wing15601 wrote:
Don't think you need a trolling motor on that boat. I have a house across the river from you and I've boated in that area for the past 22 years. Join Boat/US or Seatow and get the towing package that you think best fits your needs. Getting towed is so expensive that one towing charge can pay for 20 years of membership. I've had boats from 13 to 38 feet in that area and currently have an older 13 which I keep in my garage. There is a rim canal in Cape Coral and you can stay near the shore of the river for most of the length of the city. When cruising the canals a street map is a good thing to have because you can get turned around and most maps show the canal system too. I use a hand held radio on my 13 and put a Lowrance Elite 4 on the boat which is fairly cheap. I've only used the boat ramp in Matlacha for the 13 because that pass is pretty well protected. If you haven't studied the nautical charts of the area, you can download free nautical charts. Google "noaa booklet 1427" (without the quotes) and download and study that chart. I have one I battery on my boat and it works fine for me. I only use it for starting and the Lowrance which draws very little power. I also don't have a bilge pump. You should go to some shallow water somewhere and pull the plug to see how much water comes in the boat. It may scare you at first but it's perfectly safe and will give you a lot of confidence when using the boat. You mentioned pulling the boat every couple of weeks to clean the hull. I've been there, done that. If you're going to keep a boat in the water in south Florida I would strongly advise some type of anti fouling paint. Stuff grows really, really, fast there and attaches itself with super glue.