Sailing in the Florida Keys with Island Dreamer

The first time I went diving to catch Florida Lobster was the last weekend in July 1983. My brother and I spent the 2 days at the opening of season gasping for air and chasing those wily crustacean around the floor of the ocean. In 2 days we caught 3 Keepers and I was hooked. I am a little better at it now but sometimes they still get away. It’s still one of the things I enjoy most about diving in the Keys.

A good hours work diving for Lobster

Of course it makes for a very tasty dinner. We have a cookbook called Just Florida Lobster, unfortunately out of print,  that has 55 different recipes in it.  I am proud to say I have tried them all.

The best one- Amandine Lobster first you lightly bread the tail, saute it, then make a sauce from sliced almonds, butter and Armaretto Liqueur. Not very healthy but well worth it.

If you join us during Lobster season (8-6 through 3-31) there is no guarantee, but we might just have fresh seafood for dinner.

After having talked to taught many couples about sailing together, and of course boating with Margie for the last 30 years here are some ideas to help you work together;

1. Listen when she speaks- when Margie hears a sound thats different, wants to reef the sails or just doesn’t like the way something is going, I find after my instinctual  response (what do you know), that she is/was right.

2. Don’t lay the boat over on its side (heeling more than about 10 degrees).  The boat will make less leeway and go faster this way as a bonus.

3. Take your time, explain whats happening, enjoy the serenity of sailing. If you are in a hurry get a boat with 3-300hp outboards.

4. Know what the weather is, the boat can probably handle much more weather than you want to be out in. Know and teach her how to make the boat safe when the wind and weather picks up.

5.  Show her where the safety equipment is, the basics of how to use it, and what to do when you fall overboard. If you have been nice maybe she will come back to pick you up!

6. Teach her about navigation, charts, and markers. When you know where you are going you feel much more in control of your environment.

7. Give her the helm, when she gets comfortable go make lunch for her.

8. Sailing is all about where is the wind coming from. Make sure she knows this first. Then you can teach how to set the sails.

9. When you do something stupid don’t lash out at her. Yelling is a sign that YOU do not know what you are doing.

10. I just asked Margie for some input, she suggested that if the above does not work you might try just lying about how great it will be. I guess that means I must have made some of the mistakes above in the past!

Just a few of the things I  like after living on my sailboat for the last 8 years;

1. Having my morning coffee, watching the sunrise while dolphins are playing around the boat in the quiet of the morning.

2. When we invite fellow cruisers over for a sundowner it only takes a couple of minutes to clean the boat (it’s a small space).

3. The boat may be small but my backyard is huge.

4. Visiting new and different places then coming home to my bed at night.

5. If the anchorage we picked last night was a little rolly, I will  appreciate tonights calm anchorage that much more.

6. Living comfortably yet having a low impact on the environment by using solar panels, sailing to get to my destination, catching rainwater, and using shade and natural ventilation instead of A/C.  I do have wireless internet, cell phones and Netflix, so I’m not really off the grid.

7. You can hunt for a Lobster dinner with a dive from the back of your boat.

8. How easy it is to make new friends and how helpful cruisers are.

9. Planning and making improvements to the boat systems. This one may not be for everyone but I enjoy it.

10. Arrival at a new destination after a long passage is much more rewarding than stepping off a plane. We are much more in tune with the changes in the weather,  not jet lagged, and  we made the trip happen.

Island Dreamer sailing on a close reach

Margie and I have spent the last few days sailing the backcountry of the Florida Keys on our journey  to Key West to pick up our next couples sailing charter. I am reminded once again how pleasant it is to sail along at 6 knots in 15 knots of wind and still have calm seas and not have the boat heeled over to the rails.  The combination of having the sails reefed and set properly and the protection of the many small islands and shallow water makes it easy to relax and enjoy gliding through the water.

