Vacation plan

[a64pilot]

Help me plan my vacation. I'm in the Fl panhandle, Panama City. I have off from 30 Jun to 13 July. Hot as Hell, I know
I had thought about the dry Tortugas, but that's three days each way running hard with no Otto pilot, plus Wx at that time of year and out of radio range for Wx forecasts etc., just makes it a little beyond my capabilities. Or should I re-consider?

I had thought maybe run towards New Orleans? Any good marinas to stay at for at least a day or two? I assume many good anchorages in lake Pontchartrain if a marina is expensive anchor out and take the dinghy taxi into town?

Any better ideas?

[Ex-Calif]

Know nothing about Florida, Alabama, Mississippi or Louisiana - So here's my advice - LOL...

Seriously - More Qs than A's. Do you want to:

- Daysail, marina at night with bars and restaurants?
- Sail hard go as far as possible and only stop to sleep?
- Find a quiet spot anchor out and listen to the birds?

- Crew that can help with sailing?
- Crew that is "tolerant" of hard sailing?

Just looking at Google Maps and not giving much planning thought there is a lot between you and New Orleans and you can be flexible.

My last 5 day charter we ended up going 1/2 as far and doing half as much as we planned.

Suddenly getting up at 6am sailing 50 miles and dropping hook didn't sound so fun.

Lazy breakfast, 10 am departure and 4pm hook drop, swim, explore the shore, dinner and bed at 10 was more of a vacation to us.

[Dulcesuenos]

What about doing Bradenton, twin dolphin marina has great rates food pool hot tub and fun town! , Venice,(crows nest is Awesome!)free bike rentals for marina quests beautiful beach nearby good rates and food! Then off to Cayo Costa and pelican bay ( simply beautiful and great beaches and trails) really cheap dockage, no power though, and enjoy any number of stops along the way? Then reverse it going home? You could easily get stuck in DT waiting for a week for a weather window.

Sent from my LG-LS980 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[a64pilot]

Ex-Calif,
No we have done the hard sail / travel thing when we brought her around on delivery. I want this to be more fun, it won't be destination, miles per day oriented. Sort of a mix between anchor out and marina hop as the weather will be brutally hot.
I want to make this fun for the wife, so we need marinas from time to time, not every night maybe.

[a64pilot]

Dulcesuenos,
Your saying go south of St. Pete basically?
Not a bad plan, I know nothing of the area, is there a cruising guide or something I can buy? I'm sure there is, just don't know where to look.

[Dulcesuenos]

No guides really I know of just great stops , lots of fun good scenery, food and places without having to go all The way down to the keys. We used to the trip i laid out 2x a year and enjoyed it very much, sometimes it was on the way to the keys others just a week long trip. All coastal plenty of protection. Venice is beautiful and the beach is a short walk from the marina and you can snorkel for sharks teeth. Best burgers in the world and other food at the restaraunt. Cayo Costa is a state park next to boca grande pass you can anchor or get a slip for really cheap. Theres also burnt store marina, a fun stop nearby.

Sent from my LG-LS980 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[a64pilot]

I just bought the Southern cruising guide, maybe some good info there, but going South to St. Pete area is starting to sound like the thing to do.
Any trip info you can give me I'd appreciate it

[fgd3]

If I were you I'd cruise Apalachicola Bay, St. George Sound, and Apalachee Bay. Visit Apalachicola, Carrabelle, St. Marks, St. George Island, Dog Island, maybe Steinhatchee and the Suwanee River. You might like Cedar Keys, too, depending on how far you want to go. There's an inside route from Apalachicola back to Panama City so you don't have to retrace your route on your return.

Fabbian

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Help me plan my vacation. I'm in the Fl panhandle, Panama City. I have off from 30 Jun to 13 July. Hot as Hell, I know
I had thought about the dry Tortugas, but that's three days each way running hard with no Otto pilot, plus Wx at that time of year and out of radio range for Wx forecasts etc., just makes it a little beyond my capabilities. Or should I re-consider?

I had thought maybe run towards New Orleans? Any good marinas to stay at for at least a day or two? I assume many good anchorages in lake Pontchartrain if a marina is expensive anchor out and take the dinghy taxi into town?

Any better ideas?

You are going to fry either way.

Maybe you should fly up here or further North and rent a boat...........

I took a 5 day cruise last week and had to wear a thick winter type wolverine long sleeve shirt a couple mornings as the temp was high 60's!

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by fgd3

If I were you I'd cruise Apalachicola Bay, St. George Sound, and Apalachee Bay. Visit Apalachicola, Carrabelle, St. Marks, St. George Island, Dog Island, maybe Steinhatchee and the Suwanee River. You might like Cedar Keys, too, depending on how far you want to go. There's an inside route from Apalachicola back to Panama City so you don't have to retrace your route on your return.

