Marina Costs along ICW

[Woodland Hills]

In Key West this winter the Horizon across the dock took delivery of a 30 some foot Doug Wright catamaran with 4 400hp Verados. It was replacing their old one with 4 350hp motors. All carbon fiber and stainless. No idea how fast it was, but it cost more than our 32 year old Hatteras!

 

[BandB]

Really? I thought the ICW was for commercial as well as recreational boats: there are more than a few vessels longer and deeper than us that use that waterway too, otherwise why xxxisxxx WAS the ICW dredged to 15’ along so much of its length?

.

Wifey B: Correcting your sentence slightly. There are many areas of the ICW that haven't seen 15' or anything close to it this century.

People with 6' drafts struggle in many areas and must time tides.

 

[O C Diver]

one from coinjock to myrtle beach would make my day . i will not make it any further than that in the next ten years.

I'm in Mexico cave diving right now. Will be home late Saturday and try to get a list to you next week.



Ted

 

[OldDan1943]

Howard.....I always have to pay up front.


If you pay when you leave, skip the paying part, you get undetway faster and it's WAY less painful.


Just checked out a Grand Banks in Georgetown, SC..hoping it was you! Enjoy your summer!

I would never cheat a guy out of the dockage fee. If he rips me off, "Hello Active Captain" and post it here too

 

[catalinajack]

We rarely stay in a marina (special occasions only) and have done the trip between Toronto and Bahamas several times without staying in a marina at all.

I have a friend who has been summering in Ontario and wintering in the Bahamas for over 20yrs., he has not stayed in a marina for over 20yrs.

All the way from Toronto to the Bahamas and nary a pump-out. You must have very large holding tanks. Or, perhaps you run off-shore all the way.

 

[psneeld]

There are other options to get pumped out other than "staying" in a marina.


Only one of which is having a type 1 MSD.

 

[OldDan1943]

All the way from Toronto to the Bahamas and nary a pump-out. You must have very large holding tanks. Or, perhaps you run off-shore all the way.

That's the best way to empty and clean your sanitary tank.... rocking and rolling out in the ocean and then pumping the contents over the side.

If you have the water, put 5 gallons in it and pump it again

 

[Capitaine R]

That's the best way to empty and clean your sanitary tank.... rocking and rolling out in the ocean and then pumping the contents over the side.

If you have the water, put 5 gallons in it and pump it again

Don`t they let you use the pump out if your fueling up

 

[psneeld]

Don`t they let you use the pump out if your fueling up

You might have to pay for a pump out and tipping is normal for that service..but yes if they have a working system.


Plus on my particular setup, pumpouts actually get more out of the tank than overboard discharge.


Based on how often I get waked on the ICW, my guess is my tank gets stirred up enough....

 

[O C Diver]

My boat is 50' overall and draw 4.5'. I tend to anchor 7:1 so have quite a bit of swing radius. If you want a list from Norfolk to Stuart, just ask.

Ted

one from coinjock to myrtle beach would make my day . i will not make it any further than that in the next ten years.

Ok, here is a list of anchorages I've used and would use again. Obviously you will have to consider the wind direction in many cases as to how suitable they will be on any particular day. Information on most of these is on Active Captain. GPS coordinates are approximate to help you find the anchorage. MM stands for AICW Mile Marker.

From Coinjock South

Camden Bay MM 62 I go almost into Broad Creek depending on wind.
36 12 .169N
75 56 .420W

Alligator River Cove MM102
35 39 .136N
76 02 .691W

Pungo River MM128
35 39 .136N
76 02 .691W

Slade Creek MM140
35 27 .908N
76 32 .720W

Lower Spring Creek MM152
35 19 .708N
76 37 .427W

Green's Creek MM182 This is inside Oriental, NC
35 01 .485N
76 42 .619W

Cedar Creek MM188
34 56 .009N
76 38 .700W

From here I haven't found an anchorage I would use again until:

Mile Hammock Bay MM244
34 33 .140N
77 19 .527W

From here my next stop would be either of the next two:

Tina's Pocket MM307 Open to wind but protected by shallow water around
33 55 .878N
77 58 .661W

South Harbor Cove MM312 Plan to enter above mid tide.
33 55 .583N
78 03 .559W

50 miles from here to Myrtle Beach.

