If I was single.
Florida, good places to go, lots of party's, lots of bars, good fishing, warm weather, cost are a little less pending location.
Hot humid very buggy bzzzzzz Oh I’m going to offend you guys again.,,,,, has it reached 100 yet When I was young I lived down in the south tip of Texas you couldn’t drag me down there kicking in screaming
You know Bill, I'm actually Canadian and spent a ton of my life in the San Francisco Bay Area. I'm strongly considering the PNW, but it seems like quite an expensive part of the country so I'm guessing boats at a good value are few and far between.
Having said that, I seem to keep coming back to the Pacific Coast in my mind's eye. That doesn't mean I won't consider every other part of the country in which to narrow my hunt for the boat itself. I somehow can't shake the feeling that I'll get up there eventually.
Wifey B: Actually Miami has never seen 100 degrees.
Greetings,
Mr. S59. "... I have no sense of humor." Nor manners or tact, so it seems.
..
I have only one more suggestion for the OP. Anywhere but Crystal Cove.
I thought u might say Ocean Park.
Personally I'd recommend the Tampa Bay area. Great cruising. Here's a Florida boat on Craigslist that I found today: https://tampa.craigslist.org/pnl/boa/d/saint-petersburg-1997-mainship-350/7307174362.html
Volvo's
You couldn’t live here it requires a sense of humor you wouldn’t make it a day around all the fishermenI thought u might say Ocean Park.
I thought u might say Ocean Park.
On the Western Basin of Lake Erie I pay $1200 a year for a 44’ slip, that includes power/water/swimming pool/on prem restaurant/bar, and free wi-fi. Marina encourages full time liveaboard, no extra fees.
Inside storage non heated for a 36 foot boat $700 with electric in the building and secure access. You can work on the boat interior with a small electric heater Dec/Jan/Feb. As long as you are respectful of others you can pretty much do any work you want.
You can choose to store heated inside and work on the boat all winter but that is not as cheap.
Lake Erie islands offer a nice place to go, many options 4 hours away at trawler speeds. Great perch and walleye fishing.
Is it Southern California? No. The PNW? Not even close. Florida? Nope. But what I pay for a year is what I paid for a month when I lived aboard in San Pedro.
Don’t let the naysayers stop you, there are many options for you to live out your dream, you just have to look long and hard to find them, and get off the beaten track.
Someone in this group said, 'I don't want to live where the temp is lower than my age.'
That lets the Great Lake out for more than a 3 month visit.
Gotta be well into your southern migration by September.
Heated storage to me means a temperature about 78F, low humidity and insulated floors. Once my feet and hands get cold, I'm going home for a hot bath.
Pussy! - LOL
I have done my time in the great frozen north. Working outside at -46F. Walking on snowshoes, 8hrs a day. Starting a fire to defrost the sandwich.
Couple of winters ice boating eastern Michigan. Goose hunting in Canada.
Re: ice boating.... 40-50mph, wind cutting into your face, no brakes, no reverse, gotta make a drastic maneuver to avoid falling through the ice.
Yup, if that makes me a pussy, I am most definably a pussy!
Hello Jim, and thanks for that advice. As I mentioned, I'm really looking for a landing spot from Denver to any place where there are boats aplenty to look at and check out. I've seen quite a few posts from people in the Chesapeake area that really seem to love it. Any drawbacks that come to mind I might need to be aware of, newbie boater that I am?
I was born and lived on the Jersey shore (Bay Head) then moved and lived in Ft Lauderdale for 20 some years and now I've been living on the Chesapeake for nearly 30 years (Chester river). Strange that I also am about to retire and purchase a trawler and live on it. I will be on the Chesapeake in the summer and FL or the islands in the winter. Plan on maintenance in SC, I think the prices there are the most reasonable.
I don't quite understand your thinking you need to move in order to find a boat. I'm looking for the right boat and will travel there to get it and then take it where I want it to be. I don't care if it's anywhere Houston to Miami to Boston I'll go get it. I guess my difference is I'm not interested in major projects and would consider as much as about $150,000. That should get me something in running order that I can drive away in but it isn't easy finding just what you want. I'm looking at Grand Banks classic 36 or 42 and the most important thing I want to see in the boat is the engine room. That tells me most of what I need to know. It must have new gas tanks, must have twin engines, must have decent generator, watermaker, AC/Heat, and engine hours reasonable. New gas tanks means engines must at least have been overhauled. Bow thrusters also something that if not there will be knocked off the price and put in.
You aren't going to find all that in one place. I have about 4-6 boats on my list from Tampa to Ft Lauderdale, NC, MD and a couple in New England. They are all possibles and I may fly or drive to see one but you don't have to move and then find a boat, you find the boat then go get it and move to where you want to be.
I've been boating my entire life but mostly on sailboats and done it throughout the east coast and Caribbean all the way to St Martin but when it comes to maintaining an engine room on a trawler I too am a novice. I have a lot to learn but hell, you don't even know if you get seasick! I think you need to do a little boating before you jump head first into living on a boat but best of luck.
I was starting to get irritated as I was reading your quote until I got down to the part where you have experience and I change my entire opinion ,you should be able to buy whatever you would like. however I like to talk you out of a grand Banks because you’re paying for name I’m assuming you’re talking about a fiberglass Grand Banks . And I would also like to talk you out of Twins ,I have probably owned a dozen trawlers so I try to think how can I share my experience and what I’ve learned over the years without offending anybody . my personality makes it difficult .So I’ll leave it at this I personally don’t like noisy generators ,AC you might as well live on shore .but I don’t plan on being in Tropics either like I said you should be able to have what you want ,but the very least save yourself the frustration of twins,And keep things as simple as possible, that’s my two cents
Awww... come on now Scooby. Let it all out! Most can take it and probably learn some too!