Wintering US Coast Warm Anchor

[benjiwoodboat]

Hi all,

I'm looking to take my boat south and live somewhere I can find some culture, and stay warm, AND live on the hook. I've spent two winters living aboard in New England, and its great -- but time for something new.

Anyone have any suggestions for places I can anchor and liveaboard, find good culture (theater, dance studios, yoga/gym, good music scene, etc)? I thought about going to the USVI, but I think the culture will be lacking there, and the social scene will revolve around happy hour and the bar.

I want to stay within the US for working, and ease of getting back north to see pop in the assisted living home.

Any places in FL worthwhile? GA has a no liveaboard policy. Charleston SC sounds interesting. I didn't care much for the Ft. Lauderdale/Miami area. I live in Marthas Vineyard right now, and its a great spot, plenty of culture, ex-hippy type stuff going on here...and easy living aboard.

I'm looking for a place I can anchor out, cause it's cheaper.

Thanks

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by benjiwoodboat

Hi all,

I'm looking to take my boat south and live somewhere I can find some culture, and stay warm, AND live on the hook. I've spent two winters living aboard in New England, and its great -- but time for something new.

Anyone have any suggestions for places I can anchor and liveaboard, find good culture (theater, dance studios, yoga/gym, good music scene, etc)? I thought about going to the USVI, but I think the culture will be lacking there, and the social scene will revolve around happy hour and the bar.

I want to stay within the US for working, and ease of getting back north to see pop in the assisted living home.

Any places in FL worthwhile? GA has a no liveaboard policy. Charleston SC sounds interesting. I didn't care much for the Ft. Lauderdale/Miami area. I live in Marthas Vineyard right now, and its a great spot, plenty of culture, ex-hippy type stuff going on here...and easy living aboard.

I'm looking for a place I can anchor out, cause it's cheaper.

Thanks

i had an incredibly wealthy auntie who lived in st thomas , st john and st croix. if she loved it well enough to die there then it is cultured enough for anyone.....is up to you. donot rule something out just because all the folks you know who went/go there are drinkers and have no couth. there are many things to do in virgins other than go to bars and drink.; if you donot try it, is only your loss. there are also places to anchor. but if you donot think there is enough"culture " there, stay away and save the space for me ...LOL...maybe you should go to panama.....there is a great ex-pat community there--or rio dulce......or the mediterranean ----there is even opera there--but, alas--you have to pay a tax...LOL

[Pblais]

Had friends that liked Charleston, SC but they found a cheap slip instead of anchoring. It's easier to anchor where you are far away from all the things you seem to want. Living on a boat to save money living in the city is an old idea from a long time back. Location, location, location.

[osirissail]

Charleston is a great town with an anchorage. So is Jacksonville area and St Augustine. Cocoa/Titusville gets you close to Orlando. Probably Lake Worth/Palm Beach is as far south as you can and anchor out. After that you would have to swing around to the west coast and the Tampa/St Pete areas.

[teejayevans]

Originally Posted by osirissail

Charleston is a great town with an anchorage. So is Jacksonville area and St Augustine. Cocoa/Titusville gets you close to Orlando. Probably Lake Worth/Palm Beach is as far south as you can and anchor out. After that you would have to swing around to the west coast and the Tampa/St Pete areas.

Charleston doesn't have a good anchorage close to town, it's open and
has lots of tidal current, and not much space, lots of small boat traffic.

Jacksonville has a free dock you can use, and it's inland enough with
some higher ground to provide better protection unlike most Fl anchorages.
And should have all the attractions you could want.

If you don't mind a mooring, there is Marathon (Boot Key Harbor) in
the keys, don't know about the culture.
Other ideas include Baltimore, Savannah, Wilmington, although I don't
know about the anchorages.
TJ

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by benjiwoodboat

live somewhere I can find some culture,

So you'll be leaving the USA?

[osirissail]

Now, now MarkJ - let's not introduce too much reality and common sense into these discussions or our favorite island destinations will be over-run.

[Vasco]

Vero Beach but you'll have to take a mooring, about $300 a month.

[osirissail]

Originally Posted by benjiwoodboat

Hi all,

I'm looking to take my boat south and live somewhere I can find some culture, and stay warm, AND live on the hook. I've spent two winters living aboard in New England, and its great -- but time for something new.

Anyone have any suggestions for places I can anchor and liveaboard, find good culture (theater, dance studios, yoga/gym, good music scene, etc)? I thought about going to the USVI, but I think the culture will be lacking there, and the social scene will revolve around happy hour and the bar.

