Panama City to Naples

Having just closed on a boat in panama city, fl, we find ourselves wanting to gradually work our way to southwest florida, exploring a bit along the way.

Our plan, which is highly subject to change with the daily whim, is to use the boat, on average, about two to three weeks or so per cruise then be home a few weeks before returning. We would like to find ourselves somewhere in southwest florida well before it gets cold wherever we happen to be. Our tastes tend to lean toward off the beaten path with lots of local color and plenty of seafood. Pipe Dream will be left unattended for two to four weeks between cruises, day sailed or overnighted occasionally then repositioned until we stumble upon our new permanent home. We travel with a medium sized, overly friendly puppy who tends to love everyone and everything except the car. Go figure.

Any recommendations of what to see our where to stay well be greatly appreciated! Our first jump will be from panama city to somewhere near tarpon springs, florida. From there? I'm hoping to learn of our next stop from this thread!

Thanks!

Hi PPandE, I am a Trawler Forum Port Captain here in the PC area and have plenty of experience running from here southward in various vessels. After you leave the Big Bend area, there is no more "off the beaten path" because you are in over populated SOUTH Florida from Tarpon Springs onward. East of here in the "off the beaten path" style of ports are Apalachicola, Carrabelle, St Marks and Steinhatchee. After that, the smallish rivers like the Suwanee are to iffy for a vessel of your size. Cedar Key (DO NOT try the Nortwest channel there if you go in to anchor) has no dockage for transients or indeed for vessels of any size. The Crystal River entrance is 20 miles long or so, but you can get in there. And then there you are at Tarpon Springs. Let me know if I can help out while you are here. 850-596-3824

Thanks Rich, great info. I'll be down next week to move the boat to Dolphin Bay marina and "move in" so to speak. I've got to do all the new home chores, change the oil, plug in the coffee pot, etc. Then spend the rest of this trip exploring and goofing off. I'm kicking around a stop over in Carrabelle before a straight run to Tarpon River. Would have loved to spend some time in Cedar key, really enjoyed my last visit, but without a tender its a pass this time.

Thanks for the offer! I may very well need some help finding the best places to shop in PC!

Ed Butler
931-629-9521

Hit Appalachicola.
Cedar Key for a night or two.
St Petersburg, Ft Myers have good municipal Marina's.

And I thought you were leaving Panama City, Panama and heading to Naples Italy, Got me all excited!

Anyway, its only 320 miles straight shot. 42 hours at 7.5 Knots, Piece of cake!

But seriously, take your time enjoy the new boat, and make a lot of short trips and see the sights, could be a couple week voyage if ya play your cards right!

Cheers

I have heard that leaving a boat unattended in Florida for a week or weeks at a time invites mold. Probably you should explore some mold abatement techniques.

Sounds like a great plan though.

pete

Great suggestions, thanks! Appalachicola will be the first stop, for how long depends on what we find. We’ve done cedar key, stopping over will depend on if we have a tender by then. So maybe I AM dreaming Panama to Italy. Nobody said I couldn’t! Now I’m getting all excited. This trip down the west coast of Florida will probably take about three months, give or take a few. As for the mold, dehumidifier running pretty much all the time.

Thanks all!

PPandE said:

Thanks Rich, great info. I'll be down next week to move the boat to Dolphin Bay marina and "move in" so to speak. I've got to do all the new home chores, change the oil, plug in the coffee pot, etc. Then spend the rest of this trip exploring and goofing off. I'm kicking around a stop over in Carrabelle before a straight run to Tarpon River. Would have loved to spend some time in Cedar key, really enjoyed my last visit, but without a tender its a pass this time.

Thanks for the offer! I may very well need some help finding the best places to shop in PC!

Ed Butler
931-629-9521

Click to expand...

I have a friend with a boat in Dolphin Bay. We are 051 degree magnetic at 8.5 st miles from there. He is going to bring his boat up here to conduct all his routine engine maintenance in the next week or so. He is non-mechanical and hoping I will get tired of watching him fumble about and step in and do it for him. Feel free to cruise on over here if you need to get a short run under your belt - I can watch you too.

For boat shopping I use three places, four if you could the internet. Marine Maintenance, almost walking distance from Dolphin Bay, Home Deposit, and (shudder) West Marine.

Hey rich, I can fumble with the best of em! Get ready to change my oil too! We plan to be moving into slip S11. Have him say hi!

I'm also shopping for a tender of some kind. (Used if I can find something) Something just enough to get on plane with 400lbs of people and dog. Probably a ten or eleven foot rib with a 15-20 hp engine. Probably check out the dnghydavits top mount system (hurley) too.