marine storage

**aquaticbiology** · 05-09-2006, 10:01 AM

had a thought the other day - wonder if it would be worth it, since gas is so high nowadays, to stop the dragging back and forth and keep the boat down there in dry storage - would it pay for itself?

then we could leave the big gas-guzzler truck at home, take the little rag-top there and back, and since we spend the night on the boat anyway, we could afford to go every weekend again like we used to at $1.50/gallon!

the insurance would cover any major damage done by vandals or theives, or would it?

if the 'caines come, i could take the truck and bring it back up here

i've been looking at the following places (on the internet) this morning, anybody have any experience with these guys?

A J's High & Dry Marina - Destin, FL

Brooks Bridge Marina and Dry Storage - Fort Walton Beach, FL

**chrisv** · 05-09-2006, 12:03 PM

AJ's is being torn down as we speak, haven't heard what they are planning for the property. Brooks Bridge would be most convenient for access to gulf and bay. There's also Bluewater High & Dry, Niceville (897-0334) and Legendary, but I thought I heard Legendary was limiting storage to it's customers only. Here in Freeport on 331 there's Howlin Dowlins (or whatever it's name is now,) but it's an open, gated lot- no cover and no practical water access.

Good luck, marinas and boat storage are becoming endangered species.

**redfisher** · 05-11-2006, 07:49 AM

AB, I asked about this a few months ago and I thought there were a few mom and pop places on 331 north of the bay but never did anything about it...I also thought about renting one of those covered and locked dry storage places...I know there are a couple of those on 331...I always seem to forget to check when i'm there and never really pursued it beyond that...Red

**Sandcastle** · 05-11-2006, 09:20 PM

I'll sell my lot in Daughettes -- unobstructed access to the Intracoastal and you can keep your boat docked in your back yard

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**Smiling JOe** · 05-11-2006, 11:04 PM

Originally Posted by Sandcastle

I'll sell my lot in Daughettes -- unobstructed access to the Intracoastal and you can keep your boat docked in your back yard

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They have not dredged yet. I saw a small boat get stuck at the mouth of the canal between Morrison and Ricker, about 2 weeks ago.

**Sandcastle** · 05-12-2006, 10:04 PM

Originally Posted by Smiling JOe

They have not dredged yet. I saw a small boat get stuck at the mouth of the canal between Morrison and Ricker, about 2 weeks ago.

We paid our dredging assessment. Hopefully, enough other people will.

The permit is good for five years and the dredging cost is very reasonable. A deep-water access to the Intracoastal will be pretty neat

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**aquaticbiology** · 05-13-2006, 07:03 AM

well, i finally got some answers and i'm afraid, very afraid, for the poor folk who 'stack store' boats south of, oh, say tennessee!

the insurance rates are so high now that the storage owners are either getting out of the business or watching it slowly fail - horrible

and the other side of the coin is that the prices were way too high to not make it worth storing it - far cheaper to just keep it at home and dragging it

i could lease a new truck with what i'd have to pay per year to store the boat down there

and the dockside gas price i'd have to pay to fill up the boat (90 gallons) is totally insane - far, far better at the tom thumb!

in their defense, they say it would take extra this and extra that and describe my 28 foot (waterline length i'll admit, but jeez) boat as a 'tall, 8400 lb, 40 foot' - too tall, too heavy and too long to fit their 'system' - and what do they do with the trailers? they leave them outside to corrode away!

oh well, it was a nice dream while it lasted - guess we'll just go once a month like always