Since my first crazy cruise to Panama City is out,How feasible is a cruise to Marathon with harbor hopping and safe anchorages along the way with a long sail from Marco Island to Marathon. My wife is willing and we have the time. We would be leaving the last part of March after our 50th wedding anniversary party. We do very well togather on a 26' sailboat. I thank you for any and all advice.
- Status
great gunk-holing in that area
The area from Marco to the Keys is jam packed with great anchorages. From Marco you can day sail to Indian Key (Everglades City entrance channel). There are about 6 great anchorages in there for even 40' boats, just have your mosquito screens up by sunset. From there it is a 30 mile sail to Little Shark River. That is big enough for a small cruise ship to anchor in (alone). You can head up the river close to 15 miles anchoring in every little tidy-hole you come by. You will end up in Oyster Bay or even White Water Bay. Huge off shore fishing boats often go in there and act as home base for the flats boats working the deep glades area. From Shark you are only 30 or so miles from Boot Key Harbor in Marathon. In your boat check out Lower Matacumbe Key Bight (bay side), great anchorage up there, lots of sea turtles that play with you in there. Depending on the winds you can snuggle right up to the everglades and hide behind one mangrove island or another if you watch the weather. Carefull of the tidal currents in the Everglades, they rip....
The area from Marco to the Keys is jam packed with great anchorages. From Marco you can day sail to Indian Key (Everglades City entrance channel). There are about 6 great anchorages in there for even 40' boats, just have your mosquito screens up by sunset. From there it is a 30 mile sail to Little Shark River. That is big enough for a small cruise ship to anchor in (alone). You can head up the river close to 15 miles anchoring in every little tidy-hole you come by. You will end up in Oyster Bay or even White Water Bay. Huge off shore fishing boats often go in there and act as home base for the flats boats working the deep glades area. From Shark you are only 30 or so miles from Boot Key Harbor in Marathon. In your boat check out Lower Matacumbe Key Bight (bay side), great anchorage up there, lots of sea turtles that play with you in there. Depending on the winds you can snuggle right up to the everglades and hide behind one mangrove island or another if you watch the weather. Carefull of the tidal currents in the Everglades, they rip....
Don do you know your boat and crew??
If you know your boat and crew you are the best person to answer your question. Have you had them out in rough conditions??? How did they do??? I had a Macgregor 26 for several years and sailed regularly with my wife. That boat could handle anything that I ran into in a lake. But I felt that it would surf down waves and broach so never took it out in the ocean. When we started sailing the Mac my wife would only take the helm when I was beside her. The last time we sailed the mac it was rough and I was sleepy and she sailed a couple of hours while I slept. But she still wouldn't /couldn't dock the boat. We now have a Pearson 323 that we are getting to know. In Mobile bay I am pretty confident. We have only been out in the gulf a couple of times and the conditions were mild. Good news was my wife didn't get seasick!!! She has in the past in the ocean. She can handle the boat in some conditions but in bad conditions such as if I fell overboard I'd have to swim a long long time as I don't think that she could drop the sails and come back for me. But she could handle the boat for a few hours at a time while I slept. She did for an hour or so on our last trip up Mobile bay. I took a nap and she took the helm. When I woke up an hour or so later we were on course and she knew where she was. It wasn't rough but there was about 15kts of wind and a mild chop. Only you know your boat, your crew and your self well enough to decide upon a trip.
If you know your boat and crew you are the best person to answer your question. Have you had them out in rough conditions??? How did they do??? I had a Macgregor 26 for several years and sailed regularly with my wife. That boat could handle anything that I ran into in a lake. But I felt that it would surf down waves and broach so never took it out in the ocean. When we started sailing the Mac my wife would only take the helm when I was beside her. The last time we sailed the mac it was rough and I was sleepy and she sailed a couple of hours while I slept. But she still wouldn't /couldn't dock the boat. We now have a Pearson 323 that we are getting to know. In Mobile bay I am pretty confident. We have only been out in the gulf a couple of times and the conditions were mild. Good news was my wife didn't get seasick!!! She has in the past in the ocean. She can handle the boat in some conditions but in bad conditions such as if I fell overboard I'd have to swim a long long time as I don't think that she could drop the sails and come back for me. But she could handle the boat for a few hours at a time while I slept. She did for an hour or so on our last trip up Mobile bay. I took a nap and she took the helm. When I woke up an hour or so later we were on course and she knew where she was. It wasn't rough but there was about 15kts of wind and a mild chop. Only you know your boat, your crew and your self well enough to decide upon a trip.
Tom
Tom, teach your wife how to "heave to". You won't have to swim so far. It's quick and it works.
Tom, teach your wife how to "heave to". You won't have to swim so far. It's quick and it works.
hate to be a ditto head
but, I agree with Tom. if you have to ask someone else, you are probally not ready. pick up the Cruising Guide to Eastern Florida by Claiborne Young www.cruisingguide.com/ef.html makes for great reading even if you dont go.
but, I agree with Tom. if you have to ask someone else, you are probally not ready. pick up the Cruising Guide to Eastern Florida by Claiborne Young www.cruisingguide.com/ef.html makes for great reading even if you dont go.
