2014 Florida Get Together

[HideAway]

Yes, I've always enjoyed the river trip from Anclote River Park to Tarpon Springs - you would be hard pressed to find a more interesting town.  Our spring cruise this year was from Gulfport to Anclote Key.  The waters north of the Dunedin Causeway are by far my favorite area to sail, but you really have to watch the weather and be ready to scoot.  We wanted to anchor at Three Rooker but ended up hiding behind one of the spoil islands because of strong easterly winds.   

I think the final choice will be dependant on whether this will be primarily gunkholing IE anchoring out, or a camping cruise.   The number of boats coming will also play a large role.  M

[Billy]

You can camp and have fires on Anclote Key Preserve. In fact there is an evasive Australian Pine Tree that the rangers encourage you to cut down and burn (think chainsaws and bonfires). There is no development on the island so it will be much like Cayo Costa but closer to other stuff.

The Tarpon Springs Sponge docks are only an hour or so sail away, with lots of restaurants and bars, and the boat ramp is even closer. It is located along the Anclote River so in the event of nasty weather, refuge is not far away.

3 Rooker, Honeymoon Island, Caladesi Island, and Clearwater beach are all with in a days reach.

Carl, since this was your idea maybe your vote should count twice.

[Salty19]

FYI, I changed the poll to run for 110 days, and let folks change their vote based on further research and discussion. If any changes are needed, let me know.

I have to say this trip is VERY tempting, not that I'm committing to being there, but TEMPTING!!!

A homebase would be critical to keeping folks together and allowing folks to arrive/leave during their windows of opportunity.
And the campers won't have to keep setting up camp after a long day.  Would there be a lot of campers??

[relamb]

Has any of this been finalized?  Dates and location?
I've trailered from Indianapolis with both a CP16 and a CP23, and been both to Fort Desoto and to Cayo Costa.
It's kind of a long way in a CP 16 from any public ramp to Cayo Costa and the weather has never permitted me to do it, although I've done it in other boats.  Ft Desoto, on the other hand has practically the worlds largest boat ramp (33 lanes of simultaneous trailer-backing mayhem!), and civilization (including WalMart) is within a few miles.  Yet you're out in nature once you get to the park.
Plenty of places to anchor out, including the lagoon by the campground.  Would be almost impossible to get a winter campsite, it's always full of snowbird RVs, but it's a great campground.  I've anchored out and slept both in the CP16 and the 23, and been out to the fort on Egmont Key in both.  You might need some guts to cross the ship channel in the CP16 depending on the traffic, but I've done it and it's fun to look up at a 10 story cruise ship and wave to the passengers.  You could also stay on Shell Key Preserve, a primitive "leave no trace" island which would be a good home base.  I don't know if they'd let you use it for this, but they also have a youth group camp area (tents)with 90 person capacity at Fort DeSoto.  Somebody bring a couple of kids for the CPYOA youth group camp, and we can have 88 adult chaperones!

[HideAway]

If the group has campers and stay aboards and want to go to Ft Desoto  best way is to have those who want to camp stay at the regular campsites near the boat ramp.  There is plenty of room for those who want to stay on their boats in Mullet Key Bayou and it keeps the group close together.  You can camp on Shell Island with a free permit but only on the southern tip, which is in Bunce's Pass a very short distance to the Gulf.   There is no anchorage here- you must anchor in the channel - if you drag during an out going tide its bye bye boat.  The larger boats or those who want to stay aboard have to anchor in Mullet Key Bayou - a long distance from Shell Island.  Our favorite gunkhole, about mid way up Shell Key was destroyed in the hurricanes of 04 & 06- the gunkhole is still there but has no access. I don't know of a youth camp - there used to be a Boy Scout camp just off the bridge but the water is far too shallow.    As far as reservations go you really need to make them early - 6 months is advised. The best time to go is mid April to mid May.  If you go too early you may catch a cold front and while it doesn't get THAT cold the wind is strong enough to make sailing an endurance test and you may not have access to to where you want to go. Too late and the bugs will drive you sane.  By Memorial Day it's just too hot.  Most of the snow birds leave after Easter. 

