Hi drjay,
I have a Supercat 20 and I am sure you will enjoy your Supercat 17. Both are good and have their benefits and draw backs.

Tampa Bay Cat Sailors has an active fleet that launches from the Dunedin Causeway. Their next race is Saturday and would be a great time to meet the locals and they can tell you about the area. Some of them sail out to some of the islands and camp out.
www.tampabaycatsailors.com

Daytona has a great fleet and they have the Gilligan's Run race coming up August 9th. It would be a good time to meet some of the local sailors.
http://fleet80.com

My personal preference is the OCEAN in South Florida. I sail out of West Palm Beach and my boat lives on Singer Island. The gulfstream is close to the coast and keeps the water warm even in the winter.

Hope this helps.