roosevelt channel/ tween waters

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ROOSEVELT CHANNEL/ TWEEN WATERS Off mile 12.7 ou the ICW: 7.5 statute miles from Chino Island, 8.2 statute miles to Captiva Pass/ Safety Harbor. ring and Lea The Use likes to run ag uisingboaters w found themselv dge off by takin I'n the dinghy, ro g the anchor, an e no alternative a simple rule to p R LEAVE OVER S 6 TIDE IS 0/V THE ou hit and can' t e. Never try to p

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Page 1: ROOSEVELT CHANNEL/ TWEEN WATERS

ROOSEVELT CHANNEL/

TWEEN WATERS

Off mile 12.7 ou the ICW: 7.5 statute miles from Chino

Island, 8.2 statute miles to Captiva Pass/ Safety Harbor.

ring and LeaThe Use

likes to run aguisingboaters wfound themselv

dge off by takinI'n the dinghy, rog the anchor, ane no alternative

a simple rule to pR LEAVE OVER S

6 TIDE IS 0/V THEou hit and can' t

e. Never try to p

Page 2: ROOSEVELT CHANNEL/ TWEEN WATERS

Mimmum Approach Depth: 5 ft.Depth In Anchorage: 5-14 ft.107 l.at 26'30.5'N / Lon 82'11.3'W

Use Chart 11427 for Navigation

f its facilities. It accepts tran- Buck Key to the east is in its naturalt space is lintited. Showers state. The shores of Captiva Island tondrornat, a ships store and the west are heavily developed with, fuel, power, water and homes and condominiums. 43

See "photomap" on Page 107 for additional information.

Minimum depths of S feet leadfrom marker 37 on the IntracoastalWaterway on an approximateheading of 240 to the flashing red¹2 leading mark.

Watch the next markers care-fully. There is plenty of water inthe channel, but don't stray. Notethat red ¹6 i» the last of thecharted marks. After that, un-charted marks lead you in,

Southwest of red ¹6 there is amar i n a th at serves mai n 1 y s mallcraft, with only gasoline and a baitand tackle store.

On the eastern side of thechannel as you continue south,between markers 14 and 15, thereis a patch ol water with depths ofS-14 feet. The best depths arecloser to marker 15. Shelter is noiood in heavy weather and 4-5

foot shoals are all around, LJ»ecaution if you anchor here,

To reach the preferred an-chorage, providing more protec-tion from easterlies in the sheiterof Buck Key, go past the docks ofTween Waters and put your hookdown in the deeper waters be-yond and to the south. Here you willfind 1/4-mile of 6 and 7 foot depths.Coing further leads to a narrowingchannel and a four-foui bar.

Tween Waters is a beautiful resortwhich, for a nominal fee, will allowthe usc o

sienis, buand a lauboutique.

pump-out are avail able, There are fourrestaurants, tennis courts and a pool inthe complex and the beach is rightacross the street. The dock area is fre-quented by rnanatees and, surpri»-i ng1 y, sea ot ter »1

Page 3: ROOSEVELT CHANNEL/ TWEEN WATERS

SAFETY HARBOR

Note: photo is at LOW tide/

¹1 Safety HarborMinimum Approach Depth: 6 ft.

Depth In Anchorage: 5-10 ft.Lat 26'36.2'N / Lon 82 12.9'Wr<< tl

This inlet between North Captiva Is-land and Cayo Costa is lovely and frus-trating, The seaward passage i» unmarkedand full of shoals. Even the channel from

the Intracoastal Waterway is flanked byunmarked shoals. But the interior reaches

of Captiva Pass are deep and offer twodelightful anchorages.

The first anchorage lie» south fromthe deep water adjoining the easterlyreaches of Captiva Pass, just around thepoint from an almost landlocked la-goon called Safety Harbor. This oncesecret refuge used to house a fishingvillage. It ha» now been destroyed,with the exception of one stilt houserestored as a private home. Safety Har-

bor is being developed as amodern housing and condo-

4 4 miniurn complex called theSafety Harbor Club.

The second anchorage, off the beau-tiful beach at the south end of CayoCosta, a state park almost entirely in itsnatural condition, is popular with week-end boaters.

