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Florida West Coast - suggestions wanted
- Thread starter Alok
- Start date
We have been up to Tamps bay we loved Caldesi Island State park . On the intercoastal there are so many nice restraurants all along north Tampa area I can't remember the names i'm sure others will chime in .If you get down to Naples send me a pm I'd be happy to show you Naples bay and surrounding area's Jim
We boat out of Pt Charlotte in Charlotte Harbor but is a distance from the ICW. Lots to explore with 2 rivers going into the Harbor. Fisherman's village in Punta Gorda is nice with several restaurants, hotels, a marina, city park and wildlife rehab center at the tip. There are other marinas on the PG side of the harbor
We like to visit Pine Island, Cayo Costa SP, Boca Grande and it's a short hop to Cape Coral and Ft Meyers. I like to visit Edison museum in Ft M along with the Shell Factory. Bulldog Boatwerks is a former C -Dory and often has nice used C-D and TomCats for sale in Ft Meyers. Gisails in Punta Gorda has Ranger tugs.
Charlotte Harbor and Boca Grande Pass are often referred as the Tarpon Capital of the World and draws a lot of fishermen and large tournaments.
Boca Grande is very nice and low key place to visit and nice places to eat. Several wealthy folks have homes there and no telling who you see out and about but watch out for the iguanas. They are a non native animnal out of control
Englewood and Pt C city parks are nice and clean. Pt C park has pool, tennis, basketball courts, lawn bocce and launching ramp only.
We buy fresh seafood at Andy's Seafood on Pine Island. There are several nice restaurants close but the Admiral is a good cook so we dont eat out often except for Luigi's in Pt C for pizza and a nice dinner buffet once or twice a week
On the ICW, watch out for fast large boats that will stay in the middle no matter what. You are in manatee country so watch your speed and have your camera ready. What beautiful animnals that God created. Lemon Bay is shark spawning area
for several sharks.
Sorry I wish I knew more. We bought a home there and have not retired and in Oct 10, we completed all of the repairs from Hurricance Charley and. I like to boat and fish along with swimming, bowling, going beach, tennis, golf, relaxing we run always run out of time!
C Brats Florida Gold flagold?? has lots of videos on ICW on YouTube. They are great.
Have fun!
Best
We like to visit Pine Island, Cayo Costa SP, Boca Grande and it's a short hop to Cape Coral and Ft Meyers. I like to visit Edison museum in Ft M along with the Shell Factory. Bulldog Boatwerks is a former C -Dory and often has nice used C-D and TomCats for sale in Ft Meyers. Gisails in Punta Gorda has Ranger tugs.
Charlotte Harbor and Boca Grande Pass are often referred as the Tarpon Capital of the World and draws a lot of fishermen and large tournaments.
Boca Grande is very nice and low key place to visit and nice places to eat. Several wealthy folks have homes there and no telling who you see out and about but watch out for the iguanas. They are a non native animnal out of control
Englewood and Pt C city parks are nice and clean. Pt C park has pool, tennis, basketball courts, lawn bocce and launching ramp only.
We buy fresh seafood at Andy's Seafood on Pine Island. There are several nice restaurants close but the Admiral is a good cook so we dont eat out often except for Luigi's in Pt C for pizza and a nice dinner buffet once or twice a week
On the ICW, watch out for fast large boats that will stay in the middle no matter what. You are in manatee country so watch your speed and have your camera ready. What beautiful animnals that God created. Lemon Bay is shark spawning area
for several sharks.
Sorry I wish I knew more. We bought a home there and have not retired and in Oct 10, we completed all of the repairs from Hurricance Charley and. I like to boat and fish along with swimming, bowling, going beach, tennis, golf, relaxing we run always run out of time!
C Brats Florida Gold flagold?? has lots of videos on ICW on YouTube. They are great.
Have fun!
Best
If you go as far as Ft. Myers we have always liked the Ft Myers Munc. Marina. Walking distance from all the wonderful downtown attractions. If you have time, visit the Edison-Ford Homes. A Short walk. If you go up river and thru Franklin Lock you will find the Lock Marina to Port as you exit the lock. It is a little hard to see, but as you head for the North side of the river you can go behind the island to the marina. If you have a National Parks pass, dockage is half price about $12.00 per night. Continue up river to LaBelle and enjoy Free dockage for 3 nights.
Have Fun.
Have Fun.
In the Narrows at Indian Shores is the Pub restaurant. They have their own docks and good food.
We stayed at Marina Jacks earlier this month. Very nice clean marina with three good restaurants, a newspaper delivered to your slip in the morning, nice transient docks, and a 30 foot minimum charge.
We stayed at Marina Jacks earlier this month. Very nice clean marina with three good restaurants, a newspaper delivered to your slip in the morning, nice transient docks, and a 30 foot minimum charge.
