Florida or Sea of Cortez for the winter season

[bowball]

Anyone have a basis to compare between the two? Leaving a boat there?

In Florida, does the non hurricane season start December? if you have a bigger boat, say 65’, can you lift and store it the rest of the year? Where would you keep it? Cute towns. Bahamas. Keys.

Mexico sounds great too though.

 

[BandB]

Anyone have a basis to compare between the two? Leaving a boat there?

In Florida, does the non hurricane season start December? if you have a bigger boat, say 65’, can you lift and store it the rest of the year? Where would you keep it? Cute towns. Bahamas. Keys.

Mexico sounds great too though.

Wifey B: You're comparing two different worlds, two different lifestyles. If you want every part of a vibrant and sophisticated lifestyle, every possible convenience, every service, then Florida. If you want a more peaceful and quiet lifestyle, then the Sea of Cortez. If you want things just as you're use to in the US, then FL. If you're ready to live simpler and forego some conveniences for more solitude, then the Sea of Cortez.

However, you can access many similar things in both and find happiness in either place. Florida will cost you more. Both have quiet cruising areas near.

Each place you travel is really one of a kind. There's only one Bahamas with all the gorgeous water and islands, only one Key West, basically indescribable, must be experienced. But there's only one Sea of Cortez, only one La Paz, and only one Cabo San Lucas which is very different than La Paz.

 

[bowball]

Bahamas are interesting. As is the east coast.

Can you store an up to 65’ boat there safe from hurricanes? I saw some facility jd large “hurricanes proof” warehouses.

Where would you base for a few months of the year and store? Any cost estimate?

 

[Comodave]

We used to go diving in the Sea of Cortez 20+ years ago. The last trip the Federalies stuck machine guns into the drivers window 4 times. Since I don’t speak Spanish I didn’t know what they were asking so I gave them $5 and they let us go. We didn’t go back even though the diving was outstanding. Maybe it is better now???

 

[ufish2]

Spent 10 days in the Sea of Cortez three years ago. I will never return. Didn't feel safe at all. Boats would come up to us asking for oil, food, and fuel. We spoke little Spanish. We were very thankful to return to the USA. It is such a beautiful area. Such a shame the Mexican government does nothing to make it a safer place to visit. We ran into the local police and federalies. They didn't exactly make us feel comfortable. I know bad things can happen anywhere, but more likely in the Sea of Cortez.

 

[bowball]

Yea, I think it’s Florida. But can I keep a boat there hurricane safe? And insurance con isn’t happy for the 10 months I’m not there.

 

[BandB]

Yea, I think it’s Florida. But can I keep a boat there hurricane safe? And insurance con isn’t happy for the 10 months I’m not there.

Wifey B: You'll pay more in insurance but nearly a million boats in Florida during hurricane season. Are they hurricane safe? Not if a CAT 5 does a direct hit on them. We've only been in Fort Lauderdale 9.5 years but never had any damage. Others at different marinas in different towns have damage the first year. Hurricane safe is an illusion. Best you can do is manage and minimize risks.

You're only going to use it 2 months of the year? You could easily keep it in NC or somewhere, just don't think they're hurricane safe either.

 

[ofer]

i love the sea of Cortes and feel very safe traveling on the road and the sea. i am by myself many times and still feel safe. Mexicans are always whiling to help should you need any.

on the road the check points are not federales just young soldiers who will be very happy with a bottle of coke etc.

its a beautiful serine place.

 

[Hippocampus]

With a 65’ boat you could save money, have less agitia and keep insurance happy by just storing the boat outside the hurricane zone when not in use. You say you will use it 2 of 12 months. Use your boat along Florida’s east coast/ Bahamas for your 2 months. Get delivery captain/crew to move it north to be stored on the hard. Do reverse and have her waiting for you before you start your 2 months. Floridian yard costs are higher. Storage is more expensive. Insurance if you stay in the zone more. The decrease would pay for delivery captain/crew.

 

[Retriever]

I've no experience cruising in Florida and we just arrived in La Paz yesterday to begin a few months of cruising the Sea of Cortez.

We've been in Mexico since November, though, and have yet to feel unsafe. Nobody's asked for a bribe. We have been approached by pangas at anchor, but all they've wanted was to sell us fish or see if we could spare some freshwater (we happily provided 50 gallons and had a nice visit). More often, we flag a panga down to get a ride to shore. The locals have been universally friendly, welcoming, and helpful.

Before embarking on this adventure we lived a few blocks from the Pike Place Market in Seattle, and frankly, that neighborhood felt far more dangerous than anywhere we've been in Mexico. The day I flew down to Mexico in 2019, two people were shot on my block in Seattle.

