Affordable Moorings Florida?

[cheoah]

The Salt Run mooring field in St Augustine just came up in another thread, it is reasonably priced. The price sheet is unclear, with two different rates given for "residents"; I'm assuming the cheaper one is for residents. Still, it looks like around $150/month, which seems reasonable for FL.

What other mooring fields are there and how do they compare for non-livaboards? I manage a farm full time, but have abundant time off in the winter. The Bahamas and Caribbean are not practical because of the costs to travel back and forth, but my little diesel car can carry me up and down the east coast for about $8/100 miles. So that's my typical formula. Sail 400-800 miles offshore to N or S, leave the boat and rent a car for $75-$100, then spend a few weeks a season sailing locally. From where I farm in western NC, there is a lot of the east coast that is as close or marginally more distant than the sounds of coastal NC. That formula gives me a nice offshore passage, a full icebox of dorado and mackerel, and the chance to hang out in another region for a few weeks without breaking the bank if I can avoid the price of marinas.

Fernandina is appealing. We could spend many more weeks, months, years exploring the maritime forests of Cumberland Island, oystering, hunting wild hogs, etc. Fernandina is about $360/month though. St Augustine would be an easy sail, except for during the many winter fronts.

What other affordable mooring fields are there in FL? How is protection, security, maintenance of gear, proximity to services or dinghy dock, privacy, amenities, etc?

Interested in SC or GA too but I don't think they exist. I'm on my own mooring in NC and would not trade that situation for anything. The boat is happy swinging into the breeze and keeping the dorades flowing, and being 400 miles away, is stripped down and prepped for hurricanes.

I know there are affordable moorings in Maine as well, but the winter haulout is an added expense to the tune of $1500-$3000, and Maine is just a little far to drive. I'll do it anyway within the next few years, perhaps time it with next needed haulout, so if you are reading this and know of good situations there, I'd appreciate it. Bahamas to N Scotia pretty much defines my "pre-retirement cruising zone" but I can't afford several thousand in storage fees to do it. Thanks for any input!

[brutb]

Check out the city mooring area in Cocoa, Fl......very inexpensive, dinghy dock, 1 1/2 blocks to cafes, bars, and music. Close enough to food stores and a great old hardware store(Travis Hardware) for boats also 1 1/2 blocks away from dinghy dock. Look up area on Indian River at Cocoa on SW side of Hiway 320 Bridge. Google map shows boats moored in that area. A lot of snow birds use it in the winter as well as full time liveaboards year round. Fairly well protected from winter northerlys but open to south and east winds(usually mild). Unfortunately no protection if a darn hurricane comes through. But is you plan on staying a portion of the winter a great little place to be. Heck you can even see the launches from Kennedy Space Center from your cockpit.

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by brutb

Check out the city mooring area in Cocoa, Fl......very inexpensive, dinghy dock, 1 1/2 blocks to cafes, bars, and music. Close enough to food stores and a great old hardware store(Travis Hardware) for boats also 1 1/2 blocks away from dinghy dock. Look up area on Indian River at Cocoa on SW side of Hiway 320 Bridge. Google map shows boats moored in that area. A lot of snow birds use it in the winter as well as full time liveaboards year round. Fairly well protected from winter northerlys but open to south and east winds(usually mild).

When did they put moorings in Cocoa?

[amytom]

Originally Posted by brutb

Check out the city mooring area in Cocoa, Fl......very inexpensive, dinghy dock, 1 1/2 blocks to cafes, bars, and music. Close enough to food stores and a great old hardware store(Travis Hardware) for boats also 1 1/2 blocks away from dinghy dock. Look up area on Indian River at Cocoa on SW side of Hiway 320 Bridge. Google map shows boats moored in that area. A lot of snow birds use it in the winter as well as full time liveaboards year round. Fairly well protected from winter northerlys but open to south and east winds(usually mild). Unfortunately no protection if a darn hurricane comes through. But is you plan on staying a portion of the winter a great little place to be. Heck you can even see the launches from Kennedy Space Center from your cockpit.

320 or 520?

[cheoah]

Originally Posted by brutb

Check out the city mooring area in Cocoa, Fl......very inexpensive, dinghy dock, 1 1/2 blocks to cafes, bars, and music. Close enough to food stores and a great old hardware store(Travis Hardware) for boats also 1 1/2 blocks away from dinghy dock. Look up area on Indian River at Cocoa on SW side of Hiway 320 Bridge. Google map shows boats moored in that area. A lot of snow birds use it in the winter as well as full time liveaboards year round. Fairly well protected from winter northerlys but open to south and east winds(usually mild). Unfortunately no protection if a darn hurricane comes through. But is you plan on staying a portion of the winter a great little place to be. Heck you can even see the launches from Kennedy Space Center from your cockpit.

Thx for the idea, will check it out. Never been through there. that "bump" on the side of FL always catches my attention when I'm plotting positions.

[fla.sailor]

Have you considered titusville, fl? Nice small town place with a helpful marina staff. Not as nice as cocoa (when did moorings go in?), but a reasonable price.

CHeeRS!

[cheoah]

Originally Posted by fla.sailor

Have you considered titusville, fl? Nice small town place with a helpful marina staff. Not as nice as cocoa (when did moorings go in?), but a reasonable price.

CHeeRS!

Hey thanks FL Sailor, hadn't considered Titusville. $165 a month is pretty reasonable with the amenities. Nice small town is up my alley. Access to supplies for boat work without getting in FL traffic would be good.

