Thinking about wintering in FL

[BruceW]

I know people do this. How should I find a place for me, my dog, and the occasional friends/family guest room?

Maybe I rent first year to test it out?

Thanks, Bruce

[captronr]

Two that I know do it are Al Santini (Eclipse forum) and Vectordirector.

Ron

[alsantini]

Bruce.  We have been snow birds for 17 years.  Started by towing a travel trailer and staying in a campground for 8 years.  Got tired of towing and so switched to a park model.  4 years ago I began towing my Eclipse down with me and have really enjoyed sailing in the Gulf and Charlotte Harbor.
Pick an area and Google rental agents.  There are a lot of units for rent BUT they go quickly and most owners are looking for a 3 month commitment.  If you want more info or want to talk PM me with a phone number or an E Mail address.  Sail On....
Al

[BruceW]

Thanks guys; still getting my plans up here implemented, and will keep the info in mind. I think I could perhaps camp my way around several likely destinations & then lengthen my stay(s)  wherever I feel most comfortable.

[alsantini]

Sounds great Bruce.  You will love Florida in the winter.  Summer is another issue all together.  Keep in mind that campsites are more heavily booked the further you go South in Florida.  For instance, Royal Coachman in Nokomis, FL, where we are, is booked solid Jan, Feb and March of 2019.  State Parks are 2 weeks in and 1 week out and only certain sites can be reserved.  Our first year down we figured stay a month at RCR and then move....  Shortly after arriving we found that almost impossible in the better private parks, so we decided to stay.  We have been there now for 17 years - YIKES   Great sailing in the area of the West Coast or on Charlotte Harbor or the islands at the entrance to the harbor.  Clear blue water that I love.     Al

[relamb]

I keep my CP27 in the Tampa area over the winter from Nov1 to end of April or early May.  I stay on it for several months and the wife comes down on and off.  Kids show up at Christmas and Spring Break.  Its fine for 1-2 people, and on the vacation weeks I've had as many as 6 of us on the boat for a week.  That's pretty crowded, but the kids (college age) sleep on deck or on somebody else's boat.  There's been a couple of times people come down and stay in a hotel and just visit with us during the day, but that's infrequent.  If you can live in the space, I've found that it's about the cheapest way to winter in FL, other than tent camping which I did before.    In the summer I haul it out and either leave it down there in storage or tow it back and use it in the great lakes.
I know of another CP27 where the guy does the same thing, but he stays maybe Jan/Feb and just stores the boat near Punta Gorda the rest of the year.  Another guy in the marina just has two identical old boats.  He lives in FL during the winter, then goes to Cape Cod and lives on the other one in the summer.  He thinks two old 32' boats are cheaper and easier than trying to move a bigger or more expensive boat back and forth.

[BruceW]

Pretty cool idea, Rick!

[archimedes]

I keep my CP27 in the Tampa area over the winter from Nov1 to end of April or early May.  I stay on it for several months and the wife comes down on and off.

Just curious, do you keep it at a marina or just anchor out?

[relamb]

I keep the boat in a marina where I have power, water, a clubhouse, pool, showers, and etc.  I'm not retired so I have to work, I do software development which can be done from most anywhere. But I need good internet and often air conditioning to work from the boat.
On weekends and when people come visit we often go sailing and anchor out overnight.
Not sure I would leave the boat alone anchored out without somebody checking on it regularly, and I need a place to leave my car when I'm not there.
So a marina works out best for me.  I'll fly down and spend two weeks on the boat, then fly back and have meetings and take care of my customers in person for a week.
Back and forth all winter.  ...on the days with the cheapest flights.
Another guy is retired but his wife is a nurse.  She works double shifts and crams as many hours as she can into two weeks.  Then she flies down and stays with her husband on the boat for a week.  On and off all winter.  PS - I pay for the plane tickets by selling junk on ebay and craigslist.