Margie and I went to the Grand Parade at Fantasy Fest in Key West for the 1st time last year. It was quite an experience fun, but not for the faint of heart. It is a huge costume party on the streets of Key West where the participants and many of the watchers have spent much time and effort to achieve their own unique look for one of the biggest Halloween parties around. There are lots of scantily clad (maybe only body paint) men and women, costumes with some not so subtle messages, lots of creativity and humor, and even a little bit of you really should not be doing this. It is not a family event, but if you have a easygoing outlook it can be lots of fun to watch the human condition. It is great to live in a country where people have the freedom to express themselves.
We will be near Key West during Fantasy Fest, we have a sailing charter that starts Nov. 2. Come down and join us for a sail, snorkel and an evening on the edge. Just to be very clear, Margie and I have been happily together for 31 years, we have our own cabin and slightly out of date but stylish clothes that we will be wearing. If this sounds fun give us a call.
In case you can’t read it the top says- free mammograms, bottom- place breasts here
We are currently visiting Tel Aviv, Israel. What struck me this morning as we were walking around the market was both how different it was, yet how it is so much the same as being in the US. The small shops selling a cacophony of goods, the smells of fresh spices and breads is very different than the way goods are presented for sale in the states. When you buy it’s from the owner of the shop. He knows if he does a good job you will come back.
But when you talk to people one on one just like in the states and everywhere I have traveled they are helpful, welcoming, and want to show you the best parts of where they live. Having the time to get off the beaten path and get to know an area is one things I have enjoyed about cruising in our sailboat. The sailing is great but the next stop is just as much fun.
Our visit here is only for two weeks, we did not sail here this time. Someday we will cruise the Med, in the meantime nothing goes to weather like a 747.
I will be posting again now that my 12 week long trips with the Boy Scouts at the BSA High Adventure Seabase is over.
an email from my last crew;
Hi captain harold we thoroughly enjoyed serving with you as our captain on the wonderfully beautiful ship of yours the Island Dreamer we shall always remember our experiences at Sea Base and cherish the memories created as a troop we thank you with the utmost grate fullness and gratitude
Your loyal crew
Joshua k
Will n
Joshua h
Michael o
Nolan S
(The above sentiments written by the boys and heartily seconded by the dads-Wilke N, Peter K and Wes S)
Captain Harold and Scout Crew
We recently had the chance to help a couple sail to the Bahama’s and learn about their new 46′ Outbound Sailboat. We left from South Florida in the evening and arrived in the Berry Islands the next evening. We spent the next couple of days practicing docking, sailing and doing man overboard drills. Of course we watched several beautiful sunsets, enjoyed the beautiful scenery and the wonderful people of the Bahamas.
The Boat was a dream to sail. It easily made 8 knots with the sails slightly reefed in less than 15 knots of wind and had a comfortable motion when we were motor sailing upwind in the gulfstream in 2-5 foot seas. We did our MOB drills in 25 Knots with the main triple reefed and the solent (staysail) on its 3rd reef and were comfortably moving at 5 knots. The boat came about with no problem and happily sailed closehauled back to our anchorage when we were done. The sails and running rigging are laid out very well and easy to use, and the electric winch was an added bonus that made life eaiser but was not necessary to sail the boat. The layout inside was very liveable, and the construction throughout was done very well.
We love our Morgan but someday…maybe…Please Margie…. can we get a shiny new boat?
Since I am on this NY Times kick heres a quote from an article by Sam Sifton in todays paper;
“There is only the water, a soft pale grassy green flecked with white that gives way to teal in the channels, and to straw-ruffled browns on the flats, the oily green rise of mangrove hummocks behind them. There are clouds scudding through the immense blue sky, scattered terns wandering the waters with muted cries. There are manta rays pulsing along in the deep, and turtles breaststroking on hidden currents, menacing lemon sharks and motionless barracuda and shrimp and crabs and lobster and conch. There are jacks, and needlefish, and grouper. And there are bonefish: silvery ghosts feeding hard on the tide in the shallows, their dusky tails breaking the surface at the far edge of your eyesight.”
He is discussing bonefishing in the Bahamas, but his description could very well apply to the shallows of the Keys. There is something magical about being surrounded by shallow water and mangrove islands.
When we took our sailboat up the ICW to NY one of the things I missed the most was not being able to see the bottom through the clear water. Because we had spent the previous 25 years boating in the waters of the Keys and the Bahamas, I guess I was starting to take it for granted. Not any more!
Florida Keys Sailboat Charters for Couples | Florida Keys Sailboat Charter Vacation for Families | Florida Keys Sailboat Lessons |
There is a great article in the NY Times today about Kayaking near Marathon;
“WE were paddling atop an expanse of shin-deep water, and our guide was in the middle of a long recital of facts about the old Seven Mile Bridge, the decaying concrete structure we had just passed beneath.”
Whether you are Kayaking, sailing, or riding in a shallow draft boat in the clear waters of the Keys, the opportunity to see and be close to an amazing amount of wildlife is possible. Here is the authors take on seeing a Stingray;
“We glided to within a kayak’s length of this four-foot-wide, undulating creature as it hovered just centimeters above the sea floor. For about a minute, we watched it coast through the flats at the approximate pace of a waddling land turtle. And then, unexpectedly, this platter-shaped behemoth darted off, leaving a cloud of white sand in its place.”
