Sailing from Gulf Breeze Fl to The Keys

Rick Webb · May 6, 2015

It Can be Done

It is going to take almost two weeks to do if everything goes just right. A Catalina 22 would not be the most comfortable boat to try the trip in. Make a trip to Biloxi and then to Carrabelle before you decide you want to try that trip in your boat.

You'll likely find it cheaper to trailer it down even if you have to buy the trailer to do it with.

I am not trying to discourage you but it would not be a trip you would come back from and talk about how pleasant or how comfortable you were during the trip.

Joe · May 6, 2015

buy a cruising guide to the area and start planning. http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&ke...vptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_26p76pk7sg_b

Benny17441 · May 7, 2015

We sail a 22' Starwind 223 in 10-12 day trips at choice sailing destinations like the Long Island Sound, the Outer Banks, the Chesapeake Bay, etc. First of all I would advise you to trailer the boat to the Keys. It would take you close to 2 weeks just to get there and back. If you just want to experience the sail from Gulfport to the Keys then at the very least position the trailer down there so that you can bring the boat back and do not have to do the same trip twice. We have two coolers that conveniently fit under the companionway step. One is for food and the other one for drinks. The less you open them the longer the ice will last. You do not have to stock a lot as there will be opportunities to re-stock along the way. We will stock food for about two days and by then we are ready to re-stock ice and fuel. We carry two gallons of drinking water for cooking and other necessities. We also fill a sun-shower which we carry on deck attached to the mast. Bathe with a bucket of salt water and then rinse with the sun-shower. Joy is the best detergent that works in salt water to do dishes. take 13 gallon garbage bags that you can tie around the stanchions until you reach a dumpster facility. Also take cloth pins so that you can dry bathing suits and towels. We try not to cook aboard but merely reheat. Prior to departure we will prepare some food and freeze it so that it will last longer in the coolers. Our 2 stroke Nissan 9.8HP burns 1 gallon an hour and we have a 3.5 gallon tank feeding the engine and also carry two 5 gallon jerry cans tied to the stanchions. Take a small battery charger with an extension cord and a 30A adapter to recharge your batteries along the way. We usually plan for every third night to hit a Marina to take a hot shower, recharge batteries and re-stock supplies. Speaking of Marinas take a Florida West Coast cruising guide that includes the Keys with you. It will help you to plan your stops. Marine charts are essential, a compass, a handheld GPS and a handheld VHF radio will complete your navigation package. Keep an eye on the weather and stay relatively close to shore this would mean rounding up Florida Bay. Getting into and navigating the Intracoastal anywhere from Ana Maria to Naples is an option in foul weather, make sure you know the possible entry points and keep in mind always your distance to any of them. We have done this in the past and it is always an option to arrange to leave the boat at a marina and catch a ride back home to continue the trip at a latter date. Someone said cruising is about doing maintenance to your boat in distant places so take a small but well assorted tool box and some spares. My last advise is to budget some money for entertainment and sightseeing during stops. I have known some people that sailed to a destination and never got off the boat . For that they could have anchored close to home and would have had a similar view of the shore.

Kings Gambit · May 7, 2015

MsFritzE said:
Hi, I'm relatively new to sailing however my boyfriend and I are boat people who work and play on the water which makes the Gulf is our second home.
We've been fixing up our Catalina 22 and sailing it around the bay but now feel like journeying to new destinations. We are thinking the Keys. I've been reading a little about where to dock for the night and some ways on getting down there, we'll probably play it safe this time and stick pretty close to the shore.
I guess my questions are what are some things that you guys learned while sailing down there and what should we stock up on before we go? Our boat's not too big but there is some storage.

The easiest way to say it: Slow boat--long trip; plus hot w/ t-storms likely about.

seadaddler · May 7, 2015

When

What time of year are you planning because weather will be your
biggest impact on your trip which for your size is challenging for sure
but doable if your boat is well setup.
Benny is giving good info and also look in search for Summer who has done alot of cruising with his 26' sailboat but check and see what he has added to
what he carries on his boat to make things manageable and even more info
to where he has traveled.
In a small boat like yours you will need to watch weather and have something that gives good weather reports.
Good cruising guides and Active Captain has tons of good info so a smartphone with wifi or hotspot would really be good for all that.
Good luck and maybe your first trip should be a little shorter first time out cruising and be a good test to see what is really needed.
When I was younger I did take my wife and young kids camping in a very small tent and learned real quick what was needed for them to go again and we did do a lot of tent camping and had fun most times except when the weather was not good like rain and wind beach camping needed plenty of planning for the unexpected.
Nick

Benny17441 · May 8, 2015

Nick gives good advice, before you embark on your cruise to the Keys just take a shakedown 3 day cruise to anywhere down the coast and back. You will learn a lot in that cruise about what to bring and what to leave at home. Another thing is that in a small boat you have to make every space serve double duty and you need to include the cockpit as valuable space. Over the years we have developed a number of configurations depending on the activity. We know what needs to get moved where when we transition from one activity to another. The V berth can serve as storage as well as sleeping accommodations', the cockpit can serve as a dining and lounging room, a place to bathe and it can hold the porta-poty for use at night. We have been known to sometimes carry a 5K window A/C unit which can sit on the companionway while plugged to shorepower at a marina slip. Have slept some nights better on that little boat than ever on the big one. It just takes a little imagination to cruise in style in a little boat. The sailing area of your boat is always limited by your available leisure time. For that reason we choose to move the boat by trailer and dedicate our time to a particular sailing venue. The big boat goes to the Bahamas and the Keys but the little one goes everywhere else.

Scott T-Bird · May 11, 2015

Benny, if you wrote a book about cruising in a small boat I'd put it on my list to read. I like your can-do attitude. I can tell, these folks are going to make this trip.

My advise? Bring plenty of optimism and a sense of humor for those times when you need it most.

Have fun!