anybody from the gulf shores or orange beach area, taking new boat on vacation ,staying at back bay resort they said they have slips, how are the coast guard and local law in this area? any info on this area would be appreciated,plan to run down to destins, crab island one day ,how long of a boat ride would this be ?usely cruise around 50-55mph. heard about tacky jacks, and the board walk in pensacola,is the aircraft carrier still at pensacola?going down on the 25 th next week.
thanks rob

don't forget the www.florabama.com

My inlaws live in Orange Beach in the subdivision across the road from the Florabama. There is lots of good boating in these parts. We go down with the boat a few times a year. If you are in back bay go by boat to the coast. Stay in the marked channels and dont let your wife talk you into driving the boat into the pretty light blue water (shallow!). From Perdido Pass go out to the gulf and take a left (east) and 10-15 miles down is Pensacola Pass. Right inside the pass is a sand bar and island on the left where lots of people anchor or beach their boats in 3 ft of clear blue water. These passes get really rough when the tide is going out and a 3 foot sea is in the Gulf, you have been warned! Ive seen the US Customs 38 Fountain's nose go under the waves in the pass. If you are up to it 50 or so miles past Pensacola is Destin with a great sand bar. A local bar, AJ's, pulls a barge up the sand bar with a full service bar and hamburger stand on board. Both destinations you can get to from the bays and intercoastal if you dont want to ride in the gulf. Be careful if you use the bays. At low tide it gets really shallow in some places. Dont drive the boat where the birds are walking! If you want to stay in Orange Beach the best thing is the Florabama Bar. If you go by car be prepared to park and walk. If you go by boat make sure that you are on their pier. They have a small pier that is not marked and a beaching area for the bar. The private subdivisions in this area dont take kindly to drunks using their piers to go to the Florabama. They call the Marine Patrol and they tow your boat. I wish I was going to be there then I could hook you up with a place to dock your boat and go to the bar.

Good Luck!

Ron

thanks guys for the info ,been searching the net to find stuff also.