Marinas for Short Term Storage (2-4 weeks) for Bahamas Cruising

[DragonflyBob]

We are looking for recommendations (based on experience) for any marinas in the Keys or perhaps in southwest Florida (Marco Island?) that would be good choices for leaving our boat for 2-4 weeks prior to and after a 3-4 week trip in the Bahamas. I still work and with our home waters being Lake Pontchartrain, it’s too much time to try to do it all in one trip plus it would put us on too much of a schedule.

Thanks for any feedback!

[caradow]

Why not just leave the boat in the Bahamas if the Bahamas is your goal?
Much more enjoyable than the Keys!
Emerald Bay Marina in the Exumas has worked well for me.
Nice facility, safe, reasonably priced, close to airport with flights to Miami daily.
You can fly in and out therefore extending your time in the best part of the Bahamas.

[DragonflyBob]

Originally Posted by caradow

Why not just leave the boat in the Bahamas if the Bahamas is your goal?
Much more enjoyable than the Keys!
Emerald Bay Marina in the Exumas has worked well for me.
Nice facility, safe, reasonably priced, close to airport with flights to Miami daily.
You can fly in and out therefore extending your time in the best part of the Bahamas.

Thanks for the feedback. That marina has a 40’ minimum requirement and we are 32’.

Our loose plan currently would be a 3-4 day passage from Gulfport, MS area to Marco Island and set the boat up at one of the marinas on Factory Bay. Upon return, a minimum of 1-2 days to a staging point in the lower to mid Keys with a proper weather window and then likewise a full day’s sail to entry at Bimini. We’d plan for 4 days. Then we’d have 2-3 weeks to play before working back over to Bimini and then getting the boat back to Marco Island. Time of the year we are planning the logistics of this trip would probably be mid March to mid May.

We’ve done two crossings of the Gulf with this boat so far. The first was from Tampa Bay to Gulfport (350 miles) and the second was from Port St. Joe to Gulfport (200 miles) and with decent weather windows each time, it was fairly comfortable and straight forward.

[caradow]

Well I am sure it will be an adventure and sounds like you have given it a lot of thought.
However for future reference if you ever did want to leave your boat in the Exumas there is also kavallihouse@gmail.com which is literally a hurricane hole on Stocking Island. Your boat would fit perfectically there. I actually stayed there years ago when I had a cat and you can chose between a mooring or Pylons. It is owned by a great guy from Connecticut. Think the price was $300/monthly and he watches the boats.
Anyway this is just for future reference.
Wishing you a safe trip.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by caradow

Well I am sure it will be an adventure and sounds like you have given it a lot of thought.
However for future reference if you ever did want to leave your boat in the Exumas there is also kavallihouse@gmail.com which is literally a hurricane hole on Stocking Island. Your boat would fit perfectically there. I actually stayed there years ago when I had a cat and you can chose between a mooring or Pylons. It is owned by a great guy from Connecticut. Think the price was $300/monthly and he watches the boats.
Anyway this is just for future reference.
Wishing you a safe trip.

Kevalli House offers short and long-term boat storage in one of the best hurricane holes of The Bahamas. Our facility features 12 moorings and 9 slips for vessels up to 70 feet in length or a maximum of 6 ½-foot draft. We are located in a very protected cove of Stocking Island referred to as “cleaning hole” on some nautical charts, but also locally known as “hole three”. While stored with us, your boat will be carefully looked after.
Please call us ahead of time to secure your mooring or slip at 242-357-0118 or hail “Kevalli House” on VHF channel 16 when you are in the area.
➥ http://www.kevallihouse.com/marina/