Tampa-South live aboard marinas?

jwnall said:

Interesting. Guess floating vs fixed is another one of those things that has supporters on either side. I prefer fixed, primarily because I feel that the boat is a lot more secure in a bad storm, and of course the hurricane season here lasts six months. It does require more finesse with the dock lines, though, as well as harder to get on/off the boat at times.

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Didn't BoatUS publish some data a while back that indicated that properly installed floating docks with high enough pilings were actually more likely to protect boats during a tidal surge?

timjet said:

Didn't BoatUS publish some data a while back that indicated that properly installed floating docks with high enough pilings were actually more likely to protect boats during a tidal surge?

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Didn't see that, but can well believe that it might be the case. I was thinking more of the ones that I have seen which are not constructed that way.

If you can't head north, find a well constructed , newer marina with large high palings and a floating dock, try to get the widest slip you can and double up all the lines to different pilings. I weathered Charlie a few years ago with no damage. Naturally remove everything and canvas, I even duck taped the windows and doors. It took me about 8 hours to get prepped. The problem is sometimes you prep and it never hits, better safe than sorry. I also weathered out tropical storms at anchored in the Tortuga's, not ideal, but everyone who headed to Key West got damaged in the slips.
Prep, prep, prep, and plan. Also remove all your important papers and items just in case.
I hope you never have to weather on out!
Capt. Don

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Seems like an easy problem to solve...don't let them do that

Dock heaps are easiest solved with a set of lockers built ashore available to RENT .

One dock box ,per boat slip , nothing else seems to solve the slob hassle .

A floating dock with tall pilings ONLY works to the top of the piling.

With 13 to 18 ft storm surge possible , tall is seldom enough .

If there is a 18 foot surge, the entire Florida will be under water. It's reasonable to expect not higher than 12 ft surge, at the worst. I have been in a number of Maria's in Florda that could facilitate a surge that hight. You just need to look for them.

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Lessons we did not learn from Hurricane Camille in 1969. 200mph winds, 24.6' storm surge, and much death and destruction.

HURRICANE CAMILLE - August 14-22, 1969 - Worse than Katrina, Camille barely spared New Orleans from destruction (Lessons we did not learn) - by Dr. George Pararas-Carayannis

I took a look at the Regatta Point Marina recommended by StaticB and it does indeed look like a very nice marina, albeit a little pricy. What really turned me off however (a pet peeve of mine) was their bold unapologetic assertion that all boaters are liars and therefore the need to have your boat measured in the event your flagpole might extend past your transom by 6 inches.

I understand the need to ensure that a bowsprit or pulpit does not impede traffic by extending out into the channel or over the dock but this isn't about common sense, it's about squeezing every cent possible from the customer.

In half a century of boating, and visiting hundreds of marinas in both Canada and the USA, I've never had my boats measured...... ever! In fact, I can not recall a single time where I was charged for my swim platform or outboard. Maybe it's somewhat a regional thing, most of my boating has been in the North but the Florida marina I'm in now simply asked my LOD and that was that!

In my humble opinion any marina engaging in this practice is raising a red flag as to the strong likelihood you will be nickel & dimed to death for everything.

Incidentally, 'I'm not' picking on Regatta Point, I've seen other marina sites mention this as well but most I recall used a little more decorum & tact. It's enough to say "our rates are based on total length including pulpits and swim platforms. Whether they actually do it or not, threatening new customers that their boat will be measured seems to me to be just arrogant.

I don't know, maybe I'm just a relic from another era, doesn't this bug anyone else?

Capt Kangeroo said:

I don't know, maybe I'm just a relic from another era, doesn't this bug anyone else?

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Then I'm a relic too. I suppose it's the whole integrity bit -- to automatically be assumed as to not have any would cause me to go elsewhere as you obviously did. Why support financially places/businesses that aren't treating you well? There are plenty of companies and people out there that are happy to have customers.

And never has Seaweed been measured. The title says she's 23' and that's good enough for me. I did stay at a marina once that had a 25' minimum charge...

But like Capt Kangeroo, I'd not chose to stay in a place that immediately took an adversarial role when it comes to customer treatment/service. There are too many places that welcome boat folks.

Today everyone tries to take advantage of you. Just look at the marketing hype. If you don't read the fine print you're screwed. A bag of chips that's half full. A bottle of aspirin that a quarter full. It's just normal practice now to deceive. Made in the USA now means assembled in the USA. Big companies do it so does everyone else.

Very sad. At least Regatta Pointe doesn't beat around the bush.

That'd be enough to turn me away as well if I were looking.
Too bad we've come to this in our society.

Capt Kangeroo said:

I don't know, maybe I'm just a relic from another era, doesn't this bug anyone else?

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Yeah, both you and Janice are relics, but sensible ones. I, on the other hand, am a sensible fossil.

I know this off topic. We are in the Bahamas till the 12th of December then leaving from home port! See you all soon. Donna