Scott here. This may sound very familiar, so don’t go scrolling back to see what I wrote the other day!!

Initial Plan
Date: November 17, 2023
Route name in Aqua Maps: TD: 11/15/23 (Clearwater Beach to Palmetto)
Nebo Link: Click here
Crew: Captain Scott, 1st Mate Rita, & K9 Jazzy
Start at: 8:30 am
End at: 3:00 pm
Total Time: 6:26 hours (5:26 travel time plus 30 min for fueling & 30 min for no wake zones)
Distance: 48.9 miles
Fuel Plan: 24 gallons

Hazards for the day
Shoaling throughout various areas of the marked channel. Just pay attention!

We are going to try this again! It is time to leave! We will be leaving this marina and going directly to the Municipal Marina for fuel and a pump-out. That should get us to the Fort Meyers area for our next fueling, water, and pump-out.

Our primary plan has us running the outside from John’s Pass Inlet to the entrance to the Bay of Tampa Bay (it is just called “Tampa Bay”, but I didn’t want to confuse anyone.) It appears we can just cut across the Bay as the depths look like 15-21 feet. But, we will probably just stay in the channel and go a couple of extra miles to play it safe. We will go out of the channel as we get closer to Snead Island that is in the city of Palmetto and on the Manatee River. That should be our home this evening.

We have an alternate route planned to keep us on the inside on the GIWW (remember that means Gulf Intercoastal Waterway). Going outside should be less stressful and avoid the No Wake zones.

Our biggest change with waiting out the weather for two days is on Saturday. I think we will run back to the outside at the Bay of Tampa Bay to the Charlotte Harbor Inlet near Boca Grande. Then head inside to St. James City near Sanibel Island. I want to go inside there as we have the option to stop at a couple of other anchorages in case we are tired and want to stop a little earlier than planned.

Of course, I will let you know how it goes tomorrow night!