South Florida...Keys....Bahama Info needed...

[Sumner]

South Florida... & ..Keys....Info needed...

.........everglades, 10,000 islands.......... (that area is very buggy, and really only pleasant in the dry winter months).......

...... have spent about 4 days without setting foot on land. no re-provisions at all.......

(Note: The above quote was from another thread, but we didn't want to screw it up, so decided to start a new topic)

Bill how early can you get into that area without the bugs being really bad?

We are really starting to plan on trying to be down there next fall on a 4 month trip. It will take us about a week each way driving and we want to fly from probably Miami up to NYC to visit family for maybe 2 weeks and then back down there. That would leave us 3 months on the water and would probably be broke in half with the trip north.

We like the marina that was posted on the other board south of Homestead and north of Key Largo. That looks to be a central location to some extent and would provide some more sheltered water for us to get our feet wet in. We would like to get there late September to still enjoy some warm water and would leave in January for home.

Possible destinations dependant on our sailing skills and courage would be the 10,000 island area you mentioned, down towards Key West, and if we feel real brave over to the Bahamas in probably that order. Try and go to the warmer water first more towards the gulf side and then work south and finally east as the water cools trying to stay were it is warmer.

We would really like your opinions on those locals and using that marina as a base. One thing is it wouldn't be far to an airport from there.

Also anyone else that has sailed that area between late September and early January please chime in.

One last thing we want to go places were we can spend the nights on the hook and not in marinas. We have a 22 lb. Bruce with 30 feet of chain that we use most of the time, but also have a Danforth and a Fortress with chain and rode for them. What seems to work best down there and any general recommendations/advice about anchoring in that area would really be appreciated.

Thanks,

Sum and Ruth

P.S. On the not setting foot on land Ruth has you beat by 3-5 days . I finally insist that she get off the boat .

Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID

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[MrBill_FLL]

everglades

Everglades are amazing year round, But in the winter the birds show up in numbers, and dolphin w/ young, and when it doesn't rain for a few weeks the mosquitoes don't breed.

its still pretty warm, and we've been getting rain, so its still iffy for me...

mosquitoes I can deal with, but the no seeup's or sand fleas, are just awful. really need skin-so-soft, or some oil that they can't penetrate.

bugs are always worse an hour before sun up and sundown. with no wind and you might get eaten alive.

I have 2 of these, fits over the pop top and over the Bimini.
http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___86661 they have worked very well for me, when I keep them on during the critical times BEFORE I feel them..

I would recommend launching in goodland, going thru marco island.
http://www.calusaislandmarina.com/

in everglades city, the rod and gun club for lunch is amazing, old DuPont fishing lodge. but current runs 3knts, so you need the tide. (they have a ramp, but a large tree over it makes it tough for mast up launch). other ramps are on wrong side of road.

what else?

oh, just south of goodland is a preserve, then the national park starts. technically different rules on beach fires, camping, and park rangers don't patrol there...

the cuts are mostly unmarked, oyster bars, and sand bars, make approaches tricky, water is always murky and very hard to read. having the correct charts are critical for sailboats. also watching the tides, and weather fronts.

anyway, I'm looking forward to going over as soon as I can...

 

[MrBill_FLL]

Pelican Cay Harbor Marina and Camping

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sou...019,-80.417261&spn=0.033695,0.077162&t=h&z=14

Pelican Cay Harbor Marina and Camping

Address of Pelican Cay Harbor Marina and Camping299 Morris Av,
Key Largo, Florida
USA, 33037 Phone of Pelican Cay Harbor Marina and Camping305-451-2128


that marina would not be a bad choice, I would not leave the boat in the water when out of town. nice areas to anchor out all around there, might need to motor south thru the ICW, til you get to some open water... skinny water on the bayside.

north is my preferred sailing area. card sound, Biscayne bay, I could spend 3 months there.

a gps chart plotter(w/ good charts) will make your like much better down in the keys.


if the KOA at fiesta key is still open its a good spot. the bay opens up there and you have sailing room to marathon.


also grassy key marina on grassy key, would be OK. good ramp, nice guy (Gee).

south of marathon, the inside opens up for more sailing room...

I think the NOAA charts are available on line... let me see if I can find them.

