Who's boating in Sarasota Florida
 

My wife and I mainly stay in the Sarasota area Lido to Anna Maria with good sand bar spots and plenty of seaside restaurants along the way that just happen to have icy cold beer...
Who's boating in Sarasota? I always see something going on elsewhere in Florida but not too much in SRQ. Summertime is on the way and so is the offshore race week in July. Post where you boat and what you're running.

Nick
87' Wellcraft Nova 23 XL

We're boating, not Sarasota, a little further South Cape Coral, we're out most weekends.

We are boating in St Pete and have just started exploring Sarasota Bay down to Marina Jacks..

Been to both Cape Coral, and Sarasota. great boating for sure!. so much so I apply to jobs down there all the time.

Great place for sure. Loved the water color and temp for sure.

The Sarasota area definitely has some of the best boating... We've been down as far as doc fords in Ft. Myers , which was a long ride, but haven't gone across the bay to St. Pete... If we go any where else further than that, we just trailer the boat... Marina Jack is a nice stop but one of my favorites is the Cortez Kitchen, even though tie up space is very limited, they have good music on the weekends... Anybody have a favorite restaurant destination?

Hey Nick233 how long did it take you to get to Docs, it's just South of us, we're right by Rumrunners, we've been thinking about a run up your way.

Hey Joey, I think it took us around 3 hours... Really nice trip but calm seas are the key. It feels like a longer trip back especially if rumrunners are involved and I don't mean the restaurant.....

Yeah mittens, this is really the place to live! I'm in sales and marketing at one of the most established boat manufacturers in the U.S., so I won't be leaving this area any time soon...

Love the area!!! I leave my boat in FL for the winter and overnight for long weekends. Usually stay around Brandenton/Longboat Key. Sarasota is nice...lots of sandbars.
If you go a little farther north check out Mar Vista on the north end of Longboat...great restaurant. I'll be down on the weekend of 3/15...hope to see some amazing boats in the poker run..one of the stops is at Mar Vista.

While not a local or an expert, I've been boating there since the 70's. I spent all last winter trailering all over S Fl trying to find better and never did. Different, but not better.

The great places are off the path. Someone mentioned Marina Jacks which is very nice but just on the other side of City Island is O'Learys Tiki Bar. You have to idle thru the moored blo boats to find one dock by the rental boats. Great place in downtown SRQ for a quick Margaritta and shrimp. Live music too.

North to Cortez Bridge to the Seafood Shack for a great sunset view/drink/dinner.

South is my favorite from there but you are screwed until Vennis Inlet since Midnight Pass shoaled in. Manitee zones off an on and no way out to the gulf. This maybe why my favorites were down here. Short ride to Philippi Creek Oyster Bar with high tide. Turtle Beach is my favorite as it was a teenage hangout. The have nice new boat ramps now tho. There are two or three little places there together.

On down south to Casey Key Swing bridge to Blackburn Point which was nice and while your there you may as well go on down to the Venis Jettys and out in the Gulf for the run back north into Big Pass

Winter in Ohio this year...

Sounds like you need to get back in the sunshine Underdog88! You definitely named a some of the best spots around and I agree, I've boated in a lot of other beautiful areas in Florida and abroad over the years but haven't found a better location. How often you get down to Florida?

And who's looking forward to the offshore races this year!?

we stopped at the Seafood Shack last time and left as soon as we got there...place seem very out dated and there wasn't anyone there. But if you hug the mainland just south of Cortez bridge and go south of the Coast Guard post, there is a great little place called Cortez Kitchen??

The glassed in upper deck is "for fancy". Downstairs and outside is for me. However inside below is still too nice for my bare feet. Had crab and scallops last new years day after the fun run. Very good... I'll look into the Cortez Kitchen next time down.

Maybe next fall/winter or before. Sister still lives there. Miss that place bad. New grandchild due anytime now so... I'm here. I need that green water!

+1 for Mar Vista, also Rotten Ralphs and Bridgetender Inn at the pier just south of Cortez are pretty good. I've never tried Cortez Kitchen but I've heard good things and it's definitely on my short list.

Tarpon Point has been good in the past but the service was awful the last few times I've been there.

