Trailer Sailing in the Keys

This past January my wife and I trailered our Catalina 25 swing keel down to the Florida Keys for two weeks of exploration and general fun. We had been to the Keys several times before, but made use of other peoples boats or rentals. For various reasons, this time we had the strong desire to use our boat. It would be a number of firsts for us, even though we have sailed for several years.

The Florida Keys provide one of the best backdrops for a sailing adventure in the United States. The weather is warm even during winter and during the winter the winds provide a consistency that I can only pray for when sailing my land locked lake during the summer. But beyond the water and great weather the Keys remain a boating Mecca for all the easily accessed facilities that include plentiful State Parks, Marinas, restaurants, bars and hotels. This way, should one tire of the boat, all amenities of shore side life are, well, shore side. Other benefits include, no change of currency (at least for US citizens), many tourist attractions, snorkeling/diving and ones choice of ocean, inside reef or protected bay sailing.

For us the decision to use our own vessel was easy. I had just finished restoring much of the boat the spring prior. We also had a trailer and a vehicle that could tow it. Finally, with the fall in the price of gasoline it became economical to travel with the boat. We did have some concerns about trailering the boat such a long distance from our home, as well as others related to getting the boat in the water.

The trailer we use has electric brakes. It is also made for the Catalina 25. The entire trailering system is very simple. However to be safe I had a new brake controller and wiring harness installed on my SUV. I added a new spare tire for the trailer with locks to prevent theft. I also traveled with locks for my hitch and outboard motor to prevent theft of both. Before we left, I tested the everything, adjusted braking force of the trailer brakes and made a simple schematic of the entire system. This might seem like overkill, but if you have ever been stuck on the side of the road in the middle of the night trying to get your trailer lights or brakes to work you will appreciate it. Trust me you want those things working; nothing is more worrisome than several tons of boat and trailer behind you going down hill. Having everything in working order will put your mind to rest.

On the day we left our home the trailer appeared well balanced connected to the tow vehicle. However, once on the highway, especially on steep declines, the trailer would "fish tail" or sway. To correct this I tried increasing the tongue weight but moving provisions to the bow of the boat. This helped immensely. However on some hills, we had to manage the fishtailing by slowing down; always a good first response. On the level ground of Florida, the fishtailing was almost nonexistent.

As I have gotten older I have desired to drive less hours in any given day. I know many people that refuse to stop until they reach their destination or switch drivers until they do. Not me. I like a relaxed pace and found towing a good sized boat for long distances stressful. So we broke up the trip by stopping in hotels a couple of nights. After speaking to some experienced trailer sailors it seems many people simply pull into a large chain store parking lot and crawl into their boat for the night. I can't recommend this. The safety of doing so is questionable. I also do not believe that the managers of those stores want the added risk that accompanies vagabond boaters.

When planning our trip, we had a few questions that we need to overcome prior to heading out. Actually, many more than a few. Two big ones though, are: "Where do we put in?" and "Where do we park the rig while we are gone?" The answer simply depends on how much time one has and where they want to go. We had weeks, if we wanted it. Our plan after consulting a guide book or two and the weather was to sail down Hawks Channel to Key West and back. How far that sail would be rested on where we could put the boat in and what the cost of parking the rig would be.

After conversations with several friends that live in the Keys and discussions with hotel managers we decided that we would put in at Pennekamp State Park and keep our truck and trailer at the Key Largo Beach Club. Pennekamp has a small marina with 7 slips and several moorings available. Shower and laundry facilities are available, as well as WiFI; although you can not pick up the WiFi from your slip or mooring. The slips are about $36 per day and include power and water. The moorings are $21. The good news is that when renting a slip or mooring launching your boat and parking is included. Otherwise, its $3 per person to get in the gate, $10 to launch and you can't have your boat there overnight. However the Beach Club has reasonable parking at $10 per day. If you intend sail out for a few days or weeks then the best bet is to rent a slip for a day, rig and launch the boat, perform a shakedown sail, then park the rig at the Beach Club.

