69. Don Pedro Island Anchorage
Statute Mile 37
Lat/Lon: near 26 51.181 North/082 18.197 West
Location: found on the charted 7-foot waters west-southwest of unlighted daybeacon #4
Minimum Depth: 6-feet
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 40 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: Good
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70. Englewood Beach Anchorage
Statute Mile 43.5
Lat/Lon: near 26 55.191 North/082 21.268 West
Location: will be discovered on the broad ribbon of deep water that stretches southwest, northwest of flashing daybeacon #22 (immediately southeast of the 26-foot bascule bridge)
Minimum Depth: 6-7 feet
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 38 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: very good
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71. Englewood Anchorage
Statute Mile 44.5
Lat/Lon: near 26 56.964 North/082 21.627 West
Location: lies between unlighted daybeacons #25 and #26
Minimum Depth: 5 ½ feet
Swing Room: unlimited
Foul Weather Shelter: fair to poor, not the place to be caught in blustery winds
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Good summer anchorage, usually a good breeze and few bugs as you can anchor away from shore. Adjacent to county park with beach and boat ramp/docks for landing. One mile walk to east is Grocery & Drug store.
72. Venice Anchorage
Statute Mile 58.5
Lat/Lon: near 27 06.642 North/082 27.601 West
Location: found south of unlighted daybeacon #17
Minimum Depth: 7-feet
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 34 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: good
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During cruising season, better get here early. This is a very crowded anchorage and people seem to drop the hook anywhere along the channel. I would not use this if other options exist. We were well secured one night and another boat anchored literally on top of our hook. As the tide turned, he came within inches of our boat several times during the night. Needless to say, it was a derelict craft and captain. Why bother?
73. Venice – Higel Park Anchorage
Statute Mile 58.5
Lat/Lon: near 27 06.509 North/082 27.652 West
Location: will be discovered south of the Venice Yacht Club, opposite the charted southernmost, blunt-ended cove
Minimum Depth: 6-feet
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 34 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: good except in strong eastern winds
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Tight anchorage, keep in mind Venice is the city that had the water Nazi, and is now eliminating the free overnite dockage.
I will go elsewhere to spend my cruising $$’s.
74. Blackburn Bay Anchorage
Statute Mile 61.5
Lat/Lon: near 27 09.240 North/082 28.886 West
Location: found on the waters west of the ICW, between unlighted daybeacons #20 and #21
Minimum Depth: 5-feet
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 50 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: fair to good
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75. Little Sarasota Bay Anchorage
Statute Mile 67
Lat/Lon: near 27 14.122 North/082 31.270 West
Location: will be discovered west of unlighted daybeacon #51
Minimum Depth: 5 ÂÃ’šÃ‚½ feet
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 55 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: fair, somewhat hope to strong eastern and northeastern winds
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76. White Beach Anchorage
Statute Mile 67.5
Lat/Lon: near 27 14.726 North/082 31.567 West
Location: lies south and west of unlighted daybeacon #57
Minimum Depth: 5 ½ feet
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 45 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: good
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77. Roberts Bay Waterway Anchorage
Statute Mile 71
Lat/Lon: near 27 17.243 North/082 32.863 West
Location: lies between unlighted daybeacon #78 and the charted spoil island to the west
Minimum Depth: 5-feet
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 45 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: fair, open to strong northern winds
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78. Roberts Bay – Spoil Island Anchorage
Statute Mile 71
Lat/Lon: near 27 17.232 North/082 33.036 West
Location: found west of the charted “Spoil” island, which itself lies west of unlighted daybeacon #78
Minimum Depth: 4 ÂÃ’šÃ‚½ to 5 feet
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 40 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: good
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79. Siesta Key Bridge East Side Anchorage
Statute Mile 71.5
Lat/Lon: near 27 18.056 North/082 32.429 West
Location: found on the upstream limits of the tadpole shaped cove indenting the easterly banks, just south of the Siesta Key Bridge
Minimum Depth: 4-feet
Swing Room: sufficient swinging room for vessels as large as 34 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: excellent
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80. Siesta Key Bridge West Side Anchorage
Statute Mile 71.5
Lat/Lon: near 27 18.059 North/082 33.180 West
Location: will be discovered at the westerly extreme of the creek and stream running to the west, immediately south of the Siesta Key Bridge
Minimum Depth: 8-feet
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 48 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: excellent
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81. Spoil Anchorage
Statute Mile 72
Lat/Lon: near 27 18.848 North/082 32.523 West
Location: will be discovered on the waters east of the charted “Spoil Area,” east of unlighted daybeacon #3
Minimum Depth: 4-foot approach depths, 5-foot depths in anchorage
Swing Room: NOT recommended for vessels larger than 34 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: fair, open to western and southwestern winds
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82. Big Sarasota Pass Anchorage
Lat/Lon: near 27 18.015 North/082 33.887 West
Location: lies along the western shores of the interior reaches of Big Sarasota Pass inlet, southwest of unlighted daybeacon #15
Minimum Depth: 7-feet
Swing Room: unlimited
Foul Weather Shelter: poor, fair weather, day anchorage only
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83. Otter-Lido Key Anchorage
Lat/Lon: near 27 18.852 North/082 34.353 West
Location: found southwest of unlighted daybeacon #7 (on the approach channel leading to the Sarasota Yacht Club
Minimum Depth: 5-13 feet
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 42 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: excellent
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We anchored here last night and it was very nice. It’s a nice deep anchorage and you can get close to mangroves with out being in the backyards of the beautiful homes. No other boats were here, but loads of kayaker and paddle boards during the daytime. Oh and one tourist boat with palm trees on top cruised thru late afternoon. They took our pic, I took their’s too. We dinghied over to concrete bridge (2nd one) which puts you right on St Armands square which had tons of restaurants and shopping. There is a nice beach nearby as well. Great out of the way spot for a night or two.
