Help! Recommendations for affordable liveaboard diy yard / marina in Florida?

[whystay]

Okay, so I know that's a lot of caveats & yes, I have already thoroughly searched this forum as well as the internet, but I'm hoping that someone will have a fresh suggestion..

The situation: we purchased our fixer upper (2001 Lavranos designed 36') in April with every plan/intention/thought of having her cleaned up/refitted/sitting pretty in southern Florida by now. First time boat owners. We got in over our heads. Anyway, it's getting cold & we're getting desperate to be south. She's still in stands & we'll need at least a week on the hard whenever we arrive wherever we arrive to finish up the refit of her hardwood dodger back to the boat (it, along with the solar panel array, was cut off to allow the boat to be transported inland to the previous owner's boatyard, where we've been living since June). & this is our home, so we more or less need a liveaboard spot. We'll also need to hire assistance to weld the solar panel, as well as restep the mast & put up the rigging.

Riverside Marina in Fort Pierce seems to be our best bet, ticking off all of our boxes (at 10/ft/month & near the beach!). Anyone have first hand experience? The online reviews are mixed..

Thanks for any input you can share!

LOA 36ft // Beam 13' // Draft 6'
1-2 weeks liveaboard/diy on the hard, then another month or so in a slip
need assistance with welding & restepping mast/rigging, access to travel lift

[sailorchic34]

Probably want to wait a week to ask this after the blow goes through. Could be some destruction along the Florida coast. It's probably a good thing you're not in Florida or South Carolina yet.

[UNCIVILIZED]

Take a look at www.ActiveCaptain.com They have info which helps you find marinas, lists their facilities & services, & has feedback on people's experiences at them.
I haven't spent a lot of time on the site, but it looks helpful & useful. Especially as it covers quite a lot besides marinas.

Edit: One other thought is that there are literally thousands of private docks in that area. Most of which go unused. So that if you had the time, odds are a great deal could be found. Or someone might be kind enough to refer you to one if your needs were known. Other members here have had successes in this manner.

[svtrio]

We live on the barrier island directly east of Riverside Marina, separated by the ICW/Indian River. Although the walk to the beach will be a long one, this is the best DIY yard on this stretch of coast. I went south to Stuart and north to Daytona, and there isn't a better overall DIY yard.

The services you want are available. The Marina is well worn and the final resting place for some busted dreams, but you can DIY at the best price. Groceries, bars, pizza, restaurants are within a mile or so. West Marine is about 6 miles in a new location. Uber is alive in Fort Pierce too.

Several cf'rs have better firsthand experiences than I, and I'm sure that they will show up shortly.

Our boat is on the hard in Maryland and I can hardly wait to make Riverside the boat's new home. I hope aging doesn't get me first.

Roger


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[svtrio]

PM when you're near the neighborhood.

Roget


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[capngeo]

Indiantown Marina

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, whystay.

[1mardiv]

I had my boat on the hard at Riverside. Its def. a no frills DIY yard. However everything you need to work on your boat is right there, including a pretty good diesel mech. My issue with the yard was the well water/bathrooms and lack of decent safe electricity. It was only $350 a month to work on your boat in the yard and keep it stored. $250 if your not working on it. There really isn't any rules and they pretty much leave you alone. There are numerous people living aboard on the hard and refitting their boats. The other location would be Indiantown, which is much nicer, but no where near the ocean.

[jheldatksuedu]

Check out Glades boat yard, south west of Okeechobee on inland waterway. I'm not sure, but I suspect they may be the cheapest in the state.

[bratzcpa]

I would strongly recommend IndianTown Marina.

They're located about 25 miles inland (relatively safe from major weather events). This is a nice easy motor up the St. Lucie Canal from Stuart Florida (and the ICW) - just one easy lock to go through entering the canal.

They have a GREAT travel-lift. The operators there Alex and his crew are excellent. They know what they're doing, get the job done fast, and are quite helpful. Free pumpout.

