Boat Ramps Panama City Beach/St Andrews Bay area Fl.

[Sundowner88L]

I was wonder if anyone in the area knows which public boat ramp is a good one to use? I will be vacationing there next month and I have never put in at any of the ramps I have found in PCB. I will be staying close to the St Andrews State Park so I was thinking the ramp they have would work for me. Also any tips on where not to go when visiting Shell Island? I have been boating all my life and can Nav. well and know the channels but I don't want to beach the boat and then get high and dry with the tide changes. I have never had to deal with tides before. Always been a fresh water boater. I looked over the FWC web site many times and checked local maps so I am very confident about boating around there. I may or may not go on the gulf side. All depends on the seas those days I go out. I have a 1996 Bayliner 2050SS in great condition so calm seas like in the bay area is what I need to have a good day. Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

[nlain]

Re: Boat Ramps Panama City Beach/St Andrews Bay area Fl.

I have been there several times, the ramp at the state park is a good one, you will have to pay for a pass into the park. Get your charts, if you see grass under the water stay off of it, you will see a dark spot in the water where the grass is growing. Tides are not a real big problem, only a couple foot change. Shell Island is the hang out place, take some foot wear that you can keep on in the water, the little sea urchins hurt when you step on them. Beautiful area, crystal clear water, clean sand bottom on Shell Island.

 

[MRneatfreak]

Re: Boat Ramps Panama City Beach/St Andrews Bay area Fl.

Nothing to fear about tides, except when and if you plan on going through the passes to the Gulf. I've been through both Pensacola's and Orange Beach's pass to the gulf, and they both can be snotty at times. Give you some heart pounding moments depending on the tide change and which way the wind is blowing, especially for boats < than 20ft.

As far as island hopping just make sure you have an anchor for the bow and stern, and make sure your tilt works w/o leaking down, and you are golden.

 

[Sundowner88L]

Re: Boat Ramps Panama City Beach/St Andrews Bay area Fl.

MRneatfreak
Why 2 anchors and why would it be a big problem about the tilt leaking down?

 

[MRneatfreak]

Re: Boat Ramps Panama City Beach/St Andrews Bay area Fl.

When I go island hopping I prefer not to beach the hull but yet have enough to just float the boat. Where I go the island is full of boats, if you have limited space then I can't afford to have my old boat drifting into a nice newer boat. So you use one to hold it in the tidal currents and one to keep it from drifting into other boats parked next to you.

Also there are heavy boats that drive by and their wake will push your stern if your bow is on the beach.

As far as tilt leaking down, I don't like my skag and prop digging into the sand/rocks even with the engine off. In fact on my current boat it doesn't have tilt, only what I lock it in to, mechanically. So I have to park in 2-3 ft of water. On my old boat it leaked down so I would just raise it, and slide a 4x4 between the outboard and the transom clamp. So I didn't have to worry about it walking on the sea floor. Another reason to worry about leak down, and depending on how fast it leaks down, backing up with the bow beached can be a pain, especially if the prop is in the sand, and you can't raise it, and you have some wave action coming on shore.

 

[Sundowner88L]

Re: Boat Ramps Panama City Beach/St Andrews Bay area Fl.

I see now. All makes sense. I float all the time too when the shore is not ideal to beach. I really prefer it for all the reasons you listed. I do have a keel guard on the hull but the sand is still hard on the exposed parts. I run an I/O. My tilt works fine so no problems there. Thanks for all the advise. Happy Boating if you go this weekend.