Choosing where to base power catamaran. How important is a nearby haulout facility?

[maardsma]

Hello! So grateful for all the advice and resources here.

I live in Illinois and I'm planning to buy a power cat and base it perhaps in Ft. Myers area. I am a pilot and plan to fly down to the boat whenever I can, and take longer trips when kids are out of school, etc. I want access to boating weather year round, and interesting destinations to explore.

I am interested in the Lagoon 43 PC model. This has a 21 foot 3 inch beam. I know some marinas cannot haul this out because their travel lifts are not wide enough.

How important is it to base the boat near a facility that can haul it out for maintenance? How far (in motoring time I guess) away from such a facility would you be comfortable basing your boat? How rare is it that a maintenance issue comes up that requires a haulout asap, vs being able to cruise for a few days or more before addressing it? How much maintenance gets done with the boat in water versus hauling it out?

Is there significant benefit in basing the boat directly at the marina that does the primary maintenance on it? Like rent a wet slip at a marina that also can work on the boat?

How do boat owners in Florida protect their boats when a hurricane is threatening where the boat is based? Maybe that interacts with where to base it and what kind of facilities I want nearby?

Thanks in advance!

Mark

 

[sjisailor]

Welcome! I'm replying mostly to bump the post & question, as I have no direct experience in FL.

The one thing I do know (because I've seen the FL boilerplate clauses left in some PNW insurance policies) is that haul out may be required by your insurance policy in case of a named storm. I expect others will add more reflection and detail.

As for haul out in general -- setting aside the hurricane questions -- I'd say it depends, and I have often gone 20+ nm for service at a boatyard. Variables like their schedule, availability, services, what they'll let you do, can you stay board if needed, and ease of access are all more important to me than distance as such.

 

[mvweebles]

Good question. Only thing I can add is the warm Florida waters require more frequent hauling than you might be used to. Diver ever 3-weeks and haul/painting every year if you want to keep the bottom in good condition.

Getting a slip is a bigger issue than finding a yard. I committed our of TPA (Tampa) for years. Decent connections and an easy airport to navigate. Ft Myers is nice, but for airports. TPA is more consistent. Flights to Sarasota and Ft Myers come and go depending on economy. Downtown St Petersburg is 25-mins from TPA and there are quite a few marinas within a 15-min drive from downtown. If you're a private aircraft pilot, there is a GA airport in downtown St Pete (Albert Whitted Field) and of course there is PIE at St Pete/Clearwater

I am not familiar with yards in Ft Myers but would think there are good options even for a cat (21 feet isn't too wide in today's terms - same as a 65 foot monohull).

Peter

 

[BruceK]

Haulout ability may be less limited at marinas which have a "railway" type cradle system instead of/as well as a Travelift system. My previous marina had one capable of taking large wide boats, and charged for it accordingly. Not common to get a problem requiring urgent haulout but it happens, relatively unpredictably. Wonder if the shallow draft extended hulls of a power cat give you the option of beaching if things go bad.

 

[Blissboat]

With respect to scheduled passenger aviation, Peter has accurately summed up the relative merits / demerits of the Tampa Bay area vs. Ft. Myers. As to haul-out facilities, both metros have adequate resources, though there are more options in the Tampa Bay metro area. As to hurricane planning, if the requirements of your insurance policy include hauling out for named storms, then you'll need an accessible facility and a haul-out contract. However, as we saw the 2022 Category 4 Hurricane Ian, even boats stored on the hard in the Ft. Myers area were at grave risk. That would have been true in the Tampa Bay area as well, had Ian veered north by a few degrees during its approach to the west coast of Florida.

If for whatever reason hauling out an advance of the storm is not an option, the alternatives are to try to run away from the path of the storm, or to secure your boat in the water at the most sheltered location accessible to you. For boaters anywhere on the Gulf of Mexico coastline, trying to run away ahead of the storm's arrival is a fool's errand. Until mere hours prior to landfall, forecasting the point of said landfall remains unreliable, making the initial decision (which direction to run) almost equal to a coin toss. Then, factor in the amount of advance time necessary to 1) make a decision, 2) locate and secure an alternative dock or anchorage, 3) prepare and move the boat any meaningful number of miles to its new location, 4) re-secure the boat, and 5) evacuate. If you are an absentee boat owner who can drop everything and get aboard the boat immediately, three days might suffice, but in the world of hurricane track predicting, three days is an eternity - your decision making inputs will be changing so continuously as to be almost meaningless. People who lack experience of trying to reason with hurricane season seem puzzled why boaters in Florida don't just move their boats out of the way of an approaching hurricane. That's why.

