St. Augustine Inlet status???

I have to run a newish 2007? 52' Searay Sedan Bridge up to St. Augustine this weekend. I think the boat only draws either 4' or 4'6 and was wondering the status of St. Augustine inlet. Are the markers where they should be? Is the inlet easily navigable or is it still shoaled over to a degree? Am I better off coming in Ponce Inlet and taking the ICW North to the City Marina, or even running the inside from Cape Canaveral which I've done several times recently.

Would Ponce be a safer inlet to use than St. Augustine inlet overall?

I shouldn't need to come in at night. I will give St. Augustine a shot if the weather is good. The boat cruises at 27 knots if I remember correctly and should be leaving from Cape Canaveral on Monday. Looks like seas less than 2' on Sunday.......

Problem is the boat is smack dab in Delray on the ICW, so it's about a 2 hour+ trek to get out of Palm Beach Inlet.....or 45 minutes-1hr to trek South to Boc inlet, to turn around and head back North......

Can't get out Sebastian, we need 20' of clearance and Sebastian is a very narrow harrowing inlet with lots of current to take a 52' Sedan Bridge out of. I wouldn't attempt it.

I live in Pompano Beach and am VERY familiar with Boca inlet. I've been in and out of there on a 75' SF and more recently a 62' Sunseeker. The trick with Boca is once you make the bend going outbound, hug the North jetty and when you're just past it turn and immediately head N-NE. I find Boca to be no problem on a calm day. I wouldn't attempt it in anything over 40' if the waves are over 4' and especially not on a Northeaster. It's calling for 5 knots of wind SE, and seas less than 2', Boca should be no issue. Keep in mind lots of 50-60' Charter SF out of Deerfield and Boca use it most of the time.

I always stay at Cape Marina in Cape Canaveral it is an easy stop, and have stayed on the fuel dock there as well. The only thing that sucks about it, is the closest restaurant to there is a LONG walk.

I'm familiar with coming in St. Augustine and the markers where you go South to get into Conch harbor, North etc.... I agree it could be a little confusing. We're going to the city dock. I used to stop in St. Augustine a lot doing deliveries, but it's been a good 7 years I've been in that inlet. It just has never worked out distance-wise....cape canaveral a lot of times or St. Johns river entrance......just always seem to be able to easily skip over it.......time/range. You seem to always hit St. Augustine just right from Port Everglades on a 30 knot SF. Then St. Aug to Charleston.....Charleston to Beaufort........

This particular yacht the owner runs himself with his wife a lot of times. I deliver it a couple of times a year to various places and they may run it back themselves or I may run it back. They have a full time mate who also takes care of their property. I'm leaving Sunday, arriving St. Aug Monday afternoon, they're driving up Tuesday which will give us time to get the boat cleaned up, the mate and I are taking the car back Tuesday and they're doing a week trip back to Delray on the ICW with another couple I believe......

It's nice to have a little short trip to break things up. I'll get to eat dinner at the A1A ale house....... I just did a 17 day trip from Ft. Laud to Rockport, TX last month/earlier this month on a 1978 50' Ocean Alexander at 10 knots.........17 days is a LONG time to be away especially when you're standing behind the helm 10-12 hours a day, every single day in a row......

The owner wants to be at the Munciple marina and has made reservations there, so that's where it's going. I agree the current can be ferocious there.

Well, yes I did get here today. Yesterday it was calling for 2' or less and 5 knots wind SE. Well it was beautiful all of the way from Boca inlet to 20 miles South of Cape Canaveral where the wind kicked up to 20 knots gusting to 25 knots out of the North. Nasty short spaced 2' chop. 10 miles South of Cape Canaveral nastier 3-4' short spaced chop. Came in Cape Canaveral. Weather report stated 20 knots gusting to 25 out of the North and 3-4' out of the North. Decided I didn't want to beat the pounding into a head sea all day, and ran the ICW all day and got in at 5pm, fueled and in the slip before 6pm. Saved a lot of fuel by taking the inside, but was at the helm from 8am-5:30pm....We're here, driving home tomorrow......I guess there is a tropical disturbance off of the coast here that changed the weather a lot.