Thanks

- - Back to the original questions: "Someplace warm" Well, that puts you south of Orlando. From mid-Florida north you will see freezing or near freezing weather in the winter. Definitely from Jacksonville north where I have even seen snow.
- - "Culture(...)" Well, that means close access to a major city which can support such activities because of "upscale residents" or shear population size. Orlando can be accessed from Titusville; Cocoa/Cocoa Beach; Melbourne on the east coast and St. Pete/Tampa/Clearwater on the west coast. St. Pete/Tampa/Clearwater fit your requirements for culture by themselves, but finding an anchorage area may be difficult.
-- Next southward is Lake Worth/Palm Beach on the east coast which has a major anchorage in Lake Worth and also the area south of the Lake Worth Inlet which is closer to downtown Palm Beach. On the left coast, Fort Meyers area with its major population of senior citizens may or may not fit the bill.
- - Southwards you are looking at Ft Lauderdale -> no anchorages; then Miami with disappearing anchorages but unlimited amounts of culture for very hip, mod Coconut Grove and South Beach to serious culture in downtown Miami and Miami Beach.
- - The keys are very laid back and with the USVI's are in your proscribed "happy hour and bars." Personal opinion only, what wrong with that?
- - The suggestions for Charleston and areas north of Florida put you in the cold winter zones but eliminate the Florida "Use" tax situation if you stay over a consecutive 90 day period. Enforcement is erratic and if you keep moving around you will probably never be caught. When you are caught or just have an abundance of civic morals/ethics, the cost can be minimal and if USCG documented, only means getting a little decal which costs me about $90/year for a 50ft sailboat, plus more money for any dinghies.
- - Also if you are there for more than 90 days you are talking about car and driver licenses and registering an address in the State. A huge amount of cruisers move their domicile for Federal and State purposes to Florida because the total tax situation of very minimal compared to other States along the east coast. So many cruiser do shift to Florida that there are numerous small business set up to receive your mail and provide you with an "address" if you only live on a boat.

[unbusted67]

Hey Benji I am from MV and my name is Ben too. There is no place that I know of that is like the Vineyard, the people and culture there are unreal. Unfortunately this native can't afford it there any more. It is actually my dream to someday liveaboard there.

One place that you could consider is Monterey California. It is far from tropical there but I assure there winters are nothing like what you have seen in VH. There is a very laid back NoCal, sleepy, small town vibe there, and has the whole ex hippy stigma going on. Sort of like Rockland or Camden Maine in the off season. I don't know what the mooring/anchoring situation is like there.

My mother who is also from the Vineyard swears by San Diego as cool town, I often find it to be somewhat cultureless compared to the East Coast (no tea parties here) but there is tons to do that is not Buffetesque and you have LA just to the North which is oozing culture, of course. You will probably find yourself in a marina here unless you want to sign on for the never ending nomadism of the anchor outs (strict 3 day limits in all the anchorages). And moorings are available only through killing a long line of people ahead of you.

That's all I've got, good luck. Maybe I'll see you around a bon fire in Gay Head one of these days

[TritonSailor]

Originally Posted by benjiwoodboat

Hi all,

I'm looking to take my boat south and live somewhere I can find some culture, and stay warm, AND live on the hook. I've spent two winters living aboard in New England, and its great -- but time for something new.

Anyone have any suggestions for places I can anchor and liveaboard, find good culture (theater, dance studios, yoga/gym, good music scene, etc)? I thought about going to the USVI, but I think the culture will be lacking there, and the social scene will revolve around happy hour and the bar.

I want to stay within the US for working, and ease of getting back north to see pop in the assisted living home.

Any places in FL worthwhile? GA has a no liveaboard policy. Charleston SC sounds interesting. I didn't care much for the Ft. Lauderdale/Miami area. I live in Marthas Vineyard right now, and its a great spot, plenty of culture, ex-hippy type stuff going on here...and easy living aboard.

I'm looking for a place I can anchor out, cause it's cheaper.

Thanks

There might not be tons of culture, but I've been looking into Marathon, FL. The city marina is my bet.

costs:

Mooring Balls

Anchorage

Dockage

Sorry I couldn't get more info, that's all I've been able to dig up.

Regards,

Jeff

[s/v Moondancer]

Much more culture in Coconut Grove than in Marathon, and the new mooring field is reported to be $225/month.

Phil

[TritonSailor]

Originally Posted by s/v Moondancer

Much more culture in Coconut Grove than in Marathon, and the new mooring field is reported to be $225/month.

Phil

Hey Phil,

Thank you for the info, I'm still looking. I had a thread asking for different marina's, but it wasn't a popular stop Where is cocnut grove?

Jeff

[imagine2frolic]

Coconut Grove is part of Miami with a great transit system. We used South Beach as a hub for 4 seasons, and loved it. Kind of reminded me of Rio with all the hotties. GREAT place for people watching, and finding a few hole in the wall eateries for cheap.

The Bahamas are right there, and flights often out of both areas.......i2f

[TritonSailor]

I looked up Coconut Grove, came out with a ton of marina's. Which one's have an affinity for liveaboards. Phil mentioned a marina with moorings for 225/month, which one?

thanks

Jeff