Florida west coast

[doug.dsi]

Just purchased a GB 46 classic and need to bring it from Mobile, AL to Stuart, FL.
Wife and I plan on taking it slow, for the first 8 days until we get to Carrabelle. Then she will have to go back to work and I will continue.
Having never cruised the west coast, I am looking for suggestions. Running straight through to Tampa is a possibility, but I am not looking forward to a 23 hour run on an older vessel I have only spent a few days on.
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[HeadedToTexas]

The last couple years have been tough on that area and services may be unavailable. Careful research will be important.

 

[DavidM]

Due to the hurricane damage along Florida’s west coast, I wouldn’t make this a sightseeing, casual trip. So go for a 10 hour run the first day, maybe to Destin to shake things down. If all is ok head straight for Tampa and then ten hour legs to get past the hurricane devastated area. You should be able to easily make it to Stuart in eight days.

David

 

[mvweebles]

I can only speak to my local area of the ICW near St Petersburg - a 25-mile stretch of Pinellas County from Clearwater Beach in the north to Passe-a-Grille in the south. I do not know about fuel availability, but I do know Jet Age Fuel will deliver to a dock or wharf. Would be worth a call to them - they may have a suggestion on a public one, or perhaps a private one behind a good Samaritan's home. I wouldn't be surprised if there are a couple fuel docks open.

The ICW itself is fine, though I would check with the USCG before entering any inlet to make sure the ATONs have been verified. The ICW itself is still beautiful with plenty of anchorage opportunities. I believe the drawbridges are operating but not positive.

Hope this helps -

Peter

 

[O C Diver]

Depending on what you draw, Carrabelle to Crystal River is decidedly shorter.

When I did the Loop, I chose to go from Panama City to Tarpon Springs. It was decidedly longer, but this time of year, the weather windows are only a day or two. The window was only a day, so I had to go from Panama City. There's a channel from the gulf to the river going up to Tarpon Springs. The city dock at TS is good. Call the harbor master to check availability.

Ted

 

[Blissboat]

Welcome aboard the TF, Doug, and congratulations on your new-to-you GB 46. A great cruising boat!

With an unfamiliar boat, you're right to prefer to work up to overnight passages outside of protected waters. For crossing the Big Bend, there are few convenient places to put in under the best of circumstances. Hurricane Helene having recently chewed up the west coast of Florida, the present circumstances are far from favorable. I think you ought to plan on making the jump from Carrabelle to the Anclote River entrance, which as you note will be about a 23 hour run as the seagull flies. If you prefer to deviate further inshore and ignore the rhumb line course, you can maintain a distance of 12 or 14 miles away from land. But given the sparseness of shoreside resources, the near shore "dogleg" route probably offers only psychological comfort, rather than any practical advantage. Another argument in favor of the direct route is that you may be less likely to encounter the floating debris that are typically carried out of the passes and river entrances after a major storm.

I'd come out of East Pass, between St. George Island and Dog Island, make my course straight to the north end of St. Joseph Sound, and enter the ICW there. On that route you'll never be out of reach of Coast Guard Station Yankeetown, in case of real need. Wait for a calm weather window, leave Carrabelle in daylight, run overnight and arrive off the north end of Anclote mid-morning or later the next day, so as to avoid searching for markers with the sunlight in your windscreen. On that subject, as Peter noted above, aids to navigation all up and down the west coast of Florida are suspect. (Parts of the east coast aren't much better). Fixed aids are often damaged or just plain MIA, and you should assume that any surviving floating aids are likely off station. Even the Tampa Bay Pilots have been reduced to daylight-only operations, owing to the ATN situation. The Coast Guard's ATN Team is out there doing their best, but it's going to be awhile.

Once you're ready to resume your trip south, my suggestion would be to go outside again all the way to the Sanibel Lighthouse and the entrance to San Carlos Bay, for the same reasons as above.

 

[Comodave]

Welcome aboard. Congratulations on your new boat.

 

[doug.dsi]

Thank you for all the advice. It sounds like doing the over night run will probably be my best option. I'm always open to advice from others. There's no sense reinventing the wheel.

 

[Comodave]

Before you start the cruise home I would take a couple of days cruise locally where the boat is now. Find out if you have any big issues before you go. Also do you know how to change the fuel filters and bleed them? If not learn before you go and carry a bunch of filters since you don’t know the condition of the fuel that is in the tanks now.

 

[doug.dsi]

Good advice, we plan on taking about 8 days from Point Clear to Carrabelle.

 

[Deckape]

Call and check with marinas in the panhandle that you might be going to . Many were damaged and docks taken out as well as fuel docks . It's been a month or so since Melton but those folks know how to get back up and running . Call before you go . Overnight will be your way south .

 

[ljk]

I can help with marinas from Punta Gorda to Fort Myers Beach.

Basically, all the usual stops, Laishley, FIsherman's VIllage, South Seas are closed. Once you get to Fort Myers Beach, PInk Shell is open for dockage, but they have no fuel. Moss Marina has dockage and fuel. Salty Sams has limited dockage and I don't know about fuel.

This is as of yesterday.

 

[captmikem]

Just a suggestion, if the boat has been sitting a while take along a good supply of fuel filters. sediment in the bottom of the tank can stir up in a swell. Also spare impellers would be advised.

I always favor outside. Less trouble, less traffic, and you can get some rest.

Have a good trip

M

 

[IndigoStar]

ICW Boca Grande to Venice - A friend hit something underwater in the channel Friday. Another reported dodging palm trees along the way. Fuel reported available at several places in Venice FL. Gasoline only at Boca Grande. Boca Grande Swash Channel is clear with plenty of water. You should see the sand along the shore piled so high, just incredible!

