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Old 04-24-2018, 07:03 PM   #20
DavidM
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City: Litchfield, Ct
Join Date: Aug 2012
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Those land based storage yards will be happy to launch your boat every month or so.

In response to the PP, the west coast boat yard on the Okeechobee- Glades Boat Storage is a little far, about 50 miles from Ft Myers Beach. You could easily fly in the night before to Ft Myers airport, launch in the morning and then grab a mooring at Ft Myers Beach by late afternoon. Hang out there for the night and then continue your cruising north (more than likely) or south.

To the north of Ft Myers beach there are lots of interesting places to hang out. Like I said in my first post Cayo Costa State Park and Boca Grande are two of my favorites. Cayo Costa is a big anchorage that surrounds a state park on the Gulf barrier island. Boca Grande has a little pocket anchorage where you drop your anchor in the middle and them back down and stern tie to the mangroves. There is a dinghy dock within a 100 yards of the anchorage where you can then walk to the upscale little town of Boca Grande.

Other interesting places to drop the hook are Useppa Island, or grab a slip at Cabbage Key where they are one of a hundred joints that claim to be the inspiration for Buffet's Cheesburger in Paradise song.

You can leave any of the places to the north and get back to Glades Boat Storage by closing time if you leave early and hoof it. Or you can leave your boat in a slip for them to haul you out in the morning if you get there late.

For a week or more vacation you can stop at Ft Myers Beach the first night, Marco the second and then push hard the next direct to Key West or stop at Little Shark River and then to Marathon or Key West.

I don't know the east coast as well, but the River Forest Yachting Center is close to Stuart, about ten miles. They will launch you once a month like Glades, but because they are on the east coast and close to Stuart they will be more expensive.

I have cruised that coast a few times and from my perspective, it is more of a city experience than the west coast which is an anchor out experience. From Stuart you can go north to Ft Pierce, Vero Beach, Melbourne. Or to the south to West Palm Beach, Ft Lauderdale and Miami Beach.

For a week plus vacation, the upper keys just south of Miami have some nice places: No Name Key on Key Biscayne, Coconut Grove across the bay, Key Largo and Islamorada. You can make it to Marathon and Key West if you want to, but that is more easily reached from the west coast.

David
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