FL east coast vs West coast

[Jimbo2010]

Was looking on the east coast from Daytona south, doesn't look like too many places to sail without going outside.

Jensen Beach has a small area to cruise but I don't see much beyond that

Am I missing something

West coast looks like better cruising grounds but I do have 5.6' draft
And moorings or slip are very hard to find

[Kettlewell]

The west coast has much better coastal cruising, but keep in mind that most of the fixed bridges are 55 feet and it is shallow. I've been as far north as St. Pete with 6-foot draft. Not ideal, but doable. A short offshore run to the Dry Tortugas is a fun trip. The east coast has the Florida Keys, which are probably the best sailing/gunkholing in Florida. It's pretty nice sailing from Miami south. You can also pop over to the Bahamas easier, which in my mind is the best attraction of Florida's east coast.

[MicHughV]

You could try the St. Johns River if just piddling about is your thing.

Seeing as you are in Daytona, the Indian River Lagoon is just down the coast.

Many destinations north and south of Daytona. Some a daysail away, others an overnighter.

And off course...Bahamas right on your doorstep.

Good fishing too.

What more could you ask ???

[Captain Bill]

You can sail the Indian River Lagoon from just south of Cocoa to about Palm Bay with your draft if you don't mind going mostly north and south. Winds usually have some east or westerly component so it's some sort of reach most of the time. It's not what I would call exciting. Once past Palm Bay you can pop out of Ft Pierce and head south to Miami. You can sail around lots of Biscayne bay with your draft as long as you don't get too close to shore. In the keys the Gulf side will be a bit skinny in Places for 5.6' down to about Marathon. you can cross over at Channel Five from hawk channel but a couple of places will be scary at low tide. Hawk channel will be fine all the way to Key West. You'll be able to go a few places on the gulf side south of Marathon if you pay close attention to the charts. Unlike the northern keys I have found the depths to be a little conservative there. I only draw 4 ft. so I don't have to be quite as careful as you but I've often found about 2ft more water than charted. I now live on the west coast on Charlotte harbor. There's pretty good sailing here. You would have to be careful about picking your mooring area as the water gets a bit skinny in the canal systems. In my home canal system your draft would only be able to get in and out in the top half of the tide and in a north wind you might not be able to get in or out at all. Unfortunately there are only a couple of Marinas below the bridges which are not very high so only small sailboats above the US41 bridges. Some of the west coast fixed bridges are 55ft so are a bit limiting for larger boats. Sarasota Bay and Tampa Bay have 65 ft+ bridges so are bit less limited. You can go from Tampa Bay to Ft Myers on the GICW because most of the bridges are bascule or swing bridges. There are 55ft Bridges that force bigger boats outside between Ft Myers and the ten Thousand Island area. It's only about a extra day of sailing between here and a jumping off point to the Bahamas than From Melbourne, but it feels like a long time. It takes me about 2.5 hours to get to the Gulf from my house but there is lots of good day sailing just in the Harbor and the north end of Pine Island. There are many people with empty docks behind their houses that will rent dock space if you are not planning to be a live aboard as an alternative to a marina.

[MicHughV]

There is no question that the icing on the cake for Florida east coast sailors is the proximity of the B'mas.
It is no further away than a daysail for most folk in the southern portion of the State.
The Bahamian cruising grounds is like no place on earth.
Once you've been there, you will return...again...and again and after that...again....

[Kettlewell]

I've cruised just about everywhere in Florida from the Georgia border around to Tampa Bay, including the Okeechobee Waterway, but never made it up to the Panhandle. From what I read that area has some beautiful cruising. I've done my sailing in boats varying from 18 inches of draft up to 6 feet, and all have been able to clear a 55-foot bridge. The shallower the draft you have the more enjoyable Florida is with a sailboat. If I was to live there and keep my boat there longterm I would want something with really shallow draft again.

[MicHughV]

Florida is great for a fishing boat as well, both offshore and inland waters.
I havn't fished the west coast, but the east coast has a plethora of offshore reefs, both near and far.

Powerboating is not my thing, but quite a few of those around as well.

[Kettlewell]

If you get the right wind, like a nice northwester off the beach it can be a great sail down the east coast of Florida staying as close to shore as the various jetties and obstructions allow. Then runs north can be very fast using the Gulf Stream for a free 2 knots or so. The trick is to time your arrival for both an inlet and before the wind shift to on the nose! If you're in northern Florida Cumberland Island, Georgia is a beautiful place to sail to.

[s/v Moondancer]

We live and sail on Biscayne Bay, moorings are available. Lovely bay sailing and instant access to the Keys and Bahamas. Good fishing and clear warm water for snorkeling and diving.

5.6 is not a problem if you pay attention. The 8ft on Moondancer really required attention to detail.

[tkeithlu]

Panhandle here. Plenty of bays. Our home area, Apalachee Bay, is four miles wide and 60 miles long. We have available slips in Carrabelle, with immediate access to the bay.

Our draft is 5'. No problems.

[Be Free]

Originally Posted by tkeithlu

Panhandle here. Plenty of bays. Our home area, Apalachee Bay, is four miles wide and 60 miles long. We have available slips in Carrabelle, with immediate access to the bay.

Our draft is 5'. No problems.

SHH!

[belizesailor]

Yes, Florida West Coast is a great cruising ground. Add the Dry Tortugas and Keys to that and it is awesome. Once North of Key Biscayne area, the FL east coast is not very interesting (IMHO).

Make the jump to the FL Panhandle and you are in another great cruising ground...all the way from Port St Joe through the Mississippi Sound.

[Wolfe10]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

Yes, Florida West Coast is a great cruising ground. Add the Dry Tortugas and Keys to that and it is awesome. Once North of Key Biscayne area, the FL east coast is not very interesting (IMHO).

Make the jump to the FL Panhandle and you are in another great cruising ground...all the way from Port St Joe through the Mississippi Sound.

Yup that was our stomping grounds-- Texas to the Bahamas took us through that area many, many times.


Agree with your synopsis.


Part of the accessibility of N FL depends on mast height. If you don't clear the ICW bridges, you can still day sail the N FL coast.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Wolfe10

Yup that was our stomping grounds-- Texas to the Bahamas took us through that area many, many times.


Agree with your synopsis.


Part of the accessibility of N FL depends on mast height. If you don't clear the ICW bridges, you can still day sail the N FL coast.

Yep, its an under appreciated cruising region. I thuroughly enjoyed my years there.

[theBigKahuna]

East coast is mainly offshore unless you're down in Biscayne Bay, etc, which is beautiful and great sailing. West coast is great, but during crabbing season, there are crab traps roughly every 100 yards going out at least 10 miles. I'm sure the bays aren't covered in traps, but they do make sailing difficult.