Trip down West coast to Lower Matecumbe Key

[g0tagrip]

Well guys the trip from Panama City Beach FL to Lower Matacumbe Key went as well as I had hoped. Took the Marlin 300 all the way, boat ran great, got textbook fuel flows. We went from PCB to Apalachicola on day one, stayed at the Water Street Marina. Tried to go out Government Cut the next day but the seas were too much so we went ICW to Carrabelle. Spent the rest of the day there at the Moorings Marina in Carrabelle and left the next morning for the run across the Big Bend to Clearwater. Spent that night at Clearwater Beach Municipal Marina. The next day we ran down the beach to Marco Island and stayed at the Rose Marina. Next day we made the run around Cape Sable across Florida Bay out Channel 5 bridge on Long Key up Hawks channel to Lower Matecumbe Key. We had a nice rental place on a canal where we parked the boat. Stayed there 1 month and started the trek back on 22 Feb. Return route was to Sanibel Island for the first night, then up to Longboat Key Club Moorings Marina. Got caught in bad weather there spent 5 nights waiting for the winds and seas to die down. Never happened. Had to run the ICW to Dunedin, Marker One marina. Left the boat there in dry storage while a good friend came and picked us up. Waited for a weather window but gave up last week and went down with a big truck and trailer and dragged the boat back to PCB. Luckily that worked out without any glitches, but I was pretty uptight the whole road trip back. I had never dragged a boat that big down the highway before. If I had it to do over again I would wait until April to make the trip to avoid the winds. It was pretty windy the month were were down there and fishing was difficult in 6 foot seas. I recommend the trip except for having to cut it short at Dunedin on the way back. By the way the marinas we stayed at were all top notch. The folks at the Moorings Marina in Carrabelle, Marker One in Dunedin, and the Rose Marina in Marco Island were really good people. Longboat was classy although expensive, as was Sanibel Island. All in all the it was one item on my bucket list to check off. Great fun!

 

[magicalbill]

Sounds like a great time.

I have been to a few of your trip points separately, but never ran the whole distance between.

Couple questions..
1.) How long does it take to run from Carabelle to Clearwater? I know that is open water.
2.) Ditto for the distance from Marco to Channel #5?

You may not remember, but I asked you a couple of lift waxing questions last year when I was contemplating moving to Fla. and would have my Gulfstream on a lift.
In any case, glad you had a good trip and I feel your pain concerning the winds. We go to the Marathon/Duck Key area every January and it blows almost the whole time.

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

I have always wanted to do this trip and have done portions of it...some by power boat and I have kayaked a big section of the 10,000 Islands. I have run my boat from Flamingo to Bahia Honda as well. The early summer is perhaps the most ideal time to be in the Keys in my opinion as the winds typically lay down and the storms are not so bad in the afternoon.

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

I have always wanted to do this trip and have done portions of it...some by power boat and I have kayaked a big section of the 10,000 Islands. I have run my boat from Flamingo to Bahia Honda as well. The early summer is perhaps the most ideal time to be in the Keys in my opinion as the winds typically lay down and the storms are not so bad in the afternoon.

 

[g0tagrip]

The trip from Carrabelle to Clearwater was 7.7 hours, but I had to run North East out of Dog Island to avoid the heavy sea in the middle of the Big Bend. So my route was not direct. Once we got about 15 miles NE of Dog Island I cut across toward Cedar Key until the seas were behind us then ran South East to Clearwater.
The run to Marco Island from Clearwater was 6.9 hours. We ran directly down the beach. From Marco Island to Lower Matecumbe Key was 4.9 hours, but it was rough around Cape Ramano and Cape Sable, we did not make good time until we got to the tip of Cape Sable then it was an easy run across Florida to Channel 5 and out into the Atlantic.
My Marlin runs best long range cruise at 4100 Rpm, and in good seas gives me 25+ knots.
Hope that answers your questions.

 

[magicalbill]

Indeed it did; Thanks. That had to have been one heck of a trip. Glad the Marlin delivered.