Harney Point - Click for Chartview

Well, thanks to Captain Jeff Moore, we may have just uncovered a real Western Florida “anchorage find” near the city of Fort Myers, and on the Caloosahatchee River’s shoreline. Bikini Basin is not named on most charts, but it is located south and west of Cape Coral fixed bridge and almost due west of Okeechobee marker #70.
Based on Captain Moore’s comments below, this is not the most navigationally simple anchorage on the Western Florida coastline, but it sounds like it may be one of the most secure! If anyone else has anchored on these waters, PLEASE let us hear from you. Use the “Click Here to Comment on This Posting/Marina/Anchorage/Bridge” link below, or send e-mail directly to CruisersNet@triad.twcbc.com.

A great anchorage in Cape Coral, Florida is in Bikini Basin, inside Harney Point and a few yards down river from marker 70 in the OWW. Unlike Bimini Basin there is no power line guarding the entrance to the anchorage. There is only room for a few boats (3 or 4 at most) but since it appears on no lists of anchorages there is rarely anyone there. I live on Bikini Basin and regularly take my Westsail 42, OSPREY, 5’8’³ draft, in and out at mid-tide rising. The holding is sand and mud. Wind protection is 360 deg.
Enter the rim canal to the north between mkrs. 1 and 2 a few hundred yards down-river from OWW mkr 70. When the channel forks, take the right fork and hug the green side until you are at Harney point. From there on split the reds and greens until you are abeam the first channel to port and head to port, into the channel. Anchor in the middle. There is no place to dinghy to shore as the basin is surrounded by private property. I have anchored there hundreds of times, waiting for the tide to rise enough to get over the sand bar at the entrance to my slip at the end of the basin. BTW, if coming down-river from Ft. Myers, Don’t be seduced by the first channel to stbd., that parallels the Cape Coral Bridge on the down-river side. It’s 3 ft. deep at MLW.
Jeff Moore

After further thought, I would replace the mid-tide rising comment with “1.0 ft. above MLW with a 5’8″ draft, when wind is not a factor.” A strong wind with any north or west in it drains the basin significantly.
Jeff

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Harney Point