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Need advice: Boating Ft. Myers to Miami via Fl. Bay
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Need advice: Boating Ft. Myers to Miami via Fl. Bay
I couuld use some advice in boating around tip of Florida. Best ways to break up the trip. Places to stay. Routes to take. Intercoastals available? Where I should run off shore?
Thanks in advance for any help.
__________________ College429
19' Polar Center Console
I just made the trip from Marathon to Naples a few weeks ago. It's a great time. There's some excellent advice on the threads I started when I was asking similar questions. Look those up. And use the search feature here for similar information elsewhere. There's a lot of great stuff already posted.
Your question about intracoastals tells me you might not have looked at the charts. Paper charts are a must. Period. You can go to the NOAA Booklet Charts website, view and download all the charts you want. Or, you can use a company like Waterproof Charts out of Punta Gorda. Great product and reasonably priced. Their charts come with waypoints for navigation, or fishing and diving, etc.
Once you study the charts you'll see that the ICW from Fort Myers south plays an insignificant role. It's open water from Fort Myers to Gordon's Pass in Naples. you can take the intracoastal from there to Marco Island and back out, but it's faster and just as nice to stay outside.
The questions you asked can be better answered if you post the type of boat you're using, where your destination is, how much time you have, your boating experience, etc.
What size and type of boat. What's your draft, range and cruise speed? Where is your final destination - East Coast as in Miami? Keys? Further north?
How much time do you have and will you be touring and fishing along the way or travelling at light speed to your destination?
Bottom line on your course, a nice easy, clean run is Fort Myers to Marathon, then east and north in the ICW through the Upper Keys, Biscayne Bay and Miami. Take a day to get to Marathon. A day to get to Miami. As one of the guys told me, and it was true....piece of cake.
But.....so much depends on your logistics, and the weather and seas. Are you using a chartplotter, or just compass and papercharts. How much fuel do you carry. All the things Airbrush and I have asked make a difference.
Sorry, I am new to this thread. All your points are well taken and appreciated. Let me give you the run-down. I am moderatly experienced inshore. Very inexperienced off shore. I have a 19' Polar Center console bay boat. This model has fairly high gunnels. It draws about 12", or so they claim. I think the tank is about 80 gallons. I'm running a yamaha 150 two stroke outboard. At full speed I run about 40 mph. I would not be fishing just moving from point to point. I first pitched to my wife that we should do the cross florida trip, Ft. myers to Port St. Lucie via lake okeechobee. I thought this would be an adventure, and would not be off shore. She suggested the return trip should be around the tip of Florida. I am a little nervous about that since, my off shore experience is limited. Right now I feel more comfortable on intercoastals. I do have a VHF with MMSI, and a Garmin Chartplotter/depth finder. I have no problem with renting an epirb when necessary. Thanks for your continued advice.
__________________ College429
19' Polar Center Console
Thinking the tank is 80 gallons doesn't cut it. Sorry to sound harsh but it is very important to know the range of your boat including GPH or MPG at various rpm's. Take this as part of your offshpre learning experience. IF the tank is 80 gallons, then your useable fuel is 72 gallons. Let's hypothetically say your burn rate is 2.5 MPG @ cruise of 25 MPH (which is NOT wide open but the most efficient speed on plane). This would put your range at 180 miles. This does not account for weather, currents, delays. etc.
This is one of the first exercises you need to go through when planning an extended trip. I'd suggest topping your fuel off and make an extended run at a comfortable cruise speed. Chart the run on GPS to determine your miles. Then return to the dock and top off again, noting your fuel burn. This will give you an idea as to the mileage your getting. If you do this at various speeds, you'll be able to graph out a performance curve for your boat. Some mfgrs have the tables already calculated for specific engine/boat combinations.
I've done the East Coast, West coast FL and the keys on numerous occasions and each of the trips had a different personality. At 19 feet you need to watch weather, particularly in unprotected waters. Don't stretch your runs - it takes all the fun out if you don't do some sightseeing. Do your homework on places to stay and make reservations. Scout out your fuel stops in advance and it's worth calling ahead as some of these services open and close like a swinging door.
FL west coast is a pretty easy cruise. Watch out for strong winds with a west component. As you move south, fuel docks are sparse so you really need to be sure of your range. As you get to the Keys, follow the ship channel to the ICW and follow the waterway either direction to your keys destination. Watch your charts if/when you stray from the channel as there are numerous shallows. It's nothing to be scared about, just watch your way. At any point in time where you're not sure about your way, get on the VHF - hail for local knowlwedge on ch 16 and move off with the answering party to another channel to discuss your situation.
