During our trips to the Steinhatchee River, Sea Had has always seemed to us to be the most welcoming spot for cruising size craft.

We greatly enjoyed Sea Hag Marina close to the mouth of the Steinhatchee River. I am not sure if they allow liveaboards or not.
They had a nice laid back attitude . A lot of small charter fishing boats go out from from there and it was fun watching the fishermen come in, in the evenings with their catches. It seemed like the whole town would gather at the fish cleaning stations to check out the catches .
Glenn & Joanne Dean
River Rats

I would guess , that Sea Hag has about 50 to a 100 wet slips . They can accommodate deeper draft boats on the ends of their docks.
The person who said there’s not a lot to do is right. Its a small community , in the middle of nowhere. If you are looking for a lot of action , you would get bored pretty quick. But that’s what we liked about it, was its small town atmosphere .
Glenn & Joanne Dean
River Rats

Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s Western Florida Marina Directory Listing For Sea Hag Marina

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of Sea Hag Marina

Sea Hag is really the only marina on the Steinhatchee River that is really geared towards cruising craft 34 feet and larger.

NEW FUELING SYSTEM ‘“ Sea Hag Marina now has fueling on the entire first T-Dock! THis allow for fueling at the channels edge where most of the large transients tie up.
Danielle Norwood

Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s Western Florida Marina Directory Listing For Sea Hag Marina

The messages below have been copied from the AGLCA mail list. Captain Tom gives some very good advice about crossing the “waterwayless” Big Bend region of the Sunshine State, particularly his note about lower than normal tides during the fall months. Some of the other messages reproduced below give very specific info concerning some of the Big Bend rivers and ports of call. There is a wealth of good data in these notes, which is worth the attention of anyone planning on cruising these waters.

There are some good points made recently on crossing the Gulf and going around the Big Bend. Bob Stone has said it very well. One thing to not forget is that come October and November, the “winter tides” set in as the prevailing winds shift from the northeast and blow the Big Bend channels and the Panhandle dry. This is typically 1-2 feet below the charted low water level. High tides are essential for going in or out of channels and those are 14 hours apart when the daylight hours are less. My fellow Loopers aren’t mentioning what month they were successful in using these Big Bend channels, but today would be an excellent choice.
The folks at St. Marks may not agree that they are a good spot to be in a hurricane storm, even a small one. They certainly got beat up a few years ago. Most of the town was flooded as were the docks.
More as the typical “crossing time” approaches,
Meanwhile, stay safe,
Tom

Our boat draws five feet and we have been to Steinhatchie and Cedar Key. We need one foot above low tide to clear the Steinhatchee channel. The floating green channel marker is in the area of least depth. There was only one floating marker in the channel. The others were fixed.
We can not access Cedar Key via the North West channel. It has shoaled in. The Main Ship Channel is deep enough for us to access Cedar Key. Pay close attention to Skipper Bob’s directions for the Main Ship channel as you converge on the North West channel.
Suggest mid tide or better for both locations.
Jim & Pam Shipp
aboard Silver Boots

We will hopefully be crossing around November 7th. We draft 3′ 6″, but are still concerned about the depths if we take the big bend route. We would also like to do the crossing with someone else. We will be on our 3rd leg of a half loop (left from Illinois and will end up in South Carolina. Our 43ft. Wellcraft San Removed is currently at Demopolis Yacht Basin ready to depart on October 31st. We would love to meet up with anyone going that way. We plan on reaching Apalachicola by the following weekend for the seafood festival.
Jenny

Can only speak for St. Marks. After you cross the center chanel, go north through 63 buoys (approximately 7 miles). The St. Marks River is well marked and maintained by the CG. The CG keeps it dredged to 10 or 12 feet (up to buoy 63). There are 4 tides a day and are usually in the 1.5 feet range. Both Lynns Marina and Shields Marina are friendly and can dock your vessel. Just up the Wakulla River is the St. Marks Yacht Club and Shell Island Fish Camp. Shell Island Fish Camp is too shallow for your draft. It is an easier walk from Shields to a small store and 2 restaurants. 4.5′ draft is no problem. Both Marinas & the Yacht Club are good places to get out of a Gulf storm.
Good luck.
Douglas

