Port St Joe to Keys... straight through

[SebastianB]

How many of you have done the Port St Joe to the Keys trip straight through? Although most likely we will stop several places on the way, if the wind is right you never know. Just looking for others experience with that. I want to keep as many options open as possible.

[zeehag]

we avoided florida sound by heading straight to dry tortugas from psj in 2009 and 2010. was a good trip. fla sound can be somewhat adventurous in the wrong weather.....

[SebastianB]

Originally Posted by zeehag

we avoided florida sound by heading straight to dry tortugas from psj in 2009 and 2010. was a good trip. fla sound can be somewhat adventurous in the wrong weather.....

I am looking at as many route options as I can and honestly though I don't mind the hops and doing just overnights or 2 day hops, I also see the benefit of taking advantage of fair winds and if the winds are right then going longer trips. This will be our first big trip so trying to look at all options and personally, open water doesnt bother me as much as going into busy ports and channels I am unfamiliar with. So there is that.

[Ndavies]

Ahoy there! Port St. Joe and Cape San Blas are two of our favorite places! So please keep the secret!

I have not sailed direct from PSJ to Key West, but I have worked my way up the west coast of FL from Key West to PSJ a couple of times. Once on a cruise we made in 2014 and more recently on the return leg of the Pensacola to Havana race (November 2015). There are some great places to stop along that coastline, so if you have time, my recommendation would be to check them out. Thinking about our trips in reverse, places I would recommend are:

• Tarpon Springs: unique town with a very strong Greek influence and a good stopping place after crossing the Big Bend
• Dunedin: just north of Tampa and a great alternative to going into Tampa Bay. Great small-town feel and a very nice reasonably priced municipal marina (a bit skinny to get into, but we did it with a 5 ft draft).
• Naples: a bit touristy, but we still loved it.
• Marco Island: great spot, many restaurants offer free taxis and Marco is a good jumping off point to go directly to Key West. Look out for crab pots - they are continuous from Marco to Key West!

I have more info about our trips on our blog (See below) - check out posts from May through August of 2014 and December 2015. Another thing to consider - if you are a member of a GYA sailing club, most member marinas will give you a complimentary slip for at least one night, and there are some excellent clubs along that stretch of coast with great facilities. I hope this helps with your planning!

Fair winds!
Neil