Doing the Florida Loop

[RWS]

Going to run the Florida Loop next month.

Port Charlotte - Marco Island - Marathon - Key Largo - Miami - Ft Lauderdale - Palm Beach - Stuart - Indiantown - Sweetwater - Boca Grande - Port Charlotte

Tips or suggestions are appreciated.

BEST !

RWS

 

[PascalG]

I did it years ago but the other way. Check for lock closures on the OWW although usually by august there shouldn’t be any.

One of my favorite stop was the Rod and Gun club in everglades city, one of the oldest hotels in sofl.

Marathon isn’t that great unless you like trailer parks The recently reopened Faro Blanco is probably your best bet

Avoid passing thru Miami on a week end, too many idiots on the water. When going thru Miami, make sure you leave your fenders dangling in the water if you want blend in.

If you ve never run the ICW in sofl it s worth doing it instead of going outside. Lots of bridges but their timing is well synchronized

I like the OWW. Both the Indiantown inn and the Clewiston Inn are nice old places for lunch or dinner. Clewiston inn is within walking distance of Roland Martin Marina which it self has a decent outdoor restaurant

 

[RWS]

Thanks Pascal,

I was highly impressed watching your first sped-up video posted here many years ago of your east coast trip.

Not in the Hatt, but that other larger vessel you captain.

Wonder If I should consider purchasing/mounting a camera forward to memorialize this trip?

Any suggestions?

Comments appreciated !!

BEST !

RWS
P.S. Do you still have the sand bar hopper website?

 

[boatbum]

Indiantown? Not on my list. I'd vote to skip that and head to Roland Martin unless you know folks at Indiantown. Nothing much at either stop as I recall. I will say the Seminole Inn at Indiantown had a good (Sunday ?) brunch. The marina? Well, we were stuck there because of faulty workmanship on our propshafts etc.. It was funny. People would gather on Friday for happy hour and sing the eagles song Hotel California (you can check out but you can never leave because your boat was stuck waiting for them to work on it).
Roland Martin? Red neck music and you know you are in deep with mosquitos when they have bug spray in the condiment baskets on the tables. I don't know if Moore Haven has picked up but we used to stop in there because it was cheap. First come first served.

 

[RWS]

OWW stops were chosen based on travel times and the unitability of marinas as we approach Ft Myers as a result of HURRICANE IAN.

Have chosen not to bring the dink & motor for this trip - will overnight in Marinas and "Have Dog, Will Travel" keeps our daily travel legs to shorter rather than longer.

Will experience the "High Life" over on the east coast, the OWW stops are strictly for convenience and scheduling.

BEST !

RWS

 

[PascalG]

Thanks Pascal,

I was highly impressed watching your first sped-up video posted here many years ago of your east coast trip.

Not in the Hatt, but that other larger vessel you captain.

Wonder If I should consider purchasing/mounting a camera forward to memorialize this trip?

Any suggestions?

Comments appreciated !!

BEST !

RWS
P.S. Do you still have the sand bar hopper website?

That was a long time ago! 2009 thru 2013 I think, live webcam at the helm of the 70 footer I ran back then.

I stopped using it when the boat stopped going up north for the summer as video of sofl and the Bahamas weren’t as interesting from the small cam perspective. I still have the domain sandbarhopper but not the website.

Nowadays I have set up a Garmin DashCam in the pilot house of the 116 I run. It s CYA thing considering how crazy the waterways have become in sofl but occasionally I save whatever interesting footage I get.