If you Wanted to Live Aboard and had a Choice of these Places Which One and Why?

[hcurtis]

I am not that old, so I still like seasons. I AM on a budget and will have a 40' yacht. What do you think about these places?

Portland, ME
Portsmouth, NH
Hyannis, MA
Peabody, MA
Boston, MA
Darien, CT
Orange, CT
Fairfield, CT
Westport, CT
Annapolis, MD
Newport, VA
Virginia Beach, VA
Williamsburg, VA
Wilmington, NC
Mt. Pleasant, SC
Charleston, SC
Sarasota/Venice, FL

[zeehag]

they are all cities..lots of people......

what about more remote locals with some beauty..like places in upstate ny or rhode island or apalachiacola, fla....port st joe, fla...sacramento river delta....

[Khagan1227]

Originally Posted by hcurtis

I am not that old, so I still like seasons. I AM on a budget and will have a 40' yacht. What do you think about these places?

Portland, ME
Portsmouth, NH
Hyannis, MA
Peabody, MA
Boston, MA
Darien, CT
Orange, CT
Fairfield, CT
Westport, CT
Annapolis, MD
Newport, VA
Virginia Beach, VA
Williamsburg, VA
Wilmington, NC
Mt. Pleasant, SC
Charleston, SC
Sarasota/Venice, FL

I assume you mean to "home port"?

Your top 4 are pretty expensive places to live and it gets COLD there, better have a heater. Same goes for those in CT, but I used to backpack nearby and it is beautiful there.
I assume you mean Newport News, VA as Newport is way inland near Blacksburg. I haven't lived in that area (Hampton) since '97, but Newport News had more than it's share of crime. I like VA Beach and Williamsburg, but the Chesapeake is shallow. Both of those have a lot in common with Charleston/Mt. Pleasant S.C. I lived in Goose Creek until 2001. I'd choose Mt. P over Charleston since it is a bit more laid back.
Wilmington is a VERY friendly city, welcomes (or did) liveaboards if a little bit on the small side.

All in all, I like Sarasota myself.

[Khagan1227]

Originally Posted by zeehag

they are all cities..lots of people......

what about more remote locals with some beauty..like places in upstate ny or rhode island or apalachiacola, fla....port st joe, fla...sacramento river delta....

apalachiacola, fla....port st joe, fla

+1 Zee! I love Carrabelle and surrounding area. Has the small town feel and reasonable prices. Overnight trips to Tampa or Panama City, two and a half days to Key West.

[Kettlewell]

I have lived aboard for three winters in New England and it has a certain appeal to it, but it also has a lot of hassles. I think Annapolis south is better for true year-round living for most people, even if you like seasons. I love Annapolis--it is probably the busiest sailing town on the East Coast--even more so than Newport, but it is busy. Still, you can be anchored up some natural creek within just a few hours. South of that I would choose Sarasota because there is nice sailing on the west coast of Florida and it isn't far to the Keys, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean. Between Norfolk and Miami the ICW is beautiful and interesting, but for sailors there isn't much sailing unless you like to just go out into the Atlantic and back in again. If I was to do Massachusetts and I had my choice I'd prefer Martha's Vineyard or Westport, but from Hyannis you have great sailing and can get to lots of interesting places. In Maine I'd rather be further down east--at least Boothbay, but preferably Penobscot Bay.

As to budget, New England is expensive, with Maine less so if you go east further. From NH south to the Chesapeake is very expensive. For some reason dockage is more reasonable in the Chesapeake, but Annapolis is the high rent district. Still cheaper than Mass. though. The Carolinas are probably your lowest cost destination, then Florida gets a bit pricier, but still cheaper than the Chesapeake for the most part except in places like Ft. Lauderdale, which is still much cheaper than New England. Hey, how about Oriental, NC? Inexpensive, interesting sailing community, decent weather, fun places to sail to.

If I was strictly limited to one from your list I would choose Sarasota--but it's the middle of the winter here and I would just love to be someplace warm!

[hcurtis]

Originally Posted by zeehag

they are all cities..lots of people......

what about more remote locals with some beauty..like places in upstate ny or rhode island or apalachiacola, fla....port st joe, fla...sacramento river delta....

My work allows the places listed. I am not retired yet, but looking forward to that.

[hcurtis]

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

I have lived aboard for three winters in New England and it has a certain appeal to it, but it also has a lot of hassles. I think Annapolis south is better for true year-round living for most people, even if you like seasons. I love Annapolis--it is probably the busiest sailing town on the East Coast--even more so than Newport, but it is busy. Still, you can be anchored up some natural creek within just a few hours. South of that I would choose Sarasota because there is nice sailing on the west coast of Florida and it isn't far to the Keys, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean. Between Norfolk and Miami the ICW is beautiful and interesting, but for sailors there isn't much sailing unless you like to just go out into the Atlantic and back in again. If I was to do Massachusetts and I had my choice I'd prefer Martha's Vineyard or Westport, but from Hyannis you have great sailing and can get to lots of interesting places. In Maine I'd rather be further down east--at least Boothbay, but preferably Penobscot Bay.