Wrong side of the State Dan
Dan, this is the gulf side. The Claiborne Young book is Cruising Guide to Western Florida. http://www.cruisingguide.com/wf.html From Port Richey south it is a breeze to day sail all the way to the Bahamas or Dry Tortugas. Have fun. Turn on the weather radio and be ready to stay at the anchorage waiting out a cold front. We'll be out there in April and May, staying in Florida this year and not crossing the gulf stream. Bill
Dan, this is the gulf side. The Claiborne Young book is Cruising Guide to Western Florida. http://www.cruisingguide.com/wf.html From Port Richey south it is a breeze to day sail all the way to the Bahamas or Dry Tortugas. Have fun. Turn on the weather radio and be ready to stay at the anchorage waiting out a cold front. We'll be out there in April and May, staying in Florida this year and not crossing the gulf stream. Bill
just do it
Don, if you have any idea how to sail than go and do it. Use commen sense and you'll be fine. Too many people wait until the sun and moon are aligned perfectly and their boat and crew are trained for the "perfect storm" before they toss the dock lines. Go sailing and enjoy.
Don, if you have any idea how to sail than go and do it. Use commen sense and you'll be fine. Too many people wait until the sun and moon are aligned perfectly and their boat and crew are trained for the "perfect storm" before they toss the dock lines. Go sailing and enjoy.
agree
I agree with steve, go out sailing but use your head and have fun. Yeah, some idiots get into trouble, some have bad luck but all in all most sailors do okay using their heads. Don't wait, go sailing if you have the time and health today.
I agree with steve, go out sailing but use your head and have fun. Yeah, some idiots get into trouble, some have bad luck but all in all most sailors do okay using their heads. Don't wait, go sailing if you have the time and health today.
Steve & Scott's Encouragement
Thanks for all the replies to my post. I do have a lot of sailing experience. I sailed Lake Huron up,down and across both the U.S and Canadian shores. I have been on the Lake and in its harbors in all kinds of weather. Some of the cruises my only crew was Matey my cat. (My wife was at work). We moved to Florida and lived aboard for four years. We crossed the Gulf Stream several times and not two crossings were the same. Some crossings were very good and some were very bad. We cruised some of the Bahamas and the Abaco's. We did this long before GPS. We relied on dead reckoning, RDF, vectoring our course in the stream and a plastic sextent. My wife and I and our boat are very capable of taking this cruise. We gave up sailing many years ago and have just recently returned to sailing on a smaller scale and my post was to get some first hand knowledge before I purchased the guides and charts. Here is another thought. It is nice to know how to heave to but how is that done when a person that falls overboard is most often on the foredeck changing a headsail and without a headsail you can't heave to. I always wore a harness that I would snap shackle to lines I had run P & S from the cockpit to the bow. Saftey first.
Thanks for all the replies to my post. I do have a lot of sailing experience. I sailed Lake Huron up,down and across both the U.S and Canadian shores. I have been on the Lake and in its harbors in all kinds of weather. Some of the cruises my only crew was Matey my cat. (My wife was at work). We moved to Florida and lived aboard for four years. We crossed the Gulf Stream several times and not two crossings were the same. Some crossings were very good and some were very bad. We cruised some of the Bahamas and the Abaco's. We did this long before GPS. We relied on dead reckoning, RDF, vectoring our course in the stream and a plastic sextent. My wife and I and our boat are very capable of taking this cruise. We gave up sailing many years ago and have just recently returned to sailing on a smaller scale and my post was to get some first hand knowledge before I purchased the guides and charts. Here is another thought. It is nice to know how to heave to but how is that done when a person that falls overboard is most often on the foredeck changing a headsail and without a headsail you can't heave to. I always wore a harness that I would snap shackle to lines I had run P & S from the cockpit to the bow. Saftey first.
thanks Bill! LOL
you would think I atleast would know where I live. no wonder I start out for Pensacola and end up in Destin! LMAO! but, to the point Young has several cruising guides be sure to get the right one, or in my case buy the whole set just in case you get turned around.
you would think I atleast would know where I live. no wonder I start out for Pensacola and end up in Destin! LMAO! but, to the point Young has several cruising guides be sure to get the right one, or in my case buy the whole set just in case you get turned around.
Don I didn't mean to sound negative
It just that the people on this site don't know you and your abilities. Desire is probably the most important thing. I met an older couple this weekend. They appear to be in their 70's. They circumnavigated several years ago in a Bristol Channel Cutter. They sold the boat and moved ashore. Bored they have a new BCC and are getting it ready to cross the gulf of mexico hopefully next week. Straight from Mobile to Isla Mujeres. The longest they have been at sea was 31 days from St Helena to Grenada. Very nice people!!!!! But if I ask you if I'm ready to sail with them how could you respond?? A Pearson 323 is definately not a BCC!!!! And we haven't sailed around the world!!! Heck even with a BCC my wife and I aren't up to crossing the gulf in December. Self preservation usually lets us know when our dreams are beyond are grasp. LOL
It just that the people on this site don't know you and your abilities. Desire is probably the most important thing. I met an older couple this weekend. They appear to be in their 70's. They circumnavigated several years ago in a Bristol Channel Cutter. They sold the boat and moved ashore. Bored they have a new BCC and are getting it ready to cross the gulf of mexico hopefully next week. Straight from Mobile to Isla Mujeres. The longest they have been at sea was 31 days from St Helena to Grenada. Very nice people!!!!! But if I ask you if I'm ready to sail with them how could you respond?? A Pearson 323 is definately not a BCC!!!! And we haven't sailed around the world!!! Heck even with a BCC my wife and I aren't up to crossing the gulf in December. Self preservation usually lets us know when our dreams are beyond are grasp. LOL
- Status