They have a large DIY yard area. Quite a few boats on the hard there with their owner's working on them. One couple we know has been there more than a year doing a MAJOR refit.

There is a nice communal cooking/dining area. Nice kitchen you can use. Wifi and AC room to relax. Book swap, television,etc.

They do have some yard mechanics/workers you can hire, but (in all honesty), that hasn't gone well. Very disappointed with them. I'd suggest NOT using them.

Indiantown is only +/- 25 miles from Stuart and +/-50 miles from Ft. Lauderdale. If you need ANYTHING for the boat, you WILL be able to find it locally there.

Only two disadvantages to Indiantown: It's HOT (at least for us - we're from Montana), and the mosquitoes are NASTY for an hour or two right at sunset.

~markb

[adlib2]

Originally Posted by whystay

Okay, so I know that's a lot of caveats & yes, I have already thoroughly searched this forum as well as the internet, but I'm hoping that someone will have a fresh suggestion..

The situation: we purchased our fixer upper (2001 Lavranos designed 36') in April with every plan/intention/thought of having her cleaned up/refitted/sitting pretty in southern Florida by now. First time boat owners. We got in over our heads. Anyway, it's getting cold & we're getting desperate to be south. She's still in stands & we'll need at least a week on the hard whenever we arrive wherever we arrive to finish up the refit of her hardwood dodger back to the boat (it, along with the solar panel array, was cut off to allow the boat to be transported inland to the previous owner's boatyard, where we've been living since June). & this is our home, so we more or less need a liveaboard spot. We'll also need to hire assistance to weld the solar panel, as well as restep the mast & put up the rigging.

Riverside Marina in Fort Pierce seems to be our best bet, ticking off all of our boxes (at 10/ft/month & near the beach!). Anyone have first hand experience? The online reviews are mixed..

Thanks for any input you can share!

LOA 36ft // Beam 13' // Draft 6'
1-2 weeks liveaboard/diy on the hard, then another month or so in a slip
need assistance with welding & restepping mast/rigging, access to travel lift

~ ~ ~

click on photos to enlarge

A friendly, affordable do-it-yourself boat yard
on the St. Johns River in Green Cove Springs, Florida

Low cost, long term dry-dock storage
Live-aboards welcome!

Welcome to Green Cove Springs Marina, an easy-going sailors' haven just 20 miles south of Jacksonville and 20 miles west of St. Augustine. Here you can work on your boat yourself - we offer lots of assistance to make it easier - or let a pro do it for you. And if you're looking for long term dry-dock storage, our facilities and rates are the best around!
We're here to help boaters, especially cruisers, and we do it with heart. Half our staff live aboard themselves!

[Mikado]

Westland Marine in Titusville, Fl. They are on the ICW. You can either take the Ponce or Cape Canaveral inlets which are both about a day away.

Last time I checked they were $8.00/ft on the hard or slip. The yard manager Rick has been there for 35 years so he knows all the resources around. Very friendly town with restaurants, groceries, auto parts store, CVS all within a couple of blocks. Closest West Marine is about 30 miles.

The roundtrip haulout fee is reasonable and they do a really nice job pressure washing the bottom. They get daily deliveries from Defender so supplies are not an issue.

The storm protection is second to none.

[MAJICDAN]

Look at Cape Marina in Cape Canaveral, Fl. I had my boat on the hard there and lived in it and did most of my own work. It is the largest marina in Cape Canaveral. Currently I am at Harbortown Marina in Merritt Island, Fl. This is about a couple of miles west of Cape Marina on the barge canal between the Cape Canaveral Locks and the Indian River. They have a do it yourself on the hard, but you can not live on your boat while you work on it.

[lvictorlucas]

I would lookup the Eau Gallie Yacht Basin in Melbourne FL and say Victor told you about it. You can do your own work, buy your own material and hire a contractor without a kickback. You can stay on your boat on the hard and the beach is about 3 miles.

[Russ]

Riverside kinda a dump. Cracker Boy Boat Works on Taylor Creek. A much better bet. Russ