Boat Tours
Use of a shallow draft outboard boat opens up about 30 new local places you may have never explored by boat. The following is a list of some of these locations. Get a chart and check them out before venturing out. There are short tours (one to two hours), longer tours (3 to 4 hours) which usually include the short tours and also overnight two and three day tours. All tours include waterfront homes, waterfront restaurants, gas docks and a few overnight anchorage locations for larger boats. All restaurants include free dockage. All canals are dead ends and require tight pivot turns to get out. Unless otherwise noted, all trips are for shallow draft (3 ft.) outboard boats. You do have a stainless steel prop, right? Aluminum props do not last six months in these shallow waters. You will need a paper chart, an electronic chart plotter would be nice, and most definitely a depth sounder. And best of all, you can take any of these tours on your cellphone, laptop or home computer using Google Earth.
Chart plotters, tablets and smartphones
with chart potter apps and free NOAA charts can be loaded with all these
recorded tracks and routes so you can play and track your boat's progress. Do
you have a smart phone or tablet? Android or Apple? If you have an Apple, does
it have a built-in GPS? Some do, some do not. If you have an Android, I can
give you the chart plotter apps and all the GPX files for the
These tours are along the shorelines and canals where there is protected calm water. Nice comfortable dry rides. No wet, rough, pounding open water rides in the middle of the bay. Anywhere you see homes along the shoreline; you can usually find an unmarked channel next to the shoreline. The developers used to bulldoze the mangroves and dredge out the bay bottom to get the fill on which to build the houses, leaving an unmarked channel along the shoreline. You should be at all the restaurants by 11:30 AM when they open if you hope to get dock space or a table.
I have divided and grouped the local tours into Anna Maria, Manatee River, Terra Ceia Bay, Palma Sola, Cortez, Emerald Harbor, North Longboat Key, South Longboat Key, Bird Key, Siesta Key and Sarasota. There are multiple tours within each of these groups. What is not included? Several offshore reefs, Tampa Bay, downtown Tampa, Hillsbourgh River and John Ringling's home (no dock).
Recommendations. Take a safe boating course, learn how to read a chart and use it. Buy boat-towing insurance. Use the following information at your own risk. Okay, let us get started.
Going North, West Side.
North Anna Maria — Make a hard left turn immediately after going under the Anna Maria (Manatee) Bridge. There is a well-marked alternate shoreline tour to Holmes Beach, Bimini Bay and Galati’s Marina. A very nice but pricey restaurant (closed?) and gas dock are at each location. There is one-foot shallow water areas along the shoreline north of Holmes Beach. Therefore, you must follow the markers out into the bay, go north and then follow the markers into Bimini Bay and Galotti's Marina. A chart is recommended.
Bimini Bay – North Anna Maria Island. Inside protected tour of nice homes. Over 40 short canals (20 on each side of Bimini Bay) to explore. Stay in the middle and follow the markers. Low 9 ft. bridge at the south exit. North entrance requires starting from the ICW and following the dogleg channel and markers into the entrance to avoid the numerous sandbars in the bay and the entrance.
Going North, East Side
Palma Sola Bay — Difficult but excellent navigation training due to the many intersecting channels. Definitely need a chart or chart plotter. Good sandbar with lots of sand dollars just inside the entrance on the south side. Many friendly active dolphins at the entrance. Two well marked deep water (10 ft.) canals with many luxury homes and a small private marina on the south side about a quarter mile inside the Palma Sola Bay entrance. No restaurants or gas docks
Safe Harbor Marina and Compass Hotel-Make a hard right turn after passing under the Anna Maria (Manatee) Bridge. Follow the markers into the marina, gas dock, Compass Hotel and Floridays Restaurant. This is your last pit stop and gas dock opportunity going north.
Manatee River- from the Anna Maria Island ICW you have to follow the markers out into Tampa Bay to pick up the entrance markers to the Manatee River. There is shallow water if you try to take a shortcut. There is a museum and nice overnight anchorage on the south side at Desoto Point just inside the entrance and interesting Indian shell mounds and museum across the river on the north side. The river is now well marked all the way to Ft. Hammer.
Ft.
