Anyone familiar with Navarre FL ?

[AJACHIM]

Hi guys planning a trip down in the beginning of September for my family . We’ll be staying in Navarre beach in between the gulf and sound. Well Be close to the Navarre boat ramp and wanted to see what your thoughts were on an ar190 fairing in the sound. Planning on doing some fishing as well there so hoping I may get some tips on trips or things to watch out for in the boat there. Thanks in advance

 

[captras]

Never boated there, but have staryed there. Beautiful place! While there take an afternoon and go to the Naval Museum in Pensacola!

 

[Wisefam22]

There is ramp right there at intersection of bridge and beach on bay side. I've heard its nice and easy to use.

I haven't taken my boat down, but its about 40min ride to destin/crab Island via bay/intercoastal.

 

[Wisefam22]

@AJACHIM yall will be fine in the bay.

Went out fishing in a 19ft flats boat last time i was there.

 

[scriz]

I am from Navarre and have some tips for Juanas boat launch.
1. Use the first two lanes only, the third mucks up with sand and will get you stuck.
2. Their are bathrooms and trashcans available at the dock, which is nice.
3. There are usually a bunch of sh*t head teenagers swimming at the launch, which is illegal but they do it anyway so watch out for them.
4. There is a jetski rental at Juanas, so be careful as they are not always paying attention.
5. There are paths through the dunes to the beach if you decide to beach your boat and park the trailer. Once you have parked, you can cut through the dunes to get to the beach without going around.
6. You must have a trailer attached to your car to park in the trailer parking area, otherwise you will get a ticket.
7. The speed limit drops just after the bridge to protect nesting birds. Goes from 35 to 25 I believe. Just watch out as cops like to hang out there.
8. There is a pretty long no wake zone after you launch, just be aware and watch for the markers.
9. It is shallow on the edges of the sound, but jet boats and skis usually don't have any issues.
10. There are limited gas fillup areas on the water in Navarre, with Eastbay Smokehouse Dock (directly across from Juanas boat launch) being the only one that comes to mind.
11. West is Pensacola Beach, which is a strait run with no No Wake Zones. East is Destin, which has a couple No Wake Zones near the bridges.

That is about all I can think of. Oh, 5 Sep is going to be a world record boat parade attempt, so it is going to be a sh*t show at that launch. Good luck.
Chris

 

[2kwik4u]

I'm going to revive this thread. I also have an AR190, and was just invited on a family outing to Navarre. Plans are to stay on the coast side, and launch from the bay/intercoastal side at Navarre Ramp there at the bridge.

I've got some questions. I'm an inland lake boater, this will be the first time in salt:

1. How do I handle flushing/rinsing? Are there public facilities for this? Do I need to do it after each "dip", or can I just do it once when I get home and be OK? Going to be down there Fri-Thur and are planning 4-5 days on the water with the boat.
2. What "new" equipment do I need? I've already got a GPS/Chartplotter thread going. I've got Navionics on my phone already and will be stress testing that on inland lakes before the trip. I'm guessing that might flush itself out on it's own before then, but didn't know if the addition of the coast added severity to the need for a dedicated unit?
3. What about VHF radio? Between ourselves, and the family we're travelling with I think we have all major cell services covered, and I don't think we're planning on getting out beyond sight of shore at any point. Should I at least get a handheld VHF for the trip? Might be nice for boat to boat anyway right?
4. Anything I need to do different with the boat in salt water as compared to fresh water aside from flushing/rinsing regimen? I assume the boat just works like normal right?
5. We've take a few "long distance" trips with the boat, but the longest is about 5hrs of towing. This will be around 10hr drive for us. Aside from checking bearings and tires, and having some spares on hand as well as tools. Anything else I need to prep on the trailer for the drive, and more importantly for the salt dunking it's going to get.
6. What am I missing?

Thanks in advance for the help guys! I've got 20 weeks as of today to research, save my pennies, and prep the boat

 

[Wisefam22]

Look at the preping for Bimini thread for good things to carry offshore anytime.

Also when in the Keys the local FWC told me thst if in cell range use it as they can ping a local cell signal better then the VHF but it's good to have.

Flush it after every use if you are pulling it out each time.

Use hose at rental house to flush.