Ted

 

[timb]

thanks , we were going to anchor south of cedar creek in back creek once but couldn't find a hole in the crab pot buoys .

 

[Bryant]

Marina coast

Actually it's a pretty reasonable question. There are a number of places (cities) where dockage can run multiple dollars per foot plus electric. Everyone has their threshold and yours might be $10 per foot, where mine is $2. Frankly, I'm not interested in spending $3,000 a month on transient dockage when I'm cruising.

Ted

Valid point. While not on the questioned route, The Wharf Marina on the ICW in Alabama has raised their transient fee to $3.00/ft. It’s good to know these things, which can seriously impact your cruising strategy and plans.

 

[amapola]

We've traversed the ICW numerous times from Annapolis to our home in SW Florida without staying in a marina. We have cats on board and prefer to anchor out. There are many beautiful and peaceful anchorages along the way. We dink to shore for sight seeing and provisioning. Anchoring is not a problem for us. We are 48' and have a generator on board.

 

[jimfrens]

Interesting discussion. When I get time to do it, I'll be another of the 'do it as inexpensively as possible' camp.

Moving to Edenton NC pretty soon (Albemarle Sound, close to ICW route). Edenton town docks are free, as are many other towns on the Albemarle.

To the original post: check out books such as "Reflection on America's Great Loop" and "Honey, let's get a boat". The lesson to be learned is that like most endeavors, the actual costs will exceed the planned costs by a lot. No matter how good your surveyor is, he's going to miss something, or something will break that was not foreseen.

 

[JESSEDIVER49]

On marinas I'm on the opposite end of spectrum than most who have relied already. Last year made my first long distance cruise from Galveston, TX to Cape May, NJ. Only one marina stop from Galveston to Sarasota but from then on, did roughly 80 miles/day in ICW and ended up stopping at a total of 25 marinas. For us it was nice to get out to see the town, meet people there and enjoy a dinner out. I used the Waterway guide for most of my planning. Made an entire base plan before leaving and then along the way made adjustments to the plan. Spent an extra day in St Augustine for an oil change and several extra days in Beaufort SC and in Charlestown.

 

[JDM]

While we can usually find decent anchorages, there are some stretches of the ICW where big tidal ranges with the resultant big currents make it worth the price of a tie up just for peace of mind overnight. We probably average one night of marina for three nights on the hook.

 

[Cal]

Just out this year and available at Amazon: "The Loopers Companion Guide". Marinas, with fees, and recommended anchorages for the entire route. $69.95 paperback and $9.99 Kindle.

 

[CapnCrunch]

Set up an Active Captain account. The online map system is loaded with user-submitted anchorages, marina details, etc. You find marina prices as high as $4.50/ft in Key West in-season, but the average seems to be around $2/ft for transients. Most will give you a better price if you are staying a week or a month. There is a difference between "Liveaboards" and "Cruisers." Most marinas will happily accept cruisers but many dont want liveaboards.

 

[KapnKarl]

Anchorage List

I'd love a copy of that list when you have time. The more options I have, the better I feel when I light her up and start moving.
Thanks!

 

[menzies]

Hello,
I have a whole bunch of questions but let's just start with Marina Costs, say from North Carolina down through Florida.
I have tried calling around and folks are not too helpful over the phone.
For Liveaboard? Do they charge by the LWL or LOA?
For Transient docks? LWL or LOA
Is there a Hotel tax tacked on top of that? Other tax?
Any other common marina fees?

I have read that in North Carolina you can apply for and receive a rebate
for part of your fuel taxes paid?

Since I am asking How often along the ICW can you find anchorages for a day or two or three or a week?
Boater friendly Stretches say from Oriental south?
Unfriendly stretches from Oriental NC South?

