ClChnge
Veteran Member
- Joined
- May 18, 2014
- Messages
- 29
- Location
- USA
- Vessel Name
- Cool Change
- Vessel Make
- Wellcraft/Portofino
Been lurking here for years, followed Dauntless, Caribbean Sea Life, and Sylphide among others.
Been boating Lake of the Ozarks over 35 years but this will be my first experience in salt water. Current boat is a Wellcraft Portofino. We are renting a 40' Mainship from SWFY at the end of October for a week.
Excited and apprehensive! I've been looking at a local chart of the area and it appears most of the cruising area in the ICW is 10'! Am I reading this correctly? I can get within 15' of the shore in most places at LOTO and still have 20' under the hull.
We've rented several smaller boats in Florida, center consoles, pontoons, and deck boats, and they've never had a depth sounder on them.
My biggest concern is running aground. I've noticed several members are from this area and would like any info or advice.
My wife and I plan to semi-retire (winters) in this area in 3 years (once the youngest is out of high school). My goal is a trawler in the 40' range so we can spend time cruising the coast, Key West, and Bahamas. I don't plan to cross any oceans like Richard has. We lived aboard our Portofino with both kids for years and are ready to get back to that lifestyle without them . So this is our first step in trawler life. Tried to go to Trawlerfest this past Feb but didn't make. Hoping this year works out if they have one.
SWFY is helping us with an itinerary but would like to hear any "must see" or "don't bother's" from all that have been in this area.
Thanks
T.J.
Been boating Lake of the Ozarks over 35 years but this will be my first experience in salt water. Current boat is a Wellcraft Portofino. We are renting a 40' Mainship from SWFY at the end of October for a week.
Excited and apprehensive! I've been looking at a local chart of the area and it appears most of the cruising area in the ICW is 10'! Am I reading this correctly? I can get within 15' of the shore in most places at LOTO and still have 20' under the hull.
We've rented several smaller boats in Florida, center consoles, pontoons, and deck boats, and they've never had a depth sounder on them.
My biggest concern is running aground. I've noticed several members are from this area and would like any info or advice.
My wife and I plan to semi-retire (winters) in this area in 3 years (once the youngest is out of high school). My goal is a trawler in the 40' range so we can spend time cruising the coast, Key West, and Bahamas. I don't plan to cross any oceans like Richard has. We lived aboard our Portofino with both kids for years and are ready to get back to that lifestyle without them . So this is our first step in trawler life. Tried to go to Trawlerfest this past Feb but didn't make. Hoping this year works out if they have one.
SWFY is helping us with an itinerary but would like to hear any "must see" or "don't bother's" from all that have been in this area.
Thanks
T.J.