Crystal River - Our Home Port


The west coast of Florida is a fantastic place. We are fortunate to have beautiful fresh water springs that flow to the "salty" Gulf of Mexico. In about an hour we can be from our dock and into the Gulf. We are fortunate to have one of the largest concentrations of Manatees in Florida. When the Gulf drops below 65 degrees or so, the "Gentle Giants" swim into Crystal River to warm themselves in the 72 deg. freshwater springs for the winter. Why not get a good freshwater flush on those engines!

I would like to encourage boaters traveling by Crystal River to make the trip and explore this waterway and our wonderful town. Many times this area is bypassed because so many skippers think it is too hard to navigate our shallow waters. It is true, it can be a little tricky to navigate the "Nature Coast", but with some planning and careful boatmanship it is very doable.

Each year hundreds of boats doing the "Great Loop" stress about the possibility of a 17 hour boat trip (at trawler speed) South from the Panhandle to Tarpon Springs. Why not break that up and do the Big Bend Route? Some do exactly that. I aim to encourage more travelers to explore Crystal River.

Below is a route from the Seahorse Reef Light to the Entrance channel Crystal River. The distance is 21.83 NM / 25.12 SM or about 3 hrs 6 min at 8 mph.


To be sure some careful planning needs to be done. Depth is the issue, as it always is. The usual time for "Loopers" to be passing this area is November/December/January. Winter/Fall tides tend to be about 1' lower than Spring & Summer. Keeping this in mind means a rising tide is always best for entry. Most vessels with a draft of 3 1/2 feet or less can make it at all but the extreme low tides.  It is important to stay between the markers. Crystal River is not hard to navigate but moving outside of the channel can be unforgiving.

From the entrance of the Crystal River to King's Bay is 8.73 NM / 10.04 SM and about 1 hr 14 minutes at 8 mph.

Areas of concern.

1. At the entrance of the Crystal River at the Red #2 & Green #1 it is best to stay more North/Left or closer to the Green #1 marker as there is a shallow spot more South/Right towards the Red #2 just prior to entering.

2. There is a sharp turn East at #5 / #6, it is OK to take this corner a little wide and favor the North and then travel directly East between the 2 markers.

3. Once you enter your first "Slow Zone" at Green #21 and round Shell Island watch your depth as there is an Oyster bar to the north and the tip of Shell Island to the South. You can resume normal speed (25 mph max) at Green #23

4. Midway between Red #8 & Red #10 the bottom shallows and comes very close to the edge of the channel - It is best to favor the North/Left side of the channel somewhat.

From the second Slow Zone at #11 & #12 it is a cake walk right to King's Bay. Stay alert to the Slow Zones, they are well marked and well enforced. 

C-Map Route - Crystal River to Kings Bay  Once on the C-Map page "OPEN THE WEBSITE"

Anchorages

The best and safest places to anchor are in King's Bay and are on either side of Buzzard Island. Generally you will see other boats anchored there. The bottom is soft mud. Allow for the tidal swing. From these 2 anchorages it is a short dingy ride to Pete's Pier Marina and the 3rd St. Pier where there is a floating dinghy dock. From 3rd St. Pier it is a short 10/15 minute walk to Citrus Ave. and some restaurants, shops & bars.  A longer walk (driving or biking would be better) will get you to a Walgreens, Save-A-Lot, Big Lots and a West Marine. There is a Winn Dixie grocery store but that would be a much longer bike ride (drive would be better) and on the North side of Highway 19.

If you need a Pump Out the City of Crystal River provides pump out services in city waters simply by calling (352) 586-0588  or marine channel 16. The cost (as of this post) is $5.00

Marinas

There are three.

1. Twin Rivers Marina Located after the second Slow Zone and just into the Salt River. The only Haul Out & travel lift in the area. They have staff on site for repairs but they also allow you to do your own work. There may be a few slips but it is best to call ahead to see. They have Diesel & Gas and a small ship's store. 

2. Just past Twin Rivers and right before the bridge over the Salt River (only with a shallow draft boat 3.5' or less otherwise use a dinghy) is Shrimp Landing Marina. Shrimp Landing Marina They usually have fresh seafood and a food truck with some killer food. They also have some slips, call to be sure.

2. King's Bay - Pete's Pier Diesel & Gas is available as well as a ship's store. Pete's is under new ownership and they have several slips, be sure to call ahead to make sure. 

