Pittsburgh Boaters: Need advice

[Frugal Floater]

I am looking to relocate from the Chesapeake area to Pittsburgh, PA. While somewhat familiar with the city, I know nothing about boating in that area. I have a 4 questions:<br /><br />1. Where is a good place to live that is close to ramp or on a river?<br /><br />2. What is the overall best section of river that does not have abandoned industry, etc...but has maybe a few restaurants and some fishing?<br /><br />3. How usable is an 18' center console bay boat on the rivers in Pittsburgh? I only ask this because I only see big cruisers, ski boats, and bass boats.<br /><br />4. Marina recommendations?

 

[Always Broke]

Re: Pittsburgh Boaters: Need advice

I lived and boated near there for years before moving to Florida about three years ago. I was docked in Rochester on the Beaver river about twenty miles north east but made many a trip to Pittsburgh on the Ohio for a day out. I’ll answer your questions as best I can. Remember this is just one guy’s opinion. <br />1.Get out of the city (my personal preference) to a smaller town on the river near by, you got three to choose from, the Monongahela, Ohio, and Allegheny River. The only problem is you have to put up with trains between you and the river, the tracks run along all of them because the area was so industrialized. <br />2. See number one LOL, the closer you get to Pittsburgh the more you’ll see what you don’t want to except near the Point where you are in the heart of the city. Although we had a lot of fun diving off the abandoned factories in certain places they are not nice to look at. The fishing is usually pretty good near the bottom of any of the water falls near the locks. Use extreme caution because of shallows, rocks and under tows when you fish there! <br />3. Your boat will be fine, it’s not exactly the normal river boat but after you’ve been there a while you will see all kinds of boats. The Army corps of engineers keeps the main channel level at a minimum of nine feet with the lock system and I’ve read depths of 60 feet in some places. With the steep banks you can get pretty close to shore just watch the bends and tributaries in the river for sandbars.<br />4. Another matter of preference. I myself would try to stay away from Pittsburgh. The prices for everything from gas to docking are higher, they have a higher crime rate, a lot of congestion, especially during the Regatta you’d be lucky to get your boat through any of the rivers near the city and the Point (where the three rivers meet) is closed to boat traffic and they open it every few hours or so to let boats through, sitting out in the middle of the river in a traffic jam is not my idea of a fun day out.