Cayo Costa

[gsheridan]

I just discovered Cayo Costa. But, very nervous about ruining my the Sharkhide on my tunes by running it up on the beach. Will the sand on the beach damage the Sharkhide?

 

[Jack M]

If you keep you boat in a slip ,Sharkhide wears off below the waterline in a bout 2 weeks.
Here is a link to the Sharkhide site

Sharkhide

 

[gsheridan]

The more I think about it, landing on sand , with the movement of the waves, is a dumb idea. Bound to wear at the finish. Best just to anchor behind the breakers and wade in.

 

[lakeliving]

This is what I do in Fl. We frequent a little island in from the inlet and I anchor off the beach and wade in. Allows the waves, boat wake and tides to do their thing without me having to worry about hitting bottom or getting beached on an outgoing tide

 

[gsheridan]

Thanks. Its going to be chilly in February in the Gulf but maybe I'll invest in an inflatable kayak.

 

[BigKahuna]

NEVER did like beaching our boat!!! Did it a couple times in Virginia and didn't like running up on the sand. Or rocks or stumps or whatever else is under there! There was a place we used to go to play volleyball in the water. I used to throw out 2 anchors in 2 or 3 feet of water and walk in.....

 

[TomS]

We go to Cayo Costa frequently with our (now) fiberglass boat. On the Gulf side, most will have 2 anchors, and anchor out in 3-4' with stern to shore using the second small anchor there to keep the stern from swinging. Bow to the incoming waves with the big anchor. If you're in the bay side just anchor a few feet out, bow in, as you can still keep the stern from swinging with a second one.

 

[Julianna]

I know this thread is old but wanted to update after Hurricane Ian. We live in Sanibel area and love to drive up to North Captiva then to Cayo Costa. The channel signs are back up for the most part. Didn't have any problems driving at high speeds. Seems that most of the debris has floated out further. The water is very clear and no signs of red tide at this time. You can beach practically anywhere on Sanibel to Captiva without interfering with large crowds. Although they are still working on the Sanibel bridges with barges and heavy equipment. Basically boaters paradise if you want to beach and look for shells. Cayo Costa's coastline has been moved back further so there is much more beach to walk on. Since the snow birds went home, or left the area permanently, it's been a boater's paradise. You feel like you have all the beauty to yourselves.