Big Bend Local Knowledge?

[Mike Turner]

My wife and I are planning to move our Lazyjack 32 schooner from Hudson, FL to Mobile Bay. I'm looking for some local knowledge on the route, particularly Florida's Big Bend. We're planning to stick close to the coast in 30-40 mile legs per day - we don't want to do the direct sail to Carrabelle due to our limited overnighting experience.

I've got all the charts and Young's and Rhodes' cruising guides; what I'm most interested in are any locations to avoid do to hazards, particularly depths, rocks and currents. The boat draws 2'10" with the centerboard up so we've got some options that deeper draft boats might not have. I'll have the tide tables for locations along the route. We hope to do some nights on the hook and some at marinas.

The tentative route, with alternates in parentheses, is:

- Hudson to Withlacoochee (alternates Homosassa River, Crystal River)
- Withlacoochee to Cedar Keys
- Cedar Keys to Steinhatchee (alternate Suwannee River)
- Steinhatchee to St Marks
- St Marks to Carrabelle (alternate Dog Island)
- Carrabelle to Apalachicola

At Apalachicola we'll enter the ICW and go on to Panama City, Fort Walton Beach, Pensacola, Pirates Cove/Ingram Bayou and home.

Any suggestions for locations not mentioned are also appreciated. I want to be prepared with basic information for alternates all along the route in case of weather, mechanical or other problems. We have about 3 weeks available to make the trip which should be more than enough.

Thanks in advance!

[Architeuthis]

I've been to some of those areas but with less than 3' draft you will have many more options than we did, including leaving the channel when the tow and you are headed for the same corner.

The only tip I can think of is to not fear the crossing just wait for the best weather, then it is a hop across the pond but with such little draft you might be able to completely avoid any significant hop. After learning the hard way we waited a week for nice weather.

[bobbarnett]

You shouldn't have any problems. Pick a good weather window and make an overnight the run from Clearwater to Apalachicola. Check on the status of Goverment Cut before you try it. It is pretty bad to shoal up. You can always go around the east end of George Island. From there to Mobile you can stay inside assuming your mast height is less than 50'. There are a lot of nice marinas and great anchorages along the way that you will enjoy. It should be a fun trip.

If you need more information contact me direct @ bob@struct-engr.com.

[Mechsmith]

The Withlacootchie is a long ways in. (6 miles in channel from the gulf to the mouth). Shorter for overnight would be the greenway, (Cross Florida Barge Canal) which is very sheltered and has a boat ramp and ranger station. Resupply would be a fair walk though from either place. However Yankeetown and Inglis are pleasant places to visit. Well marked but a bit confusing as there are three branching channels.

A plus for a beginner is that you can see either the stacks at Anclote or the cooling towers at Yankeetown for the whole 50 miles making it a piloting rather than a navigational event.

[Mike Turner]

Originally Posted by Mechsmith

The Withlacootchie is a long ways in. (6 miles in channel from the gulf to the mouth). Shorter for overnight would be the greenway, (Cross Florida Barge Canal) which is very sheltered and has a boat ramp and ranger station. Resupply would be a fair walk though from either place. However Yankeetown and Inglis are pleasant places to visit. Well marked but a bit confusing as there are three branching channels.

A plus for a beginner is that you can see either the stacks at Anclote or the cooling towers at Yankeetown for the whole 50 miles making it a piloting rather than a navigational event.

How far in is it to the greenway? I see it on the chart, didn't know there was anything up there.

Great tip re: the stacks, I've seen the ones at Anclote. Thanks for both tips.

I think I've got the wife leaning with me now towards doing the overnight up to Carrabelle/Apalachicola, less chance of weather closing in in a 30 hour direct sail versus 5-7 days hugging the coast. But still evaluating.

[Mechsmith]

At the Greenway the canal was finished up to about the first lock at Ingliss. You would spend the night in the canal near the bridge. (US 41) If you pick up the channel from the Gulf the canal to the power plant goes off to the right and the channel to the Withlacoochie goes off to the left. Probably two to three miles closer to the open gulf than the river.

Check your charts, it's well marked but there is quite a lot of skinny water. They didn't put the daymarks close together because they had extra posts to use up . (:-)