Phil, here's some St. Pete info...
Phil, the St. Pete downtown area is IMO a great stop in a winter cruise. You'll have to sail up the Bay a few hours from either the ICW trail or the deepwater entrance but will have several options once you arrive. The St. Pete Yacht Club is located adjacent to the Municipal Marina, while the latter operates a transient dock (roughly $1/ft/day). From either location, you have a waterfront full of activities, free bus service thru-out downtown and to sights like the Dali, History & Arts Museums, weekend concerts at the waterfront on occasion, and an entertainment complex (14 screen theater, restaurants, etc.) 3 short blocks away. A large tourist entertainment & eating facility is also located at the end of the pier, the S side of which is the entrance to the marinas mentioned above. On the N side, you can enter the protected Vinoy Basin and anchor (10-15 ft, sand bottom) for up to 10 days each month without charge (altho' dink landing is a small challenge unless you pay a daily fee at the Vinoy Marina, associated with the 4-star hotel). A bit further S from the muni marina entrance is a side channel which will take you to the Harborage Marina (floating docks, a bit more upscale than the muni marina but not as centrally located, altho' it is on the free bus route) and adjacent Salt Creek offers haulout facilities if you need them. There's also a small ultra-protected anchorage between the University campus and the Harborage, only good for 2 boats or so but idyllic in a blow. If this looks enticing, you might want to check out the St. Pete city calendar ahead of time to see what's happening and plan your visit accordingly. http://www.stpete.org/main.htm Welcome! Jack jack_patricia@yahoo.com
