Need to Hear from Florida Liveaboards

[PamlicoTraveler]

Other than worrying about hurricanes, the Keys would seem to be a great climate.
Never hot, never cold

[Hudson Force]

Sparklegirl..., Sure, there's no offense from your inquiry and obviously there are plenty ready to complain with the same sport that people use to describe even the best cafeteria food. My wife and I have been living aboard in Florida since 1973 with great success and joy. Having grown up in Florida, I did not require adapting and therefore, I might not see some of the negatives that others are less accepting of,- hurricanes, giant roaches, humidity. There are many regions, subcultures, big-cities & wilderness, tiki-bar marinas & fish camps..... I can't help but believe that those with the strongest reponse to your question have the least to offer. Please feel free to ask specific questions here or with a pm. Schipperkes are certainly welcome in Florida!

[PattyHamilton]

I grew up in SW Florida and went to college at USF in Tampa. I love, love, love Florida and plan to return on a boat when I retire in July. My question for full time Florida boater is about insurance. Right now our insurance with BoatUS requires us to be north of Florida during hurricane season June - Nov 30! What insurance are you all using?
Thanks,

Patty

[spostamento nobile]

I grew up in Florida, and have lived aboard twice (2yrs) out of the 35+ years I was there.
You will get paid less & work more.
You will scream daily @ other drivers.
You will sweat. A lot. B.O. doesn't fly there.
People, on the whole, compaired to other places, aren't very educated. The public school system has been in the bottom 5 of the country for almost 20 years.
Fat people do not enjoy the same quality of life as skinny people.
Always watch your #$$ when dealing with any kind of money, business, finance, everything $. It's a pirate state for sure.
ALWAYS have uninsured motorist insurance. No Exceptions.
If you want to really fit in, learn Spanish.
Always always always get any water/AC rates @ slips/marinas in writing. Some places more than dbl the rates.
People come down to Fla to blow off steam, have a good time, and party/relax. That has leaked into the fabric of everyday life in the vacation spots. Going out to Ybor on Friday means Going Out To YBOR. Some people get caught up in it and party all the time.
Drugs are plentiful & cheap. Perscription drugs are out of hand. Coke is brought into the country through our docks & ports. Pot is grown, imported, and everywhere. There is even a thriving Rave scene. Things to consider raising children here.
You can live a pretty good life in most coastal areas, but you have to hustle. I saved $10k in 7 months waiting tables, but I had to work it. Not work, but work IT.
There are also Tons of empty slips in peoples' back yards. A couple of days of looking, meeting & greeting, and you can get a deal.
I lived on Clearwater Beach, with no heating/cooling for 3 years. It is completly doable. Bug screens on the other hand are not up for debate. Get them, use them, have spares & Skin So Soft. Or die.
Miami and so forth are the most expensive places. Stuart, Clearwater-Tampa-St. Petersburg, Ft. Myers, Venice & others are cheaper, and still have the atmosphere you are looking for.
If you work in the Hospitality industy you will always have a job. Same for cutters & stylists. The I.T. industry took a hard punch to the face a couple of years ago, so don't expect anything there.
Food is fantastic anyplace in Florida. Though I am not sure how the oilspill will effect that.
Don't expect to talk your way out of a bar fight. It won't happen.
Always lock locks.
Don't get me wrong, I love my home state, but it is a strange place with a LOT of energy, some flows good, some flows bad. It's easy to rebuild your life in Fla, but it's also real easy to screw it up too if you aren't careful.

[capngeo]

Originally Posted by PamlicoTraveler

Other than worrying about hurricanes, the Keys would seem to be a great climate.
Never hot, never cold

Never say NEVER!

Her concern was relevant to hurricanes, and I think I answered it for her

[hellosailor]

Are Miami and Chicago the only major cities where the authorities routinely ask folks "Do not shoot your guns in the air on New Years! The falling bullets kill people!"

Yes, that's a problem in SE Florida. Don't recall hearing it in Boston or Newark or NYC, maybe I missed that.

And I think Key West died when the cruise ships made it a stopover point. Nothing like having two cruise ships come into port at once, and FIVE THOUSAND TOURISTS all hitting the same streets at the same time. Probably great for business if you own one there though.

Florida must have been nice, in the 50's. Could still be real nice, if they'd only drain the swamp and put a dome over the southern half of it. <VBG>

[keyspc]

im looking all around me and i just dont see what the snow birds are ranting about!