BUT, I think Florida would be an easier place to have a new boat. Parts are slow and more expensive to get in Mexico. The language barrier adds complication when dealing with service providers. Florida will have authorized service providers for every piece of marine equipment imaginable, which makes warranty service easy. Mexico, not so much.

 

[BandB]

Since I don’t speak Spanish I didn’t know what they were asking so I gave them $5 and they let us go. We didn’t go back even though the diving was outstanding. Maybe it is better now???

I laugh as years ago I flew into Colombia a few times on business. I was typically flying in with the business owners there, one Colombian, one US but duel passports. They would spend a long time clearing. I'd simply answer the first question with "No habla espanol" and get waved right through. Don't know if that's changed now either. Hard for me to realize it's been 25 years since then.

 

[ksanders]

I feel perfectly safe in Mexico, and love the La Paz area.

Going back to La Paz in a couple of weeks and am moving my boat there this summer.

We must remember that if people approach you or your boat, that does not mean they are criminals just because you do not understand what they are saying.

People in Mexico are friendly, and they say hello to each other. The culture of Mexico is very social, more so than I have seen in the US.

 

[BandB]

Keep in mind when you say "Sea of Cortez" or "Florida", you're talking coastlines of over 1000 miles each. I suspect when you're saying Sea of Cortez, you're really talking La Paz as a primary location. However, when you speak of Florida, are you thinking of a specific area? Jacksonville? Fort Pierce, Fort Lauderdale, Key West, Naples, Fort Myers, Tampa, Apalachicola, Panama City, Pensacola are all quite different in so many respects.

 

[ofer]

We must remember that if people approach you or your boat, that does not mean they are criminals just because you do not understand what they are saying.
.

perfect Advice!

 

[twistedtree]

Just to reinforce what others have said, about the only thing in common between Florida and the Sea of Cortez is the warm weather. In pretty much every other way they are polar opposites.

 

[BandB]

Just to reinforce what others have said, about the only thing in common between Florida and the Sea of Cortez is the warm weather. In pretty much every other way they are polar opposites.

Wifey B: And, yet, both are wonderful.

 

[twistedtree]

Wifey B: And, yet, both are wonderful.

Agreed as long as you are open/accepting of what each is. Some people may greatly prefer one over the other, or neither, or both.

 

[BandB]

Agreed as long as you are open/accepting of what each is. Some people may greatly prefer one over the other, or neither, or both.

Wifey B: You mean like for instance maybe like someone perhaps living in Fort Lauderdale but like perhaps loved their visit to La Paz?

 

[twistedtree]

Wifey B: You mean like for instance maybe like someone perhaps living in Fort Lauderdale but like perhaps loved their visit to La Paz?

No, I'm just saying that not everyone like Florida, and not everyone likes the Sea of Cortez.

 

[BandB]

No, I'm just saying that not everyone like Florida, and not everyone likes the Sea of Cortez.

Wifey B: That is so twisted. :lol:

 

[twistedtree]

Wifey B: That is so twisted. :lol:

Always representin'

 

[Steve1.0]

For storage in Fl. River Forest Yachting Center. One site in Stuart, one in LaBelle. LaBelle just added two more buildings. Not cheap, but safe.
https://riverforestyc.com/

 

[bowball]

For storage in Fl. River Forest Yachting Center. One site in Stuart, one in LaBelle. LaBelle just added two more buildings. Not cheap, but safe.
https://riverforestyc.com/

That’s exactly the one I saw referenced before that then prompted this question to track it down or others similar. Thank you. Is there a preference in location?

 

[Rsysol]

Grew up on the east coast but now cruising Mexico. I’d agree with those who say stay away from Mexico, but that would be selfish. Both the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Coast are absolutely wonderful to cruise.

One negative to the sea, and this would favor Florida, is that the winter months can be colder air and water plus northerlies that can blow. Most cruisers do the mainland first then move into the sea in spring.

 

[klee wyck]

Florida for sure.....

 

[SeaStarDF50]

We winter on land in LaPaz and boat in the area. Winter can be "cold", both water and weather, and plenty windy. The real boating season starts in spring - sometimes March, with April and beyond perfect. Summer if you like hot, and then hurricane season is here, too. November again is perfect. Winds continue to be unpredictable with winds scooping over low islands, switching directions without warning, and the spring corumels



LaPaz has more than a 50-year history as an expat boating community. It is a large city with most everything you need - grocery stores, Walmart, Home Depot, universities, hospitals, marinas, boatyards, and chandleries. Spanish helps but you can get by with English only. Boat dollars here go far as in SoCalifornia, unfortunately, in part due to nearby Cabo. Other than those two cities, populated areas are few and far between, meaning provisioning takes more planning, and also that there are lots of amazing, remote anchorages.


We feel safe in LaPaz and driving Baja; the peple are indeed kind and friendly. That said, it helps to have "street sense" and buddy boating would be wise, especially where communication isn't always available.

