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Liveaboard marina suggestions...FL, GA, SC, NC??

18K views 9 replies 7 participants last post by  Capt. Jaret 
#1 ·
Hello all...I've been a member here for a long time but don't post much as I typically find what I'm looking for in the archives. However, this time I am not finding any information that has helped.

After spending last year in the Bahamas my family is purchasing a catamaran and we want to live aboard somewhere on the east coast. We don't have any specific location picked out yet but we have two boys entering into high school and we'd like to find a community with some nice liveaboard marinas and decent schools...we're open to anything from FL to NC...any suggestions would be appreciated. We would need reasonable access to an airport and good internet for work etc but other than that we're pretty open to ideas.

Thanks,
 
#2 ·
The marina I'm at in Ft Pierce, FL is a really nice liveaboard marina, but unfortunately I doubt the Ft Pierce schools are all that great. Vero Beach which is the town north of me would be my first pick to raise a family. It's pretty much one of those slow middle to upper middle class towns. Really friendly, nice areas, sort of a mix between small town and trendy feel. The marina is known as "Velcro Beach" because a lot of people get stuck in Vero and don't move on. Vero is nice and probably has a good school system with the type of kids in it you'd want your kids to be friends with. UCF is a pretty decent college and isn't too far away in Orlando. A bit long for daily commutes, but my impression is you just dorm the kids up in UCF and it's a really close trip for visits(1.5 hours).

It'd probably be about 1 hour 20 to get to Orlando's airport, which is a really nice airport to travel from and to. Marina fees should be reasonable, and while there's wifi you'd probably also want to pick up a Verizon USB modem for those days when the wifi isn't working well.

Another Florida option might be Bradenton Florida. There's 2 really nice liveaboard marinas there, it's close to Tampa(good airport and USF is a decent college), seems like a nice area but I'm not as familiar with it as I am with Vero.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Coquina Yacht club in Little River SC just north of Mertle Beach is a great liveaboard marina. Very well protected from storms, is a quite area but close to good schools and alot of entertainment .
A short run to the inlet and short drive to the beach.

We stayed there one summer and liked it very much. You will never find a better Dock Master to deal with. Every thing is always clean and in working order. Very good rates.
 
#4 ·
Thank you for the information. We are actually looking in the Ft. Myers area as well so Bradenton will be a place to check out. Do you by chance have any experience with Jacksonville or that area...again for liveaboard marinas, schools and airports?
Chris
 
#7 ·
Do you by chance have any experience with Jacksonville or that area...again for liveaboard marinas, schools and airports?
I don't have experience with the Jacksonville area, but I do know there are a lot of liveaboard marina options there. It's a big city so there should be some decent education options.

I've lived in Florida for 11-12 years(3 aboard). Did 7 years in the SE area(Fort Lauderdale) and don't recommend that area at all. Did a few years in Orlando and I do recommend that town for family life. It's not touristy if you stay out of the SW part of town.

I've spent some time in the Tampa area and it's a decent city. Lot's of sailing opportunities, but traffic is a real consideration there. The entire east coast of Florida also has a ton of very small marinas, St Augustine all the way down to Stuart. The towns all tend to be small and tend to flip flop from being nice to being pretty shoddy.

Ft Myers isn't a bad area at all, though it tends to be a little more old people than the rest of the state. The marina I was at down there wasn't a liveaboard marina, but there's a Marinatown in Ft Myers that has very affordable liveaboard rates that seemed to be nice. The Ft Myers area has a lot of little marinas and a beautiful amount of cruising, so it's not a bad area at all to base out of while you look.
 
#5 ·
Ortaga yacht club in jax is a very nice marina, we stayed there waiting for Lambs boat yard to get their heads out their ass's when we needen a shift cable. Sorry can't tell you about scools but the area seems nice and there are alot of conveniences.
 
#6 ·
At the New Bern Grand Marina (at the Doubletree by Hilton) I'm living for under $300 a month (with electricity) on a 32 foot boat. (The main reason I haven't gotten back out cruising yet). Good facilities, free Wi-Fi, free cable, exercise room, courteous staff, and free coffee in the morning. Good mix of retail, and though I can't vouch for the public schools, I do know they have to compete with some excellent private ones.
 
#8 ·
We have been living aboard in Port Canaveral for the past 2 months at the Ocean Club Marina.
It is a great facility, concrete docks, pump out at your slip, excellent washers/dryers and great washrooms/showers.
It is close to most amenities. There is a boat yard attached if you need repairs or a haulout.
Great views of the cruise boats coming and going.
Best of all it is very quiet and the staff are superb.

Bill and Wendy
S/V My Way...Eh
 
#9 ·
We are in the same boat (not literally :) ) as chrtucke. Looking for a liveaboard marina on the SE coast that is in a good school district. We have a kid entering high school so the nearby good school requirement is probably the main factor. There are a few marina's mentioned above that I am contacting for info, but any and all info you sailors have that might help is most appreciated. I too have tried searching the forum and this is about the only thread I have come across on this topic, so if anyone recalls others, please share.
Be interested to hear if chrtucke found any other suitable marinas.
Thanks in Advance
 
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