Marathon to Ft Myers

[Old Bay]

Good morning. Leaving Marathon in a few days. Singlehanding to Crisfield MD. New to me '79 Grand Banks 36. No autopilot. Plan is a long run to Ft Myers, across Okeechobee, and Intracoastal to Crisfield. My question is has anyone recently done the run from the Keys to Ft Myers? How infested is that run with crab pots? Plan is to leave at first light from Skipjack marina. Air draft is 19' 8". Will have to use channel south of Pigeon Key then head north. All suggestions welcome.

[Benz]

Not recent, but comparatively few crab pots when I did it. You have stopping options as well: Marco Island, Naples (you can anchor to starboard just inside the inlet in 6 feet or so). Good luck.

[AA3JY]

I’d be more concerned about “singlehandling” through the Okeechobee’s 5 locks , though doable, than concerns with crab pods, if that is your plan

[tamicatana]

Crawfish season just began and the price is good, so I would expect a fair number of traps.

This can be somewhat mitigated by carrying your course inside the Everglades park boundary markers as much as you can. The Little Shark River is a pleasant stop between Marathon and Ft M. You can use that to keep your travel during daylight hours

[Jerry Woodward]

Its 130 miles from Marathon to Ft Myers. If you plot a straight course, you will also be going right by Marco which is about 94 miles. If you average 5 knots, that will be 26 hrs to Ft Myers, 19 hrs to Marco. If you feel like hand steering for 26 hrs, 10 of those at night, then go for it. My guess is that you will be wanting to stop at Marco.

We made the 30 hr trip from Spanish Banks, North West of Marathon, to Boca Inlet in May of this year, and crab pots were not an issue. They tend to be closer into shore along the depth contours.

We also had two people and an autopilot and it was tiring. The wind picked up to 20-25 at night directly on our tail and with it came 5-7 feet of following seas. Auto couldn't handle this so we had to hand steer all night. Without an autopilot and singlehanding, I would do day hops up the coast: Marathon to Cape Sable, to Marco, to Ft Myers.

The weather is much more of a concern than crab pots. If the wind picks up, the shallow gulf will turn into a washing machine. If it is following wind and seas, ok, but if it is on the nose, forget it. Pick your weather window carefully.


Edit: Just noticed the date of your post. I presume you already made your passage. Let us know how it went.

[Wolfe10]

Have done that stretch many times in a sailboat.


If you are not in a hurry, break up the trip.


Marathon to around Little Shark River, then to Marco, then Ft Myers.


BTW we are in Ft Myers.


BUT (yes, large BUT) if headed up the east coast, why are you headed to the FL WEST coast.


Ya, have also been up the FL east coast-- no big issues and lots of stopping/anchor out options.

[Old Bay]

Hey all. Think I posted my first couple of days on a different thread. Yes I did run straight thru 36 hours from Marathon to LaBelle on the Okeechobee waterway. This is a delivery of my boat. Wife is at home in Lake Wales FL. My goal is to get the biat up to Crisfield MD in as short of time as possible. Not going balls to the wall but not sightseeing either. Currently at anchor 10 miles south of Myrtle Beach. It has been a good trip so far.

[mvweebles]

You may want to ping TrawlerForum, sister site to CF. There are many folks who run thr snowbird route and can provide recommendations on marinas, fuel, etc.

Congrats on your new boat. GB36 is a classic gold standard for trawlers. Not too big, not too small. Nicely crafted interior.

[Old Bay]

Thank you sir. Getting back in the swing of things after 40 years. Last time I did a trip like this, it was on my Cal 2-27 from Annapolis to Sarasota back in August of '89.