Please Advise- INVEST 92L & my Florida Vacation

[amccoy]

I'm planning to haul the Yamaha to the Clearwater area on Friday for a week of boating around Tampa Bay. I have a wet slip booked at Madeira Beach Municipal Marina. The latest forecast for 92L (Isaias) shows it going over FL.

Assuming the projections are correct what should I do,
Leave the boat home?
Take the boat but leave it on the trailer until the storm passes?
Go ahead and put it in the slip?

The intensity forecast shows it can be sub-tropical to Cat 1 possibly 2.

What would you guys do?

 

[Inthrustwetrust]

I live in the Panhandle. I would say bring it and decide about the slip/trailer/getting out of Florida as the forecast gets more accurate in the next couple of days. To many variables, if it goes west up the Gulf, forms into a Hurricane, and gets close to Tampa as a Hurricane you probably want to get out. If it goes East into the Atlantic as a weak tropical storm you might be boating all weekend with no worries. Right now the storm hasn’t really formed into anything except some showers so they have no idea what it’s going to do. Once it gets some circular motion and a eye forms the forecast should get better. Lots of variables if it makes landfall in PR/Cuba as well.

 

[Rdavis0207]

I agree you should be fine and then when the storm blows over the fun can begin.

 

[Inthrustwetrust]

I’ll add, the odds of you having to completely cancel or go home are probably pretty low. Most likely scenario in my mind is the weekend might be pretty wet, and little windy. Leave the boat on the trailer while the storm blows through, more to keep it on dry land while it dumps some rain, and the rest of your week will be great for boating. Leave all your plugs open so any water drains out, and if it’s going to get real windy you might want to take the cover off. There are different lanes of thought on cover on vs off, I don’t have the Yamaha cover so I can’t attest to how well it holds up to wind.

 

[amccoy]

Also it's a 1,000 mile trip for me one way so we are leaving Thursday.

 

[Rdavis0207]

Wait till Thursday if it's not a cat 1 by then I'd say chances of a monster storm are low. (Not a meteorologist) just an opinion but looks like it should be late Sunday or so before anything hits Florida. Or just change the Vaca as a whole and come hit the panhandle with us lol we arnt expecting anything at this point

 

[Inthrustwetrust]

Also it's a 1,000 mile trip for me one way so we are leaving Thursday.

Ya I would just press as planned. As Rdavis said, Panama City, Destin, Pcola, and Orange beach in AL all offer great vacation, ICW boating, sandbars, islands and as of right now aren’t expecting any weather unless the storm shifts drastically. It’s not to far of a drive if you have to divert, and pretty much everything is open despite the COVID craziness. Idk how hotels are looking, but tourist seem to be down a little bit over the last few weeks.

 

[tdonoughue]

If you go, you may want to bring 4 auger anchors and lines to be able to anchor down the boat while it is on the trailer. If you do get caught there with a storm, seems like a cheap investment to keep your boat on the trailer in high wind.

 

[Dixie Highway]

We are leaving to head to the panhandle tomorrow, looking at it right now i doubt we’ll see anything but we have 12 days there so it won’t be a washout. Happy boating!

 

[Yamahaul]

take the boat, keep on trailer. if it goes to atlantic side the west coast is usually ok. this happens every year here. if it goes to the gulf forget about it, but at least youll have the option.

 

[Floridaman79]

I live on the east coast of Florida. I'd go ahead as planned. I'd pull the boat out of the slip and back onto the trailer to let the storm pass if its looking like its going to hit, but the most likely scenario is you'll have a day of rain where you'll be inside all day, but the waves will be big. You can always day trip over to the other coast too. I was scalloping out of anclote last Friday and just left at 4 am and I was back in time for dinner. Just keep in mind these storms are pretty big, so it'll likely be raining here on Sunday and driving thru tropical storms suck. You might want to stock up on supplies before you head down though. People lose their minds down here when a hurricane is coming and they'll clean out a supermarket down to the shelves.

 

[Dean P]

I live here and boat in Tampa Bay. Like others have mentioned, the storm is to far out to tell where it's going to hit. I wouldn't change plans or cancel. Nothing says you have to boat (even if there was nothing coming). Not sure what you're planning but we've been having (sometimes severe) afternoon storms every day. Once you're here you'll have to play it by ear on afternoon boating.

Side note: Let me know if you need tips/ideas on where to go and for dining options. Lots of great places to stop on the water. Good luck, stay safe and have fun.

 

[adrianp89]

You won't be boating this weekend. Probably can Monday-Friday though, once it passes it will suck all the moisture out for the following days.

 

[CraigAR]

If you go, you may want to bring 4 auger anchors and lines to be able to anchor down the boat while it is on the trailer. If you do get caught there with a storm, seems like a cheap investment to keep your boat on the trailer in high wind.

Been there, done that...Irma

And this made it with my old grey cover. The black deluxe cover I have now is way more heavy duty then that one.

 

[amccoy]

I live here and boat in Tampa Bay. Like others have mentioned, the storm is to far out to tell where it's going to hit. I wouldn't change plans or cancel. Nothing says you have to boat (even if there was nothing coming). Not sure what you're planning but we've been having (sometimes severe) afternoon storms every day. Once you're here you'll have to play it by ear on afternoon boating.

Side note: Let me know if you need tips/ideas on where to go and for dining options. Lots of great places to stop on the water. Good luck, stay safe and have fun.

Yes, please send any recommendations for restaurants, boating, and fishing locations. Thanks.

 

[Dean P]

PM me where you're staying or launching from. Help better with suggestions. I've posted these before if you feel like searching.

 

[adrianp89]

If it the place I’m thinking of, Slyce is pretty much across the inter coastal, good pizza place with nice brunch on Sundays. There is also a McDonalds and Publix accessible by that dock. A hundred yards north of that is the VFW and in the canal is Angry Pepper, each with boat parking. Head south and you’ll be at Johns pass very quickly, not sure if Gators is open but that’s a very popular place, on the south side of the pass. North side of pass Is the Johns Pass center, lots of restaurants but inaccessible by boat.

If you go south a bit you find your way to Gulf Port, which I highly recommend, it’s like a baby key West with several restaurants and bars.

If you go north, Sea Breeze is in a cove, small dock, but free a beer for anyone on the boat. Head further north is The Pub, good beach bar environment, plenty of parking. Right by them is Salt Rock, a more upscale restaurant with good boat parking.
Keep heading north and you can find docking for Holiday Inn Harbor Side. From here you can go to their restaurant, Jimmy Guanas, or you can walk about a block to another Slyce or Crabbys (Crabbys usually is worth a visit).

if you want to keep heading North youll run into the Clearwater Beach bridges, if you turn west before the big bridge, you’ll see Tropix and Shepherds. Have to anchor and walk out to those places.

If you want a long day on Clearwater beach, go past the big bridge and find Frenchies Dockside. Buy a drink at all the Frenchies (5 across Clearwater beach) and you get a free shirt.... a long day but will get to explore all of Clearwater Beach.


That’s food for that general area.

Johns Pass sandbar is right there, can be very shallow so play it smart but the closet place to hang in the water. Head North for an hour or so you can reach Honeymoon island. South of there is about an hour ride to bunces pass.

 

[John_D]

I agree, bring your boat, leave it the trailer until after things settle down. This time of year anything can change, so I would keep watching the tropics as the system moves closer to the main land. Keep in mind, even after the system passes and depending on which side of Florida it passes will depend how squarely the bay will be. Not sure where your coming from, but I would probably wait till Friday before making the trip, you will have a clear picture on what is expected.