We left Latin America for the US East Coast in May 2011 because The Fox was almost 10 years old then and was due for a refit. We were looking for a reasonably-priced boat yard with convenient access to the metric farkload of boat parts we needed, which ideally could also offer long term dry storage for The Fox. The US was handier for us than other countries, because some of our heavier and more complicated 
equipment (diesel heater, watermaker, etc.) had to be shipped to US locations for repair, which would clearly be faster and cheaper to accomplish if The Fox were also located in the US. We bounced back and forth between Florida and Georgia for a few months, and from the last week of November '11 through the first week of February '12 we added a quick cruise of the Bahamas. En route we asked other cruisers for their choice of the best yard for working on a boat. Green Cove Springs Marina appeared to be their favorite. It is one of a few (if not the only) DIY boat yards on the US East Coast. And it is certainly one where your haul-out dollar goes far.
Overall, it was a good fit for us. That photo there on the left is The Fox getting backed into the Green Cove Springs Marina's 30-ton TraveLift ($1.75/foot LOA) by the yard crew in March 2012. We placed The Fox directly into long term dry storage ($4.00/foot/month); we had business elsewhere and decided to do our planned boat work on our return several months later. We were pleased to see that the marina has ample areas for dry storage behind secure fences with locked gates. The lift operator and yard crew work well to secure the boats with jasckstands a-plenty in all the right places. They are also happy to answer all questions and respond to any special considerations you may have with putting your boat away in dry storage, or getting your work done in the yard. Thanks to the yard crew and our own prep, The Fox weathered well its time on dry land. All 9 months of it, including a relentless Florida summer.
Bonus: the marina's front office can arrange for delivery of certain typical boat-repair 
supplies on site, and they will even help you coordinate work with local service providers. The marina even had available on-site the agricultural plastic-mesh fabric with which we wrapped The Fox for protection from birds, sun and weather (see photo, right, with wrappingin progress).
With many folks working on their own boats, the atmosphere in this marina is very cruiser-casual, just like in the good ol' days gone by. If you want a foo-foo marina with all the amenities, like easy-access water and electricity wherever you want it? Yeah, Green Cove Springs is not for you. But if you prefer doing most of your own boat work and are willing to rough it a little bit, this is the place to be. If you have experience working on your boat in foreign countries, Green Cove Springs will be a piece o' cake for you. Read more information and customer reviews for Green Cove Springs Marina on the Interactive Guidebook at Active Captain for further perspective.
Next post will address a few caveats to be aware of when considering Green Cove Springs as a haulout destination....
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