Storage is killing me - I don't live near the ocean

Posted by dasjeep@reddit | sailing | View on Reddit | 80 comments

I've got a 1973 46' sailboat. Deep draft (7')

When I bought it, yard costs were around 600/mo for storage. Not awesome but ok.

Today, 4 years later it's at $1.1k/mo for just storage and that's with the yard owners being tools every time I'm there (in Florida) I actually bought a motorcycle to keep in storage near the airport so I could go out and work on it easier. 6 months later, the yard tells me they don't want people staying in the yard (they have dock liveaboards and there's like 3 on the hard at one time) Somehow the people on the hard are a problem. (They still haven't sent ANYTHING in writing about that policy, just in person conversations)

So I need a plan. Do I go north - upper east coast or do I go south and head toward guatemala/mexico for the future? I'm leaning toward warm water,

I need my TCO to go down. I own the boat outright and I want to keep it but damn I'm getting tired of spending more on fees than I am on boat maintenance! I'm rebuilding my engine, but I could have bought a new one vs storage at this point.

I can work remotely, but I have to be able to put the boat up for extended periods when I'm away.

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No_Childhood446@reddit

Deltaville Va- that's where you probably want to be. You sure as hell won't be paying rates like you are now, it's livaboard friendly, and there's a lot of places to anchor, DIY boatyards, and marinas. The only major downside is there's not a ton of work- but you've already got that covered it sounds like.

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Weary_Fee7660@reddit

Deltaville his suffering the same fate as the rest of the boating , with prices rising. Stingray point is out with 7’ draft, maybe Deltaville boat yard but I am not sure.

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No_Childhood446@reddit

Nowhere in Deltaville will you find a price of 1.1 k, period. Doom and gloom just doesn't have that much elasticity. Sure prices are rising everywhere. People used to be able to buy a brand new cameo for 2000 dollars right off the showroom floor, but I'm not seeing your point when it comes to the question that this poster asked and how it relates to my answer to his question. He CAN find cheaper options because there ARE cheaper options and Deltaville is just one of many of them.

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LLCoolDave82@reddit

I spent some time in Rio Dulce, Guatemala. It's cheap. Your slip would probably be around $300 a month. There are quality boat workers there but you really want to be there to supervise. Any specialty parts you'll want to bring with you.

Belize is around the corner and the Bay Islands of Honduras have some of the best scuba diving in the world.

Only drawbacks are it's hot and humid year round and very few locals speak English.

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Zyj@reddit

Also, Lightning.

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dasjeep@reddit (OP)

Yeah I figure I need to learn spanish to survive cruiser boat ownership

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yelruh00@reddit

Can you store it at your house?

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dasjeep@reddit (OP)

Sure if I buy a semitruck and a hydraulic trailer to move the thing. Doubt the neighborhood would appreciate me parking a 46 foot long monohull out front tho.

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yelruh00@reddit

You can rent this stuff you know.

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dasjeep@reddit (OP)

holy crap. WTF would I haul a 20,000lb 46ft sailboat from the east coast to my house to avoid storage fees? That'd be like 6k in fuel each way. Not to mention the 2k to pull down and 2k to re-install the 2500lb mast. The numbers matter.

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yelruh00@reddit

Calm down my guy. How am I or anyone supposed to know how far you live from your boat? Did you tell us? It's not unheard of to tow a boat far distances if you can do a boat tow share, meaning match up with someone who is towing towards the coast and that same truck can tow you back for a fraction of the price.

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dasjeep@reddit (OP)

Pretty sure I said 'I don't live near the ocean'. yup. I did. Even on the coast the mast would have to be dropped so we're talking 1.5-2k for mast off/ mast on to with free hauling back and forth.

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yelruh00@reddit

I’m pretty sure “I don’t live near the ocean” isn’t a specific distance.

For one, you sound inexperienced. Two, for someone asking for advice, you’re kinda a D.

Unstepping a main mast >26’ is generally $500, not 1-2k. I live in Massachusetts, where everything sailing related is expensive, and it’s $500. At other places the crane usage is priced by the hour, so with prep work it can take little time.

Good luck buddy. Why don’t you just sell your boat and do us all a favor.

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desert_sailor@reddit

I had the same problem with my sail boat. We put the boat on the hard during hurricane season in the Caribbean. The only way to avoid storage fees was put out a mooring ball and hire a boat minder, live aboard or go to some place out of the hurricane belt like Trinidad or Panama. Storage or slip fees kept going up every year.

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Liesthroughisteeth@reddit

Sell it....and those days you want to spend on the ocean, charter a sailboat.

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dasjeep@reddit (OP)

Meh. That's missing the point. I work remotely and have amazing flexibility. If you're a corp slave, yeah, round your sailing down to a week at a time.

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Liesthroughisteeth@reddit

Ahhhh, I get it....a not so humble flex. :) There's a lot of that in this sub and most others of course centered around hobbie, pursuits and interests.

