Western FL Anchorages – ICW, Miserable Mile to Gasparilla Island (Statute Mile 0 to 34)
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Please Note That Anchorages Below Are Listed in Rough Geographic Format, Moving South to North
PLEASE CAREFULLY READ OUR DISCLAIMER!
Please Note That Anchorages Below Are Listed in Rough Geographic Format, Moving South to North
27. Dixie Beach Anchorage
Lat/Lon: near 26 28.000 North/082 03.101 West
Location: found off charted Dixie Beach, flanking the southwesterly shoreline of the channel bordering the eastern and northeastern shores of Sanibel Island, between unlighted daybeacon #4 and flashing daybeacon #5
Minimum Depth: 8-feet
Swing Room: unlimited
Foul Weather Shelter: poor, wide open to all but western and southwestern winds
Rating:
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28. Punta Rassa Anchorage
Lat/Lon: near 26 28.785 North/082 00.098 West
Location: will be discovered on the charted deep water of the approach channel leading to Punta Rassa, southeast of the high-rise section of the Sanibel Island Bridge and northeast of flashing daybeacon #6
Minimum Depth: 6-feet, but entry into this anchorage can be very tricky without the use of a GPS chartplotter
Swing Room: unlimited
Foul Weather Shelter:poor, fair weather and light airs anchorage ONLY
Rating:
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I have anchored in this area several times and really enjoy the location.
Weekends are busy with boat traffic in the waterway, but the nights are quiet and there is a nice view of Sanibel Bridge.
Donn Brown
Namaste – W27
29. Kitchel-Miguel Key Anchorage
Lat/Lon: near 26 29.960 North/082 01.297 West
Location: lies north of the new, high-rise section of the Sanibel Island bridge, and near the southwesterly tip of Kitchel and Miguel keys
Minimum Depth: 7-feet, BUT entry without the use of a GPS chartplotter is not recommended
Swing Room: sufficient swinging room for vessels as large as 36 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: fair to poor; open to northern, southern and northwestern winds
Rating:
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30. Punta Rassa Cove Anchorage
Lat/Lon: near 26 30.271 North/082 00.654 West
Location: will be found on the deep water east of the gap between flashing daybeacons #13 and #14, bordering on the western reaches of shallow Punta Rassa Cove (north of the new, high-rise section of the Sanibel Island Bridge)
Minimum Depth: 6-feet
Swing Room: unlimited
Foul Weather Shelter: poor, protected ONLY from eastern, northeastern and southeastern winds
Rating:
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Same as Donn Brown (above), if your tired or want an early start to sail south great spot to drop the hook. The alternative is on the back side of Kitchel Key little more protective. Safe journey fair winds 2 U.
I have anchored here many times and it is an excellent location. Occasional wakes from passing boats heading to and from the Sanibel Causeway Bridge.
36. Givney Key Anchorage
Lat/Lon: near 26 30.750 North/082 03.132 West
Location: found southeast of Givney Key in the charted deep water north-northeast of the Matlache Pass channel’s unlighted daybeacon #3
Minimum Depth: 6-feet, but cruisers are advised to use a GPS chartplotter to enter this anchorage safely!
Swing Room: sufficient swinging room for vessels as large as 32 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: poor, fair weather and light air anchorage only
Rating:
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37. Pine Island Anchorage
Lat/Lon: 26 37.892 North/082 03.987 West
Location: lies immediately south of the %r 9-foot Pine Island bascule bridge, which itself sits north of Matalache Pass’s unlighted daybeacon #55
Minimum Depth: 6 ½ feet
Swing Room: sufficient swinging room for vessels as large as 34 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: fair, open to southern winds
Rating:
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38. Picnic Island Anchorage
Statute Mile: 2
Lat/Lon: near 26 29.469 North/082 02.931 West
Location: found off the eastern and northeastern shores of Picnic Island, which itself lies just south, southeast of the ICW/Miserable Mile’s unlighted daybeacon #8
Minimum Depth: 10 feet
Swing Room: sufficient swinging room for vessels as large as 36 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: poor, fair weather and light airs anchorage only
Rating:
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Good for a lunch hook but it is hard to hold here as the current will rip through here. Better holding and less wave action (boats navigating the miserable mile wake) is to the north. I have used the Merwin key anchorage many times and for week long anchoring . 26°30.184’N,82°2.867’W safe journey fair winds 2 U.
