liveaboard marinas in south florida

[twinboat]

Originally Posted by Sailor Jer

...what a crappy place to try to make a home, total vulture marina of childish immature people (locals & staff) sociopaths, liars, desperate people without means/pensions jealious of those with means trying to exploit/make miserable those with...way too many people who have been there too long as well hahaha, they literally don't boat they just live aboard boats LOL.

I lived there two seasons aboard my liveaboard with a racing 17ft ocean going race boat for a toy. First season (2014-2015) I got tired of seeing monroe county sheriffs deputies at city marina I lived off season in key west at the N.A.S. To get a break from the lawlessness!!!
And wow did that seem to bother people when I'd spend a night aboard my vessel n boot key harbor LMAO!!! When I started living in key west in May 2015 some ex nasa broke loser who got swindled by berrie maidoff totally made war on me gossiping ugly cuz he is jealious of my retired disabled veteran status with base privs...I guess he feels since he is better than me, it u fair in his sicko mind and hurts his ego that I do better in retirement and that is what he focused on when he saw me, always trying to ridicule and invalidate me to everyone including marina staff/dock master. The dock master is a big part of the problem at city marina of marathon, he is a coward afraid of confrontation especially when it comes to the overstayed local bratty crowd who think they own/run the cit marina.

City marina of marathon is a great place to stop off for cruisers, pass thru, fill water tanks, refill the cupboards but stay away from the two faced corrupt locals and marina staff, they tend to disregard the rules and make them up to self serv and favor those they like/discriminate even target those they wanna bully. Way too many people living on boats who don't boat/haven't boated in years lle ten years plus LOL! Look at most of the single women liveaboards, most bought their vessel in boot key harbor as a floating condo hahaha.

Only nice thing about boot key harbor IMO is it's the best protected harbor in the keys period!

The city marina of marathon mooring field/boot key harbor is essentially a lake with two inlets so when winds kick up fetch is small, you can kayak ashore in the chop prett easily. City Marina Marathon is worst option for long term, especially in summer as seasonal people who flood the mooring field are gone so it gets empty and the locals are so bored they fight like HS children to no end, tryng to pick fights and get eachother kicked out, total drama queens!

Off season you'll need to be at a dock for power/AC as it's prett muggy even at night, look into sombrero resort, marathon marina, slips at dockside marina etc. (not city marina of marathon)

Lots menial jobs yes, remember this term "keys disease" as it's relative here, people get onto "paradise" mode and become drunks, if they have enough to pay bills no need to work, thus they quit jobs after getting a paycheck to move on.

Again, beware of the vultures and lack of honor/integrity at city marina of marahon in boot key harbor. Lots of jealious immature behaviors, broke people bored and picking fights trying to establish power and control LOL, back stabbing and gossiping to boost their lowlife egos.

Great marina/harbor to pass thru but I anchor n sisters creek if wind is blowing, outside sombrero beach swimmng area in the ocean if flat.
then go ashore/avoid city marina using sombrero beach (pull ur dink ashore at kayak launch by pier at the beach) beach showers as well as you can fill water cans.
the taxi anywhere in marathon is $5 carload per trip (carpooling with other couples is frowned but legit) so call the bob narley taxi for the 2 mile trip up sombrero beach rd to town center, get a cab back.

Sounds like you would fit right in, why did you leave ?

[ausnp84]

Originally Posted by RichandHelen

We're in Dinner Key Marina in Miami (Coral Gables - on Biscayne Bay). Not cheap (see the City of Miami web site) and there's a waiting list for slips. But the live aboard situation is great. You are right on one of the best sailing grounds on the planet. There is real camaraderie - always someone willing to help. It's safe and there's a brand new enormous clubhouse.P et friendly. Any kind of marine service you could ask for is close by as are markets and restaurants of every kind. You can easily get around on a bike. There are both moorings and slips. PM me if you need further insights.

Rich

Spent a winter on the hook just off Dinner Key Marina and can attest to the facilities in close proximity. We're considering a FL base for our boat (once we get over that way, that is) - what are your thoughts on DK Marina during hurricane season?

Originally Posted by Infatuation

I suggest St Petersburg Municipal Marina. Live aboard, protected, reasonable, deep. Slips available and the city is wonderful. Have been in this marina for 30 years.

Same question.

Are boats safe in the water in FL during hurricane season?

n

[Sailor Jer]

Originally Posted by twinboat

Sounds like you would fit right in, why did you leave ?

Hahaha...bigger better opportunities...

[Dave22q]

Interesting tirade from sailor jer. The Marathon city marina is cheap and there are a number of junk boats but living nearby at Burdines I have not heard about the other stuff. My net impression is that it is generally ok but, like anyplace else, you need to be careful of who and how you deal with. I'm sure there are a number of crooks but a little cynicism should be decent protection.

[Sailor Jer]

Originally Posted by Dave22q

Interesting tirade from sailor jer. The Marathon city marina is cheap and there are a number of junk boats but living nearby at Burdines I have not heard about the other stuff. My net impression is that it is generally ok but, like anyplace else, you need to be careful of who and how you deal with. I'm sure there are a number of crooks but a little cynicism should be decent protection.

...to be fair, I was often mistaken for a gentleman who was kicked outta the city marina, "pistol Pete" as he was known LOL. Though we do kinda look alike I am nothing like him other than drink and puff. I've never been arrested but people in boot key harbor will tell you otherwise like it's fact and I'm lying hahaha. The rumors and gossip tend to become fact at city marina...they have two sayngs..."if you haven't heard a good rumor by 10am make up your own" and "too many people believe it for it not to be true"

If you've never went ashore at city marina for 6months and engaged the locals, be part of the community you'd never know...then again some people are blind and others are selectively blind too right...

Sadly my experiences after 16.5 months dealing with city marina of marathon and it's locals/revolving door staff and people who live on boats but don't boat is to go ashore some place other than city marina of marathon like my friends do in marathon, plenty of other options with better crowds IMO. If you wanna live in boot key harbor Rent someone's quay, rent a slip and avoid the drama. Coco plum has the better marinas in the better part of town, key colony as well.

Lastly was that really a tirade or just sharing experiences with in depth view since I'm waiting on a plane I have time for this right now. I had an ugly experience there, a lot of it was caused by jealous people bad mouthing me behind my back (how honorable) as well as my not playing into childish attempts to pick fights so they kept using the game, ignoring their harassment which made the local bully crowd mad I wouldn't engage their B.S. So they were powerless which they're not used to hahaha.

[Carat]

Reviving this thread because I am looking for a live aboard marina.....

Regatta Point is expensive and a few others like it. Are there any marinas that are easy on the wallet and decent? I'm looking around Fort Walton Destin area down to Clearwater.

[geoleo]

Originally Posted by twinboat

I would and did leave my boat at Fort Myers Beach moorings for 2 + months, to go north.

They accept payment for multiple months .

Only,problem is that Marathons, Boot Key moorings fill up by mid December. They are still full with a 50 boat wait list, now. Coming down after the holidays could be tough.

Another option is to anchor it in Boot Key and hope for the best.

All Marinas in Marathon are wrecked-boatyards too.

[geoleo]

Originally Posted by ausnp84

Spent a winter on the hook just off Dinner Key Marina and can attest to the facilities in close proximity. We're considering a FL base for our boat (once we get over that way, that is) - what are your thoughts on DK Marina during hurricane season?



Same question.

Are boats safe in the water in FL during hurricane season?

n

LOL! Nowhere is safe "in the water " when hurricane comes--best to be where hurricane is not!