Liveaboard families in Houston, TX?

[sailingunity]

Hi folks, new to the forum here. My wife and I decided about January this year that we wanted to join the cruising life with our 3 daughters. We are in the process of selling our house and looking for a sailboat. Just curious if there are any other liveaboard families in the Houston area we could hook up with and get a glimpse of the life? Maybe just some friendly chat and / or advice, but not ruling out making good friends either!

[RTB]

Originally Posted by sailingunity

Hi folks, new to the forum here. My wife and I decided about January this year that we wanted to join the cruising life with our 3 daughters. We are in the process of selling our house and looking for a sailboat. Just curious if there are any other liveaboard families in the Houston area we could hook up with and get a glimpse of the life? Maybe just some friendly chat and / or advice, but not ruling out making good friends either!

Be sure to check out the marinas before you buy a sailboat and move aboard. Our home port is Kemah, but left there in 2013 to go cruising. Our old marina (Watergate) no longer allows liveaboards unless the vessel is over 40'. Not much actual cruising happening in Texas from what I can see. Sure, plenty of dock parties and day sailing on the bay, but really no good cruising destinations.

The Kemah/Clear Lake area is good for getting set up to go cruising though. There are a fair number of Texas boats cruising the Bahamas, and here on the east coast currently.

Best wishes, and hope this works out for you. It is a good life.

Ralph

[sailingunity]

Ralph, thanks for the helpful advice! I figured it would be tough to find, but was hoping there might be some other families in transition or maybe even folks that just liveaboard and work in Houston.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, sailingunity.

[mwells]

Good morning. We live in the Kemah area and have a sailboat at the Kemah Boardwalk Marina. Several liveaboards here. Send me an email and we can connect for lunch or a time that works for you and I can make some introductions. I'm on the boat much of the time so my schedule is flexible.

[YachtBroker]

I'm on vacation for a few more days on my boat in Florida but I'm a broker in Texas and have an office in waterford harbor. If you'd like to send me an email to my direct email below, when I get back on thursday I could send you an email I send to new boat owners that has all the marinas in there.
Basically, waterford harbor is the nicest marina here for living aboard with the amenities it has and a lot of live aboards. If you'd be inclined, joining Lakewood Yacht Club, there is a lot of kid sailing and activities and a few live aboards there, but probably none full time with kids. Everything is really close here and easy to get too. Slips are HALF what they are in Florida.

[liveaboard60]

Originally Posted by RTB

<snip>
Our old marina (Watergate) no longer allows liveaboards unless the vessel is over 40'. Not much actual cruising happening in Texas from what I can see. Sure, plenty of dock parties and day sailing on the bay, but really no good cruising destinations.

<snip>
Ralph

As I understand it, you can live aboard on vessels shorter than 40 feet as long as you lease a 40' (or larger) slip. They do allow for "weekenders" or 3 or less days a week for all boats as I have a little Hunter 26.5 I keep there and very often spend the weekend aboard..

flk k

[SV Liberty]

Sent a PM.

[sailingforfun]

Ditto RTB.

Kemah is a good place to learn, but Galveston Bay will get small over time and if you catch the "passion" you'll want better cruising destinations.

Saying that we got started in a Kemah sailing school, then joined a Kemah time share program and learned we loved the life style. We eventually bought a Lagoon catamaran, took delivery in France through a Kemah broker and never looked backed.

While living in Houston, Kemah allowed us to take baby steps along the way, instead of giving up everything and diving in head first.

[RTB]

Originally Posted by liveaboard60

As I understand it, you can live aboard on vessels shorter than 40 feet as long as you lease a 40' (or larger) slip. They do allow for "weekenders" or 3 or less days a week for all boats as I have a little Hunter 26.5 I keep there and very often spend the weekend aboard..

flk k

Pauline didn't offer me that option, and we had been there for 4 years. They grandfathered in the liveaboards that were there when they changed the rules, but since we weren't liveaboards at the time, that didn't apply. We had to leave. It may have changed since 2012, but as I said to the OP, check with the marinas before buying a boat to live on. There are some in the Kemah/Clear Lake area like Legend Point, Waterford, Seabrook, and the Board Walk.

We came back to Texas in 2014 for awhile, and stayed at Harbor Walk in Hitchcock. Also at Cove Harbor in Rockport. but you kind of need to know someone there or you might be turned away. Last I checked, the marina in Port Aransas was no longer accepting new liveaboards. Again, that may have changed again.

Ralph