Finding a parking spot...

[Lobstah]

One of the thousand or so decision points when considering which boat to buy is obviously size. Our plans are to do the Loop, and we understand the bridge clearance and draw limitations required to do that, but you can find many "loop boats" on up to 43' and longer that meet those requirements.
We also know from experience with our 34' MT, travelling with friends on their 43' Albin that when looking for parking spots, size matters, not just in terms of $$, but also availability.

How hard is it along the gulf coast to find a slip that will accomodate a 43' boat?...

I know they're out there, but does anyone regret going over 40'?

J&L

 

[menzies]

I've only had Sonas for seven months. She is loop capable with a hinged arch. The only issue I have had so far is that we have been declined moorings due to size - up in Fernandina.

 

[ragin cajun]

How hard is it along the gulf coast to find a slip that will accomodate a 43' boat?...

I know they're out there, but does anyone regret going over 40'?

J&L

You will have no problems along the Gulf coast finding marinas/anchorages that will accommodate a 43footer. I assume you'll be coming through Mobile Bay then heading east. Just in Mobile you have at least 3 deep water marinas to choose from. Heading east in the ditch are marinas and anchorages that will break up your trip in easily managed days running all the way to Carabelle to make your jump to West coast of Fl. Check on Active Captain for details. I've crewed on a 53ft from Mobile to Key West with no issues at all.

 

[choppywater]

I end up in commercial docks a lot because of boat size, but it dose not bother me. I love life on a hook and have not had problems finding places to drop one.

 

[Lobstah]

Thanks for the info. We're currently living just North of Clearwater, and enjoy the Gulf Coast, so when initially moving aboard, will likely be in this area as a "base", but that's just near term.

 

[Phil Fill]

The majority of the time we moor on the commercial docks which is usually cheap and they are not as fussy as pleasure. Back 20 years ago, 1990, when trawler ment something, when marinas heard the word trawler it meant, big, usually commercial, ugly so we where assigned on the commercial dock, is we did not mention we are pleasure. However when they saw the eagle they still assigned commercial.

So we decided to be commercial which saved thousand of dollars, on out fitting the boat, work done, moorage and fuel. For the last 12 years we been moored on the commercial dock.

 

[Lobstah]

Thanks Phil. I've often wondered about commercial, as I'm usually more comfortable around that environment than the Bar Harbor's of the world...just have no idea how to go about contracting for that...

 

[caltexflanc]

Phil is in the PNW, not the Gulf of Mexico.

On our 56' Hatteras, with 18' beam, we never had an issue finding a marina if we wanted one, along the entire eastern seaboard and the eastern GOM. We frequently ended up out on the face dock, due usually to beam, not length, which was just fine and dandy with us. Most all true commercial docks are for the local industry and involve rafting up if transients are allowed at all.

As noted, mooring fields often have limitations for 50+ feet or only a select few moorings for larger sizes. Check with the harbormaster well in advance. A 43 footer is not a "big" boat and should have virtually unlimited flexibility and choices.

 

[Lobstah]

I completely agree that it's not a big boat...was just curious about slip availability. A friend has been on the list for a 45' slip at the Dunedin Municipal marina for 2yrs...nada...but a lot of that could be location and price. I think because it's subsidized, it tends to stay pretty full up.

 

[caltexflanc]

I completely agree that it's not a big boat...was just curious about slip availability. A friend has been on the list for a 45' slip at the Dunedin Municipal marina for 2yrs...nada...but a lot of that could be location and price. I think because it's subsidized, it tends to stay pretty full up.

I thought you were primarily interested in transient docks and based my response on that.

 

[Lobstah]

Thanks, George. The question was around both, actually. When I wrote it, I was leaning a bit more towards a seasonal, but also interested in harbor-hopping/gunkholing.
Trying to get an idea of the limitations you encounter beyond just cost, in terms of availability.
All info is good info i that regard.

 

[BandB]

We're doing the loop in a 65' boat with LOA of 69'. We've had no problems finding transient slips everywhere we wanted to go. Now there are some marinas that are limited to 30', 40', 50' or 60' but enough that can handle longer so it's not been an issue. Now, there have been some places we docked as transients and could not have gotten a permanent slip.

Still, 43' is not going to cause a problem in transient or permanent slips. It might eliminate a marina here or there, but there's always another that can handle it.

I'd recommend just going on AC and looking at the various marina websites in the area you're targeting and I think once you spend a little time researching in that way, you'll feel much better about the options.

As to the comments on commercial docks, they are quite often the best place to fuel.

 

[FF]

Dicks? Docks? Docks?

A real cruiser don need no stinking docks!

Apologys to Treasure of Sierra Madre

 

[psneeld]

There's a good segue for Wifey B......

 

[BandB]

There's a good segue for Wifey B......

Wifey B:

 

[Lobstah]

There's a good segue for Wifey B......

Funny, haven't been back here for long, but was thinking the same thing!!

