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Florida Keys - Hobie Sailing on a budget? #31455
03/15/04 02:07 PM
03/15/04 02:07 PM
Joined: Oct 2003
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2Ripple Offline OP
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2Ripple  Offline OP
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Hello everybody! Glad this forum is here.
I am hoping some sailors with experience in the Florida Keys can answer some general questions we have....

We are looking to travel from the Sebastian Inlet area to the Florida Keys for some shoe-string budget camping/sailing.
We would like to trailer our boat down to the Keys with us, and be able to set up camp/stay with the boat, preferrably beaching and docking away from regular marinas.
We have never been to the keys. We would like to experience some snorkeling and island hopping adventures.

Are we going to be limited to the state parks? Are there resorts that would cater to the experience better?
Are there certain times of the year that the weather would be best for this type of vacation?

Any insight/opinions that could be offered up would be greatly appreciated!

Have a Hobie day!
Tara @ Sebastian Inlet

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Re: Florida Keys - Hobie Sailing on a budget? [Re: 2Ripple] #31456
03/15/04 02:59 PM
03/15/04 02:59 PM
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 3,114
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MauganN20 Offline
Carpal Tunnel
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The only state park I've ever been to was Bahia-Honda state park and its DEFINITELY not beachcat friendly. They made my buddy in his 18SX launch from the little marina and try and sail out the 20' wide channel, and then to get to the ocean you have to be able to sail through the old rail bridge which has nasty currents and is known to be a haven for bullsharks (if that kind of thing bothers you) :P

Upside is that we acutally made it in and out a couple times, and the camping there is spectacular with some very beautiful beaches and good facilities.

There are tons of little put-in places, mostly adjacent to the bridges, where you can put in.

Re: Florida Keys - Hobie Sailing on a budget? [Re: MauganN20] #31457
03/15/04 06:41 PM
03/15/04 06:41 PM
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 144
Near SLC, Utah
tomthouse Offline
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Joined: Feb 2004
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Near SLC, Utah

Re: Florida Keys - Hobie Sailing on a budget? [Re: 2Ripple] #31458
03/16/04 05:08 AM
03/16/04 05:08 AM
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 5,558
Key Largo, FL & Put-in-Bay, OH...
Mary Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Mary  Offline
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Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 5,558
Key Largo, FL & Put-in-Bay, OH...
The Florida Keys unquestionably have the best sailing conditions in the United States.

However, I'm afraid there is not much of what you are looking for. First of all, there are very few beaches here. The Keys were originally a coral reef, so they are all made of rock. And most of the Keys are protected on the ocean side by reefs and on the bay side by mangrove islands, so there is not much wave action to create sand or wash it in from the ocean.

There are two places that have both beaches and camping -- Long Key State Park and Bahia Honda State Park. However, you are not allowed to keep your boat on the beach, so you would have to pull it out via the ramp every night. I don't know whether you would also have to drop the mast every night.

Most of the other beaches in the Keys are manmade. Most on-water motels and campgrounds advertise that they have beaches, but they are usually more like "sandboxes" -- they are separated from the water by retaining walls.

America Outdoors, on the Florida Bay side in Key Largo, might be your best bet. It is popular with the Jacksonville fleet, which usually makes an annual pilgrimage to the Keys. The campground has a big beach, but, again, it has a retaining wall between sand and water, so it is basically useless for the purpose of beach cats. But what those sailors do is anchor their boats in the water just out from the retaining wall. It sure beats pulling the boat out every night and de-rigging it, which is the only other option there.

The other thing to consider in the Keys is that the best sailing and island-hopping are on the Bay side, but the best snorkeling (reefs) is on the ocean side. And there are few places to get back and forth between the two (Channel 5 Bridge, Marathon, and Seven-Mile Bridge. So, for snorkeling, you probably want to find a place to stay on the ocean side, and for island-hopping, you probably want to be on the bay side.

If you plan to use your boat to do the snorkeling, you could camp at John Pennekamp State Park in Key Largo. It would involve launching your boat on a ramp, sailing/paddling out from Largo Sound through a winding mangrove channel (along with all the dive boats, snorkel boats, and fishing boats) and then sailing about three miles offshore to get to the reefs.

Another possible campground on the ocean side in Key Largo is Key Largo Campground, 305-451-1431. Again, you would have to use a ramp. And I am not sure whether you can get to the ocean from there or not with a mast -- again, you would be wending your way through mangroves, and I don't know whether any small bridges are in the way.

Another option on the Bay side in Key Largo is Kings Kampground, 305-451-0010. They have a few tent sites. Again, you would have to use a ramp, but maybe you would be able to at least keep your mast up overnight.

Also, I don't know what you consider camping on a "shoestring," but campsites in the Keys average about $35 a night. (I don't know what the cost is at the state parks.)

If you really want shoestring and adventure, launch your boat in Key Largo at the Caribbean Club and load it up with stuff, and sail it to Nest Key out in the backcountry, where you can camp for free (just get a permit first from the Everglades Park Rangers -- it used to be free, and I don't know whether there is a nominal fee now).

If you are going all the way to Key West, try Boyd's Campground, which is right before Key West.

As I said, the Keys have the most beautiful sailing waters you will find anywhere. The problem is the point where water meets land.

As somebody else said, please let us know what you find out. We live here, but sometimes tourists find new places we don't know about.

If you have more questions, please feel free to e-mail me, mary@catsailor.com

Re: Florida Keys - Hobie Sailing on a budget? [Re: 2Ripple] #31459
03/18/04 07:02 PM
03/18/04 07:02 PM
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2
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Fleet111 Offline
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Fleet111  Offline
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Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2
Hello From Fleet 111,

Mary's right, if your looking to camp in the keys American Outdoors is a good place. You'll have to moore your boat in the water, look for a break in the sea wall and rocks to the south there is a spot you can pull the cat out of the water. Avoid the popular weekends, i.e. Memorial Day, the Keys in general are over run with people and boaters. We've also found over the years some very reasonable motels that don't mind the cat. Check out Bay Harbor and Rock Reef (a little more money but you get a larger beach for the boat).

The best time to go is May, not to hot and generally consistent weather. In fact, our group is there every year the week before Memorial Day weekend with cats and powerboats. We've stayed all over the place down there and found Bay Harbor, Rock Reef and America Outdoors to be the best place. The water out back is absolutely fantastic and the sailing is awesome. Check our website for contact info if you'd like more information. www.fleet111.com


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