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dasjeep@reddit (OP)

Not so much a flex. I did the office grind for AGES. I'm not going back to that unless I'm making like 4x.
Seriously tho, It's just that when you rent you're stuck with the stupid charter schedule. I like the flexibility of determining my own schedule. The other half always had lame holiday times that were when the rental rates are jacked up. I'm not spending an extra 6k to rent a boat for a week to work around her low paying job.

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outworlder@reddit

Wow. Way to talk about your spouse.

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Banther1@reddit

If you work remotely why not fix the problem of not living near the ocean?

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BattleIntrepid3476@reddit

Totally, I think you are coming at this problem from the wrong end. Sell your boat: it’s a huge drag on your finances and it sounds like you’re not sailing it. Take the proceeds and your remote job and go somewhere warm and buy a boat there.

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Angry_Sparrow@reddit

Omg yes. Or better yet, find a friend who has a boat. Save your money.

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crazyswedishguy@reddit

The best ship is a friendship / friend’s ship.

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Dickeysaurus@reddit

He is the friend with a boat. Or will be

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Comfortable-Ad8560@reddit

It’s only going to get worse. It’s just the truth.

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dasjeep@reddit (OP)

I know. finance bros suck. Mom and pops just matching the prices and being jerks doesn't help.

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enuct@reddit

Mom and pop marinas are getting taxed out of existence from what I understand, either they raise rates or sell to one of the four giant investment firms buying up every marina up for sale.

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tulleandtiaras42@reddit

What is your air draft? If you have an ICW compatible mast, there are a lot more options than if you don’t.

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dasjeep@reddit (OP)

Tall. She's right around 64-65ft tall. I've got a friend who rigs water bags on his mast to heel over for low bridges. It would take something along those lines to be safe.

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Mean_Farmer4616@reddit

I'm paying $275 a month right now to keep a 43ft on the hard here in NC. I could rent a wetslip for lesss than $1100

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lawkktara@reddit

I had a mini stroke just thinking about what it would cost to keep a 46 footer with a 7 foot draft stored/slipped in the Northeast. Unless you can wait 7-10 years for a town mooring (I'm at year 5, I'm thinking by 8-9 I'll have a mooring).

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yelruh00@reddit

Marblehead is a 100 year wait....no joke

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crazyswedishguy@reddit

I know the pain… I keep a 48.5 footer with a 6.5ft draft in the Northeast. 😣

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Moist_Field_9624@reddit

I got a Casco bay town mooring in portland after 3 years

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OniExpress@reddit

I had to give up my boat in SoPo during covid because they started cranking the hard storage rates to the point where it was the boat or the apartment.

In retrospect was a poor choice.

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tnseltim@reddit

I’d look in the Carolinas. Nc has some boat friendly communities still- oriental ones to mind. Sc as well, look in the Beaufort area

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SuperBrett9@reddit

I was going to say this. Or the Chesapeake bay is quite affordable especially when on a longer lease.

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Terrible_Stay_1923@reddit

I have a slip in Oriental.

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tx_trawler_trash@reddit

What do you pay there? Ill be heading to the east coast mext summer and looking for a home base somewhere in the carolinas

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Terrible_Stay_1923@reddit

My boat is little. There are several places advertising for big boat slips, rent and purchase. Towndock.net is a good place to start.

Hurricane boatyard on the Bay river advertises 8 ft minimum to the travel lift if Whittaker creek in Oriental is still having issues with shoaling.

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tx_trawler_trash@reddit

Cool ill check out towndock! My boat isnt little but its not huge either, 37 ft mono

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dasjeep@reddit (OP)

I almost bought a slip there, I wish I had but I didn't have the boat yet.

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tnseltim@reddit

Almost bought a slip in Tampa bay about 10 years ago for 40k. Ma I wish I did, probably worth 10x that now.

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TravelingCatMom@reddit

Another vote for Oriental.

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ruxing@reddit

I Second Oriental, NC

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tx_trawler_trash@reddit

Chesapeake has some good options but many are off the beaten path for sure. I lived aboard in TX and slip fees have gone up there too but i was paying around 500 a month. Recently moved down to MX where i pay about 600 a month. Carolinas look to be decent thats where im heading next summer.

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Legaladvicepanic@reddit

For smaller boats Im seeing 1200 a year for slips around notheren neck in VA.

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tx_trawler_trash@reddit

Ah kk - thought it was way cheaper...my brother keeps a boat in reedville for ariund 400

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shipwreckedsouls@reddit

Panama? Shelter bay or linton marina.

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wkavinsky@reddit

I'm not usually a fan of it, but maybe living in a van nearer the boat while you get it up and running might be an option?

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dasjeep@reddit (OP)

oh the van is bought. I'm building it out right now.

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CanadianStiggy@reddit

Actually wild, this is making me realise how different it is in my small atlantic canada area, where I could store my 24ft for 300$/season

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dasjeep@reddit (OP)

finance bros figured out that it's real estate. They've been buying up yards and jacking rates, Local places are matching them because the bros normalized the higher price.

