Ambitious Plans! Sailing the Keys

[HillbillyWanderer]

Very little sailing experience so far, ASA 101 class and a couple times sailing on the closest sailing lake two years ago. At the end of that season I bought a
catalina 22 with hopes of sailing more the next season. Well, last year was a bust! No sailing at all. Planning on getting things off to a good start this year. Already joined the local sailing club with plans of sailing at least 3 to 4 times a month throughout the sailing season. Head to Southport NC late May or June for 3 to 4 days of sailing. Reason for Southport, took ASA 101 class there, little familiar with the location and love the town! Want to go back. Then this fall head to Charleston SC for another 3 to 4 days of sailing. And finally this coming January or February head to the Keys for about @ weeks!! Trying to do too much too quick? Any Advice?

 

[Bill1565]

Go do it. Watch the weather.

 

[SteveB]

Amen. It's all about time in the boat.

 

[HillbillyWanderer]

Thanks Bill I am pumped about it. Good advice and something I will for sure be looking at. Seeing you are from Florida, I am a little concerned about safety. I know little about the Keys but seems to be a lot of people coming and going. I would think there would be lots of questionable characters around. What are your thoughts on that? Hope I don't offend anyone, I just really do not know how things are there.

 

[Sailm8]

You are following my wife and I's footsteps from 20 years ago. She was a teacher and had 9 weeks on and 3 weeks off. So every 9 weeks we would trailer our C22 to the keys. First trip was to Key LArgo and the Holiday Marina. We lived on the boat and day sailed to snorkel to the surrounding reefs. Later we moved further south to Plantation Key then Duck Key (Hawks Cay Marina). It was great and as midwest lake sailors a fantastic learning curve. Did you know the water goes up and down several times a day? Something called tides.

We had no problem feeling safe and we were always "adopted" by the marina staff 'cuz we were the smallest boat they had ever had seen anyone live on.

The hardest thing was finding an adequate ramp for launch and retrieval. Most are really short and even with an extended tongue on the trailer it was difficult. Once I backed the trailer tires off the ramp and blew out out yanking it back out. Another time my wife forced herself to get all teary eyed to talk a marina into using their forklift to load the boat on the trailer. Really scarey to see a C22 lifted over the tuna tower of a big sportfisher.

We finally got smart and stored the boat in the keys and rented a Uhaul to launch and retrieve. Bought another boat for the lake up north.

I could go on but as a result we are now retired to Florida and sail whenever we want. It changed our lives.

GO FOR IT!!!!
Edit: Did tropical storm Gordon in a slip in Key Largo. Had the whole resort to ourselves except for skinny dipping with waitresses in the hot tub be tween tropical waves. They had the key to the bar. But that's another story.

 

[Ken]

Spent 6 1/2 weeks down there last winter, outstanding sailing... Plus the Miami boat show.. Islamorada yard sale was pretty interesting as well. You want to buy some good charts, possibly a good chart plotter... Great plan

If you towing you'll want to make sure your trailer is up for the trip, we boondoggled in wal-mart parking lots along the way..

 

[soldier1964]

your best experience will come from being on the water where you can put into effect all the knowledge you have obtained. as for safety, when in doubt, don't go out. know your limits. as you gain more experience,experiment a little bit more.

 

[Merlin Clark]

Sounds like a great plan, have fun!

 

[sailingandsuch]

I did the Keys this past year solo for a week in my 17'er. Putting in at Knights Key campground just below Marathon. Had a blast going to Key West and back through Hawk Channel on the ocean side (right/lower side on the map).

Don't worry to much about the "characters" down there. I did but I never felt like there was a real worry for theft or anything like that. The only time I was really away from my boat is when in Key West I got a mooring in Garrison Bight and walked Key West for about 4 hours or so. No problems there, just had to pay for a mooring.

Some Tips
-Have a good anchor and a decent amount of chain so you can trust your ground tackle to hold. I have a 13lb Rocna with 30' of chain. That is way overkill for a 17' boat but I never worried about it not holding (worrying about your anchor dragging is never ever fun)
-Have charts and always know where you are. If your in the backwaters I would think you would almost have to have a chart plotter if you were to venture out of the channels.
-Give yourself plenty of time and don't rush so you can chill and enjoy it.
-Get "Cruising the Florida Keys" by Young Steinmetz and don't forget it at home like I did! It can be pretty valuable and it's easier to use if you are looking at large charts at the same to to see the places they are talking about.

This year I plan on going back and will try to bring along some crew to help. Being by yourself in unfamiliar and fairly intimidating waters like the Keys is tough. I also plan to sail in the upper part of the Keys on the Gulf side. I think I just didn't find exactly what I was expecting through Hawk Channel (lots of little anchorages), although Bahia Honda State Park was very nice and probably my favorite. Also I'd like to hit the Marquesas which are the couple of islands past Key West.

I made a little video documentary of my trip and put it on Youtube, here it is
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vRBTTlWPj8

If you have any questions or anything feel free to PM me or whatever.