39. York Island Anchorage
Statute Mile 5
Lat/Lon: near 26 29.038 North/082 05.731 West
Location: will be discovered off the southern shores of York Island, well northwest of the ICW’s flashing daybeacon #13
Minimum Depth: 7-feet
Swing Room: unlimited
Foul Weather Shelter: fair, but wide open to southern, southeastern and southwestern winds
Rating:
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We anchored close to York but actually right in front of St James since we wanted a shorter dinghy ride to town. Winds were as predicted from the NW at 10 to 15 MPH so it was a pleasant evening. We got a bit of boat wake bouncing us around in the day time but nice calm evenings. I think there would be less boat traffic in front of York but then you have a longer dinghy ride if you want to go into town. St James is a pretty casual town, a few bars, a minimal general store, nice gift shop, and a pottery shop. Gunk holing the canals of St James in the dinghy was pretty cool.
We anchored here and found the holding fine, plenty of room and not much traffic to rock the boat. It was a nice place. We expected a front to come through but we ended up with just a slight breeze.
s/v John Galt
Tayana 37
If you need a bit more shelter, you can, with 5′ draft, follow the marked channel up into St James City, and, keeping the dredged canals to your starboard, proceed straight ahead into Long Cut. Good anchoring in about 7 to 8 ft for some distance past the last north-south canal, but don’t venture in too far. Right now you’ll see a couple of sailboats in there, but they’re really shoal draft, and I would stay about half the distance to them.
I have anchored near here (closer to the inlet into St. James City) with a slight breeze all night and under a full moon and it was fantastic.
Very little boat traffice going in and out of the inlet. A Sheriff’s Deputy did check up on us in the morning asking how long we were going to be there. Not sure what her motives were because she never asked to come aboard.
She was seen checking out another sailboat nearby.
Donn Brown
Namaste – W27
40. Ding Darling Anchorage
Statute Mile 5.5
Lat/Lon: near 26 27.495 North/082 05.532 West
Location: found on the waters of the mostly deep cove south of flashing daybeacon #16
Minimum Depth: 5 feet
Swing Room: sufficient swinging room for vessels as large as 55 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: fair, open to northern, northeastern and northwestern winds
Rating:
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This is a popular anchorage. We have stayed here three times, most recently 3/21/2010. It gave us good protection from SE to SW winds but when the wind shifted to NW it got a little bumpy. On a good day, it is fun to take the dink through the opening in the mangroves into Tarpon Bay to see the birds. An abandoned sailboat is lying on its side near the shore on the eastern side of the anchorage.
41. Chino Island Anchorage
Statute Mile 8
Lat/Lon: near 26 30.086 North/082 07.718 West
Location: lies off the southwestern shores of Chino Island, north, northeast of unlighted daybeacon #24
Minimum Depth: 7 to 9 feet
Swing Room: unlimited
Foul Weather Shelter: fair, but open to southern, western, southwestern and northwestern winds
Rating:
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Great anchorage for us the evening of January 30, 2017. Winds were light and variable. We had the place to ourselves probably because it got down to 45 degrees F.
