Are you looking for a new place to live where you can enjoy your boating addiction? Maybe you’ve dumped the ball and chain, and you are looking for a fresh start, or maybe you’re between jobs and just looking for a change of pace. If boating is your thing, there are some places that are better than others to consider.

Here are 5 of the best boat cities in the United States:

1. 1. San Diego. If you’re like most people, you think of San Diego as one of the sunniest places in the U.S., and you’d be right. With the exception of a few overcast days in June each year, that’s pretty much the case. Living in San Diego, you can participate in a floating cookout near Mission Bay. You can hop on over to Coronado Island, or you can spend an afternoon on Catalina Island. There’s plenty to do with your boat in San Diego.
2. 2. Seattle, Washington. OK, so Seattle isn’t known for being sunny, but it’s also not as dreary as you might think. The beautiful thing about Seattle is the scenery. You’ve got mountains, islands, peninsulas and the Seattle skyline. There are a number of boating communities in and around Seattle, as well.
3. 3. Otter Tail County, Minnesota. The state of Minnesota is any boater’s dream. In the state with 10,000 lakes, more than 1,000 are located in Otter Tail County. The summer may be shorter, but the sheer number of opportunities for boating make it worth it.
4. 4. Tampa Bay, Florida. If you’d rather boat on the Gulf of Mexico, Tampa Bay is the place to be. There are plenty of boat communities and harbors and homes with water access. The fishing is good, and the downtown St. Petersburg area even has short-term boat parking for folks that want to get a bit to eat or visit the Salvador Dali museum for a couple of hours.
5. 5. Austin, Texas. Austin is part of the Highland Lakes region, which is a part of Texas made up of six lakes that are known for their fishing and boating opportunities. Lake Austin and Lake Travis are two of the most popular lakes in the Austin area. Lake Austin is a great place for watersports like wakeboarding or water skiing, while Lake Travis is more of a place to spend a quiet afternoon cruise.

Just be sure that, when you move, you talk to your insurance agent about getting the right kind of boat insurance for the types of activities you’re likely to engage in.

Photo via M@mad