 

[HillbillyWanderer]

Thanks to all who replied to my post, purpose of my thread was to see what the experienced sailors thought of my plans and to see if I might be taking on a bit to much to soon. Looks like i am not crazy and need to get started working on boat and planning now. Lots to do to boat and trailer to bring everything up to par.

 

[sailingandsuch]

If you sail as much as you said in the original post I think you should have enough experience. You "could" do it without experience and just sail according to your experience level which would be not very far and on calm days.

Be sure to do a few overnights and have the propper safety equipment and lights aboard. Safety harness is pretty darn important.

 

[MrBill_FLL]

also clairborne young's or frank pappy's guides.

ramps will be the hardest in the keys. that and trailer parking.

small boat sailing is the fastest way to learn. GL!

 

[seadaddler]

Weather

Watch and check your weather and get good charts and guides for all anchorages to get to when the wind is too much for your 22' sailboat.
Last April I was in Marathon for about 3 days waiting for the wind to pipe down so we could use the Hawk Channel but after 3 days we used the inside route up north towards Miami and I was 36 and most of our group were 35 and bigger.
Have a great time and enjoy your time in the keys.
Nick

 

[Ray Bowles]

You and only you will know if you are ready. We did exactly what you are planning. Two bits of advice. First, learn how to anchor and by that I mean practice until you have totally buried the anchor. Go at least 5 or 6 to 1 on rode. Secondly, go out in the worst weather you can find in your area and learn to sail in it or at least how to secure your boat so you can motor to safety.
The storms that come up in the Keys are fast and brutal. I had a 1982 C22 and rigged all the lines to the cockpit, including a jib downhaul, and sailed it in just those conditions and would feel safe sailing the Keys. I would not get more that a mile offshore down there so you can duck into a cove when it gets nasty.
I wish I could go back there again. It is a lovely place to sail and there are watering holes worth visiting. Enjoy!
Ray

 

[HillbillyWanderer]

Ray! A mile off shore! heck no, my big butt staying close as I can to the shore, they be sharks in them there waters. Thanks for the advice, I will for sure sail only as far as I feel comfortable with. No idea what that will be but will use common sense when I get there. Agree 100 % with finding bad weather to sail in. Don't want to get in the middle of it and try to figure things out. Thanks to all who have offered me advice, compiling a list as I go to make sure I go as prepared as can be. Have Southport and Charleston to visit first. Just got back from vacation at Disney, drove up coast, spent two nights in Charleston just looking around. Massive big boats on the docks. Nice to look at for a bit but actually prefer to look at the ones I might actually be able to afford someday.

 

[MrBill_FLL]

You and only you will know if you are ready. We did exactly what you are planning. Two bits of advice. First, learn how to anchor and by that I mean practice until you have totally buried the anchor. Go at least 5 or 6 to 1 on rode. Secondly, go out in the worst weather you can find in your area and learn to sail in it or at least how to secure your boat so you can motor to safety.
The storms that come up in the Keys are fast and brutal. I had a 1982 C22 and rigged all the lines to the cockpit, including a jib downhaul, and sailed it in just those conditions and would feel safe sailing the Keys. I would not get more that a mile offshore down there so you can duck into a cove when it gets nasty.
I wish I could go back there again. It is a lovely place to sail and there are watering holes worth visiting. Enjoy!
Ray

*
in the winter the storms are much more predictable. as the fronts come thru, the wind increases as it clocks from E to S to W (picksup) and N. then settles down as it clocks to the East and starts to warm.

 

[Patrick S/V Shangra-La]

I believe you'll have a great time in the keys. Call for local information on channel 16 some one local always calls back. You can find some nice anchorages this way. Don't forget Reef early. While burring the rail is a blast It isn't all that comfortable.

You'll have a great time. As far as questionable people....I personally like the .45 ACP.

 

[Chris Patterson]

HillBilly, if you're planning to go from here to Charleston, you're definitely going to get a mile offshore. When I leave the Cape Fear approaches, I usually set my course at Green 7, at a heading of 242 degrees, and at that point the visual makes it look like you're going to Bermuda. It's just a slight course correction for that rhumb line at best, and the islands leave your davits pretty quickly. Long Bay is on your Starboard side, and you don't SEE land for around 24 hours. BTW, it's basically 160 nm. I've beat down there at 30 hours, and have made it in 25, at roughly 5.2 kts.

And another thing, a C22 would be quite a long trip, however it could be done. It may be mildly disconcerting at about 2, or 3 in the morning. I can not recommend doing it without an autopilot too much..

But then again, you can always go via the fifth ring of hell, the ditch.

 

[HillbillyWanderer]

Thanks Chris, plans are to stay in Southport for a few days this spring then head home. Then this fall head to Charleston "by way of interstate" LOL , for a few days then trailer back home. I do hope to make a trip from Charleston to Savannah at some point but hopefully a bigger boat with wife and kids in tow. Lots of Plans and Dreams!