 

[BandB]

Wifey B: Funny how words are. One little word like that and all the little boys start giggling. Why would any parents name their child Dick. Cruelty of all cruelty there were parents in NC with the father named Richard Dick. They even owned an ice cream shop, Dick's Ice Cream. So named his son Richard, Jr. but to keep him separate called him Dick. So now we have Dick Dick. And just when you think it couldn't get worse.......you were thinking that weren't you? Well.....

He met this nice young lady and fell madly in love. They got married. Her maiden name was Anita Smith. Why oh why oh why did she take her husband's last name, instead of keeping hers.

 

[psneeld]

Wifey B: Funny how words are. One little word like that and all the little boys start giggling. Why would any parents name their child Dick. Cruelty of all cruelty there were parents in NC with the father named Richard Dick. They even owned an ice cream shop, Dick's Ice Cream. So named his son Richard, Jr. but to keep him separate called him Dick. So now we have Dick Dick. And just when you think it couldn't get worse.......you were thinking that weren't you? Well.....

He met this nice young lady and fell madly in love. They got married. Her maiden name was Anita Smith. Why oh why oh why did she take her husband's last name, instead of keeping hers.

You can't be serious...with your spread of responses and posts....the boys didn't start gigling...they expected the expected.

Then you followed up with the expected.

Entirely predictable here...maybe in real life not so much.

 

[BandB]

You can't be serious...with your spread of responses and posts....the boys didn't start gigling...they expected the expected.

Then you followed up with the expected.

Entirely predictable here...maybe in real life not so much.

Wifey B: Yeah, I'm more predictable in that aspect in real life. I could never let such a chance pass by. Well, not in my every day life. You can only imagine the times I had to control myself as a teacher, especially with elementary school kids. Sometimes you just think, omg, did he really say what I think I heard. You just make a mental note to allow yourself to laugh when you get home.

And I'm always serious. Well, except when I'm not. But even then I am sometimes when I'm not.

And my hubby was so innocent before I corrupted him.

 

[MRRiley]

Since this is already so far off topic I hope not to offend by making another post with little value except humor......

While working in Oakland probably 20 years, ago I made the acquaintance of a great young gal at the office who introduced herself as Fonda. It took a second and some significant self control as I glanced at her name plate on her desk, Miss Cox.....

Some parents....

 

[Lobstah]

Thank you for responding with what I was going to respond with

I wasn't giggling...I was waiting , and I'm pretty new here.

 

[angus99]

Sorry, but nobody had it worse than this guy . . . who bore his name with good humor from all accounts. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/20/a...briefly-a-late-show-celebrity-dies-at-82.html

I would not have wanted that name on my reserved parking space (he said in a feeble attempt to get back on topic).

 

[BandB]

Wifey B: As a teacher I often saw kids with names that I guess their parents thought were cute but were really cruel jokes. There's a time that the jokes might have waited until high school, but they start now in elementary school as kids today are far more familiar with all the "bad words." Kids have enough challenges without some wisea.. name being given to them. As to last names, I had one parent whose wife kept her maiden name and the kids were all given her name and not the husband's. To avoid confusion he changed his name to hers. But he, and even more his sister, had been tormented and harassed their entire childhood and didn't want his daughters to go through that. It's no longer funny after about a thousand jokes.

PS. Back on topic. We've still had no problems finding a parking spot.

 

[psneeld]

Johnny Cash's song "A boy named Sue".....

In my little reality...kids that have funny names survive by not letting it become the subject matter......

Kids with normal names but not personalities got nicknames anyhow...which are just as hard to live down.

Not saying giving your kids names that are easy to make fun of is a good idea...but giving them the strength and guidance to survive in a world where complete morons are allowed to roam is far more important.

 

[BandB]

Johnny Cash's song "A boy named Sue".....

In my little reality...kids that have funny names survive by not letting it become the subject matter......

Kids with normal names but not personalities got nicknames anyhow...which are just as hard to live down.

Not saying giving your kids names that are easy to make fun of is a good idea...but giving them the strength and guidance to survive in a world where complete morons are allowed to roam is far more important.

Wifey B: At the least though it becomes a major distraction. Similarly giving a kid no middle name. There are forms that won't process without you putting something in that space so the kid becomes Peter NM Smith, or giving them four or five names without a plan for which to enter officially. So one place they're Jose Uribe and another they're Uribe Gonzalez, and another Jose Gonzalez. Then if they play baseball and are traded they can really be the "player to be named later."

I had a kid whose name was J Franklin Smith (Smith not his real last name but for illustrative purposes). He went by Frank. Every teacher insisted it must by Jay, not J. The school had him on the forms as Jay. It was just J, named after his two grandfathers, James and John.

I know a Cuban man whose name was Francesco Maria Fernandez. His mother wanted a girl to name Maria and so stuck with it. And I know a 40 year old woman who has never even told her closest friend what her middle name is. I can't imagine it's as bad as things we've imagined. We only have the initial C. She has also instructed personnel that they are never to share it with anyone. It is not even on her driver's license and I don't know how she accomplished that.

Kids can't stop the name from being a subject matter. Can they stand proud and not let it get to them? Yes, but it's still annoying as h...

Then the fads and naming your kid after someone. My hubby hated his given first name for very personal reasons, had it legally changed.

Now, back on topic. We're still docked.