• been in three huricanes. Seen more damage done by northen boats and near misses and im somewhere near fifty but getting younger each year.
• only time i was a "victim" of violent crime it was a guy from Michigen done it.
• Ya'all welcome but,, I dont want to hear how they do it there, i drive just fine, lawds sake ise do declare its a might warm out, and if you dont like alligators i do, preferleby lightly fried. Oh and yes i was here first!
• y'all dont spell that good either- i got two kids in school boths schools are A rated. 'cept the damn yankee kids wont pull up there britchs
• i fished for a living most my life, till some damn yank said we caught to many, they still dont how to catch a fish even ifn ya flung one at 'em
• it aint free here any more than it is there
• learn spanish. hell i cant understand what the tarnation yall trying to say anyway. What kinda of talk is that? aint your mama had no soap?

So hey, if you want to come on down we allways got room for one more, now pass me that plate o grits

[02buster]

I worked in Ft Lauderdale and had my boat at the Hollywood city marina. and it is that bad. You have to lock your door when you pump gas or you will get robbed. two murders hit very close to my daily activities. One was a gas station that I usually stop at to get my morning coffee. 5 am the guy behind the counter was shot dead. The next was some one was shot dead at the taco bell drive through on Oakland park blvd right next to lowes. I go to lowes alot. and some times get lunch at taco bell.


there is no reason to even go to Miami. ft Lauderdale is one big ghetto with pockets of really rich people. there is no middle class. its either your rich or dirt poor begging on the street. every single intersection and off ramp has someone begging. The tourist areas are safe but if you live there and have to go all over town its a poop hole of a place. Watch the evening news for a solid week and you will understand.

That being said if you only go to specific places at certain times of the day you will be ok. the marine industry is awesome.

[Don1500]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

"Do not shoot your guns in the air on New Years! The falling bullets kill people!"

July 4th, Cinco De Mayo, anybody's birthday in the Bario, Friday night, rush hour, I LOVE L.A.

[s/vfootloose]

LOL O2buster I was born and raised in S Fl. I have lived in Broward county for the last 30 + years. I was born in Dade county and raised in Hialeah. All my family live in Broward county in middle class areas. None of us have been robbed or assulted. I have managed doughnut shops here for 30 years most 24 hr. stores. None of them have been robbed. The Taco Bell you refered to the mgr knew the person let him in before store hrs and he robbed and shot her. Every area has ghettos most folks know that you are likely to get in trouble there. Probably even happens in Denver. Seems I remember one of the Broncos getting popped there a couple of years ago. The old saying down here was(is) the difference between yankees and damn yankees is yankees come down spend their money and go home. Damn yankees come down and stay.lol

[teejayevans]

Originally Posted by PattyHamilton

I grew up in SW Florida and went to college at USF in Tampa. I love, love, love Florida and plan to return on a boat when I retire in July. My question for full time Florida boater is about insurance. Right now our insurance with BoatUS requires us to be north of Florida during hurricane season June - Nov 30! What insurance are you all using?
Thanks,

Patty

US Boat will insurance for year around residency. Its expensive of course.
Tom

[capngeo]

Progressive gave me the best rates.... well they were the ONLY one who would write it other than LLoyds/B/US

[colemj]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

Are Miami and Chicago the only major cities where the authorities routinely ask folks "Do not shoot your guns in the air on New Years! The falling bullets kill people!"

No, that request goes out in Detroit every year also.

Mark

[Khagan1227]

We'll no one mentioned the Panhandle area. I'm partial to St. George's Island, Panama City and Ft Walton Beach area.

Compared to Orlando, where I once lived, the Panhandle is a dream. There is less traffic, fewer tourists, and as a result, MUCH less crime. The prices are more moderate as well and the people are much more friendly there.

The closer you get to Tallahassee, the less of an impact hurricanes have due to their rotation. The last hurricane to hit near there was Kate (cat II) that hit Jt. Joe in 1985, most of the damage was from flooding. Lighting is not as big of a problem there as it is in the Tampa/Orlando area.

The weather can get cold there in the winter, you'll usually see a week or so of tempertures dropping into the mid 20's, but usually the temperatuire warms up to the 50's or 60's during the day. It will get hot and humid in the summer, but nothing comapred to Orlando, Tampa and Miami.

If you like to fish, the fishing around there is great.

Boat slips in PC are is as little as $200/mo for a 40ft boat. There are several anchorages along the coast. You must be mindful of the depth of the water, there are a lot of sandbars. If you are interested, you can get a lot of information from Activecapitain.com (of whom I have no affiliation with, personal gain, etc)

Anyone from the Nature Coast have an input?

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by PattyHamilton

I grew up in SW Florida and went to college at USF in Tampa. I love, love, love Florida and plan to return on a boat when I retire in July. My question for full time Florida boater is about insurance. Right now our insurance with BoatUS requires us to be north of Florida during hurricane season June - Nov 30! What insurance are you all using?
Thanks,

Patty

Progressive lets me keep a boat here all year. I live here and lots of boats live here year round too. Maybe you have to have a FL address? St Brendands?

And Khagen. I have been thinking of that area for myself.