Riverhouse Reef & Grill and Pier 22 are both on the Manatee river from each other and are both very good.

It's about time to start hitting the Longboat sandbar again!

oh and we are usually running around in this...

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/...C_1799edit.jpg

Planning on weekend of 3/15, pending a favorable forecast.

Is Tarpon Point fairly new....the google earth images dont correlate to the website images...

It opened summer of 2011 I believe but they have been expanding a lot. It's a really nice facility with a separate tiki bar, volleyball, cornhole, lots of docking, etc. There have been several fun runs and I think it's a stop on the poker run next weekend.

Cool place and a nice trip up the Manatee River... They have some awesome shrimp hushpuppies!! The Cortez Kitchen is great place and they always have a pitcher of beer ready as soon as they us coming in! Great crew there!

What's the deal with the 3/15 run?

PRA run from Tampa to I believe Mar Vista and points in between.

http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/p...16-2013-a.html

Well it's supposed to be nice weather this coming weekend and hopefully into next week... We're going to try an get out there and at least do some cruising... Probably hit a few spots along the way. Nice SeaCraft by the way!
Here's a pic of my Nova...http://i1282.photobucket.com/albums/...ps18781f5a.jpg

Thanks! Cool Nova, I love the old classics. As long as the weather holds we will be out there this weekend and next and maybe a little bit in between lol Maybe we can meet up some time

Thanks! I agree the classics are the best! So far the weather is looking good for this weekend so we'll probably be out there, hopefully and definitely next weekend. Supposed to be high 70's all week thankfully because, I'm over all this cold weather! Yeah, maybe we'll meet up. Where do you run at?

I'm hoping to get out this weekend and next as well. We usually hit up egmont or the longboat sandbar. I'm ready for some warm weather as well.

Those are great spots but the water is way to cold to get out of the boat! Last time we were out at egmont, rotten ralphs in galati yachts basin was still open....... We usually stay around lido, sarasota bay, and new pass but we'll cruise up to longboat pass every once in a while. This cold weather is getting to me, I think I got cabin fever!!

I agree, the water is toooo cold! We ended up going fishing on saturday and ran down to cortez kitchen. That place was great, we will definitely be back!

Yeah, The Kitchen is a great place! We’ll probably stop there next weekend. We went out Sunday, it was a little choppy in the morning but nice in the afternoon… We cruised for a bit then hit the bearded clam for lunch; I love it when a drink is served in a bucket! We’ll definitely be out this coming Saturday!! Let me know if you’re going next weekend and we’ll all meet up.

This weekend is up in the air for me. I am hoping to go out but there are a few little things i need to take care of on the boat and my truck started overheating this morning. If I can get everything squared away I will be out.

Dave, you get your truck figured out? We got out there on Saturday and it was great! Lot of sun, nice and warm, made it over to the Kitchen for lunch… Looking forward to summer and wish it would get here quicker!

Anybody know where's the best place to see the Honda Grand Prix in St. Pete this weekend?

Down here exploring the water from up North, if anyone out this week, PM and we will hook up for lunch or couple beers at one of previously mentioned places.

I am down visiting from up north, looking to check out some of the Southern rides from the area. Mostly I am seeing center console, some very nice, fishing boats are the popular ride of choice. Are there any shops down here that focus on HP boating?

i will be down this tuesday till monday. staying at anna maria island. i plan to be on the boat every day. going to see my parents.
anything going on?
we prob hit the long boat sand bar friday, sat or sunday, or all 3 days.
maybe do a run into st pete and prob a lunch at marina jacks one day.
let me know if anyone is around. i have use of my parents 25 outlaw. itw white/blue/yellow. name is go nuts

noyzee

A bunch of boats are doing Tampa Fun Run on Sat the 4th. Should be fun. Lunch at noon at Westshore Yacht Club and stops at Ricks on the River and then Marriott Waterside.

ft.myers offshore does a run to sarasota "Hyatt" next to marina jack. every Jan. for the last two years.

Sarasota Offshore Grand Prix and festivities are almost here. To start things off there will be a Fun Run hosted by the Bearded Clam Restaurant on June 30. Who's Going?

I'll be down for the race