This morning, when I was having coffee in the cockpit, two Dolphins were swimming right next to the boat. Even though we see them regularly it is still exciting. The quiet journey over shallow clear water is endlessly fascinating as well as relaxing. Take some time today to enjoy a little bit of nature wearever you are. You can read the rest of the article here. New York Times article
Margie wrote a new article for womens sailing connection that begins with her intro to sailing;
So the person you really care about and that you thought you wanted to spend the rest of your life with has decided that he must have a sailboat. How could it happen that the person you thought you knew well was harboring a hidden agenda? Well, maybe it wasn’t so hidden but circumstances have kept the concept at bay, so to speak. He may have expressed his desire for a sailboat in the past, but you didn’t think it was serious or you were hoping that it had faded with time. Maybe you already have a powerboat and he’s gotten bored with it, as happened in my case. We fished and dived all over Southeast Florida and the Keys in various sizes of powerboats and now he wanted something different. The deciding factor that gave us the impetus to go ahead and make the change was when we found a fully equipped 24’ sailboat on a trailer parked under a mango tree at the local pawnshop, of all places. It had everything one could need including 5 sails, dinner service for 6 and a port-a-potty. The down side was that the inside of it was filled with rainwater. The cockpit drains had become plugged with leaves from the tree and the water ran down into the cabin. Since this is subtropical Florida, everything inside that was above the level of the water was black with mildew. Oh, and the swing keel was rusted in place.
In any case, that was the first chapter in our sailing life. I know now, however, that the sailing fantasy was there long before we purchased that first sailboat and even before we got married and lived in Indiana. Back then the idea had seemed improbable; in fact, it just didn’t fit into the plans of a young couple starting out in life together. When the time and opportunity presented themselves, however, it was still there. And once the dream was realized, it was good for me and good for my relationship, besides being fun. Now we’re enjoying the outdoors together and even getting a little physical exercise. At the same time, I have more self-confidence and the feelings of mutual respect for each other have grown, as well. I’ve come to believe that sailing is a great activity for couples to learn together. What are the issues that are keeping many women (and men) away from sailing, since the benefits of sailing together can be so great?
She goes on to talk about why a sailboat heels and what you can do about it. Please go to womens sailing to read the whole thing
A quote from the Key West Citizen-
“Although the Florida Keys are connected by more than 40 bridges spanning the 110-mile island chain, the vast majority of keys are remote, uninhabited and accessible only by boat.”
Although Margie and I had visited the Keys many times before, the first time we sailed down from Miami by boat we were amazed by the feeling of being far from civilization. Driving US 1 to Key West provides beautiful views from the bridges, and each little town has it’s own charm, but the true treasures of the Keys are seen when anchoring by small mangrove islands or watching the amazing diversity of wildlife, and the quiet slow journey riding the wind. After a trip by sailboat far away from the hustle of the highway you begin to appreciate not only how big the Keys really are but how much you have missed at 55 MPH.
I just responded to this post at the SSCA discussion Board-
Hi,
This is our first time cruising from Miami to the FL Keys. We draw 5’7″. Can anyone recommend a float plan, such as where is the best place to crossover to Hawk Channel, as well as selected anchorages along the way to Key West? Thanks so much.
With This-
I have run an 80′ schooner 5′ 9″ draft doing overnight Boy scout charters in the Keys for the last 2 years. If you are a little adventurous you can try these, I have done them all.
1. Biscayne channel South of Key Biscayne- deep enough at any tide.
2. Biscayne Bay- anchor off Elliot key
3. Angelfish creek and Cutter bank Channel- do at 2/3 tide or higher. Shallowest at Atlantic entrance to angelfish and Card Sound entrance to Cutter Bank
5. Moser channel to Back side- Do Rocky channel with a chart plotter any tide, lots of sailing with less than 1′ below your keel but its soft bottom. you can also go around the top of the Islands. Great calm water sail in E-SE. lots of protected anchoring spots.
6. Stop at Saywer key and work your way down to Tarpon Belly Key. Hard Corals at entrance, do at any tide. Great diving along ridge between Content and Sawyer Keys. This is one of the most remote and beautiful areas in the Keys
7. Atlantic side anchorages- Rodrguez, Channel 5, Mollasses key by Money key channel tuck in, lots of current, any tide. Niles channel any tide. Newfound harbor don’t use start of entrance channel, go to west of charted wreck then work over to channel. Inner harbor great protection any tide. You will go aground at charted wreck (soft bottom, not really a wreck).
8. Boca Grande Channel Past Key West any tide.
Enjoy your trip
We had a great sail up the backside of the Keys from Islamorada to Card Sound. We saw quite a bit of wildlife including Dolphins, Cormorants, Ospreys and a Rosette Spoonbill. but the most exciting was a Saltwater Croc in Jewfish Creek. This is the first one we have seen in the wild. They are an endangered species, with very few remaining in the Upper Keys. It was much bigger then the fresh water alligators we are used to seeing and had the chacteristic “buck teeth” that showed when his mouth was closed. We were not able to get the camera out quick enough but this is the area we saw him in…
