Hobos Afloat

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Blue Crab

Wot? Just the opposite is true as Kettlewell accurately pointed out. A quick scan of any chart sections reveals myriad nooks and crannies. Where the coastline might be difficult, in the Northeast, the friendly ICW awaits thru the nearest inlet.

Except for the very large pythons now encroaching into the St Pete area, Florida is paradise in winter, survivable in summer at anchor without AC. Fishing is good year round, winter crabs abound... it's great! I've found.

Check this out: Bluewater Books & Charts - THE Great Book Of Anchorages.

Ohhh I'm not knocking Florida, and in particular, the summers -- along the coasts -- are GREAT. Peope don't realize the impact of the breezes. It rarely goes up to 93 here. Put up some shade and a wind scoop and reasonable people without medical problems can adjust.

But at the same time we have club members from the central east coast of Florida because "there's nowhere to go" on theast coast until you get down to Miami. West coast is much better but for long stretches there are no good anchorages, for instance, between Tarpon Springs and the Panhandle, and south of Naples to Marathon (Shark River should be called "Mosquito Coast"). There's Steinhatchee, but just not lot of places north of Tarpon Springs. The area around Cabbage Key is wonderful, but the east coast -- most Floridian sailors would rather be anywhere else.

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by Rakuflames

................. "there's nowhere to go" on the east coast until you get down to Miami..............

We go to Fernandina, Jacksonville Landing, Orange Park, Green Cove Springs, Saint Augustine. Marineland, Palm Coast, Daytona, New Smyrna Beach, Mosquito Lagoon, Titusville, Cocoa Beach, Jensen Beach, Vero Beach, Stuart, Manatee Pocket, Jupiter, Palm Beach, Pelican Harbor, and Fort Lauderdale up the New River before we get to Miami. ... and then we spend time in Biscayne Bay.

We have used the inlets at St. Marys River, St Johns River, St Augustine, Ponce Inlet, Port Canaveral, Fort Pierce, St. Lucie Inlet, Lake Worth Inlet, Port Everglades, Governors Cut, Florida Passage, and Angelfish.

Actually there are many places to "go" on Florida's East Coast and, by our experiences, many more places than we find on the West Coast of Florida from the Keys up to Tarpon Springs. We like Little Shark and we have not suffered from mosquitos there, though we do use our screens. Florida is full of "Nooks and Cranies"!

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by Rakuflames

..., but the east coast -- most Floridian sailors would rather be anywhere else.

Ha Ha. Good one. You're batting 1000 lately.

[zeehag]

"Mexico is liked by folks for its easy laid back lifestyle. We really don't want mexico and baja turned into another San Diego (not that there's anything wrong with that)."

comparing mexico to san diego is not cutting it----mexico is mexico and san diego is way fascist.

in mainland mexico if you want to see derelict boats, one goes to a MARINA, as many anchorages here in mainland are rolly and not flat water. in baja, many usa saillors go---they dont leave their boats at anchor in mainland mexico. is lovely here.

in this beuatiful flat water anchorage there is one boat that is not a cruisers boat. is not a derelict. is owned by a local.

i dont know what the transplants are doing to baja--i chose not to go there. too many gringos.


btw--san diego FIXED the derelict boat problem---most of the anchor outs were evicted from sd bay, and blacklisted from other harbors. lovely deed.. the others(actually the worst of them) were GIVEN a mooring in downtown sd at laurel street, on the malecon wall....lol just the place for foogly boats, ye think??!!


yes i DO know exactly what happened to many of them---after leaving sd a few committed suicide due to inability to find a home and location for their boats, which actually did sail. and as i stated , the WORST boats were placed on moorings without deposit.
there used to be some very gentle and sweet folks there, but those are dead or relocated elsewhere....

as for sailing fla----i know many who sail east coast of fla..dont know where the no one sails the east coast thing came from...i prefer the forgotten fla coast--yes, north west florida is actually called that..lol

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by zeehag

.i prefer the forgotten fla coast--yes, north west florida is actually called that..lol

SHHH!!!