If you're heading as far as Longboat Key/Sarasota, my personal favorite is the
Old Salty Dog. Great bar food, and you can bring your dog along - if you've got one.
They serve a "loaded" hot dog that was featured on the Travel Channel's "Man vs Food"
There's a fuel dock and I've found their fuel price competitive for the area.
GPS coordinates are on their web site:
http://www.theoldsaltydog.com/CityIsland/index.htm
I also like Marina Jacks but usually wind up next door at O'Leary's a kind of funky tiki bar next to the marina.
Old Salty Dog. Great bar food, and you can bring your dog along - if you've got one.
They serve a "loaded" hot dog that was featured on the Travel Channel's "Man vs Food"
There's a fuel dock and I've found their fuel price competitive for the area.
GPS coordinates are on their web site:
http://www.theoldsaltydog.com/CityIsland/index.htm
I also like Marina Jacks but usually wind up next door at O'Leary's a kind of funky tiki bar next to the marina.
Simplicity
New member
Our favorite anchorage was Pelican bay at Cayo Costa. Also spend a night at Cabbage Key. Enjoy
Just a status report on Charlie and Alok--they spent Friday night and Saturday AM at "Camp Thataway". They were on their way to launch at New Port Richey on Saturday. I am not sure how much computer access they will have along the way. My understanding is that they will be heading back next weekend, but that plans are somewhat flexable.
We are back after a great trip.
First of all, thank you Dr. Bob for your help and hospitality, and thank you Marie for the meatloaf, the squash casserole and the pineapple upside-down cake with ice cream! I would also like to thank the rest of the C-Brats who gave all those useful tips.
Just a few additional highlights for those who might want to cruise in the same area:
1. Tarpon Springs is a good place to spend half a day. Good Greek food (and seafood) and good local color.
2. We had planned to anchor out the first night at Edgemont Key at the entrance to Tampa Bay, but the East wind made that impractical. Instead, we went up the Manatee river. DeSoto point just a mile or two up the river is a great anchorage. In an East wind, you can move across the channel as we did.
3. Boca Grand marina near Charlotte Harbor is a bit on the expensive side, but a nice place to spend a night.
4. As Jim mentioned above, Caladesi Island State Park marina near the Dunedin Bridge is absolutely wonderful. They have about a hundred slips, but there were only one other was occupied. Surrounded by mangroves, wild life, and natural-growth palm trees; peaceful but with a clean toilet, a cold-water shower, 30 amp electricity and water- all for $1 a foot. There is also a nice beach. The finger piers are short and we had a hard time tying up in a cross wind. If you take a Tomcat or a CD-25 in, it might we worth overstating your length and paying a few bucks more to use the longer finger piers they have for the bigger boats.
5. Frenchy's Saltwater Cafe at Clearwater has absolutely the best Grouper sandwiches. Their Key Lime pie and chocolate-peanut butter pie are also superb. They also have a very nice dock that you can tie up to.
We launched and recovered at Port Richey, north of Tarpon Springs. In that area, the tide becomes an important factor, both in some of the channels and at the launch ramps. We found the Tidegraph app for the Iphone to be extremely easy to use, clear, and helpful.
First of all, thank you Dr. Bob for your help and hospitality, and thank you Marie for the meatloaf, the squash casserole and the pineapple upside-down cake with ice cream! I would also like to thank the rest of the C-Brats who gave all those useful tips.
Just a few additional highlights for those who might want to cruise in the same area:
1. Tarpon Springs is a good place to spend half a day. Good Greek food (and seafood) and good local color.
2. We had planned to anchor out the first night at Edgemont Key at the entrance to Tampa Bay, but the East wind made that impractical. Instead, we went up the Manatee river. DeSoto point just a mile or two up the river is a great anchorage. In an East wind, you can move across the channel as we did.
3. Boca Grand marina near Charlotte Harbor is a bit on the expensive side, but a nice place to spend a night.
4. As Jim mentioned above, Caladesi Island State Park marina near the Dunedin Bridge is absolutely wonderful. They have about a hundred slips, but there were only one other was occupied. Surrounded by mangroves, wild life, and natural-growth palm trees; peaceful but with a clean toilet, a cold-water shower, 30 amp electricity and water- all for $1 a foot. There is also a nice beach. The finger piers are short and we had a hard time tying up in a cross wind. If you take a Tomcat or a CD-25 in, it might we worth overstating your length and paying a few bucks more to use the longer finger piers they have for the bigger boats.
5. Frenchy's Saltwater Cafe at Clearwater has absolutely the best Grouper sandwiches. Their Key Lime pie and chocolate-peanut butter pie are also superb. They also have a very nice dock that you can tie up to.
We launched and recovered at Port Richey, north of Tarpon Springs. In that area, the tide becomes an important factor, both in some of the channels and at the launch ramps. We found the Tidegraph app for the Iphone to be extremely easy to use, clear, and helpful.