->http://www.charts.noaa.gov/Catalogs/gulf_chartside.shtml


weather is key in winter... northern fronts can get nasty... I do not want to get caught out when one comes thru...

what I would try to do is time my fronts, and cross from bayside to ocean side as the fronts push thru.

before November is pretty hot and humid to be sleeping out... Nov-April are best for comfort, but that when we get the northern fronts too... in July-September theres often no wind till 11am, unless there's a thunder storm.

September is height of hurricane season. bad time to plan sailing trips. in fact much of the bahamas out islands closes the entire month.

 

[MrBill_FLL]

also, Punta Gorda /Charlotte harbor, is on my short list of sailing places, jensen beach - north to coco via the ICW might be fun.. or running the locks from stewart to ft myers, via lake O.

heck you could even run north on the west coast in on the cystal river in jan and see the manatees.

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=28.821214,-82.53891&spn=0.229807,0.602188&t=h&z=11

 

[Sumner]

Bill thanks for all of that info. I've started to copy it and put it in a folder to have it for reference and I'm sure you will get some questions from me.

One thing I think you know is that we are looking for places to see, be as much by ourselves as possible and pure sailing is down the list a ways. We want to explore as much as possible.

Thanks so much for taking the time to respond,

Sum and Ruth

 

[MrBill_FLL]

sum, happy to help, anytime.

one thing I worry more than most is motoring. I seem to get cavitation in 15knot conditions, which typically relate to 2-3' seas.

might be my motor, or something I'm doing wrong... but I've gotten in trouble trying to motor out of cuts... or into the wind, so I always plan to use the sails. in fact I trust the sails a lot more than the motor to get me out of trouble.

you have the time to wait for the weater, so as long as you do that you should be fine.


also something to consider is the boat us unlimited towing option. at 109/yr (IIRC) is pretty cheap insurace. they have boats staged all over florida, and I've used them a few times, and its paid off for me.
.

 

[Sumner]

sum, happy to help, anytime.

one thing I worry more than most is motoring. I seem to get cavitation in 15knot conditions, which typically relate to 2-3' seas.

might be my motor, or something I'm doing wrong... but I've gotten in trouble trying to motor out of cuts... or into the wind, so I always plan to use the sails. in fact I trust the sails a lot more than the motor to get me out of trouble.

you have the time to wait for the weather, so as long as you do that you should be fine.


also something to consider is the boat us unlimited towing option. at 109/yr (IIRC) is pretty cheap insurance. they have boats staged all over Florida, and I've used them a few times, and its paid off for me.
.

I hate insurance, but the tow insurance might be a good thing as I can see us maybe doing something really dumb since this will be our first experience in waters like those. After knocking the rudder and centerboard up running onto a shelf in Canada going from 50 foot deep water to less than 7 in a boat length Ruth now is quite concerned anytime the depth meter reads less than 30 feet. We are going to have to adapt to the shallow water down there.

We realize getting down there the 1st of October would still be hurricane season and later the cold fronts you mentioned. We would keep a close watch on the weather and take out if things looked bad and put the Mac on the trailer and head to shelter for a while.

I don't know if you have followed the outboard thread, but we feel almost certain now that we will get the extra-long shaft Tohatsu when we order one over the winter. It should help down there when it is mounted on the transom and up here can be the same depth as our long shaft with a raised mount on the transom. I think it will be a good deal both places.

Have you sailed the area from Big Pine Key on south towards Key West? That looks interesting when I look at the Google satellite maps. If that area is recommended we would do it on the second half of the 3 months. I think the trip over to the Bahamas is out for us. We don't have enough experience and Bimini looks to small and to go over past that is probably too much for us to take on at this point in our sailing. Maybe put in at the marina I mentioned and concentrate on the area from Key Largo north up to Card Sound and then take out and visit family. Then when we returned if possible put in at that marina you mentioned, grassy key marina, and sail in that area south until it was time to go home. Somewhere in that schedule we would really like to meet up with you, on land or water or both. We owe you a meal at the least for all the help you have been to us the past 6-8 months.

We are ordering a couple books on the area:

Cruising Guide to the Florida Keys - Frank Papy

Cruising The Florida Keys - Claiborne S. Young

and would like of course to get charts of the area. I found this one, but don't know if it is really what we need.

Coastal Charts for Cruising the Florida Keys - Claiborne S. Young

Well as usual any advice on any of this is appreciated,

Sum and Ruth

Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID

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[timebandit]

To keep the bugs out--from another list

CapnRon47

Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 183
Rep Power: 3

screen cockpit enclosure
Not sure this really counts as a project (other than the Admiral says it does). The creek and river we are on in NC has a major mosquito issue several times a year, so something is needed to keep them off if you want to enjoy the cockpit in the evening. I found a simple solution using a Walmart $30 screen siding that are sold for 10' x 10' canopy gazebo's.

