I've only been out a few times since February, when I got the Prindle 16, but I've tried to pay attention and look for the "easy way out" from the beach to some decent water. <br> <br>I usually launch around the second driveway away from Honeymoom Island. There are fewer (relatively) rocks on the bottom. I've been there when I swear you could walk to Caladesi Island. <br> <br>My latest strategy was to sneak thru a small break between the flats in front of the concession area and the sandbar directly off the beach. There are a couple of channel markers that can help you find the deeper water. At that point, depending on the wind, you can go west to head for the gulf or east to head back to the ICW area. <br> <br>You can sneak down towards the Honeymoon Island bridge, avoiding the fishing lines, and use that channel to head out. Of course all this depends on the wind. <br> <br>Anywhere outside the channel has the potential to get shallow real fast. Even sneaking out to the Gulf can get interesting since the channel is narrow and the points from Caladesi and Honeymoon reach a good ways out. <br> <br>Heck, they it isn't named Hurrican Pass for nothing. <br> <br>Just for information sake: The Clearwater Harbormaster is open to sailers using the Sand Key city beach (north of the Clearwater Sailing Center). If they take the NO BOATS WILL BE LAUNCHED or RETRIEVED signs down and replace them with NO MOTORIZED CRAFT I'd use it in a hearbeat. Ready access to the Gulf via Clearwater Pass and the bay area between Clearwater Memorial Causeway and Bellair Causeway would make it pretty near ideal. Lots less rocky bottom and a really nice beach for the rest of the family. <br> <br>I like Dunedin Causeway because of the laid back feeling but I'd sure like to try Sand Key city beach for the other access. <br> <br>I'm hoping to try out launching from the Sailing Center tomorrow, Saturday, and maybe "race" in the Windjammers summer races. No fee to race or launch with skipper's meeting at 2pm. Guess I'll check the weather and see if I can avoid the forecast 70 percent chance of storms.<br><br>
