Looking for Advice on Trailering a Ranger Tug to Florida for the Winter

[Bulljon]

I’ve been watching as many YouTube videos as I can find about wintering in Florida, and there are some great ones out there from Ranger Tug owners. Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to share their experiences.

My wife and I are considering trailering our boat from Kansas down to Florida sometime next January. This is all completely new territory for us, so I was hoping to connect with owners who have experience cruising in that part of the world.

In particular, we’re interested in learning about:

• Good places to launch when arriving with a trailer
• Options for moorage or marinas where we could stay for a period of time
• Suggested cruising routes or itineraries
• Any must-see destinations, anchorages, or fishing opportunities

We’re still in the early planning stage and would really appreciate any insights or lessons learned from those who have done something similar.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[mlanger]

I'm also thinking of wintering on my boat this year, but I'll be towing it from the Seattle area and launching near St. Louis. I figured I'd put it on the Great Loop in early November and see how far I get by March. I'm hoping to take some Looper Wannabes on short cruises to introduce them to the Loop.

I've cruised most of Florida in my own boat and parts of it with clients in their boats. I find that I prefer the ICW north of Jupiter; south of there is a bit of a zoo. There's nice cruising in the Keys if the weather is good. Tarpon Springs, Clearwater Beach, and Captiva Island have nice marinas and towns on the west coast. I've cruised across Lake Okeechobee three times now -- the most recently was last month -- and I can recommend a few stops along the way there. I liked Fort Pierce (good farmer's market on Saturdays), Melbourne, Cocoa (but not Cocoa Beach), New Smyrna Beach, Daytona (not Daytona Beach), and St. Augustine. I also liked Marineland but most folks don't because there's nothing there except the ocean. I took a side trip up the St. John's River just a bit past Hontoon Island; I enjoyed that a lot but it's pretty far off the beaten path. There are also a bunch of anchorages I really liked, although my tastes are a bit odd so I don't usually recommend them.

If you have any specific questions about a place, please let me know. I'll be taking a client boat from Cocoa to Savannah next month so I'll be on the east coast of Florida for a while.

Maria

 

[Bulljon]

I'm also thinking of wintering on my boat this year, but I'll be towing it from the Seattle area and launching near St. Louis. I figured I'd put it on the Great Loop in early November and see how far I get by March. I'm hoping to take some Looper Wannabes on short cruises to introduce them to the Loop.

I've cruised most of Florida in my own boat and parts of it with clients in their boats. I find that I prefer the ICW north of Jupiter; south of there is a bit of a zoo. There's nice cruising in the Keys if the weather is good. Tarpon Springs, Clearwater Beach, and Captiva Island have nice marinas and towns on the west coast. I've cruised across Lake Okeechobee three times now -- the most recently was last month -- and I can recommend a few stops along the way there. I liked Fort Pierce (good farmer's market on Saturdays), Melbourne, Cocoa (but not Cocoa Beach), New Smyrna Beach, Daytona (not Daytona Beach), and St. Augustine. I also liked Marineland but most folks don't because there's nothing there except the ocean. I took a side trip up the St. John's River just a bit past Hontoon Island; I enjoyed that a lot but it's pretty far off the beaten path. There are also a bunch of anchorages I really liked, although my tastes are a bit odd so I don't usually recommend them.

If you have any specific questions about a place, please let me know. I'll be taking a client boat from Cocoa to Savannah next month so I'll be on the east coast of Florida for a while.

Maria

Sounds like you have a lot of experience and that was what we were hoping to find. I will have to pull out a map and take a look at all of these places that you mentioned to get my bearings. If it’s OK, I might reach out to you on a direct message in the weeks to come with a few questions. Thank you for the reply!

 

[CaspersCruiser]

I’ve towed to Florida from Kentucky five times. Your question is pretty broad. Some questions for you to narrow things down:

1) Are you towing the boat or paying someone to tow it for you? If you are towing, how much towing experience do you have with your boat? Also understand that towing in January all the way from Kansas is a dicey proposition regardless of who is doing the towing. Be prepared for delays or interruptions to the tow for winter-weather impacted roads.

