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Destin bills itself as "The World's Luckiest Fishing Village" and not without reason. It's home to the largest sport fishing fleet in Florida, and each year thousands of people are drawn to the many charter boats available for hire to get their fill of deep sea fishing. For those wanting to have their own boat (and while sailing is permitted, this is really powerboat country), Destin Harbor has long been the "in" place to be - if you can afford the typical $600-$700 per month charge for a boat slip.

In addition to Destin Harbor, however, there are a growing number of alternatives for those seeking a home for their "second home" (yes, interest payments on a yacht can qualify for tax deductions in some cases). And, there's a growing array of fishing and boating related activities all along the Emerald Coast. Over the last couple of years, two boating "clubs" have entered the market, appealing to those who like to boat and fish, but who would rather someone else handle all the details and headaches of ownership. The following are some brief descriptions and links to some of our area's fishing and boating resources.

WHERE TO GET & PUT YOUR BOAT

Legendary Marine - better known as the Mid Bay Marina, is the leading "high and dry" yacht storage facility. For a fee based on the size of your boat, they'll keep it in their huge dry storage facility right next to the Mid Bay bridge, put it in the water for you when you call ahead, and take it back out and clean it when you're through. In the process of expanding their capacity very significantly, they also sell Chaparral and other yachts. Contact Todd Royall for sales & brokerage services.

Bay Point Marina - located just west of Panama City, Bay Point offers a somewhat more economical place to keep a yacht in the water. They also host an annual billfishing tournament in July that is quite a local party.

Baytowne Marina in Sandestin has 98 slips and is in the process of more than doubling its capacity over the next year. They also host the annual Blue Marlin Classic in June - another excuse for a great party.

Galati Yachts  in Destin sells new Viking and Cruisers yachts and offers brokerage services on a variety of other boats as well. Contact Brian Franc on their sales team.

Legacy Boating Club -  designed for people who enjoy boating but prefer not to own a boat. The club owns and professionally maintains a fleet of powerboats up to 30' including: cabin cruisers, offshore fishing boats, sport boats and deck boats. For an initiation fee and fixed monthly payments, the club handles insurance bills, storage, maintenance, boat payments and cleaning.  You pay the gas. Legacy operates out of both the Legendary Marina and the Bay Point Marina.

OTHER FISHING & BOATING LINKS

FishDestin.com - charter information & reservations

DocksideNet.com - information and reservations, including boat profiles, capacities, etc.

Dawn Patrol - entertaining web site published by Capt J.T. Lenore & friends, charter captains

Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission - everything you need to know about hunting & fishing, including online purchase of fishing licenses.

Destinfl.com has information on where to fish, what to catch, licensing requirements, etc.

Once you get your boat, you've got to name it, right? BoatUS.com will give you all of the most popular (and less popular) boat names from the past 10 years.