St Augustine, Miami, - where to head to live aboard?

[Mariner777]

I was cruising down the ICW from CT and my engine blew up around Hilton Head Island, SC. I've found people have a great attitude toward liveaboards here and are friendly. Its a pretty sweet place possibly the best I've had my boat at since I bought her. I was originally planning to go to St Augustine and try living there for a while till Hurricane season was over as I heard they rarely get hit. Then I was going to try living aboard in Miami for a while hopefully anchored around Key Biscayne somewhere. I usually need at least one crew to move the boat and the guy who was crewing with me wants to know when we're heading South again.

My questions are: what sort of attitude do people in St Augustine have toward cruisers? Are there free places to anchor and is it cool to leave a dinghy on the beach somewhere?

Are there nice places to Anchor around Miami where living on the hook for free or very cheap is feasible or has it turned into an over regulated nasty scene? If I'm going to pay per day it better be a slip I find the concept of paying to anchor extremely ridiculous. When I google anchoring near Miami I run into sites asking 15 a night just to anchor which makes me want to just stay at Hilton Head Island till I'm ready to see the bahamas...

[Mariner777]

I must add that I'm in Miami right now and the boat is docked in SC because my girlfriend lives in Miami so having the boat anywhere where shes not might be like not having a boat. I can be away from her for a few weeks - a month at a time I guess but its not much fun and I find myself gunning the boat toward Miami to visit her...

[marianclaire]

This is based on my last pass thru St Aug. Heading south mid Feb 2011 and north early May 2011. The anchorage south of the Bridge of Lions is almost all mooring balls. I stopped and moored on the way south and the staff was friendly and helpful. 22$/ night I think. I anchored several miles south of St Aug on the way north but the anchorage is crowded with the boats they removed to clear the area for the mooring field. I recognized many of them from previous trips. Dinghy access?? Can not say much about Miami as I did not go that far south this trip, turned left at Lake Worth. Sounds like you have a good set up at HH. Dan S/V Marian Claire

[sawingknots]

i think beaufort s.c. still has a free anchorage and dingy dock and its right in downtown as for your engine you might try peter gamble at marsh harbor boatyard on lady's island

[SAMUELBURNS]

M-777: For good hurricane protection, you have to get inland. Stuart, FL in St. Lucie County, at entrance to the St. Lucie canal which goes to Lake Okeechobee, is good place to look. The problem with Miami is that the draw bridges are locked down days before arrival of a new hurricane, so you cannot go up Miami River without dropping the mast..........and it's a tiny river at that.
[Samuel Burns C309 Alameda, CA ]

[TQA]

I would vote for Stuart but check on the anchoring situation there first as they have had a go at "liveaboards".

[wingNwing]

Have you checked out Vero Beach (a.k.a. "Velcro" Beach, where cruisers stick around longer than they'd planned)? Moorings $15/day, free public buses to grocery stores, West Marine, library, etc. Great liveaboard community.

[CaptainForce]

Yeah, Vero Beach, Titusville, Saint Johns River....there are some great Florida liveaboard places

[MarioG]

We just Miami and will be hanging out near Myrtle Beach Sc for a short time, so know the areas well. There is a great state park in N.Miami near FSU campus that you can drop anchor for free and because the park gets locked down at night feel very safe. It does cost $2 to re-enter the park if you need to go for previsions or pay for a year pass which is cheap.

There is a marina store near for ice and fuel,water by dingy a walk out the park and you are at a few shopping plazas, and Win dixie were you can jump a free shuttle to anything and everything you could need.

There is also a park behind West Marine that is free if you walk/bike in or out.

(Is this going to make me learn not to give out great anchorages)



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