316 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Oct. 16. 1897. 
SAIL PLAN RACING SLOOP PROBLEM. 
Cruising:: on the West Coast. 
Having spent a part of the past winter cruising along the 
west coast of Florida with varied experiences, a few items 
relative to that locality as a cruising ground, may be of in- 
terest to would-be cruisers and fishermen. 
Beginning with the Anclote Keys on the north, there is, 
with one or two exceptions, an almost unbroken chain of 
small islands extending parallel to the coast, almost to Cape 
Sable, a distance of some 250 miles. 
Inside of this natural breakwater is au ideal cruising 
ground for small craft, the equal of which cannot be found 
anywhere else in America. 
Here the smallest mosquito boat can cruise in perfect 
safety, and each winter finds a goodly number of enthusias- 
tic yachtsmen from the North, with their tiny craft, ever 
ready to try conclusions with any newcomer who may turn 
^^hese inside waters are very shoal, and centerboard boats 
under 20ft. are the rule. Craft drawing more than Sft. of 
water are placed at a great disa|3vantage, and a keel or fin- 
keel would be wholly impractical. 
Scattered along this coast are numerous wmter-resort 
towns, many of which boast thriving yacht clubs, and nu- 
merous regattas are held through the winter season, each 
town sending its fastest boats to contest for th.e handsome 
trophies offered. In addition to these regattas, some of the 
cluDs hold weekly races, the score being kept, and at the end 
of the season the yacht having the greatest number of points 
takes the prize. . • j 4. u 
Among others, the Tarpon Springs Y. C. maybe said to be 
the most enterprising, and to have the largest membership 
of any club on the coast, and, without exception, the fastest 
yachts on the Gulf coast. jT.t-xii.u-ii, 
Some phenomenal records were made by boats of this club 
during the past winter; in one case a 15-footer entered the 
30ft. class in the Tampa Bay races and took the hundred-dol- 
^^But\t^was about cruising that I started to write, not to 
boom local yacht clubs. ^ oac^ i 
For "inside" cruising on this coast, a 2o or 30ft. yawl- 
rigged cabin sharpie, drawing about 18in. of water, is the 
proper thing for a party of two or three. 
Such a craft can be chartered at most any of the larger 
coast towns at very reasonable figures. 
In fact a party can get such a craft, with or without skip- 
per at Tampa, Punta Gorda or Fort Meyers, for a month's 
cruise that will give a man such a vacation and sea appetite 
as he will remember (with longings for its repetition) ever 
If he wants to try his hand at tarpon fishing, with some 
deer and turkey hunting and plenty of sailing thrown in, he 
cannot do better than to engage the services of Bill Rue, 
Fort Meyers, Fla., with his 30ft. cabin Jigger; a more genial, 
jolly and thoroughly competent fisherman, boatman and 
hunter it has never been my fortune to meet. 
He understands tarpon fishing from A to Z, and probably 
no one knows the game region bordering on the Everglades 
better than he. ■ 
To secure him, however, it would be necessary to make the 
engagement months in advance. 
For an exclusive water trip, with no side trips inland for 
game, a light double gun for beach-birds will be all that is 
necessary. 
As to fishina: tackle; much has already been written re- 
garding Florida tackle. T will only add : take plenty of good 
long 18-thread tarpon lines, as sharks, jewflsh, etc., often 
take more than their share. 
For stores, among other things a liberal supply of canned 
goods, including condensed milk, are iadispensable, the 
facilities for getting fresh meat, vegetables, milk, etc., being 
very inadequate. An awning for shelter from the noonday 
sun, and if a trip south of Charlotte Harbor is contemplated. 
A FLORIDA ORDISER. 
individual cheesecloth mosquito bars will be appreciated. 
We find it best in this latitude to do all cookinar aboard the 
boat, and two or three small oil stoves of the Florence pat- 
tern, which with a can Of kerosene exactly fit into their 
special box, answer every purpose. 
If a party of two or three wish to go it alone, the nature of 
the coast is such that, if they understand boat sailing and 
are provided with a set of coast charts and a fair amount of 
horse sense, they can cruise the length of the Gulf Coast 
without any trouble or danger of mishap whatsoever. In 
regard to fishing grounds, there is nothing very tempting 
north of Tampa Bay. Supposing that the cruiser starts 
from Tampa, a half-day's sail brings him to Big Sarasota 
Bay. Excellent sport can be had at the passes leading into 
Big and Little Sarasota bays — particularly. little Sarasota 
Pass, where redfish, grouper, jack, sea-troul5, lady-fish, 
mango-snappers, pompano, sheephead and numerous other 
kinds, may be taken in large numbers most any day, and a 
more beautiful and homelike stopping place tnan Webb's, i 
on Little Sarasota Bay, we have yet to find on the whole 
Florida coast. 
Leaving Little Sarasota Bay with its oysters, fishing and < 
charming scenery behind, a short run brings us to Casey's 
Pass, and now for an outside run of seventeen miles down 
the beach to Stump Pass. A pleasant day and fair wind i 
should be chosen for the little yawl to make this run, and 
sailing in at Stump Pass we are again on inside waters, not , 
to leave them for nearly 100 miles. ' 
The run down Lemon Bay and Gasparilla Sound finds us 
at Boca Grande and in Charlotte Harbor, home of the sil- \ 
ver king and the best fishing ground on the Florida coast, i 
Crossing Boca Grande, we are among a group of islands, the 
largest of which, Useppa, Mondongo and Patricio, were in ^ 
years gone by rendezvous of Spanish pirates who infested 
the West Indies. These islands, with their high and thickly 
wooded promontories, seen from the water, are lovely beyond ' 
description. 
Leaving these beauty spots, where one might linger a 
week, we next come to Pine Island Sound, which is that 
portion of Charlotte Harbor lying west of Pine Mand, and 
we are in the heart of the tarpon grounds. Many were 
taken here at Captiva Pass the past winter, Captiva and the 
Caloosahatchie being the favorite grounds this season; Pass-, 
ing St. James City, on the south end of Pine Island, .we turn 
to the south west and running down San Carlos Bay, through' 
Matanzas Pass, and we are in Estero Bajr, a network of 
mangrove islands, the home of the mosquito, but we are 
prepared for him. Very pleasant cruising is this, in and out 
among these green islands, until Big Hickory Pass is 
reached. Here the cruiser, if he cares to collect sea shells, 
can get his fill of Panamas, moss-rosebuds, Chinese' alpha- 
bets, angel-wings and hundreds of other varieties. 
We must now make another outside run, past Naples to 
Little Marco Pass, and we are in the Ten Thousand Islands — 
once the home of prehistoric lake dwellers, whose shell 
mounds and fortifications are visible everywhere; now the 
dwelling place of the mosquito and old John Gomez, who 
this year celebrated his 116th birthday. 
From Marco southward the country is uninteresting, being 
an endless succession of maUgrove islands; and the average 
cruiser, unless he be of an exploring turn of mind, will proo- 
ably turn back, lingering as long as time will allow at the^ 
various fishing grounds along the way, not neglecting to 
procure a sawfish's saw aad the open jaw of a shark, with its 
double row of glistening teeth, as souvenirs; to say nothing 
of photographs of his first tarpon and a quantity of its sil- 
very scales to distribute among friends in the frozen North. 
November and December seem to be the best months foi 
cruising, every day being perfect, and storms of rart; 
occurrence. April is also a good month, and a much better 
time for tarpon fishing. Later than the middle of May th* 
weather gets uncomfortably warm, insect pests omnipres 
ent, and the cruiser had best pack his dunnage and get him 
self back to "God's country." Camebambler, . 
