Anyone now of a good salvage place there? I have to take my mother to Florida for some family business, and we're winding up there. Will pass thru Jax & St Augie on the way and way back, so might be able to hit a place there, too.
Likely too far, but there is a place in Bradenton called Marine Salvage, IIRC. They are somewhat stinkpot oriented, but there is lots of 'stuff.' Pieces of teak, line, anchors, etc. It is a store more than a yard. They used to have lots of old ChrisCraft stuff there. The original connection, I believe.
It was on US301 near the airport.
TrT
Not Clearwater, but you mentioned coming back through St. Augustine you might try
a place called the 'Sailors Exchange'. (http://www.sailors-exchange.com) I got out to it about 15 min before they closed, and intended to go back but never did. They have rows and rows of treasure, most of it used boat parts.
Sailors Exchange is definitely on the list, I've purchased remotely from them, and have been wanting to go there for a while. Hoping to run across a stern pulpit I can use. :)
I'll look up the one in Bradenton. Connie/Pixie told me about one over that way that was supposed to be an *awesome* place, but I do not recall the name. She said it was very well organized, and huge.
Googling turned up this page: http://www.coastalsailing.net/Features/TopTen/Top10MarineSalvageSourcesJun06.html
...which has lists and links to both east and west coast salvage operations.
In Clearwater, I'm going to try to get to Don's, and to Hornes - both might have a treasure or two for Katie. :)
Now, talking momma Ruth into letting me strap a stern pulpit onto her brand-spanking-new Honda Accord for a 10-hour ride might be a bit of a challenge... :D 8)
CapnK-
If momma Ruth says yes to the pulpit... you'd better take extra carpet... cause if you scratch the new car... you'll be having an anchor attached to your feet one night and dropped in a deeper section of the harbor. :D
I remembered another one; a little more sail oriented. Or at least more even.
I don't recall the name, but on US41 on the way into Venice, FL. I think it is actually in Nokomis; a small town between Sarasota and Venice. It is on the east side of the road in a storefront with a fenced yard out back.
I bought a couple books there. There was a good deal on a Sextant, but my budget wasn't ready yet. They have charts, books, and all kinds of stuff. It is probably about 5000 Sq Ft. So it is not huge.
I was there last February.
TrT
Hit Don's Salvage today, wish I had more room and money. :)
Picked up a folding Northhill (guesstimate 15-20#'s ?) and enough good net to do my boats lifelines at least twice, all for under $60.
They had a lot - and I mean a *lot* - of brand new stainless tubing that had been bent into pul/push-pits, mostly for power boats, but looked like some sailboat stuff too. Told me that they start at $175 per piece. I may wind up coming back, depending on what I find over in St Aug tomorrow. :)
The place is like 6 acres, and there is lots of material there - saw lots of parts, stoves, heads, bimini frames, tanks, inboards/parts/props, etc etc, including a Gulfstream 44 hull, bare, that you could buy for prolly 5K or less, if you were so inclined. Organization isn't the greatest, but there's lots there... :) Took 2 hours for me to give it a thorough once-over. :D
Capn K - That place sounds a bit like this place:
http://shipwreckusedparts.com/index.html
Shipwreck Marine doesn't have 6 acres, but they do have a pretty extensive inventory of parts! And they are about 5 miles down the road from the house. :-)