Florida Dock Rant

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by DotDun

The problem with floating docks are hurricane winds. Comparing floating vs. fixed, the ratio of pilings per foot of deck or boat is what 12 to 1? In a hurricane, I'd much rather have 12 pilings to tie off to than 1 holding both boats and dock. In big winds, it's all about how many 'anchors' you have.

Of course ... but the tourists don't come during hurricane season and so don't have to worry about that.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Seaduction

Floating docks would have been nice here, especially when the water was higher. My boat was here for several years and floated through this 2003 Hurricane Isabel event.

Floating docks THAT CAN SURVIVE A HURRICANE would have been great. We had just a glancing blow in 2004 and lost an entire marina of floating docks.

[Blue Stocking]

Originally Posted by DotDun

The problem with floating docks are hurricane winds. Comparing floating vs. fixed, the ratio of pilings per foot of deck or boat is what 12 to 1? In a hurricane, I'd much rather have 12 pilings to tie off to than 1 holding both boats and dock. In big winds, it's all about how many 'anchors' you have.

--and not to mention the foreshore encroachment license fees, and the mooring and chain maintainance.

Bin dere, dun dat!!

[Unicorn Dreams]

He might like sailing in little circles on a lake and is skeered to sail a straight course for hours on end.

Or, he doesn't know how to properly tie his boat up...

[cabo_sailor]

I've had my boat at the same Florida marina for 16+ years and they are not floating docks and are darned skinny. Part of that is because when the marina was built boats were smaller with less beam. Another part is that putting the pilings down was not a matter of pressure washing into the mud, holes had to be drilled into limestone. A final part is that there are a lot of environmentalist hurdles to overcome down here just to get the permits for a floating dock.

I've known the owner of the marina for a long time and he has no problem with putting in floating docks but the wet slips aren't full (there used to be a waiting list), about 2-3 boats per week are being repossessed from his high and dry. He simply cannot afford it. Some years ago he was going to clear out a spot on the shore for a dinghy dock. The fee for the environmental consultants alone was over $15K. So no dinghy dock.

Nope, there are floating docks available around here but I doubt you will get one for $600/mo. Instead you will simply have to learn to properly tie up in a tidal environment or in my case a tidal environment with a multi-knot river current either adding or subtracting to your problems. If you want a real thrill try tying up at the Crow's Nest Marina in Venice Florida on a summer day when the tide is running. I'll almost guarantee a change of underwear will be in order. A ripping tidal current perpendicular to the slips and three zillion wave runners and small boats all blocking your maneuverability. One time it took me five tries to get into a slip and it wasn't the one they assigned. Now I call ahead to determine when there is slack water.

Have fun, try not to hit my boat or any others and learn to deal with tides and currents.

Rich

[markpierce]

There are plenty of berths consisting of cement floating docks available here in Vallejo, CA. Pricing example: $366 a month for a 44-foot-long berth, electricity and water included.

[READY2GO]

Originally Posted by markpierce

There are plenty of berths consisting of cement floating docks available here in Vallejo, CA. Pricing example: $366 a month for a 44-foot-long berth, electricity and water included.

My point exactly. It's what you get for the money you spend. If I was buying a house in Florida I would be laughing and saying what a streal I got. It is a buyers market. It is not a buyers market for a slip.

[bella]

Originally Posted by READY2GO

My point exactly. It's what you get for the money you spend. If I was buying a house in Florida I would be laughing and saying what a streal I got. It is a buyers market. It is not a buyers market for a slip.

Disagreee on the slip part here in central fla... marinas that traditionally have long waiting lists have open slips all the time lately. I was stunned to find that out at a meeting over anchoring a few weeks back.
I can also tell you that I have seen more abandoned with the hin numbers sawzalled off boats than I ever have...

[Vasco]

[QUOTE=bella;821197]Disagreee on the slip part here in central fla... marinas that traditionally have long waiting lists have open slips all the time lately.


But the prices don't seem to be coming down. Some even are going up!!

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by markpierce

There are plenty of berths consisting of cement floating docks available here in Vallejo, CA. Pricing example: $366 a month for a 44-foot-long berth, electricity and water included.

Those pilings are not high enough for Florida storm surge.

[Therapy]

[QUOTE=Vasco;821215]

Originally Posted by bella

Disagreee on the slip part here in central fla... marinas that traditionally have long waiting lists have open slips all the time lately.


But the prices don't seem to be coming down. Some even are going up!!

Yep.
....

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by READY2GO

It amazes me what people will put up with. We are from up north. All the docks are floating, they have to be. Rivers go up and down as much as 20 or 25 feet. No big deal. You make your docks to float, and you put CLEATS on them for people to tie up to. The fingers go out 15 or 20 feet, sometimes longer. In our travels in Florida so far we have found one place that had floating docks.

