Delaware suggestions?

[gittist]

As we get closer to my retirement, downsizing and moving, we are looking at Delaware. Does anyone have any suggestion for a community that's close (within 30 minutes) to a marina or boat yard that we can keep the sailboat we don't have yet, and that we could lock the door and leave for a few weeks several times a year and not have to worry about it getting robbed..etc.

More than likely we'll have a place downeast also.

If anyone lives in Delaware now please let me know if it's a good place to retire and how are the winters?

Thanks,

[hpeer]

DELAWARE City Marina
It's on the North end of the C&D canal. Not real convienient to the Chesapeake, on the Delaware River. Tim allows live aboard and is a reasonably priced do it yourself yard with a lift. Delaware City is a relatively inexpensive town, blue collar. But there are upscale neighborhoods in the vicinity.

DELAWARE CITY MARINA - WELCOME!

The other option is Summit North Marina part way down the C&D. It also allows live aboards. It's a bigger Marina but remote from any town. Can't walk to any store.

https://m.facebook.com/summitnorthmarinallc/

Frankly I think that's your range of options. Doesn't much matter which one you pick. Easy to move to the other and try that for a while.

Good luck.

[hpeer]

We lived in Philly for many years but for the last few we spent one week in Philly and the alternate week on the boat at Delaware City Marina. All year long. It can get cold, I've seen 1F on the boat. But that is rare.

[Bill O]

Lots of good places to live in Delaware (can find the worst places also with a quick search). If you are going to looking to purchase a sailboat and want good places to sail, the Chesapeake Bay is where you want to be as opposed to the Delaware Bay. We only do quick transits of the DB for easier passages into the Chesapeake Bay.

Getting to Maryland on the CB is not a far drive from most Delaware locations and in general it's much easier to drive your car than motor/sail long distances.

Depending where you are coming from, the winters maybe somewhat milder than the Midwest, but can be cold also. The eastern Atlantic area does get hit w/Nor'easters in late winter which can dump large amounts of wet snow in a single storm.

Good luck with your retirement.
Bill O.

[thinwater]

Honestly, the eastern shore of Maryland offers FAR better sailing. Anywhere between the Bay Bridge and Cambridge is lovely, and because there is so much near-water area, prices are reasonable, so long as you are a mile or two from the most prime locations.

You will here many describe Delaware sailing as something they pass as quickly as possible. That is perhaps a slight exaggeration. Slight.

[gittist]

Please let me clarify my post. The tentative plans are to buy a land based home and be near where ever we moor/dock/store the sail boat. We would be away for a few weeks at a time through out the year so we'd like someplace relatively secure.

We're targeting Delaware because it's supposedly retiree friendly?

I take it the Delaware Bay is rough sailing?

Thank you all for the responses received so far.

[hpeer]

This form has a sister site dedicated to early retirement, but really just retirement. Lots of good info there should you desire it.

The FIRE retirement calculator is absolutly the best you can get and was very similar to the professional advice we got from or investment advisor and Thor fancy program.

Early Retirement & Financial Independence Community

There just are not many places to go on the Delaware. It has a lot of it ship traffic and current.

The upper Cesapeake can also be restrictive, especially with a deep draft boat.

Unless you have some strong need/desire to have th boat very close to your house you have a lot of flexibility. Also the kind of sailing you wish to do is important. If you want to do a lot of day sails then the sites I noted are not so great. If you desire to make a couple of longer trips each year then the location on the canal is no big deal. Also do you do your own work, must it be a DIY yard?

But I would not stress too much. Like I said, if the first yard doesn't pan out then move to one that does. Or, keep the boat at a Delaware yard in the off season, and move it "down the bay" for the sailing season. Many folks do that. Keeps your DE registration. Let's you sail in MD and/or VA. It will work out, no worries.

What kind of boat roughly?