Cruising Florida's Big Bend in a (very) small boat

[iansan5653]

I was planning on racing in the Sol al Sol race (St Pete to Isla Mujeres) this May but the captain of the J112e I was planning to race on has decided (probably wisely) that he, the boat, and the crew are not ready for an offshore race yet.

So now I have booked a week off work before hurricane season and I don't really feel like giving it up...

I have a shoal draft Freedom 21 that I've owned for a few years and sail all the time. I've stayed onboard a few times for weekender trips around Tampa Bay, but nothing longer. With a week I could go a lot farther, and I've always wanted to visit Cedar Key.

I'm very familiar with Tampa Bay and the coast down to Fort Myers, but I've never sailed north of here. Besides the general discomfort of living on a 21 ft boat, would singlehanded cruising this boat along the Big Bend area be reasonable?

My biggest concern is weather - up until Clearwater I can duck behind barrier islands in a storm but past that I'll be pretty exposed, and it's a light boat with a shallow keel. But I figure with my 2.5 ft draft I can hug the shore and duck into a hole if I need, as long as I plan ahead. Does the shallow water in that part of the coast keep the swells down, or does it still get pretty rough? The boat can handle plenty of breeze but does get tossed around pretty easily in chop.

Off course I'd have a PLB, tether, excellent ground tackle, etc. Having been over every inch of this boat in the last couple years, I'm confident she's sound and can handle the trip.

So what do you think - would it be a fun adventure, or stupid and dangerous? Is there anything I'm overlooking or should keep in mind?

[Sutton Scnr 68]

You should have no trouble with a trip to the Big Bend, especially with your shoal draft. Tarpon Springs, Yankeetown, Cedar Keys, Horseshoe Beach, Steinhatchee, Keaton Beach all afford good stopping places along the way. You could sail to Carrabelle or anchor off of Dog Island as we did and continue to Appalatchicola for some great shrimp dinners! Just be sure to stay some distance offshore to avoid the many shoals around Cedar Keys and Horseshoe Beach (Pepper Fish Keys). Weather should be benign by then. We live here so we know Go for it!

[iansan5653]

Originally Posted by Sutton Scnr 68

You should have no trouble with a trip to the Big Bend, especially with your shoal draft. Tarpon Springs, Yankeetown, Cedar Keys, Horseshoe Beach, Steinhatchee, Keaton Beach all afford good stopping places along the way. You could sail to Carrabelle or anchor off of Dog Island as we did and continue to Appalatchicola for some great shrimp dinners! Just be sure to stay some distance offshore to avoid the many shoals around Cedar Keys and Horseshoe Beach (Pepper Fish Keys). Weather should be benign by then. We live here so we know Go for it!

That's awesome to hear, thanks for the reassurance! I feel much more confident that this might be a good idea now

[sandy stone]

Are you going to carry a dinghy? 'Cause I don't recall any good place to tie up a boat in Cedar Key itself. It does sound like a fun trip - I wouldn't leave out Crystal River.

[EmeraldCoastSailor]

As long as you had a decent motor to get around and an eye to the weather you should be fine. I have always wanted to explore St Marks area by water.