PDQ OWNERS FORUM

We are from and have trawler cruised the PNW for the past 10 years and are now looking to experience new cruising grounds.

Having the opportunity to cruise on a PDQ 34 in Florida for two to three weeks in October; we are hoping for Forum Members input, suggestions, destinations and highlights for a "Florida Cruise" from Jacksonville to the Keys.

We realize that more time is better; but is two weeks reasonable or is three weeks a more realistic time frame to experience the PDQ 34 and get a flavor of Florida cruising?

Thank you for your thoughts and input......

Craig & Jan

Unless you love the big city cruising that you will experience when transiting Lake Worth and points south (to include West Palm, Ft. Lauderdale and Miami and their bridges and big money powerboats), I have a recommendation for you. Consider this...Make the run from Jacksonville through the beautiful areas of St. Augustine and Palm Coast, get through Daytona quickly, enjoy Mosquito Lagoon and the Cape Canaveral, Titusville and Cocoa Village areas, then get down to Stuart. Here is where things change...run across the Okeechobee Canal and through the locks to Ft. Myers and the beautiful islands of Captiva and Sanibel. If you have time, make a quick detour and run up to Punta Gorda for a day. Then head south to Marco Island, then to Little Shark River, then to the keys. You will emerge in Florida Bay and have plenty of options to choose from, we love Boot Key, Islamorada, and Key Largo but you could make the run to Key West and even Ft. Jefferson if you were so inclined.

This is just my opinion, other will have more for you.

Sam

Sam

Thanks for the input; your suggestion sounds very interesting. What route would you suggest for the return to Northern Florida, to our starting point?

I am assuming three weeks would be sufficient for this suggestion; or would it?

Craig

Depends on where you end up in the keys...if you head towards Key West, come back the same way. If you head to Key Largo, spend a night in Biscayne Bay and then make the run up the east coast. Just make sure you stop in Dinner Key in Miami and walk into Coconut Grove. As for time, you really should chart out your path and see how much you want to tackle, all depends on how much time you want to be moving and how long you want to dwell at each place. I would recommend 6 months Then you could make the run from Miami over to the Bahamas before coming north to Jax...

Sam

Thanks again Sam for the input. Yes, 6 months would be greatl Not going to happen thought unless we buy a PDQ while we are in Florida; now there is an idea!

Cheers

Craig

hi craig,

3 weeks will fly by. fl is one long state N-S. i agree with sam, try and layout a set of routes. assume that you'll cruise at 13-15 knots. you could easily spend the better part of a week just exploring miami/key biscayne. st augustine is a couple of days. sanibel/captiva/ft myers beach is a short week. don't try and do too much. enjoy yourself.

John & Dianne

Thanks for the input..... will definitely take your and Sam's suggestions and incorporate them into our plans!

Cheers

Craig & Jan