42. Roosevelt Channel Anchorage
Statute Mile 13
Lat/Lon: near 26 30.509 North/082 11.204 West
Location: found near unlighted daybeacon #20
Minimum Depth: 5-14 feet
Special Comment: dinghy landing not allowed at nearby Tween Waters Marina
Swing Room: sufficient swinging room for boats as large as 38 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: good
Rating:
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43. Safety Harbor Anchorage
Statute Mile 17
Lat/Lon: near 26 36.340 North/082 13.064 West
Location: lies off the southern flank of Captiva Pass, north of the charted channel leading to Safety Harbor
Minimum Depth: 6-12 feet
Swing Room: unlimited
Foul Weather Shelter: fair, open to eastern, northern and northeastern winds
Rating:
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44. Captiva Pass Anchorage
Statute Mile 18.5
Lat/Lon: near 26 36.785 North/082 13.266 West
Location: found off the eastern side of Cayo Costa’s southern tip
Minimum Depth: 8-feet
Swing Room: unlimited
Foul Weather Shelter: fair, open to eastern, northeastern and southeastern winds
Rating:
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45. Patricio Island Anchorage
Statute Mile 19.5
Lat/Lon: near 26 40.653 North/082 12.041 West
Location: lies off the southern banks of Patricio Island, which borders the non-ICW, Pine Island Sound channel, east of Useppa Island, and north-northeast of the Waterway’s flashing daybeacon #52
Minimum Depth: 7-10 feet
Swing Room: unlimited
Foul Weather Shelter: fair, open to southern and southwestern winds
Rating:
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We enjoyed the solitude of this anchorage for 3 nights. Winds were from the SE at 15-20 mph so we hooked up closer to the Broken Islands. It’s nice to be well off the inter-coastal – we had the place completely to ourselves. If you are into bird watching, you will have your share off the Broken Islands. We were also greeted by a Manatee our first night just after setting the hook
46. Useppa Island, Western Shore Anchorage
Statute Mile 21.5
Lat/Lon: near 26 39.504 North/082 12.935 West
Location: lies east and northeast of unlighted daybeacon #61 and opposite the Cabbage Key Inn Channel
Minimum Depth: 6-feet
Swing Room: sufficient swinging room for vessels as large as 45 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: good, except during times of strong northern or southern winds
Rating:
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Anchor outside the channel in 8-10 feet over sand and gravel. We anchored here one night in 30 knots steady and 50 knot gusts and held tightly on a 12/1 scope. After the blow, things settled down and the next afternoon we went to Cabbage Key by dingy for a “Cheeseburger in Paradise.” A real old time Keys bar if you need some socialization.
47. Useppa Island, Eastern Shore Anchorage
Statute Mile 22
Lat/Lon: near 26 39.954 North/082 12.555 West
Location: found on the correctly charted band of deep water abutting the Useppa Island’s eastern beaches
Minimum Depth: 7-8 feet
Swing Room: sufficient swinging room for vessels as large as 45 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: fair, open to southern, northern, northeastern and southeastern winds
Rating:
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48. Punta Blanco Outer Anchorage
Statute Mile 23
Lat/Lon: near 26 40.681 North/082 13.488 West
Location: found on the deep waters off Point Blanco, north of flashing daybeacon #64 and unlighted daybeacon #65
Minimum Depth: 8-feet
Swing Room: sufficient swinging room for vessels as large as 55 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: poor, protected ONLY from western and northwestern winds
Rating:
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49. Punta Blanco Inner Anchorage
Statute Mile 23
Lat/Lon: near 26 40.673 North/082 13.616 West
Location: will be found on the charted bubble of deep water virtually surrounded by Punta Blanco
Minimum Depth: 4-6 feet, BUT even a slight mistake in the unmarked entrance channel can land you in 2 feet of water or less
Swing Room: sufficient swinging room for vessels as large as 36 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: excellent
Rating:
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We can attest from a dinghy visit and speaking with those anchored there, that is a nice spot, with a few caveats. If a large boat gets there first and takes up the middle of the deep water, it is tough for another larger boat to fit.
Second, as the description states, it is VERY easy to wind up aground, as we did. It is not always possible to read the water depth visually.
If you are looking for a secluded anchorage to hide out from a strong wind, this is the spot! Getting in with a chartplotter isn’t nearly as daunting as it used to be without one- just watch the depth sounder. There is a small sand “beach” where you can land with the dinghy. We didn’t, but a local boat pulled right up on the sand and the folks went exploring. A long dinghy ride from the state park though.
50. Pelican Bay Outer Anchorage
Statute Mile 25
Lat/Lon: near 26 41.495 North/082 14.595 West
Location: will be discovered on the waters of Pelican Bay, a short hop south of the bay’s northeasterly entrance
Minimum Depth: 4 ½-foot entrance depths, 5 to 5 ½ feet in anchorage
Swing Room: sufficient swinging room for vessels as large as 42 feet
Foul Weather Shelter: good, but this is the most exposed of Pelican Bay’s three anchorages
Rating:
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I had the opportunity to anchor in Pelican Bay in June of 2009 and found it very nice. You have to be careful coming in because it is shallow in areas.
I exited the same way I came in and had no problems.
Donn Brown
Namaste W27.
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