We are looking forward to spending some time before our charter with our friends Captain Holley and Captain Denny who own the Schooner Conch Pearl. They do Liveaboard sailing scuba trips based out of Key West. We got to be good friends when Margie and I were running the Schooner Heritage of Miami for the Boy Scouts High Adventure Seabase and our days off coincided two summers ago.  Because they have a compressor on board to fill their Scuba tanks they are able to dive locations that diving day trip boats don’t go to in the Florida Keys Marine Sanctuary.

We have just a couple of weeks open before Dec 15th and would love to have you join us sailing Biscayne Bay and the Keys. Couples will learn about living on board a sailboat while staying on board and anchoring in a new place every night. This is one of the best times to sail the keys, it isn’t crowded, the winds are fair, and the weather is delightful. Any charter that ends before December 15, 2009 over 5 days will receive a free additional day. Sail with us in the clear calm waters and enjoy a relaxing vacation learning about sailing and cruising.

View from the Bow of our Sailboat in the Florida Keys

It was hard to do a ASA sailing class with no wind but South Beach was pretty fom the ocean

We had a great trip even though it was too calm to sail. The water was amazingly clear, and I snorkeled a blue hole off Great Sail Key in the Abacos.

.

I had the chance to watch some of  THE NATIONAL PARKS: AMERICA’S BEST IDEA on PBS last night,  the history of Everglades National Park was  fascinating;

“By 1900, feathers were in fashion and no woman’s hat, it seemed, was complete without an array of plumes. Some hats even included entire stuffed birds. The long, white plumes of egrets had become more valuable than gold. To satisfy the demands of this latest fashion trend, more than 5 million birds a year were being slaughtered; nearly 95 percent of Florida’s shore birds had been killed by plume hunters.”

We are very lucky today that this beautiful area was protected, though at the time it must have seemed hopeless;

An unlikely champion stepped forward in the form of Congressman John F. Lacey. Despite being part of a group of die-hard conservatives, when it came to defending wildlife, Lacey was one of the most progressive politicians of his day. After years of ceaseless effort, he won passage of the Lacey Bird and Game Act of 1900. The bill made it a federal crime to transport birds killed in violation of any state law, and soon government agents were confiscating huge shipments of bird skins and feathers.

But in the lawless Everglades, the Lacey Act did not put an end to plume hunting. Five years after the bill’s passage, a game warden was murdered by poachers. Another was gunned down three years later. The wildlife in southern Florida, it seemed, would never be safe unless the Everglades itself was set aside as a national park.

Finally the park was created;

A bill to create Everglades National Park passed Congress by the narrowest of margins in 1934. For the first time in history, a park had been created solely for the preservation of animals and plants, and the environment that sustains them.

Today we sail on the southern edge of the park on most of our charters. Thanks to the vision of  those statesman in 1934 we are able to enjoy not only great birdwatching but also the ability to be surrounded by nature in a way that is very unique. The miles of calm water dotted by mangrove islands, the colors at sunset, Dolphin playing by the boat in 6′ of clear water  are all part of  the scenery. Even after having sailed in the park for many years I am still surprised by its beauty and serenity.

Mangrove island with wading birds on Turtle grass flat

Bring Your Family for a special Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year Sailing trip in The Florida Keys this year. Swim Sail and Snorkel, spend some quality time cruising the tropical Islands of the keys, and of course have a holiday dinner that can’t be beat! www.island-dreamer.com/family

Your family can help sail the boat, snorkel, fish or just relax. Exploring an island, taking a dingy ride or watching the dolphins play are other possibilities for family fun. We are also happy to entertain the kids, if you would like to stop for a sundowner at the Tiki bar.

Book an all inclusive vacation for 2 people now and your kids come for free (Maximum of 6).

Captain Harold with a family

Now that the weather has started to “cool off” in the Keys it is quite pleasant to be out at anchor again.  The sailing winds are on the lighter side, the water is warm enough that even Margie is willing  to go snorkeling, and there are lobster around to catch for dinner. We are offering a special on our fall couples cruising live aboard classes.  Include an extra day on the water free with a charter of 5 days (6 days for the price of 5).  Overnites at the beginning and end of your trip are included. This applies to any charter that ends before Nov. 15, 2009.

Where we practice docking with couples