 

[scriz]

Juana's (the local boat launch) is three lanes to launch, but don't use the third lane (furthest left as you face the water or S most lane) as it fills with sand and putting in is a pain as your trailer tires sink and recovering is just as bad for the same reason. I have a Raptor and still don't mess with it unless I am just launching/recovering my skis. I don't do it with the boat. There are bathrooms and trash at the launch, and there is a gas station for beer and fuel, but they charge more than on the mainland. Most gas station (mostly Tom Thumbs) have Ethanol free gas at the pump, if you use that for your boat. There is gas on the water at East River Smokehouse Pier, which is directly North across the Sound from Juana's. Ice is available at all convenience stores, and also in bulk at the ice machine on 87 and Laredo, across from the Tom Thumb. Two bucks for a ton of ice, which you can get in bags or dump right into your cooler.

If you are going to beach along the sound or any of the islands, bring a beach umbrella and some chairs. The sun is merciless. Two anchors are a must if you are not going to beach. Boating is huge down here, so there are tons of people doing the same thing and most are friendly and will give you your space on the beach. There are plenty of sheltered areas to pull kids (or adults) on tubes to get you out of traffic if you are bringing a tube or doing any towing sports.

Almost forgot to mention. The launch gets pretty packed on weekends, but usually moves fairly fast. If you want to dodge the rush to launch and get a decent parking spot, get there before 8 am and beach at Juana's. They have pretty good breakfast and you just wait for family to find parking once everyone gets up and moving. People will park in trailer only spots, but there is plenty of parking around if you don't want to get a ticket. I know I will call the Sheriff in a heartbeat if I see a car in a trailer spot with out a trailer if there aren't any spots open. Also, don't park in the sand if your truck can't get out. It looks tempting, but that sand in the parking lot is soft and I have seen plenty of people get stuck.

As long as you aren't going offshore, I wouldn't worry too much about a Marine radio. We have Verizon and our neighbors have AT&T and we have never been without service in the sound. If you want one for peace of mind, go for it. If you are going offshore, I would certainly invest. I have a Seadoo Challenger 180, so I don't mess with the Gulf as I have a low bow and waves love to break over it and get everything wet.

There is not a hose at Juana's or any of the other launches in Navarre. May want to bring a hose as well as there is no guarantee of one at your rental house. Use Salt Away or other salt rinse product on both your boat and trailer. I also hose down the back of my truck as well. I bring a water bottle to spray down my lug nuts on the trailer before I head out on my boat as well as I am paranoid after a broken stud. I also use salt away on the inside of my boat and jet skis as well, but my buddy has had good results with Simple Green and Salt Away to get rid of fish guts and blood on fiberglass.

You really don't need much for chart plotting. The sound is pretty deep in the channel, which is well marked, and you can see the depth come up as you get closer to shore with the bottom getting lighter. Jetboats have a real advantage down here as you can pretty much scoot over most the sandbars. They do shift after storms though, so even the best charts can't keep up. If you go too far West you end up in Pensacola, too far East and you are in Destin. Watch out for no wake zones as you get closer to Destin. They love handing out tickets to tourists over there. Also watch out for yellow and green jet skis as those are the rentals and they don't pay attention. The cheap pontoons are rentals as well and they really don't know what they are doing.

Other than that, it is a great time. If you run into issues with trailer or boat, PM me as I live in Navarre and have tools and space to work on a trailer or boat if needed. If you have any other questions, ask away. My family is usually out every other weekend as we live about six miles North of Juana's launch and LOVE the water.

 

[2kwik4u]

@Wisefam22 and @scriz

Thanks for the info. Sounds like I don't have a lot to worry about. The fuel, ice, and ramp tips are super helpful as well.

We're for certain going to cruise down and check out Crab Island one day. No idea if we'll do that more than once or not. Hard to say. I suspect it will be a lot like home where we go out for a bit, find a spot to anchor (or beach in this case), then hang out for awhile in the water and let the kids play.

Appreciate the tip on getting a second anchor. Hadn't even considered that as something I might need.

Going to have to track down a place to hook up a hose. Current plan is to stay in a hotel there on the beach. Rest of the family already has 3 rooms there by the time we were looped in. Would like to be in the same place, but we're looking into a rental house as well if we can find one nearby. Hotel is going to be costly ($350+/night), and I've found some condo's near the hotel that are sub $200/night. So long as that doesn't bork up family issues we might do that instead just to save the cash (like $1k overall). Gets me a hose hookup as well

 

[Wisefam22]

The ride from navarre to crab Island is roughly 45mim or so. The area around crab Island is no wake. And outside of the channel on approach can get shallow.

