Moving To the Tampa Area and want to live on a Boat. Need help (St. Petersburg: for sale, apartment)

[zacksmith91312]

Hello I am planning on moving to the Tampa Bay area after a divorce. I am not wealthy by any means. I run a small business I will be relocating to the area. I have always dreamed of living on a boat and grew up on sky bouts inland. I have had no ocean boating experience and know nothing about what i will need for what i want to do. I want a bout that is big enough for me ( I am OK and realize that cabin space is an issue. I will not be bringing anything with me to FL other then myself and two baskets of cloths and one tote of personal stuff) and my two Dogs (1 Older German Shepherd 65 lbs and a Jack Russel 15 LBS). I want a boat that i will be able to live on and eventually ( i am not going to try and navigate with out lessons or going out with someone that knows what they are doing.) be able to take it to the keys or the Bahamas with friends at times. I also need advice on the hole cost aspect. I have seen Marinas range in price and I am still a new business owner so i will want to try and keep dock rental under $600. Any Suggestions? I also do not know what kind of boat i want. I know that sail boats have a big advantage "the sail" but witch would be better and cost effective? How much will a boat that is ready to go cost? I have seen some boats on craigslist that look good and don't have anything wrong for 6-8 K. Is this about correct price for lower end ready to go boats. What are upkeep cost like with out repairs just normal upkeep? What do you do with the boat if there is a bad storm coming in? What are average monthly cost of living on a boat other then dock rental? Power and Wast?Any other Monthly Bills? How far on average is parking and is it free? Any info helps.

[jambo101]

Thats a dream that may not go according to plan. you'd probably do better renting a mobile home. However some points to ponder. quoted from member Osiris=

All you are doing by living aboard in a marina is shifting condo/apartment/home costs to marina costs. All the other costs, food, auto, etc. stay the same.
1. Marina slip rent versus apartment rent - sometimes higher in upscale marinas; lower in dumpy, rundown marinas (actually very equivalent to good apartment versus slum).
2. Utilities - electric and water. You will buying these from the marina which is going to add their own "profit" percentage to the utility company's rates so expect sometimes a significant increase in utility costs. Propane/fuel for cooking and heating.
3. Live-aboard Fees. Most marinas must be approved for live-aboards by various levels of government agencies. One of the most expensive costs is the installation of sewerage pipes to each slip for pumping out your holding tank. For this reason alone a lot of marinas prohibit live-aboards and only allow stored/non-live-aboard boats.
4. Parking fees, club fees, and a dozen other minor fees that you do not have when living in an apartment.
5. The biggie differences are boat maintenance and upkeep which is now your cost versus the apartment manager/owners problem.
6. Over the years, I have built up an opinion that living on board in a marina is more expensive than renting an apartment of the same size. And this is the big *** - the same size (square footage) apartment as the boat.
__________________

An excellent read from some one who fulfilled the dream.
http://www.billdietrich.me/MyLifestyle.html

[Not_liking_FL]

Originally Posted by zacksmith91312

Hello I am planning on moving to the Tampa Bay area after a divorce. I am not wealthy by any means. I run a small business I will be relocating to the area. I have always dreamed of living on a boat and grew up on sky bouts inland. I have had no ocean boating experience and know nothing about what i will need for what i want to do. I want a bout that is big enough for me ( I am OK and realize that cabin space is an issue. I will not be bringing anything with me to FL other then myself and two baskets of cloths and one tote of personal stuff) and my two Dogs (1 Older German Shepherd 65 lbs and a Jack Russel 15 LBS). I want a boat that i will be able to live on and eventually ( i am not going to try and navigate with out lessons or going out with someone that knows what they are doing.) be able to take it to the keys or the Bahamas with friends at times. I also need advice on the hole cost aspect. I have seen Marinas range in price and I am still a new business owner so i will want to try and keep dock rental under $600. Any Suggestions? I also do not know what kind of boat i want. I know that sail boats have a big advantage "the sail" but witch would be better and cost effective? How much will a boat that is ready to go cost? I have seen some boats on craigslist that look good and don't have anything wrong for 6-8 K. Is this about correct price for lower end ready to go boats. What are upkeep cost like with out repairs just normal upkeep? What do you do with the boat if there is a bad storm coming in? What are average monthly cost of living on a boat other then dock rental? Power and Wast?Any other Monthly Bills? How far on average is parking and is it free? Any info helps.

