Between Tarpon Springs and Cedar Key, there are few available ports
except Crystal River that is so close to Cedar key as to make no
difference and Crystal River has a channel so long that Cedar Key is
better for a cruiser trying to get places.
One can anchor at Cedar Key although it is a little exposed. NW of
Cedar Key, Suwanee seems to have a difficult and shallow channel.
Horseshoe Beach seems to have only a 3' channel leaving Steinhatchee 48
miles west of Cedar Key as the only port for a long way. Steinhatchee
has deep water. Further west, Keaton Beach is too shallow leaving only
St. Marks, 60 miles west of Steinhatchee as the only available port.
In general, the water is less than 8' deep as far out as 8 miles on
this coast with some isolated tongues of deeper water but they are not
reliable enough to enable you to use them to seek shelter. A new
factor that might make navigation more difficult is that the Coast
Guard has removed the old tripods of pilings with lights that used to
be every 10 miles on this coast.
At this time of year, you are actually better to be at least 20 miles
out because the afternoon thunderstorms are beginning to form at the
seabreeze front adjacent to the coast. On the Big Bend coast, other
boat traffic is never a problem and I would expect to go for a day or
so without seeing another vessel.