Wilmington NC Liveaboards /??

[Kurt000111]

Hello....

We are moving to Wilmington in a job related shift and think we may fulfill a life long desire to liveaboard. I'd appreciate hearing from anyone in that area who is currently "dreaming"....lol. I'd like to know the who what when and wheres of NC coastal living on a boat....it would be a great help....we're now in Massachusetts

Thanks for any help you can offer

kurt and denise

[camaraderie]

K&D...Wilmington is not a great place for sailing but you can do some local weekend stuff around Carolina Beach and Southport where you can jump out into the ocean on nice days. You should be able to find affordable live aboard space but I would suggest you do not approach it that way. Most marinas will give an automatic NO to anyone looking for a live-aboard slip. Your best be will be to:
1. Prowl the docks and see if there is evidence of liveaboards.
2. Search for dockage saying you are moving to the area for a job and need a permanent slip. You will only be living aboard while you transition and make sure the job works out.
3. Once in the slip at a marina that you know has liveaboards...be a good citizen for a month or two and then tell the dockmaster that you've been thinking about it and have decided you would like to continue living aboad if it is OK with him and are there any additional fees for live-aboard status.

I'm north of your area...but while it does get cold in the winters it is nothing like NE and many people do it here.
Get yourself one of these...it will be handy!
www.NCwaterways.com

[I33]

Wrightsville Beach is right next to the ICW. Wrightsville Marina and Bradley Creek Marina are just minutes away from the Atlantic via Masonboro Inlet. There are also many private individuals with docks on the ICW who rent space. I learned to sail at Wrightsville many years ago and love the area. I assume Cam was thinking about inside sailing being limited, and in that sense he is correct. But access to the open ocean is easy from Wrightsville. Wimington is much much farther from the ocean as you have to come up the Cape Fear river from Southport.

[Kurt000111]

Thank you for your input...I33, our idea was to stay in the Wrightsville Beach, Southport area...I have already encountered resistance from marinas toward liveaboard, which is why I was hoping to connect with some liveaboards here on this forum. Thanks for your advice Camaraderie, I don't want to deceive anyone, but we are professionals and would be an asset to any marina we stay at ....I think your approach is good, and in fact it is exactly what we were initially thinking so it wouldn't be a lie. We will probably buy a Condo for the REAL cold months, and rent the condo out in the summer months.

ANY more advice would be much appreciated from you boat dwellers out there !!!

[USCGRET1990]

Keep in mind, it also can get hotter-n-hell (and humid) here in NC in the summer.

[camaraderie]

Ditto that USCG...air conditioning at the dock is not an option!

[Kurt000111]

Hotter-n-hell huh ??? lol......well, I've been told to go to hell many times in my life, so....here's to fulfilling the request of many !!!....see you there !!

[USCGRET1990]

In that they are from Mass, the summer heat in NC is definetly going to be a concern. Being born and raised in upstate NY (and before global warming)
I know 90+ deg. sure fries my butt.. ;-)

[sailingdog]

Yeah, when I lived in No. Virginia.... the summer heat used to clobber me pretty badly... I'm a New Englander through and through...just can't take that much heat unless I'm on the water or in it.

[Jotun]

Kurt,
Just out of curiosity what line of work are you in? My wife and I have been interested in relocating to Wilmington, NC, for some time. But the biggest hurdle is finding new jobs. We were wondering what some of the bigger industries were in town.