MacGregorSailors.com

Does anyone sail in this area, and if so, how is it?

I have not sailed there. But I live 50 miles south and have rented a pontoon boat in Crystal River and driven my motorcycle up to Homossasa many times.

Lot of manatees. Water is crystal clear. The place is a little paradise. I suspect you'd have to mostly motor about rather than sail.

I always stop at the Monkey Bar in Homossasa. There is a little island off the bar that has about 3 or so monkeys living on it.

If you are in Crystal River go to the three sisters spring in the morning and you can swim with the manatees in spring water.

I love it up there.

I just spent 2 days in the area. Tried to put in on the Chassowitzka River, a refuge for wildlife. Don't ever try to put in there. The river is very shallow and even at high tide, there are rocks and other obstacles in the water that will ruin your day. I relocated to Bayport, a great place to put in. The dock is feet away from the channel that takes you out into the Gulf. It's about a 3-mile ride (in 3 feet of water in the middle of teh channel) through the channel markers and then, at marker 1, you spill into 8 feet of Gulf water. From there, it's happy sailing. We had very strong winds when I was out, so I couldn't sail. Gusts to 35 or 40 mph, I believe. So, I powered slowly up the Weeki Wachi river to one of my favorite snorkeling/diving spots. People could not believe that I was navigating the shallow river in such a large boat.

To be honest, I won't go up the Weeki Wachi again in my Mac because it just isn't fair to all of the kayakers and canoe-ers. The river is very twisty and the turns are tight and there just isn't room for a Mac AND other boats. I had some damn close calls (and I was traveling with no wake, very slowly). Crystal River is a good spot to put in but if you want to get out into the Gulf for sailing, go to Bayport, south of Chassowitzka which is south of Homossassa which is south of Crystal River. At the Bayport dock, you are on the Gulf.

What was the tide like when you were in the channel at three feet...Not high tide I hope. What would it be like at low tide....Hmmmm.

I'm not sure of the tide. I believe that charts give you the low tide depths (yes, I am ign'ant), and the relevant chart lists about 3 feet. It was in the morning, around 10 a.m., in Bayport, Fla. (State Road 50 dead ends here on the West Coast). The water was clear and boy could I see all of the rocks. I watched where I was going and went slowly, even though I was in the middle of a marked channel...(nonetheless, three feet is abundantly deep for a Mac, as you probably know, with prop fully descended and board up or mostly up).

I am told that north of Tampa, Gulf waters are notoriously shallow. I think the charts comport with that rumor. I even had people telling me not to go because shrimp boats can push you right out of the channel as they come blasting through (which they do to keep on a plane). I think that those stories must apply to another location because I felt pretty safe in the channel that I have described. There is an expensive book on cruising West Florida - you should probably get it if you don't own it already. Let me know if you need the title.

Lloyd,

The book I mentioned is Claiborne S. Young, Cruising Guide to Western Florida (6th ed.). For a complete list of Young's cruising guides, visit www.pelicanpub.com. Apparently, he has written Coastal Charts for Cruising Guide to Western Florida, which, you guessed it, is a cross-referenced companion volume featuring full-color NOAA charts. I don't have that but probably will get it.

Anybody know of a better guide to cruising the Gulf in Western Florida (not the panhandle)?

Chip