I am hearing that Florida has a thing about Anchors rather a thing against them...Anyone care to Expound on that?
Thanks in advance for all of your knowledge.
Regards, Gary

I saw a couple of posters were not happy with my previous comment. I have been in the Exumas Park for a week or so with sketchy connection, so didn't respond.

Maybe my last response was a bit lazy, so let me give you my thoughts in full (and why I said what I said).

First, I totally agree that proactively working out what the cost of ownership and running a boat will be is a prudent approach. When we bought our first "big boat" back in 2001 I was a very active golfer. We decided that I couldn't be both an active golfer and a boat owner. Not just the time it takes but cost. So I gave up golf.

When we started running to the Bahamas every year we were very aware of costs - especially with big gas engines. Given that I was still working we had to get there and back quickly. With three young children we also had to spend at least 50% of the time in marinas or marina mooring balls. They (we) could only put up with their own company for so long!

But here is the thing - we knew that we would only have the children for so long and that eventually they would fly the coop. We were buying memories, and what memories we have. We had wet eyes when we finally donated Passage and moved to the boat for a cruising couple. We had no regrets spending the money as we were doing so, and no regrets looking back. Were we aware of our spend and appropriately managing it? - yep. But it didn't keep us awake at night.

So here is what was behind my comment. Again I agree it is prudent to make sure you can afford the boat and to run it the way you want. However, if you are, even before you buy a boat, concerned about costs to the level you expressed, then I think you should seriously consider holding off on buying the boat. Working out maintenance, marina and fuel costs is one thing. But if you truly feel whether marinas charge you by LWL or LOA, hotel taxes, recovering state fuel taxes, etc., that those answers are critical to you, then I would say, think carefully.

If you walk down any marina today (apart from those that service sports fishing) you will find that between 50-75% of the boats there never leave the marina. It may actually be higher. Why? It could be that the owners found that they didn't have the time that they thought they would have, or that their spouses hated the boat, or that they bought a boat that they couldn't handle. But I will tell you that a goodly number of those boats are not moving because the owners can't or won't afford to run them.

Case in point. At the end of the last decade when fuel prices at the dock were over $4 a gallon, recreational boating nearly came to a standstill.

I would hate it if you, or anyone, were close to the knuckle in affording a boat, buying it, and then it sat at the dock. Chances are you and yours would then come to see it as the proverbial hole in the water, and come to dislike boating.

So make the decision with eyes wide open, and if the difference in marina costs of two feet here or there, and hotel taxes, and recovering fuel taxes etc. really make a difference in your decision, I would still advise not to buy - not yet.

Good luck.

 

[Irish Rambler]

Well spoken Menzies. Thank you for explaining it for any newbies.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. m. I agree with Mr. IR. Well spoken. Might I suggest to the mods that this be copied to THIS thread please: http://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s3/boat-search-101-a-14905.html

 

[Seevee]

Interesting discussion. When I get time to do it, I'll be another of the 'do it as inexpensively as possible' camp.

Moving to Edenton NC pretty soon (Albemarle Sound, close to ICW route). Edenton town docks are free, as are many other towns on the Albemarle.

To the original post: check out books such as "Reflection on America's Great Loop" and "Honey, let's get a boat". The lesson to be learned is that like most endeavors, the actual costs will exceed the planned costs by a lot. No matter how good your surveyor is, he's going to miss something, or something will break that was not foreseen.

Jim,

Good points but there's a few of us that come in below budget. I budgeted $30K for the Loop trip and came in at $20... pretty good savings and that wasn't hard.

It was just hard to really predict the real costs. Once we got off the east coast, marina costs cut in half or less, and a lot more free docks... HUGH benefit.

We just weren't "restaurant" people and only went when there was a social reason for the most part (only 3 restaurants by ourselves). Food was way cheaper than expected.

Fuel costs were a tad more because prices went up.

"Extras" like tours, recreation, side trips, etc, were almost non existent. No reason to do that stuff, with a few exceptions.