I simply gathered up the the parts that attach to the gazebo frame with some line and I lay that over the bimini. The bottom has elastic straps that attach nicely to the bimini hold downs and it even has 2 zippered entries for easy access. Here is the Admiral enjoying the results of this 'project.'

​

 

[MrBill_FLL]

nice mosquito tent Ron!

Sum, I have pappy's book and clairborne's crusing guide. pappy's book has some really great illistrations. young's has more about marinas, and businesses. both are good.

have not seen youngs charts... a maptech flip chart book would be what I'd look for on ebay. doesn't have to be brand new. in fact a 15 yr old one will still have the markers they pulled out of the lower keys.

from the 18mile stretch, you can safely cruise up to miami. barnes /card sound, biscayne bay, - you'd like boca chita, especially during week.

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&s...132,-80.179424&spn=0.018434,0.027595&t=h&z=15

(little protected harbor, think its $10/night to dock,and not much mangroves so it doesn't hold bugs like the main park about 2mi south.)

you can sail up to miami, and anchor in dinner key, (coconut grove), or the miami marine statium. or in hurricane harbor.

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&s...43699,-80.168266&spn=0.0184,0.027595&t=h&z=15


http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&s...6167,-80.16258&spn=0.009205,0.013797&t=h&z=16

the only thing thats a pain, is going with a lot of powerboats, and getting their wakes, which also dumps air out of the sails... I've launched at virgina key, but it was like a highway sunday afternoon, with a boat passing every 5 min, for 2 hrs... -But during week, it would be a very nice trip.

actually google maps are pretty good to see the water. note channel entrance to boca chica above... easy to see.

-if you decide to come down, I can give you lots of ideas and trip plans...

but you may need a/c in october... maybe not, depends when we start getting northern fronts and the humidity drops from 95% into the 70-80% level. (we have the a/c on right now)

on the lower keys, big pine south... I've only been down there in skiffs.

Some of the back country the markers were pulled out about 10 yrs ago.. too skinny water, and too much damage to the turtle grass. but the locals put in pvc to mark most cuts, but a lot of it is not suitable for sailing.

but its very nice area. the content keys on the west side are grood for lobsters.. clean water, easy to read.

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&s...595,-81.461563&spn=0.296843,0.441513&t=h&z=11
(note the land is fingers here, forget about cutting thru those fingers to get to key west in a mac...) but you could pick your way around those islands to anchor.


the crusing guides you have will be excellent, since they are focused on sailboats drawing 5-6',
IIRC, pappy's guide takes you going outside west of content keys into key west... kinda long route for a mac... but if weather is good, the outside 'hawks channel' is also good.


current is another thing to factor in... (mostly for docking) I have no real reverse, but manage by doing 360's and almost always going forward. (like waiting for a bridge, and current is pushing me towards it, I'll spin around head back away, spin again, head back towards bridge.)

if that new motor is prop-ed right, and you have reverse, that will be a big help in docking situations...

if you want to go to key west, that would be the only reason I'd cruise the lower keys. key west is very fun.

-another thought is cruise from the marina all the way to key west, get a slip ($$$) and take the bus north to get the car and trailer. (assuming they'll let you off at that marina).

I have a garmin 76s chartplotter and the blue charts for it. screen is too small, (now) but the charts are excellent, and allow me to sail and anchor at night.

ok, gotta run, happy Thanksgiving!

 

[Robspan]

Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving meal. I'm trying to stay awake long enought to type this.
Sum, Bill obviously knows what he's talking about. I just want to emphasize one thing he mentioned. I think a chartplotter is an essential tool for navigating in places you're unfamiliar with. IMO, it needs to be used in conjunction with regular charts, which give you the "big picture." But when you use the charts to figure out what your route is going to be, the chartplotter will tell you exactly where you are on that route. For instance, if your route takes you near shallow water, the chartplotter will make it almost certain that you avoid it. I use a handheld chartplotter with a small screen but your eyesight will probably determine how big the screen is. Good luck. It sounds like a great trip.

