Florida Day Sailing

[Amikaner]

Hello,

I have moved from Germany to South Florida. I was shocked by the dock fees here, so I want to buy a daysailer that I can trailer. I loved sailing in Berlin, I have all European licences, but have never sailed in the ocean. It was very demotivating to learn that my licences are not recognized here and have been told I need to redo my licenses here. I REALLY need to get out sailing again though.

I live in the area of Miami Shores / North Bay Village / Biscayne Bay area.

What boats are being sailed in this area?
What is a good boat to learn to sail in the ocean?
Is anyone else in the area who I could speak with?
Can I sail here in this area?
Is there a club here in the area that also has sailing boats?

It seems as though everyone here is in a powerboat and that very few sail at all.

I will of course also be looking on my own, I was just curious if anyone is on here that would be interested in speaking.

Thank you and it is wonderful to read all of the posts in this forum!!!!

Gruß,

William

 

[Will Gilmore]

Welcome to the forms William. You have made port in the right place. Everybody here is highly knowledgeable and eager to help.

What are you looking to do with your license? If you are not charging for paying passengers, then all you need is a boater's safety certificate. I'm not even sure you need that if you don't have an engine over 4hp. But, you're in Miami, so things can be different there. Last time I was there, I was very disappointed to not see a single mast on the bay.

I own a Mariner 19 by O'Day. I highly recommend them for an easily trailerable boat, especially the centerboard models. They have a larger cockpit and a slightly smaller cabin than something like a Catalina 22, but they sit better on a trailer for launching at any boat ramp. The 2+2s will sleep four. They are good sailers that can handle large bays and near shore sailing. The older models with the cast iron center boards were MORC (Midget Ocean Racing Club) certified. They are still being manufactured by Stuart Marine in Rockland, Maine, so parts are easy to find and there are a number of Mariner Class Association members on your coast of Florida.

Another easy to trailer little sailboat that is well behaved on the ocean is the ComPac 16. They are wide, and low on their trailers. They have a reputation for being fast and easy to setup and their cabins are spacious for their size. They have even been sailed to the Bahamas by a few experienced sailors. Another boat that is still being manufactured with a strong association to help you out with.

-Will

 

[shemandr]

I'm in South Florida having come from the NE and I am facing some of the same issues. I'm in the Stuart area so depth of water is a problem. We can sail with a keel but the range is very limited. Most boats at our sailing club (USS Martin County) are centerboard or catamarans. I usually sail a Flying Scot - they have five of them. But there are 420's, Opti's (which are too small for me) and the Hobie Wave's, Lasers and a few others.
Biscayne Bay is deeper so you may have more choices.
Keeping a boat on a trailer is not as simple as I would hope. You have to store the trailer (Which a lot of home owner associations do not permit). That's a monthly bill too and since we have a lot of rain the boat has to be covered or have some plan to de-water without someone having to visit it almost daily in the wet season.
For these reasons and more I decided to join a club that has the boats set up to go. I have to make reservations but pay no extra for use of the boats. It is a bargain at $450/yr.
There are boat clubs in abundance in South Florida but they mainly focus on powerboats. I have heard of a few that have sailboats.
Rather than search the key words, boating, yacht - try sailing clubs, sailing associations, sailing centers, public sailing.
Good luck and stay in touch. We'd like to hear what your solution is.

 

[Will Gilmore]

shemandr, one of the Mariner club officers lives in your area. He bought a Mariner and took sailing lessons on the Indian River. He is very happy with his sailing there.

-Will

 

[Amikaner]

@Will Gilmore Thank you for the boat recommendations. I will check those out! Excellent.
@shemandr Also a good idea withe the boat club. I have not found one that also has sailboats yet, but will give it another try. I could solve the storage issue if the boat plus trailer would fit into my garage, I would just have to kick my wife's car out. Since it is not normal in Germany to have a garage with automatic opener, she really thinks it is the height of luxury to park her car in the garage every day. So I may have to look for paid storage somewhere, that seems to be less than a wet slip. I have no issue paying $400 - $500 / month but not the $1000+ the VERY few available slips cost here!

 

[Will Gilmore]

Amikaner, driving out along the Tamiami trail should provide you with a number of secure storage options. I am not as familiar with as far South as Miami, but up the coast just a short drive, there are a lot of options. It doesn't necessarily have to be at a marina.

-Will

 

[LeeandRick]

A Florida Boating Safety Card is the only requirement for operating a boat. This can be acquired through an online course. It is advisable to take a short course or hook up with someone to learn the area you plan to sail. Many times you will find the areas with less powerboat and other delightful places to sail this way.

 

[Amikaner]

@Will Gilmore I think I have fallen in Love with the O'Day mariner! What a super cool little boat, beautiful design and perfect for daysailing in even shallow Florida waters! Thanks again for your reply.

@LeeandRick I read about the Safety card somewhere, but as I am a bit older (50+) it is not required for me. What I didn't think of is that this could give me more information about the area. Good idea! I'll go look where I can take the course locally. Thanks.

 

[Rick Webb]

@Will Gilmore I think I have fallen in Love with the O'Day mariner! What a super cool little boat, beautiful design and perfect for daysailing in even shallow Florida waters! Thanks again for your reply.

@LeeandRick I read about the Safety card somewhere, but as I am a bit older (50+) it is not required for me. What I didn't think of is that this could give me more information about the area. Good idea! I'll go look where I can take the course locally. Thanks.

The USCG Auxiliary and the Power Squadron do classes for a nominal fee and are a good place to start for gaining local knowledge and brushing up on basic boat safety and operator skills.

 

[Benny17441]

Don't know what licenses you are talking about unless you mean registration and tags for the trailer. I would look for a sailing club that has mast up trailer storage parking facility. Check on boat insurance as most facilities will require it.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

As a former now retired sailboat dealer, many daysailors were built in Florida or nearby to include American Sail in South Carolina, Com PAC (good for the coastal waters , Precision, Catalina and Hunter (stay with the fiberglass built daysailors)

European requirements are different from the states here in the US. Many require a boater’s safety course but there are reciprocal agreements amongst the states to recognize Florida’s requirements. However if you plan on staying for example a 90 visit elsewhere, I suggest asking if there is any permitting required.

 

[chip veres]

Three ideas: Broward College offers beginning and intermediate sailing classes. But with your European licenses you may know more than their instructors. The South Dade Marina (farthest south place in Dade County) and the Key Lime Sailing club in Key Largo are hangouts for trailer sailors. Craigslist Miami always has sailboats ranging from excellent to floating shipwrecks. Go to the "boats" area and search sailboats.
Chip Veres
S/V Sand Dollar
Dania, FL

 

[seadaddler]

I came from Long Island,NY and don’t live on a canal but keep at a women’s dock who loves the monthly
Fee I pay her and my 07 H-36 is at a dock that Is so easy to go out into harbor and go sailing and worth the monthly Fee I pay so look in newspaper or drive around looking for empty docks and ask