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sw34 · 23-12-2022, 13:25

Looking for some recommendations or ideas on where to dock/moor a 45-48' cat over the winter months. We would not be onboard for weeks at a time so anchoring is not an option. We wouldn't need a dock, its summer home would be a mooring so no problem going that route if possible.

Ideally this would be a spot we can somewhat easily get over to the Bahamas for a week or two a couple of times before we migrate north again for the summer.

HuffinPuff · 23-12-2022, 16:35

Tough to find. Many docks were damaged from the hurricane... took us 3 months to find one.

profitt2 · 23-12-2022, 16:37

West coast of Florida Twin dolphin marina in Bradenton. Seafood shack same town.

smj · 23-12-2022, 17:55

Possibly a mooring in Stuart?

http://www.sunsetbaymarinaandanchorage.com/#about

sw34 · 24-12-2022, 11:39

I saw the Stuart Moorings, they look like a decent option.

Earliest would be next winter, but realistically this would be more for winter 2024/2025 depending on what boat we end up with so not looking for places that have space today, more looking for places that have catamaran friendly docks or places with moorings.

sliceoflife · 25-12-2022, 11:48

Couple good spots through Ft Pierce inlet. The ft pierce city marina has pretty reasonable rates $1200/month plus hydro, there’s also a bunch of mooring ball’s available by the north island causeway.

**John_Trusty** · 19-01-2023, 13:48

The big issue with finding a nice spot is going be your air draft for a 45 foot + cat. If your air draft is over 65 feet (better 63 and change, if you do not want to be nervous), you are limited to the places right off of inlets as all ICW bridges are nominally 65'. Spend some time on Active Captain and see what is near an inlet in Florida that does not require ducking under a bunch of concrete. https://activecaptain.garmin.com/en-US/Map

Lake Worth Inlet (Palm Beach) is available up as far as Blue Heron Bridge and south along the ICW there are all bascule bridges. The issue with that far south is costs. Marine stuff doubles in price starting in Palm Beach south.

Sunset Bay is nice, and Stuart is a great town. Problem is that mooring balls are first-come basis and docks are probably full this year, so not a guaranteed thing. This involves going under the 65' New Roosevelt (US1) bridge

Jensen Beach has installed a bunch of mooring balls just off the ICW that may interest you if you can fit under the 65' fixed bridges which are to the north and south on ICW: https://www.martin.fl.us/JensenBeachMooringField

Ft. Pierce has no active mooring fields that I know of, and to the south on the ICW there is the Causeway fixed bridge.

Captain Bill · 19-01-2023, 16:35

You also might try Port Canaveral or Harbor Town Marina on Merritt Island in the Barge canal. No fixed bridges and both have some cat slips available. Scorpion Marine in Port Canaveral also does dry storage and I have seen 50ft Lagoons on the hard there. If your mast is less than 65ft then Titusville City Marina has mooring balls as well as a few cat slips. Both are a bit far north for quick trips to the Bahamas but offer good weather protection as there are locks controlling the flow into the Indian/Banana river system. Harbortown marina is particularly well protected as there is basically zero fetch.

**John_Trusty** · 20-01-2023, 06:50

Port Canaveral is a very commercial port with a half-dozen major cruise ships, fishing fleet, bulk port, and Elon's SpaceX ships running around. It's good for storage or getting work done, but not a place you'd like to hang out.

Fully agree with Captain Bill that Scorpion can dry store bigger cats and is a really good yard. Minimal cat slips available in the area, so better get on the phone and start calling. We were looking for a transient slip in December (peak of season, admittedly) and spent the night on a fuel dock. You cannot anchor in a commercial port, so that means going through Banana river locks, which are daylight hours only (https://www.saj.usace.army.mil/CanaveralLock/) so you cannot get out of the port early in the morning unless you stay there. Merritt Island area had nothing for us, but it is more protected.

**boatman61** · 20-01-2023, 07:11

Picked up a Lagoon 450 that was berthed alongside on the river that runs through Ft Lauderdale (New River?) but cannot remember who ran the rental space (Gallon Time Yachts?). I do remember there was a prison/rehab centre there, a great pub and a good supermarket 10 minutes walk from the boat.
You would need to fender the side well as there's a bit of traffic at Bridge times which is 500metres upstream.
The boat was there for several months before I was hired to take her to Europe.
It was at Smoker Park, I remember chuckling at the name as the prison sat at its edge more or less.. Petal Map below.