Looking for a home base

[ThereAndBack]

Hi folks,

I'm an experienced cruiser that came back to land for a while after spending 3 years bumming around the Caribe. I have a job now (work from anywhere online), and I'm going to buy another boat and live aboard.

My biggest insecurity at this point is that I need good internet 8 hours a day M-F to do my job. So I'm looking around the USA for places that I can live and still have reliable internet. (I don't need technical advice about cell/wifi/boosters/etc).

Which places in the US-east make for a good mix of cruising grounds and also have access to infrastructure? I'm not opposed to marinas for a few months at a time but prefer to anchor out when possible.

Thanks.

[MARC D]

Check out South River,Md. (Galesville)

[ohdrinkboy]

Think about what climate you want, and do you want more urban or rural.

[ThereAndBack]

Originally Posted by ohdrinkboy

Think about what climate you want, and do you want more urban or rural.

I tend to favor cooler climates but would head south if it started to get too cold and water freezes.

As far as urban or rural, I prefer rural, but again.... I fear the out of the way places won't have as much infrastructure to meet my needs.

[john61ct]

Bodies of water with shore on 2-3 sides is better than just one.

Near a well-populated area is better than boonies, and / or where a well-used highway / bridge is nearby.

[laika]

I spent a couple years up and down the US east coast while working online. Decent internet is pretty ubiquitous and you've got a lot of choices. I'd suggest coastal NC as one good option. Cheap, mostly rural, areas of good boating infrastructure, decent wx (tho still hot in summer/cold in winter) and reasonable cruising grounds.

[danielamartindm]

Hi,

I'm sure you're aware that if you're willing to pay a couple of hundred a month for unlimited data from your cell carrier, you can set up an internet hot spot from an iPhone; so the real questions would seem to be more ones of climate and quality of life when you're not working, no?

[belizesailor]

Almost anywhere in coastal New England is quite nice, awesome in the summer time, and the water helps mitigate winter a bit. I spent a lot of time in Portsmouth, NH...very pleasant place.

Further S, I used to live in SW FL and really enjoyed it there. Most of the E coast of FL isnt that interesting to me, but Jacksonville is quite nice, Cape Canaveral area, or far S around Biscane Bay.

I think almost anywhere coastal USA you can get decent Internet.

[jackheape]

Like one of the other posts, I would recommend coastal NC, on the Pamilico, Pungo, or Neuse Rivers. You can anchor out, or the marinas are inexpensive if you want to stay there. On the Pamlico, Washington would be a good choice. On the Pungo, Belhaven. On the Neuse, New Bern. All have inexpensive decent marinas, easy access to free dinghy docks if anchoring out, and enough infrastructure to support boaters. Belhaven is a little isolated, so if I stayed there I would at least own a beater car (no taxis or Uber). But there is a free dinghy dock downtown, and a free pier to tie up to within walking distance to the grocery store. Further south to SC its get more expensive. Further North, much more expensive. You can find decent marinas with electric and wifi for $6 a foot in NC. All 3 rivers are good sailing, with the Neuse being my least favorite (prevailing wind issues).

[Augi]

My MO is different because I am going to sail and live on board 6-8 weeks a year. We live at 7000 ft elevation near Antigua, Guatemala and did research to determine where we wanted to base ourselves to do our sailing. We chose Oxnard, Ca. (Channel islands Harbor), because of the climate(year around sailing season and you do not need air conditioning) and easy access to Channel islands National Park. The disadvantages of Southern California are there few protected places to anchor, cost of a slip in a marina is high, and in your case you likely would have to pay a 1% property tax based on the value of your boat.

My wife and I are looking to buy a Seward 32 RK which trailer-able and easily can be dry stored with mast up allowing us to avoid the high cost for a slip in a marina. We will avoid property tax in California by moving the boat to the Sea of Cortez and San Juan Islands using the trailer so will be considered transient.

[ferrailleur]

Originally Posted by MARC D

Check out South River,Md. (Galesville)

j'adore la signature....

[Dooglas]

Originally Posted by laika

Decent internet is pretty ubiquitous and you've got a lot of choices.

Exactly right. Internet service is not likely to be the limiting factor. Decide where you want to be, how much you are willing to spend, and what other services you want available

[Drmanso]

How about Oriental NC and me any areas?

[ThereAndBack]

Thanks for all the feedback. Perhaps I was making a mountain out of a mole hill when I was considering the availability of the Internet.

[Nickodemus]

We go up and down the ICW regularly and almost always anchor out. If you’re looking to rely on WiFi, give it up. Even if you are at marinas, it is sometimes still difficult to get reception unless you actually plant yourself in the marina office.

If you have a provider that allows you unlimited data, you will have decent access to data, but usually after you hit 22 GB (on plans like Verizon and AT&T), the plan goes to a much slower mode. So depending on what kind of service you need for your job, you can gobble up high speed data really fast. Florida was slow even before we hit 22 GB.

I think the level of your consumption is going to be key. If your consumption is only average, then you’ll be okay at most major areas up and down the coast.