looking for liveaboard marina in N tampa bay

[stinger]

Hi all
Im new, please don't throw stuff at me. LOL. I am moving from Jacksoville to Tampa and am looking for a liveaboard marina on the N side of Tampa Bay. Can anyone recommend a place for me and my 40 ft aft c??
Thanks
Joe

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Welcome aboard.

 

[stinger]

Thanks

 

[pilothouse king]

Hi all
Im new, please don't throw stuff at me. LOL. I am moving from Jacksoville to Tampa and am looking for a liveaboard marina on the N side of Tampa Bay. Can anyone recommend a place for me and my 40 ft aft c??
Thanks
Joe

If you mean literally in Tampa Bay north of Gandy causeway, the question soon becomes "any marina" much less liveaboard. Near downtown, and on Davis Island there's slips and a Yachtclub, but vacancies are doubtful. The condo construction boom in Florida eliminated many marinas that allowed liveaboards. They're now just "holes in the water" where they used to be. Even out in Clearwater and Clearwater Beach many places are gone. Tarpon Springs, Madeira Beach, maybe Gibsonville on the East Shore you can find a place-maybe.
There's condos and townhomes with dockage behind them in Tampa, but no neighbors are going to allow liveaboards. I feel for you, as I went through the same search over there in 1995, and had to stay out in Maderia Beach. I even went up the Hillsborough River knocking on the gates of places that looked like pirate lairs. Good luck.

 

[stinger]

Darn.....the new office for new job is a couple miles NE of town and country so I thought it would be good to find something on the N side of the tampa bay rather than the st pete side as traffic in tampa is insane. Nothing you can think of on the N side of the bay? I see Marjorie park marina, tampa bayside marina, tampa bay marina, safety harbor marina, Apollo beach marnina, inter bay moorings, lands end marina on google maps....would any of those work?

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. s. Probably a good idea to call some of these places and ask them what they have or if they know of any possibilities. I don't know Tampa Bay at all. Maybe on someone's private dock? How about "Live aboard dockage wanted" on Craigslist? Boats and Harbors ads? Boats & Harbors

 

[stinger]

thanks for the ideas

 

[dsmylie]

Unfortunately you will not be able to find any marina on that side of the bay that allows liveaboards's. Your choices are Pinellas county or Manatee county. St Pete, Ellington or Bradenton. While the drive into Tampa is not easy it is doable. Good luck.

David

 

[dsmylie]

Oh! and welcome aboard

 

[rwidman]

I would join Active Captain, look for marinas in the area you are interested in, and start calling them. If you find some good candidates, read the reviews from other boaters.

 

[stinger]

Thank you for all the great info.

 

[pilothouse king]

I just "flew over" Tampa again with my map app, and was saddened to see how many places where even fishing boats, and small commercial boats used to dock up the Hillsborough River are gone, but noticed one of the pirate lair places I tried to make contact with in the mid 90s is still there, it's name according to the app is Jean Street Shipyard. It was rough and tumble back then. Also noticed the docks in Gibsonton are also gone, and even many slips down at Bahia Beach Club are gone back on the creek where big boats used to be. They were there when they were building all those concrete boxes, but now there's a couple of Marinas for what appears to be small boats. NOT that you want to be that far south. Dunedin? I would try that Jean Street place, though I'd be reluctant to take a woman there.