We made this run with no problems in a boat that only goes 15 knots (but it’s bigger) and there’s nothing particular about doing it Northbound. You do want to arrive in daylight though.
Use PassageWeather – http://passageweather.com/ and click to get the Gulf of Mexico graphical forecasts, then scroll down to the bottom of the page to the wave height forecast and click “animate” so ti will show forecast wave heights for up to one week out, by segments of the days. I have found it to be better than NOAA or other weather sites for Gulf wave height forecasts.
Doug

I have said it before, and will probably say it many times again. If you get six veteran Western Florida cruisers together, they will express seven different opinions about the best way to cross the Sunshine State’s waterwayless “Big Bend” region. There are two basic strategies. You can cut the corner and head straight for Carrabelle or Panama City (if you are northbound), or for Anclote Key and Tarpon Springs (if you are southbound), OR follow the coastline around as it curves, staying well offshore. The advantage of the “corner cutting” route is that it’s shorter, and the “Big Bend Route” allows you to duck into one of the coastal rivers if the weather turns nasty. However, all of the Big Bend rivers have shallow, sometimes tortuous entrance channels.
Few know these waters better than Captain Alan Lloyd, so I’ve copied his note below from the AGLCA mailing list.

I would not wish make a 180 mile run across open water in a 25 foot boat. For one thing, I could not be certain the weather would be consistent all the way across. As a minimum, I would make an intermediate stop at Steinhatchee. A second option would be stops at Crystal River and Steinhatchee. Although a 20 mile side trip, Crystal River is a popular stop for loopers and manatees! A third option is a stop at Suwannee River. This is halfway between Tarpon Springs and Carrabelle. Loopers do not normally include Suawannee River since the entrance is too shallow but I believe a C-Dory could make it in and then enjoy 20 miles up river to Springs State Park. I have made this crossing three times using each of the above options.
Alan Lloyd
Author, Great Loop Navigation Notes

I’ve only crossed once, and going south ‘“ but we made the crossing in a 23’ 5’ cuddy-walkaround with a single 225 HP outboard with a WOT top speed of ~35-37MPH. It was at the end of June (2008) and indeed, we ran into
weather. Weather bad enough to cause us to look for a safe harbor; and we found one that no one ever talks about or mentions ‘“ Horseshoe Beach. Luckily, we worked our way there with sufficient tide to navigate the
channel in a skinny part of the Gulf. A call to `anyone familiar with the Horseshoe Beach channel’ gave us the confidence to run the channel after a Sea Tow operator answered our call.
Aside from what Alan mentioned, and Horseshoe Beach at higher tide, I know of no alternatives for a safe haven. (There’s the Withlacoochee River, but that’s not too far north of your departure and near Crystal River.) Since
the storm we tried to avoid gave us some warning, we were already trying to stay closer to shore than originally planned.
Our crossing was fine without the storm and many similar size boats make it easily. That doesn’t mean that you may not want to stop and smell the roses. It’s just those darn storms and sometimes higher winds that require
vigilance and good risk management skills are in order.
Stats and info from log: (We only went from Carrabelle, to my home inHudson Florida.)

