I think the rumor started from a poorly worded 5am EDT Discussion.
In it the NHC said:
THE NOGAPS AND FSU SUPERENSEMBLE
ARE FURTHER WEST AND ALSO SHOW A TRACK NEAR JAMAICA AND THEN OVER
WESTERN CUBA...BUT THEN MOVE IVAN OVER THE GULF TO THE WEST OF
FLORIDA.
I MAYBE WRONG, but I think they meant western Florida and not "west of Florida".
Myself, I'm fairly convinced that by "over the Gulf to the west of Florida" the NHC meant over a northbound track over the far eastern GOM, and to the west of the Florida peninsula. You're right that it's poorly worded, since technically "to the west of Florida" means Mobile, AL or further west, which is extremely unlikely.







