Looking for live aboard marina gulf coast

[pondering65]

Hello everyone

Looking to retire in 2 years. Looking for a live aboard marina to call our home. Things like post office box ability, internet, pump out, etc. Will be in and out of marina while we get our full sea legs and will venture icw for a good year before extending our way to Bahamas then southward.. Open to all input and it is much appreciated as we have started making our plans and now time to be educated by the great people living the live aboard lifestyle.

[Garrettw]

You need to decide where in the Gulf in particular. You can choose the blue water / white sand side and pay a premium or you can choose the brown water side and get a deal. Others will chime in with their own local knowledge, here is mine: Galveston Bay Area has the biggest collection of marinas and services in the Gulf. Cruising is decent but a lot of the neat stuff is more than a day sail away and the water is never beautiful. Main draw here is access to the Houston economy and large protected bay. Very cheap place to live, even on a boat.


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[j24jaded]

Look at Pasadena Marina in St Petersburg FL
You may never want to leave...)

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, pondering.

[UNCIVILIZED]

Other than doing basic online searches, isn't there a Marina Finder type, specific search engine (or ten) for finding good places that folks & their boats can call home?

One other option that comes to mind is to find out what free (electronic, & or paper) monthly marine periodicals are published in an area. And then peruse said journals for leads, & or contact the publishers directly with your queries.
Usually they have the inside scoop on the local boating "mafia", aka, marine service providers.

Ditto on finding out what yacht clubs are in your target area, & thinking up what might be your best options to use them as resources, prior to contacting them. Including a list of key questions/checklist to get answered about the various presented/dug up candidates which you or they find.

It can't hurt to do a little bit of screening on your new home, knock on wood.

[Leo Ticheli]

I recommend you check out Palafox in Pensacola; it's a short walk to almost everything you could want, restaurants, shops, the courthouse, galleries, etc.

Big street market on Saturdays, many nighttime events with the street closed to vehicles, music, food, and fun.

The bay offers excellent sailing with good places nearby to anchor out and pretty quick access to the Gulf.

The facility is in great shape with floating docks, but the restrooms, though clean, have only one toilet and shower. That's the only negative I know of.

Palafox Pier

Fair winds,

Leo

[Hawkeye]

There is Parrot Cove in Cortez, part of Bradenton. Just off the Intracoastal, quiet and good people there.

[RainDog]

We have done the Gulf Coast from Corpus to Key West. The places that stand out to me are:

- Kemah, TX: one of the best places to outfit. Tons of marinas and marine services. Tons of sailors and social activities.
- Gulfport, MS to Mobile, AL: gulf islands are about the best area for short mini cruises. Beautiful, lots of anchorages, semi protected water, and plenty of interesting stops.
- Pensacola, FL: Pensacola bay must be the best spot for day sailing on the coast. Deep, beautiful, and surrounded by great anchorages. Also good spot for short offshore trips to other great places.

[lan rivers]

The marina nearest to Treasure Island is the best. I stayed there for 6 mo. And had a great time as friends from up N. Came down to sail with me. Had a post box with address walking distance from marina. Cost was 6. A foot for liveaboard. Sure it's more now. It was like a family as we all sat out on dock to watch the Vikings play on Sunday *some of us were from MN. You have to try it. Beach is across the bridge. We used hot tub at hotel as long as we ordered food or drinks they said it was ok. Enjoy.

[patn44]

Many marinas (all new since Katrina....and mostly empty since a large percentage of the boats were destroyed) in the Mississippi and Alabama even Florida coasts are allowing liveaboard again. Might try Pass Chrisitian, Gulfport, Biloxi Ms, Barbours Marine on the ICW/Alabama, The Warf same location and Palafox in Pensacola.

[spraygun]

Originally Posted by pondering65

Hello everyone

Looking to retire in 2 years. Looking for a live aboard marina to call our home. Things like post office box ability, internet, pump out, etc. Will be in and out of marina while we get our full sea legs and will venture icw for a good year before

Corpus Christi city marina has all of the things you you listed.Dockside pump out is nice.

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[Caribbeachbum]

Originally Posted by UNCIVILIZED

Other than doing basic online searches, isn't there a Marina Finder type, specific search engine (or ten) for finding good places that folks & their boats can call home?

If you're searching by location, looking for one nearby, then yes. But if you want, for example, to find a marina with a decent monthly rate that allows liveaboards, then no. At least, not that I can find. I used Active Captain and traced the ICW from Ft. Lauderdale around to New Orleans, clicking on each marina, then following up the marina's website. Many don't post their prices; most don't address liveaboards at all. I think OP chose the best path to find an answer, though I wish it were different.

Edit to follow up ... None of the three marinas named so far -- Pasadena Marain, Palafox Pier, and Parrot Cove -- list their rates or liveaboard rules online. It's like they want you to just decide you like their facilities and decide to stay without caring about the price. Imagine that!

[Hawkeye]

Parrot Cove is presently about $10.00 per foot per month, but since the person asking this question is talking about two years down the road, what possible sense does today's pricing have anyway? Should I select a marina on what the costs were two years ago? Besides, having lived in several marinas, costs are certainly an important issue, but management, who your neighbors are, access to landside resources and cruising waters alike, and local politics can all make or break a location. I was in one location that blared Rush Limbaugh as much as possible, and the sycophants walked around repeating the nasty hate-speech. I don't care what your political views are, such an atmosphere does not a tropical paradise make. It is contentious and hostile. Gratefully, that location no longer tolerates liveaboards.

[sailhog]

Bay Point Marina, Panama City Beach. Quick access to the Gulf, great inlet, incredible beaches and you're removed from all of the spring break insanity.

[spraygun]

Hawkeye said
"I don't care what your political views are, such an atmosphere does not a tropical paradise make. It is contentious and hostile. Gratefully, that location no longer tolerates liveaboards."[/QUOTE]

Sounds like you might care a little bit.Please tell us the name of this place.

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