The run up to Miami is (I think) particularly beautiful. South of Biscayne bay you'll run a number of mangrove cuts, then through Jewfish Creek, in to Biscayne Bay and into Miami. I've stayed at and enjoyed Miami Marina near South Beach a number of times. The run north of Miami on the ICW can be particularly slow due to no-wake zones especially on weekends. I'd suggest you NOT venture into the Atlantic unless it's very calm and the weather forecast look good for an extended period. Be very wary of the tidal flows in any of the east coast inlets as wind directions that oppose flow can create deadly conditions. One other note in Miami - stay away from the cruise ships. If you don't, you'll quickly get a blue light escort.
If you'll give us more detailed information concerning your fuel range, what you'd like to accomplish, desired destinations, length of trip, etc.I'd be glad to help chart out an itinerary with you.
Hope this little bit helps.
As a performance example, here's the site for a 23 Polar equipped with a Yammi 150 2-stroke: http://www.yamaha-motor.com/assets/p...ay-150txrc.pdf
Remember, performance is effected by the prop, load being carried, winds, currents, trim, etc.
Wow. You guys are the best. Very helpful information. I was thinking of doing this over spring break (April). My 80 gallon estimate is based on filling the tank when close to empty, but you are right, I don't yet really know what my mileage is at different speeds. I like your idea of making long runs and checking mileage. I will plan on doing this. I was also thinking my range was generally just under 200 miles. Nice to hear I was in the right ball park.
__________________ College429
19' Polar Center Console
I say again, Airbrush is right on. Heck, his posts remind me of my trip. It happened exactly that way. While the whole trip was great, the run from Miami south through Bicayne Bay and into the Keys was fabulous. In addition to your navigation electronics, a good pair of binoculars is highly recommended. The markers for the ICW through the Keys are very far apart at times. Also, as you approach the Keys you'll be entertained by the fields of crabpots. Pick your lanes carefully so you don't end up on a slalom course. And take note of the wave direction because you'll want to stay on the opposite side of the pots so as not to entangle your prop.
Man you're going to have so much fun. It's good you're starting to plan early. Think it through.
Folks have given you a lot of good advice.
The ride from Ft. Myers is kinda boring, you can pull into Flamingo in the Everglades National Park and get fuel.
Once you cross Florida Bay from the Everglades there are lot's of places to get fuel and to stay. Stay in the intercoastal on the North side of US1 for the most scenic ride.
With the draft of you boat you can hug the shoreline all the way which will be a pretty ride.
April weather will be more favorable then the winter blows.
I am thinking of running from Fort Myers to Everglades city: Next day marathon; next day Ft. Lauderdale; next day Port St. Lucie; then next day accros state back to Ft. Myers.
__________________ College429
19' Polar Center Console
I can't speak for the cross-state run, but given fair weather and good water the rest of the trip is just right. In Marathon I stayed at the Marathon Marina at Boot Key Harbor. It's just inside the Moser Channel under the 7 Mile Bridge. Once you're tied up walk down the street to 7 Mile Grill. Great food. The marina was days away from opening their own restaurant when I was there almost three weeks ago.
Also, I can vouch for Sailfish Marina in Stuart. They're right on the ICW. Very nice place. Both marinas have non-ethanol fuel and great service.
I am thinking of running from Fort Myers to Everglades city: Next day marathon; next day Ft. Lauderdale; next day Port St. Lucie; then next day accros state back to Ft. Myers.
Fort Myers to Everglades city - 90 miles
Next day marathon - 85
next day Ft. Lauderdale - 125
next day Port St. Lucie - 80
then next day accros state back to Ft. Myers - 135
I used to regularly run from West Palm to Marathon - a run of about 5-5 1/2 hours on the outside BUT 11-12 hours on the ICW. The slowest going is FtL to Mia - worse on weekends. While your third day is certainly doable, you might want to consider Miami as a destination on day 3 and shifting the miles (about 20) to day 4 and call it Mia to Port StL.
Lake O is also doable but long. You might want to consider splitting that leg in half and staying at Roland Martins place at Clewiston.
Remember, you'll have no wakes, idle speed and vessel passings all along the way.
My advice is give yourself some time to look around. It's OK to be able to say "Hey, I made that trip" but you don't want to go home and wish you'd just spent a little more time here or there.
It sound like the makin's of a plan. Heck, we just may pass each other along the way.
By the way, if you do stop in Clewiston, eat dinner here http://www.clewistoninn.com/ for a real treat. Not fancy (although it may appear so on their website), inexpensive - and some really good food.
The Marathon to Ft Lauderdale leg is too ambitious for planning purposes. When I did it in my 32 foot inboard, I took 2 days. If I were you, I'd have 2 plans once I was in Marathon, and only excute the Ft. Lauderdale plan if the forecast was good (seas 2 ft or less, ususally means winds no more than 10 kts.).
Although weather is GENERALLY good in April, it can be iffy.
Need advice: Boating Ft. Myers to Miami via Fl. Bay 
