Cruising
Southwest Florida has great cruising grounds. There are a myriad of ports of call within a day's sail from Venice. It is a great jumping off point to go either North or South. Because most of our fleet is moored near the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), there is easy access to the Gulf or protected passage via the ICW. What better place is there for cruising!
We have experienced cruisers who ply the waters on the Southwest Coast of Florida, venture up the East Coast to Maine and beyond, and cruise the Bahamas and Virgin Islands These folks have become very experienced and provide a wealth of knowledge to our members and other cruisers.
We typically schedule about seven cruises annually to ports of call on the Southwest Coast which last 2 - 10+ days. Sometimes our destinations are jumping off points to longer cruises for those that are planning on staying out longer. There are some nice islands and marinas where we enjoy the outdoors and camaraderie of our fellow sailors.
Cruising Activities for 2022-2023!
The cruises we have planned so far for this season are as follows:
Fri Oct 21, 2022 - Sunset Sail combined with 'Docktails'
Fri Nov 4 to Mon 7 Nov, 2022 - Short weekend cruise to Bradenton/Anna Maria
Sat Jan 14, 2023 - Possible sunset and 'Docktails' cruise.
Sat Feb 11, 2023 - Possible 'Take Your Valentine For a Cruise' sunset and 'Docktails' cruise.
Wed Mar 15 to Mon Mar 20, 2023 - Cruise to Tampa Bay via Gulfport/St Petersburg.
Mon 10 Apr to Fri May 5, 2023 - Cruise to Bahamas via Ft Myers, Marathon, Key Largo, Biscayne Bay, Ft Lauderdale. Cross the Gulf Stream at Ft Lauderdale to Bahamas to check in. Then cruise a few of the islands.
May, 2023 - Cruise to Gulfport and Clearwater Beach via Bradenton Pier.
If you would like more information, please our Fleet Captain Cruising, Peter Tack at cruising@venicesailingsquadron.org. We look forward to seeing you in the near future.
VSS Cruising Miles Program
Venice Sailing Squadron annually awards burgees to its members in recognition of their cumulative miles cruised. Click here for a description of the program.
List of Preferred Marinas, Yacht Clubs, and Anchorages - North to South
Click here
CRUISE REPORTS:
Cruise - Venice to Key West - 0605-062121
VSS Cruise to Bradenton Pier AMI and Sarasota