Punta Gorda Waterfront – Click for Chartview

During my recently completed speaking/research tour of the Western Florida coastline, I was asked to meet with “Team Punta Gorda” and discuss ideas about how this attractive community, already A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR, can become an even more popular port of call for the cruising community. This was a follow-up meeting to one I had some time ago with the same group. The excellent give and take produced some great new ideas, as you will see in the newspaper story below:

Good article and good suggestions from Claiborne. It is great to see a city put out the welcome mat, and realize that they will benefit from being friendly to boaters. However, for us sailors it is too bad the 45-foot bridges block us from the mooring field area and heading further up the river, and south of the bridge is quite shallow quite far out. I have read reports that the bridges may actually offer as little as 42 feet of clearance.
John Kettlewell

John you are correct in that the bridge clearance is 42 ft. They picked the wrong spot for the mooring field. But otherwise Punta Gorda is the best. I have been going there since 2002 with my trailerable Rhodes 22 and it was too good to be true. Unknown, uncrowded, unspoiled and welcoming. I fear that now it is being discovered. Ironically, now that I have `upgraded’ to a Catalina 310 I can no longer go down there from South GA’¦at least until I retire!
Bob Keller

I’m curious about the bridge clearance. They are marked on the charts as 45 feet. Has there been a Notice to Mariners on the actual height? It makes a difference to me as I can just squeak under 45, but I doubt I could make 42. Anybody know if there is a height gauge at the bridges showing clearance based on water level?
John Kettlewell

Yes, there is a sign board at the fenders for the central channel. The board indicates that the clearance is 45 feet or a bit more for at least some tides. I recall seeing the board reading 46 feet when we went through there with a dinghy a couple of weeks ago. We need 60 feet for our sailboat, so I cannot say that the sign boards are correct, or that they meet the usual standard of clearance at mean high tide.
Gene Fuller

We fully endorse Punta Gorda as a great destination for trawler cruisers based on month long stays during the past 2 winters. The Laishley Municipal Marina is a great place with wonderful friendly staff, great docks and easy access to shopping for provisions and almost all necessary items with West Marine & others within easy biking distance. The bike trails, restaurants, entertainment, Gilchrist Park and clean, well cared for community near the water makes for a great place to spend time.
Charlotte Maki