As to budget, New England is expensive, with Maine less so if you go east further. From NH south to the Chesapeake is very expensive. For some reason dockage is more reasonable in the Chesapeake, but Annapolis is the high rent district. Still cheaper than Mass. though. The Carolinas are probably your lowest cost destination, then Florida gets a bit pricier, but still cheaper than the Chesapeake for the most part except in places like Ft. Lauderdale, which is still much cheaper than New England. Hey, how about Oriental, NC? Inexpensive, interesting sailing community, decent weather, fun places to sail to.

If I was strictly limited to one from your list I would choose Sarasota--but it's the middle of the winter here and I would just love to be someplace warm!

Wow, to know all that, you must be one with the sea! Thanks. I am still wanting seasons, but I have connections in the Sarasota area. I like to ski still and Maine is the only place that skiing is close enough for a day trip. It is an interesting study. Thanks so much for your input and others. I really envy such knowledge of all those coasts. Lots of water to choose from, but the cities I posted are due to work.

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by hcurtis

I am not that old, so I still like seasons.

How old do you have to be before you don't like seasons anymore? My parents are in their 80s and they like living in Colorado. I first moved to Florida in my 20s and fell in love with it immediately.

I don't mean to offend, so I hope you don't take this the wrong way. I guess I'm just suggesting that you might want to check your preconceptions. Liking or not liking seasons does not necessarily have anything at all to do with age.

[Tim R.]

We are currently living aboard in Portland and we love it. Have been since 2010. We also love the seasons and enjoy many outdoor activities. Sailing of course, snow shoeing, skiing, mountain biking, hiking. Portland is the best place to live aboard for our current activities. Portsmouth, NH is also a consideration. No taxes in NH. Not many marinas east of here support live aboard year round. Maybe Rockland.

As for the cold, you get used to it. Right now it is in the 30s and it feels warm. Like spring is on the way

[Hudson Force]

I grew up in Fort Lauderdale and I love seasons. I miss that glow in the west during the Everglades fires in May & June. I miss the warm nights in July and August when you can hear the giant palmetto bugs hitting the streetlights. I miss the Hurricane season and the afternoon thunderstoms of September & October. I miss the tourist season when the beaches fill up with people who swim in the cold winter water. I reminisce of those rare days when school would close because the high temperature was not forecast to rise to 60 degrees Fahrenheit and we would huddle outside in our jackets exclaming how we could "see our breath"! I miss the season when the land crabs swarmed on the roads an held their claws up at the approaching cars.
"Seasons" and nostalgia are not exclusive to the North!

South Florida is too crowded for me now, paradise is paved! I cruise by most of the places on your list, but my longest stays remain in Florida,- North Florida where I'm still getting some seasons, but I have to put up with a few trees that lose their leaves and times when there is actual frost in the morning. It hardy seems like Christmas here without the palms and mangos!

[GeoPowers]

Here's my order of preference for living aboard all year:

Mt. Pleasant, SC
Charleston, SC
Virginia Beach, VA
Wilmington, NC
Sarasota/Venice, FL
Annapolis, MD
Williamsburg, VA
Newport News, VA
Portland, ME
Portsmouth, NH
Boston, MA
And then the others

Frank

[stag9150]

No marinas in Orange CT,land locked but nice place to live (my home town). Milford Ct 10 minutes from Orange is very nice.

[Suijin]

From a pure sailing standpoint I would pick a place on either Long Island Sound or the Chesapeake, leaning towards the former because sailing is better (deeper water, wider water, lots of interesting destinations up and down the CT/RI/MA coast).

I'm moving shortly to Annapolis from Washington DC and will be living aboard. There is a significant liveaboard community in Annapolis and a huge focus on sailing in that area, and Annapolis itself is a fun town with lots to do. You're also 45 minutes from Washington DC and three major airports, which might be a factor, and you're a couple of hours from ski resorts in Pennsylvania. The Chesapeake is also a storied place to sail with it's fractal coastline and the gunkholing that it provides.

The Chesapeake definitely has seasons, but is right at the latitude where you get hot summers and cold winters, for better or worse.

[Tim R.]

Originally Posted by Suijin

From a pure sailing standpoint I would pick a place on either Long Island Sound or the Chesapeake, leaning towards the former because sailing is better (deeper water, wider water, lots of interesting destinations up and down the CT/RI/MA coast)....

You have never sailed Maine then.

[Octopussy]

Of course I am partial... but I'd go for Annapolis, MD.

There are plenty of marinas to fit a budget.... if money's tight, you might have to go out to Edegewater, MD. But with a 40 ft mono, you'll have no problem finding a slip in the area.

The other reason it's nice is because there are SO MANY people in the "industry" here. All of the Chandleries offer weekend talks in the off season, and there is always something "sailing" to do.

You'd have easy access to anything you need for your boat, from advice to parts... to someone to custom-build anything.

And, it has an active, year-round liveaboard community.

As well, there are organizations, clubs, etc for just about everything... so whatever interests you have besides sailing, you can probably find like-minded people to hang out with!

Cheers,
S/V Octopussy

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