I took my Hobie 16 sailing for the first time last tuesday. It wasnt without difficulty though. She is an 83 and she looks it. No harm no foul, she was free! I live in South Florida, and keep the boat near Dania Beach. I was hesitant to put in at the beach because the seas were pretty big and I wasnt sure where I could put it in. I decided I would try it out in West Lake, a small lake near the beach. I launched the boat got and it rigged. In the process I ripped out the worn jibsail head, but decided to sail without the jib anyway. I paddeled the boat out through the narrow chute of mangroves protecting the boat ramp and to my suprise I was not in a lake at all. I was in the ICW. A rather narrow portion of the ICW at that. Not more than 100' bank to bank. With the wind channeling straight down it no less. After about a 20 minute beat I made it to a large turning basin where I could strech her legs on a reach. On my way back to the ramp I broke the ratchet block off the traveler car during a rookie attempt at a jybe. O well thats all in a days sailing. Does anybody know a protected waterway that might be a little easier to sail in near dania beach? Where can I put in on the beach without having to have beach wheels? Thanks in advance for all your help and for reading my endless babble.

Huh, my rule is that if I make it back to the ramp with everything I went out with it was a good day. Judging by the way you describe your day....not a good day. But you were on the water. I can't help you with where to sail but I can offer you a new jib or at least another used one. Just pm me if you are interested.

If you don't break something, you're not pushing the boat hard enough :P

Is that it?

As far as sailing in South FL your best best is the Biscayne Bay. You have dogs beach (which I used to dump my H16 in without any wheels, just straight off the trailer) and you have Hobie beach which the sand is softer so you wont be able to drive to the waters edge without getting stuck.

benjamin

don't even think about sailing in the ICW on a week end, traffic can be real crazy !

there are a couple of lakes near hollywood, off the ICW, not sure how far they are from where you launched. But still crazy on week ends, with mosquitoes aka pwcs... your best bet is biscayne bay as robi suggested, it's only 25 minutes from Dania... you can launch from either windsurfer beach, before the bridge or hobie beach after the bridge. WS is not as packed on weekends and maybe easier to find a spot to get to the water.

unlike the black waters of the ICW, biscayne bay south of downtown has nice blue water and many sandbars to stop at and take a break. I have a google earth file on www.sandbarhopper.com with lot of info and pictures of anchorages and point of interests...

Thanks for the tips guys, I am looking forward to the day when I have enough time to get all the way down to key Biscane. I was looking for something more convenient for a quick afternoon splash after work. Isnt there a cat ramp somewhere on ft lauderdale beach?

South Beach on Ft Lauderdale is home to Cat44. There is a good sized Hobie 16 fleet that usually meets on Saturdays and Sundays. Very good people, I have sailed out of there once already and cant wait to go back.

If you want to launch off Ft Lauderdale, make sure you show up early. You have to drop off the trailor with boat and turnaround and drop off your car in the parking lot. In Ft Lauderdale the water is not protected like in Biscayne Bay. If you are comfortable with that, Ft Lauderdale is a good option. As far as sailing out of Ft Lauderdale during the weekdays I have the slightest clue. I dont think there will be a problem, but you never know. It is in fact South FL.

Yo mate, ye went east when ye shoulda gone west, east is the ICW, west is the west lake, the small channel from the nature center cuts north thru the beantrees and cuts left, "west" to the lake, it is probably the best place for you, findin all that broken tackle like you do, jus remember its a nasty hike out without yer boaty, but if yer man enuf to paddle or pole yer way in, ya probably got er all to yerself. used to paddle all over back in there when we hadda launch under the bridge at sheridan street many, many moons ago, google maps sat. view the nature center to see where yer goin, good luck

I there matey. arghrrrrrrrrrr. I actually entered first through the west lake park entrance on sheridan street. We got to the ramp to find that there was a bridge blocking the way. I asked a park employee and she told me there was another entrance to west lake on johnson street. So thats where I went. I will be sure to check google earth next time before I try that again. Thanks for the tips