The one big advantage that the Ft. Myers area has over the Tampa Bay area (as well as over most other points along Florida's Gulf coast) is the Caloossahatchee River and Okeechobee Waterway system. Running away from the coast to some point well inland still requires advance planning and preparation, but at least the boat will be further away from the coastal velocity zone where winds and storm surge are at their most destructive levels.

All that said, the Lagoon is a wonderful boat for cruising the west coast of Florida, and the region is chock full of beautiful, interesting destinations. Would be interested to hear what you decide.

 

[maardsma]

Thanks so much for the all the replies and useful info. Loving this learning curve. Yes I am a pilot with a plane so commercial flights schedules are not an issue.

I have heard running inland past the locks on the Okeechobee Waterway could be a good hurricane plan from Ft. Meyers.. Haulout contract with a facility in there could be a nice combo, or some people tie up somewhere in there I guess. From historical hurricane data looks like once every 2-3 years there would be a need to run the boat to safety. What have you all experience? Not a small commitment of effort, but within reason. We'd make relationships with local captains who could assist well in advance of a storm.

We are under contract on a Lagoon 43 PC based in Galveston area currently. We will leave it there for at least a season to learn the ropes, and up our boating experience / insurability. May still end up in Ft Meyers for better winter weather, keys in winter, and waterway access.

Mark

 

[TBill36]

I'm on the east coast and tried to access the Okeechobee Waterway to dodge a hurricane a day, maybe 2, before forecasted impact. Couldn't get through the lock - too many boats in line.

 

[maardsma]

Good to know what did you end up doing? What is your hurricane plane now?

 

[hmason]

In your initial post, you said you would like to have access to boating all year round. I can tell you from my experience here in Florida that in the heat of the summer you'd rather be sitting in Air Conditioning than out boating.

 

[maardsma]

Thanks Howard for that heads up. I don't have a sense for what it feels like to be off the coast in the heat of summer near Ft Meyers. Seems like the birds got it right by migrating. Just gotta convince my wife and last son still at home to live on the boat and we can migrate up and down the coast with the seasons. Dodge most of hurricane season that way too. The other side of the coin is winter on the northern gulf coast. 50's at night 60's during the day, little chilly for boating too right? -Mark

 

[Comodave]

The insurance company will likely require you to have someone local that will check the boat regularly since you will be an absentee owner.

 

[mvweebles]

Thanks Howard for that heads up. I don't have a sense for what it feels like to be off the coast in the heat of summer near Ft Meyers.

Being out of a marina and anchored or underway helps a lot to keep comfortable without AC. I have a friend with a hard-enclosed fly bridge with AC. He thought I was nuts for not enclosing my fly bridge because I'd need AC. Turns out his enclosure is a fishbowl and almost impossible to cool without major AC simply because it's enclosed. Without an enclosure, fly ridge is comfortable and only needs AC if it's enclosed. Chicken-egg thing.

We left our boat right at the MX Guatemala border, 15 degrees north latitude. As we came south from California, weather started to feel pretty dang warm even in the evening starting somewhere south of Puerto Vallarta - around 20 degrees N. Ft Myers is around 26 degrees N so quite a ways north.

I've lived in Florida for almost 20 years. I have a theory about what folks say about the heat. A lot of snowbirds come to Florida to enjoy 75F weather when it's 25F at home in Toronto or Chicago - a 50-degree difference. In the summer when it's sweltering 90F up north, they figure Florida must be a good 140F (90F + 50F = 140).

Due to my work as a management consultant to Fortune 500 firms, I worked mostly in "hub" cities. I cannot tell you how many Thursdays I flew home to slightly cooler weather than I left up north. In all candor, Florida doesn't cool off at night - rarely dips below 80F, but it's not as bad as many think. Don't get me wrong, I try to spend as much of the summer as possible in Colorado or Wyoming, but that climate is a far cry from many eastern cities.

Hurricane risk is a serious consideration. Tending a boat when you're not near it doesn't work. You get a lot of notice as a hurricane develops. What you don't get is advanced warning of where it will land.

Peter

 

[TBill36]

Good to know what did you end up doing? What is your hurricane plane now?

No storm coverage - can't get it. Went back home, and put out a spider web of anchors and lines. My dock is reasonably well protected and not a lot of other boats around to come lose and bang into it. It was supposed to be a cat 5, coming from the SW but turned into a non-event. Originally was going to run to the Bahamas as there were areas completely out of the cone, but everyone said I was crazy so I decided to get to Lake Okeechobee and then go wherever the storm wasn't. Might have been a bad move as you're restricted by lock and bridge closings.