‘¢ Total mile run expected to cross the Gulf, (slip-to-slip)
o 170
‘¢ Total miles to actually cross the Gulf to the Sea Pines channel marker #1
o 188
‘¢ Total elapsed hours from Carrabelle, through Horseshoe Beach, to mooring
at Hudson public
docks
o 11 ½, including about a 2-hour layover in Horseshoe Beach
‘¢ Average underway speed across the Gulf
o 20.8 statute MPH (18.1 knots)
‘¢ Total gallons of fuel to top off the tank at the near-completion of our
journey (including
replenishment of the 3 extra gallons we carry for emergencies, and used)
o 99.5 ‘“ the fuel tank holds 101

As you can see, the seas slowed us drastically from the WOT capabilities of the boat. BTW, Horseshoe Beach has virtually no services except a restaurant where we had the best Gulf shrimp I’ve ever had in my life.
Kitty Nicolai

I made this run in Dec 2008 – same direction you’re travelling. Due to sea conditions we had to seek a safe haven. We went into the Steinhatchee River. This is a friendly port as long as you enter and
depart in daylight. We left Steinhatchee the next day and completed the trip into Appalachicola.
Gary

Tarpon Springs on Dwellable

For those who have never ventured north of Clearwater and Anclote Key on the Western Florida shoreline, be advised there is NO protected intracoastal waterway that serves this section of the Florida coastline. So, to cross this section, a basic choice must be made. You can either cut the corner and head straight for Carrabelle and Dog Island (or Apalachicola, or Panama City), or you can follow the Big Bend coastline around, staying SEVERAL miles offshore to avoid the huge shelf of shallows that extend out into the Gulf’s waters in this region. The former route puts you well out to sea (or “Gulf” in this case), and is often undertaken at night by southbounders to avoid arriving at the crab pot infested waters near Anclote Key after dark. If bad weather threatens, you may be out of luck.
The nearer shore, or, as it’s often called, “Big Bend Route” has the advantage of allowing mariners to duck in to the various rivers which penetrate this section of the Sunshine State’s coastline, but all of these have long, sometimes tortuous entrance channels, and none are what could accurately be described as “deep.”
Get four experienced cruisers together to talk about crossing the Big Bend, and you will get at least five opinions, maybe six. So, in that vein, below is an exchange which originally appeared on the GL (Great Loop) mail list.

You have to run out a few miles off shore before running up and down thecoast but otherwise, no special navigation issues are present. Back in the days before GPS and depth sounders, the long low coast was probably much more difficult to deal with. But with a chart plotter and keeping track of where you are on the charts, there is nothing particularly difficult. Cedar Key was the most complicated area and as long as you took your time and stayed in the channel, it wasn’t too difficult.
St Marks Channel is unlikely to be much help as a bail out point. It’s so far off the route, that it’s almost always closer to turn back or forge ahead. Unless the wind and waves left that as the only reasonable direction to travel, but with it being a daytime crossing, wait for a good weather window and it shouldn’t be a problem. Yes, the weather report isn’t always right, but waiting can minimize the chance of problems and it’s not a sin to turn back if it’s worse than expected.
Lose power off just about any coast and you may be in trouble. Assuming you are running in 6-8 ft of water, and conditions aren’t bad, it should be relatively simple to drop the hook and sort things out without running aground.
Unless you want to do an overnight run (or are fast enough to run to Tarpon Springs during daylight), I highly recommend the coastal route [Big Bend Route] for a nice look at what Florida used to look like before it got overbuilt.
Mike & Tammy
Valhalla II

I agree with you Mike. My boat only drafts three feet but it would not have been difficult with a deeper drafted boat. And, the rivers of the big bend should not be missed in my humble opinion. Steinhatchee (rhymes with bean) and St Marks were beautiful!! If I had to do it again I think I’d pass on Carrabelle and stay in Apalachicola. Something had taken the life/hope out of the people I met in Carrabelle (could have just been an off day for the locals).
Besides that it’s not hard navigating and since I was solo and on a slow boat it made sleeping easier!
Ken

There has been a lively discussion over the past several days on the GL (Great Loop) list about cruising the “Big Bend” section of the Western Florida coastline. If you are not familiar with this region, there is NO intracoastal waterway that serves the Big Bend region. So, if you’re northbound, cruisers must either cut the corner and head straight across the Gulf for Carrabelle/Dog Island or Panama City (to name only two possible Panhandle ports of call), OR follow the coastline as it curves to the west, staying WELL offshore to avoid the broad band of shallows that extends well seaward from this section of the Sunshine State’s coastline. Ask any three cruisers what is the best strategy to cross the Big Bend, and you’ll hear four opinions. So, with that in mind, please peruse what our fellow cruisers are saying below, and join in this discussion by clicking the “Comment on This Posting/Marina/Anchorage/Bridge” link below.

