Use to, Not Now but Want to Again..........

SRS

New Member
Apr 20, 2009
19
Hernando, Florida
Boat Info
88 Sea Ray Sorrento 25.5
Engines
Mercruiser 5.0 with Alpha 1 drive
Hello everyone !.........I use to own a 1988 SeaRay Sorrento 25 that I bought in 1994 and sold in 2017. We had the best times on that boat, friends, family, the kids. In 2016, I requested and got a transfer from my job from the Florida West Coast to the South Shore of Long Island, NY. Before anyone calls me crazy, I want to say that I actually got a giant pay raise, my youngest attends Manhattan College in Riverdale, so she is not that far away and the wife is starting a business venture, so it has not been that bad. I gave up the boat with the hopes that once I settled down I would buy another Sea Ray.

The itch has been unreal this year as I find myself looking at boats on my spare time and its gotten worse as I actually took out several boxes of boating things that were in the garage that we bought with us. I have not decided if I want something trailerable (21.5 ft or a larger 300 Sundancer) as its just us two and the dogs.

I am totally unfamiliar with the boating world on this side although I have traveled to Montauk and back by boat twice and do surf fishing.
If anyone has any information on marinas especially ones that you can DIY in the area of Merrick or within a 20 mile radius, websites, forums or anything boating - Long Island, I would love to hear from you.
 
A friend of mine had a 300DA and loved it in tarpon springs, personally I think outdrives suck when kept in salt water. Have you thought about a 310DA with inboards?? Good luck in your search ;)
 
my 300 is for sale - the add is linked to another thread on here - im in mystic, ct - good luck in your search - always a fun time!
 
The south shore of long island has some great boating & beaches. I boat primarily in Suffolk county but many on this forum boat in your neck of the woods. I live on the northshore but keep my boat on the south shore as we are big fans of the beaches. But, the water is skinny in areas and you need to be mindful of the channel markers, especially as you approach Fire Island. Enjoy the hunt!
 
Make sure you factor in the much shorter boating season and slip availability and costs up there.
yes indeed, that is one of the major drawbacks of living on this side as back in Florida, you can boat for 11 months. We adapt and we manage, never looking back but eyes wide open to the future ! :)
 
Hello everyone !.........I use to own a 1988 SeaRay Sorrento 25 that I bought in 1994 and sold in 2017. We had the best times on that boat, friends, family, the kids. In 2016, I requested and got a transfer from my job from the Florida West Coast to the South Shore of Long Island, NY. Before anyone calls me crazy, I want to say that I actually got a giant pay raise, my youngest attends Manhattan College in Riverdale, so she is not that far away and the wife is starting a business venture, so it has not been that bad. I gave up the boat with the hopes that once I settled down I would buy another Sea Ray.

The itch has been unreal this year as I find myself looking at boats on my spare time and its gotten worse as I actually took out several boxes of boating things that were in the garage that we bought with us. I have not decided if I want something trailerable (21.5 ft or a larger 300 Sundancer) as its just us two and the dogs.

I am totally unfamiliar with the boating world on this side although I have traveled to Montauk and back by boat twice and do surf fishing.
If anyone has any information on marinas especially ones that you can DIY in the area of Merrick or within a 20 mile radius, websites, forums or anything boating - Long Island, I would love to hear from you.

