Florida Bareboat

[Bryan]

Have bareboated in BVI three times and am looking to save some airfare. BVI has been so great I am concerned about changing location and am hoping to get some good information regarding Florida. Gulf side? Ocean? Monohull? (my experience), Cat? Specific charter co.? Itineraries? Family of four going. Snorkeling? Anything else? Am even considering a cottage with a daysailer.Thanks in advance.Bryan

 

[Ken Koons]

Bryan

I posted regarding Key Lime sailing club yesterday. It's in the general interest area. Depending on how much sailing you want to do this place might be right for you. You'll have to be hearty souls to snorkel in the Fl. waters this time of year. My wife and I went out snorkeling at the reef with a dive charter and the water was COLD.

 

[Bryan]

JUNE 2003

Ken, sorry for the misinformation. We'll be going in the summer. Probably hot, no?

 

[Ron]

Florida Yacht Charters

Bareboated out of Key West and sailed up Atlantic side to Hawks Cay and returned over four day period with family. Wonderful experience and nice boat. Snorkeled and scuba along the way. Also wanted to save air costs. Flew Southwest into Ft. Lauderdale,rented car to take beautiful drive down to Key West and save money.

 

[Ken Koons]

Keys in summer

It does get very HOT in the summer. Snorkeling and diving are great in the Keys! Pennekamp Park is very nice. I've also done a bareboat charter from Florida Yachts in Miami Beach and sailed one way down to there marina in Key West. Very good trip. You'll need a boat with a Genset and A/C. The sea breeze tends to slack off at night and the humidity is unbearable in the summer.

 

[Peter]

Southwest Florida

There are a couple of charter companies in the Fort Myers area. The water isn't all that great for snorkeling close in but there are lots of beaches in Pine Island Sound and along Sanibel and Captiva islands. If you're up to it, the Dry Tortugas are a 20-hour cruise away, and the snorkeling is excellent. It WILL be hot in the summer.PeterH23 "Raven"

 

[Joe Patterson]

Southernmost Sailing in Key West

My wife and I and another couple bareboated with Southernmost Sailing out of Key West in July 2001. We had a great time but motored about half the time due to lack of wind(common for the area in the summer). On the plus side however they usually run a special two weeks for the price of one beginning in July if you check their website you can get more info. We sailed as far as Long Key and then back to Key West. If going again we would go to the Dry Tortogas also since we had two weeks.We actually sailed each day but to get where we wanted to go some days we motored. The boat was a Tobago 35 catamaran which was air conditioned but without a genset we couldn't use it unless we were in a marina. We spent about half the nights anchored and the rest in marinas. The most important thing WE HAD A GREAT TIME.We are considering a trip to the BVI for late this year.Enjoy.