Cruising recommendations in Florida: Key Largo to Key West and nearby
 

Hello, rec.boats.cruising !

My wife and I will be joining another couple on their sailing
catamaran for an 8-day trip starting in Key Largo, Florida with Key
West as a destination. This sailing catamaran has been known to
achieve 10 knots or more in the right conditions and can motor at 6
knots, so we should have no problem getting to our goal of spending a
couple of days in Key West.

This sailing catamaran needs just over 4 foot of water depth and is 47
foot long by 24 foot wide. So shallow water and small spaces will be
limited to explorations from the 10 foot long on-board 6-passenger
dinghy which only needs 1 foot or so of water depth.

We've heard that there is a very nice resort/spa Hawks Cay in Duck
Cay, so we'll try to spend a day there.

Please suggest other nearby destinations!

We'd love to hear about some great snorkeling destinations.

Is there someplace nearby where we can see manatees in the wild?
Dolphins? Sea Turtles? Flamingos? (Please don't say "Sea World" LOL)

Are there any other uniquely "Floridian" sights that are nearby and
easily reached by a boat?

All suggestions are greatly appreciated!

***thanks***
Rich

Cruising recommendations in Florida: Key Largo to Key West and nearby
 

Rich:

I am going to do a similar trip in February. Go to www.divespots.com for a
list of diving sites in Florida.

David

Cruising recommendations in Florida: Key Largo to Key West and nearby
 

Rich wrote:

Hello, rec.boats.cruising !

My wife and I will be joining another couple on their sailing
catamaran for an 8-day trip starting in Key Largo, Florida with Key
West as a destination. This sailing catamaran has been known to
achieve 10 knots or more in the right conditions and can motor at 6
knots, so we should have no problem getting to our goal of spending a
couple of days in Key West.

This sailing catamaran needs just over 4 foot of water depth and is 47
foot long by 24 foot wide. So shallow water and small spaces will be
limited to explorations from the 10 foot long on-board 6-passenger
dinghy which only needs 1 foot or so of water depth.

We've heard that there is a very nice resort/spa Hawks Cay in Duck
Cay, so we'll try to spend a day there.

Please suggest other nearby destinations!

Indian Key on the Hawk Channel side and Lignumvitae Key on the Bay
side are state parks. Indian Key is located about three-fourths of a
mile in a southeasterly direction from the north shore of Lower
Matecumbe Key. Indian Key has a very interesting history and features
ruins of a wreckers’ village burned down by Indians in 1840 and
numerous sisal plants cultivated by famed botanist, Dr. Henry Perrine.
Ranger-guided tours are available at 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., Thursday
through Monday. The tour fee is $1 per person. Children under 6 are
admitted free of charge. I've never gotten to take this tour - we
have taken the moorings (which were free), but Bob didn't feel that
they were very secure so we didn't stay for the tour.

http://www.abfla.com/parks/IndianKey/indiankey.html

Lignumvitae Key has the virgin tropical forest that was once typical
of the kind of scenery that was on most of Florida's Upper Keys. State
park rangers conduct guided tours three times daily, Thursday-Monday.
Here, you walk in the shade of trees with strange names like mastic,
strangler fig, poisonwood, pigeon plum and gumbo-limbo. Fifty people
may explore the key at one time, 25 on the nature trail and 25 in the
clearing. Walking shoes and mosquito repellent are recommended.

http://www.abfla.com/parks/Lignumvit...mvitaekey.html

We have also anchored in Newfound Harbor, past the Little Palm Island
resort (only access by boat) where they filmed PT 109. Now it's a very
exclusive place. We thought of going in for dinner, but in the end
did not.

All three of these islands/cays are accessible only by boat.

We'd love to hear about some great snorkeling destinations.

If you want to snorkel at this time of year you will need wet suits.
The waters can be quite cold even for people who are used to cold
water. You will not enjoy it very much if you do not have some
thermal protection.

Of course there is John Pennekamp.

The Sombrero Key lighthouse has moorings for snorkeling etc. I've
tried to do that but it was too cold for me to stay in very long.

Bahai Honda State Park is another possible place or you could go down
to the Marquesas beyond Key West

Is there someplace nearby where we can see manatees in the wild?
Dolphins? Sea Turtles? Flamingos? (Please don't say "Sea World" LOL)

Manatees are mostly up in the Florida rivers where the water is
warmer.

Are there any other uniquely "Floridian" sights that are nearby and
easily reached by a boat?