The wind in November has forced us to seek some protected anchorages and this is one of them. A distance off the waterway but easy to get to and quite protected from that persistent NE wind.
84. Sarasota Anchorage/Mooring Field
Statute Mile 73
Lat/Lon: near 27 19.834 North/082 32.801 West
Location: found on the waters west and south of Bayfront Park’s hooklike peninsula bordering Marina Operations’ southerly flank
Minimum Depth: 8-12 feet
Special Comment: this long popular anchorage is in the process of being converted to a mooring field under the management of nearby Marina Operations (Marina Jacks)
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 50 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: fair, open to southern and southwestern winds
Waste Pump-out Availability: this anchorage will be converted to a mooring field sometime in the future. In the meantime, there is already a pumpout- boat for the anchorage. Call Marina Jack’s at (941) 365-4232
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I love the mooring field, dink over to O’Learys Tiki Bar and walk to Marina Jacks from there. Short walk to downtown and lots to do there. Marina Jacks has the best showers anywhere, if they only had a pool it would be perfect.
85. Golden Gate Point Anchorage
Statute Mile 73
Lat/Lon: near 27 20.056 North/082 33.145 West
Location: lies on the charted 12-foot waters west of Golden Gate Point
Minimum Depth: 7-9 feet
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 40 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: fair to good, open to southern and southwestern winds
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86. Jewfish Key South Side Anchorage
Statute Mile 85
Lat/Lon: near 27 26.215 North/082 40.799 West
Location: found on the tongue of charted 13-foot water stretching south into a cove hard by the village of Longbeach
Minimum Depth: 9-feet
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 50 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: very good
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It’s been a couple of years since we’ve anchored in the waters adjacent to Mar Vista and Moore’s Stone Crab Restaurant. Same beautiful water, scenery, and protection … a wonderful waveless anchorage even in 20 knots of breeze. Still the same anchoring issues with the relatively deep bowl, numerous boats, and current … nothing that two anchors does not solve. Two items of note. There is a town ordinance now that prohibits tying off to the town dock … very convenient in the past. There is a small beach some 30 yds south of the town dock where dinks can be put ashore but it was convenient in the past not to get your shoes wet when going ashore (temps are in the 50’s today giving special meaning to “convenient”). A second item is that the upscale grocery that was within easy dinghy or walking distance is now permanently closed … a liquor store has replaced it … less useful for those looking to do a little restocking.
Enjoy!
Paul and Mary
S/V Merry Sea
87. Jewfish Key Anchorage
Statute Mile 85
Lat/Lon: near 27 26.386 North/082 40.754 West
Location: will be found on the deep water behind (to the southwest of) the long, private island southwest of flashing daybeacon #41, known as Jewfish Key
Minimum Depth: 9-feet
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 55 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: very good
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Very nice anchorage – we spent 3 days here late February 2017. When we were here the water due SW of Jewfish Key was not as deep as depicted on the charts so head WNW immediately after clearing the southern tip of Jewfish. We enjoyed good Italian food at the Bayou Tavern, a short walk from the beach in the anchorage.
Bradenton Beach Anchorage
Statute Mile: 87
Lat/Lon: 27 27.927 North/082 41.608 West
Location: tricky entrance channel leaves the Western Florida ICW just north of marker #49
Minimum Depth: 5 1/2 to 8 feet, BUT it’s easy to wander into grounding depth without very specific knowledge of the entrance channel
Special Comment: to enter this anchorage safely, cruisers must initially follow the marked Bradenton Beach Marina entrance cut, and then turn south in front of the historic Bradenton Beach Pier – easy to wander into grounding depths if you don’t have prior knowledge of this passage
Swing Room: sufficient room for vessels as large as 50 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: Fair, wide open to fresh southern and southeasterly winds
Dinghy Dock Access: yes, found on northwesterly corner of anchorage – showers currently available; free city trolley can take cruisers to Publix supermarket and West Marine Express
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Comments from Cruisers (1)
We anchored a little further south than where the marker is located on the chart. We found 6 feet at low tide and good holding. No wakes as this is a “no wake” zone on the ICW. A great spot to anchor if you want to visit Don Pedro State Park which is easy to get to by dinghy.