Houston/Kemah Liveaboards - Rate MDS

[twowheel]

For those of you in the area, any feedback you could give on Marina Del Sol would be greatly appreciated. How would you rate it? Has it been cleaned up/repaired recently since IKE?

Thanks!!

[Mimsy]

I have not berthed my boat there and so I cannot speak to what management is like. I have visited friends there and my feeling is, its pretty basic. Well, really basic. The condition of the docks was acceptable and I did not notice any glaring issues. It would not be my first choice for a live aboard marina long term. Short term, probably would be fine.

[Sailmonkey]

It's a low cost floating dock marina with a shallow entrance. The docks are old but servicable, there are restrooms, coinop laundry and a pool. The only damage from Ike was removed and not replaced, just some docks near the entrance to the marina. It's not new and shiny, but a touch rundown.....but the price reflects that.

[twowheel]

Thanks all. Monkey, do you still live at MDS?

The driving force behind choosing MDS is the fact that it feeds to what we are told is an exceptional elementary school. The school is a primary determining factor in which marina we choose.

[SV Liberty]

Before going cruising (Feb 2008), MDS was Liberty's "home" marina for 4 years, and we were back there for a month in early 2011 before setting out to cruise again after 6 months of boat work (we were in Legend Pointe because we took a condo there). MDS is pretty basic, but the staff is really nice and I think they like their liveaboards (there are quite a few on F dock, where we had Liberty). Can't beat the price. However, its not just the entrance that's shallow. With our 4'3" draft we still sat in the mud much of the winter, and plowed a few furrows getting in and out. We figured out how much water we needed to get in/out based on where it came up on the bulkheads. We originally picked it based on price, and I believe its still one of the cheapest marinas in Clear Lake. If your draft allows, its not a bad place to live aboard.

Good luck.

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by twowheel

Thanks all. Monkey, do you still live at MDS?

The driving force behind choosing MDS is the fact that it feeds to what we are told is an exceptional elementary school. The school is a primary determining factor in which marina we choose.

We just pulled the boat back in there after being out cruising for a year. What liberty says about sitting on the bottom is also true for the slips on the bulkhead. There are a few days out of the year when you just sit on the really soft mud bottom, but usually on days that you wouldn't want to move the boat anyway.