Taking time away

Taking a break from the summer heat

March 2014, we arrived back in the US from our Bahamas trip and decided to try and put down some roots, even if the roots are temporary. We decided to call Coconut Grove, Florida "home", even joining the local Sailing Club to meet like-minded friends. It has been a few months now, and we are just about ready to get back onto the boat.

Moving ashore even if for a weekend hotel visit can revitalize crew, and preserve the sanity of those less attached to the cruising lifestyle. In our case, moving ashore for a couple of months also helped us to escape the heat of the South Florida sun in the dead of summer.

It seemed simple enough at first...  This is "off - season" and deals are sure to be had, right? After all the snow geese have abandoned their "winter homes", I'm sure someone wouldn't mind a house sitter. Or maybe some of those winter-time resort places will run specials, considering they probably have a very high vacancy rate this time of year... I'm learning as we go along, what seems straight forward, rarely is when it relates to our chosen lifestyle.

Making the move to temporary shore-side living

Planning ahead is the best advice I can give to ensure as painless an experience as possible. For example, now that we know; finding a furnished temporary domicile near a major university as the school year is about to begin is not ideal. Another piece of advice; get to know as many people as you can, either virtually or in the flesh, and see who might be looking for someone to "watch over their place" when they head north for the summer months.

We found the following to be the best on-line resources to find temporary housing especially if you're looking for fewer than 6 months.

• Craigslist.org
• vacationrentals.com
• homeaway.com
• airbnb.com

Our experience with the top two options worked out best for us. We had an excellent experience with a condo in West Palm Beach using homeaway.com. Craigslist helped us find a place for just a few weeks while we scoured the neighborhoods in Coconut Grove. We finally settled on a "condoTel" using a local real estate agent, after much wasted time with less than upfront tactics employed by local real estate "professionals" in and around Miami/Coconut Grove.  By all means stay away from "furnishedfinders.com"

Finally, if you give yourself enough time and do a good deal of research you might find and arrange for something you find through the grapevine(s) as I've described previously. Pay close attention for opportunities on Facebook, Cruising forums, the local Yacht Club, and Cruisers Net broadcasts. You just might find something, outside "normal channels".

                                        (our view from our temporary home; boat is in sight)