Naples, Ft Myers to Boca Grande

[Terry in Naples]

I am going to spend the next 2 weeks just puttering around this area in the boat. I have been to several of the marinas here over the years but none recently. I liked Cabbage Key, SSPlantation, and Boca Grande Marina and Fisherman's Villiage. I have not been to Tween marinea, Ft Myers or any places above Boca Grande in several years. Any recomendations?. We plan to anchor out some and also spend some time at Marinas. Hoping for soft weather, blue skies and lower himidity. (however I did get the AC running well on the generator) So should be a restful trip. Terry

 

[robertclasalle]

Don't miss Tween Waters

We stayed at Tween Waters last July, it's right across from a beautiful Gulf beach and about a mile from the town of Captiva. They have a couple of nice restaurants and a great pool area. You can rent a bike to go up to town. Useppa Island is "private" but if you call in advance and tell them you would like to visit for the purpose of possibly buying there someday, they will let you. Their restaurant is good but pricey. It's an incredible island, no cars, just bikes and golf carts and beautiful homes. The east side has a flat calm beach. There''s also a pool and a museum, and it's more or less expected that you will take the rather interesting museum tour for a few dollars. You can get a transient slip at Burnt Store Marina or just go in and tie up for lunch or dinner. They also have a pool and some provisions, etc. Gasparilla Marina is nice, very protected, nice restaurant, ship's store, mechanics if needed. Fisherman's Village in Punta Gorda has an open air but protected shopping and restaurant mall, pool, transient slips. Hope this helped.

 

[31seahorse]

Your sailing in the next two weeks can include some fine places we have enjoyed from our slip at Shell Cut, Bokeelia.

Ft Myers: There is a mooring field and several marinas. A day use municipal pier is on the starboard side of the main channel as you enter from Motanzas Pass. Beach restoration may complicate your enjoyment if they have started.

Around Sanibel: Avoid the sand bar off Point Ybel Light by going out to the channel markers. Enter Boca Grande Pass at the end of the barrier islands - Sanibel & Cayo Costa.

ICW: You may choose going under the Sanabel Causway Bridge. Up the Caloosachee River to Ft Myers or as far as the Franklin Locks? We have not done that by boat, but the river and locks are interesting. You might be wise to check on the locks regarding passage through. There is a marina at the locks that can be entered from the upriver side of the locks.

The ICW to St James City? Watch for speedy boats in the narrow and straight "Miserable Mile". Stay alert in its confines. Anchor off St James City and dink up the canals to restaurants.....Monroe Canal has several places to eat.

ICW: Pelican Bay on Cayo Costa. Good protection and good holding. Observe your charts and watch the depth sounder. Hug the starboard shore when entering for deep water at the entrance. There is a shallow area in the center of the bay. Dockage available for some boats at the state park docks. Great visit for history, birds, beach, and walking.

Boca Grande: Use the first channel off the ICW at the golf course and bear to the right (BUT, stay to the port side of the channel for deeper water) to get to a good anchorage across from the docks for the Pink Elephant restaurant. Leave your dink outside or behind the docks to avoid difficulty from other boats there. Walk in town, rent bikes, enjoy shops and food.

ICW: Pass the first bridge and look for a protected anchorage to starboard (after about a mile) near the entrance to Don Pedro state park. Dink to the park after anchoring with the view of beautiful homes.

If you choose to sail outside from Boca Grande pass rather than to go the ICW, you can follow the swash channel along the beach around the tip. Local knowledge from sailers at Pelican Bay will be helpful

Venice: Just inside the inlet is at least one marina to starboard.

ICW to Sarasota. Several bridges, but beautiful trip and ease of entrance at Sarasota. If you sail outside from Venice you might be able to get currant information on the entrance to Sarasota from the Sarasota Yacht Club. They have published waypoints for the changing entrance.

Sarasota: Marina Jack's is very nice and secure with helpful, active staff and pumpout at the slips. Walking downtown is a great experience. Great municipal park right at the marina and Marie Shelby Botanical Gardens within walking distance. You can anchor near there too with a beach restaurant providing dink tie up on their beach. That is to the right side of the municipal park as you face it from the water.

These directions are from memory and should be verified by your accurate charts of the area.

Best Wishes, Enjoy your trip!
Phil

 

[seadaddler]

Cruise North

We just did a 2 week trip from Boca Grande to Tarpon Springs and back in 2 weeks and could have been 3 weeks because it was an awsome trip.
We used a cruising guide the gulf Coast by Skipper Bob and captain Bob,we did the trip with the Punta Gorda Sailing Club and the cruising guide lists all marina's and anchorages and bridges and lots more info,well worth the $15.00 I paid.
Nick

 

[Sailm8]

Don pedro Park:
68. Cove Anchorage
Statute Mile 36.5
Lat/Lon: near 26 51.061 North/082 17.831 West
Location: fond on the waters of the large cove indenting the northeastern banks at unlighted daybeacon #35
Minimum Depth: 7-feet
Swing Room: sufficient swinging room for vessels as large as 42 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: excellent

http://cruisersnet.net/category/wf-anchorages-placida-venice/

From Cruisers net
You can dinghy to Don Pedro Park from the anchorage. Very nice award winning beach

Also don't miss Punta Gorda where i live. We have free loaner bikes.

 

[Tom J]

Nice Marina at Venice, just inside the pass, called The Crow's Nest. We've enjoyed the anchorage at Don Pedro State Park many times. Another great spot is just off Lemon Bay at Stump Pass. Anchor in the deep water inside the pass, on the south side. Be prepared for some stiff currents, but still a beautiful spot. As of last summer, Stump Pass itself was not navigable.

 

[med2463]

I am going to spend the next 2 weeks just puttering around this area in the boat. I have been to several of the marinas here over the years but none recently. I liked Cabbage Key, SSPlantation, and Boca Grande Marina and Fisherman's Villiage. I have not been to Tween marinea, Ft Myers or any places above Boca Grande in several years. Any recomendations?. We plan to anchor out some and also spend some time at Marinas. Hoping for soft weather, blue skies and lower himidity. (however I did get the AC running well on the generator) So should be a restful trip. Terry

To update someone's posting regarding Stump Pass, it has been dredged. Here is my comment about it that I posted on www.cruisersnet.net.
They are dredging Stump Pass. We went through there on our s/v with 4′ draft on April 3, 2011. Depths were from 7.3′ to 13′. The Gulf entrance channel markers aren’t done. The posts are in, but the red and green markers aren’t on the posts yet. Tide was about -1′.
I also have a blog about cruising on the west coast of FL that might be useful. It is
http://dinghytogrocerystorewestfl.blogspot.com/

 

[Marc Deane]

Just south of the Boca Grande Bridge is Uncle Henry's Marina. Good Thai food next to the marina. Very well protected if the weather kicks up.

 

[Marc Deane]

Fisherman's Wharf in Venice has new floating docks and the Oysters at Marker 4 restaurant are great.