I sail in the Northeast and want to bareboat charter on west coast of Fla next year in Feb. Any advice on charter companies,itineraries,anchorages,weather or general info would be appreciated. Thanks
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bob
for charters on the fl west coast....
try yachting vacations in punta gorda or sail florida run by sailor's wharf in st petersburg...the fl west coast has great sailing south from tampa bay to charlotte harbor to naples down to the keys...
try yachting vacations in punta gorda or sail florida run by sailor's wharf in st petersburg...the fl west coast has great sailing south from tampa bay to charlotte harbor to naples down to the keys...
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AL S
I can tell you abut a few places...
Charlotte Harbor is a great place to start out of. Boca Grande on Gaspirilla (I'm sure I spelled it wrong) Island is a neat little town. Millers Marina has good access and the town is a few blocks away. Good Resturants, Lighthouse Hole (at Millers), Pink Elephant, and Loons on a Limb. South Beach grill is a neat beach bar/resturant. The loose Caboose has some of he best home made Ice Cream around. The island has a great trail for skating or biking and neat shops. The next island south is Cayo Costa, which is a nature preserve. I think you need a dingy to get in there (the last time I was there I took a 16 foot cat so beaching wasn't a problem). Going north from there Venice Inlet is good, but its the first inlet I would attempt, there is Stump Pass but if you don't have local knowledge I suggest you stay clear of it. Going south you have Fort Myers and Naples and I've not been that way via boat. There is a gunkholers guide for SW Florida that you might want to pick up. I got it for my uncle (who is out of Englewood) and he seems to have found it to be valuable.
Charlotte Harbor is a great place to start out of. Boca Grande on Gaspirilla (I'm sure I spelled it wrong) Island is a neat little town. Millers Marina has good access and the town is a few blocks away. Good Resturants, Lighthouse Hole (at Millers), Pink Elephant, and Loons on a Limb. South Beach grill is a neat beach bar/resturant. The loose Caboose has some of he best home made Ice Cream around. The island has a great trail for skating or biking and neat shops. The next island south is Cayo Costa, which is a nature preserve. I think you need a dingy to get in there (the last time I was there I took a 16 foot cat so beaching wasn't a problem). Going north from there Venice Inlet is good, but its the first inlet I would attempt, there is Stump Pass but if you don't have local knowledge I suggest you stay clear of it. Going south you have Fort Myers and Naples and I've not been that way via boat. There is a gunkholers guide for SW Florida that you might want to pick up. I got it for my uncle (who is out of Englewood) and he seems to have found it to be valuable.
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scott
first class or coach?
I used Wind Quest last year and had a great time. They have a fantastic Beneteau 41 that is clearly well taken care of. The owner and staff took good care of us, including provisioning.
I used Wind Quest last year and had a great time. They have a fantastic Beneteau 41 that is clearly well taken care of. The owner and staff took good care of us, including provisioning.
Florida west coast chartering
Try Southwest Florida Yachts or Sunsail. SW Florida Yachts is based in Ft Myers while Sunsail is based just south of Tampa Bay on the Manatee River. Both places are close to major airports and both have websites. Check the sailing press for details. The Tampa Bay area offers access to St Pete, Clearwater and Tarpon Springs (north) and Sarasota (south). However, there is also some commercial shipping traffic. From Ft Myers you can cruise Pine Island Sound, Charlotte Harbor, as well as Cayo Costa Sanibel and Captiva (see recent issue of Cruising World). If you're up to it, the Dry Tortugas are about 18 hours away. You didn't say what time of year you wanted to go, but if this helps any the best weather is late spring. Most charter companies offer discounted rates and/or free days after April 1. Good luck. Peter H23 "Raven"
Try Southwest Florida Yachts or Sunsail. SW Florida Yachts is based in Ft Myers while Sunsail is based just south of Tampa Bay on the Manatee River. Both places are close to major airports and both have websites. Check the sailing press for details. The Tampa Bay area offers access to St Pete, Clearwater and Tarpon Springs (north) and Sarasota (south). However, there is also some commercial shipping traffic. From Ft Myers you can cruise Pine Island Sound, Charlotte Harbor, as well as Cayo Costa Sanibel and Captiva (see recent issue of Cruising World). If you're up to it, the Dry Tortugas are about 18 hours away. You didn't say what time of year you wanted to go, but if this helps any the best weather is late spring. Most charter companies offer discounted rates and/or free days after April 1. Good luck. Peter H23 "Raven"
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Andy Falls
Emporiom Idea
For Christmas I got "Cruising Guide to the Florida Keys" by Capt. Frank Papy. Santa ordered it from HOW! It has the "Florida West Coast Supplement". I recommend it to any sailor planning a trip that way!
For Christmas I got "Cruising Guide to the Florida Keys" by Capt. Frank Papy. Santa ordered it from HOW! It has the "Florida West Coast Supplement". I recommend it to any sailor planning a trip that way!
Andy, you can also try this book
Cruising Florida's West Coast by Claiborne Young. It seems to be written for people cruising in medium to large powerboats, but the information he provides is accurate. You should be able to find it in West Marine. Peter H23 "Raven"
Cruising Florida's West Coast by Claiborne Young. It seems to be written for people cruising in medium to large powerboats, but the information he provides is accurate. You should be able to find it in West Marine. Peter H23 "Raven"
Sorry, wrong title
It should be "Cruising Guide to Western Florida". Author is correct though. Peter
It should be "Cruising Guide to Western Florida". Author is correct though. Peter
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