Houseboating in SWF (Marathon: lease, insurance, condos)

[kroeran]

are there regulations that prevent you from throwing anchor and living a few hundred feet from the downtown pier, for example? or anywhere else at anchor for that matter?

[THasson]

It's my understanding the rules changed recently. This article summarizes the changes:

http://www.boatus.com/gov/GA005FLAnchoring.pdf

[Compression]

Originally Posted by kroeran

are there regulations that prevent you from throwing anchor and living a few hundred feet from the downtown pier, for example? or anywhere else at anchor for that matter?

THasson posted a link to a great article. I wasnt aware of these changes.

According to that article, you WOULD be restricted to being within a few hundred feet of the downtown Ft Myers yacht basin, as the area into the river, beyond the picnic island out there has been seeded with mooring buoys that belong to the yacht basin (city of Ft Myers). At least that was how I understood the article.

But it also stated that those living aboard will no longer be considered as having a residence? So they are "homeless"?

[kroeran]

It was mostly greek to me. So lets say you are a retired couple living winters on your houseboat, and don't want to pay marina charges, is this legally doable? Where would it be a good place to do it? Is there an uninhabited island or bay close by where there would be other live abords for something of a social life? Is there somewhere inland inexpensive for summer storage and safe for hurricanes?

[Compression]

Originally Posted by kroeran

It was mostly greek to me. So lets say you are a retired couple living winters on your houseboat, and don't want to pay marina charges, is this legally doable?

According to what I read in THasson's link, yes, it is legally doable. Is it practical? Not very IMHO. So you are swinging on anchor, and need to get to a grocery store. Where do you run your dinghy in to tie up? and is that anywhere remotely near where your car happens to be parked? You have mechanical problems with your dinghy? Now what? You have mechanical problems with the houseboat, how does a mechanic get to you? Your holding tank is full, how do you pump it out?(Fines are extremely steep for dumping into the waterway)These are just a few reasons most liveaboards have their boats tied up in a marina.

Where would it be a good place to do it?Anyplace you do this, near an inhabited area, you will find there is little to NO privacy. And stuck on your own (very small) floating island for days on end, get old fast. Even a "large" boat, gets mighty small, mighty fast.

Is there an uninhabited island or bay close by where there would be other live abords for something of a social life? I recall one down in Marathon, Boot Key harbor, but even then the socializing was done ashore at the local pubs lining the harbor, in the Ft Myers area, a few marinas that still allow liveaboards, the socializing is done on the dock, near sunset, and there is typically beer involved. The other consideration with "uninhabited areas" is that generally speaking, by 5:00 pm the mosquitoes and no see ums will be so thick on your boat, you'll need to get a transfusion by daybreak.

Is there somewhere inland inexpensive for summer storage and safe for hurricanes?Yes, Glades Boat Storage, Inc. is about as inland, hurricane proof, and cheap as it gets. The last few miles getting there by car is an adventure down a one lane washboard road, winding thru cow pasture,(complete with cows, and even a few bulls) and is quite literally in the middle of nowhere, but it is cheap....

What many fail to realize, until after they have purchased the boat, is that there is a very large gulf between the "dream" of boat ownership, and the reality of boat ownership.

Glades Boat Storage

[kroeran]

I wonder with this change in regs, and given economic conditions, whether there is an emerging business model for living on the water tied to a dock.

If you get out of city boundries, is it easier to set up a marina?

[Compression]

Originally Posted by kroeran

I wonder with this change in regs, and given economic conditions, whether there is an emerging business model for living on the water tied to a dock.

NOPE! If people cannot afford to pay a note on a 30 yr mtg for $100K home, they certainly wont pay on a $250K note for a typical maximum of 15 yrs. on a boat. Then add the double or triple insurance costs, and the exorbitant maintenance costs associated with a boat....given the economic conditions, one needs to first find a practical use for fiberglass ground into small pellets, and second, a profitable way of grinding them into said pellets.

If you get out of city boundries, is it easier to set up a marina?

Setting up a marina is a long, expensive process. A city entity would be the least of your worries. Any navigable waterway would have you dealing with the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, then several layers of state bureaucracy, to procure use (usually thru a lease) of the state owned bottom lands under the marina. Any one of those federal and state bureaus have the power to shut the project down, at any time, for any reason they see fit, even if the others have given their approval.....Bottom line, the costs, and the time to market would be an unprofitable situation, unless the docks already existed, and were tied to another "development" such as a condo tower, etc. This is why most of the existing marinas in SW Florida were bought out, and developed into condos with docks over the past ten years or so. Most marinas, and boat yards are feeling pressure(increased costs, and regulations) from TPTB to shut down and go away, as they are viewed primarily as polluters.

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[jvelte]

Along with the years of red tape to build a marina, don't forget to take a stroll through some of the existing marinas around. Most have a good 20-25% vacancy rate. If the existing slips aren't filling up, why add more inventory? Where are you going to get the customers from?

[movetoflorida]

I have always thought that extra large self storage for boats would be a better business idea as opposed to starting a marina. Self storage in general, appears to be a simple investment to start. Metal buildings on concrete slabs with very little electricity with no other utilities and gravel roads. Add lights, cameras and fence for security. If I were a "snowbird" and left my boat in Florida on a trailer, that would be my preference. Extra large boat wash would be nice too. I can barely squeeze my boat in most car washes to spray off the salt water if I am trailering.

[kroeran]

Originally Posted by yachtcare

.
Originally Posted by kroeran
I wonder with this change in regs, and given economic conditions, whether there is an emerging business model for living on the water tied to a dock.

NOPE! If people cannot afford to pay a note on a 30 yr mtg for $100K home, they certainly wont pay on a $250K note for a typical maximum of 15 yrs. on a boat. Then add the double or triple insurance costs, and the exorbitant maintenance costs associated with a boat....given the economic conditions, one needs to first find a practical use for fiberglass ground into small pellets, and second, a profitable way of grinding them into said pellets.

If you get out of city boundries, is it easier to set up a marina?

Setting up a marina is a long, expensive process. A city entity would be the least of your worries. Any navigable waterway would have you dealing with the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, then several layers of state bureaucracy, to procure use (usually thru a lease) of the state owned bottom lands under the marina. Any one of those federal and state bureaus have the power to shut the project down, at any time, for any reason they see fit, even if the others have given their approval.....Bottom line, the costs, and the time to market would be an unprofitable situation, unless the docks already existed, and were tied to another "development" such as a condo tower, etc. This is why most of the existing marinas in SW Florida were bought out, and developed into condos with docks over the past ten years or so. Most marinas, and boat yards are feeling pressure(increased costs, and regulations) from TPTB to shut down and go away, as they are viewed primarily as polluters.

wouldn't it make sense for the city to flip it around, and instead of being a pain in the *ss, actually enable and encourage a houseboat city downtown, for a price, like in keywest or Seattle. It would create another revenue flow and stimulate downtown businesses and become a tourist destination in of itself. You could have awards for the most creative looking houseboats.

I wonder how far out you would have to go into the gulf to be outside of federal and state regulations...in order to establish a rogue floating city - build a long floating dock with some serious anchorage, have houseboats strap on...waterfront without the taxes. At least you would have no worries about rising sea levels! ; - )