Okay, I need to collective knowledge of the group again. It was invaluable leaving the keys. I’m in St Pete for a few days then river hopping up to Steinhatchee River to do the crossing to Carrabelle.
What is the best weather window and easiest way to do this? I really appreciate the help here!! Thanks!!
Ken

Joanne and I did it a few years ago , but opposite from you . We had anchored out from Carrabelle , Early that morning NOAA was saying the seas would lay down around 12:00 , so we started out in rough seas. As we passed Dog Island , we agreed then, that either the seas would lay down or we would anchor at Dog Island , but we were not going to lose sight of Dog unless we got calm water . Just like NOAA promised the seas laid down at lunch time , to the point it was so calm we we even went on plan for a while , to make up time. Except for the shallow spots , it was smooth sailing . Getting into Steinhatchee and not running aground was quite a job . There was very little water even in the channel. Whole crossing was around 12 hours
Glenn

Sea Hag Marina is an Old Florida style marina [in the village of Steinhatchee on the Steinhatchee River]. In fact the whole community is Old Florida . In the evenings the old men wander down to the marina to see what the fishermen brought in . Its a nice laid back kind of place.
There’s only one anchorage in Steinhatchee and its a small one . We anchored there one night and I being worried about letting out to much rode , didn’t let out enough and we dragged a little .
Our next visit we stayed at Sea Hag .
Glenn

We did it Carrabelle to Cedar, and the next day to Caladesi State Park. First day is a long one, left before down in the fall, but 2nd day was not so bad, time wise.
See you on the Waterways!
Capt. Sterling

Have things changed in the last couple years? When we went in there was a well marked channel with 8′ the whole way in. Don’t remeber what the tide stage was but it’s only around 3′ so unless you hit it at dead low tide or you have a 6’+ draft, it shouldn’t be much of a problem getting in.
We enjoyed our stay at Sea Hag Marina. I would recommend calling ahead as all but the outer slips dry out at low tide.
Mike & Tammy

Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s Western Florida Marina Directory Listing For Sea Hag Marina

Click Here To Open A Chart View Window, Zoomed To the Location of the Steinhatchee River

Cedar Key, not personally my favorite port of call in the Flroida’s Big Bend region, is served by two channels. The Seahorse Key channel makes in from the Gulf of Mexico on a more or less west to east axis. There is an unbelievable “S” turn in this passage, which, even if you know it’s there, can still lead to your keel meeting up with the bottom.
The Northwest Channel, which is subject of Captain Roussel’s note below, is convenient for vessels southbound along the Big Bend coastline, but, as you will see, there has been some shoaling along the way in this passage.

We came out the Cedar Key Northwest Channel on 4/20/10. I believe that it is possible that there has been some additional shoaling. However, this is in a fairly narrow area between markers 20 and 22. I did some sounding from the dinghy the day before and found from the dinghy that the best water was on the `red side’ of the channel as the Dickersons’ found. When we departed I anticipated more depth based on the soundings but `bumped’ while trying to hug the reds. Not sure if I missed a spot in the dinghy or if the winds the night before had lowered the water a bit. We draw about 4’8’³ and the predicted tide was a 2.5′ intermediate high when we left. We spoke to a Sea Tow captain the day before and he said we should not have a problem on a high high, but would only give a maybe on the intermediate high. We confirmed the maybe.
Bill Roussel
Nena II
Island Packet 35

Crystal River is a beautiful body of water to cruise. In addition to the anchorages referred to below by Captain Richter, you can moor at King Bay Marina/Pete’s Pier, in the town of Crystal River.

