Southeast Flordia Passage

Paul F · Mar 30, 2010

Made the trip twice. Go outside as much as you can. Which means, only sailing or motoring when the wind is not from the South. With a southerly wind you can not make any progress outside. The ICW has way too many bridges to go through. If you have the time wait for a favorable wind and sail outside. With a new to you boat make sure you trust the engine. I would run it for at least a day, check all fluids for usage including the transmission. Only go if your engine/transmission checks out. Best to you, wish I could take you up on the offer to crew.

captainpat · Mar 30, 2010

Paul F is correct, there are a lot of bridges in southern FL, however, I would not let that stop you from doing the ICW. It's a terrific experience if you've never done it. And with a new (for you) boat which is pretty much unfamiliar, it may be the wiser choice. You would be close to services if they should be needed. I did the trip down from Barnegat totally inside. It was great - for a first time trip. It also familiarized me with those ICW sections that I wanted to avoid on the way back up north. Southern FL and all of GA were two of those areas where we went outside on the return trip. As you work your way down the ICW you will become more familiar with you boat and you will have developed more confidence in her. Then you can jump outside if you want. At any rate most people go outside from about Ft. Lauderdale to Marathon with stops at Key Biscayne or Diner Key, Rodriguez Key and then on to Marathon. Buy Skipper Bob's two books: Anchorages along the ICW and Marinas along the ICW. I don't want to get long winded in this forum but if you want details feel free to contact me via email in the owners directory.

seadaddler · Mar 30, 2010

Weather

Weather will determine if inside or outside but will better sail outside and enjoy the sights when inside.
I came down from Montauk,NY 2 year ago all out in the ocean except for 1 1/2 days in N.Carolina and than back out into ocean until Cape Canaveral which is a super all weather inlet,we enter that inlet late at night with heavy traffic but easy to enter and we stayed over night before the locks into ICW.
We stayed inside until Fort Pierce and anchored out over night than out another very good inlet Fort Pierce inlet out side and into Lake Worth very good easy inlet to anchor over night.
Outside again to Key Biscayne to Key Biscayne channel and anchored into No Name harbor very popular anchorage but do not enter at night unless you have very good chartplotter to mark the channel into harbor,I did it at night and very slow but my C-80 Ray Chartplotter helped me other wise we would have ran aground it's very tricky.
Next morning into hawk Channel which is great to sail in and can sail or motor at night it is very well marked we went to Rodriquez Key and anchored over night and left next morning very early which is a good idea to do every morning getting early start,I sailed to Channel 5 and than up west coast to Punta Gorda but you can continue onto marathon and Booth Key
Have fun and a great trip.
I recommend Skipper Bob Anchorages for really great helpful info.
Nick

Ed Schenck · Mar 31, 2010

Question brings back fond memories of just one year ago. We went out at Fort Pierce. Stayed out to Marathon. Dawn broke south of Miami and we had a gorgeous sail across the Hawk Channel, seven knots the whole day. Into the Atlantic around 0900 we were in Marathon at 1830 the next day.

MrBill_FLL · Mar 31, 2010

my advise it get the Boats us unlimited towing endorcement. at around $110/yr is cheap insurance... for a new to you sailboat.

one tow off a sandbar could easily run $300.

Southeast Flordia Passage

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