Most of it, Gil...but only room for a summary here
Gil, first let me say congrats on the possibility of moving to Tampa Bay; it's a great place, in part because it's so different from FL's east coast. I'd recommend the downtown St. Pete area in particular as an ideal place to put your boat...altho' the largest and most centrally located marina (operated by the City) has a waiting list, so I'd jump on it soonest - www.stpete.org). It's an easy interstate commute over to Tampa's employers from some parts of St. Pete. You're already familiar with the summer winds in the Northeast; the big change will arrive as you pass the Chesapeake (which of course is a joy in its own right and deserves a bit of your time enroute South). Prevailing winds become more steadily SE, and the frontal wx of fall/winter/spring is replaced by routine convective junk. Thus, it's a bit tougher to sail outside given your heading vs. prevailing winds, but since they are lighter, they are also less obnoxious to deal with. There are a series of man-made and natural 'pull-offs' along the way (Beaufort, Port Royal Sound, Charleston, St. Mary's River) and an outside run's only chilling decision is what the wx around Hatteras will do to you. Except for Canaveral's bulge, the run down the FL coast can be easily done parallel to shore and inside most of the Stream. If you're mast is <48' (or if it's close and you don't mind heeling her over, with help perhaps by Indiantown Marina; we've done this ourselves once), you can cross FL using the Okeechobee Waterway; the controlling height is the fixed RR bridge at the Lake's E terminus. This will save you lots of time. Otherwise, you'll need to pass thru 7 Mile Bridge just S of Vaca Key, where Marathon is located, then sail across Florida Bay and up the W coast. You'll find the Stream's influence increasing as you sail further S down the east coast, and the Ditch increasingly obnoxious if you stay inside. It's a wonderful trip and deserves a whole Summer/Fall season to sample, even partially. Of course, that's often not possible. Good luck and let me know if you have other Q's about Tampa Bay area. While we're off cruising now, St. Pete is home & homeport. Jack WHOOSH
