Florida - winter boating destination
 

Florida's got it going on, lots of people and boats heading South on hwy 75 down to KW and it's marking the start of our boating season down here, come on down and enjoy the sun and warm boating weather. :flag:

Let's put in this way:

Some of the California SCOPE guys ship their boats to FLORIDA for the winter. No one ships their boats to the left coast for 3 months!
:ernaehrung004::boat::party-smiley-020:

Driving home up 75 yesterday sucked....seeing all the boats heading south and most likely to the Keys. Man I hate work some times.

We had a spot on a 47' Fountain for the KW run down and we were going to take the Key West Express home, but then we got a chance to get our new boating sidekick, so we'll have to wait until next year when she'll be a year old and she can go to doggie day care.

Florida does rock, big FMO run at the end of this month.

I just came back from a long wknd in FL. Spent the wknd on my buddy's cruiser. Didn't see a single performance boat from St. Augustine to Daytona. Other than a 24' Checkmate on a lift. Friggen love it down there and will be online tonight looking at foreclosure homes!

Out of curiousity...how far south would I have to go in late December to get some good boating weather?

My wife and I have 10 days off after Christmas, and if there's no snow in the Northwoods OR on the slopes in Colorado, option #3 is going to be hook up the AT and roll south...
The question is...how FAR south...

I go to Ft Lauderdale every December, usually the beginning of the month. It is still nice and warm there. Hopefully get to take out my old boss' tender and grab some drinks on the inter coastal. Anything going on Dec 6-10?

I'm guessing maybe Lauderdale on the east and Sarasota or Punta Gorda on the Gulf, that's why we moved to the Cape/Ft. Myers, I never needs pants or shoes, I'm a shorts and flip flop guy now.

its funny that everybody thinks the boating down here is nice in the winter, and while I agree it beats the hell out of the snow, summer is actually the best time of the year for boating. Locals kind of stop going out after Columbus day. Trips to the Bahamas are not fun, or even safe in some cases, with the cold fronts that come through kicking up 30 mph winds and 15 ft seas out in the gulfstream. But I still suffer through the "winter" and use my boat year round :) But maybe that's because I'm originally from RI.

Really? I hate using my boat during 87-90 degree summer heat unless we anchor at Peanut or jump in the water off Boynton inlet. Its too hot - you have to plan to be in the water then its OK.

This time of year on the intracoastal and college football is like a dream come true. I live for the next 4 months... Love it.

Christmas day, New Years Day, dinner and lunch almost every weekend. All by boat this time of year! Last year we went to Jupiter on Christmas Day outside and seas were 1 foot or less. That is good livin right there!

It is hard to beat boating South down to Marco Island or North up to Sarasota on New Years Day, like a dream come true.

See you there for next year...we are doing the run as well. Just had way too much going on this year and her mom coming into town on short notice. So next Nov can't get here fast enough.

Love the frenchy too. We are looking to get the same when we move here soon and get settled in.

Hoping to make the FMO run this month. Waiting on a possible trip we might have to take. If it falls through ww are doing the run for sure.

FL is dominated by CC's but they are a great type of boat to have around here. I can say we have tons of high performance stuff out here in Pinellas on lifts all over. Sadly most seem to stay on the lifts though.

Cape rocks

385 miles of canals with access to the gulf. Never before, never again will a man-made purpose built city be built with year-round boating ability.....

I'd say now in FMO there's 1/3 cats, 1/3 V-hull performance boats and 1/3 CC and we all get along great.

I so wish i could go there. I'm here in Cali.. I just use the lakes for testing here in the winter. Bikini season doesn start til april :( Jealous !! Have fun. I wish it wasn't a 3000 mile tow !!

Don`t forget your passport amigo!!


http://www.texasgulfcoastonline.com/...n%20Border.jpg

Being somewhere during Christmas with no cold weather or snow is just depressing to me..

you need another hobby...this is my other sickness..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbgVblKOqs4

I've got a spare sled, Dan......

Or...if we DO end up in FL, you guys could join us...

We made the drive from Florida back to St. Louis yesterday and I definitely felt like I was going the wrong direction as I saw numerous rigs heading south.

Last winter in January and February it got into the upper 70s everyday and in the 80s most days and seeing the sun everyday was a bonus, it's those glommy dark days that get you down, I need sunshine.

All fun and games till... LOL!!!

http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/c...x/IMAG0396.jpg

http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/c...x/IMAG0395.jpg

Dam we were tired after getting it unstuck

And this is why I am a Northwoods trail rider....

Slopes in Colorado are already open..

After being here for 10 years, I now feel like when it is 70 degrees I gotta wear jeans, and get the chill if we go boating!!! Anything below 70 and well it is jacket and sweater weather.

Doesn't take long to get spoiled does it, it gets into the 60s and you'd think you're back in "real" winter.

He'll, I had to turn the porch heater on last night to finish watching the game!

My in-laws own several commercial properties in Naples. We used to go down every winter for a week. No boat down there tho! But I LOVE it there!!

Florida is a great place to be in the winter for sure and being able to boat year round is awesome. But after being in florida since 2001 it sure does seem cold when it gets below 70 but it beats snow and cold weather and day. I love florida and would not move out of the state unless I had too.

I think I will like Florida too.
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in 40 years when I`m retired and I wanna hang out with all the other old farts with poor circulation that can`t hack the cold



:evilb::D

I'll post some pictures of the FMO New Years Day run when it's 80 and sunny down here in Florida :party-smiley-004::boat:

Go ahead and rub it in Jim! ;) I can only hope that we get one of our famous New Years Day boat rides on LOTO!

I hope you guys "DO" got some good weather and can go out...........................or if not, there's always a road trip to the Cape.

31 years old here and you can keep that cold all to your self. Me and the beach bunnies down here will enjoy the heat and sun.

Yeah and ft myers offshore runs with close to 30 boats must runs suck to why do i live here again lol?

This is why I do........................and these were taken this past February, enough said. :)

Looking to adopt a 49 year old boy?! :coolcowboy:

You're only a few years younger than me, in a few years you'll be down here with us, we're not going anywhere.

Exactly. You cant beat florida in the winter and as far as the old people it depends where you live in florida. I use to live in cape coral ya its my older people but still has its younger people to now i live in clearwater/ tampa and i would say mostly younger people.

I'm 34. Live in the cape. Love it. Older and younger. I grew up in the cold winters. Fun to visit. That's all.