To reach the Mandalay anchorage from the Western Florida ICW, you must traverse a marked, but sometimes tricky (for strangers anyway) channel that passes Moonshine Island.

Were were in the Mandalay channel today on 01/23/10. Tide was over 1 1/2 foot. As we came abeam of `12’³ we found perhaps 5 feet. Anyone know if were should have stayed closer to `12’³? We may have been a 100 feet or so southwest of it.
Thanks,
Scott and Jolene
Clearwater Beach, FL

The shallowest water in the Mandalay Channel is close to marker 12. According to some locals we talked to, the best depth is found closer to the developed shore, inside the no-wake markers. In other words, stay farther from `12’³, not closer.
Gene Fuller

And, here’s an earlier Net posting, commenting on this same anchorage:

You did not ask, but I will comment on the anchorages in the Mandalay Channel just north of the Clearwater Causeway Bridge. This is a really nice anchorage location. The entrance channel was well marked, easy to follow, and mostly quite deep. We saw one spot that was just under 7 feet on the way in (Tide was over 1 foot.) The one interesting difference from your guidebook and from the charts is that we did not find any shallow water near marker 14. We followed the official channel on the way in, but came back out well north of marker 14, with plenty of depth. I explored around marker 14 with a sounder and did not find much evidence of the purported central obstruction.
In any case this location was very nice. Almost unlimited room, reasonably well protected from directions other than southeast, quiet, and scenic.
I hope this information is of some interest and use to you.
Best regards,
Gene and Sue Fuller
Punta Gorda, Florida

Click Here To View the Western Florida Cruisers’ Net Marina Anchorage Listing For The Mandalay Channel Anchroage