I was expecting you to say, "On the trailers that stay outside for the winter." So, where do all the trailers go?

Mike

Not so, Cod. I have never trailered a boat in my life. I kept my previous cats on the beach, and my powerboat at a marina. I have no idea how you even hook a trailer up to a vehicle, but that's what I'll be doing at my next purchase. I need to learn a lot about trailering and stowing in the meantime, so that's why I'm asking questions. I did the same before I bought the powerboat. By the time I got it, I had done courses on boating safety, GPS Plotting and VHF operations. I subscribed to several magazines and did plenty research. Even hired a certified captain to take me out for 4 hours to show me everything I needed to know. I take nothing for granted when purchasing a boat. So any questions I ask here, are asked without malice.

The only reason for putting a boat in the garage is because your neighborhood or community does not allow you to have a boat outside; right?

If that is the case, I would say you should move to someplace that does not have restrictions like that. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Why would a sailor to choose to live in a neighborhood that does not allow sailboats, or powerboats, or RV's? Any sailor looking for a house to buy should think about things like that.

Mary, I know that's easy to say, and I also know you'll know what property prices are in South Florida as we speak. But yes, the reason for putting it in the garage is community rules. I bought the house before I owned the last cat. The powerboat was a 7,500lb 28' cruiser, so there's no way I was going to be trailering that. Besides, trailering and launching a powerboat on a busy weekend here is nothing short of chaotic. From what I've seen, I don't think I'd look forward to trailering a powerboat. Much cheaper to keep it indoor at some marinas.

I know it is not easy after you already own a house, but as I said, other people should think about it before they buy one.

We just don't want to live in a neighborhood or community that prevents you from keeping your possessions on your own property. Or chickens and goats, for that matter.

And some people, on the other hand, probably would not want to be our neighbor. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

P.S. We don't even have a garage.

Just to drag this totally off-topic - people seem to think that roosters crow at dawn. This is not true. They crow whenever they are awake. Which is often at 3 in the morning.

I have a .22 with a scope. I have come very near to sitting on the roof with it trained into the neighbors yard...

On the neighborhood rules topic, I live in an older (70's) small subdivision with a new (00's) 10-feet-from-eachother (don't have a problem with these - I hate my yard and it's only a 1/4 acre lot. Grass sucks) literally next door whos rules prevent parking RV's, boats and such. Which means that they end up in front of my house. Pain in the butt - I can see why they want to keep them off the street (it's hard enough to make it by with cars there) but at least allow it in driveways. Silly.

Nope. Two good other reasons - snow and sunlight. Both are bad for boats. Ever since I started keeping my boats indoors, they look better much longer.

And Mike, there are only two trailers. One is in the photo. The other lives in the back yard in the winter and under the 14 in the summer.

We had those very things in mind when we bought. The funny thing was we were inquiring about whether we could widen the driveway - the sellers were looking at us like we had two heads. It finally came out that the community doesn't care if you park on your own lawn! Score! Keep a boat in yard? It's practically required that you do! Perfect! I can see the mast of the F-27 in the community slip from my back yard, park boat trailers wherever, and drag my kayak across the street to hit the Bay. Kids park on a beach half a block away, and our community dues are $10 a year.

I hear my friends talk of multi hundred dollar fees, they can't keep their own property on their own property, and they need to bow down to the community association to change their doorknob. No thanks!