You’ll love Crystal River. The only tricky part navigation-wise is just at the outer marker, several miles out in the gulf. Low-water depth there can be around 4-4.5 feet. There are other shallow areas, but if you made it past the outer markers, you’ll make it all the way in.
I don’t know about dockage, but there are several popular areas to anchor up near the town. You’ll see the boats anchored, mostly local sailboats. The springs provide tons of cool fresh water that the Manatees and the local divers and snorkelers love. You can easily anchor within swimming distance to some of the springs.
Mark Richter,
Winnie the Pooh,

Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s Western Florida Marina Directory Listing For King Bay Marina/Pete’s Pier

For those who have never before cruised the Big Bend region of Western Florida before (north of Anclote Key and Clearwater, and south of Dog Island and Carrabelle), there is NO protected inland waterway that serves this region. Thus, cruisers, must either follow the coastline around, keeping WELL offshore, or cut the corner and head straight for their destination. Either way, crab pots can be a real problem for cruisers, particularly in the dark.
The question and two answers below are copied from the AGLCA mailing list, and give good info on successfully navigating these wide open (but shallow) waters.

How have the crab pots been recently for those that have crossed during the day?
How about at night? I note that there will not be much of a moon this weekend as it’s waning towards a new moon on wednesday the 16th. Are you using a light to try and spot them?
Also, re you trying to stick closer to the coast by going to R”2″, or just charting a direct line? Seems like when you’re out that far already, the direct course wouldn’t be that different as the wind and waves go.
Any other thoughts or guidance is much appreciated!
Thanks to those that have gone before!
Jim (crossing virgin)

Jim,
We made a direct daylight crossing, Govt Cut in Appalachicola to Clearwater on Nov 14. We found a minimum (from our standards) number of crab pots for about the last 4-6 miles. They were doable. You just have to figure out on which degree heading the crabber set his traps and then “thread the needle” following that heading. In general, the crabbers don’t usually set their traps in more than 40 feet of water and more than 12 miles from the coast (it is too much work for them). However in the Big Bend the water is so shallow all that changes.
Safe Travels,
Fred Clarkson
“Perfect Remedy”

Jim,
We crossed a couple of weeks ago on a direct line from Apalachicola to Clearwater at night and started seeing crabpots about 35 miles out and picked up from there. We left gov cut around 4 PM and arrived at Clearwater around 11am next morning and had to offset our approach due to the sun glare in order to see the crabpots but we made it OK.
Steve Wood
Here and Now
at Cape Haze, Fl

The message below is copied from the AGLCA mail list I concur with the USCG (see below). There are some definite 4-foot MLW soundings IN THE CHANNEL at the Swuannee’s entrance from the Gulf.

I would not recommend entering the Suwannee River. We did it once and ran aground. Another looper ran aground and destroyed his impellers. The entrance is generally about 3 feet with some spots as low as 2.3 feet. See the attachment which USACE says is not to be used for navigation.
_http://pillar.saj.usace.army.mil/Divisions/Operations/Branches/HydroSurvey/survey/06-05
9.pdf_
(http://pillar.saj.usace.army.mil/Divisions/Operations/Branches/HydroSurvey/survey/06-059.pdf)
The ballad of the Suwannee River. The original entrance is marked on the chart as West Pass. Boaters now use a new entrance, known locally as McGriff Pass, and the USACE no longer maintains West Pass. It is now only good for kayaks. It took an Act of Congress, HR1992, to transfer responsibility from West Pass to McGriff Pass formerly known as Wadley Pass. Next followed years of public hearings. The residents of the tranquil village of Suwannee are reluctant to see a concrete jungle like many other parts of Florida. Another group is concerned about damage to fragile sea grass. Friends of sturgeon are worried that dredging will interfere with passage of sturgeon on their way to traditional spawning areas up river, Manatee are on our side. A deeper entrance channel will make it easier for them to migrate upstream each winter. Florida Department of Environmental Protection finally issued a permit in October, 2007. A site has been selected to dispose of the dredged spoil. Plans are now underway to prepare the site prior to actual dredging. Stay tuned!When dredging is complete, the Suwannee River will become the preferred stopover for loopers on the Big Bend. It is exactly halfway between Carrabelle and Tarpon Springs. The river is wide and deep for 20 miles to Manatee Springs State Park. In the meantime, if you want to explore the Suwannee then rent a houseboat from Millers Marina (suwanneehouseboats.com).
Alan Lloyd
Author, Great Loop Navigation Notes
_www.NavigationNotes.com_ (http://www.navigationnotes.com/)