Also, summer is one of the best times to boat in FL. Get out on and in the water and enjoy it - just stay away from the dock and make sure your AC is working well for sleeping.

 

[maardsma]

The insurance company will likely require you to have someone local that will check the boat regularly since you will be an absentee owner.

Roger that, we plan to build a relationship with a local captain for that, ferrying the boat to maintenance, hurricane plan, etc. Have had good luck making friends with interested captains so far.

 

[hmason]

We liveaboard full time if FL. The last 2 summers were brutally hot. Running AC 24/7. Have no desire to leave the dock except to head north. As an example, I wake at 7AM to walk the dog. He's done in 5 minutes. It's so freaking hot outside that I'm in a sweat and often need to change clothes. It's not just the 90s temperature, it's the humidity which is usually above 80%. Perhaps Fort Meyers is different but that's how it is in Stuart.

You might ask why I stay here; I'm afraid to give up my slip as I might never find another one!

 

[Dougcole]

Interesting thread, and hate to be that guy, but as a Ft. Myers native I have to call out that there is only one E in Myers. Ft. Myers. Not Ft. Meyers.

 

[maardsma]

lol I won't call you that guy if you add your opinion on boating in the summer heat in Ft. Myers, and your thoughts on hurricane plans for that area. -Mark

 

[Dougcole]

lol I won't call you that guy if you add your opinion on boating in the summer heat in Ft. Myers, and your thoughts on hurricane plans for that area. -Mark

I don't live in Ft. Myers anymore, I left for college in 1985 and chose not to go back after graduation, but all of my family still lives there. The area, in my opinion, has dramatically changed for the negative in the last 25 years to the point that I would not choose to live there. It's grown too much, with too much out of control development, way, way too much traffic, too many people, too many condos and soulless strip malls filled with chain businesses.

To be fair, I would say the same thing about most of Florida. The quality of life in 90% of the state south of Gainesville has degraded to the point where it is really low. Just too many people who don't care about the state. If you ask them where they are from they will say Ohio, or New York or Wisconsin or wherever. Florida is not their home, so they couldn't care less about the damage being done to the state by the massive over development and population explosion.

Ok, rant over.

Personally, I prefer summer boating to winter. We spend June and July in the Bahamas. Sure it's hot, but I prefer that to the wind. I can still fish, spearfish, snorkel or whatever on a hot day. I can't do those things when it is blowing 25 knots out of the NE. But as I said, I was born and raised in Florida, so my heat/cold tolerance is probably different than someone from the North. We do rely on our AC at night though.

Hurricanes and their prep is a complex topic that deserves an entire thread, and there have been plenty of them on this forum.

Short answer, we keep our boat in Stuart, 12 or 14 miles up the South Fork of the St. Lucie river, almost to I-95. It is in a narrow canal off of a narrow, twisty section of the river. We leave it in the water for storms. I do serious prep, strip canvas etc. and spider web it in the middle of the canal with 14 lines. I tie the lines off of pilings, 16" cleats set in concrete and the trunks of palm trees. It's gone through some medium sized blows this way with no damage, but if a big one makes a direct hit it would likely be trouble.

It's all about taking the best option available and having a plan.

I live 6 hours by car away from the boat, so if a storm is a possible threat I don't take a chance and go down three or four days ahead of time to prep. It generally takes me a full day to get ready.

I would not expect to be able to fly down and move the boat prior to a storm, you just don't get enough time. As someone else said, the OWW locks back up with boat traffic prior to a storm and your haul out/tie up options on the other side of the state would likely be taken by local boats when you got there.

Maybe a haul out contract with one of yards near LaBelle or Clewiston. But be prepared to pay a substantial fee. A captain may be an option, but keep in mind that he or she likely has other responsibilities to attend to as well...including their own home, boat and family. If a big storm is bearing down your boat is likely not his first priority, no matter what he may tell you.

 

[mvweebles]

There have been many threads on hurricanes. When we moved to St Pete almost 20-years ago and did some research: there hadn't been a major hurricane hit since the 1930's. We've evacuated a few times over the years from hurricanes that had our house in it's sights but found other prey. Charlie in 2004 took out Punta Gorda; Irma in 2017 headed to the panhandle; and last year's Ian clobbered Ft Myers. We've also had extended power outages a few times due to prolonged tropical storm rains.