Hammer is a
new large new development on the upper Manatee River. Within Ft. Hammer is a
long 5 ft. deep canal that gives you a nice home tour. There is only one canal
entrance/exit so you must retrace your route. Three bridges with 30+ ft.
clearances.
Braden
River - The Braden River branches off
the right side of the Manatee River before the I-75 bridge. There are three 9
ft. bridges. Depth varies up and down from 2 ft. To 8 ft. Most places are 4 ft.
All the white and orange regulatory speed signs are on the shallow right side
of the river. Stay close to the left side of the river with the houses and high
banks. About 1/3 of the way up the river is a dam blocking further boat travel.
There is a dirt access road to the dam with a small parking lot and a
place to launch kayaks. The rest of the river is very narrow and overgrown.
Looks like a great kayaking river.. Stop at the
interesting Linger Lodge by kayak or car for lunch. Just before the dam and the
third bridge on highway 70, on the left side is a short
half-circle dead-end canal with a large excellent Mexican restaurant
on the right side. There is no dock. You tie your boat to the bank and climb a 4
ft. embankment to the parking lot. If you have the Active Captain chart add-on,
it is marked on your chart by its former name of Grandma Yoder’s Restaurant. Check
out the river on Google Earth and go exploring.
Pier 22 - Downtown Bradenton on the south side of the river just before the first bridge. Very nice marina and excellent restaurant. Limited docking inside the seawall on the west side of the restaurant for about three small boats but dock is usually vacant.
Palmetto-Across the river
on the north side at Regatta Point in Palmetto just before the bridge are two
nice restaurants (River House and the Riverside Café) and a gas dock.
Limited deep-water restaurant and docking for about three boats near the gas pump.
The Riviera Dunes Marina -On the north side of the Manatee River just after the third bridge. Excellent restaurant (Blu Mangrove), floating docks and gas. The large motor yachts dock at the Dunes. Sailboats dock at Pier 22 because they cannot get under the bridge. On par with the 5-star Moorings Marina on LBK. You need to call ahead to the dock master and restaurant for reservations.
Caddy’s Restaurant-Directly across the river on the south side. Open-air restaurant and tiki bar. Dock space for three small boats. Avoid the two floating docks next to the seawall. They roll 45 degrees due to the back chop from passing boat wakes.
Woody's River Roo (Manatee River) outdoor restaurant on the east side of 1-75. Hamburgers, beer and motorcycles. Everyone behaves dances, has fun and brings their kids.
Headwaters of the Manatee River-About 5 miles east of the River Roo restaurant. Many scenic undeveloped tidal areas. The river is well marked all the way to Ft. Hammer. Beyond Ft. Hammer, the river is not charted with 2 ft. depth outside the uncharted channel. You will need someone’s local route map and/or a live guide. There are no charts or water depths beyond the River Roo Restaurant.
Terra Ceia Bay -Take the Snead Island cut on the north side of the Manatee River at the Bradenton Yacht Club and Marlow Yachts and go under the low bridge into Terra Ceia Bay. Small boat gas dock in the inlet to your far right but no restaurants. There are two alternate exits through the islands back out to the marked channels to Tampa Bay and back to Anna Maria. Check your chart.
Egmont Key -To get there, you must travel out into the open Tampa Bay so pick a calm day with no afternoon thunderstorms. Follow the ICW markers out to red marker “2” and then head for the north end of Egmont Key (5.0 nm, true course 229). Everything west of the ICW is shallow sandbars. The south end of the island is a bird sanctuary and has many sandbars. Go around the island to the west side. There are no docks and no parking your boat on the beach. You must anchor close to shore and wade or swim in to the beach. There are two very interesting areas to explore. One is the gun mount remains of the old fort and the other is the remains of the old offshore pier which is an interesting snorkeling area.
Passage Key-Passage Key is located about a half mile south of Egmont Key. The south end of the island is a bird sanctuary. Anchor on either side of the island. Beautiful clear shallow water with white sand bottom. Occasional skin tone non-bathing suits.