I have to tell you that Bunce's Pass can be a bear if you get the wind and tide wrong.  We once had 5 foot waves pound the patooies out of us in our Sea Pearl one scary day and in another incident my son and I had to be rescued when the wind died on an out going tide at sunset and we couldn't paddle the Laser hard enough to over come it 

Cayo Costa has a similar problem.  The camp sites are on the west side of the island - the rangers haul you there on a trailer pulled by a pickup.  The anchorage in Pelican Bay is a long ways.  And while you can leave your boat at the dock it is first come first served on a daily basis.  You can camp on the beach near Pelican Bay but there are no facilities of any kind and recently I'm told no fires are allowed.   Its a great area though and we'd like to go back.

Here's a thought - since everybody is trailering why not spend a couple of nights on Three Rooker with day trips to Anclote Key, Honeymoon and Caladesi then trailer  down to Ft Desoto.  You could stop at the Com-Pac plant on the way.   The group could do the same thing ending up at Cayo Costa

I think the destination will depend mostly on the mix of attendees.  If there are a lot of campers places like Ft Desoto or John Pennekamp would be best to keep the group together with Cayo Costa a distant third- did you see Billy's post?  Now that looks like fun! There is no good snorkeling here by the way.    Matt

[Billy]

While the snorkeling was great at Pennekamp, there are really no Islands to go to from Pennekamp, just open Ocean.

I like Matt's idea of a multi destination trip.
Start or finish at 3 Rooker/Anclote and then Ft. Desoto, and possibly Cayo Costa. We do have trailers. Why limit ourselves?

[Koinonia]

What is our time frame for this.  I know of a ramp in punta Gorda I can launch and retrieve at, but dont know of any others that are on the coast.  I need 5ft of water at the end of the ramp for launching.   Ideas for truck and trailer storage as well?   A cruise of sorts could be fun.  If I go and the weather is good a run to the tortugas might be in order!

[Bob23]

Oh man, this sounds soooo good if it weren't for that blasted 4 letter word: w-o-r-k!
Bob23

[Koinonia]

Cmon bob Im sure you have some vacation time to burn!  Bring Koinonia to see her big sis.

[curtisv]

Bob,

Ask the boss for some time off.   

I don't work so I'll have to think of some other excuse.  Hang in there -- I'll come up with something and get back to you.

Curtis

[Koinonia]

Bob dont you have family in Punta Gorda, see you could have fun, see family, ect

[sharkwatcher]

If anyone is interested, there are several good deep ramps in the Anna Maria Island/Longboat Key/Sarasota/Seista Key area. The Century Park/10th st. ramp in Sarasota and Blind Pass ramp in Seista Key are two of my favorites. The Blind Pass ramp is right next to the Turtle Beach RV park for RV campers.

[Bob23]

Big Koin:
   Yeah....our daughter is leaving NJ tomorrow night for Punta Gorda. It would make a good excuse...
Bob23

[sailen69]

Hey Carl and Com-Pac Crew,

I think I would be interested in dragging my CP-16 down to FL for a week.  I will be following this thread with interest and maybe a few questions along the way.  I already notified work of a possible sailing trip and short of family emergency matters, I am in.

Early spring is good timing for me, but any time could work with a good advance notice.  Any location suitable for sailing a CP-16 works for me.  Or, I could fill in for crew.

My only other Florida sailing experiences was at the Snook Inn, down on Marco Island, a long time ago.

Are there any other 16's that might make this trip?

Rich

[crazycarl]

Rich,

this is good news, i think this will be well worth the drive.

our plan right now is to sail this get-together, then trailer down to key largo and spend a few days sailing the bay side.

i think joanie is as hyped about it as i am!

carl