"the economy....who cares".....go sailing

[Frank]

Typical Golden.....as long as she was with us she was happy. She had a hoot!
Lazy at home...she'd run up and down the beach chasing minnows for hours! Fun to watch her playing. Lifting her onto a dock at low tide for a pee walk was no fun...  Wished she was about 10lbs then   :)

Seriously...you are seldom on your boat once anchored. Meals and sleep. Rain days below are stretched out reading days no matter what boat you're on...  Your 23 has 2 settee's.....ya both can stretch out and read.

Sunny days are walking in town or on beachs....or visiting.

The 23's cockpit is big enough to have another couple over for drinks.

I would recommend a dodger and bimini/sun shade

There are SO many places in the Florida Key and throughout the Bahamas where your shallow draft is such a huge bonus!!!
Mooring balls are limited in hopetown. Often deeper boats wait at the entrance for high tide to get in....you sneak right by and pick up a mooring  :)

It also allows you to get into a ton of spots others can't. Allens-Pen has a hurricane hole, Between Rat and Manjack the same. All easy for the 23....next to impossible after 3.5ft draft.

So many bonus's...

Actually....it makes SO much sense to do a cruise 1st with your 23. Then if you do move up....you truly know what to look for and what is-isn't important to ya. Beats moving up ahead and then going "wish I'd known"

Have fun!!

[Frank]

Check out the fore deck    ;D
Picture is in Hopetown Harbour, Elbow Cay, Abacos

Your 23 is in many ways better than the 23PH.
On wet days....only spot to stretch out and read was the Vberth.
You've got those 2 settee's...  his n hers "couch's"....golden in between  :D

[maxingout]

Once the boat is paid for, the economy does not matter to me until it is time to do a refit. I have to be outside the continental USA for this to work.  Once I am offshore or somewhere in the developing world, I don't worry about the economy.  Simple food and simple desires make a great life. From Turkey to Trinidad, I stayed in one marina. I can't do that in the continental US nearly as easily where anchoring regulations make things into a real challenge.

[Godot]

Once the boat is paid for, the economy does not matter to me until it is time to do a refit. I have to be outside the continental USA for this to work.  Once I am offshore or somewhere in the developing world, I don't worry about the economy.  Simple food and simple desires make a great life. From Turkey to Trinidad, I stayed in one marina. I can't do that in the continental US nearly as easily where anchoring regulations make things into a real challenge.

I don't think you will find too many anchoring restrictions in very many places in the US. Except for maybe Florida. Things are kinda crazy down there right now.

There have been very few places where I've gone where I was not able to anchor. A couple harbors where jam packed with mooring balls, or simply too tight to swing; but that's about it. Generally speaking there is almost always someplace to drop a hook, although it might not always be in the prime section of a harbor (darn mooring balls have a habit of taking the best spots).

[CharlieJ]

Hey- I even anchored off Marco Island for 2 days with no hassles.. Spent a month in Boot Key at anchor.

I've NEVER had a hassle anchoring ANYWHERE in Florida

Having a well kept pretty boat MIGHT help