Does anyone know if Ft. DeSoto park in St. Petersburg, FL, has a beach area where a cat can be launched? I know they have concrete ramps, but don't want to go that route. I looked on their website and can't determine the situation. Anyone had experience there? If there is a place to beach launch, can you pull right up to the water or do you need beach wheels? We want to meet a group of friends there this weekend and would like to bring our boat along.

Thanks!
Kevin

I have no idea. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> You could probably launch at GYC, not sure about distances and bridges though.

We go past it on the Macho Man race. Worst case scenario, you could launch at Davis Island Yacht club and sail under the Skyway to the beach there.

I don't see why you wouldn't want to use the ramp, especially if you don't have beach wheels. Even if you did, you could roll the boat down the ramp, and then sail it over to the beach (or Egmont)

I don't know about launching, but when I was there a long time ago I think you were able to keep your boat on the beach right in front of your campsite. Call the park and ask -- and then tell the rest of us.

I called but got someone who didn't seem terribly familiar with the arrangements. She said that she's pretty sure I can launch it behind the main welcome station w/ a 100 ft or so walk/carry to the water (unless I have 4 wheel drive, which I don't). Anyone know for sure??

just to clarify, you're talking about the Ft. DeSoto at the north end of Tampa Bay, right? Last time I was at the park (2 yrs.), I thought there was a boat ramp on the southeast side of the property.

There's another DeSoto park on the southeast side of Tampa Bay at the entrance to the Manatee River.

Yep, I'm talking about the one on the north side of the bay. I know there's a boat ramp, but I dread having to launch at a concrete ramp with motorboats pulling in and out, etc. There might be a way to do it, but I certainly prefer a beach if I get my choice!

Ft desoto is at the south end of the bay just outside the Skyway (by boat). I am there frequently windsurfing. I do not know of anyplace to launch a cat from directly to the gulf. You may be able to launch from the boat ramp, but it will be a tricky sail out the narrow channel to the gulf due to VERY shallow water around there. You may be able to launch from the very beginning of Tierra Verde causeway. From there it's a short sail under the Skyway and to the park.

Well the answer is yes...at least the last time I went there some 10 years ago to day sail. The launch was located to the right of the main welcome station about a quarter mile down the road. You had to stop a the welcome station to get the combo to the lock on the gate or chain. Beach wheels or a 4x4 are a must. Sugar sand. At the launch beach the Skyway will be to your left, Egmont Key to your right and Holmes beach to the south.

As far as the campground goes, There are only a handful of sites that you can launch from. Beach wheels are a must. Look at the map. Area 1. These are tent sites only. There are three sites that you can ,or could get a 8.5' cat through. I'm sorry I can't remember exactly which ones they were other to say there are two together I'm guessing 28 & 30. The other being about 24. They kinda use a food pole or a grill at the end of the site to keep people from driving out onto the grass area behind these sites. Your best bet would be to go down there during the week with a tape and measure the openings to find the right ones. For a narrower boat you might find more that would work.

There are three more that will work 231,232,and 233. These are RV sites but you could still tent camp on them.

The water is shallow so your best bet is to head to the right when looking out from those sites. That takes you to Bunces Pass which leads out to the gulf. They don't like you leaving the boats on the grass so you need to put them on your site when your done for the day. Otherwise you can leave them at the waters edge with no problem during the day. Keep the tides in mind.

This place is VERY popular. You can make reservations 30 days in advance. To ensure we got the sites we wanted we would be at one of the county park offices when they opened 30 days ahead of time.

There are many racoons in the campground. You have to keep the coolers and food locked up in a closed car. Not the tent. During skeeter season you have to wear bug stuff all day.

map

It has been awhile since I've been down there and things can change.

Hope some of that helps.

Catman, how far would you say it is to the water if you stopped at the beginning of the sugar sand? (I don't have a 4x4 or beach wheels, but I do have teenage boys!)

I guessing it's about 100'. Sorry but it's been a while. I will tell you that at the time I did not have B-wheels and I dragged my then H-18 to the water. Thankfully when I was leaving some other guys showed up that had them and let me borrow theirs. I bought a pair that week.

Just wondering, was that you launching next to me on monday?

Pete you are locked in at GYC. No gulf access.

There is also a place on the east side of the Skyway approach that I've launched from. I see a lot of Kite sailors there now. There were power lines that you had to watch out for. It's just a short sail to the bridge from there.

There is a Gulf access from the campground. Sail right to park's boat ramp and out (left) in the channel to the Gulf.

I have used campground prior to Watertribe Everglades Challenge many times.(it's informal stage area for racers). There are a few sites with direct (almost) access to water. Yes, there are some king of obstacles normally, preventing from driving a trailer from the site to water edge. I have managed to squeeze my boats around. Instead of beach wheels I use inflatable rollers, which have a double duty as flotation bags. They are cheaper, take less space and more practical for “beach cruising”. They work great then I need to move a boat for a short distance.
http://www.praktek.com/
has them, look for beach rollers in catalog page.