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PalmOilduCongo@reddit

I've been hunting for a trailerable 17-25 footer for inland sailing and parking in my driveway in the winter. Guess what? Wait list for slip at my closest good size lake (45 minute drive) is 2+ years. I'm also 55 minutes from the Atlantic, so now my logic is changing. Why wait years to sail on an inland lake when for thousands more a year I could have the entire eastern seaboard???? So now shopping for 32 foot Ocean capable boat. Any flaws to my logic?

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VUlgar_epOCH@reddit

None tbh? atlantic side is deep so draft aint too big of a deal

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Unusual_Holiday_Flo@reddit

Marina slip fees in Mexico aren’t cheap.

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tx_trawler_trash@reddit

I pay 600 in isla - while i dont consider this cheap, its way better than 1.1k for sure

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Shhheeeesshh@reddit

I paid $1500 in La Cruz, and $700 in Marina Chiapas in Mexico. 31’ boat

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cruisinbears@reddit

That makes SoCal prices look cheap! A cruiser I met in La Paz told me their slip fees there for a Hunter 42 rivaled prices in Vancouver

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Shhheeeesshh@reddit

I know they’re really putting pressure on us down here to gtfo

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tx_trawler_trash@reddit

Holy moly...yeah thats crazy expensive ouch

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Shhheeeesshh@reddit

Currently on the summer rate which is like 1200 for July-November so It shakes out, but it’s dead af here and the marina sucks.

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tx_trawler_trash@reddit

Wowza..Yeah i was paying 500 with reliable power, swimming pools, jacuzzis, and club houses in TX, but here i dont even have a finger pier (let alone the other amenities) lol. Its different but hey the water is pretty so theres that :)

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aelosada@reddit

Try Progreso, Yucatan. When I went there the expat community, Canadians mostly, was growing. They have a few marinas. Airport is in Merida, 40 min away, the state capital and a nice city to visit.

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SB_Cookie@reddit

Cape Coral or Grenada.

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duane11583@reddit

yea yard work with anything hot.. (s-arks, fire, grinding, welding) and cooking causes fire

many yards do not have insurance or it only covers their direct employees only. just not you

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Sailorincali@reddit

Two places come to mind for me for great priced storage and yard fees and access to quality marine supplies. One is Peakes Yacht Services in Chaguaramas Bay, just west of Port-of-Spain, Trindad and Tobago. The language is English with a West Indies accent. The currency usually has a favorable exchange rate, right now it is 6.75 Trinidad dollars to one us dollar. The other is Bocas del Toros, Panama, the language is Spanish but you can get by with English as many locals in Bocas can speak English. The currency is the US dollar. They both may take awhile to get to but are very economical when attempting an ambitious rebuild yourself with many local skilled marine service people and business establishments with reasonable rates and prices.

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wayne8910@reddit

Hey there. Look up Duck Creek Marine Service in New Bern, NC. They have good rates for storage.

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Redfish680@reddit

Duck is barely doable with 6’ unless the winds out of the north.

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Candygramformrmongo@reddit

46" and deep draft - you sure went hard! Interested in Maine? Fees are up everywhere but there are some reasonable options.

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gwazmalurks@reddit

You used to be able to go up a creek off the Neuse River in NC.

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Redfish680@reddit

Not with 7’.

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pdq_sailor@reddit

I live in Canada and seven years ago we had a cabin fire.. I decided to repair and rebuild our boat.. The yard charges were exorbitant then.. and have doubled since then.. Essentially I had an eight month time window to get ALL the work done, get it surveyed, insurance updated for water coverage and get it launched.. They yard was betting against me and did NOT make it easy.. My own CLUB refused space for me to do the work and I had a slip there.. Well I put in sixteen hour days six days per week for eight months.. and I met my deadline.. Now keep in mind that the entire project was funded fully.. but the yard costs result in more abandoned boats and more wrecked boats than you could possibly imagine.. At my club you get ONE year on the hard and then they triple the storage fees for year two - enough to kill any normal person.. Their argument is they don't want boats in the yard during the summer season and you best take your boat elsewhere.. My previous club has a collection of derelict boats - some with the owners deceased - stored in the yard.. I was shocked - they are there for decades in some cases..

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SailingSpark@reddit

Living in NJ where all the marinas of my youth are now condos, this is why I have a trailer sailor. To be fair, I have several easy to launch and sail boats, depending on where I intend on sailing. Yes, my Montgomery 17 is a pain to rig and launch, but I tend to only use her on long weekends or during my vacations when I can use her for a couple of days at a time. Other wise It is my GP14 for when I want deeper water sailing, or my duckpunt for being in the marshy areas and soon a sailing canoe for in between.

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canofmixedveggies@reddit

you'd be better off moving inland if you don't go south.

places like Kentucky or Tennessee are $5/ft a month or less for dry storage.

id vote going South if you actually can, but the inland waters are cheaper than the coast

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dasjeep@reddit (OP)

at some point I'll just live on the boat, but not just yet