 

[beamreach]

RE: mosquito net
Bought a mosuito net with zipper and sewn in waterproof sleeve at the bottom to fill with water that fits a 9 ft. umbrella. I pushed a lead filled line through the sleeve. Tie it to the boom and it covers the bimini and poptop on my 26s. Think I paid about $19 on eBay. Works well and even keeps ot the no-see-ums.

 

[Sumner]

RE: mosquito net
Bought a mosquito net with zipper and sewn in waterproof sleeve at the bottom to fill with water that fits a 9 ft. umbrella. I pushed a lead filled line through the sleeve. Tie it to the boom and it covers the bimini and poptop on my 26s. Think I paid about $19 on eBay. Works well and even keeps out the no-see-ums.

Do you have a link or pictures. I'm trying to figure out how it is long enough to cover both the bimini and pop-top at the same time, but it must?

The rest of you thanks for the mosquito net options. We will do something like one of these or a combination. Might cut one up and have Ruth re-sew it if that would work better.

I use a handheld chartplotter with a small screen but your eyesight will probably determine how big the screen is.

On the GPS Chart plotter we have a Garmin 76 map GPS and I'm getting pretty good with it and we would get the maps for that area (Bill exactly which ones do we want -- the map stuff gets confusing). I've been able to put in waypoints and go to them. We used that on Lake Powell to return exactly to the spot we had quit sailing the day before. One of the larger ones might be better, but we need to buy a lot of other stuff and might have to pass on it for a while.

a maptech flip chart book would be what I'd look for on ebay. doesn't have to be brand new. in fact a 15 yr old one will still have the markers they pulled out of the lower keys.

Bill are these the ones................

http://www.maptech.com/water/waterproofcharts/index.cfm?infopg=buy&area=Florida East Coast and Keys

............you are talking of?

if you want to go to key west, that would be the only reason I'd cruise the lower keys. key west is very fun.

Thanks for the thoughts on sailing that area. We have various thoughts on Key West itself and don't know if we want to sail there and anchor there or take the car down there. We do want to see it (the city itself).

Sounds like for the sailing you really like the upper keys. I don't see people talk about the area to the west of Key Largo and the east of Flamingo. Is that area too shallow or some other problem or do people go there?

You guys are giving us some really good info and we appreciate it. Here is one more question. Water wise we can go out for up to 30 days here, probably 10 days there if we want to take some minimal fresh water showers. Our big obstacle for staying out without re-supply is ice if we need it. We can usually go 5-8 days with the..............

.........two coolers and I'll bet that is 4-5 days down there for the first part of the trip when it is still hot. Do any off you have any experience with the Dometic portable refrigerators/freezers? One of these would give us the same amount of usable interior space and take up less exterior space since you don't have all the wasted space the ice takes up.

We are looking at the CF-50 and the CF-80 ........

http://www.smallspacesappliances.com/compactportablerefrigeratorfreezers-coolfreezeseries.aspx

They aren't cheap, but I'll bet we would spend $200-$300 on this one trip alone for ice for 3 months. With one of these 10 days without having to come in would be very doable for us down there and 30 days up here. We'd like that option, so if you have heard how people like these please let us know.

Thanks again, we owe you guys,

Ruth and Sum

P.S. Bill sometime you will have to tell me how you save the links to the map, so that when you view it you see just the area you want.

Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID

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[MrBill_FLL]

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wc...true&storeNum=5003&subdeptNum=14&classNum=650

the noaa (see above index link) are just as good, but you need a few.. they are cheaper though... I just like the format and its complete. I see these for $40-60 on ebay, and thats probably less then the noaa's covering same areas.

its called a chart kit, never seen the cd that now comes with it.

west of key largo is too shallow for sailboats. In lower matacumbee I've gone from the keys to flamingo, but in a fast skiff. (most of that area is 2' or less) ( -well there are some deeper bays, but to get to them you have to run shallow cuts... mostly marked witl pvc or wood posts...

the real channel from keys to west coat is at channel 5 (fiesta key- koa ), and that takes you to cape sable. Flamingo has a decent ramp, but not much in provisions, and is a 70mil drive from homestead. normally always buggy too. also mostly flats fishermen so you get more wakes.

I'm weekend sailor mostly on the mac, a few times a year I do 4-6 days. for weekends its almost always over to elliot key, via homestead marina (bayfront park).

The fridges I know work are expensive, engle is the brand IIRC. that does look like them. very power hungry. mostly I see the freezers for bait.