It is so much easier to put fenders on and have real protection from jerks leaving big wakes when tied to a dock that stays at the same place on your hull no matter the tide.

You would think for the amount of money you have to pay here for dockage that they would put a little more into construction. "Hey bubba let's go sink six telephone poles in the mud, put a 3' long finger pier in and charge em $600 a month"

Yeah, yeah, I know if you don't like it go back where you came from. No it's too cold there. I will continue on south though.

Okay, rant over.

Ready2go,

I agree to some extent.

Florida is a tourist state and things are expensive.

I am against pilings and use two 6' boards. The springs have to be perfect so the boards don't catch under a piling after they slide past the piling. PIA.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Therapy

Ready2go,

I agree to some extent.

Florida is a tourist state and things are expensive.

I am against pilings and use two 6' boards. The springs have to be perfect so the boards don't catch under a piling after they slide past the piling. PIA.

My fender boards are sooo simple -- two pieces of pvc pipes with caps on them, holes drilled for the lines. They each lay against two vertically hung fenders.

They're all on clips that make them easy to reposition as needed. They cost next to nothing, and don't weigh much, so they're easy to stow away when not needed.

[bella]

[QUOTE=Vasco;821215]

Originally Posted by bella

Disagreee on the slip part here in central fla... marinas that traditionally have long waiting lists have open slips all the time lately.


But the prices don't seem to be coming down. Some even are going up!!

So you want marina's to lower prices when their expenses have either not changed or gone up? Insurance is expensive as is maintainence.. Empty slips cut into the bottom line. Most marinas don't have a high profit margin. The fact is that less people can afford to own a luxury item like a boat at the moment.

In the past 3 weeks I have seen a number of boats pulled out of the water along gandy blvd. One I photographed for project for my photography class.. from the looks of the barnacle growth it cannot have been abandoned more than a couple of weeks in weedon island bay.. stripped and its HIN numbers sawzalled off.. times are tough.

I have a personal pet peeve at people who move to the state I love and then proceed to whine about all the things they dislike about this state and then tell me how much better it was wherever it was they came from. The truth is that IF it was all that much better they would still be there. I am sure our erstwhile complainer would have a hissy fit and fall in it IF they had to drop a hook and then back into a space between two other boats with only fenders to each side to separate the boats. quay to the stern and that is how you get off the boat.. its the shoehorning in that is puckering.

BTDT at the crows nest... gave up and went to the anchorage around the corner. snagged a crab trap that some idjit set right on the end of the channel.. and we were just past the no wake zone so all the powerboat jockeys could not wait to power up the second the stern cleared that piling.. rocked us right onto a shoal. Boat US took three hrs to get to us and 10 min to pull us off.. I was in no mood to cook..so we went to the crows nest for supper only to have bad gas screw up the outboard.. you have no lived until you have rowed a RIB against the current back to the anchorage.. note: I take it all in stride and with humor. If I wanted safe and quiet Iwould sit at home in a rocker.

[Rakuflames]

[QUOTE=bella;821260]

Originally Posted by Vasco

So you want marina's to lower prices when their expenses have either not changed or gone up? Insurance is expensive as is maintainence.. Empty slips cut into the bottom line. Most marinas don't have a high profit margin. The fact is that less people can afford to own a luxury item like a boat at the moment.

In the past 3 weeks I have seen a number of boats pulled out of the water along gandy blvd. One I photographed for project for my photography class.. from the looks of the barnacle growth it cannot have been abandoned more than a couple of weeks in weedon island bay.. stripped and its HIN numbers sawzalled off.. times are tough.

I have a personal pet peeve at people who move to the state I love and then proceed to whine about all the things they dislike about this state and then tell me how much better it was wherever it was they came from. The truth is that IF it was all that much better they would still be there. I am sure our erstwhile complainer would have a hissy fit and fall in it IF they had to drop a hook and then back into a space between two other boats with only fenders to each side to separate the boats. quay to the stern and that is how you get off the boat.. its the shoehorning in that is puckering.

BTDT at the crows nest... gave up and went to the anchorage around the corner. snagged a crab trap that some idjit set right on the end of the channel.. and we were just past the no wake zone so all the powerboat jockeys could not wait to power up the second the stern cleared that piling.. rocked us right onto a shoal. Boat US took three hrs to get to us and 10 min to pull us off.. I was in no mood to cook..so we went to the crows nest for supper only to have bad gas screw up the outboard.. you have no lived until you have rowed a RIB against the current back to the anchorage.. note: I take it all in stride and with humor. If I wanted safe and quiet Iwould sit at home in a rocker.

So tell me about getting into Crow's Nest -- does it help to go in with a rising tide and leave with a falling tide?