Re: Charlotte Harbor (CH) ,FL
Nick,I live near and sail the subject area in my Irwin 38 CC (4'8") draft. There are also facilities more southerly at Ft. Myers and little north at Venice and Sarasota.CH has several good anchorages and several good marina facilities. Enter from the Gulf at Sanibel Is. near Ft. Myers and work north on the ICW, or enter from the Gulf at Boca Grand pass. Just inside the Sanibel Is. bridge at Punta Rassa there is the Sanibel Island Resort which has transient slips - about $1.50 / ft. / night ... but you are a "guest" of a 4 or 5 star hotel and can use all of the facilities. They have power and water. Fuel available next door at a small marina. ICW marker 62 - 60 there is an anchorage at Useppa Is. - no facilities but a good holding ground and protection from all but northerly winds (rare)- it IS on the ICW so it can get bumpy during peak traffic. Across the way on Cabbage Key is restaurant reachable only from the water - home of "Cheeseburger in Paradise"From the Boca Grand (BG) channel one can procede NE more or less and follow the ICW North .. Gasparilla Is. has a small transient anchorage about 1 mile from BG channel. Continuing NE about 7 miles there is Gasparilla Marina - its channel leaves the ICW near the unused railroad bridge structure to port.From the Boca Grand (BG) channel one can procede due east about 9 miles to Burnt Store Marina -full service and lots of transient dock space - well marked but narrow channel. From CH channel G5 or R6 procede N about 10 miles to Punta Gorda at R2 turn stb. to an easterly course and procede about 2 miles to the Peace River Bridge (US41). Check charts for vertical clearance. Beyond this bridge there is an anchorage just to the north (port). Immediately up river power lines cross the river and beyond that the I75 bridge crosses the river. Somewhere between the two bridges, the depth may be more concern than vert. clearance. - The city owned marina at Punta Gorda has been CLOSED and all vessels were required to leave. The appraoch to the marina also takes you the Fishermas Village - good personal services and a wharf adjacent to restaurants but no fuel or pump-out. PG Yacht Club is private and has not offered any services to non-members even in light of the public marina closure.There is a semi protected anchrage near the PG City marina channel on the SE end of US41 bridge and another on the NW end. Watch charted depths.An excellent auxilliary publication can be obtained in any marina or boating store near Charlotte Harbor. "A Guide to Anchorages in Southwest Florida" cost about $15 and is produced by BAIL. Very good, contains aerial photos, "local knowledge" piloting advice - no other inormation is in this pub. so, if you want more (phone numbers, etc) you'll need another book - useful but contains some dated material "Cruising Guide to Western Florida" Clairborne S. Young - also available locally.These pubs will also describe north and south areas from Tampa Bay channel to south of Naples Fl.From my personal experience Useppa Is., Burnt Store Marina and Sanibel Island Resort are great places to stop and rest. There are no "ideal" anchrage/slip/mooring areas. Some are free but lack services, some are exposed more than one might like, the vast majority (slips) are $$$$.Good luck