Anyone at Village Marina, The Resort in Ruskin, Florida?

[schoonerdog]

I may have the opportunity to move from Annapolis to Ruskin, Fl and my wife is very opposed to it. The marina we found which seems perfect for our life style was the Resort in Ruskin Florida. But she is scared of being isolated and along without other liveaboards. We have two kids on a 44ft St Francis Catamaran, and really community tops everything from a live aboard perspective. She also wants to be in a place (generally, not specifically the particular marina) where cruisers come through regularly, and Annapolis is good for that.

Is there anyone on the board who knows of someone living at Village Marina, The Resort in Ruskin Florida and could tell us if they have live aboards, families on boats, etc?

Thank you!

Doug

[the_alpine]

I don't live there, but across the bay in St Pete, so I can't speak to the number of liveaboards, but I think your wife may be right.

Ruskin is a pretty small town. The median age in that area is beyond retirement.

St Pete would be great for the kids especially.


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[WindwardPrinces]

It's not going to compare to Annapolis.

[schoonerdog]

We liked the fact that it was surrounded by a nature preserve, that seemed to be very high on her list of priorities. I was excited about St Pete, but we've heard that the municipal marina can have a lot of strangers roaming through and that the marina's don't really have green space as part of the marina, which kids really need to play on. Definitely looking for a family marina in the Tampa area which is good for kids. Some of the marina's we checked, such as twin dolphins have a per person live-aboard fee. So the cost of the slip may be 700 a month, but the live aboard fee for a family of 4 was another 700. If there are families with kids in the marinas there, that would be a big plus....especially if they were looking at buddy boating to places like Cuba or the Bahamas for a couple weeks.

[Lizzy Belle]

Originally Posted by schoonerdog

So the cost of the slip may be 700 a month, but the live aboard fee for a family of 4 was another 700.

Sorry,

.. but I am still completely in shock at the slip and liveaboard fees in the US.

More on topic (tho not very helpful ): I do understand your wife's concerns about being isolated. One of the reasons I like where I'm currently living is that there are plenty of other liveaboards around, especially in winter.

Only one or two boats with young kids tho, which is hard on the few young ones we do have running around.

[schoonerdog]

I wouldn't rank Annapolis really that high as a live aboard place really.. if you look at wanting to go out on your boat when it's less than 90 or warmer than 40, we only have about 120 days that qualify as good weather. The Chesapeake is on the EPAs most polluted water ways list with very turbid water and visibility of less than a few inches. Fishing can be scary with fish diseases, the commute is the worst in the country if you work in DC (which most do), and the DC area is very much a "work first/last and always" type of area (NOT family friendly). To live aboard anywhere where the temperature drops down into the low teens is brutal and crime is surprisingly high, often with crime rates similar to Baltimore (Annapolis has more concentrated poverty in low income housing projects than any other city its size).

[schoonerdog]

Yes, the liveaboard fees were extreme in twin dolphins. Highest I've ever heard of in 18 years as a liveaboard, and by a factor of 2 or more. I think its prices were $200 per person for the first two and then $150 per person after that. It did literally double the slip payment. In Annapolis it's about $150 per boat. I don't think it works in the marinas favor because the fees force a demographic catering more to single guys living on a boat drinking off their last divorce than families with kids. It creates a very different atmosphere, and not necessarily a good one.

[Tampabayfireman]

Ok St Pete Marina is not, I repeat not a bad place to raise kids. I have been in St Pete Marina now on 7 years and manage to keep my sanity With raising 2 kids that were 10 and 12 when we moved here. On one dock alone over 30 live aboard with kids at least on two now was 4 a couple yrs ago. Locked gates, security and cameras, and on south docks a bridge keeps nearly all at bay. Fees are not bad at all and the problem issues are no diff than other municipal marinas. As a. Bonus everything is walking distance downtown. Yes we get short term cruisers thru and others like us trying to escape but if I had no wish to travel I would park it right here.


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[schoonerdog]

TampaBayFireman- local knowledge is best knowledge...that's very good to know. We have a 44ft catamaran, so sometimes that is a limiting factor. Thank you soo much!

[JTHAW]

schooner...if you can arrange it St Pete municipal Marina and the immediate surroundings is a great place to liveaboard. You and your wife will like it...so will the kids...Ruskin...not so much...
St Pete=Great place, Great surroundings...large boating community....go there...

[schoonerdog]

thank you! We have a catamaran, and the marina manager there said there isn't a likely spot opening up for years for a catamaran. Ah well...