Why do Hatteras boats go to Florida in Winter

[Pete]

First, let me assure you this is a serious question. The Admiral and I have spent lots of time restoring our boat and have generally used it in Summer and made it better in Winter. We are now at the point that large projects that take all winter are done. We are ready to shift into maintenance mode and use the boat more.

We live in North Carolina, so the boat floats year round. While I understand Florida versus hauling/storing for the Winter, I am interested in what else attracts persons to Florida in Winter on their boat, beyond warmer weather. Said differently, once you get to Florida, what do you do for months? Must be more than sit on the boat in the sun. So, my question is, why do people go, where are the best places to go for a cruising couple, do you stay put in one or two places or keep moving, what do you do with your time, and what are the highlights that make you keep going back? We do not fish, nor do we own a fishing boat. Thanks

Pete

 

[bobk]

Pete, in one sentence, we enjoy life. I can't picture spending a winter anywhere else. Been at it since 2001.

I suspect each of us does something different. I stay at a marina with the 48 MY and bring down a 20' fish boat. Reef fishing is great and provides for many dock side fish fries each season. Lots of folks play tennis and golf. Ladies shop etc. Cocktail parties on the dock, Comeraderie etc. And you can get the maintenance coats of varnish or Cetol on the trim. Try it down here in the Keys, you'll love it.

Bob

 

[BUSTER]

For some of us it's just nice to wake up and be able to go out into the cockpit barefoot with your morning coffee.

 

[Pascal]

since i live in so FL, i'm already there... but i can't imagine having a boat and only using it 6 months a year!

it all comes down to our schedule and whether you will be able to spend time and enjoy the boat.

there is so much you can do down here... you can spend time at the dock, your can go out for the day anchor out on the bay, you can cruise the ICW and stop at restaurants, you can fish, swim, snorkel, dive, etc... Teh Florida Keys and the bahamas are within 50 miles.

 

[GJH]

All of the above. We bare boat chartered for years, and brought our new-to-us Hatteras down from New Bern starting last year.

If you want, there is almost unlimited cruising and gunkholing in the Keys (starting with Key Biscayne) and the southwest coast. The Bahamas are also virtually unlimited and we haven't even got around to them yet. Here in urban south Florida, our Whaler gets used almost every day, just exploring all the canals and parks; we call it the "therapeutic dinghy ride"
The Ft. Lauderdale area is the best place for all those obscure parts and pieces of equipment for all those odd jobs.

As for the Keys, I have never been anywhere else, including Hawaii, where doing absolutely nothing was so easy. We were based in Marathon. It was like if we got one productive task done, that made the day. We had a busier social life, starting from knowing nobody, in two months than we did after living in Dallas for 12 years. We consciously decided not to spend the whole winter down there this year because I am back to working part time and I could never get the "work" concept and the "Keys" reality in synch. And again, almost unlimited water-based activities available if just being a happy bum gets boring.

And by the way, we really enjoy the trip to and from here; we took almost a month to get from Massachusetts to New Bern and over a month from New Bern to Hollywood, and could have easily spent another month. I am already looking forward to the trip back in May, not because I am anxious to leave here (NOT!) but because we love the cruise.

Next year, we will likely leave the boat up north somewhere and rent a place down here, only because I don't foresee having the time to make the trip. But we'll have some kind of boat down here, that's for sure.

I should also tell you that spending the summer in the Northeast ain't too shabby either.... but that's a whole 'nother thread.

 

[Maynard Rupp]

We moved our Hat from Detroit to Miami permantently. That trip every year would be too costly. With today's economy I may buy another Hat for Detroit. Miami and especially Coconut Grove is an awesome place to spend the winter. We do take a one month trip to Ft. Meyers Beach in late Feb. this year we will go there through Lake Okechobee and return through the Keys. I am convinced that southern Florida is the best place to live in winter, regardless what you enjoy. The cheapest way to live in Florida is aboard your boat. I also believe that a municipal marina is a better deal than privatelly owned ones. Many boaters at our marina move their boats north in summer to get a cheaper insurance price. We get a cheaper price on our slip because we are permanent residents and both of our sons live nearby to keep an eye on our, (their), boat and do some fishing in summer. You will definately need to go pretty far south in Florida to reap the benefit of nice warm weather most of the time.

 

[thoward]

I am with JGH the Whaler is one of those things you could tool around in day after day and still not see everything. Don't be surprised if you take up a little fishing. It is hard to beat a fresh fish, lobster, scalop or shrimp to finish a day on the water. Also there is a ton of interesting musuems and such. For the first time in a long time we had more people leave Florida than come in so we may have an opening or two(you are from the South so you have a leg up)

 

[Captned]

I live on my boat down here in Miami and love it. I'm starting to build a house in the mountains of NC and plan on spending June through XMAS in the mountains (maybe a trip or three to check on the boat!) and Jan thru May on the boat down here in south florida or the bahamas. ( I can move it every year if I want, end up in the Virgin Islands?) Why spend the money on a house down here? Weather is one reason, but if your a boater, I couldn't think of a better place to own a boat. Fish, dive, gunkholing, the keys, Bahamas, cuban food, the beaches, performing arts center, big city stuff, south beach, weather, etc......