South Anna Maria Island -Alternate northbound
shoreline route from Jewfish Key around the west end of the sandbar and along
the east side of the bridge. You can stay along the side of the bridge and
continue past the marine patrol building (deep-water anchorage), around the
island and to the Coquina Beach boat ramp area. There is an unmarked short,
narrow, shallow (5ft.) channel going north from the boat ramp. The channel to
the condominium boat dock is 45-degree. Continue from the dock along the
shoreline. Stay 15 feet or less from the shoreline, docks
and boats. Shallow water (2 ft.) to your near right. Continue to the Bradenton
Beach anchorage, restaurants, marina and gas dock.
Stay out from the Bridge Tender Inn dock due to shallow water. You can dock at
the town docks adjacent to the Bridge Tender Inn Restaurant or the floating
docks adjacent to the long pier and tour Bridge Street. The Anna Maria Oyster Bar Restaurant is on
the pier. From here, you can go by boat along the long pier out the entrance
channel and cross over to Cortez and Palma Sola Bay. Stay out from the long dock
to avoid the fishing lines.
Cortez North Side-See Palma Sola homes above. Gated community luxury homes accessible by boat.
Ignore the "No Trespassing" sign; they do not own the canals and want to discourage the public tour boats.
Cortez Middle-The Seafood Shack has limited deep-water dockage for several deep draft boats. Docks can be high at low tide. Enter the interesting canal on the south side of the Seafood Shack Restaurant. Pass under the low 9 ft. clearance bridge. The first canal takes you to the large, high, dry boat storage facility and trailer park on Cortez Avenue. The canals have a 5 ft. depth.
Cortez South -Very interesting history and boat tour of the old Cortez waterfront fishing village and fishing boats, Coast Guard station, four excellent restaurants, two boat yards, commercial fishing boats and two fish packing plants. Short two block walk to the small maritime museum.
Tide Table Restaurant-One large deep-water dock, plus other inside docks. Very popular restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating.
Starfish Restaurant-One dock space for a boat at the end of the floating dock. The two sides of the floating dock, even if vacant, are reserved for the two pontoon tour boats.
Swordfish Grill Restaurant-Lots of low dock space, inside, and outside seating space.
Mt. Vernon -You need a chart to find and get to the marked channel, which is on the east side of Jewfish Key and NE of Tidy Island. This channel takes you into Mt. Vernon, which branches off into several other dead-end canals. Very nice waterfront villas. If you continue to the east end of the entrance channel, you pass into another group of branching canals and the Coral Shores development. If you continue going east through a narrow opening, you come to another small hidden condominium with docks.
Sister Islands-These are two small island preserves at marker 31 just northeast of the Spanish Main Yacht Club. There is a large shallow lagoon at the south end. The 2 ft. deep lagoon and creek can only be accessed at high tide and you may still have to tilt the outboard motor. The lagoon has a small narrow 2 ft. deep mangrove canal on the east side of the lagoon that cuts through the island to the east side.
Deep Water Channel-There is a very wide (quarter mile) deep water channel (10 ft) that runs from the south end of Jewfish Key, around the east side of the Sister Islands, and up the middle between the Sister Islands and the mainland to the Longbar Sandbar. Before you get to the Longbar Sandbar, you must turn west and cross over to the ICW. You cannot get across the Longbar Sandbar even at high tide. The Longbar Sandbar is a bay blocking barrier sandbar clear across the bay from the east side almost to the west side. Also, be careful of shallow water in the middle of the bay directly east of Spanish Main.
Longboat Pass Jungle Cruise (my name)- 2 ft. depth at entrance. Enter only at high tide. This is a short (several hundred yards) jungle cruise canal into the Villages. The hidden entrance is on the north end of Longboat Key several hundred yards east of Beer Can Island. Look for a concrete seawall on the west side of the entrance and a faded red boat on a lift on the east side of the entrance. Stay close to the docks and red boat and then cut over to the deeper (2ft) west side at the entrance. You may have to tilt the motor to get past the shallow entrance. Five ft. depth thereafter. Tight pivot turn required at the dead-end canal.
Free overnight anchorage and two restaurants, Mar Vista and the Shore Restaurant, around the bend north of the Longboat Pass sandbar. Mar Vista’s docks are high and crowded. Outdoor garden seating area. The newer Shore Restaurant has lots of dock space.
