TARPON SPRINGS AND ANCLOTE KEY
A fishing and sponge diving village, featuring shops along the waterfront which sell sponges and other interesting items. Dockage available.

HEADING SOUTH

EGMONT KEY
Egmont Key is an island that divides Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.  Anchoring should be limited to daytime only because of wind direction changes.  This key is a great spot to spend the afternoon swimming, sunning on the beaches, and exploring the interior of the island.  The island is home to the Coast Guard lighthouse and the Tampa Bay Harbor Pilots who pilot the ships into the Port of Tampa.

DESOTO POINT
At the mouth of the Manatee River is a very popular anchorage which is near a beach and some lovely homes.  You may anchor either on the southern or northern shore, however, in anchoring along the north side you must contend with the tidal flow.  If you anchor in the southern cove, you will find a nature walk and museum at the DeSoto Memorial Exhibit.  DeSoto Point is approximately 17 miles from our dock.

THE INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY
(ICW) HEADED SOUTH
You will find adequate depths, natural beauty and quiet cruising in a well-marked channel with protected anchorages and superb places to dine ashore including the Seafood Shack, Moores’ Stone Crab Restaurant, and Longboat Key Moorings (ever thought of a gourmet cruise?)  If your choice is the Gulf, you should go out Southwest Pass from Tampa Bay.  Your opportunities to come back to the Intracoastal Waterway are:  LONGBOAT PASS (8NM), VENICE (31NM), BOCA GRANDE PASS (58 NM).  These mileage figures are approximate and are taken from the turning buoy at Southwest Pass, which is at the entrance to Tampa Bay.  The distance from our docks to the turning buoy is approximately 19 NM.  One should stay in the ICW except where marked clearly on the charts.  The depths are listed at mean low water and we have a rise and fall of tides of not much more than 3 feet (refer to the tide tables for this area).  Cruising south along the ICW, check your charts regarding bridge openings.  The signal is one long and one short blast on the horn.  The bridge tenders monitor channel 9.  Going south from Tampa Bay, just on the northeast side of the second bridge, you will find THE SEAFOOD SHACK A good restaurant with downstairs bar, they also offer overnight transient docking.