Sum, honestly, I do have concerns on your sailing/boating skills. I would not want to see you get hurt. investing a lot of $$$ now, might not be best move... (have you thought about a sailing school? I've thought about using these guys for my gf. http://www.visitflorida.com/modules/listings/profile_page.php/listing.1418 )


anyway the chark kit is resaleable,,, I'd get that, and/or 1 of the crusing guides. that will help you decide.

best, bill

 

[beamreach]

RE: mosquito net off eBay
Sum, I posted a picture in my album of the net set up on the boat. It covers everthing but the cutout for the outboard. We got some mosquitos in during the night off Dog Island but not many.

 

[Sumner]

Thanks Mike and a dumb question, what is lead line and where do you get it? Also how far does your Tohatsu rotate on the transom and do you like it?

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs...4&classNum=650

the noaa (see above index link) are just as good, but you need a few.. they are cheaper though... I just like the format and its complete. I see these for $40-60 on ebay, and thats probably less then the noaa's covering same areas.

its called a chart kit, never seen the cd that now comes with it.

Bill it looks like the chart kit would give me the hard charts and the CD would show them on the computer where I could mark waypoints and transfer them to the gps with the serial cable. To actually see the charts on the GPS with water depths and shorelines I'd have to still get the BlueCharts. Is that right.

Sum, honestly, I do have concerns on your sailing/boating skills. I would not want to see you get hurt. investing a lot of $$$ now, might not be best move... (have you thought about a sailing school? I've thought about using these guys for my gf. http://www.visitflorida.com/modules/...p/listing.1418 )

Bill I know you are worried about us, but don't be. I don't know if you read the part above where going to Bahama is out. We probably wouldn't venture outside at all. I know we have been sailing less than a year, but we have seen a lot in the 45 days we have been in the water and except for the accident I had "on shore" things have been ok. Sure we have been scared a couple times, but if someone else was on the boat with us I'm sure they would say "the boat will handle far worst than this".

We reef early now and go all the way to the motor if needed. Also we sat for two wind days on Lake Powell besides the days for me to recover.

We will be careful, but we need to do things now if we are going to do them. I'll be 66 in a couple months and Ruth is 67 now (I didn't say that :cry and next fall will add another year to those figures. I lost a wife to Leukemia when she was just 32 and I learned from that to never expect to put things off you really want to do. Either one of us at this age could wake up one morning with a pain that could be diagnosed as something that would end this dream.

Unless we spent a few thousand with that sailing school I can't see it doing much for us. I'm not saying we couldn't learn to sail a little better and faster, but safer I'm not so sure about. In our 45 days on the water we anchored every night and most of those anchorages had to be figured out each time as we rarely anchored on the same one. You go out for 10-15 days a year on the hook. At that rate we have 3 years of experience in now. I'll bet there are a lot of people who sail that area for the first time that don't have the time we do anchoring out.

We also haven't gotten to pick the weather on our trips like someone can that goes out for the weekend or a little longer close to home. We have had to deal with what came up and like on Lake Powell it wasn't always good, but we did ok.

Saying all of that we do really appreciate your concern for us and we haven't taken it the wrong way . Since it is about a 5000 mile round trip to sail in your neck of the woods and we might only get one chance and we hope that chance is a year from now what can we do to better prepare ourselves?

No sailing schools in Blanding . I've read a lot and will keep reading and we plan another 7-10 days in the spring on Lake Powell to finish what we started there and hopefully a month trip to Idaho and Jackson and Yellowstone Lakes in Wyoming, so we will have another 30-40 days on the water before we show up. What else can we do?

Thanks and keep the ideas and suggestions coming,

Sum and Ruth

Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID

Our Mac Pages

Mac Links

 

[beamreach]

RE: mosquito netting
Sum, lead line looks just like average yacht braid except it is weighted with lead inside and is used to sink the bottom edge of a seine net to the bottom and seal escape routes of fish. I'm sure it must be available on the internet. It's not expensive. It's sold here to mullet fishermen who make their own nets and unwind their nets off the back of their boats in a big circle around a school of mullet. The lead line is sewn in to the bottom edge of the net. Corks are sewn into the top edge. The motors on these boats are mounted in a well about a third of the way back from the bow, they are flat bottomed and can run in very shallow water. The pilot stands in front of the well and steers with the tiller of the motor. His helper starts the "strike" by releasing the long net which which is packed like a parachute and unfurls behind the boat and encircles the "school".
TOHATSU: My Tohatsu does not rotate 180 degrees in the well
but it does rotate enough to help in tight cornering, however I leave it locked in place most of the time and steer only with the tiller. How do I like it? I'm your age and if I wanted to start another family, I'd name my first daughter Tohatsu and my son Nissan.

