I have been asked this hundreds of times and I must admit at first it is intimidating when looking at the myriad of canals in the Punta Gorda Isles (PGI) neighborhood. When I moved here 20 years ago we didn’t have a chart plotter and had to use old fashioned maps to find our way out. The canals do not have street signs that might otherwise help. Things are much simpler nowadays with a cell phone showing navigation but you still will feel a little intimidated your first few times.
First, there are two inlets to the harbor but not all home locations allow you access to both. One exit out of the canals is Ponce Inlet and the other is Alligator Creek via Buckley’s Pass, aka the bird cut. It is important to note that when looking at a map it appears there is a third exit out that is about half way between Ponce and Alligator Creek. This is not a navigable waterway!
There are homes that access the harbor from the Peace River and have no access to Ponce or Buckley’s Pass and will be covered more below. There is one exception to the aforementioned and that are the homes on the Colony Point Canal system. Homes on the south of the Colony Point Bridge area are sailboat waterfront using Ponce. To the north of the Colony Point Bridge area are sailboat waterfront homes using the Peace River. Boats that have less than a 12-13 foot bridge clearance can have access to both exits when living on this canal system.
The first thing for sailors to understand is that you will always have access to both inlets, Ponce de Leon or Buckley’s Pass. Neither exit will encounter a bridge and no concerns with mast height. Your home proximity with the closest exit will likely dictate your preference. Implied in this statement is that you purchase a home that is truly sailboat water with adequate depth and no bridges. For draft concerns with a sailboat the general rule is 6 feet of water at mean low tide at all times in this area and this goes for both Ponce Inlet and the exit into Alligator Creek. Unusual low tides on full moons with winter winds will cause the tides to get below the norm.
Here is a snap shot of what exit for what area in Punta Gorda Isles (PGI).
Buckley’s Pass, to Alligator Creek
- The area bounded by Aqui Esta Blvd to the NORTH, intersected by Bal Harbor Blvd. to the WEST down to the end of Bal Harbor and only the homes to the left or east of Bal Harbor. This is known as the Bird Section and is sailboat water. The longest boat ride times at slow idle is about 25 minutes to Buckley’s Pass. For the Catamaran Sailor this pass is plenty wide for you to get through. Once through this pass you turn right into Alligator Creek. The harbor will be visible within a ¼ mile. Follow the channel markers carefully or expect a soft grounding!
- The area bounded by Bal Harbor south of Aqui Esta, located off of Suzi and Casey Key Drive at the very southern end of Bal Harbor. This general area does not have a specific name but will have the shortest boat ride out of Buckley’s Pass. Here are the street names in this area and expect less than 25 minutes to the pass, with most having much shorter boat ride times. Here are the street names: Suzi, Los Alamos, La Costa Island, Key Largo, Casey Key, Useppa, Pine Island. Homes on these streets also have access to Ponce Inlet but a much longer boat ride time.
Ponce de Leon Inlet
- All homes SOUTH of West Marion and to the WEST of Bal Harbor Blvd exit out of Ponce and are sailboat friendly streets.
- All homes SOUTH of Bal Harbor and accessed by DEBORAH DRIVE which heads basically west with many streets that branch of Deborah area using the Ponce Inlet.
Peace River Exits
- All homes NORTH of West Marion exit into the Peace River. This area is known as the Old Sailboat Section or the Original Sailboat Section. A few of these canal systems boast more than 6 feet of water.