2) How much time do you plan to spend in Florida? It is a big state. All the places mentioned in the first reply to your query are great places; I’ve been to most, but they are hundreds of miles apart and on different sides of the Florida peninsula. Do you plan to stay in one spot or cruise from place to place? If you are planning a long term stay at a marina, now is the time to be making your reservation.

3) Finding a place to launch is only one half of the towing equation. Somewhere to store the tow rig is the other half. I can suggest some places to launch if I have a general idea of where you intend to cruise.

 

[Bulljon]

I’ve towed to Florida from Kentucky five times. Your question is pretty broad. Some questions for you to narrow things down:

1) Are you towing the boat or paying someone to tow it for you? If you are towing, how much towing experience do you have with your boat? Also understand that towing in January all the way from Kansas is a dicey proposition regardless of who is doing the towing. Be prepared for delays or interruptions to the tow for winter-weather impacted roads.

2) How much time do you plan to spend in Florida? It is a big state. All the places mentioned in the first reply to your query are great places; I’ve been to most, but they are hundreds of miles apart and on different sides of the Florida peninsula. Do you plan to stay in one spot or cruise from place to place? If you are planning a long term stay at a marina, now is the time to be making your reservation.

3) Finding a place to launch is only one half of the towing equation. Somewhere to store the tow rig is the other half. I can suggest some places to launch if I have a general idea of where you intend to cruise.

Thanks for the reply. I’ll add a little more context to what we’re thinking.

1. Trailering the boat:
We plan to tow the boat down ourselves. I have a Ram one-ton dually and plenty of experience towing heavy boat trailers, so we’re comfortable making the trip. We would plan the departure around the weather to avoid any winter storms.

2. Duration and cruising plan:
We’re thinking about a 4–6 week trip, roughly mid-January through the end of February. My initial thought is to trailer the boat to Fort Myers or Naples, cruise south toward Marathon in the Keys, spend some time exploring, then return to Naples and possibly explore a bit north along the Gulf Coast before hauling out.

We enjoy fishing, but we also like destinations where we can walk to restaurants, shops, and maybe even play a little golf.

3. Launching and storage:
Depending on where we decide to start and end the trip, we would need to figure out launch ramps and a place to store the truck and trailer while we’re cruising.

Hopefully this helps clarify our plan, thanks for the help.

 

[CaspersCruiser]

Trailering: You’re squared away!

In mid-January, I drove by a scene that scared the bejeezus out of me. Intermittent, widely scattered “snow showers” created widely scattered slick spots, exactly as the NWS Winter Weather Advisory forecast. My trip on a local interstate took me by the wreckage of a pickup truck and travel trailer that had jackknifed on one of the slick spots. The truck was in the right lane with severe rear suspension damage and the travel trailer was off the side of the road on its side and separated from the truck. There were truck and trailer parts scattered everywhere. It was UGLY.

Trip duration: Longer is better for all the effort involved. From Kentucky, it takes three full days to tow to South Florida, get the boat launched and in a slip, the tow rig stored, and, finally, to get the boat transitioned from the “tow” mode to the “cruise” mode. At the end of the cruise, it’s the reverse. Add a day from Kansas.

Launching Southwest Florida: Unless you have local support, select ramps with an adjacent or very nearby marina. I have used boat ramps at Burnt Store Marina and Laishley Park Marina and Boat Ramp. Both are at Punta Gorda. At Burnt Store, I stored my tow rig at the marina. However, it appears that the inevitable encroachment of development has taken away that option. Same with the place I stored when I launched at Laishley Park. You’ll just have call those places and find out what’s available.

I have used an out-of-the-way boat ramp in a residential neighborhood near Ft. Myers for takeout, but I had the local support required.

There are many other options around South Florida. Hopefully, another Tugnut will make suggestions. Then you can choose what fits best.

