Considering Florida West Coast Cruise
 

After most reluctantly surrendering to admonitions re a spring Long
Island Sound cruise (mainly crowdedness), I am now considering a
several weeks long cruise along west coast of Florida.

Anyone with local knowledge about (1) changes in charted channels and
depths after last year's hurricanes in any of ICW from Ft. Meyers north
to Clearwater and south from Ft. Meyers to Marathon (Vaca Key) and (2)
recommended (remote) anchorages?

On 3 Apr 2005 10:13:07 -0700, wrote:
After most reluctantly surrendering to admonitions re a spring Long
Island Sound cruise (mainly crowdedness), I am now considering a
several weeks long cruise along west coast of Florida.

Anyone with local knowledge about (1) changes in charted channels and
depths after last year's hurricanes in any of ICW from Ft. Meyers north
to Clearwater and south from Ft. Meyers to Marathon (Vaca Key) and (2)
recommended (remote) anchorages?

======================================

I live in the Cape Coral/Ft Myers area and have done some cruising
both north and south from here. These are the cruising guides that we
use, more or less in order of importance:

1. Claiborne Young - Cruising Guide to Western Florida - 6th Ed
Claiborne's prose is somtimes a bit muddy for my taste but the book is
full of useful information, most of it correct and up to date.

2. Tom Lenfestey - A Gunkholer's Cruising Guide to Florida's West
Coast

3. Waterway Guide Southern 2005: Florida, the Gulf of Mexico and the
Bahamas

4. A Guide To Anchorages In Southwest Florida
http://nauticalcharts.com/cruisingguides.htm

If you draw 5 feet or less you will have very few problems, over 5
feet there are some shoaling issues, too many to really detail here.
When in doubt go slowly on a rising tide and/or scout in advance with
your dinghy. The ICW is OK for 6 feet or more in most places.

Having cruised both areas pretty extensively, I can assure you that
swapping a spring LIS for Florida West Coast Cruise is a can't lose
proposition.

Some of the facilities on Sanibel and Captiva are still hurting from
last season but for the most part things have returned to normal. I
highly recommend the Claiborne Young guide but have never thought much
of the Lefensky book. The guide to Anchorages is excellent and much of
that information is available free here on the net at:
http://www.flseagrant.org/program_ar..._inventory.htm

A particularly nice anchorage is Pelican Bay right off Cayo Costa. You
can use the dinghy dock at the State Park and explore one of Florida's
nicest and least used (it's accessable only by boat) parks. I usually
opt for a stop at Cabbage Key in the same area and at Tween Waters
Resort/Marina. I understand they were hit hard so may not be operating
at 100%. I don't think storm damage was too much of a problem north of
Captiva and the area between Venice and Clearwater is problem free.


wrote:
After most reluctantly surrendering to admonitions re a spring Long
Island Sound cruise (mainly crowdedness), I am now considering a
several weeks long cruise along west coast of Florida.

Anyone with local knowledge about (1) changes in charted channels and
depths after last year's hurricanes in any of ICW from Ft. Meyers north
to Clearwater and south from Ft. Meyers to Marathon (Vaca Key) and (2)
recommended (remote) anchorages?

On Thu, 14 Apr 2005 16:37:28 GMT, "St. Pete Sailor"
wrote:

I usually
opt for a stop at Cabbage Key in the same area and at Tween Waters
Resort/Marina. I understand they were hit hard so may not be operating
at 100%.

===========================

Tween Waters Inn and Cabbage Key are both just fine. South Seas
Resort however will not reopen until the fall. Couldn't agree more
regarding Pelican Bay at Cayo Costa but the entrance is a little
tricky.