# Sarasota Bay Live aboard Marinas (short term)



## velero (Dec 19, 2001)

Cruising up the west coast of FL and would like to stay a few months in Sarasota Bay. I have seen a few marinas but would like to get local knowledge. Which marina allows live aboards?
Thanks, Velero


----------



## MSter (Apr 1, 2008)

Sarasota Bay may be a bit limiting in regards to marinas which allow liveaboards. There are a few to the north and south which may be a bit more accommodating in terms of amenities and access. Just to the north of SB, Twin Dolphins and Regatta Point are both excellent. Just to the south of SB, there are Burnt Store marina and a few more in Ft Myers. There are certainly others, but these are just off the top of my head.


----------



## DougSabbag (Aug 3, 2011)

Just North of Sarasota, and just West of Bradenton, is a little town called Cortez.
At the foot of the Anna Maria Island bridge, on the Cortez side, is a marina called: The Seafood Shack Seafood Shack Which we lived at for almost a year.

Enjoy!


----------



## DougSabbag (Aug 3, 2011)

Addendum.... there are also a lot of anchored / moored vessels in Sarasota Bay.

The City isn't too pleased about them, but they're still there, so cruise in and drop anchor!


----------



## svHyLyte (Nov 13, 2008)

Click over the Activecaptain.com and register (its free) and you will have access to maps/charts/aerial photos of the area with markers that list virtually all of the marinas and anchorages in the area together with user comments/reviews of each. You'll find it quite helpful.

FWIW...


----------



## DougSabbag (Aug 3, 2011)

DougSabbag said:


> Just North of Sarasota, and just West of Bradenton, is a little town called Cortez.
> At the foot of the Anna Maria Island bridge, on the Cortez side, is a marina called: The Seafood Shack Seafood Shack Which we lived at for almost a year.
> 
> Enjoy!


Seriously, I would HIGHLY recommend this marina as "the place to stay" in this area.
There are some wonderfully rustic / earthy as you can get, seafood restaurants right near here (in Cortez) which is the LAST of this kind of fishing villages in all of Florida!

This is a VERY liveaboard friendly marina, with good people all around you.

If you want to experience more of the mariner side of this area and less of the plastic / typical tourist side, then you really want to be in the Cortez / Anna Maria Island neighborhood.

This also positions you very well for Tampa Bay, leading out to the ocean, or going South to Sarasota.


----------



## velero (Dec 19, 2001)

Thanks DougSabbag......... It looks great. I will go over and scope it out. how is the traffic going towards the hospital in the AM/PM rush hour?


----------



## DougSabbag (Aug 3, 2011)

We were there for close to a year, and I do not remember any particular traffic issue(s), except on a typical Saturday morning, there would be a sizeable group heading to the beaches across the bridge.
However, while they were driving, we were usually sailing.


----------