Again, you’ll get differing `opinions’ and experiences, but FWIW’¦
When I was in the planning stages of my ¼ loop (St. Louis to Tarpon), I drove to Coast Guard Station Yankeetown on the Withlacoochee and spoke with the Officer in Charge about the different channels on the Big Bend. (I’m in the CG Aux) He (strongly) recommended avoiding the Suwannee channel(s) altogether and looked at it as best navigated when one has lots of local knowledge. My 23′ boat draws about 3′, much like the 25′ and 27′ patrol boats at Yankeetown, but the Coasties run that AOR (Area of Responsibility) all the time so I thought they were worth listening to. I have property on the Suwannee that I would like to explore by water, but I suppose that means launching my PWC (Sea-Doo) from a local ramp, upriver.
When we made the crossing (June 2008), we had planned to run straight across, but left late from Carrabelle and hit an infamous Florida Summer afternoon thunderstorm. I looked on the GPS and `found’ a little-mentioned port and channel ‘“ Horseshoe Beach, about 18 miles south of Steinhatchee. Luckily it was at higher tide but I called `anyone familiar with the Horseshoe Beach channel’ on the VHF and Sea Tow came back with reassuring advice for running it. There was a marina there ‘“ but closed on Sunday, and closing permanently. There is a local diner ½ block from the water with the best shrimp I’ve had in my life (or maybe we were simply hungry). There are no other significant services and the closest town is not close. I only mention Horseshoe because that seems to be where channel navigation becomes dicey when heading south (though I’ve personally never navigated any other Big Bend channel).
CAPT Rick Rhodes, in his book ‘“ Cruising Guide to Florida’s Big Bend, has more detailed info on these channels and virtually every channel south of Horseshoe ‘“ including private channels. Between his recommendation, a high tide, and VHF calls to Sea Tow or BoatUS, ALL channels seem navigable during the right time of day and/or right time of year. (Gulf waters are departing for the winter’¦) The U.S. Coast Pilot Vol 5, Chapter 5 also has general information to help you make your decision.
Kitty Nicolai

Yesterday we transited to Suwannee River again arriving two hours before high tide and found plenty of water except perhaps just past the entrance to McGriff Channel (this is the only passable channel) where we had only six feet of water. We came in slow but once past the channel its deep and beautiful. Much of our passage was in heavy fog but we could see the crab pots easily and two other small fishing boats on the radar. Seems like a good place to wait out the storm.
Michael & Jana La Porte
m/v SECOND STAR

To my eye, Sea Hag Marina has always appeared to be the best equipped facility for cruising size craft on the Steinhatchee River. Of course, other marinas here do offer transient dockage, but, for my money, Sea Hag is the best choice of the group. Looks like Captains Tom and Mary agree (see below)