 

[Sumner]

.......... How do I like it? I'm your age and if I wanted to start another family, I'd name my first daughter Tohatsu and my son Nissan.

Thanks on the line info, it sounds like a good deal to use. We might even try some on the bottom edge of the pop-top cover.

Now about the new family. I shouldn't of read that to Ruth, she can't stop laughing ,

Sum

 

[Norman Staniec]

Sum, sounds like your doing a great job researching the trip.
A few comments and dittos to whats been said.
Really do a bang up job on the netting. At sunup and sundown mesquitos are bad but the no-see-ums can ruin your day. Make sure netting will stop them too so you can get a good night sleep.
I am happy with MAPTECH CHARTKIT

 

[Norman Staniec]

Sum, sounds like your doing a great job researching and planning your trip.
Some comments and dittos to whats been said.
I also use and like the Maptech Chartkit for the west coast and the Keys, saving my pennies for the east coast kit. For west coast, A Gunkholer's Cruising Guide to Florida's West Coast by Tom Lenfestey does a nice job with anchoring locations. Cruising Guide to Western Florida by Claiborne S. Young gives good info on whats available on land near your mooring to see and good resturants. Caveat- storms move sandbars so passes change not necessarily according to charts which make sailing in shallow water even more fun. You'll be sailing in water less than half of 30' alot.
Do a bang up job on the net. At sundown and sunup when mooring next to land the mesquitos are bad but the no-see-ums will ruin your day. Make sure netting stops them so you can sleep.
Nov- April best for comfort and bugs. Worry about all your effort and Sept-Oct. timeframe. Pesky hurricanes you know. We chartered a Hunter 29 around Coya Costa, Captiva, and Sanibel Is. for 3 beautiful days and then when sailing back through Charlotte Harbor hurricane Rita hit Miami (didn't watch the weather well enough). Took nine hours to cross the harbor with diesel full tilt and jib and main reefed to a postage stamp. Even in a harbor this size there are limited places to shelter because of the shallow water. If in the Keys, authorities will send tourist to mainland first then residents if threat of hurricane hit. Highway 1 becomes one-way north the mainland. After Katrina they are pretty strict about this. Last time we were sailing down there they sent all visitors (including us) north two days before the possible hit of the outer bands of a hurricane.
If you sail the lower keys and like snorkeling, recommend you go to Looe Key, about 9 miles SSW of Bahia Honda Key. Its a very shallow reef and can view tropical fish, eels, sharks, etc. Very protected area, know the boundaries. No anchoring, no nothing except viewing the pretty fish. Bouys there to tie to. No need to dive, can just float with you mask and enjoy the aquatic life. Word of caution, be especially vigilant with regard to weather. A few miles back you have a few dinky keys in which to find limited shelter, in the other direction is open ocean and currents that dont necessarily lead back to land.
If near Charlotte Harbor, famous little resturant 3 miles south on the ICW on Cabbage Key accessible only by boat. Good hamburgers, where Buffet got his inspiration for "Marguritaville" if you believe that. Bring a dollar bill to sign and tape to ceiling with thousands of others (ours is over there).
Agree about Crystal River if in the area. Pretty and good place to see Manatees in winter if interested. Know the does and donts when boating or swimming near them, stiff fine for even touching them.
Understand why you want to do this now. Alittle over a decade ago, after much research and debating took my family on a 1 1/2 year trip around US (we homeshooled). It was in a land yacht not sail boat but still a great trip (we made good use of canoe and kayaks). Very glad we did it then. Be pretty hard now for us now.
With all your research, planning, and preparation I've no doubt you'll have an enjoyable and memorable trip.

 

[Robspan]

Sum,
A couple of comments on the above. Years ago, I chartered sailboats to the Bahamas and did a lot of snorkeling. Snorkeling over a shallow coral reef is a spectacular experience. It's very easy once you get the hang of the snorkel. Be sure to use flippers to make it even easier.
Claiborne Young has a guidebook but he also runs a website with the latest updates from cruisers. It covers the coastal region from Virginia all the way down to the Keys, then up the Gulf Coast to New Orleans. There is a section on the Keys, which you might want to follow for the latest updates: http://cruisersnet.net/category/keys-florida-keys/