Whitney Bay Shopping Plaza- Follow the shoreline south
past the Mar Vista Restaurant all the way into Whitney Bay. Do not worry about
the markers. There is deep water (5 ft.) on both sides of all the markers. Once
you pass the entrance into the Whitney Bay condos, stay close to the mangroves
on the east side of the lagoon. Continue along the mangroves until you come to
a narrow short
Cannons Marina- From marker 32 on the ICW,
follow the markers west into
Going South.
Buttonwood Harbor to New Pass- There is a slow (no wake), hidden, little known, protected mangrove canal that goes from Buttonwood Harbor almost all the way to New Pass. No need to follow the ICW down the middle to the bay on a rough day unless you are in a hurry. At red marker 20, leave the ICW, turn right, and follow a true course of 157 degrees for .5 miles to a red/white safe water marker marking the entrance to Buttonwood Harbor. Follow the red and green markers into Buttonwood Harbor. Turn left at the dead-end junction. After you pass the trailer park on your right, turn left at the green marker and head for the narrow canal entrance and markers directly ahead of you. Inside the entrance are three canals to interesting home tours. They are all interesting. You want to take the uncharted left canal to continue to New Pass. This canal will take you to the Mooring Marina and continue on to New Pass. Eventually this mangrove canal will exit back out into the bay. Continue along the seawall. You will pass many short canals on your right. They all dead-end in about two blocks at Gulf of Mexico Drive.
Eventually you will come to the end of the seawall. Turn right and continue along the seawall. Eventually you will come to the excellent Dry Docks Restaurant. High docks and space is limited to three slips.
Tidal current can be strong causing very difficult docking. Trick — have your dock lines ready and tell your passengers what you are going to do. Slowly approach the dock slip going up-current and very close (3 ft.) to the boats and docks. Stop your boat so that you place the midsection of your boat against the piling and then apply just enough power and rudder to pivot your boat around the piling and into the slip. After lunch, continue down the channel and around the tip of the island to the New Pass channel. Go almost all the way to the bridge before crossing over to the channel. Be careful to avoid the visible light green sandbars.
Salty Dog Restaurant
at New Pass- Lots of outside seawall restaurant dock space at the Max Sea
Marina and gas
dock. Docks can be high at low tide. There is a private floating dock inside
the seawall on the west side to load and unload passengers but no docking. Nearby
walking distance is Mote Marine. Another small outdoor hamburger restaurant and
bait shop with dock space is several hundred yards to the west.
The Chart House-Excellent restaurant with a great view and a good salad bar. Turn right after you pass under the New Pass bridge. Stay halfway between the east end of the sandbar and the highway. Two foot depth until you are inside the sandbar. Restaurant docks are high but always have available space. Reservations are suggested.
Shortcut to New Pass-Again, no need to take the long way down the bay following the ICW on a rough day to get to New Pass. At red marker 18 on the ICW, leave the ICW, turn right, follow a true course of 152 degrees for 4.5 miles, and then follow the markers and channel into the New Pass channel and the three restaurants. You can also use the water colors to see the channels. Avoid the light and brown 2 ft. shallow water. From here, you can go around the east end of City Island, through the sailboat mooring area to the south side of City Island by the ski show area. From here, you will see channel markers that take you through a channel across the flats to the Ringling Causeway.
Bird Key and St, Armand's Circle-If you turn right at the Ringling Causeway, you will come to a low bridge (9 ft.). If you pass under the bridge, on your left is Bird Key and its waterfront homes and multiple canals. Five ft. deep canals, two 9 ft. bridges and one 8 ft. bridge. Many large beautiful waterfront homes.
On your right is St. Armand's Circle, canals and more expensive waterfront homes. Approach the 9 ft. bridges slowly to insure you have adequate clearance.
Sarasota-After crossing the above flat, turn left when you reach the Ringling Causeway and you have a short protected route along the Ringling Causeway to the high Ringling Causeway Bridge. Stay on the north side of the bridge, follow the shoreline and you come to the entrance channel markers to the Hyatt Hotel marina and limited restaurant docking.