Fabbian

Most of that is where I grew up at, real familiar with it.
Cedar key and maybe appalach are the two places that are good to visit as there is much to do, Dog is wonderful if your after seclusion. I've flown in there many times and stayed in the Motel on the beach, years ago.
As far as the inside route, I have about a 51' airdraft near as I can figure, fixed bridge is 50'

I think I will go further South where we haven't been before and there is more to do, wife will like that better I think.
I had forgotten about the sharks teeth on Venice beach, that would I think be worth doing.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by thomm225

You are going to fry either way.

Maybe you should fly up here or further North and rent a boat...........

I took a 5 day cruise last week and had to wear a thick winter type wolverine long sleeve shirt a couple mornings as the temp was high 60's!

Your right on the temp, one reason to marina hop. I've got twin Honda's if it gets bad they easily run the AC. No, I don't run them within 100 yds of another boat.

I don't want to rent a different boat, even if it was in the budget, which it isn't.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Your right on the temp, one reason to marina hop. I've got twin Honda's if it gets bad they easily run the AC. No, I don't run them within 100 yds of another boat.

I don't want to rent a different boat, even if it was in the budget, which it isn't.

I know you wouldn't want to rent.......just joking. But we are suppose to have a high tomorrow of 79 degrees.

I did the Horn Island Hop maybe 5-6 times which is a short distance race from Ocean Springs/Biloxi to Horn Island which occurred every July 4th weekend. That was the Saturday race. The Sunday Race was around Deer Island. It was always hot. I mean HOT! Then stayed in a tent. Not good.

Sounds like you are prepared as best as possible for the heat though.

[thomm225]

Also, I saw where you mentioned maybe heading toward New Orleans.

The seabreeze is usually SSW to W this time of year. More Westerly in the afternoon so you would most likely only have the mornings to make any headway under sail towards your destination.

We on our High Tech Racing Catamarans could usually point into it though and run the outside coastline until maybe 2pm, but I doubt you can with your boat. (but maybe I don't know how well your boat will point)

My experience there is six 100 mile Round the Island Races which start at 0700 just North of Leeside Park in Ft Walton Beach. We would pass under the Destin Bridge around 0730 or so then turn west at the Seabuoy for the run to the Pensacola Pass which we could usually make by around 1:30 pm or so.

Plus lots of trips from the Pensacola Mainland sailing to Pensacola Beach and back. Usually in the afternoons around 3pm and after the wind was way west.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Also, I saw where you mentioned maybe heading toward New Orleans.

The seabreeze is usually SSW to W this time of year. More Westerly in the afternoon so you would most likely only have the mornings to make any headway under sail towards your destination.

And it seems we don't get a good breeze until about 2 PM usually too, Pointing is an Island Packet weakness, having said that she's happy with the wind being 30 deg off the nose. Tacking isn't nearly as difficult as I thought it would be, but I have an 18 yr old kid for crew too, so maybe that's why it's not that hard
Wind this time of year is kind of iffy, I plan on sailing of course, but will motor when I have to.
Wherever I go, I have to come back. My luck I will have a head wind both ways, just works that way sometimes.
I find myself running the engine more than I like

[BandB]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Help me plan my vacation. I'm in the Fl panhandle, Panama City. I have off from 30 Jun to 13 July. Hot as Hell, I know
I had thought about the dry Tortugas, but that's three days each way running hard with no Otto pilot, plus Wx at that time of year and out of radio range for Wx forecasts etc., just makes it a little beyond my capabilities. Or should I re-consider?

I had thought maybe run towards New Orleans? Any good marinas to stay at for at least a day or two? I assume many good anchorages in lake Pontchartrain if a marina is expensive anchor out and take the dinghy taxi into town?

Any better ideas?

We like Seabrook. It's a full service marina and rather convenient although no marina puts you right in the French Quarter. New Orleans is a rather long run though and a good bit will have to be motored. You might want to look at other areas like Destin, Port St. Joe, Pensacola, and Mobile. And if you really wanted a challenging sail and are accompanied, sailing across to Clearwater or St. Pete could be a great run.

Going west along the shore, Pensacola, Mobile, Gulfport and other places in between. Going east along the short, Port St. Joe, then one or our favorite towns, Apalachicola. Carabelle is also nice.

Frankly New Orleans is not what it once was and the work to get there may not be worth it. Great food. And you can still find good jazz. But the French Quarter has changed a lot.

If you want to stay close to shore, good choices in both directions. And if you want to cross a big body of water then cross to Clearwater area. But make sure you have a good weather window.