I would keep doing a lot of research before you jump into this. The amount you pay at the marina is going to be based on the length of your boat. The length of your boat is going to determine how comfortable you'll be living with 2 dogs in a confined space. You didn't say what type of boats you're seeing for 6-8k, do they have diesel or gas engines? A small displacement diesel will be much more efficient and reliable than a gas engine. This will also effect your speed compared to larger displacement diesels or gas or twin diesel vs. twin gas when you start taking the boat out.

Consider what material was used to construct the boat. Fiberglass is the most common hull, but there are wood, steel, aluminum, and I've even seen a boat made out of ferro-cement. All of these hull types will require maintenance. Boats can be very expensive to operate and maintain. Some insurers will not insure wood boats.

Call some marinas and get prices and this will help you determine the size of boat you can afford. Then determine if you can live on the boat. You should call the St. Pete Municipal Marina and check their prices. It's in a great location near a lot of amenities and I believe they're reasonably priced compared to the other marinas downtown.

This is a good website to look at boats for sale and help with your research. There are also a lot of blogs and boating forums online. I would forget Craigslist until you have some idea what you'r looking for.

Boats for Sale - New and Used Boats and Yachts - YachtWorld.com

[spbbound]

In this area, I think your best bet would be the Gulfport Marina as you could easily moor there for a reasonable price. Regarding Bahamas, the type of boat you'd need to travel from Tampa Bay to there and just go enjoy the gulf are dramatically different. If you really expect to visit Bahamas, you may want to consider the other side of the state; it would be far less expensive than taking a boating trip around south florida over to the Bahamas; we're talking a week long journey, and a very expensive one at that if the wind isn't cooperating. Hell, Key West too; take the Key West Express from Ft Myers for $100 is a lot less than it will cost to get there on your boat.

[bobisinthehouse]

I did a search for "liveaboard slips" in Pinellas County. The only licensed marina is located in beautiful St. Pete Beach, Fl. (This city is not affiliated with the city of St. Petersburg, Fl which is on the east side of the county). The name of the Marina is called Blind Pass Marina. Just about every city in Pinellas County has banned living on your boat since the late 1990's. I do remember this one guy I worked with that said he lived in a marina on a sailboat and he was very careful not to turn on a light or a tv after it got dark, because he would have been kicked out.

Tampa which is in Hillsborough County has no major beaches, they have some marinas , but none allow living on your boat. Here is the website:

Blind Pass Marina St Pete Beach FL Liveaboard HOME PAGE Blind Pass Marina | Pinellas county Tampa bay

Welcome to Florida. I hope you have a great time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPCjC543llU

[alaskan adventurer]

Downtown st pete $600 per mo with a waiting list, not many live aboard docking in st pete these days. Or just drop the hook in front of my house on Big Bayou with the rest of the freeloaders, row your boat to the city park and drink all day with the rest of the drunks,

One thing for sure living on a boat is a lot of work , And a bad investment if you spend any real money on the boat,

[gypsychic]

Sorry, I think it is a terrible idea. And as others have pointed out, most places do not allow this anymore. The ones that do are in expensive areas with huge yachts.

[Not_liking_FL]

I just checked the St Pete Municipal Marina website and it does allow living aboard for an extra fee. The Gulfport Marina website didn't say so they may allow it, too.

[dothetwist]

Originally Posted by spbbound

In this area, I think your best bet would be the Gulfport Marina as you could easily moor there for a reasonable price. Regarding Bahamas, the type of boat you'd need to travel from Tampa Bay to there and just go enjoy the gulf are dramatically different. If you really expect to visit Bahamas, you may want to consider the other side of the state; it would be far less expensive than taking a boating trip around south florida over to the Bahamas; we're talking a week long journey, and a very expensive one at that if the wind isn't cooperating. Hell, Key West too; take the Key West Express from Ft Myers for $100 is a lot less than it will cost to get there on your boat.

By ordinance, you may not live aboard at the Gulfport Marina. They do have 15 slips that allow 2 week live aboards, but nothing permanent.

[sunigal99]

In the summer in the sun, it could get awfully hot in a boat. I hope you have reliable a/c to keep the boat cool with your 2 dogs inside. If the a/c quits and you're not home, the dogs would bake.