Hurricane prep and planning is much easier on paper than in practice. Ian, a Cat 5, had a bullseye on my house in Madeira Beach until a couple days before. All bets were it would drift north, perhaps as far as Apalachiocola near where Michael hit as a Cat 5 in 2018. So "The Plan" for anyone with a boat would be to move your boat south - towards Ft Myers where it ultimately hit.

For me, my plan is really to be resilliant to Cat 3; hopefully luck-ish at Cat 4. All hope is lost at Cat 5. It's much of the reason I had a lift built to float Weebles out of the water which I am pretty sure will sustain a Cat 3 as long as the flood waters don't get more than about 7-8 feet above Mean High Tide. That's an unusual plan but it made sense to me.

My point is I think you need a few plans - one for the once-every-five-year storms (Cat 1-2); a plan for one-in-10-year storm (Cat 3); and a plan for one-in-fifty-year storm (Cat 4-5). Of course, there's nothing that says that a Cat 5 can't hit more than once in a season - Puerto Rico was hammered by Maria and Irma within a few weeks in 2017. But you gotta have a plan for it all. I'm guessing many folks leave their boats tied securely and prepared for Cat 1 (perhaps ). So you just need a plan for bigger storms.

I echo Dougcole's sentiments on summer weather. I will tell you that having a pool nearby makes a ton of difference - a pool takes the heat off for at least an hour after you get out. As far as being crowded, well, every attractive place on the planet has become crowded. People are more mobile nowadays. My wife has the same lament about it being too crowded and too much traffic and it can be hard to park downtown. Personallly, I like the restaurants and shops so I'm a bit moreglass-half-full. But to each their own.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do

Peter

 

[O C Diver]

I live in Fort Myers, and have had a home here for 20 years. As with most Florida cities population has doubled in the last 10 years. Flights aren't a problem.

As with flights, fleeing a hurricane takes propper prior planning. It takes 2 full days at 6 knots to cross from Fort Myers to Stuart. Locks work from 7am to 4:30pm. Leave 2 to 3 days before the hurricane arrives.

There are 2 hurricane facilities on the Okeechobee waterway. They have inside or out storage. You can also buy an insurance agreement for them to haul you out in the event of a hurricane. They will block you and strap you down to prevent coming off the jack stands.

River Forest Yachting Centers – We Treat Your Vessel As if it Was Our Own

riverforestyc.com

As far as haulout, there should be additional options but these guys will do it for you:

Diversified Yacht Services Complete Boating Services

Complete boating services for vessels of all sizes in SW Florida. Call 239-765-8700.

www.dysinc.com

Ted

 

[TBill36]

Since you have the choice, don't overlook the east coast of SF, or possibly even the Bahamas. The east coast offers all the over-crowding of the west coast, but with it you have an abundance of boat facilities and technical experience. I would venture to guess that between Stuart and Ft. Lauderdale you'll find the best technical capabilities in the world.

An example: Have a friend that lives up past Tampa. A/C went down a couple of weeks before his planned month in the Bahamas. Got a new compressor installed but still has freeze-up issues. Been 4 weeks and still hasn't gotten it fixed - tech is backed up. He cancelled the whole trip.

On top of that you have close proximity to the Bahamas which are probably some of the easiest yet somewhat remote cruising grounds close to the US. At 60 miles you can be there in a few hrs and go for the weekend. You're not going to do that from the west coast.

Finding dockage will be your biggest obstacle, but there are private homes that rent dock space.

Also, if you have your own plane, don't overlook the Bahamas. There are services, but obviously more limited and hauling a large cats may be an issue. But your flight time is not going to be much longer and no traffic.

 

[maardsma]

Thanks so much all for the info. Really interesting to keep coloring in the picture.

Looks like the combination of wide beam cat and hurricane haul out service will be difficult to find. Belle Hatchee Marina (really a DIY service yard) offers it, but does not offer advanced contract reservations (pretty much first come first serve) and can haul out up to 22 ft beam and 40 LOA but I'm a 43 foot length. They plan to extend their haul out ramp length sometime. They are past one lock, Franklin, so for that and other reasons one would need to set out 3-4 days in advance I guess. Which would mean plenty of false alarms, but I guess a trip up the river for a false alarm isn't such a bad thing. I will check the other threads on this forum about hurricane plans for cats.

 

[O C Diver]

It's worth noting that being above the Franklin lock wouldn't have been enough for hurricane Ian. From the manager at the LaBelle marina, high water was 14' as the water had no place to go. The Ortona lock (2nd lock from the West) remained closed and above didn't suffer flood waters.

As far as false alarms, there are extremely few. I would guess one or less per year.

Ted