# East Coast Marinas - need no frills just less expensive?



## Advocate777 (Sep 28, 2010)

1.) On the East Coast of USA, ss there a geographic line south where you can keep a boat in the water year round? You know, the Chesapeake gets too cold and the marinas close/seasonal. But where is it warm enough or where are the marinas that keep the boat in water all year. Or, can you keep it in the water all year in the northern chesapeake marinas? Is that bad for the boat? Or do you just winterize the plumbing and keep it in the water?

2.) Do you have any marinas you can recommend that are less expensive than the 'norm' on the upper/northern chesapeake? Say, any in Deltaville VA? How about North Carolina? Any recommendations for reasonable marinas in Oriental?

Reason: I am wanting to buy my next boat this winter - sometime in 1st quarter 2015. But I need somewhere relatively inexpensive to keep it to save costs until I can move aboard in the future, even if it is not close to where i live on the northernmost part of the Chesapeake.

Some say 'wait until ur ready to go and then get the boat' but I want to get it now - i just need to keep it at the most affordable marina i can find between Havre de Grace and Oriental, NC

Any marinas you can recommend?

Thanks!


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## PBzeer (Nov 11, 2002)

Go a bit past Oriental to New Bern, 'bout as cheap of rates as you'll find, with a number of marina's to choose from.


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## 4arch (Jul 7, 2009)

I think you will ultimately be happier if you determine your maximum budget and then find accommodations within a reasonable driving distance of your home base that fit your budget. You'll use the boat a lot more and maintain it better if it's closer. Keeping it one or two states away for the sole purpose of saving a couple hundred bucks a year seems a false economy. There are several marinas on the Chesapeake under $60/foot/year. Private docks behind a waterfront home can be even cheaper. Lots of people store in water through the winter in the Chesapeake. Wind/wave protection and how often you can check on the boat during the winter are important factors to consider.


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## deniseO30 (Nov 27, 2006)

Inexpensive and boating??? BOAT = Break Out Another Thousand I've been looking for years not found it yet! Do let us know if you find it!


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## outbound (Dec 3, 2012)

Why are you hitting on us Yankees? Folks not only wet store but many hearty folks live on their boats all year. When it freezes they just put bubblers under them.


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## hpeer (May 14, 2005)

On the North end, if that is important to you, we are in Delaware City. While we are steel, there are other glass boats that stay in all winter, liveaboards.

Water gets shut off, but electricity stays on.

There is a lot of current in the canal the marina presides upon, and that helps with the ice. It did freeze over pretty good last winter, which was freezing COLD!


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## kd3pc (Oct 19, 2006)

the northern neck of VA has some of the least expensive slippage on the bay, and we have always kept our boats in year round.

Now, the liveaboard thing may present some looking or at least require a premium on top of the monthly slip in almost every case we encountered.


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## Jeff_H (Feb 26, 2000)

I am located in Annapolis and my boat stays in the water year round with the help of a bubbler. That is quite common here on the middle Chesapeake. There are a quite a few comparatively inexpensive small marinas around this area where you can store a good sized boat for less than $3k a year.

There are some very inexpensive marinas down near the mouth of the Potomac. One of the nicest little marina's is Olversons Lodge Creek Marina, on the Yeocomico River in Virginia. Olverson's Lodge Creek Marina

It was very reasonably priced, nicely maintained, quite protected, very nice people, and comparatively easy to get into and out of. The downside is that its in the middle of nowhere or at least close to the middle of nowhere. I stashed my boat down there about 10 years ago and used it as jumping off point to explore the necks of Virginia. I draw roughly 6'-6" and they rented me a 40 foot slip which was quite a bit longer than 40 feet and which had an easy approach. They carry diesel and gasoline and advertise that they have a Laundry Facility, Heated Swimming Pool, Wireless Internet, Ice & Soda, Complimentary Bicycles, Restrooms / Shower Facilities, Climate Controlled Community Lounge, and a Picnic Pavilion With Grills, which is whole lot for a small inexpensive marina just to the southeast of the middle of nowhere.

