Good east coast retirement cities?

[PBzeer]

There's an area here in New Bern, NC where people have put down moorings. Whether one can do so now, I don't know. I know of people with moorings in Oriental and Beaufort. I suggested narrow your search area, because it would be a lot simpler to find where you want to be, and then investigate the mooring situation, as I know it changes from town to town in this area, being a matter of local government.

[yossarian]

Mooring laws vary from state to state, but it's often not too hard to get the required permit, particularly as a waterfront property owner.

In some places, it's completely unregulated. Anyone who wants can plop down a mooring wherever they want as long as they don't run afoul of the federal CG regs on navigable waterways (that's pretty easy, mooring can't present a hazard to navigation which has been interpreted to mean that you can't drop a mooring in a maintained commercial channel or in any place that prevents access to a navigable water - imagine a string of moorings across the entrance to a bay).

In most places, there is state/local regulation. That is, the state set out some general guidelines and delegated the job of writing specific rules and enforcing/issuing permits to either the local counties or to a state agency.

In busy areas, the state often delegates all authority to a harbormaster.

In NC, since it was mentioned, you get your permit from the Department of Coastal Maintenance - http://dcm2.enr.state.nc.us/rules/Te...a-07h.2200.pdf

From what I hear, it's very easy to get a mooring permit as a waterfront property owner in NC as long as you are not in a busy harbor or right on a federally maintained channel....

[sailingfool]

In general I think the major issue with a mooring is the solution to getting to and from the boat. In MA, there is lots of protected waters where a Harbormaster may permit you to drop a mooring...but how do you get to the boat?

The most expensive solution is to join a YC which will provide launch services. The cheapest is to store a dingy on a public beach.

An intermediate solution, is to rent a mooring from a marina which provides either launch service or in-the-water dingy storage...which may be a better solution than owning a free mooring that is very difficult to get to.

Or pony up and buy some water front property, and most likely you can drop that free mooring right nearby to your backyard dingy dock...

[miatapaul]

Originally Posted by Cruiser2B

Oriental, NC if you like sailing and a small community

The more I hear about Oriental, the more I want to move there, and I don't want to wait till I retire!

[jrd22]

My son and daughter in law kept their boat in Oriental, they loved it. Really friendly people, knowledgeable and helpful boat yards, inexpensive moorage and housing. And great cruising areas. I didn't think they were going to come home.

[PBzeer]

Outside of the Chesapeake Bay, there is no better inland sailing on the East Coast, than Oriental. From daysails, to 2 day trips, to 7 or more days, there's no end of possibilities, including the Ocean (a half day away). The Broad Creek area (east of Oriental, there's more than one) has many waterfront homes and offers the same possibilities. Also, if you're looking at using the boat primarily for more than daysails, the Bay River has many waterfront properties (you'd need an hour or two to get to where you could really sail). There's also numerous places along the Nuese from Oriental to New Bern, though once past the bend to the NW, the river begins to narrow with some shallow water mid-stream.

Oriental though, is definitely a sailing town. With a West Marine and a local chandlery as well as a consignment store, nearby loft and two boatyards, it's easy to meet your boat needs. It is though, a small town, with few options for the rest of your needs. If I had to move ashore and still wanted to sail, it's where I'd go.

[hellosailor]

John, you must be a rich farmer if price doesn't enter the equation. I think once you start looking at PRICES for coastal property, not in a swamp, near any civilization, with enough water to float how much keel? You'll be crossing big pieces off the map.

Look at the retirement guides, see how each area strikes you for amenities if you want them, or health care, or taxes. Big differences. Want to be within an hour of a hospital or airport? More places crossed off the map. Then take what is left, use Zillow or another online site to see what property is going to cost you--including annual fees and taxes. You may be surprised at how quickly you can cross off most of the coast, or where your choices lead you to.

The other way to do it might be to get a boat up to Maine, or buy it in Maine, and start down the coast. When you find someplace that feels like home, buy in.

[VallelyJ]

Thanks again for all your ideas and info.
It's a huge country to look for one small house in (especially one that's not necessarily on the water) and it is tough to know where to start. The Oriental, NC area sounds pretty interesting--thanks for the details about it, PBzeer.
I guess I'd better use other criteria than easy mooring availiabilty to narrow down the list.
If I discover a new sailing mecca in the process, I'll let you all know.
John V.

[bigdogandy]

In Florida I would recommend checking out the Merritt Island / Cocoa area, Stuart, St. Augustine, Ft. Myers, and Pensacola. Relatively low cost of living, great weather, and excellent boating environment.

[mdi]

Originally Posted by bigdogandy

In Florida I would recommend checking out the Merritt Island / Cocoa area, Stuart, St. Augustine, Ft. Myers, and Pensacola. Relatively low cost of living, great weather, and excellent boating environment.

In Pensacola property values are just starting a slow rise on waterfront properties after the fall in '08. There are many many locations of waterfront property on bayous and inland water ways that lead to Bay's and their entrance to the Gulf. Depends of course on the type of vessel and the needs of the boat and the owners. For example multihull drafts allow access to some waterfront property's around the Florida Panhandle that deep draft boats can forget about. The shallower draft bayou's tend to have lower waterfront priced properties. We chose this route, securing property for our own dock and slip.

Depends if you are wanting a marina experience as compared to your own place.