Daytona Beach or St Augustine? Searching for New home port...

[randygva]

Looking for advice to identify our new home port ... Daytona Beach or St Augustine, Fl. Will retire next spring and will move our Bristol 41.1 (4.5’ draft) south from the Chesapeake. Expecting to cruise north in summer and south in winter for a few months at a time. Daytona is “protected” but nearly 9 miles south in the ICW to the Ponce inlet (weather dependent too). It’s also approx 35 min from new residence. St Augustine is 45 min drive, perhaps 5 mile to inlet. Any recommendations pro or con? Any marinas you’d recommend as good ( or stay away) ? Thx much.

[Helia 44]

Three years there.....

Daytona, Daytona, Daytona.... No opening bridges. You can get stuck in St. Augustine in the inter coastal as in any Hurricane or National Emergency the bridges are locked down if you are up in the river area... Daytona has a high fixed bridge until you get past Halifax Harbor Marina about 10 miles down the Intercoastal. I think the infrastructure is far better in Daytona as well.

Also I went back to both in March and Daytona and Daytona Beach Shores specifically was still quiet, where St. Augustine was a madhouse of Tourists and traffic everywhere...

My 2 cents worth.

[redsky49]

Still one opening bridge left in Daytona, and I believe it is the Main Street Bridge. Work is underway on a new high-rise bridge, so a year from now, the last opening bridge may be gone.