So, having fixed my boat, reworked my running rigging and installing a depth sounder and chart plotter, I decided it was time to take my boat to the keys. It would be a long ride through the Carolinas, Georgia and the length of Florida. I planned the trip for several months.
The first thing to overcome was where and how to put in, when we arrived in the Keys. There are many options available depending on one’s 
budget and how long they have to sail. I had as much time as I wanted and we planned to sail the length of the Keys from Key Largo to Key West and back. Now, the Keys have two primary sides, Hawks Channel which runs from inside the reef on the Atlantic side or Florida Bay which lies between the Keys and the “Mainland”. Both have its advantages and of course disadvantages. For the prevailing winds the Bay offers a great deal of protection and usually keeps your boat off a lee shore. The downside is depth. Its shallow in most areas. So unless you have a Catamaran, swing keel mono hull or a power boat you must be extraordinarily careful. Hawks Channel on the other hand is fairly deep, but protection from the winds are a little harder to come by. If you pick the right time of year, well, either side will work. We chose Hawks Channel since we don’t mind wind and waves.
There are plenty of places to launch boats in the Keys. Some more costly than others. However you can’t just launch a sailboat anywhere. You have to think about raising the mast. Then any overhead lines or bridges might prevent one from traversing from the ramp to the ocean. What is the controlling depth between the ramp and the ocean? Too shallow and you’ll have to make the embarrassing call to TowBoat-US or wait for the tide. I also find it easier to launch on a ramp that enters the water somewhat steeply and to a depth of at least 4 feet; you know that keel on the bottom is a pain when launching. If heading to the Atlantic/Hawks Channel side, then pic a ramp/facility on that side and the reverse for the bay side. For sail boats there are limited places to cross from the bay to the channel side due to Overseas Highway.
We looked at different facilities a Sailing Club, a couple of marinas and John Pennekamp state park. The sailing club was inexpensive to launch due to possible reciprocal rights, but was not optimally located. The marinas were helpful, able to store the towing rig and raise the mast for us, but they were expensive. The state park turned out to have great facilities for launching the boat, a great dock master, Scott, and was inexpensive. As part of our plan we would launch at Pennekamp state park, stay for a few days and store the truck and trailer down the road at the Caribbean Club. It was $10 per day to store the tow rig, not bad compared to the marinas and other places. Also, if you are launching on the bay side the Caribbean Club charges $10 to use their ramp.
Now that we had figured out where to launch we needed to decide on a itinerary and plan how to travel to the keys. Traveling was the easiest. We made two stops along the way, one unintentional the other planned. The planned stop was in Jacksonville. We stayed a couple of days there to recover from a stressful road trip to that point. There was a great deal of road construction in Georgia that I had not anticipated and those tight lanes with a boat behind you did not make for pleasant driving. The unplanned one was in Homestead, Florida just before heading to Key Largo. We had simply arrived later than expected and needed some rest. I have to say that the distances involved and not usually traveling with a trailer, takes a lot out of you. I would plan an extra stop next time or have another driver that was comfortable handling the driving.
For an itinerary we took our cues from several guide books and chart books. We planned to take 5 days to get to Key West, 2 day
s there, and the rest to get back. Our stops from Pennekamp out be: Rodrigues Key, Long Key, Boot Key/Marathon, Bahia Honda, the Saddlebunch Keys, and then Key West.
Of course, we didn’t stick to this plan. That’s the point of having your own boat. Have a plan, but be flexible that way you don’t have to miss something or force a schedule that is not ideal once you get there.
A note on the weather. We went in January and the temperature was excellent during the day, but we had a couple of cool nights in Key Largo. The big issue was the wind one the nose returning from Key West. I later discovered a great way to beat it: Take a bus from Key West to the truck and trailer. This way you can take your time getting to and staying in Key West. Then just pick your boat up and drive out of the Keys.
- Sunset in Key West
A note on provisioning. We provisioned for 3 full weeks of sailing. Three varied meals each day with snacks and beverages for two people. We came back with most of it. While we ate breakfast on the boat we often found a restaurant on an island for lunch or dinner. Also, full time cruisers seem to give you fresh fish every time you turn around. I likely would plan to eat more meals out next time and since Grocery stores are easy to find in Marathon, Key Largo and Key West I would just get what I was missing when needed.
In future posts I will comment some on the great time we had and small travails we encountered. But sailing the Keys is a great experience. One that is easy and memorable for many reasons. I look forward to the next trip I take there.