There are two ways in to these anchor-ages. From the south, set course from justsouth ot marker 48 at a heading of about280 and watch for a break in the trees. Staylined up on the break until the entrancemarkers to SaFety Harbor are abeam. Turnleft toward the well-marked channel, thenstop and anchor near shore just northwestof the stilt house. It used to be possible togo between the stilt house and the beachinto Safety Harbor itself, hut the passagehas shoaled, making it impassable lor allbut shallow draft boats. Two restaurants,walking paths. beautiful beaches and ageneral store make dinghying around Lhepoint worthwhile.

Page 4: ROOSEVELT CHANNEL/ TWEEN WATERS

CAPTIVA PASS

avigation

Off mile 18.6 on the ICW: 8.2 statutemiles from Roosevelt Channel weenWaters, 3.8 statute miles to Useppa/ 4 5Cabbage Key.

¹2 Captiva PassMinimum Approach Depth: 6 ft

Depth In Anchorage: 8-10 ft-M~ Lat 26'36.8'N / Lon 82'13.3'W

Use Chart 11427 for NThe northern route, to

Cayo Costa. is more popu-lar. Leave the ICW justnorth of marker 51 and curlback around to the west ona heading of about 270 toavoid the charted shoalsouthwest of 51. As theeastern banks of Cayo Costacome abeam, consider drop-ping anchor before enteringthe interior of Captiva Pass.Minimum Il foot depths runto within 50 yards of shore.

In spite of its popular-ity, this anchorage does notprovide sufficient shelter inheavy weather; tidal cur-rents are strong at all times,Set the hook firmly beforedinghying ashore.

Page 5: ROOSEVELT CHANNEL/ TWEEN WATERS

USEPPA ISLAND / CABBAGE KEY

hor Lightschor light must be su're anchoredin a

d "Special Anchord, there are only tst. Oneisin the Maint. The other, at Fand, is shoaledin t

veral cities are plaages, and, as partnd to apply to the CAnchorage "statusume that you mus

with your anchor lig

Page 6: ROOSEVELT CHANNEL/ TWEEN WATERS

Minimum Approach Depth: 8 ft.Depth In Anchorage: 6-12 ft.

Lat 26'39.4'N / Lon 82 13.0'WUse Chart 11427 for Navigation

Off mile 21.6 on the ICW: 3.8 statute milesfrown Captiva Pass/Safety Harbor, 1.4 statutemiles to Point Blanco.

See "photomap" on Page 108 for additional information $47

This open, deep water anchor-age lies northeast from marker 60.Waters hold to minimum 6-footdepth» within 75 yards of the islandshoreline to the east: some depths aregreater than those shown on thechart.

There is good shelter from east,northeast and southeasterly breezes,but only slight shelter from wester-l ies. Don' t Anchor south of marker 60,v here boat traffic is heavy around thesouth end of Useppa Island,

This anchorage lies near theICW, and can be affected by wakes

from power boats, tugs and barges,A Bahamian moor is advisable tokeep from swinging too widely.

Useppa is a private island; visi-tors are not welcome, There is noteven a dinghy dock.

From the anchorage it is a shorttrip by dinghy to the restaurant anddocks on Cabbage Key. west ofGreen 61. The restaurant. inspira-tion for the song 'Cheeseburger inParadise", serves three meals a dayin a unique atmosphere, The islandoffers a nature trail and has a richhistory. To use the docks, call ahead.

Page 7: ROOSEVELT CHANNEL/ TWEEN WATERS

POINT BLANCOOff mile 23 on the ICW: 1.4 statute mlles from Useppa/

Cabbage Key, 3.1 statute miles to Pelican Bay.

Anchorage 4'l is outside of the photo view to the right,on the near side of the island.

Wakes and the First Mat

Slow speedin anchoragesis vital, Fiand galley hands get very upset wwake from a passing vessel flipsfinished casserole on the cabin solcasserole-on-the-sole syndrome!. Prequires dead slow as you enter, naleave an anchorage. That way you cgood anchorage manners and takyour fellow skippers at the samRemember that, in more ways thanare responsible for any damage cayour wake.

Page 8: ROOSEVELT CHANNEL/ TWEEN WATERS

¹1 Point Blanco east of island!Minimum Approach Depth: 9 ft.,~~- Depth In Anchorage: 7-9 ft.