Enjoy the trip

 

[Papa Erp]

@2kwik4u You are going to have a blast. I take my AR210 to that area every summer for the last 4 years. We trailer from Dallas, TX and usually spend a week each time. I flush the engine and rinse the trailer after each use. The only ill effects I've noticed is that the saltwater has really taken a toll on my trailer (painted, not galvanized). Rust and corrosion are taking hold. It's worth it however. Tons of dolphins, clean water, miles of private beaches to have your own party, military aircraft all over which is fun, on-water restaurants, crab island, snorkeling....I could go on and on.

I was worried my first time to go, but you really can't get lost and your never without cell service. The channel is well marked. The best thing about our boats is that you can beach them and navigate shallow water with no real damage to props, etc. Enjoy!

 

[2kwik4u]

Little update (and some questions).

We have a condo booked for the second week in June (11th thru 17th). We're pot committed now!

Just measured the distance from Navarre Ramp to Crab Island.....21mi. Yikes. I've done as much as 75mi on my AR190 on a single tank before, but that was on the Cumberland River, and the water was dead flat, and it was a nice easy cruise. Whats the bay side like between Navarre and Destin? Assuming I launch with a full tank, and just go there and back that's 42mi. I'm sure we're ride around a bit as well. Is there fuel on the water in Destin where I can refill before heading back if needed?

I'll do some more range testing before the trip to get a better idea of my usage, but this was the firs thing that came to mind. TIA for the help!

 

[Papa Erp]

I've made the run several times from Crab Island to Navarre in my AR210. It's very protected with flat water and is usually a very easy run. I usually launch and get gas at Adventure Marina in Fort Walton Beach. www.adventuremarina.com. From Navarre you will pass it on your right just a few miles before reaching Crab Island so that could be your gas stop if needed.

 

[2kwik4u]

I've made the run several times from Crab Island to Navarre in my AR210. It's very protected with flat water and is usually a very easy run. I usually launch and get gas at Adventure Marina in Fort Walton Beach. www.adventuremarina.com. From Navarre you will pass it on your right just a few miles before reaching Crab Island so that could be your gas stop if needed.

Awesome info. Thanks!

I mapped a route on Navionics last night using an expected fuel burn of 11gph (boattest data for 7k rpm in my boat), and it estimated 7gal fuel burn and a 45min ride at 30mph. Puts me at 14gal round trip, or 70% of usable 20gal fuel.

While I was mapping I noticed that outside the channel (or what I think is the channel), the depth drops to a foot or two pretty quickly. How big of a danger is there to getting a jetboat out of the channel? I'm an inland lake boater that is used to having 5+ft of water under me until the keel touchs shore, because most of our lakes are flooded rivers contained in steep sloped/mountainous valleys. The idea that I could see water for quite some ways, and it not be deep enough to boat in is foreign to me. Do I have anything to worry about there? I'm guessing it will make sense instantly once I'm there, but from 600mi away it's feels a bit daunting.

 

[Papa Erp]

Awesome info. Thanks!

I mapped a route on Navionics last night using an expected fuel burn of 11gph (boattest data for 7k rpm in my boat), and it estimated 7gal fuel burn and a 45min ride at 30mph. Puts me at 14gal round trip, or 70% of usable 20gal fuel.

While I was mapping I noticed that outside the channel (or what I think is the channel), the depth drops to a foot or two pretty quickly. How big of a danger is there to getting a jetboat out of the channel? I'm an inland lake boater that is used to having 5+ft of water under me until the keel touchs shore, because most of our lakes are flooded rivers contained in steep sloped/mountainous valleys. The idea that I could see water for quite some ways, and it not be deep enough to boat in is foreign to me. Do I have anything to worry about there? I'm guessing it will make sense instantly once I'm there, but from 600mi away it's feels a bit daunting.

Great Question about the channel. From the Navarre bridge to the Fort Walton Bridge, the water clarity is not the best so you have about 2 or 3 feet depth visibility (estimating and I'm sure it changes throughout the year) so if you stick to the channel you are fine. I went way outside the channel one time (halfway between Navarre and Fort Walton) at about 20mph because I was scouting a good beach party area. My buddy was following me in a pontoon boat and we both ran aground. Most of the bottom is just sand so I skidded to a smooth stop, we all got out and just pulled the boat up closer to the beach. No harm no foul for either my boat or the pontoon.

The closer you get to Crab Island the water gets a lot clearer and you can see bottom easily in any depth. Under the Destin bridge you can see bottom at about 40ft of water. It's amazing.

 

[Rdavis0207]

@Wisefam22 and @scriz

Thanks for the info. Sounds like I don't have a lot to worry about. The fuel, ice, and ramp tips are super helpful as well.

