Destin Fl, crab island
 

Was talking with another OSO member about coming down to Destin FL, for a boating vacation sometime in April. I would have my truck trailer and boat. Can anyone recommend a launch facility, harbor for a slip, and storage for a truck and trailer. Also a place for lodging, with access to a beach and, restaurants? Would it be a worth while trip, I'd be coming down from Chicago IL for around 7-10 days.

Sandpiper Cove has all of the above and is relatively inexpensive.

Water will be chilly in April.. lots of marine life that time of year as well....

I'll look into it thanks

Was one of our best vacations hands down. I stored our boat on the trailer at Destin Marina right across from Crab Island. Locked gate and very secure. They had hoses and didn't care that i had to do an impromptu bearing and brake job. (i purchased the boat here and this was the only surprise) Whatever you do DON'T use the boat ramp their. It's sand and shaped like a bowl. It's part of the Jetty. Subsequently, 13mph cross current happens daily. NOT a pleasant surprise. Launch at Joe's Bayou right down the road. Great launch with hose access for the end of the day rinse (especially trailer) and flush-out. You'll probably beach your boat and party with tons of other great people at Norriego point. Google earth this.

Mid April nights can still get into the 50's but usually the day gets hot.

I say go for it. We made the tow to Milwaukee in 15.5 hrs. Cutting through Alabama was the worst part. Next time i probably will around through Mobile. Have fun! Andy

Cool, I'll make some calls tomorrow and see what I come up with. It's been a dream of mine to do this at some point in my life.

I go down for a long trip with a few other boats every year for the Billy Bowlegs festival in Fort Walton. Awesome time I have many threads on it. June 1-9th this year me and 2-3 other boats will be there with a big house and doc.

We also take a Friends fountain with us in late summer for a beach trip as well.

Joe's Bayou is a nice ramp, for day trips, and low key. Highly suggested for that. But they are not a fan of over night parking. you have to work a deal for that.

There is a state park ramp, that just across the bridge that ok, for a smaller 25ish footer no problem, free.

Then in Fort Walton there is a good double ramp that we use most of the time. You can get a permit for over night parking at this one. its right beside the Ihop.

for places to check out by boat...

Crab Island is prettiest in the morning, as the fresh Gulf water is coming in the pass. The bay dark seaweed water will start to be sucked out around 2pm, all teh boats will swing the other way onthe anchor, and it willnot be pretty like before. here is a ok shot of mine, to give you an idea, the transom is in 4-5 foot of water here, front is 7-9 foot. still CLEAR
https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.n...18222486_n.jpg

Same spot in the afternoon, not as good of pic but you can see the darker water color. https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.n...17050147_n.jpg

Doye Destins is a lunch spot, but kinda just bar food with some fish basically. right at Crab Island.. so that's easy.
Pic of it you can see the umbrellas from Crab Island https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.n...09408881_n.jpg

Harbor Docks... GREAT food, Breakfast is awesome(land or water but try it), and Dinner is great awesome as well. we always make sure to go there by boat. have done sunset ride back after dinner as well. docking is inside destin harbor, towards the back.

There is also inside Destin harbor, the Chains, AJs, Harrry Ts, Margarita-ville.. all that.
Harry T's, and a few others at the big hotel and board walk, Harrys is the far left under the light house.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.n...58035470_n.jpg

Margaritaville, has the tiki roof upstarids, Ajs as well.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.n...62760703_n.jpg

Across the bay is Fort Walton, with a some awesome Pizza for lunch or dinner at Hellen Back. (again car or boat)
There is a few other places to try in Fort Walton Fish lips closed, but may have a new name now, and there is a German? place before the bridge with umbrellas hats killer as well of breakfast i hear. have not made it to that one.

a really cool lunch run is, Navarre Beach. right as you come under the bridge (from the East, there is a marked channel, to the Tikki Hut, you can dock or beach right there and walk up and have awesome drinks, and lunch. A must as well. (this is about a 15-20 min ride form the Fort Walton Bridge, all in the inter-coastal water way)
Pic of me nosed up for some drinks and lunch
https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.n...49905423_n.jpg

If you want to go further, Navarre is about 1/2 between Fort Walton, and Pensacola. so you can keep going, and in 30 min be there and Doc the boats at a few places, the board walk included for shopping and general bull ****ing round. you can Doc at Flounders and get some lunch or dinner, and there special drink Diesel Fuel. (giant Long island with a island twist.) A note in low tide the docs around Pensacola are shallow, all sand but you can suck it up if not careful, so watch your depth, and trim.

I have lots of other places we have been so if you looking for something ask, and I will be happy to help, or if you want a map link or something. I have also been over to the orange beach area as well and know some spots over that way. if you going for a far run.

Where do you get a house and dock at?

Mittens, that is So Cool!!!! I really want to make this happen

Those are sweet pics Mittens. How would a 25' do in those waters?

Just fine. I would stay in the Intercoastal for passenger happiness. Just don't try to back up on the beach like this guy, especially since the ladder is on the front. Make things interesting if the tide is going out during the coarse of the day.