Right, about the gulf access from the park. I was saying from GYC you can't sail to the gulf. And you reminded about using pvc pipe to put down and slide the boat on.

cat launch in several places,,,,best is behind the flag pole at the welcome station.....give a heads up to the ranger there.can take that road(trail) to the east beach but cannot leave trailor or vehicle (must park,else where, possibly behind the welcome center[flag pole])...........................can also launch to the left(east)of the cause way entrance[right after the bridge and scout camp],a little muddy and shallow but well sheltered and only minutes from bay,,.................desoto is the best!!! it used to have a dedicated fenced cat freindly area(now a dog park) but from lack of use slowly was abandoned,,,,,,,bob baker was a head ranger and cat sailor in the old days,,,,the sailing in tampa bay (West of the skyway) is great,there are a couple of beach friendly resturants on anna maria island(5,6 miles south),bay and gulf side,,,,to lunch at,,,,,,the gulf is right there or sail in protected areas,.........there is egmont key a historic isle to picnic on lots to explore(old forts cannon etc),,,,,,,BUT!!!!!!!,keep an eye out for ships,they haul ash,,they do only stay in the channel though ...,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Its a shame this venue is so under used by the cat community,,,,,,,,,,this is slightly dated info [2 yrs],,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,be polite,respectful and get invited back,,,,,enjoy

Catman, if you were at Dunedin Causeway on Monday that might well have been me. I'm currently sailing a Trac 14--probably the only one on the gulf coast!

Allwet, thanks for the info. I think the thing to do is to take part of an afternoon this week (if schedule permits) and head down there for an up to date scouting report in person. Will let you know the results if I indeed do that...

If you sail from Davis Island, be prepared for a long trip down and around to Fort DeSoto. Watchout for the ships coming and going to the Port.

I've camped at Ft. DeSoto twice with our boat. Unless they've changed the policy, you have to make reservations in person. Campsites are available on the lagoon. The racoons will break into everything.

Not far from the campsites are concrete launch ramps, really wide ones, and a large parking lot that allows close access to the pass into the Gulf. I would suggest launching from the ramp initially and then sailing over to the campsite and the reverse when you're ready go home. Sailing from the campsite to the pass will take longer than you think.

The current in the pass can be difficult to overcome. Stay as close as you can to the beaches on either side of the pass to avoid the stronger current in the middle. Once again, pay attention to the tides. On either side of the pass the beaches are beautiful and a lot of boats beach there to picnic and hangout.

Once out into the Gulf you can go north or south for uncrowded beaches. Watch the thin water outside the pass on the south side.

If you choose to beach the boat at a campsite the tides are quite dramatic so make sure you know when to go and when to return to have enough water to make it to or from the campsite. Your boat will be sitting on the hard sand bottom of Mosquito Lagoon in the morning unless you leave early enough. The water is very grassy.

The seabreeze on that part of the shore has the strongest winds of any I've encountered around the Gulf Coasts. Around sunset winds may pipe up to 25 or so steadily and will last until after sunset. Tents go flying. Camp stoves struggle to stay lit. It's like a mini hurricane in the evenings. The mullet flopping will keep light sleepers awake all night.

Fort DeSoto is a fabulous place and well worth a trip.

What a great description!

However, I wonder if they ever do anything to thin out the herds of raccoons.

About 32 years ago I was there with my husband and daughter (who was about 5 years old). We went to the camp office area in the evening to make a phone call. My husband was in one of several phone booths. My daughter and I saw a raccoon and said, "Oh, isn't that cute." And we threw it a cracker or something that we were eating. Almost instantaneously, a throng of raccoons appeared out of the woods (like a flock of seagulls) and formed a semicircle around us, begging for food. So we threw some more crackers, and they started viciously fighting with each other. Really scary. Then they started advancing on us and narrowing the radius. We ended up having to take refuge in one of the phone booths.

And I am writing to you from that very phone booth to this day. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I made it down to Ft. DeSoto this weekend, and here is what I found. First, you can put in a cat behind the main ranger station (which puts you into the main shipping channel, but with plenty of room to sail since it's miles accross) but you do need either 4-wheel drive or beach wheels since the last 50 ft. or so to the water is very soft sand. And yes, you could also launch off of the very wide concrete boat ramp, but that puts you into a small bay where you have to then sail out a VERY narrow channel to get into the gulf. LOTS of motorboaters in that area on weekends, so be ready to navigate quickly if you go that route. But the best I saw was just preceding the final small bridge as you approach the entrance of the park proper (before the campgrounds). If you go to the small beach on the right, you're in the same small bay as the boat ramp, but if you go to the small beach on the left, you can sail directly out and toward the Sunshine Skyway bridge. Likewise, there are numerous fairly wide openings between mangrove trees on the causeway approaching the park where a person could easily put a cat in, again on the left-hand side if you want to be in the main water of of the Skyway right off the bat. So it seems to me (since I don't have 4-wheel drive or beach wheels) that the best place to launch from is actually before entering the main park.

Regarding the raccoons, they are still numerous and exceedingly brave. Don't camp there w/out tying your tent together--otherwise, they WILL undo the zippers and join you. I was told that last summer they removed 500 of the rascals from the park, but the population is unphased.