 

[BandB]

We have cold. We had 5 days in January and 1 in February that it didn't reach 70, only upper 60's. We had three nights it dropped below 50 degrees. I know we turned the heat on for a few hours. We try to do that at least once a year to make sure all is well.

Oh and we just returned from our weekend in Key West. Just a quick run down and back, about 5 hours.

 

[Captain DJ]

Spent 10 days in the Sea of Cortez three years ago. I will never return. Didn't feel safe at all. Boats would come up to us asking for oil, food, and fuel. We spoke little Spanish. We were very thankful to return to the USA. It is such a beautiful area. Such a shame the Mexican government does nothing to make it a safer place to visit. We ran into the local police and federalies. They didn't exactly make us feel comfortable. I know bad things can happen anywhere, but more likely in the Sea of Cortez.

Statistically I believe you are incorrect when you write "bad things can happen anywhere, but more likely in the Sea of Cortez".
Firstly, compared to where? Florida?

I have cruised the entire coast of Florida and lived aboard in Key West.
I have also spent the last dozen years in Sonora, Mexico, ten on the SOC.

It is usually people that have NEVER been to Mexico that talk trash about it. In your case, for a whole "ten days", you must be THE EXPERT.

Yes, policemen and women, and the military do have automatic rifles here.
Just like similar teams in the USA. But did they - "The Federales" actually do anything to really make you feel uncomfortable or could it have been your fear and your inability to communicate? That causes many people from the United States of Fear to assume, and boy do they misunderstand when they do that.

Statistically, 33-37 million USA citizens travel to Mexico every year and have for decades. Add to that 1.5-2.5 million (part-time or full-time ex-pats) and 6-8 million dual citizens, and with all that there are fewer than 600 violent deaths of US citizens every year (half of those are suicides, crazy that they throw those in with actual homicides). But there are that many Americans killed in one season in Chicago, or Detroit, or Memphis, or Baltimore, or any major Democratically ran metro of a million people or more.

I have worked with the Department of State and US Consulate as a warden for ex-pat safety in this region and the only violent deaths that I know of personally was one crooked, retired DEA agent that got gunned down near his remote ranch with a private airfield and an old Harley-Davidson biker dude that offed himself.
And that is over 12 years. I was in the Big Sleazy a week ago and there were that many violent deaths in just the week I was there.

I get scared when I go back North of the Border. And I grew up in South Chicago, in the 60's and 70's, so I have seen violence firsthand. It is not dangerous here, not for gringos that are even halfway decent, respectful, and show a modicum of situational awareness.

Please do not go out of your way to slander a really big, diverse, and beautiful place because you have fear issues.

 

[mvweebles]

Is this the trawler version of Ginger vs Marianne?

 

[mvweebles]

Statistically I believe you are incorrect when you write "bad things can happen anywhere, but more likely in the Sea of Cortez".


Firstly, compared to where? Florida?

I spend a LOT of time in Mexico. I like it a lot. I own property in Playa del Carmen and know many people in Baja. I find it safe enough for my tastes mainly because I don't have bad habits that put me at risk. A late night of drinking is a few beers and home by 7pm.



Let's be clear: Mexico has a HUGE problem with graft and corruption, primarily driven by the drug trade. The big difference between Mexico and the US is in the US the police are fairly dependable.



That said, I am stunned that anyone would lump SoC into the same slurry as the rest of Baja. Tijuana is one of the most dangerous cities in the world, and Cabo and La Paz aren't too terribly far behind the likes of St Louis and Baltimore. Ensenada where I live part-year also has awful statistics. It really surprises me because I feel perfectly safe there, but I try to keep a very low-key profile, which fortunately comes naturally for me.



I know many people who would not visit Mexico except all-inclusive resorts. The part I love about traveling in Mexico are the small towns - and I will freely admit my Spanish isn't great. I enjoy street tacos from places that many Americans would avoid. I enjoy that style of travel. I don't enjoy manicured/curated resorts.



And I do enjoy Florida, my home for a good 6-months of the year. A lot more people, the food is more diverse but less interesting than Mexico. I prefer out-of-the-way places with mom & pop marinas and such to the resort-style places. I love open-air tiki bars with cold beer and gravely-voiced waitresses who ask me "what'll you have hon?"


My point is Mexico has more security issues than Florida - you simply cannot deny the statistics. I occasionally get shaken-down by a cop, but I've also had cops politely tell me I managed to turn the wrong direction down a 1-way street. It's manageable for my tastes and the rewards far outstrip the slightly elevated risk.



I'd take either Florida or Mexico. Choice is more logistics than anything.



Peter

EDIT - picture is traditional fish tacos from a street vendor in Ensenada that has been in same location since 1979. About $1 USD each. View attachment 126343