Sightseeing

Probably the best sightseeing especially in the winter time are our freshwater springs. Crystal River/King's Bay is the 2nd largest springs group in Florida with over 70 springs throughout the 600 acre bay. A short dinghy ride or a kayak paddle in several directions once in King's Bay will allow you to see many of the springs and of course our beloved Manatees. Be familiar with the rules concerning Manatees, FWC Manatee Rules as they are protected. Manatees are generally here all year, although the biggest concentrations are during the Winter months. Manatee viewing can certainly be done on your own or there are several tour companies in the area that can take you and provide the snorkel gear and during the colder months a wetsuit. The water in the springs is 72 degrees year round. Closest to the springs the water is crystal clear and the recent effort to clean up the bay has provided for much cleaner, clearer and beautiful water. 

One of the premier sites is Three Sister's Springs but there are many more springs in the King's Bay area.

Don't forget our lovely downtown. Crystal River Mainstreet Since we moved here in 1994 the downtown has improved and flourished. It is a fantastic place to walk, dine, visit and shop.

Cruising Out

Below I have provided a route to exit Crystal River. We have traveled this route often on our way to Tarpon Springs and points south. The route is 47.53 NM / 54.7 SM.  


Crystal River to Anclote Key

 

CR1A             28 54.720 N / 82 44.860 W

            To      11.0 SM / 9.56 NM

TURN1          28 49.500 N / 82 54.000 W

            To       27.2 SM / 23.64 NM

FW0149        28 25.850 N / 82 55.300 W

            To       13.9 SM / 12.08 NM

FW0148        28 14.750 N / 82 49.860 W

            To       2.61 SM / 2.27 NM

FW0147        28 12.650 N / 82 48.900 W          North Tip of Anclote Key

            Total  54.7 SM / 47.53 NM

Stay west of “PROP ROCK”  28 48.800 N / 82 53.100 W

C-Map Route - Crystal River to Anclote Key   Once on the C-Map page "OPEN THE WEBSITE"

CAUTION - The information I have given is deemed to be accurate but I cannot guarantee it. The prudent skipper should always proceed with caution and do his/her own research and due diligence. Be cautions and go slow. My motto is "Don't go any faster than you want to hit something" 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Bottom Line

Image
    H ere in the Crystal River area where we keep our boat, underwater fouling is minimal. This is due to the amount of fresh water we have. Our canal is "brackish" with not alot of salinity and the closer you are to King's Bay and the springs the salinity goes way down. Out to the Gulf and further south, hull bottom fouling becomes worse. Go to the Keys and the Bahamas and it is very aggressive.  Wintertime when the water is cold, the growth is minimal, but when the water warms it is alive with billions of tiny organisms ready to cling to something and start reproducing. Now that our boat is in Tampa Bay and the water temperature is moving into the 70's the growth is accelerating.  How do we combat this? The list of ways is endless but the basic method is to apply Anti-Fouling coatings. Bottom paint. There is a whole science and tons of info about anti-fouling coatings so I won't go into all of it but basically there are 2 types of paint. Hard & Ablative. Bot...
Read more

Pre Loop Madness and Monotony

Image
   The build up was huge, the anticipation was killing us. Now we're here, living on the boat in Bradenton, FL for the next 14 days before we "shove off". With everything we think we will need for the trip in the back of our car, we load it onto the boat. Where in the heck are we going to put all of this stuff? Organizing and storing in every nook & cranny, sorting and reprioritizing. Re-looking at something and saying, "Do we really need 3 of these?" "Put it back in the car." After two full days, Beth managed to get it all labeled and packed away, somewhere. This little boat has a lot more storage space than we thought. Now, to be able to find it when we want it. I looked for my work gloves for 20 minutes!  "Where is all this stuff going to fit?"     Meanwhile I'm doing the same for all of my tools and gear, gallons of oil, fluids and filters, spare parts and odd things that we just might need to get us out of a pinch.  A few last mi...
Read more

The "REAL" Journey Begins

Image
TRAVEL DAY 1 - Palmetto to Sarasota February 14, 2023 4.2 Hours/31.6 Miles     Today is "really" the day we start of the Great Loop, as opposed to the "Unofficial Start of the Great Loop" . We felt pretty confident that all the preparation and work would pay off . Well, feelings are one thing, realty is another.     We pulled out of our slip and headed for the fuel dock to top off the tanks with a few gallons of diesel and pump out the holding tank. Of course the predicted wind was not what we got, neither was the air temperature, still it was a decent day for a cruise. We're still in our home waters so we basically knew the way. Our destination was Sarasota and a free anchorage. We had planned to pick up an anchor ball at Marina Jack's but it was full. Free anchorages mean more money for food, snacks and drinks! Out of the Manatee River and around Ana Marie Island     Beth had planned some routes on her Navionics and Aqua Maps apps and was ready to assume ...
Read more