Places to cruise Southwest Florida: ‘Tween Waters Marina and Resort on Captiva. Pretty expensive since the hurricane, but we really, really enjoyed it. Lovely Gulf beach right across the road. Eat at the Bubble Room made famous by Willard Scott, the Today Show weatherman. Yes, it’s touristy, but overall an enjoyable experience. ‘Tween Waters had transportation to the Bubble Room when we visited. At ‘Tween Waters, there’s a fairly good casual restaurant and a hoity-toity restaurant that you need to make reservations far in advance, which was made abundantly clear to me by the snooty SOB when I inquired about a table. All of this is pre-hurricane, but I do know for sure the marina is open.

Anchor in Pelican Bay at Cayo Costa State Park. Unless the docks have been rebuilt, you’ll need a dinghy. Cayo Costa is an undeveloped barrier island with a perfect “snail shell” protected anchorage. The gulf side beach has incredible shelling. There are no condos towering over the beach.

There are many other places. Those are my top two. Hopefully, you hear from other Tugnuts about their favorite spots and about fishing and golfing.

 

[Katmat]

I should be wintering in North Fort Myers again next year, let me know if you need help w/ a place to launch or place to park your truck/trailer.
Matt Murphy

 

[Bulljon]

Trailering: You’re squared away!

In mid-January, I drove by a scene that scared the bejeezus out of me. Intermittent, widely scattered “snow showers” created widely scattered slick spots, exactly as the NWS Winter Weather Advisory forecast. My trip on a local interstate took me by the wreckage of a pickup truck and travel trailer that had jackknifed on one of the slick spots. The truck was in the right lane with severe rear suspension damage and the travel trailer was off the side of the road on its side and separated from the truck. There were truck and trailer parts scattered everywhere. It was UGLY.

Trip duration: Longer is better for all the effort involved. From Kentucky, it takes three full days to tow to South Florida, get the boat launched and in a slip, the tow rig stored, and, finally, to get the boat transitioned from the “tow” mode to the “cruise” mode. At the end of the cruise, it’s the reverse. Add a day from Kansas.

Launching Southwest Florida: Unless you have local support, select ramps with an adjacent or very nearby marina. I have used boat ramps at Burnt Store Marina and Laishley Park Marina and Boat Ramp. Both are at Punta Gorda. At Burnt Store, I stored my tow rig at the marina. However, it appears that the inevitable encroachment of development has taken away that option. Same with the place I stored when I launched at Laishley Park. You’ll just have call those places and find out what’s available.

I have used an out-of-the-way boat ramp in a residential neighborhood near Ft. Myers for takeout, but I had the local support required.

There are many other options around South Florida. Hopefully, another Tugnut will make suggestions. Then you can choose what fits best.

Places to cruise Southwest Florida: ‘Tween Waters Marina and Resort on Captiva. Pretty expensive since the hurricane, but we really, really enjoyed it. Lovely Gulf beach right across the road. Eat at the Bubble Room made famous by Willard Scott, the Today Show weatherman. Yes, it’s touristy, but overall an enjoyable experience. ‘Tween Waters had transportation to the Bubble Room when we visited. At ‘Tween Waters, there’s a fairly good casual restaurant and a hoity-toity restaurant that you need to make reservations far in advance, which was made abundantly clear to me by the snooty SOB when I inquired about a table. All of this is pre-hurricane, but I do know for sure the marina is open.

Anchor in Pelican Bay at Cayo Costa State Park. Unless the docks have been rebuilt, you’ll need a dinghy. Cayo Costa is an undeveloped barrier island with a perfect “snail shell” protected anchorage. The gulf side beach has incredible shelling. There are no condos towering over the beach.

There are many other places. Those are my top two. Hopefully, you hear from other Tugnuts about their favorite spots and about fishing and golfing.

Thank you for the great info, you’ve given me a lot to research and I will do it soon. I appreciate you taking the time to respond with such a comprehensive reply.

 

[Bulljon]

I should be wintering in North Fort Myers again next year, let me know if you need help w/ a place to launch or place to park your truck/trailer.
Matt Murphy

Thank you for the reply, I will do it! I would be curious to learn more about your experience around North Fort Myers.

