I could not possibly agree more with the crew of sailing vessel “Endeavor” in their positive comments below regarding the village of Boca Grande, on Gasparilla Island. Some of our very happiest times have been spent here, and the Boca Grande experience is highly recommended by this writer.
I have also noticed the increasingly thin water in the entrance channel before (see below). For some time now, the owner of Boca Grande Marina has been willing to fork over the necessary cash to have this passage dredged. So far, the permits have not been forthcoming.
Pay close attention to the entrance channel’s nav. directions below. They synchorize exactly with my own findings as to how to keep to the best depths possible.

Subject: Boca Grand entrance
Cruising News: Boca Grand is always a very nice place to visit, even during the very hot and humid summer season. Unfortunately many places are shut down for the summer, but there is still enough happening to make it it a good visit. Loose Caboose is always open and so is South Beach and the Pink Elephant. All excellent places with very nice folks (especially Loose Caboose with the owner/cook who advised us on open bars).
Regarding the cruising news: the entrance is a bit tight. We had a + 0.7″ tide upon entrance (no wind) and had the depth gauge beeping at us for a while when encountering depths of <5′. It never went below 4.7′, but still very scary. The worst part is beyond channel marker “7”. I later found out that you have to stay very close to the concrete seawall. I ran the stretch a few times with a handheld depth gauge and found the deepest stretch about 9′ from the seawall and pretty much straight down from channel marker “7”. If you follow that course, you should not encounter less than 5.5′ at MLLW. The anchorage is around 7′ or better, but it is very crowded with derelict boats. You can still find a spot to anchor, but 2 lines to the mangroves and a stern anchor is required.
Even though it is a bit of a challenge, it is still highly recommended!
S/V Endeavor

Click Here For The Cruisers’ Net’s Western Florida Marina Directory Listing For Boca Grande Marina