Florida Snowbird Lifestyle- Still Makes Sense?

[Passages]

I just can't believe the prices Florida boaters are getting hammered with. Insurance, State Tax, Dockage (if you can find it)

Does being a waterbourn snowbird still make sense? (eg: Northeast May-October and Florida November-April?)

Reason I ask is I'm trying to put together a retirement strategy. I'm thinking of maintaining a home in CT to be near family and living aboard in FL in winter.

What are the insurance cost implications and am I going to get hit with having to register the boat in FL as well as CT? Anything else I need to consider?

 

[Boatsb]

Boats only get registered in one state at a time. If the vessel is documented it still needs a state sticker in most states but the documentation is the key as it is a federal registration. If you are in the north for the summer with the boat keep the northern reg and insurance but put the rider on for Florida for the months you will be here to protect yourself. We have other boaters here in Florida that leave the boats for the summer and fall on the hard and travel north too. Just an option but not my favorite.

 

[thoward]

Sell the home and buy a bigger boat! There is no dockage in Fla and you can not get insurance down here. Stay away...

You are best to Document and register out of state. Florida insurance is super high--7k for 150k coverage on a 60' Conv.(yes, we are way underinsured). It depends on where you dock at but from Stuart on South plan on $22/foot/month.

 

[Liquid Asset]

I have a friend who Keeps his boat in Virginia durring the summer and in Florida durring the Winter. He does this because his insurance is substantially less. But in saying that, he has a certain date that is required for him to have the vessel out of Florida and a date he can return. If he is there durrring that period, then his coverage is not valid. I am not sure who is covering his vessel, but I can find out.

Dockage in Florida is not that big of an issue if you know where to look. Certain areas are rediculous and others are resonable. Local knoledge is key when trying to find a place to stay and you need to go visit and see what you think.

 

[Pascal]

theboat needs to be registered in the state you used it the most. if you are only bringing it down for a few months, you dn't need to register in florida and pay sales tax.

if you do, and can show that you have owned the boat for a while and did not intend on bringing it to florida when you bought it, you shoudl be able to register it without paying sales tax.

long term dockage is indeed around $20/ft/mo, what is it up north ? not always easy to find but not impossible. I came across a few ads on various sites over the past few days...

insurance is the big unknown... if you can keep the boat up north during huricane season, prices will be obvioulsy much lower...

 

[(Nobody You Know)]

Iffffff you want to explore a workable alternative, explore the Carolinas and Georgia coastline. There are plenty of slips and you can kiss both traffic and your snow shovel goodby. Also criminal insurance rates as well. And you won't pay near $20.00/ft. for deep water either.

Whatever, good luck on your findings.

 

[Bill Allen]

I did this very thing last year. Next year I intend to start doing it every winter. The insurance wasn't a big deal as I was up north way before hurricane season. Docks on the way down where not a problem either (thanks to skipper bob). We left in the middle of nov. behind the mass rush south. Next season i'll head to the bahamas. It's not a cheap thing as we mostly stayed in marinas, but it's not crazy expensive either. You can control your costs by anchoring out and managing where you get fuel. I think we paid 700 a month while we were in the keys, it included electric and two pumpouts a week plus cable tv. There a guy on the list thats staying at the same marina. He recently bought a 48my and takes it from Baltimore? every season. It's a great way to spend the winter and a great trip in the boat. Bill

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Pascal,
Where I stay in MI, it's about $10/ft/month.

 

[Trojan]

Yep, dock fees are around 10-15 buck per ft, per month around Toledo. It depends where you go. I pay $101. a month for my dock total. Includes lights, water and all dock maintenance. At my old dock I paid $435. per month. Ya got to love it. I would like to winter some place near Georgia on the river.


BILL

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Yep, dock fees are around 10-15 buck per ft, per month around Toledo. It depends where you go. I pay $101. a month for my dock total. Includes lights, water and all dock maintenance. At my old dock I paid $435. per month. Ya got to love it. I would like to winter some place near Georgia on the river.


BILL

We've wintered in Guntersville, AL on the Tennessee River. Not a bad place, but it is a long trip from Michigan with numberous locks. That was 15 years ago and the rates were really cheap back then. I don't know how they are now, but I'm sure a PM to Randy would get you the latest info on that.

 

[captainwjm]

near Georgia on the river? I'd recommend the north Alabama area, especially on the Wheeler and Wilson pools in the Athens/Decatur/Florence areas. These are easily accessable by land [I-65] or air [commuter service from major hubs to both Huntsville or Florence-Muscle Shoals]. By water they are a pleasant cruise upstream from the confluence of the Tennessee and the Tenn-Tom. I'm partial to the Florence Harbor just below Wilson lock on the Pickwick pool, Joe Wheeler State Park, Bay Hill marina, and Decatur Marina all on the Wheeler pool.

 

[Capt.Erich]

Iffffff you want to explore a workable alternative, explore the Carolinas and Georgia coastline. There are plenty of slips and you can kiss both traffic and your snow shovel goodby. Also criminal insurance rates as well. And you won't pay near $20.00/ft. for deep water either.

Whatever, good luck on your findings.

The Carolinas are HORRIBLE! Stay clear! We have PERSONAL PROPERTY (boats) taxes, mosquitoes that will carry off small children, HURRICANES, we all talk funny down here and say things like (insert local dialect)... "You aint from around here are ya?" or "You can't get there from here" or even better “We don’t give a hoot’n holl’r how you did it up North!” Dockage... don't get me started... the rates for my little 34 just went up to $150 a month! It's bad... really bad here.

Besides, wouldn't you miss the snow?






The above rant was made tongue in cheek... where I used to park my tobacco.

 

[Boss Lady]

LOL, you forgot to tell him how unsocial we are too, like if seem like an alright person you might get invited over for dinner. If you have any money we might try to introduce you to our sister! LOL The food is terrible too, all we have is fresh fried seafood, and we even put sugar in our ice tea! Be carefull since this appears to be habit forming, since quite a few people from up north have been known to come here for a visit and then been unable to find their way back home! LOL