The South Shore is a great place for boating with lots of great beach type destinations and good fishing if you want it!
It can be unforgivingly shallow with some narrow channels but pretty easy to master.
Two popular places for a day on the hook are Zack’s Bay and Hemlock Cove.
I store my boat in a place in Copiague for the winter and dock on my own property in Lindenhurst 2 short blocks off the bay during the season.. The owner lets you do your own maintenance, etc.. He lets his year round docking/storage customers do the same. That’s pretty unusual around here these days. Plus he’s a great mechanic and very honest if you ever do need him to do work for you. The ride up his canal isn’t too bad.
Merrick and the surrounding areas are nice for docking but lots of 5 mph zones to go through which can get frustrating. Especially when the green flies are biting you. The same is true east through to and including Massapequa.
From the Massapequa/Amityville border east you can get up on plane as soon as you clear your canal. I can clear my canal, get up on plane and go all the way to Montauk before pulling back on the throttles if I want. That’s why I like that area for docking better.
There is also a dockominium (google The Anchorage) just east of me in Lindenhurst where you can do pretty much all your own stuff or bring in outside people who have provided proof of insurance and been approved by the association.
You can rent a slip and winter storage spot through the office, and sometimes owners will advertise their slips themselves on Craigslist. It’s a pretty good deal and also in a great location just off the bay. If I didn’t buy my property years back I would have bought a slip in there. Never heard anyone complain about being in there. If I were looking to rent a slip today, that place would probably be my first or second choice.
That area will put you about 45 minutes to the Jones Inlet and about 30 minutes from the Fire Island Inlet if you are looking to head out in the ocean towards Montauk, the City or just for fishing.
I can avoid the State boat channel completely when going to the Fire Island Inlet, but have to use it if I go to The Jknes Inlet. That’s why it takes longer to get to Jones Inlet even though I’m about the same distance from both.
The State Boat Channel has spots where it goes down to 5 mph where it passes Marinas, anchoring spots or under some bridges along the Barrier Island (Jones Peninsula) and it gets crowded down there on weekends so I like having the option of heading East & West as much as possible up on the north side of the bay.
.
 
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The south shore of long island has some great boating & beaches. I boat primarily in Suffolk county but many on this forum boat in your neck of the woods. I live on the northshore but keep my boat on the south shore as we are big fans of the beaches. But, the water is skinny in areas and you need to be mindful of the channel markers, especially as you approach Fire Island. Enjoy the hunt!

Thank you very much ! We have friends that have a house on Oak Beach and that drive which is not far from our house is filled with boaters just lounging out in The Great South Bay and South Oyster Bay. I am going to retake a Boating Safety Class on Sunday in Bayside, NY as I took one last in 2001. I consider myself a super safe boater with no incidents, I have seen many but you just never know!
 
The South Shore is a great place for boating with lots of great beach type destinations and good fishing if you want it!
It can be unforgivingly shallow with some narrow channels but pretty easy to master.
Two popular places for a day on the hook are Zack’s Bay and Hemlock Cove.
I store my boat in a place in Copiague for the winter and dock on my own property in Lindenhurst 2 short blocks off the bay during the season.. The owner lets you do your own maintenance, etc.. He lets his year round docking/storage customers do the same. That’s pretty unusual around here these days. Plus he’s a great mechanic and very honest if you ever do need him to do work for you. The ride up his canal isn’t too bad.
Merrick and the surrounding areas are nice for docking but lots of 5 mph zones to go through which can get frustrating. Especially when the green flies are biting you. The same is true east through to and including Massapequa.
From the Massapequa/Amityville border east you can get up on plane as soon as you clear your canal. I can clear my canal, get up on plane and go all the way to Montauk before pulling back on the throttles if I want. That’s why I like that area for docking better.
There is also a dockominium (google The Anchorage) just east of me in Lindenhurst where you can do pretty much all your own stuff or bring in outside people who have provided proof of insurance and been approved by the association.
You can rent a slip and winter storage spot through the office, and sometimes owners will advertise their slips themselves on Craigslist. It’s a pretty good deal and also in a great location just off the bay. If I didn’t buy my property years back I would have bought a slip in there. Never heard anyone complain about being in there. If I were looking to rent a slip today, that place would probably be my first or second choice.
That area will put you about 45 minutes to the Jones Inlet and about 30 minutes from the Fire Island Inlet if you are looking to head out in the ocean towards Montauk, the City or just for fishing.
I can avoid the State boat channel completely when going to the Fire Island Inlet, but have to use it if I go to The Jknes Inlet. That’s why it takes longer to get to Jones Inlet even though I’m about the same distance from both.
The State Boat Channel has spots where it goes down to 5 mph where it passes Marinas, anchoring spots or under some bridges along the Barrier Island (Jones Peninsula) and it gets crowded down there on weekends so I like having the option of heading East & West as much as possible up on the north side of the bay.
.

Thanks very much for all that information. I will take a drive up there during the coming weekend, just to look around! :)
 
Thanks very much for all that information. I will take a drive up there during the coming weekend, just to look around! :)

No problem! Lots of great info and several fellow south shore boaters with lots of knowledge in this forum.
Welcome to the sand box! It’s a fantastic place to be in boating season.
 

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