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Our first yea at Billy Bowlegs we stayed is a crapy hotel on the inter-costal with a dock for the first few nights and then a buddy's house with a doc the rest. That was a learning experience. Only had my Baja 252, and my buddy's fountain 24sc. We learned alot that firs year from the time to get to bowlegs to places to go.

The next year we planned better and rented my buddy's parents house for the whole time. We brought 4 boats with us, my 252, the little fountain, a buddy's Donzi 28zx, and a Pachanga 32.

Shorty after that my buddy's brother died in his sleep, at the house on a family vacation (30years old) he was with us one year for the trip too. So the family sold the house,

So, I started googling houses up and down the intercostal, and ran across this pimp mansion. 6 bedroms, 7 baths, with docs for 4 boats, with pool and jacuzzi water front. and the doc around back In a protected water inlet. So the boats are never rocked. We. Rented that place for the past 2 years, and I have it booked for this years trip too june1-9th. I will post a few more pics of house and set up tomorrow on the computer. Don't want to link to the house as I don't want to fight people for it around Bowlegs haha. We are in orange beach area the week before that and I have pics of thst area too. And places to go.

If any of you want to make the Bowlegs trip and tag along we are more then happy to meet up and do some cursing and partying. I can help you find a house if need be too.


As far as 25 foot boats, your fine man, in the intercostal you will see john boats, to paddle boards 90% of the time the bay is fine too, on a bad day you will make it home just beat you up. On that 10% chance you catch a ruff day.

Now going out the pass, into the gulf is where you can catch flat to ruff seas. Seams like we always catch a bad day, go play take some pics then come back in. Been out there wen my 35 was getting lost haha. But have been out in my 25, and ran the coastline 1/2 to PCB. Just depends on the water.

Ok I have hunders of pics form each year, but its pain the but to post them on the forum, because basically i have to post to anther forum and link to it. But here are a few.

First the Doc inside Destin Harbor @ Harbor Dock, (a great place to eat i spoke about before).
http://southernmotorboating.com/down...fd9d79e6dfb0f5

Docs at Founders in Pensacola, I al pulled in becasue its pretty shallow, and I am scaed of sucking up sand..
https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.n...85300772_o.jpg
http://southernmotorboating.com/down...fd9d79e6dfb0f5
https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.n...69813241_o.jpg



This was the docing at my Buddys parents house. It works but was right on the intercoastal so they got rocked, That why mine was suspended in the back , no worrys of bumping doc.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.n..._1658775_n.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.n..._6509460_o.jpg

Here is the new house, as you approach the little channel to get into the cove.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.n...91910047_o.jpg
Veiw from one of the balcony, you can see the pool, Jacuzzi, and how close it is to the intercoastal.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.n...61768427_o.jpg
The Docks at the new house, not the best picture, but you can see how they are in a cove protected.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.n...11417160_o.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.n...03792548_n.jpg

The main event. Bill Bowlegs..its a raft up 3-4 boats deep on each side of a sand bar. Goes longer then you can see, you can walk up and down the "strip" or just watch, or both haha. Lots of tits, floating stripper poles. blow up dols, and jellow shots in air cannons. Very much an adult party. Alot of fun. even the local bars have boats to show up to the events. you can see the Hellen Back yellow hour boat in one pic.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.n..._8366192_n.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.n...68425354_n.jpg
https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.n...36688227_n.jpg

hoping to go there this summer myself

Great photos mitten! Awesome house on the intercoastal too, great dock!

Where is that house, looking for a place later in june for a family trip? You can pm if you want, dont worry we are not going to billy bow legs kids in school.

Nice! Where is that beach?

It's on the peninsula that's connected to the jetty. Google earth this. You'll see boats on the beach.

Crab Island and Destin area is def worth the trip..... There are several condos in the harbor that have boat slips available too.

Harley, look fwd to seeing y'all again. We'll be down from 4th-9th. Just booked as nice house on the harbor.... Y'all will have to swing by one day and we'll boil up some crawfish!

me and some friends talking those same dates ....

Steve when time gets closer we will have to exchange numbers, so we can meet up some. If your crew is up for it we can tie together at bowlegs its self But as you know you HAVE to be there at the same time/ cruse together.

As for state1310, man its a good time, if you there those times, I will gladly give you my number as well. We have 13 in my house, and a condo close to Hellen Back with 7 in it. so we shoul dbe a good group! ha

looks like we wont be there in june . a friend of a friend is getting married there first week in october so going then instead . hopefully still agood time .

the weather in late September is great, water still warm, and sun and no tourist.

you guys will have a good time. I am there in september as well.. just with out my boat.

Thinking about coming for the emrald coast poker run though.

It's almost that time..... Bow Legs right around the corner. Mittiens, you got her shined up an ready yet???

It was good to meet you Steve.

Anyone doing Billy Bowlegs this year??

I'm going to be honest, I know absolutely nothing about it but its going on the same weekend I will be down there.

Hey mittens is that your blue donzi? How old is that pic? I could swear that is the boat I just picked up from Alabama.. lol

We will be there that weekend on a family vacation.

That is not Mitten's but it is our friend and is the one you picked up from Alabama. As far as bowlegs 2016, I know Mittens is planning on attending. I am not this year.