[RTB]

Originally Posted by cheoah

Fernandina is appealing. We could spend many more weeks, months, years exploring the maritime forests of Cumberland Island, oystering, hunting wild hogs, etc. Fernandina is about $360/month though. St Augustine would be an easy sail, except for during the many winter fronts.

What other affordable mooring fields are there in FL? How is protection, security, maintenance of gear, proximity to services or dinghy dock, privacy, amenities, etc?

Interested in SC or GA too but I don't think they exist.

We are spending our first hurricane season aboard here in Brunswick, Georgia. Close to Fernandina, Cumberland Island, St. Simons Island, and Jekyll Island. It's a pretty good home base. Not a mooring, but the best slip prices that we found at $11.00/ft per month. Brunswick Landing Marina - A Full Service Marina in Brunswick, Georgia

So many boats stripped down and left here for the season. Plenty of cruisers on their boats too. Great facilities. Great protection. Stores and restaurants close by. Easy, quick access to the ICW and Atlantic. Just a thought, if you weren't aware of this place.

Our group of cruising friends watching the Americas Cup in the lounge-



Ralph
America's Cup racing | sailing away with R & B

[AnchorageGuy]

Originally Posted by cheoah

Hey thanks FL Sailor, hadn't considered Titusville. $165 a month is pretty reasonable with the amenities. Nice small town is up my alley. Access to supplies for boat work without getting in FL traffic would be good.

The Titusville moorings are sitting in the middle of the river and it can get pretty rough when the winds blow from almost any direction. That makes it pretty tough to get in and out of a dinghy and makes for a very wet ride to shore. Chuck

[cheoah]

Originally Posted by RTB

We are spending our first hurricane season aboard here in Brunswick, Georgia. Close to Fernandina, Cumberland Island, St. Simons Island, and Jekyll Island. It's a pretty good home base. Not a mooring, but the best slip prices that we found at $11.00/ft per month. Brunswick Landing Marina - A Full Service Marina in Brunswick, Georgia

So many boats stripped down and left here for the season. Plenty of cruisers on their boats too. Great facilities. Great protection. Stores and restaurants close by. Easy, quick access to the ICW and Atlantic. Just a thought, if you weren't aware of this place.

Hi Ralph, glad you're enjoying Brunswick Landing. I spent a winter in St Simons, at the condo dock next to Golden Isles Marina. I rented it from an owner there for a good price. Spent virtually all my time down there in the Cumberland Sound, Brickhill creek, etc. It really just boils down to either $1600 for 6-7 mos on a mooring or $2500 or so at the dock. the rate you mentioned seems pretty standard, even in the Titusville marina . Thanks for the suggestion though.

I had a really great time down there and made some great voyaging friends. I was sailing a CApe Dory at the time and there was a group of us there all with Alberg designed boats. Two of the skippers have three circumnavigations between them, the other, a Spaniard, sailed his Triton to the Canaries via Bermuda and Azores. I learned to TIG weld stainless from one of them, and a number of other skills.

Wonder how Jekyll Creek is these days? Skinny water when I was there, never managed to touch bottom but several times there was some poor crew high and dry. I went out St Simons to St Marys a couple of times too, that's a good way to avoid shallow creeks, except in a Nor'easter.

great memories. Enjoy making yours!

[cheoah]

Originally Posted by Waterwayguy

The Titusville moorings are sitting in the middle of the river and it can get pretty rough when the winds blow from almost any direction. That makes it pretty tough to get in and out of a dinghy and makes for a very wet ride to shore. Chuck

OK, that's suboptimal but won't rule it out. Will probably spend much of my time there out on the hook cruising a bit, but not all. I'm hearing inconvenient, but doesn't sound like landing at St Helena.

Chuck, my wife will decide if cold and wet is what she wants for her FL experience! I'll present the options

I liked the west coast, and Okeechobee when I passed through there. 'Cept those waterspouts! Had to drop the hook in the middle of the lake and ride it out.... not like the lock was going to let us in anyway. Charlotte Harbor is about 800 miles from my mooring in NC, would not mind more time in the Pine Island area. I hear they are going to offer some really cheap flights to Ft Meyers from Asheville

[Vasco]

Brunswick Landing is a very pleasant marina but doesn't Georgia have a very restrictive law against living on a boat?

As for Titusville, I would be concerned re upkeep of the moorings. The field has been there for about two years and last spring, when I was there, a few of the buoys were missing. This leads me to thinking about how well they`re being maintained.

[gonesail]

Originally Posted by RTB

We are spending our first hurricane season aboard here in Brunswick, Georgia

i was at brunwick landing last october and almost got carried away by the man eating mosquitoes there. seriously they descended every evening at around 6:00 and you better be inside your boat with the hatches closed. i remember jogging to the restrooms one night with the blood suckers still biting my arms and legs.

[RTB]

Originally Posted by Vasco

Brunswick Landing is a very pleasant marina but doesn't Georgia have a very restrictive law against living on a boat?

There are plenty of "cruisers in transit" that stay on their boats here. Six boats just on our dock alone. We've been here two months, the others longer. No one has come knocking on our hull yet.

Ralph

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by RTB

There are plenty of "cruisers in transit" that stay on their boats here. Six boats just on our dock alone. We've been here two months, the others longer. No one has come knocking on our hull yet.

Ralph

I just checked and they changed the law in 2012.