Lat 26'41.1'N / Lon 82'13.7'W

¹2 Point Blanco west of island!Minimum Approach Depth: 4 ft.

Depth In Anchorage: 5-9 ft.Lat 26'40.7'N / Lon 82 13.7'W

Use Chart 11427 for Navigation

In westerly winds, cruising craftof any size can anchor just off the In-tracoastal Waterway in 8 foot depths offPoint Blanco, west of marker 67.

Begin easing west of the ICW chan-nel as the southeastern portion of PointBlanco comes abeam to the west, be-tween markers 65 and 67.

Good water runs to within 75 yardsof the shore, which is lined with tallAustralian pines. Anchor betweenmarker 69 and the point.

This anchorage is open to wakesfrom passing boats on the lCW, and isnot recotnrncnded for heavy weather.

South of Point Blanco, where an oldstilt house once stood, only the pilingsremain, the house having burned to thcwaterline.

Between the pilings and the south-

em shore of the island is a narrow butnavigable channel marked with pri-vately maintained stakes which leadsaround the point to a thoroughly shel-tered hole perfect for riding out heavyweather. The shoreline is completelynatural,

Take this passage dead slow andwatch the depth sounder. Charts showenough water to enter, but local reportsconflict, with as little as 4 feet pos-sible, especially around the westernpoint. Preliminary soundings from thedinghy might be in order,

ln the anchorage itself, depths run8-9 feet, with 5-8 foot depths to thesouthwest, Despite the demands of'the approach channel, this is apopular spot, and crowding may 4 9require bow and stern anchors,

Page 9: ROOSEVELT CHANNEL/ TWEEN WATERS

PELICAN BAY

Off mile 24.8 on the ICW: 3.1 statute miles from Point Blanco, 12,7 statutemiles to Matlacha, 4.3 statute miles to Boca Grande, 19.7 statute miles toPunta orda.

Just south of Boca Grand Pass, westof marker 72, in Pelican Bay, is an out-standing anchorage, one of the best inPine Island Sound.

Thc water i» shallow, but boats car-rying 5 feet can enter by staying close tothe Cayo Costa side to avoid the shoalbuilding out Inurn the northwest end ofPunta Blanca Island. Inside, depths irn-prove to 6 feet along a broad band.

Come abeatn of marker 72 in the ICWand set a compass course of roughly 240degrees through the northern third of Peli-can Pass, staying to the Cayo Costa side.Curve slowly around to the south into the

main body of the pass on it» mid width.Consider anchoring northeast of thedocks. From the docks south lie many un-marked shoals.

Cayo Costa State Park maintains afixed wooden dock along the westernshore. There is a $2 charge for landing inthe park. Garbage may not be broughtashore; picnic tables and refuse cans havebeen removed from the dock area.

The bay is sheltered enough for lightto moderate airs from almost any direc-tion, but might not offer adequate pro-tection in heavy weather.

Pelican Ray is surrounded by natural

Page 10: ROOSEVELT CHANNEL/ TWEEN WATERS

Minimum Approach Depth: 5 ft.Depth In Anchorage: 6-9 ft.

Lat 26'41.0'N / Loo 82'14.5'WUse Chart 11427 for Navigation

See "photomap" on Page 109 for additionalinformation

beauty, with undeveloped PuntaBlanca l»land to the east and CayoCosta State Park to the west,

There is virtually no developmentalong the entire 7 mile length of CayoCosta. The only human residents arepark rangers. Unfortunately, their elec-tric generator can be quite loud at night.The rangers run a tram from the dockacross the island to the gulf, where thereare picnic tables, camp»ite» and rusticcabins with common bathrooms andrunning water, but no electricity. Hik-ing trails also are part of the park.

Cayo Costa and Punta Blanca arebird sanctuaries, harboring, amongothers, magnificent frigate birds,ospreys and bald eagles, Vegetation islush. For almost their entire length,Cayo Costa's powdery gulfside beachesare utterly deserted.

The bay side of Cayo Costa isriddled with cove», some containing rem-nants of ojd fish houses. One, MurdockBayou. leads to a watery tunnelthrough the mangroves that cut» theisland nearly in two and empties ontothe back side of a gulf beach,