State of Living Aboard in Florida

[flightlead404]

Originally Posted by ScottyMR

Sailorboy, Thanks for your comment.

I am curious about the legalities. I have an established land job with a large company that will transfer my payroll residency to Florida. And my intention is to reside in Florida as a resident. My understanding is that I need to behave like a Florida resident, including getting a FL drivers license, registering my car and boat there, registering to vote, etc. With all of that, I basically need a FL address. It sounds like a company called SBI is in the business of legitimately helping cruisers and RVs, etc establish residency, including helping the new Floridian file a declaration of residency at the courthouse. (St John's County maybe?)

I work remotely, so I will perform my "land job" from the boat...my home. Just like I do now in Georgia..except it is from my house (my home) in Georgia.

Are you aware of any legal problems with this strategy? If so, I really need to know about them.

Thanks in advance.

Thats precisely the strategy I'm planning on. I'd plan on at least 4-6 months to find a boat btw. I just went through that process and am going down for my 3rd survey in 3 months in a couple weeks. I live in midtown Atlanta and will probably be in Ft. Pierce area or maybe further south as I have a small plane to make it relatively painless.

[flightlead404]

Originally Posted by cdy

In Florida - boats are easy to find

having been navigating the boat buying process in FL since the beginning of December I would challenge this

Sure, if you want some floating PoS at double BUC value maybe, but otherwise.....

I happened to stumble over an unlisted nice H38 while walking away from my second survey in 2 months so maybe, just maybe I'm done now.

[Davy J]

Originally Posted by cdy View Post
In Florida - boats are easy to find

Originally Posted by flightlead404

having been navigating the boat buying process in FL since the beginning of December I would challenge this.

You are missing what he is saying.

Sure finding the right boat is difficult. But if you are planning to keep it in Florida, finding a slip will be ten times more difficult than finding the boat..............

[VeinDocFL]

I think a lot of the slips are being taken up by yachts that would normally be cruising the Bahamas or Caribbean. I really struggled finding a spot for my 44’ cat this winter, seeing many good sized boats in my region that I had not seen before.
Maybe when traveling opens up again it will be at least a little easier.

[Amapola]

Florida does not welcome live-a-board boaters at anchor. So far, there's no problem with living aboard in a marina. Just because we have no state income tax doesn't mean it's cheap to live here though.

[MikeRyan]

We live aboard at Palm Coast marina (between Daytona Beach and St. Augustine). Lived here 10 years. Very well run marina Ours is a 40 foot sailboat. There are several liveaboards, couples and singles. Good water depth, very helpful marina staff. $50 live aboard fee makes it about $600 a month for us, with wifi and electricity included. Pump out facility, but not at the slips. Well protected harbor with a mile witch of b arrears island across the intra coastal from the harbor. a days motoring to get to either St. Augustine or Daytona to get into the ocean and off-shore sailing, but a lot safer in a hurricane than either of those places BECAUSE there is not inlet right next to us. There are liveaboards at a marina on the East side of the Intracoastal as well. Marinland marina, a little north of us, is said to take liveaboards, too.

Yeas ago we lived aboard in Fernandina beach. But the entrance to the marina was shallow. Don't know their status these days. We lived aboard in the Bells river there a long time ago.

There are said to be live aboard marinas at Once inlet (near Daytona and New Smyrna Beach).

The 'bad' reputation of Northeast Florida may spring from Daytona - a very touristy and in my opinion, ugly town. But my wife played for years in the Daytona Symphony Orchestra before the pandemic caused its suspension.

Palm Coast is a quiet, not densely populated town.

Good luck.

Michael Ryan
1st Mate aboard Here There Be Dragons
lying Palm Coast Marina
Palm Coast FL 32137
617-935-9023

[MikeRyan]

Please forgive the typos - spelling 'help' mostly to blame. There is a mile-wide barrier island to the east of the Palm Coast harbor. And it is 'Ponce' inlet near Daytona.

[squarpeg]

I am at Fernandina Beach Marina. It just reopened. $20ft. dockside... $500month for a mooring. There is space here. It is still shallow on the inside dock, but they have deeper slips. Must put up with pollution but the town is great. Cold in winter but if at the dock you can run electric heat. I am not personally living aboard but there are people doing it. I think you can find a spot to settle into in North Florida without much issue. I would never tell a marina I was a live aboard. Just ask if they have a slip for a couple months. See how you like it. If good just tell them you'd like to stay a few more months. Your goal is to be the perfect tenant. Doubtful they ever ask you to leave.

[crossbow]

Some jurisdictions encourage live aboard here, some don’t. First, don’t waste your time and money on a broker. Go on Craigslist or better still come down and look. I’ve never paid more than $4000 for a decent live aboard sailboat. My neighbor has been trying to sell his dad’s 38’ center cockpit hoping to get 5.
Dunedin, up the road, actually encourages live aboards and provides a dinghy dock for shopping. St Pete charges around 600 a
Month for dock space plus utilities, still a great deal compared to an apartment. But if you’re on your own you can’t beat living on the hook here. Good luck.

[Sky2sail]

I am at St Pete Muni. I understand that there is a rule change so that slips aren't transferable now. Finding slips anywhere in Tampa Bay is a challenge.

[mike mck]

Originally Posted by Davy J

Plus, since I'm on a roll and feel like being an A$$,

Riviera Dunes Marina, on the Manatee River, is behind two bridges. The clearance is about 35 feet.........

Well let me join you in being that guy. I'm a 45 ft Hatteras Liveaboard. No sails just 2 Detroit Diesels doing my part to rip a hole in the Ozone. With antenna's and outriggers up I'm just under 30 feet so I say what bridges?

Oh and I live aboard in Ensenada Mexico. Slip $11.40 per foot and Liveaboard fee $35.00 so my opinion on Fla doesnt count.

[mike mck]

Originally Posted by GordMay

A couple of friends, and I, are opening a chicken wings restaurant, called the "Right Wing Cafe."
We don't actually sell any wings, we just complain about the other wing places.

Now thats funny right there

[mike mck]

Originally Posted by Tayana42

Does this right wing/wrong wing diatribe have to invade every thread?

It appears so but in this thread it appears to be good natured and mostly tongue in cheek.
I live aboard but not in Fla and for the most part couldn't tell you the politics of my dock mates. We are more concerned with ocean and fishing conditions.

[Woodland Hills]

Then you are lucky. We have been to many marinas with Trump flags on many boats and have been the recipients of snide remarks over our Biden/Harris flag in many of them. Lots of Trump outboards have flipped us off, after blowing their horn so we will see them on the ICW. This happened a lot passing through the Carolinas and Georgia, but Florida was the worst for rude responses.

[ScottyMR]

Thanks for everyone's input!

Mike, Thanks for the input. I've looked at Palm Coast. I like quiet, but a day's worth of motoring to get offshore to too far FOR ME though.

Squarepeg, I spent the night at Fernandina Beach Marina years ago! middle of the night, I was peeing off the stern when a manatee surfaced next to the boat and exhaled real loud. Confirmation of sea monsters...scared the crap outta me. LOL But yeah, very cool town....and I have a bunch of friends that live on the beach over there. I am driving down there Sunday...I will be visiting the harbormaster there probably Monday. I am hoping to find cheaper rent though. Thanks!

Woodland, You can fix that by flying BOTH flags. No one will know whether to love you or hate you. They would probably just assume you're crazy and leave you alone. LOL