Southeast boat guys - safe harbor

[id10t]

Problem is you pick a side - say, the Crystal River area on the gulf. Well, if a cane comes in that way, you are boned, whereas if you had been on the atlantic side you may not even notice anything from it. Ah... so pick a side on the atlantic - say, New Smyrna area. Well, a 'cane comes up the Atlantic side and you are boned again.

Solution - two boats, one on gulf and one on Atlantic (may as well get a 3rd for the other side of the Panama Canal as well) and when a cane comes move to the appropriate boat. Or in-land.

[nota]

running from hurricanes is a very risky idea

sometimes the cane goes where you go

I hauled my small boat for david and left the big one in the water
my buddy went to Bimini as we all thought miami was the target
he got the eye in Bimini we got gusts and rain from a near miss
he spent the night on deck in 120 plus letting out lines for chafe and said he would never do that again

open water is better then a dock if there is room in a storm
rivers can be very bad on the outgoing storm surge with floating debris
you need to plan for the wind shifts as the storm goes by

they say the season is 6 months but the real risk is mid August to mid September as that is when the bad storms hit here
we slept fine the same night

the big price and small numbers of good boats is still a problem post cv-19 insane price rise
but is getting better slowly but big cats are a in demand thing still and very few under priced boats are snapped up quickly

one safer area is the big center lake Okeechobee and the yards are cheaper there also for months of storage
but long canal trip check the lock sizes also for width

[nota]

btw it is 80 here to day at 9:45

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by cstreit

I'm looking at about a 40-45' Leopard so not something that can be ad-hoc.

Wow, what a sailboat!

Nota's post is excellent, btw.

I was in West Palm Beach working at the Sikorsky Flight Test Facility when a Cat II (this was in the 90's) was approaching WPB. They closed my hotel. See ya.

I headed north as far as I could get. The storm, of course, sped up and jogged north as well and came ashore as a Cat I right over where I was staying. No issues, just something to think about.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by cstreit

Thanks and wise questions. Well I'm not buying anything until we've done a few charters and possibly rented one as an air bnb in a marina. Its too big of a commiment. I'm essentially going to budget for it as our summer home

I don't know if either of us are boat people. I love sailing... If we don't do a liveaboard then it will be a condo somewhere for summer and a smaller boat.

Can you and your wife spend a few months "living the dream" in a marina .... boat people are usually a great resource and love to share their expertise and are usually looking for a crew too . The journey is the prize .... enjoy it and find out first hand!

Good luck and happy sailing ...

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by nota

btw it is 80 here to day at 9:45

Some folks just can NOT take the FL/southeast heat & humidity... it doesn't bother me. It's a deal breaker for some....

[nota]

Originally Posted by KC911

Some folks just can NOT take the FL/southeast heat & humidity... it doesn't bother me. It's a deal breaker for some....

almost always a breeze at anchor
and the anchored boat points into the wind so good flow
we lived aboard 74 to 92 no a/c best neighborhood ever

or the big buck cats run generators/air con or dock
but less a problem in winter

big expense for a cat is to get the mast down for storage
but you should both for the chance of a storm
odd summer squall can blow 80 mph
and to inspect maintain the mast and bits on it
next trick is good tie downs to keep the hulls from flying
and hope the other boats do not fly into yours

some report cat insurance esp hurricane big buck coverage HARD TO GET
ESP OFFSHORE ISLANDS that have had to many strikes in resent years
and say a good agent is a MUST have

winter sailing may limit that problem
but expect ins to be high if you can find it
homes that were 500 before andrew to cover
were 5k a few years ago but over 10k and still escalating daily
boat are worse and cats the worse boats to cover so research

[cstreit]

Originally Posted by KC911

Can you and your wife spend a few months "living the dream" in a marina .... boat people are usually a great resource and love to share their expertise and are usually looking for a crew too . The journey is the prize .... enjoy it and find out first hand!

Good luck and happy sailing ...

I plan to spend as little time as possible in marinas. Might as well buy a condo.

In the end if I only do this for 3-5 years thats fine - its 3-4 months out of those years and I;ll have scratched a 45 year itch.

[cstreit]

My question is - if you put the boat on land - how much more hurricane proof is it?

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by cstreit

My question is - if you put the boat on land - how much more hurricane proof is it?

Not much imo. "IF" one happens to hit where your boat is .... and that's just not likely.... possible, but not likely. Don't let that deter you !

[tdw28210]

Originally Posted by cstreit

My question is - if you put the boat on land - how much more hurricane proof is it?

https://www.boatus.com/expert-advice/expert-advice-archive/2019/august/where-to-keep-your-boat-during-a-hurricane

"When asked where CAT team members would take their own boats if a hurricane warning were posted, most agreed: They'd have it hauled ashore."