We stopped at Sea Hag Marina in late May on our way to Tennessee. We tied up to the first T dock after refueling and had 30 amp power for our 43 Viking DCMY. It was very tight getting into the fuel dock and we would say the marina is really designed to accommodate smaller boats. However the T dock was more than adequate for our needs. We did not find the condition of the docks to be unacceptable. They were not fancy but they were adequate. We had an oil leak on one transmission cooler and had to lay over for a couple nights. The marina staff were very helpful, arranged for the repair and took care of all of our needs. They have a couple of golf carts available for guest use and we took advantage to re-provision at a local market. The staff and people in the marina were friendly and provided a warm reception for us and others. We would go back to Sea Hag if we were in the area.
Tom & Mary on M/V Persistence

Click Here To View the Western Florida Cruisers’ Net Marina Directory Listing For Sea Hag Marina

There are some GOOD cruising tips for cruising the shallow waters of Florida’s Big Bend region in Todd and Branda’s note below. Wise cruisers will take heed!
Also, this is the second time we’ve had word here on the Cruisers’ Net about shallow depths on Cedar Key’s Northwest Channel. Clearly, this is getting to be a marginal passage for all but the shallowest draft vessels.Greetings All,
Just finished up the Gulf crossing this past week, for the 5th time, and wanted to share 2 bits of information.

First off the diesel yesterday at Miller Marine in Apalachicola was $2.75 tax included, that is exactly $2.00 less than we paid at Ft Pierce, FL this time last year. YAHOO!
Second. For those of you thinking of going into Cedar Key, FL be aware of shoaling on the northern route (Northwest Channel) into Cedar Key. We draw 3′-10″ and we bumped over the bottom at mid-tide between Red #22 & Green #21. If in question your best bet would be to go into Cedar Key via the southern route, what they call the “Main Ship Channel”
Todd & Brenda Lanning
Life’s2Short

Sorry to hear that Captain Becky did not have a good experience at Sea Hag Marina. According to my earlier observatons, this was the most appropriate Steinhatchee River facility for cruising size craft. Most of the others were more or less devoted to smaller powercraft.

OK got into Steinhatchee around dusk tied up at Sea Hag..no power on the docks running gen tonight..docks are falling down. Know why you have had no postings about tis area..When we get settled in St. Marks and get back to the house in Keaton Beach..We will drive over here and speak to the Marinas.
Becky

We stopped at Sea Hag Marina in late May on our way to Tennessee. We tied up to the first T dock after refueling and had 30 amp power for our 43 Viking DCMY. It was very tight getting into the fuel dock and we would say the marina is really designed to accommodate smaller boats. However the T dock was more than adequate for our needs. We did not find the condition of the docks to be unacceptable. They were not fancy but they were adequate. We had an oil leak on one transmission cooler and had to lay over for a couple nights. The marina staff were very helpful, arranged for the repair and took care of all of our needs. They have a couple of golf carts available for guest use and we took advantage to re-provision at a local market. The staff and people in the marina were friendly and provided a warm reception for us and others. We would go back to Sea Hag if we were in the area.
Tom & Mary on M/V Persistence

Click Here For The Cruisers’ Net’s Western Florida Marina Directory Listing For Sea Hag Marina

I have copied the discussion below from the Net’s “Ask Your Neighbor” page (/ask_your_neighbor/ask_your_neighbor/), and the AGLCA mailing list.
North of Anclote Key, there is no protected intracoastal waterway along the so-called “Big Bend” region of Florida. Cruisiers have a choice to follow the coastline around to the Panhandle (staying WELL offshore), or cutting the corner and heading directly for Carrabelle, Panama City or some other port of call. The advantage of the so-called Big Bend route is access to the rivers along the way.
However, note that Captain Tug’s vessel (see below) is very shallow draft. Some of the Big Bend rivers featue entrance channels with only 3 to 4 feet of depth (others are deeper). Care must be taken!

