affordable options to liveaboard in Fort Lauderdale/Miami? Is it still possible?

[Shanachie]

Not to mention that Dinner Key can be a bumpy and uncomfortable anchorage in a blow because it is exposed.


As noted earlier, water is a huge issue when living on a mooring, unless you are wealthy enough to have a good-sized watermaker.



Even if you have access to the spigot, you need to transport 50 or 100 gallons a week out to the boat if you hope to have morning coffee and a wash-up now and then.


Do it a couple of times and you will realize how difficult that is.


This type of question pops up a lot. People do not seem to realize South Florida is not a laid-back subtropical paradise. It has 9.4 million people, one of the largest metro areas in the U.S.


Most are jammed into a small strip of land between the ocean and the Everglades or on islands. There are no quiet little areas where you can live for cheap on a boat. Those days are long gone.


So, unless you can afford the bucks for a nice and expensive marina (that's the only kind these days in South Florida), you are going to be living rough and uncomfortable.

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by boatman61

If at anchor you would save on marina fees for a start.
These savings can be utilised for maintenance/upgrades to the boat eg; solar, ground tackle, rigging etc.. in other words the 'dead money' given to a profit orientated business is instead invested in your boat keeping it a viable home as opposed to another slowly rotting hull tied up in a marina whose fees bleed you dry.
Alternatively you could just pi$$ it up the wall and become another rotting hulk on a mooring or anchor.
The choice is yours..

Rent money is dead money.

Marina berth for ours with live aboard fees is a bit over $2000/MTH
That's $25,000 a year

That's about how much it costs us to cruise all year including fuel, food and paid for bottom maintenance.

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by Shanachie

.


As noted earlier, water is a huge issue when living on a mooring, unless you are wealthy enough to have a good-sized watermaker.

Even if you have access to the spigot, you need to transport 50 or 100 gallons a week out to the boat if you hope to have morning coffee and a wash-up now and then.

Do it a couple of times and you will realize how difficult that is.

.

You can build a watermaker pretty cheap or buy 2nd hand - we got a 150 lph in as new condition for $1300 usd

You can fill a 20 litre water container every time you see a tap, did that for decades on a previous boat.

Or, if you have a decent tender, you could do as we did for our first 4 years
Carry a large water bladder in the tender and pump that out with 12v bilge pump into tanks when back at big boat.

[Sarabi Seas]

Honestly, we found it cheaper to buy a condo with a slip in that area than pay marina fees. Not to mention there is a 2 year waiting list for most marinas in that area. After owning the condo for 4 years we sold it for a nice profit, bought a newer boat and moved north to Ft Pierce. Way less people, much cheaper prices and a beautiful area with the easiest inlet on the east coast of Florida. Now it’s our jumping off point for the Bahamas in the winter and the Chesapeake in the summer. Titusville is even cheaper.

[s/v Jedi]

What kind of boat do you have?

How long have you been sailing? Have you anchored before?

Do you intend to just live on the boat or also sailing it during weekends, holidays etc?

[flightlead404]

Originally Posted by Shanachie

Not to mention that Dinner Key can be a bumpy and uncomfortable anchorage in a blow because it is exposed.


As noted earlier, water is a huge issue when living on a mooring, unless you are wealthy enough to have a good-sized watermaker.



Even if you have access to the spigot, you need to transport 50 or 100 gallons a week out to the boat if you hope to have morning coffee and a wash-up now and then.


Do it a couple of times and you will realize how difficult that is.


This type of question pops up a lot. People do not seem to realize South Florida is not a laid-back subtropical paradise. It has 9.4 million people, one of the largest metro areas in the U.S.


Most are jammed into a small strip of land between the ocean and the Everglades or on islands. There are no quiet little areas where you can live for cheap on a boat. Those days are long gone.


So, unless you can afford the bucks for a nice and expensive marina (that's the only kind these days in South Florida), you are going to be living rough and uncomfortable.

All true. Its not all blue skies, palm trees and hotties in bikinis. It is sometimes and that helps though.

My wife and I use slightly less than 15 gpd without scrimping. So, that's either 3 40lb jerry cans a day to move, or a half day every few days, or a full day every week+1 or 2 days. Its easier to stay on top of it.

If you're single then you can half that number probably.