Cruisers Forum
 


Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on Cruisers Forums. Advertise Here
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 05-06-2016, 11:22   #1
Registered User

Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 847
Liveaboard families in Houston, TX?

Hi folks, new to the forum here. My wife and I decided about January this year that we wanted to join the cruising life with our 3 daughters. We are in the process of selling our house and looking for a sailboat. Just curious if there are any other liveaboard families in the Houston area we could hook up with and get a glimpse of the life? Maybe just some friendly chat and / or advice, but not ruling out making good friends either!
sailingunity is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2016, 12:14   #2
RTB
Registered User
 
RTB's Avatar

Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Home port Kemah, TX Currently in Brunswick Georgia
Boat: Hunter 36
Posts: 1,524
Images: 2
Re: Liveaboard families in Houston, TX?

Quote:
Originally Posted by sailingunity View Post
Hi folks, new to the forum here. My wife and I decided about January this year that we wanted to join the cruising life with our 3 daughters. We are in the process of selling our house and looking for a sailboat. Just curious if there are any other liveaboard families in the Houston area we could hook up with and get a glimpse of the life? Maybe just some friendly chat and / or advice, but not ruling out making good friends either!
Be sure to check out the marinas before you buy a sailboat and move aboard. Our home port is Kemah, but left there in 2013 to go cruising. Our old marina (Watergate) no longer allows liveaboards unless the vessel is over 40'. Not much actual cruising happening in Texas from what I can see. Sure, plenty of dock parties and day sailing on the bay, but really no good cruising destinations.

The Kemah/Clear Lake area is good for getting set up to go cruising though. There are a fair number of Texas boats cruising the Bahamas, and here on the east coast currently.

Best wishes, and hope this works out for you. It is a good life.

Ralph
RTB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2016, 17:28   #3
Registered User

Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 847
Re: Liveaboard families in Houston, TX?

Ralph, thanks for the helpful advice! I figured it would be tough to find, but was hoping there might be some other families in transition or maybe even folks that just liveaboard and work in Houston.
sailingunity is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-06-2016, 03:36   #4
Senior Cruiser
 
GordMay's Avatar

Cruisers Forum Supporter

Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Thunder Bay, Ontario - 48-29N x 89-20W
Boat: (Cruiser Living On Dirt)
Posts: 49,138
Images: 241
Re: Liveaboard families in Houston, TX?

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, sailingunity.
__________________
Gord May
"If you didn't have the time or money to do it right in the first place, when will you get the time/$ to fix it?"



GordMay is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 06-06-2016, 09:01   #5
Registered User

Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Kemah, TX (Houston)
Boat: Hunter 27
Posts: 16
Images: 2
Re: Liveaboard families in Houston, TX?

Good morning. We live in the Kemah area and have a sailboat at the Kemah Boardwalk Marina. Several liveaboards here. Send me an email and we can connect for lunch or a time that works for you and I can make some introductions. I'm on the boat much of the time so my schedule is flexible.
mwells is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-06-2016, 09:05   #6
Sponsoring Vendor
 
YachtBroker's Avatar

Join Date: May 2015
Location: Kemah, Texas
Boat: Ex: 2006 Catalina 350 Now: 04 Mainship 400
Posts: 205
Send a message via Skype™ to YachtBroker
Re: Liveaboard families in Houston, TX?

I'm on vacation for a few more days on my boat in Florida but I'm a broker in Texas and have an office in waterford harbor. If you'd like to send me an email to my direct email below, when I get back on thursday I could send you an email I send to new boat owners that has all the marinas in there.
Basically, waterford harbor is the nicest marina here for living aboard with the amenities it has and a lot of live aboards. If you'd be inclined, joining Lakewood Yacht Club, there is a lot of kid sailing and activities and a few live aboards there, but probably none full time with kids. Everything is really close here and easy to get too. Slips are HALF what they are in Florida.
__________________
Kent Little, CPYB
Kent@LittleYachtSales.com
1983-2021-Over 38 Years of Professional Yacht Sales
Direct line-713-817-7216--Houston Texas
YachtBroker is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-06-2016, 09:52   #7
Registered User
 
liveaboard60's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Corpus Christi, Texas
Boat: Hunter 26.5 (for now <grin>)
Posts: 117
Re: Liveaboard families in Houston, TX?

Quote:
Originally Posted by RTB View Post
<snip>
Our old marina (Watergate) no longer allows liveaboards unless the vessel is over 40'. Not much actual cruising happening in Texas from what I can see. Sure, plenty of dock parties and day sailing on the bay, but really no good cruising destinations.

<snip>
Ralph
As I understand it, you can live aboard on vessels shorter than 40 feet as long as you lease a 40' (or larger) slip. They do allow for "weekenders" or 3 or less days a week for all boats as I have a little Hunter 26.5 I keep there and very often spend the weekend aboard..

flk k
liveaboard60 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-06-2016, 09:55   #8
Registered User
 
SV Liberty's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Houston, Texas
Boat: Morgan Out Island 416
Posts: 157
Images: 1
Re: Liveaboard families in Houston, TX?

Sent a PM.
SV Liberty is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-06-2016, 10:18   #9
Registered User

Join Date: Apr 2012
Boat: Lagoon 450
Posts: 149
Re: Liveaboard families in Houston, TX?

Ditto RTB.

Kemah is a good place to learn, but Galveston Bay will get small over time and if you catch the "passion" you'll want better cruising destinations.

Saying that we got started in a Kemah sailing school, then joined a Kemah time share program and learned we loved the life style. We eventually bought a Lagoon catamaran, took delivery in France through a Kemah broker and never looked backed.

While living in Houston, Kemah allowed us to take baby steps along the way, instead of giving up everything and diving in head first.
sailingforfun is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-06-2016, 11:23   #10
RTB
Registered User
 
RTB's Avatar

Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Home port Kemah, TX Currently in Brunswick Georgia
Boat: Hunter 36
Posts: 1,524
Images: 2
Re: Liveaboard families in Houston, TX?

Quote:
Originally Posted by liveaboard60 View Post
As I understand it, you can live aboard on vessels shorter than 40 feet as long as you lease a 40' (or larger) slip. They do allow for "weekenders" or 3 or less days a week for all boats as I have a little Hunter 26.5 I keep there and very often spend the weekend aboard..

flk k
Pauline didn't offer me that option, and we had been there for 4 years. They grandfathered in the liveaboards that were there when they changed the rules, but since we weren't liveaboards at the time, that didn't apply. We had to leave. It may have changed since 2012, but as I said to the OP, check with the marinas before buying a boat to live on. There are some in the Kemah/Clear Lake area like Legend Point, Waterford, Seabrook, and the Board Walk.

We came back to Texas in 2014 for awhile, and stayed at Harbor Walk in Hitchcock. Also at Cove Harbor in Rockport. but you kind of need to know someone there or you might be turned away. Last I checked, the marina in Port Aransas was no longer accepting new liveaboards. Again, that may have changed again.

Ralph
RTB is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
houston, liveaboard

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Looking for Liveaboard Families with Kids Landfish Liveaboard's Forum 7 19-08-2014 14:36
Looking for Liveaboard Marina Near Houston, TX Zephyr's Aura Liveaboard's Forum 1 30-08-2009 21:09
Any Families in Malta this Winter ? Dhamma Europe & Mediterranean 0 25-09-2008 10:23
Looking for Cruising Families in the VI Tspringer Atlantic & the Caribbean 3 28-03-2008 19:56

Advertise Here


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 07:04.


Google+
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Social Knowledge Networks
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.

ShowCase vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.