 

[fallard]

Many years ago, I chartered a sailboat out of Burnt Store Marina and spent a week in Gasparilla Sound which is north of Ft Myers. There a a number of interesting stops, assuming not much has changed. Boca Grande, Cayo Costa, Cabbage Key, and the “Tunnel of love” come to mind, but these areas didn’t have much—if any-marina accommodation. We did stay overnight at Tween Waters, but that was the only night we were not on the hook.

We split our time between homes in Mystic, CT and Venice, FL, and last year bought a RT-27 OB with trailer in Jensen Beach, FL. We thought about where we would cruise in south Florida from a Gulf coast base and decided that Gasparilla Sound had limited appeal and a better option might be the Florida Keys. We just came back from a car trip to Key West and—as nice as the area is—cruising our Ranger Tug there might be a reasonable proposition, but we would want to check out cost and availability of slips along the Keys. Also,the water route from Ft Myers to the Keys passes by a wilderness ares (the Everglades) with minimal services. We decided to have our RT trailered to CT and leave it there, where the summer cruising grounds are incredible, since I don’t have a suitable tow vehicle and don’t want to pay another $3k for a 1300 mile tow in each direction. We considered that most of our water time from our Venice base would be in the ICW, which had limited appeal.

It is possible to cruise to the Bahamas, but you would need to leave from the East coast, whether you launch there or take the Okeechobee waterway from the West coast. I’ve done the Okeechobee waterway and recall that the Indiantown Marina (on the East side of Lake Okeechobee) catered to folks who needed to store their boats. I suspect that they are reasonably priced compared to either coast.

Whatever you decide, you might invest in a cruising guilde to scout out facilities in your prospective cruising ground(s).

 

[Bulljon]

Many years ago, I chartered a sailboat out of Burnt Store Marina and spent a week in Gasparilla Sound which is north of Ft Myers. There a a number of interesting stops, assuming not much has changed. Boca Grande, Cayo Costa, Cabbage Key, and the “Tunnel of love” come to mind, but these areas didn’t have much—if any-marina accommodation. We did stay overnight at Tween Waters, but that was the only night we were not on the hook.

We split our time between homes in Mystic, CT and Venice, FL, and last year bought a RT-27 OB with trailer in Jensen Beach, FL. We thought about where we would cruise in south Florida from a Gulf coast base and decided that Gasparilla Sound had limited appeal and a better option might be the Florida Keys. We just came back from a car trip to Key West and—as nice as the area is—cruising our Ranger Tug there might be a reasonable proposition, but we would want to check out cost and availability of slips along the Keys. Also,the water route from Ft Myers to the Keys passes by a wilderness ares (the Everglades) with minimal services. We decided to have our RT trailered to CT and leave it there, where the summer cruising grounds are incredible, since I don’t have a suitable tow vehicle and don’t want to pay another $3k for a 1300 mile tow in each direction. We considered that most of our water time from our Venice base would be in the ICW, which had limited appeal.

It is possible to cruise to the Bahamas, but you would need to leave from the East coast, whether you launch there or take the Okeechobee waterway from the West coast. I’ve done the Okeechobee waterway and recall that the Indiantown Marina (on the East side of Lake Okeechobee) catered to folks who needed to store their boats. I suspect that they are reasonably priced compared to either coast.

Whatever you decide, you might invest in a cruising guilde to scout out facilities in your prospective cruising ground(s).

Sounds like you have an excellent plan for the summer. I appreciate all of the detail regarding the Gulf Coast. That is very helpful. I think we are considering renting a waterfront home with a dock for a couple of months somewhere in the Fort Myers or Naples area. The solves the docking issue and gives us the ability to invite friends and family down during the winter season. We currently live part of the year in the Kansas City area and the other part in North Idaho, neither of those locations are appealing in the winter time. My wife and I are looking at a 10 year plan and want to find a place that we like and would plan to return to. This first year will be a bit of a reconnaissance mission. Thanks again for your input and have a great summer.