Pass under the Ringling Bridge and you cross the short open Little Sarasota Bay passage to the channel markers into the Marina Jack's Restaurant, marina and fuel dock. Limited restaurant docking to the right of the gas pump.
Sarasota Pass-Popular sandbar near the entrance to Sarasota Pass. Channel to your north takes you around the island, to the north side of the Ringling Causeway, the high-rise Plymouth Condos and back to the ICW.
East Side of Sarasota Bay-Shelby Gardens to Siesta Key. This is probably the best home tour in the area due to the variety of homes. Shelby Gardens Canal – Follow the two red and green markers into the canal. Two low (9 ft.) bridges. Five foot depth to the second bridge, two foot depth after the second bridge. Exit the canal, turn left (south) and follow the 5 foot deep unmarked channel along the seawall to the next inlet (Bay Point). Magnificent home at the entrance to the second inlet. Continue south exploring the several inlets, canals and homes alone the east shoreline to the Siesta Key Bridge (North Bridge)..
Siesta Key-Lots of large, interesting homes, canals and inlets. All canal bridges are low (9ft.) and 5 ft. deep canals. Small public dock, park and outhouse (bad) at the northwest corner of the Siesta Key Bridge. Continue north along the ICW for ½ mile. You will come to three areas to explore. The first area is Robert’s Bay. This small bay has several small mangrove islands and canals that wind around several very nice homes. Next is Skiers’ Island. Behind the island is a canal entrance that leads into a series of branching canals that go for miles (no joke). Use your chart plotter tracker. You can get lost trying to find your way out. These are all nice one-story homes on canals.
Philippe Creek- Turn left at marker 72 and enter Philippe Creek. Low 9 ft. bridge at highway 41. Philippe Creed Oyster Bar restaurant is on your left after you pass under the bridge. Lots of shallow (2 ft.) low docks. Restaurant is expensive. Most meals are $25 to $30. You can travel up the creek to Bee Ridge Road. Go slow, several shallow (2 ft.) submerged trees the last third of the trip. Kayaks and canoes can pass under the very low bridge and continue up the creek.
West Side of
Sarasota Bay
Sara Bay- Entrance is one mile due north of ICW red marker #16. Entrance takes you to the Sara Bay Marina, and adjacent hotel and outdoor restaurant. Follow the green markers near the island on your right from the 4x8 white entrance advertising sign. Rock ledge on you far port side. Lots of dock space at all locations. The third canal on your left takes you to Bowlees Creek, a gas dock (cheapest gas on the bay), a low 9 ft. bridge, Tracker Marine and an excellent independent fiberglass repair shop adjacent to the dock at Tracker Marine. You can continue up the 2-3 ft. shallow creek for a home tour. Follow the white PVC pipes marking the channel.
At ½ mile north of the Sara Bay entrance is the long well marked channel into Bay Gardens and Trailer Estates, each with several dead-end branching canals.
Overnight Trips.
Going North.
Little Harbor is located on the
east side of Tampa Bay above Port Manatee. The trip is dependent on the wind. You will be traveling NE up
Tampa Bay. If the wind is 10 to 15 mph,
the boat trip is still a go but you may occasionally
get wet from wave spray. If winds are greater than 15 mph, it will be a very
wet and rough boat ride, and the boat trip should be cancelled. You can also go
by car. If you go by boat, leave at 9:30AM. A thirty-minute pit stop and gas
stop going and coming at the Safe Harbor (Compass Hotel) marina at the east end of the Anna Maria Bridge (Manatee Ave.). There is no place to
stop between there and Little Harbor. Arrive at the Little Harbor Hotel about
11:30 AM in time to dock the boat and meet for lunch at 12:00. Check in to the
hotel after lunch. Leave Little Harbor the following day (Thursday) about 1:00
PM after lunch. Hotel does not have a restaurant nor
do they serve breakfast. There are two nearby restaurants about one block
walking distance.
Little Manatee River. Optional, take a one to two hour trip up the Little Manatee River
which is located about a half mile south of the resort. No markers, 1-2 ft. shallow water, follow the
crab pot markers to stay in the 5 ft. channel.
Have lunch at one of the above restaurants and return to Sarasota about
5:00 PM.
Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Madera Beach offer a long list of restaurants, marinas,
museums and theaters. Go by car or by boat. A starting point is the downtown
Tampa Convention Center. Docks may be available at the Convention Center.
Adjacent hotels, restaurants and paid parking are available. I have no
information on marinas and transit overnight docking. From the Convention
Center, you can ride the trolley to the very interesting Ybor City main street.
Or from the Convention Center you can purchase an all day
excursion ticket on the water taxi service which allows you to use the water
taxis as a tour boat. You can exit, sightsee and
reboard the next taxi as often as you like. St. Petersburg has a very large marina
and walking tour around the marina.
Tarpon Springs-The Turtle Dove Marina is a gated 4 or 5 star marina and is located about two blocks from Main Street. The Marina has a small ship’s store, unmanned tiki bar with BBQ grill and a nice private party room for the boaters’ use. Each slip has a pump-out station and there is a gas dock. Most intown overnight rooms are in bed and breakfast homes. Hotel and motel rooms are out of town on the bypass highway and you will need a rental car. Definitely avoid the municipal marina on Main Street. Docks are narrow and rickety with vagrants sleeping in the restrooms. An interesting side trip is the two or three mile trip up the shallow, undeveloped and uncharted Anclote River. Good shell collecting on the Anclote sandbar opposite the river’s entrance.
Crystal River-Several freshwater springs, underwater viewing pavilion, boat tours, swim with the manatees collect, and collect and eat buckets of scallops. Large boating area to explore and a large resort. It’s a long trip by boat. Go by car
Homosassa Springs-Similar to Crystal River but small and less commercialized. Long ride, go by car.
Suwanee River-Lodge and overnight rental houseboats. Many alligators, no swimming. Upper Suwannee River gets very shallow. No local knowledge. Long ride, go by car.
Going South.
Snook Haven-On the River Road east of Venice.
Old Florida outdoor restaurant, canoe rentals, kayak launch area and an interesting
one-hour large pontoon boat cruise on the old Myakka River which flows all the
way to Charlotte Harbor. Go by car.
South Seas Plantation-Large very nice marina and resort. There are very nice rental time-shares at the small marina south of the main marina. Regular shuttle bus service to the restaurants, marinas, bars, pools and small boutique stores.
Cabbage Key- Small island getaway south of Punta Gorda. Stay on your boat, in the cabins, or rooms in the small lodge with bar and excellent restaurant. Scheduled boat ferry service to and from the Pine Island mainland marina if you want to go by car. The Inn usually offers a two nights, third night free, special during the September off-season. Four-hour boat ride from Sarasota including a one-hour lunch stop at the Crow’s Nest in Venice. Several nearby parks and unique restaurants (Bubble Room) in nearby Captiva. Gas docks along the way including the Crow’s Nest and a large marina about a mile south of the inlet. South is the Boca Grande inlet which is famous for tarpon fishing.
Tarpon Lodge. Across the bay east of Cabbage Key is the Tarpon Lodge and Pineland Marina on Pine Island As you approach you will see a large white three story house. This is a private home, not the lodge. To the left you will see several smaller white building which is Tarpon Lodge. It includes a separate very nice dining room and bar building and another separate building with rooms for rent. The dock has room for several boats and one large boat at the end of the T-dock. The Tarpon Lodge is owned by the same people that own Cabbage Key.
Pineland Marina is located to the left of the Tarpon Lodge. There is a gas dock, provisions for overnight paid parking for cars and trailers, a small ship’s store and scheduled ferryboat service to and from Cabbage and other nearby island resorts. Thus you can get to Cabbage Key by car (if you take the ferry) or boat.
An interesting all day car trip is to take I-75 down to the River Road exit east of Venice, stop at the Snook Haven , take the one-hour boat tour, continue to Pine Island and explore the north and south ends of the island. This will take you through several small fishing and boating villages: Bokeelia, St. James City, Pine Island Center and Matacha. Return home on US-41 and explore the Burnt Store marina. Cut back over to the coast to Casey Key and Siesta Key and return home.
Any questions or suggestions? Any places I missed. 😊
Cliff - clifroot@msn.com