Captned
MBMM

 

[Nonchalant1]

You can see exactly what we did for fun there, day by day on our 53MY. Go to http://www.dougandkathysboatlog.blogspot.com/ then click to December 2006 through March 2007. I don't fish a lot and don't play golf, but I loved Florida cruising.

We live in Chicago, but cruise down south in the winters. This year we went to Chattanooga for Fall, home for Christmas & New Year's and are now on our way to Sarasota for a month. Next winter, we will go to the Bahamas.

Doug Shuman

 

[Trojan]

For some of us it's just nice to wake up and be able to go out into the cockpit barefoot with your morning coffee.

I sure miss that! Hay,! seven weeks and 2 days before launch. But who's counting.

BILL

 

[Skip]

We plan on retiring soon, and will use our 53 Hat to live aboard 6 months, and will buy a house somewhere to live aboard the other six months. Right now we are leaning on keeping the boat in the Chesapeake for the summer, and buy down in Southern Florida for the winter.

In any event, we will move aboard the boat this summer and will spend the next year traveling the South to look for possible retirement homes, then work our way back North in time to beat Hurricane season. I'm not sure where this will take us, but we are both excited about the trip. As a young Lieutenant in the Navy, we did the ICW down to Florida in a wooden Chris Craft- long before GPS was available. I still have great memories about that trip and the people we met. Our kids were too young to remember it, but want to visit during this trip.

Back to your question: I hope to answer it next year

 

[bobk]

Skip,

While you are down here, take a look at Tarpon Bay Yacht Club in Port St. Lucie. It is on Kitching Cove and has slips for $1.00/ft/mo for owner/residents. My 48' and 20' boats together cost $900/year. Wood shop, tennis, pool etc. And some real bargains right now. One down side for you would be a slip for a 53. I think we only have one that is large enough and it has a large Nordy in it now, but it is for sale.

But that said, your 53 is a home in it self. You could cruise it north and south each year as I do and have the best of both worlds.

Bob

 

[MikeP]

Often wondered the same thing - we really like the Chesapeake but I have to admit, I would love to have the boat in water where I could dive it and see more than 12 inches!

But we love the cruising to the small towns, anchoring, shopping a bit, having a few drinks in town/on the boat, etc. And we were wondering the same thing...is there that same opportunity or is the emphasis shifted more toward longer cruising and more of the water sport - snorkling/diving. We enjoy that too but if we had to pick better watersports/relatively clear water or anchoring/visiting quaint little towns/water with NO visibility, we'd rather do the little towns. Also wondering about the water conditions. Do you have to be out in open water a lot?

We have had our 53 out in very rough conditions so it's not an issue about worrying about the boat but frankly, we don't enjoy it at all. The Ches is great - at least in the mid/upper area, never been more than 20 miles south of Annapolis - because it is unusual to have much in the way of rough water.

But the idea of fairly clear water is a big draw for me...whether the slip and insurance prices would be workable for us is an entirely different issue and I don't know if we could ever get comfortable with the hurricane threat. But, of course, many of you folks seem to do it without any problem so I guess we could adjust!

We would also be in the category of 4-6 months on the boat, the rest of the time in a house, possibly in San Miguel de Allende, we're going there this coming weekend to look at some possibilities.

 

[ron6785]

It's the weather, I live on the Texas Gulf Coast on a line with Ft. Myers, however,while our temperatures are comparible the water temps are much cooler 55 and so the sea breeze makes it feel much cooler than in Fl. We tend to stay on the hook most of the time and the keys are wonderful as others have mentioned. Not to mention the Bahamas are so close . the down side is that there are alot of people when on shore. Also despite the economy marina slips are still pricy. Did I mention it's the weather. In southeast florida you can get just about anything you want done. While the labor costs are a little higher than in other areas generally the work is done efficiently and quickly by comparison say with work in Texas, Miss. Alabama.

 

[sgharford]

Funny – I just got back from visiting the folks at their place on Nettles Island, which is on the intercoastal between Hutchinson Island and Stuart, FL. They have a small marina there – maybe about 60 slips. 4 of the boats were Hatteras. In my marina on Long Island there are about 200 slips and only 2 Hat’s.

I Hate Florida……………….. It reminds me how sucky NY can be. Came back with thoughts of Motorcycles and Boats dancing in my head only to be squashed by more 20 degree weather. To Florida I say Ba-Humbug!

 

[Skip]

Thanks for your comments, Bob. We will check it out! We are also interested in Southwest Florida. So many choices...

 

[Pascal]

unfortunately no quaint little towns here ... it's all new, concrete, glass, stucco: all fake !

but the water is great! we woke up anchored out on the bay sunday morning, no wind (rare), glassy warm water. The northern end of the bay is a little silty (10' visibility) but 10 miles south it's all clear. Not the same colors as the bahamas but very nice. you can see the bottom as you cruise... the snorkeling is good outside the keys, some spots are accessible by dinghy from the bay. The keys have so many coves and spots you can anchor out but it's all more centered on the boat, not on shore. unless you like tourist traps with T shirts and cheezy souvenirs...

And obviously being just under 50 miles from the Bahamas is fantastic.