We remained at the Pennekamp state park for a few days. There we met great people like Scott, the Pennekamp dock master. Good humored, relaxed fellow that smokes a pipe. He has a wealth of local knowledge that can be of great benefit should you need it. Also, Pennekamp has a lot going on. It has a large saltwater aquarium and provides snorkel and dive trips out to the reef. If that's not enticing fishing and kayaking the mangroves is great fun, as is exploring the very shallow Largo Sound.

For me, it took two days to rig my sailboat. It would have been a lot less, however after raising the mast, an adventure in itself, I found that I had not secured the jib halyard and it was now stuck in the mast head. I found thin, rock climbing teenager willing to go up the mast for me to retrieve it. However, I had to wait for him to return from kayaking before he could help. But his service was very much appreciated and he would take no compensation for his help, not even a Coke. I waited until I was in the slip before rigging the sails. But the next morning she was ready for a shake down sail.

The shakedown sail went as planned. Everything that wasn't in a locker found its way to the cabin floor. I also found a loose cable connecting my depth finder through a control head to my chart plotter. Now, having a swing keel, when I run aground I can usually just crank it up and go about my way. However, I would not sail the Keys without a working depth sounder or a great deal of local knowledge with me on the boat, if I had a fixed keel sailboat . Those depths help one match the contour lines on the charts for exact positioning, something very useful for general sailing or anchoring. Yes, I know that my GPS/Chartplotter should do this for me. It does usually, but I just am not willing to completely trust my boat to the whims of electronics gremlins. So, check and recheck using a chart, its makes things just that more relaxing.

A good first night anchorage is Rodriguez Key or Tavernier Key, not to be confused with Tavernier the city. Both of these locations provide good cover for prevailing winds. On the night we were there, they didn't. While the wind was from the south it has to much of a western component for either Key to provide much shelter from the wind, which was blowing about 20 Knots. After setting two anchors, in an attempt to limit swinging, we enjoyed a beautiful sunset and simultaneous rise of the full moon. Dinner that evening consisted of garlic mashed potatos and grilled pork chops, followed by a sip or two of aged rum from Barbados. Oh, and the winds laid down around 2 am making the final hours of sleep pleasant and deep.

Each day of sailing was fairly like the last. Only one day did we experience light winds that made sailing less fun. But from Key to Key the routine stays much the same. Sail to an anchorage. Swim or dinghy about some, then dinner, sleep and do it again. Not this is not to say that its boring. It could not be further from boring, but it is a relaxed pace and the fun is in doing it. I guess a beach is a beach just like any other, to some; but for me each place is something unique to be experienced for what it is. Maybe that's the essence of the sailing lifestyle.

Almost every large Key from Key Largo to Key West has a marina with transient slips. It seems they all run about $2.5 per foot of vessel length per night. So if you want to take break from anchoring you can.

There are several good places to stop on the way to Key West. Indian Key is a few miles away from Rodriguez Key and provides a good stopping point prior to passing Lower Matecumbe Island. Between Lower Matecumbe and Long Key you have the first chance for a sailboat to cross over to the Florida Bay. Depending on the weather you may want to stay on the Bay side for a quiet night or in a small shallow bay at the north side of Long Key. From their its a long day's sail to Boot key and the city of Marathon. However, the harbor there is well protected. This is a great place to go ashore and have some seafood or go to a couple of bars. The "Key's Fishery" is very good and there is often a line at lunch or dinner. Its on the Florida Bay side. Right on the edge of the harbor is "Dockside Bar and Grill", where you will me colorful locals that either have slips nearby or live on the many boats moored in the harbor. Oh, if you can get there on Sunday, plan for it; they have a pig roast and its unbelievably good.

There are many other places to stop on the way to Key West and many more when you get to Key West. Grab a guide book for the Keys and head out. Keep an eye on the weather and on the water under your keel and it can be a great destination for sailing. It can also be fairly inexpensive if you have a boat with a cabin. Since the boat is your hotel room you save most of your money there. Including the expense of gas and outfitting the boat for the trip, this cost us much less than had we chartered a boat in the keys. Aside from that, there is a certain satisfaction to taking your boat a long distance and challenging it in the ocean. Even if the greatest challenge is only deciding how long to snorkel.