 

[rgano]

I am late to this thread, but if the OP has not yet started the trip, I would recommend going to Carrabelle and conduct a Big Bend crossing from there to the ICW at Anclote Key. Anchor there to revive from the 19-hour run and maybe got up to Tarpon Springs if they can accommodate you. Plan on being pretty self sufficient from there until you get to Fort Myers where you can probably restock.

 

[Blissboat]

I am late to this thread, but if the OP has not yet started the trip, I would recommend going to Carrabelle and conduct a Big Bend crossing from there to the ICW at Anclote Key. Anchor there to revive from the 19-hour run and maybe got up to Tarpon Springs if they can accommodate you. Plan on being pretty self sufficient from there until you get to Fort Myers where you can probably restock.

See my post #6, Rich. You said it in fewer words than I did, and you also budgeted fewer hours underway from Carrabelle to Anclote. Must be that Navy "get there" ethos.

 

[rgano]

See my post #6, Rich. You said it in fewer words than I did, and you also budgeted fewer hours underway from Carrabelle to Anclote. Must be that Navy "get there" ethos.

Yeah, we Navy guys have a high cruise speed.

 

[Dougcole]

We live near St. Marks and used to keep our boat in Carrabelle so I've done this trip lots of times both ways. Under normal circumstances, I like to hang in a little closer than 12 miles offshore, more like 6, following the 10 to 12' depth curve. There are a couple of big sand bars you have to dodge, but they are easily visible on the charts. This route gives surprisingly good protection from NE winds, which are common this time of year. I did it twice with 20 knot NE winds and it was comfortable. I pull into Steinhatchee and either anchor in the river or get a slip, it breaks the trip up so you don't have to do an overnight.

That said, circumstances aren't normal at this time. I would call Sea Hag marina in Steinhatchee (if they answer) and ask them if the channel markers are in place and if the river channel is clear. If you can't get them try Tow Boat US Steinhatchee or Cedar Key. If they say it clear I would still consider the close to shore route, especially if you are single handing. Milton was a month ago, at this point your odds of hitting floating debris are no greater at six miles out than they are at twenty.

I realize this goes against the common line of thought, but it's my two cents from a local.

 

[mvweebles]

On any given day, I go over the ICW a half dozen times, including Johns Pass, a major inlet between Clearwater Beach and the Sunshine Skyway Bridge (St Pete/Tampa Bay area). With the exception of a few grounded boats that dragged during Milton, I have not seen floating debris. I would definitely call fuel docks before needing fuel - I would not be surprised if some of the fuel tanks were compromised. As mentioned up-thread, JetAge Fuel will deliver fuel by truck if you are docked somewhere.

Frankly, weather has been gorgeous. Dry, daytime temps in the mid-80s. Plenty of sunshine. Angry Pepper Waterside Smokehouse in Madeira Beach didn't close and has plenty of room at their dinghy dock. I understand Woody's Riverfront on the Manatee River in Ellenton (south of Sunshine Skyway) is also open with a decent anchorage and dinghy dock.

Peter

 

[Blissboat]

We live near St. Marks and used to keep our boat in Carrabelle so I've done this trip lots of times both ways. Under normal circumstances, I like to hang in a little closer than 12 miles offshore, more like 6, following the 10 to 12' depth curve. There are a couple of big sand bars you have to dodge, but they are easily visible on the charts. This route gives surprisingly good protection from NE winds, which are common this time of year. I did it twice with 20 knot NE winds and it was comfortable. I pull into Steinhatchee and either anchor in the river or get a slip, it breaks the trip up so you don't have to do an overnight.

That said, circumstances aren't normal at this time. I would call Sea Hag marina in Steinhatchee (if they answer) and ask them if the channel markers are in place and if the river channel is clear. If you can't get them try Tow Boat US Steinhatchee or Cedar Key. If they say it clear I would still consider the close to shore route, especially if you are single handing. Milton was a month ago, at this point your odds of hitting floating debris are no greater at six miles out than they are at twenty.

I realize this goes against the common line of thought, but it's my two cents from a local.

That's a good two-cents worth. I have been thoroughly beaten up out there on the rhumb line course, and like you, found that when there's any easterly wind to speak of, following the approximate two-fathom line is likely to be calmer. It really doesn't add many miles to the trip, either.

OTOH, I have crossed the Gulf following a course straight from the Tampa Bay entrance to St. Andrew's Bay and found it mirror-smooth the whole way. That was entirely owing to luck. As the old saying goes, I'd rather be lucky than good, but otherwise I'd rather wait and choose my weather.

A couple of weeks ago another poster on TF made this trip northbound / offshore, and reported lots of debris, like palm trees awash. Maybe things are settling out by now, but no matter which route, I would keep an extra-sharp lookout close in front of the boat and run slow at night.

 

[slowgoesit]

From Mobile to Stuart via Carrabelle, Tampa, Fort Myers, and across the Okeechobee is about 585nm. A GB 46 should have the fuel capacity of 600 gallons. Figuring 6 gph burn at 7kts, that gives you 700nm, no reserve . . . So I would recommend one fuel stop in order to have a . . .say 25% reserve. Either Carrabelle or Tampa would work well.
Carfabelle to Tampa is right on 24 hours at 6.5 kts.
Should be a good cruise, but just for kicks, I'd have Sea Tow account. If you want to stay the night just on the East side of the Ortona Lock in the Caloosahatchee Canal, we have a place for you. If you need someone to crew with you for the crossing, ask, and there's sure to be someone who can do it as well.
Best of luck in the trip. Take care, Scot

 

[psneeld]

Was in contact with a fellow fisherman that is headed to Steinhatchee this week.

I warned him about the damage but he said he was in contact with a few people/businesses there begging for business to help keep going.

So those headed to the big bend area.... call ahead to see if you are a help or a hinderance.