We think we've worked out a pleasant trip down (and back) to Punta Gorda and the Safe Cove Boatyard.
It's a little weird to go by way of Savannah, Jacksonville, and Daytona to get the Gulf Coast, but, there's no real E-W road other than I-4 through Orlando.
In Jacksonville, we've found a nice Holiday Inn Express with a restaurant down the road a few hundred meters. This makes the drive two 5-hour days. (There was a time when we might have pushed for one huge day. Not anymore.)
The nuance here is Safe Cove can't really tolerate many folks living and working in the storage yard. There are no amenities to speak of. They have a 3-seater washhouse with one washing machine. No useable Wi-Fi right now. No potable water except at the dock.
The moral of the story? Do your work quickly and get out of here ASAP. Two-weeks is the limit.
It's a long walk down to the potable water. There's no easy way to fill the boat's tanks. (200 gallons in 15-gallon increments? 13 trips. Plus, you have to lift each 30-pound/5-gallon jug 10' from ground to deck.)
There are hotels a few miles away in Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda. Early in the winter season -- when we think we want to prep for launch -- they're full of vacationers.
CA talked with other folks here. The Gulf Coast marinas are still essentially flattened. The folks she talked with had launched, moved around from short-term stay to short-term stay, and came back here. The boatyard is awkward, but right now it's the only way to get big jobs done.