One more point, when last you were here with any regularity you had your sights set on an Island Packet 27. These are really a very poor choice for the U.S. middle Atlantic region since we tend to have predominantly light air (too light for a boat like the I.P. 27) for most of our sailing season which gets rarely punctuated by heavy air, which is also not a strong suite of the I.P. 27. I would suggest that you consider either a boat which sails better than the I.P.27 does in light and heavy air, or else look at a venue like southern Florida which tends to have more breeze than Rhode Island to Georgia.

Jeff


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## Halberdier (May 15, 2009)

Try Pungo Creek Marina, near Belhaven, NC. It's the cheapest I've found. 

Potential problem is it's open to the East winds. They've not been a problem in the 3.5 months I've been here. Also one needs a car or a friend wih a car as it's four miles from Belhaven and 28 froM Washington, NC.

1056 Hubs Rec Rd,
Belhaven, NC 27810
Near the intersection of Hubs Rec Rd and Smith Shore Rd
(252) 964-3777


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## pdqaltair (Nov 14, 2008)

You need to say where you live. Generally the Chesapeake marinas a relatively ice-free starting ~20 miles south of Annapolis. It also depends on the creek; is there much freshwater flow, or is it more Bay water. 

As for bare bones marinas, look for people with a few slips for rent behind their house. These can be less than 1/2 the prevailing rate.

It would also help if we knew the length and draft. Shallower is cheaper.


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## bvander66 (Sep 30, 2007)

Whitaker Creek, north side of Oriental, great little marina, no frills, but great group of liveaboards.


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## Advocate777 (Sep 28, 2010)

Thanks for all the replies with recommendations for marinas. I really appreciate it and it was helpful. I will look into them all.


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## captain jack (May 5, 2013)

Advocate777 said:


> 1.) On the East Coast of USA, ss there a geographic line south where you can keep a boat in the water year round? You know, the Chesapeake gets too cold and the marinas close/seasonal. But where is it warm enough or where are the marinas that keep the boat in water all year. Or, can you keep it in the water all year in the northern chesapeake marinas? Is that bad for the boat? Or do you just winterize the plumbing and keep it in the water?
> 
> 2.) Do you have any marinas you can recommend that are less expensive than the 'norm' on the upper/northern chesapeake? Say, any in Deltaville VA? How about North Carolina? Any recommendations for reasonable marinas in Oriental?
> 
> ...


my boat is on the water all year, as are most of the boats in my marina. it is just south of essex, maryland, on the chesapeake. it's at a maurgale marina. nabbs creek, right off of stony creek. it's a hurricane hole. the bay froze pretty hard last winter but the ice never got closer than a foot from my boat.

it does not have floating docks and it has finger piers. the bathrooms are completely redone. very nice. the owners are nice. there is a bar next door. it's a quiet area. very scenic.

it does have a few drawbacks, of sorts. to get to the bay, you need to go through a drawbridge at stony creek and, there is a narrow channel, deep enough for your keel, through the shallow entrance to stony creek from the bay. as it is a hurricane hole, thus protected from the worst of the weather, you may need to motor out in really light winds.

electricity and water are included in slip fees. water spiggots by the boats are turned off in winter but the spiggot by the office and the bathrooms are year round. for my 27' boat, it averages to 200 a month (216 in season. 189 out of season). she lets me pay monthly. if you pay yearly, it's cheaper.

having my boat there has been a good experience. it's small. not a ton of activity. but, all of the other boaters i have met, there have been nice. the bar next door has bands there on the weekends during the summer so you can get a free show from your boat.

one point i should mention, they have no boat hauling capability, at this time. you will have to sail there. there is a place where you can fill up the gas tank where nabbs creek meets with stony creek.

good luck finding a place.


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