But, different strokes...... what someone may need, others do not.

 

[OldDan1943]

A. stop calling yourself a "live aboard." You "stays" onboard, you are a "cruiser"
B. keep your boat, spic and span and well maintained in all respects
C. be low keyed. Sort of hide inside. The advantage of docking bow in.... No one sees you in the cockpit.
D. dont hold loud parties
E. be very friendly, talk to people, answer questions. If you wish, give tours of your boat to select individuals.
F. if you hang your clothes outside, hang in the dark and remove before sunrise.

 

[Irish Rambler]

Dan we just call it being good neighbours and having respect for the locals. Same thing different expression.
Bricks and mortar people think were a bit of an oddity but when we get to chatting quite a few they say they've never thought of their local waterway going anywhere, they are quite unaware of the potential contribution for trade and leisure.
There aren't so many of us Irish cruising the waterways and we've a stock of burgees which we give to welcoming boat clubs which they seem to appreciate. In several we've been asked to give a short talk of our journeys which arouses many questions from the more active members and if we help some person to achieve their dream then its all worth it.

 

[OldDan1943]

Dan we just call it being good neighbours and having respect for the locals. Same thing different expression.
Bricks and mortar people think we're a bit of an oddity but when we get to chatting quite a few they say they've never thought of their local waterway going anywhere, they are quite unaware of the potential contribution for trade and leisure.
There aren't so many of us Irish cruising the waterways and we've a stock of burgees which we give to welcoming boat clubs which they seem to appreciate. In several we've been asked to give a short talk of our journeys which arouses many questions from the more active members and if we help some person to achieve their dream then its all worth it.

One really nice thing about staying on, living on a boat, your neighbors' piss you off, you can take-in the dock lines and move/leave/disappear a whole lot easier than selling something on the dirt.

 

[Pcpete]

I’ve had doing the loop on my bucket list for years, however the Admiral doesn’t. Being located north of Seattle, the logistics, while not impossible, could be a challenge. Costs of owning a boat? I married a Business Education Teacher and I’m a Manufacturing Cost Analyst. Believe me, we looked at the numbers. I took the portion of our disposable income we were willing to spend on family vacations and looked at the options. I didn’t want to be packing bags in and out of motels for six people, so basic road trips were out. I looked at the cost of big two week family vacations to Hawaii, Disneyland, Cruises, etc and compared that to owning a motor home or travel trailer (I’m not fond of camping but I included it) and found that we could have a nice boat or motor home we could use all year for about the same as that two week trip. Did I mention I’m not fond of camping?
I grew up boating, so it was a natural choice for me. We’ve been married 43 years and had, and used, a boat for 40 of them. Memories? Oh heck yes! Watching the boat budget? Oh heck yes! Does it make a difference in using the boat? Not much, but there are those moments. This year has been one of some relatively heavy maintenance shafts, shaft logs, cutlass bearings and new props plus a diesel furnace and the “little things” had her close to the boiling point. Then......now, understand she is a quilter and has a sewing machine for the boat, she and the daughter were at an exhibition called Sew Expo and I got a call. “How much do you love me?” The last time she did that it was a $6,000 embroidery machine. All I said was “what is it and how much?” knowing I only had one answer, but I needed to act like I had some part in the decision process, “$7500, a show special from $9500” (such a bargain). Of course I told her I didn’t care, after all, she runs the budget. The nice thing is that there have been fewer questions about what I’m buying for the boat.
As to the mobility comments and boat configuration, they are bang on. While I love the looks of the Grand Banks, the deck is too high off the dock. We looked at lots of boats with stairs to the command bridge, but they price was more than we were willing to spend. We’ve looked at the 38xx Bayliner for over 15 years as the best configuration for us, and it’s a great grandparents boat, however the ladder held us back. Then I figured out how to repitch the ladder without impacting the cockpit area much and we bought our 3818. We have been extremely happy with the configuration and have put over 300 hours on the engines in the two years since buying it.
Do we decide whether we are going to a given marina or choose where we buy fuel or purchase supplies and parts? You bet. Do we splurge sometimes? You bet. Do I have the need to see and be seen. Heck no.
There’s nothing wrong about understanding costs up front, but I do get offended when some smart azz mechanic laughs and tells me to bring out another thousand. They never understand why they don’t get my work.....

