Destination Sarasota

Sarasota Florida is my pick as “The Best” destination for boating and winter escape.
I know this is a bold statement and I may be somewhat biased as I’ve been coming here regularly since I was a kid in the early 70’s.
Attachment 79054

We did give the rest of Florida a fair shake. 3 years ago we brought our boat down and stayed in Sebring for 3+ months. Every weekend we picked a new spot to check out and try to top. Sebastian/Ft Pierce, Ft Myers, Miami, Charlotte Harbor, Clearwater and of course the Keys. We also did several inland lakes and waterways. It was a good base as we were less than 1hr from either coast and a few minutes from Lake June which served as our fresh water flush and trailer rinse location.

For the race fans and wanna-bes like me this area is a hot bed for boat racers. There has to be more race teams per square mile than anywhere else. Ryan Beckly, Grants Signature Rigging, The Hulk, ScottFree Racing, Broadco Cat 5, and more.

We stopped by Ryan’s Kinetic Animation Shop unannounced or invited hoping for a quick peak at some race boats. Knowing how busy they would be getting ready for the KW race. Not only did they drop what they were doing and opened up the shop doors for us to take some pictures, Ryan was happy to talk with us as long as we wanted somehow remembered us from attending his annual NY Day Fun Run. We didn’t keep them for too long.
Attachment 79055

Still Crazy was also in his shop as well as a friend from Ohio's Formula.Attachment 79056

The 10th Street Ramp is where the pits are set up during race week. It’s a great facility but does get busy on the weekends. I had been watching the bay and ramp all week hoping to catch someone testing and scored when the brand new Talbot boat was making their maiden voyage at well over 100mph.
Attachment 79057

As I sit here this morning drinking coffee and typing this I hear something w/big power running the bay now. I am a few miles inland. Might be missing someone’s testing…

Sarasota Bay is great boating. Numerous boat accessible restaurants Like O’Learys Tiki Bar and Marina Jack’s are right at the end of Main Street. Plenty of room to air out the boats and 3 passes out to the gorgeous Gulf of Mexico. No Manatee Zones here unless you go South to Venice in the ICW.

Attachment 79058

Other favorites would be Tarpon Point up the Manatee River, The Seafood Shack at Cortez, Salty Dawg and The Bait Shop on New Pass, Mar-Vista and Moore’s on the North end of Longboat Key near the pass.

Attachment 79059

Lido Key has a great park on the South end where you can anchor or beach your boat in white sugar sand with showers and restrooms as well as grills and picnic tables to get out of the sun and take a break. There are numerous sandbars and spoil islands where the locals hang out.
Attachment 79060
Attachment 79061Attachment 79062

If you come down boat less like I did this trip, there are rentals. I rented a Blow Boat last trip and had a blast. Hold down your laughter…
Attachment 79063Attachment 79064

You can take the Le Barge Booze Cruise for 25 bucks and putt around the bay for two hours with a bar tender handing you frozen Margaritas.
Attachment 79065

For a nice meal and sunset cruise, try the Marina Jack II. We did it for our 30th Anniversary a few years back. I think it was like 65 dollars and included a very good meal.

If I keep going, which I could, I'll expect a check from the Chamber of Commerce. This is a great destination in a nutshell.

Love is...

Family has acondo in Sarasota, love it down there.

I know it's mobilemercman's and Pete B's favorite boating area too.

You ever run aground down there? And did you actually sail, or just motor the blowboat around?:toetap05:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ratickle

You ever run aground down there? And did you actually sail, or just motor the blowboat around?:toetap05:

---

Never ran aground there but I know the area better. All the passes are shoaling badly. I ran aground in Cape Coral and Charlotte Harbor 2 times in the same weekend:) Filled my pumps full of sand and had to clean everything out before I could go back to my dock 30 mi away. I've bumped a lot of places over the years... mainly because I'm often in strange waters. Maybe a bad navigator too:)

I knew the Blo Boats would get me some crap! Ha... I just love being on the water but not a good passenger. That was 2 different blow boats. The wheel steering was a 30 Catalina and the tiller boat was a 20ft daysailer rented out of Marina Jacks. We only motor out of the docks. Just don't go if no wind. No fun if you can't get "tippy"!

I'd love to encourage our other members to write about their favorite boating destinations. I'm always looking for "greener grass" to explore. I've worked hard at beating Sarasota Bradenton area and still looking.

Well, if you drag a boat all the way to California, the San Francisco Bay and the islands out by Catalina are both really sweet places to boat.

I used to own a Hobie Cat, but I'm not sure that can actually be called leisure sailing. It was modified for speed, and was crazy fast....

I'd love to get out in the Pacific or the Bay on something other than an aircraft carrier. :)
The boat I'm delivering will have the engines and drives in the truck bed. 33AVS. Going right by HavaZoo too.

Did you go out and back? Anything fun, or just driving?

We had an excellent vacation errr... business trip on the boat delivery!
Made 500 mi each way to NJ and back in one long day.
Loaded boat on new trailer and stuffed 2 540s and drives in the bed and went home to sleep in our own bed. Headed west via the southern route I40 to avoid the snow but still spent most of a day in NM stuck in snow storm/traffic jam. (3in LOL)

Delivered boat in Garden Hill? CA near SF Bay area. Work over and vacation on.

Hopped over the mountain to Monteray Bay and hung out for the day/night then drove 120 plus down the Coastal Highway throught Big Sur. Amazing.
Then over the see the "Big Trees" at Sierra Nat Park. Amazing.
Grand Canyon was to be next but it looked cold and the truck kept pulling to the south so we went to Lake Havasu. Amazing.
Up to the Big Ditch the next day when it was warmer. I'd seen it as a kid in the early 70s but... Amazing.
Back on I40 heading home and the truck (and wife) started pulling south again so we went down through Phoenix. Cactus corn fields! Everywhere... Amazing.
Down through Tuscon as thoughts of San Antonio faded with Turkey Day approaching, and our goal of spending all our customers money on the way home also growing near, we cut up through White Sands NM. Amazing again. You can see it from Google earth. White spot in the middle of rocks. Kids were sled riding on the dunes in shorts. They plow the roads like snow.
I have lots of boring pics.

3k miles out and 4k plus getting home. Looked like a heart beat zig and zagging up and down.

I was tempted to start a Destination Lake Havasu thread. It was very nice but, I have more questions than information to report. I'd go there again but 2k mi sux. Lots of cool boats though. Everywhere but on the water. It was Friday afternoon/evening but only saw a couple on the water. On trailers EVERYWHERE!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ratickle

. It was modified for speed, and was crazy fast....

---

And could probably pitch pole with the best of them too...... Had one when Iwas 13. All summer, I was headed out when the sun came up and getting back when the sun went down day in nd day out.