Best places to sail the gulf??

hey arch!

gonna pitch the mississippi gulf coast to you...google map the ocean springs/biloxi area. ocean springs has what i would call a purely catamaran yacht club with some really nice people who are members here on this site. you could probably leave your boat there a few days as someones guest and if not then just about anywhere else along hwy 90...there are no private beaches. there are some sweet choices for you...sailing on biloxi bay(semi protected by deer island), up and down hwy 90(~25 miles), around deer island(right next to shore), or sailing in the sound to the barrier islands(horn,east ship,west ship,cat). the barrier islands are about 10 miles off shore with horn being the biggest(13 milesX1.5). the club has a couple great regattas i love(horn island hop,slip to ship) and you can camp on site for free. the coast is covered with casinos and hotels so lodging is not an issue, there are also some nice camping options for the campers in the bunch and the local food is good. we launch out of biloxi next door to the biloxi yacht club(secret spot) at a public launch spot that is barely used(mostly kayakers), you can park you rv for free for weeks, nobody cares! it's a laid back scene with some good history, look up osyc and check out the barrier islands and see if that's what your into...i'll meet you there!(and show you where the good food is at).
cheers! bill.

Edited by coastrat on Dec 03, 2011 - 12:28 AM.

I have lived here in corpus christi now for three years, and i do most of my H16 sailing off mustang Island beach. Last summer I and two other H16s sailed south around the cut[packrey channel] to the Holiday Inn on Padra Island, the beach was a little croweded but no problem. got a margaritta and listend to the band. just another fun day at the beach. what-ya think?

Edited by owneroperator on Dec 03, 2011 - 09:22 AM.

sarasota bay in Florinda is nice and ledo and siesta beach have Very soft sand.

Don't forget the Florida Panhandle....Just a short (4 hr) drive from Biloxi if you go there. Pensacola Beach (Pensacola Bay), Navarre and Fort Walton Beach (Choctawhatchee Bay) are all linked by Santa Rosa Sound where you will find plenty of undeveloped beach and islands to explore. This is the Emerald Coast and its history for cat sailing is very rich and understandably so...protected waters with smooth, white sandy beaches. If you want to get out into the Gulf, access is easy...you can't go far and not see rigged cats sprinkling the beach.

Pensacola is only 2 hours from Ocean Springs/Biloxi...

AS always, I pitch Dunedin fl, (causeway). You can purchase a weekend of mast up storage for $10, nice people, the gulf is 1/2 mile from the causeway, the bay is portected and filled with spoil islands, there is boat traffic in the intracoastal, but as long as you don't cut off a powerboat (or get to close) you are fine.

Oh but the people here are huge ass-hats (kiddin)

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here is a nice vid on biloxi...

KennyB wrote: Pensacola is only 2 hours from Ocean Springs/Biloxi...

True KennyB....sorry, I added Pensacola after I wrote a Ft Walton centric statement....I was also adding some time for the scenic route!!

Try em all and tell us about it. I'd start with a place that doesn't involve launching in surf though. I'm a sucker for beautiful water, so santa rosa sound gets my vote if you have to haul a trailer 1000 miles.

hey arch, where are you driving from?...is it a big factor?

thanks! these all sound wonderful. anything in louisana or texas that anyone has been to?

google hobie fleet 33, i think they are texas city dike location...they have a big active fleet. if you make it to louisiana, might as well do ms gulf coast (right next door ).

coastrat,
my little friends and i are in eastern nebraska, so if we go, it's a fer piece down to the gulf........1,000 miles. we'll need to have good bearings (pun) to make it that far. the idea of steady wind, cajun seafood and long tacks seems very appealing!

jon

ok jon, now were talkin'! biloxi is about 70 miles from new orleans straight across interstate 10...you will want to sail in biloxi and party in new orleans, ms gulf coast has beaches and islands and louisiana is where you fish(much marshlands). google map texas locations and biloxi/new orleans...if they are close enough do the new orleans trip, catch it coming or going to biloxi, you will be glad you did!

matt922 wrote: Try em all and tell us about it. I'd start with a place that doesn't involve launching in surf though.

Sarasota has nice easy launching.

Is there a bad place to sail on the Gulf Coast? I don't think so...