My little boat Adventure is too small and too slow to safely make the jump from Carrabelle to Tarpon Springs. Has anyone out there actually cruised along the entire (or at least part of) the Nature Coast? Where are the harbors? Facilities? My boat with her centerboard up draws only 9″ of water. Could I take shelter in a small river or creek? If so, what is the approach like? Does the Nature Coast get pounded really hard by waves from the Gulf?
Thank you for your time.
Tug Buse

We did entire Big Bend twice and made the crossing from Clearwater Beach to Carrabelle once. The best crossing may St. Marks to Steinhatchee, which is about 44 miles of Gulf plus 12 miles of rivers or channels on both ends. Yes, you could anchor in the rivers easily and they twist and turn such that no Gulf waves get in after the first 2 turns or so. We went in a big boat, but the nature coast is really much more suited for smaller boats due to draft and marinas that can’t handle a big boat.
The approaches at the major rivers are well marked and buoyed channels and many of the smaller inlets are marked by “private” bouys maintained by locals. At 9 inches draft, you can go anywhere you want. The rather long river cruises from the gulf to the towns and marinas are very interesting.
Steinhatchee, Crystal River, Yankeetown, etc. all have passable marinas. From Tarpon Springs on South, the marinas are all very nice (and more expensive).
One comment of note: The “Nature Coast” should really be called “The Biting Bug Coast”. There are hoards of “sand gnats” that bite and leave itchy welts. They’re almost unbearable about an hour before sunset and at sunrise. By the time you get to Clearwater Beach and Sarasota, there are NO bugs at all. You can leave your boat open with a light on all night and not attract one bug. If you do that on the nature coast, they’ll drain you dry. Bring a bug net for your bed.
Doug Shuman

Tug,
How little is your boat? I plan a fall cruise in my O’Day DSII from Cedar Key south to ?. Any suggestions for the small boat cruiser?
Phil Capper

Northwest Channel is one of two passages that serve touristy Cedar Key, located in Florida's Big Bend region. There has always been a shallow section of this cut, but it looks as if more shoaling has occurred since I was last there.

The Crystal River is the southernmost of the readily navigable "Big Bend region" streams. It is a beautiful body of water with, as you will see below, at least one good marina, and a fine anchorage.
I copied the text below from the Net's "Ask Your Neighbor" page (/ask_your_neighbor/ask_your_neighbor/), which was, in turn, copied from the AGLCA mailing list.

We'd like to stop at Crystal River for a day on our way down to Sarasota from Mobile, having heard that it's fun to swim with the manatees there.  I understand from a prior thread that the Twin Rivers
Marina is very shallow at the entrance (we draw 4.5 ft.) so where is a good place to stay?  Anchoring out is fine. Has anybody done this?
Advice would be appreciated.
Doug Shuman

We anchored in the Crystal River during our first cruise – see

http://www.jonahs-whale.com/Site/Shake_Down.html

There is a Google map you can zoom into which shows exactly where we anchored. It wasn't manatee season as we were there in mid-summer, but beautiful nonetheless.
Jo Stanton
Jonah's Whale

Twin Rivers Marina is not convenient to the town of Crystal River.  Continue three miles further up Crystal River and you will find a deeper alternative to Twin Rivers Marina, viz., Pete's Pier Marina or Kings Bay  anchorage.   We were there this time last year and arranged for  the dive shop to give us a pontoon tour round Kings Bay to see the  manatee.   Golden Lilly Tug docked at Pete's last month.  They  have a 4' 7" draft and said at low tide the boat was still rocking!
Alan  Lloyd
Great Loop Navigation Notes
_www.NavigationNotes.com_ (http://www.navigationnotes.com/)

There was enough water at Pete's Pier and in Crystal River for our 4.7 draft, however, you need to plan your entrance and departure to be around midtide for Shell Island which is near the mouth of the river. When we came in from the Gulf, [Tow]Boat/US heard us and the 2 other boats we were traveling with on our radios, and told us to wait an hour before navigating into the river at Shell Island. When we left Pete's Pier, we also had to gauge our departure so that we had enough water at Shell Island. [Tow]Boat/US was very helpful for local knowledge.
Barbara Benjamin
Golden Lily – Nordic Tug 42