Best living & sailing on U.S. East Coast?

[danielamartindm]

I agree with other posters, that most East Coast locales have oppressive 3-H weather sometime in the summers. I find the Tampa Bay area nice. Usually a breeze, it has a Caribbean feel compared to the East Coast, great cruising access, lots of deep water canal homes and marinas, lots of sunshine and gorgeous winters.

[s/v Breakaway]

I suggest you check out the Chesapeake. I live on the Eastern Shore, "middle Chesapeake"; keep my boat in the Cambridge, Maryland municipal marina for about $1400/yr plus elec. and no MD annual tax on boats, like Virginia. Chesapeake has 5000 miles of coastline to explore, plus easy access to the Atlantic. Lots of marinas around to find work. But it is hot and humid in the summer, very few hurricaines make it this far north, and very few tornados.

[jrambo316]

Originally Posted by virginia boy

What did you like about New Bern?

Cool little historic town on water. Close enough to ocean to go to beach for the day. Lots of great places within day or weekend drive. Five hours from beautiful Blue Ridge mountains in Boone. Great universities within three hours. Convenient spoke airport. Affordable golf. Far enough from ocean to be hurricane safe. Winter not harsh. Summer not harsh except a month or so. Go to mountains then! Loved it!

[jrambo316]

Also for op, Hatteras Yachts in New Bern. Maybe they would be interested in your skills.

[prof_mariner]

@jrambo316 - Hatteras laid off a bunch of people in '09 and as far as I know hasn't rehired yet. I know several guys here who used to work for them who now work elsewhere. Unemployment for the area is around 12% (and over 20% in Dare County) so work is not easily found, and what work you will find won't pay well. Most jobs are only part time and those pay less than $10/hour. While most of the country is starting to recover from the recession, this area (I live in Morehead City, 45 minutes from New Bern) is still solidly in the dumps economically. I know lots of skilled workers who haven't found work in over 12 months. New Bern is a nice, small, city (Beaufort, NC is even nicer in my opinion) but unless you have some other means of income (retirement, etc.) an outsider will very likely have a hard time finding a good job.

[jrambo316]

Originally Posted by prof_mariner

@jrambo316 - Hatteras laid off a bunch of people in '09 and as far as I know hasn't rehired yet. I know several guys here who used to work for them who now work elsewhere. Unemployment for the area is around 12% (and over 20% in Dare County) so work is not easily found, and what work you will find won't pay well. Most jobs are only part time and those pay less than $10/hour. While most of the country is starting to recover from the recession, this area (I live in Morehead City, 45 minutes from New Bern) is still solidly in the dumps economically. I know lots of skilled workers who haven't found work in over 12 months. New Bern is a nice, small, city (Beaufort, NC is even nicer in my opinion) but unless you have some other means of income (retirement, etc.) an outsider will very likely have a hard time finding a good job.

I read that they were coming back. Anyway, I would still move back in a heartbeat!

"Only a year and half ago, Hatteras Yachts had 198 employees. Last year there were 300 employees and now there are 540, Meyer said."

Workload brisk as Hatteras adds Cabo line | hatteras, yachts, cabo - Local News, Weather and Breaking Stories in North Carolina - Sun Journal - newbernsj.com

[Gelfling]

Originally Posted by Hud3

The best compromise for what you're looking for is probably the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia. The winters aren't too bad there. August will be uncomfortably hot and humid; no getting around that. The sailing is great. You'll never in a lifetime be able to gunkhole all the rivers and little creeks that fringe the Bay. Deltaville, VA has a number of marinas where you could find work. There's a nice RV park at Topping, VA, on the Rappahannock River for your Fifth Wheel.

HUD must be from this area because he is spot on. If you are keeping the 5th wheel and then getting a boat as an addition, this area may be just the right thing for ya! You can use the 5th wheel for the colder months (Jan-Feb) and for the hotter months (Sept-Aug). But there are many that just close up and turn on the heat/AC while onboard for these months. Of course the winters are getting warmer by the year. I winterized in Jan and two weeks later I wish I hadn't! But I don't think the spring or fall sailing can be beat!

If you can stand to take two month breaks about every 6 months....you can attempt to gunkhole all the rivers and creeks on the bay...but you probably wont be able too!

[Hud3]

Originally Posted by Gelfling

HUD must be from this area because he is spot on...

Yup. Used to live on Tabbs Creek, which is on Fleets Bay north of Windmill Point.

[zeehag]

gulf coast and caribean are good places.....no snow.

[rwells36]

Boat manufactures, hurricane hole, low cost of living, access to Bahamas and the ICW (though summers can be warm) = Palm Coast FL

[Suijin]

Originally Posted by djmarchand

We just retired to Oriental, NC after looking at everything from Annapolis to Charleston. Jobs may be a bit easier on the middle Chesapeake, like Solomons or Deltaville. Oriental is kind of clickish and probably pays less than jobs in those places.

Labor rates here in Oriental are about 80% of what they are in Annapolis, but the cost of living is also significantly lower as well. There are also more limited job opportunities; basically Deaton's and Sailcraft. That said, they may both be looking for mechanics right now. There are a ton of residents in Oriental that are from somewhere else so the town is accepting of outsiders. It's just about the friendliest place I've ever been, honestly.

The upside to Oriental is very mild winters and it's south of the freeze line. The downside is August is virtually unbearable. Spring and fall are amazing.

Annapolis is a great town to live and work in. It's sailing crazy with a huge percentage of the economy being driven by it. It's 40 minutes to Washington DC, or Baltimore, close to BWI. It's probably the best overall compromise between winter cold and summer heat, although you could argue it's th worst of both. North enough to have a real cold winter in a cold snap and south enough to get torched in summer. And the humidity can be off the hook. Again, spring and fall are wonderful.

As a native Long Islander, I think Long Island Sound is a pretty spectacular place to sail. In terms of actual sailing, the Chesapeake does not even come close. Better wind, way cleaner water, cooler summer temperatures on all fronts. If I were looking to move I would give it a close look, probably eastern Connecticut/RI/Massachusetts.

[prof_mariner]

Oriental has "mild winters"? Where were you for the past 4 months?

[1affiah]

If you are looking for work, maybe there is a marine trades publication that goes out to all of the marinas, boatyards etc. you could look at the Help Wanted ads or post a Situation Wanted Ad. It might help to narrow down the choices.

[Suijin]

Originally Posted by prof_mariner

Oriental has "mild winters"? Where were you for the past 4 months?

Oh come on. It got into the 20s a few nights and snowed maybe twice and the snow was gone in a day. I call that mild, but everything is relative.

Sure as heck milder than Annapolis that’s for sure.

[thomm225]

Looks like the original post was about this time of year but in 2012 .......

It appears Bob and Sharon are still debating the move in Washington State.