[handfulz28]

I've always been a religious "channel follower". But I see boats making some short cuts that I'd like to make but just haven't tried.
First one is Meloy Channel south of 79St. If you know the area, you know the markers have you head east after the bridge before turning south. But it looks like there's deep water if you just run south towards the next marker. Anybody run this shortcut without issues?
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=e...823&iwloc=addr

Second one is from the south channel turning area straight across to the Rickenbacker. Does anybody use this shortcut regularly? Anybody crossed there at low tide?
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=e...39911&t=k&om=1

Yeah, one day maybe I'll take my dad's CC (shallower draft) and do a little surveying. But these shortcuts would cut a good bit of time/distance on this route.
Thanks,
Michael

[TickleStick]

Local knowledge is king!

On the west coast we have to stay in the channels at low tide, but at medium to high tide we can cut across Klosterman Bayou. The trick is not only knowing the tide levels, but also which direction to go, when to turn, etc. I have no doubt it is the same situation here.

[handfulz28]

Yeah, I've been running these waters for 15yrs but never ventured out of the channel. Nowadays I'm even less willing to be a guinea pig

[Hodderbiz]

I will check with my bud john, he uses those short cuts all the time but with shallow draft (seatow) RIBS..

He swears by them, but i would tend to think its for smaller boats!

[handfulz28]

Thanks hodder, looking forward to getting his feedback. I imagine there may be some tide concerns, but the boats I've seen go across there at below-high tide weren't shallow drafts.

[mbrunski]

I don't know about south of 79th but if you hug very closle to the roadway north of 79th you can cut across to the east channel. And the bar at the hotel.

[handfulz28]

Originally Posted by mbrunski

I don't know about south of 79th but if you hug very closle to the roadway north of 79th you can cut across to the east channel. And the bar at the hotel.

Yeah, that used to be marked; I think it's "Shuckers" or something? There was a good little party going on there Saturday afternoon.
What I'm looking at is the "east" channel, south of the bridge. the more I look at that satellite photo the more I think there's enough water to make a straight shot SSE.
Here's an interesting PDF that might indicate a little more clearly...
http://myfwc.com/manatee/data/Dade/dadelaw_sht3.pdf