Gulf Coast Cruising Guides

[sailorboy1]

Any recommendations for Gulf Coast cruising guides (other than maptech)

[belizesailor]

Claiborne Young wrote some good ones for FL and the N Gulf Coast.

https://www.amazon.com/Books-Claibor...e%20S.%20Young

[sailorboy1]

Saw those on Amanson. Pretty mixed reviews and they are kind of dated. Someone gave me one of her western Florida guide. Havent used it yet but it doesn’t seem that good.

Has anyone used one recently?

[belizesailor]

Not recently, but I used the W FL & Keys giudes. The W FL I thought was quite good. The Keys gude had lots of detail, but the organization was really hard to follow. Never used the N Gulf Coast one.

[a64pilot]

A whole lot of the Panhandle is no-go.
From basically Tarpon Springs to Carrabelle, there is a lot of water missing.
Tampa Bay Area and South is South Fl, just the other side.

Once you get further North You need to be into gunkholing a little bit and the type to enjoy being off by yourself away from official dinghy docks etc. The eating out opportunities are a whole lot less, although the Applachicola Bay has some of the best sea food in the world, really. Just expect to eat in what was an old convenience store or similar and people wear work clothes, and there is no wine list
Things are changing though, the Northern invasion is happening there too, and that brings the changes.

There is a Waterway guide of course and a Skipper Bob. The Panhandle is a completely different world though, more likely to be mostly working folks, shrimpers and fishermen and the like. You won’t see a Mega Yacht, or expensive sailboats.
You won’t find daily cruising nets, in fact you won’t find many cruisers, they will be a rarity and most often are just passing through.

[belizesailor]

Yes, its quite skinny north of Tarpon Springs thru the "big bend". Tarpons Springs itself is a great stop with a few good anchorages. Form there all the way south to the Keys is a great cruising ground. Then, what I would call the "Pan Handle" (roughly Port St. Joe to Pensacola) or "Redneck Riviera" is another good cruising area.

I grew up along the Gulf Coast and have sailed almost all of it. Its a short hop from Pemsacola to Mobile Bay...a little cruising venue of its own. Then another short hop to Mississippi Sound, a great much over looked cruising ground I think: many islands with sandy beaches, great sailing in protected waters and a number of water front towns to stop off in (Gulfport, Biloxi, Pascagoula, ...). My favorite was Bay St Louis, but havent been there since Katrina.

Then...up the scenic Rigolets cut to Lake Ponchatrain and NOLA.

There is a network of interesting water ways in southern Lousiana, best suited to a small power boat, but Ive covered a fair amount of ground there in a sail boat. See Barataria Waterway. Unique culture consisting of a mix of Creole (black) and Cajun (white), great music (Zydeco), and awesome food. Yes the water is muddy and shallow, its not always scenic, but for the food, music, and culture I rate this as an area not to miss.

If you are up for an epic adventure then ford the mighty Mississippi via the locks. Careful of the heavy commercial traffic, underwater obstructions, and powerful currents. You will here lots of Cajun on the VHF there too amongst the tug boat captains. Read Mark Twains "Life on the Mississippi" for a historic perspective.

On to Texas...most of the Texas coast is not so interesting and is heavily industrialized, but there are some bright spots like Galveston, Port Aranasas, Rockport...and some lovely remote upopulated areas from Padre Island onward.

There ya go...a mini cruising guide...happy to discuss details too (though my local knowledge is now dated).

[belizesailor]

There is also a good guide to the Texas coast. Dont know if its been updated:

https://www.amazon.com/Campbells-Gui.../dp/0965263568

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

There is also a good guide to the Texas coast. Dont know if its been updated:

https://www.amazon.com/Campbells-Gui.../dp/0965263568

It's worth checking into any of them. Thanks

[belizesailor]

Where do you plan to cruise in the Gulf?

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

Where do you plan to cruise in the Gulf?

all of it

[MV Wanderlust]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

all of it

Hey, when you get around to the Sarasota/Bradenton/Tampa area, give us a shout. Buy you a beer.

[svHyLyte]

See this earlier discussion: http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...de-202300.html

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by JohnEasley

Hey, when you get around to the Sarasota/Bradenton/Tampa area, give us a shout. Buy you a beer.

Yeah, great cruising area too...I used to live on the Manatee River in Bradenton.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

all of it

Well, "all of it", is covered by the Waterway Guide. Not only so they produce printed guides, but have some great online resources too...and, unlike most of the Gulf cruising guides, the Waterway Guide is updated.

https://www.waterwayguide.com/

[sailorboy1]

I’m willing to buy more than one book