 

[OldDan1943]

I’ve had doing the loop on my bucket list for years, however the Admiral doesn’t. Being located north of Seattle, the logistics, while not impossible, could be a challenge. Costs of owning a boat? I married a Business Education Teacher and I’m a Manufacturing Cost Analyst. Believe me, we looked at the numbers. I took the portion of our disposable income we were willing to spend on family vacations and looked at the options. I didn’t want to be packing bags in and out of motels for six people, so basic road trips were out. I looked at the cost of big two week family vacations to Hawaii, Disneyland, Cruises, etc and compared that to owning a motor home or travel trailer (I’m not fond of camping but I included it) and found that we could have a nice boat or motor home we could use all year for about the same as that two week trip. Did I mention I’m not fond of camping?
I grew up boating, so it was a natural choice for me. We’ve been married 43 years and had, and used, a boat for 40 of them. Memories? Oh heck yes! Watching the boat budget? Oh heck yes! Does it make a difference in using the boat? Not much, but there are those moments. This year has been one of some relatively heavy maintenance shafts, shaft logs, cutlass bearings and new props plus a diesel furnace and the “little things” had her close to the boiling point. Then......now, understand she is a quilter and has a sewing machine for the boat, she and the daughter were at an exhibition called Sew Expo and I got a call. “How much do you love me?” The last time she did that it was a $6,000 embroidery machine. All I said was “what is it and how much?” knowing I only had one answer, but I needed to act like I had some part in the decision process, “$7500, a show special from $9500” (such a bargain). Of course I told her I didn’t care, after all, she runs the budget. The nice thing is that there have been fewer questions about what I’m buying for the boat.
As to the mobility comments and boat configuration, they are bang on. While I love the looks of the Grand Banks, the deck is too high off the dock. We looked at lots of boats with stairs to the command bridge, but they price was more than we were willing to spend. We’ve looked at the 38xx Bayliner for over 15 years as the best configuration for us, and it’s a great grandparents boat, however the ladder held us back. Then I figured out how to repitch the ladder without impacting the cockpit area much and we bought our 3818. We have been extremely happy with the configuration and have put over 300 hours on the engines in the two years since buying it.
Do we decide whether we are going to a given marina or choose where we buy fuel or purchase supplies and parts? You bet. Do we splurge sometimes? You bet. Do I have the need to see and be seen. Heck no.
There’s nothing wrong about understanding costs up front, but I do get offended when some smart azz mechanic laughs and tells me to bring out another thousand. They never understand why they don’t get my work.....

You can get a mortgage on the boat. Can you get a mortgage on the sewing machine? LOL
My boat loan is at 4.5% How much on the sewing machine. TEASE
Gotta keep the lady happy.

 

[OldDan1943]

Dan we just call it being good neighbours and having respect for the locals. Same thing different expression.
Bricks and mortar people think were a bit of an oddity but when we get to chatting quite a few they say they've never thought of their local waterway going anywhere, they are quite unaware of the potential contribution for trade and leisure.
There aren't so many of us Irish cruising the waterways and we've a stock of burgees which we give to welcoming boat clubs which they seem to appreciate. In several we've been asked to give a short talk of our journeys which arouses many questions from the more active members and if we help some person to achieve their dream then its all worth it.

Yea, sort of like sitting on the front porch, looking at the highway never realizing it goes more than 25 miles.
I knew of people who lived their entire life and never went further than the county line. Born, lived and died in the same county. Their reason was, everything the needed was in the county

 

[FF]

"We just weren't "restaurant" people and only went when there was a social reason for the most part (only 3 restaurants by ourselves). Food was way cheaper than expected."


If on a budget lunch is almost the same food as dinner , but 50% or more less costly in most locations.