[Piglet]

Originally Posted by Therapy

SHHH!!!

Indeed. Nothing to see here....

[IdoraKeeper]

All this vituperation amongst fellow sailors. Can't we just bash power boaters and water craft owners?
In the PNW if your boat is not maintained it will sink during the winter. In the marina or on the hook it will be on the bottom before spring. Living aboard is great but you will freeze your butt off at times. Guess I prefer that to hurricanes.

Todd

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Blue Crab

Ha Ha. Good one. You're batting 1000 lately.

You know, I thought carefully before answering your smirking response. The people I know from the east coast have been sailing for decades. They live near Daytona. They find no great thrill in sailing to Titusville. Just because you can pull into a place doesn't make it an interesting place to sail to, especially when you can drive there 8 times as fast as you can sail there.

On the west coast, from Tarpon Springs to Naples, there are many interesting places to go. When you pull in you can get in your dinghy and explore little gunkholes, go ashore and explore, hike, get the kayaks out -- all sorts of things.

Then you go south to Key West. If you pull into the Shark River, you're smart to put the netting up before you get there. Then you're trapped on your boat. You have an anchorage for the night, and it certainly can be welcome to get a good night's sleep, but no-seeums can get through most screening. If you get screening fine enough to keep the no-seeums out, it's going to keep out most of the breeze as well. You're in for a hot, sticky night most of the year.

No one I know in this area sees the Shark River as a destination. You don't dare get out of your dinghy and explore. That far south, it's always skeeter season. It's good to know it's there. It's a good, safe place in a storm. But it's no destination.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Therapy

SHHH!!!

What -- Cedar Key? Largely a tourist trap. There's not much until you get into the Panhandle, and most people sail across the Gulf to Tarpon Springs and skip the area north of Steinhatchee.

[zboss]

Originally Posted by ParadiseParrot

Crusiers net has nothing post link please
Waterway guide has nothing.

Here you go... second article:

Waterway Cruising Guide | Waterway Updates

"Where Will We Anchor In Florida?"

and here:

http://myfwc.com/news/news-releases/...oring-mooring/

The best part:

"A final part of the ordinance is a requirement to demonstrate compliance with marine sanitation laws by providing proof that marine sanitation devices have been pumped out within the 10 previous days."

Originally Posted by sailorchic34

We are all just a few years and an unfortunate circumstance from being a derelict.

Life happens. Best to enjoy it anyway.

That is incredibly true.

[rebel heart]

Originally Posted by IdoraKeeper

All this vituperation amongst fellow sailors.

A drunk on a floating hulk is not a sailor anymore that looking up the moon makes you an astronaut.

[Kettlewell]

Here's one of many earlier threads discussing Florida's infamous Pilot Program to regulate anchoring in relation to mooring fields.

[Mark1977]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

We were here first, so We're not moving. I own an office building which provides the income needed to go cruising.... The wacked out state government apparently doesn't limit the time a deadbeat can be on welfare benefits. Most of them here collect on several different names at the same time anyway. How do I know this you might ask? The mailman told me, he said in many, many cases there are four different names on the mailboxes for the same person.

You're correct about the part-time work... While the "baby moma" is home with the anchor kid, the boyfriend sometimes sells crack, weed or oxy on the side for some extra cash.

Nice one....

[rebel heart]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

You're correct about the part-time work... While the "baby moma" is home with the anchor kid, the boyfriend sometimes sells crack, weed or oxy on the side for some extra cash.

Okay the next time I'm in Florida and want to party I'm hitting you up for some phone numbers.

[nimblemotors]

City cracks down on liveaboard boaters | The News-Ledger

“The permit requires that you utilize a licensed facility for sanitary disposal,”

What, no composting allowed?? Only licensed facility is 20-50 miles away?

rules, laws, permits, licensing, inspections == we live in a police state.

Was hassled by police last year, my orange flag indicating swimmers in the water was not bright orange enough. Was at graduation ceremony the other day, police herded everyone out of stadium into parking lot, no pictures, can't do that, get out of the pretty stadium, we might hurt the grass.