We're for certain going to cruise down and check out Crab Island one day. No idea if we'll do that more than once or not. Hard to say. I suspect it will be a lot like home where we go out for a bit, find a spot to anchor (or beach in this case), then hang out for awhile in the water and let the kids play.

Appreciate the tip on getting a second anchor. Hadn't even considered that as something I might need.

Going to have to track down a place to hook up a hose. Current plan is to stay in a hotel there on the beach. Rest of the family already has 3 rooms there by the time we were looped in. Would like to be in the same place, but we're looking into a rental house as well if we can find one nearby. Hotel is going to be costly ($350+/night), and I've found some condo's near the hotel that are sub $200/night. So long as that doesn't bork up family issues we might do that instead just to save the cash (like $1k overall). Gets me a hose hookup as well

There are a couple air bnb around that have docks one in gulfbreeze for sure I've looked at. I live about 35 mins north and boat outta Navarre and fwb. I'd fill your tank in Alabama as gas is cheaper up there

 

[2kwik4u]

OK you gulf boaters......Talk to me about anchors.

I currently have a single 25lb "Navy Anchor" from Bass Pro. It works exceptionally well in the deep lakes that are usually mostly rocky bottom. I can only pay out about 2:1 scope and it will hold in even the heaviest winds (I've been in 15mph winds and it's held). It's also done really well holding us in place on the Ohio river that is completely muddy bottomed, and has a current around 3-6mph depending on where I'm at. I'll have this as a primary anchor.

I also have a traditional "Fluke" style anchor, but need to buy new line for it, and I need to add some chain. Any idea how much chain I should get? and how much line? I've heard that the Crab Island area sometimes requires you to set two anchors to maintain orientation with other boats in the area and not "swing" around the anchor. If so, I need to get this fluke style setup up and going.

Likewise I've thought about dropping the Navy Anchor as my primary and moving to a Fluke full time to get 25lbs of weight out of the bow. Should help with both planing and ride in rough water as well as move some weight off the tongue at some level (I know 25lbs is nothing here, but it's a thought).

Any advice from the coastal/gulf boaters?

 

[Dean P]

I prefer to stick with Danforth type anchors. The recommended anchor size I use for the stern and I purchase the next size up for the front. Alway have 2 anchors on board. I use 6 ft of chain for both. The chain I buy is dipped to protect the boat and from rust stains. I have 100 ft of black color rope for the front and 50 black for the back. I find white rope stains too easy. When setting the back anchor, tie a fender to it to warn others it's there.

Danforth has never let me down with sandy bottoms. IMO, the flute anchors with the slip ring are worthless and will not hold should the weather turn bad. I've seen this first hand. Live and learn...Good luck!

 

[Inthrustwetrust]

OK you gulf boaters......Talk to me about anchors.

I currently have a single 25lb "Navy Anchor" from Bass Pro. It works exceptionally well in the deep lakes that are usually mostly rocky bottom. I can only pay out about 2:1 scope and it will hold in even the heaviest winds (I've been in 15mph winds and it's held). It's also done really well holding us in place on the Ohio river that is completely muddy bottomed, and has a current around 3-6mph depending on where I'm at. I'll have this as a primary anchor.

I also have a traditional "Fluke" style anchor, but need to buy new line for it, and I need to add some chain. Any idea how much chain I should get? and how much line? I've heard that the Crab Island area sometimes requires you to set two anchors to maintain orientation with other boats in the area and not "swing" around the anchor. If so, I need to get this fluke style setup up and going.

Likewise I've thought about dropping the Navy Anchor as my primary and moving to a Fluke full time to get 25lbs of weight out of the bow. Should help with both planing and ride in rough water as well as move some weight off the tongue at some level (I know 25lbs is nothing here, but it's a thought).

Any advice from the coastal/gulf boaters?

I spend most the summer weekends around Crab Island or some of the actual islands in the sound. I have two Danforth anchors I set at Crab Island. As the currents and winds change it keeps the boat straight. If you are around other regulars they will have two anchors out. If you are around a bunch of rentals/vacationers they will have one anchor out and their boats will be all over the place as the winds and currents change. I just have a couple feet of chain on each, and usually 30-40ft or line is plenty.

I don’t think the Navy anchor is going to do much, never tried a fluke. The sand is pretty soft, and the currents can get pretty strong through the pass.

 

[2kwik4u]

@Inthrustwetrust

Locals are telling us to launch from Liz Jackson Park for our trip to Crab Island tomorrow. ~30min car ride ahead of the boat ride....instead of launching straight from Navarre. This is calling a audible pretty close to launch date from what I had planned. Any thoughts?


Anyone else near Navarre have any input?