Frankly, I trust my own anchoring gear more--I didn't spend thousands of dollars on it just to haul it around with me. Florida can be what you make of it. There are many interesting places to go and things to do, if you have an open mind. I have anchored in the mangroves within sight of downtown Miami, I have wandered the walls of the old Spanish fort in St. Augustine, walked miles of boardwalk through the cypress swamp at the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary near Naples, eaten in real Cuban restaurants in Miami where I was the only one not speaking Spanish (at least not very well), watched the sunset with the big crowd in Key West being serenaded by live music, visited the largest masonry fort ever constructed in the Dry Tortugas, dodged alligators while riding bikes around the Ding Darling on Sanibel, visited the Salvadore Dali (melting clocks) Museum in St. Pete, etc.

[Bluewaters2812]

Originally Posted by Khagan1227

Since I sail up in the panhandle area of Florida, I am partial to that area. It is a lot less crowded, and the slip fees are less as well. It is about $1.50/ft per night for short term and about $500 for live aboards in the Carrabelle/Apilachicola area. Both towns are quaint and "interesting" depending on what one considers interesting.

The further west you get on the panhandle, i.e. Panama City, Ft. Walton Beach, etc., the higher the prices.

One thing of note, you need charts as the water gets pretty skinny up there.

The picture I've attached is one of the anchorages off Dog Island, and as one can see, no neighbors.

Thanks for that info. Will bear it in mind. We will probably mostly consider anchoring out where possible to avoid those costs, which I must admit (even at the low end of the price scale for the East Coast), are still imo really steep. I can't see how any cruiser can afford to moor at those rates for any length of time if not necessary.

[Khagan1227]

Originally Posted by Bluewaters2812

Thanks for that info. Will bear it in mind. We will probably mostly consider anchoring out where possible to avoid those costs, which I must admit (even at the low end of the price scale for the East Coast), are still imo really steep. I can't see how any cruiser can afford to moor at those rates for any length of time if not necessary.

Some marinas there also offer a discount on slips for a month or longer over their transient rates. Buying an old cruising guide for Florida and the east coast can get you the websites for marinas, many post their fees on line.

Anchoring is free in most locations in Florida, some cities are trying very hard to change that. Most of the smaller cities and towns along the coasts are laid back and welcome cruisers with open arms.

Key West has a city owned mooring field, the cost is $17.79/day, but the monthly cost is only $313.42 per month. The Bight marina is about $120/day for a 44 ft boat, or $2000 per month, which is about half the daily rate.

[Kettlewell]

Anchoring is free in most locations in Florida, some cities are trying very hard to change that. Most of the smaller cities and towns along the coasts are laid back and welcome cruisers with open arms.

In Marathon anchoring is free, if you can find a spot in the now very limited area, but they charge you $22 per day to use the dinghy dock if you are not on a pay mooring! St. Augustine also has drastically limited the anchoring area in an effort to force you to use the moorings, and they also charge for the dinghy dock--I believe it is $10 per day.

[capttman]

Mooring fees not dock fees!

Moorings run 15 to 40 per night or around 300 per month in Florida

195 to 250 in abacos

[Kettlewell]

Mooring fees not dock fees!

As was state earlier, "mooring" means docking in many parts of the world (not in the USA).

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by skipmac

Sorry. Did not mean to denigrate your area and really didn't mention west central Florida specifically. I also acknowledged that there are nice places in FL and did try to mention a few of the areas I am personally familiar with.



There are many other great places in FL, in my opinion mostly smaller towns and the countryside. The springs in north Florida are some of the most beautiful in the world and not to be missed. I have met people at the Florida springs from Japan, Germany, Phillipines, UK, Switzerland, all over the US, and more.

On the other hand, you have lots and lots of fairly dull cities (which I will not list to avoid annoying others) which are as I described. I have live in FL off and on for forty years and work has required me to spend way too much time in dozens of generic strip mall towns.

The springs in north Florida are indeed wonderful, but there are things of wonder all up and down the west coast of Florida -- even the cities. You name the west coast city and I can tell you something interesting to do there. Did you know that not far from Sarasota you can watch the Lippinzanner stallions practice -- for free?

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by ranger42c

We enjoyed taking visitors out into the 'glades -- just down the street from our house, at the time -- in our (motorized) canoe for 'gator watches...

But we also liked visiting downtown Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, St. Augustine, the Keys, etc. when we lived in FL... and even downtown Jacksonville and Tampa/Ybor City was interesting to tour. I'd say check places out, move on once you're satisfied...

-Chris

I'm not wild about Tarpon Springs -- very over-commercialized and don't waste your time on the "sponge tour" -- but Cedar Key is lovely. The small towns along the Panhandle all have their individual charms, and there's some great gunkholing up there. I really don't care for Sanibel, except for the *fabulous* nature preserve (Ding Darling), but some people love it. Not a good place for shelling any more no matter what they say. Stick to south Venice for that.

[zeehag]

i had a ball in western florida--beautiful beaches and quiet clean anchorages...some really cool surprises, loved apalachiacola and the icw between there and port st joe--is beautiful there and the "lil hick towns' are quaint and easy to find what you need. local stores and publix and walmart are not inconvenient--and , in psj, there is an awesome goodwill store just 3 blox from the boat....
water street hotel marina in apalach--was 1 dollar per foot per night in high season and we paid 50 cents per foot in off season..lovely place with a nice chubby raccoon. papa joes for seafood --awesome! kayak in the marshes--wear skeeter repellant...beautiful! and the fishing was ok too.
psj marina was 1 dollar per foot in off season, and 1.50/ft in high season.