However, I'm very partial to the Florida coast. Up in the panhandle, the beaches are sugary soft and the water a beautiful emerald color. Farther south, it is hard to beat the beautiful white sands from Dunedin, south to Clearwater, Sarasota, and Marco Island. You will not find a more beautiful sunset. Dunedin is very cat friendly, you can drive on the beach and back your trailer right to the water's edge. Caladesi Island, frequently named one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, is right across the bay. Once through the channel, its nothing but smooth sailing (pun intended).

In fact, my avatar pic is from the shore of Dunedin Causeway.

Edited by motivated on Dec 05, 2011 - 05:45 AM.

ok! now i'm getting excited about this!

since it's over 1,000 miles of driving, and $500 gas to bring our boats down, i was wondering, if we flew down to some coastal city, is there anyplace to rent a decent/performance cat? when i travel, it seems liability laws have kept rental shops and marinas from renting anything other than fishing boats or the type of plastic boat where you can't go far enough or fast enough to hurt yourself (not that i WANT to hurt myself, mind you.....) know what i mean?

anyone know of anyplace that speaks our language?

only place I know is Key Sailing in Pensacola... give them a call, their website doesn't list the nice cats they have for rent. great beach, great food, hotels, entertainment all w/in walking distance.... don't look for too many local action, however, most of us think it's getting too cold!

Edited by robpatt on Dec 06, 2011 - 02:28 PM.

lay off the northern gulf coast until april...it's warm here now compared to nebraska, but not that warm...the winds blow in april and its warm enough to go without gear. miami is still warm enough now though. the carribean is sweet this time of the year...hell, i spent one fantastic christmass in jamaica one time, the locals christmass party was a blast!!! don't ask whats in the "mannish water", just eat it, it's great!

Should you go the rental route, here are three places the I know of that rent cats (mostly Hobies) in south Florida:

Holiday Water Sports on Ft. Myers Beach: ( http://www.holidaywatersportsfmb.com/ )

Miami Catamarans ( http://www.MiamiCatamarans.com/ )

Performance Sail and Sport in Melbourne: ( http://www.performancesailandsport.com/ )

Biscayne Bay (Miami) is good sailing and of course the farther south you go the warmer it is.

arch wrote: Verbosity leads to unclear, inarticulate things.
- Dan Quayle, 11/30/88

OMG this is a funny quote!
I used to work with his brother Mike here in Phoenix.

I am planning to move to the Florida Gulf Coast near Sarasota from New Jersey. I sail from the beach here and would like to know the options available in the Sarasota area. I know beach permits are available in Naples; do other beach communities on the gulf have similar programs?

panama city beach.......here i/we come!!
next week (april 8th) i'm delivering the N5.8 i sold last october to the new owner in AL. we're set up in a great condo just across the street from the gulf. five of us are going from nebraska.

thanks for all the advice and tips! it motivated me to make the long drive! :yes:
j

Edited by arch on Apr 03, 2012 - 07:42 PM.

Arch, you picked a truly beautiful place to sail.

hope you don't mind bikinnis!

tyler,
are you on the water yet? maybe we could get together next week if you're interested in sailing together or just giving us some pointers on gulf sailing? we'll there mon-fri. staying at la valencia (west beach). let me know if this sounds like something you'd like to do!
j

Dan, how Long will your stay be? I am considering hauling my boat down there for the weekend

brig_bill wrote: I am planning to move to the Florida Gulf Coast near Sarasota from New Jersey. I sail from the beach here and would like to know the options available in the Sarasota area. I know beach permits are available in Naples; do other beach communities on the gulf have similar programs?

i sail out of sarasota, the Sarasota sailing squadron (www.sarasotasailingsquadron.org) has mast up storage and great launching places to get to the beach

Edited by optikid on Apr 05, 2012 - 08:15 PM.

bacho,
this is 'arch' also known as jon (not dan.) we arrive sat evening (7th) and will probably set up on sun. morning and try to sail in the afternoon. we'll be in PCB the whole week and drive out on sat the 14th.
right now we aren't sure where to put in. i only have rear wheel drive so the sand could get me stuck.

it would be great to sail together but our schedules may not overlap.
my cell is 402.613.5790 which i should have on starting fri. at 6am. call if this works for you.
j