You can bring the dinghy into Key West Bight (there is a charge to tie
up), and walk to a lot of locations around Key West. I would suggest
the Wrecker's Museum and possibly Audubon House as worth the money and
uniquely Key West. There is also a nice aquarium.

All suggestions are greatly appreciated!

***thanks***
Rich

Cruising recommendations in Florida: Key Largo to Key West andnearby
 

Rich wrote:
....
This sailing catamaran needs just over 4 foot of water depth and is 47
foot long by 24 foot wide. So shallow water and small spaces will be
limited to explorations from the 10 foot long on-board 6-passenger
dinghy which only needs 1 foot or so of water depth.

We've heard that there is a very nice resort/spa Hawks Cay in Duck
Cay, so we'll try to spend a day there.


We did this as part of a one year trip in 2000-2001. Hawks Cay was so
nice we stayed there 2 weeks. At the time it was the most expensive
marina on the East Coast (other than Atlantic City) but it was worth it.
You may have a problem with the 24 foot beam (our cat is 18 feet, and
we were jammed in) so make sure you have a reservation early.

Also, be aware that there is a 3 knot current running across the slips,
and the favorite recreation is watching newbies trying to back in!
After bouncing off the pilings (no insurance claims, so better than
average) our cat made a tremendous leap for shore, and missed by two
feet! I spent the next 30 minutes wading under the dock in the
mangroves looking for him, much to the amusement of all!

This pic was taken the
http://www.sv-loki.com/The_Trip/Flor...cs/Pelican.jpg

Cruising recommendations in Florida: Key Largo to Key West andnearby
 

On Dec 30 2008, 9:41 am, jeff wrote:
Rich wrote:

...

This sailing catamaran needs just over 4 foot of water depth and is 47
foot long by 24 foot wide. So shallow water and small spaces will be
limited to explorations from the 10 foot long on-board 6-passenger
dinghy which only needs 1 foot or so of water depth.

We've heard that there is a very nice resort/spa Hawks Cay in Duck
Cay, so we'll try to spend a day there.

We did this as part of a one year trip in 2000-2001. Hawks Cay was so
nice we stayed there 2 weeks. At the time it was the most expensive
marina on the East Coast (other than Atlantic City) but it was worth it.
You may have a problem with the 24 foot beam (our cat is 18 feet, and
we were jammed in) so make sure you have a reservation early.

Also, be aware that there is a 3 knot current running across the slips,
and the favorite recreation is watching newbies trying to back in!
After bouncing off the pilings (no insurance claims, so better than
average) our cat made a tremendous leap for shore, and missed by two
feet! I spent the next 30 minutes wading under the dock in the
mangroves looking for him, much to the amusement of all!

This pic was taken thehttp://www.sv-loki.com/The_Trip/Flor...cs/Pelican.jpg

I am currently in Plantation Key and am heading NE. Are there any good
destinations on the bay side near Key Largo?

Bill

Cruising recommendations in Florida: Key Largo to Key West and nearby
 

wrote in message
...
On Dec 30 2008, 9:41 am, jeff wrote:
Rich wrote:

...

This sailing catamaran needs just over 4 foot of water depth and is 47
foot long by 24 foot wide. So shallow water and small spaces will be
limited to explorations from the 10 foot long on-board 6-passenger
dinghy which only needs 1 foot or so of water depth.

We've heard that there is a very nice resort/spa Hawks Cay in Duck
Cay, so we'll try to spend a day there.

We did this as part of a one year trip in 2000-2001. Hawks Cay was so
nice we stayed there 2 weeks. At the time it was the most expensive
marina on the East Coast (other than Atlantic City) but it was worth it.
You may have a problem with the 24 foot beam (our cat is 18 feet, and
we were jammed in) so make sure you have a reservation early.

Also, be aware that there is a 3 knot current running across the slips,
and the favorite recreation is watching newbies trying to back in!
After bouncing off the pilings (no insurance claims, so better than
average) our cat made a tremendous leap for shore, and missed by two
feet! I spent the next 30 minutes wading under the dock in the
mangroves looking for him, much to the amusement of all!

This pic was taken
thehttp://www.sv-loki.com/The_Trip/Flor...cs/Pelican.jpg

I am currently in Plantation Key and am heading NE. Are there any good
destinations on the bay side near Key Largo?

Bill

Anchor off the famous Caribbean Club and have a brew or two. It's just a
mile or two south of the Jewfish creek bridge.

Wilbur Hubbard