"One technique that has proven very effective involves strapping boats down to eyes embedded in concrete. At least two marinas in Florida and one in Puerto Rico have used straps with excellent results. One of the Florida marinas strapped the boats to eyes embedded in its concrete storage lot. The other Florida marina and the one in Puerto Rico built heavy concrete runners (similar to long, narrow concrete deadweight moorings) beneath the boats to anchor the straps. (Straps made from polyester work better than nylon, which has more stretch). Even when the wind has been on the beam and water has come into the storage area, the straps held and boats stayed upright. An alternative tried at other marinas has been to use earth augers screwed into the ground to secure the straps. Results with the latter technique have been mixed; some have held while others have been pulled out. All things considered, any attempt to anchor a boat on shore is worth the effort."

[KFC911]

^^^^ I'd just strap down a (disposable) motor home 10 miles away from my boat... they are a fantastic deterrent .... particularly in FL .

What you posted is probably a needle in a haystack .... and "get in line" ... a long line.

[tdw28210]

Chris,

Why don't you call these guys - JustCatamrans? They are the "big dog" catamaran specialists in S. Florida area; Leopard, FP, Outremer, etc. I am sure they have some good pieces of info they can share with you.

https://justcatamarans.net/contact-us/

[KFC911]

^^^^ This .... along with talking to local "old salts", etc. That's why I suggested a few months at a marina .... get immersed in it. Are you an experienced sailor Chris? I am a total novice though I've probably been 60-70 times as "crew" .... errr "rail meat". Are you and your wife capable of handling a 40-45' cat .... who's gonna "show you the ropes" ....

LOTS to consider and think about imo....

[nota]

Originally Posted by cstreit

My question is - if you put the boat on land - how much more hurricane proof is it?

WHERE MATTERS a lot

caines lose power over land quickly most times
and as the wind drops the damage goes down
distance over land is the best defense
ANDREW hit at 150+ in south dade
but a short trip to Naples across the everglades
saw him exit at 80mph

I owned a wharram 31 ft cat that ANDREW FLIPPED ON AN ISLAND
a buddy salvaged it and put a modern rig of an f-27 tri [older al stick the f-27 replaced with carbon mast] racers are nuts but good for cheap stuff as they upgrade

and once out of the coastal storm surge area
where most of the bigger marinas are
a cat on concrete tied down well
without the mast up
should be safe
you do want the other boats tied down also
to prevent them hitting your boat

that is why lake O while a ditch run to get to
is a good summer storage place
plus is costs are less both to haul out and space rent there

[cstreit]

Originally Posted by KC911

^^^^ This .... along with talking to local "old salts", etc. That's why I suggested a few months at a marina .... get immersed in it. Are you an experienced sailor Chris? I am a total novice though I've probably been 60-70 times as "crew" .... errr "rail meat". Are you and your wife capable of handling a 40-45' cat .... who's gonna "show you the ropes" ....

LOTS to consider and think about imo....

Just catamarans warrants an actual visit at some point.

I dont have a lot of experience - but what I will have is the time, energy and money to learn. ...and the brains to understand my limitations to try and stay out of trouble.

[nota]

rent charter before any purchase

sailed beach size cats ?

[KFC911]

^^^ I have no doubt about any of those things . There is nothing like a "hands on" learning curve with a boater willing to share their knowledge & experience ... stuff you have to learn real time imo.... even little things.... and they are out there .... best to you Chris.

Go live your dream

[john70t]

Originally Posted by nota

rent charter before any purchase

^This. A purchase is a one-time deal. If it flies, floats, do some research.

Some daily amenities and features such as runabout size and crane might eventually be determinants for whether to continue another year in the same craft. Insurance, docking fees etc all add up over the years. Accidents and thefts can occur at the worst times. How much of a new place can you see without renting vehicles all the time (frequent flier miles).

What will the mid-level boating market be when eventually deciding to sell? It's a fantastic idea which I share but a spinning top always finds a place. What if you want to go full ocean sailing instead of perusing the foreign dock lizard market with other expats? What if a family or personal situation permanently requires your proximity elsewhere? What will be your income in the meantime? Will you get withdrawals from being away from the automotive scene and city luxuries such as chinese delivery within thirty minutes?

[Solamar]

I realize this will probably sound totally ignorant, but I am a life long sailor ( mostly West Coast CA). And I have ridden out a few hurricanes in FL, NC and Central America...

What are the odds? You plan to do this for a half dozen years? How much do you want to spend (insurance/haulouts) and how much do you want to compromise your dream?

Id be tempted to screw the hurricane worry, fully live your dream, and if the worst takes a line straight at you? Catch a flight and get the hell outta Dodge!