Chartering in Florida

[Tim456]

We would like to take a bareboat charter trip in Feb ''06. We are experienced sailors and boat owners, and have chartered several times before in the San Juans and the Virgin Islands. We are thinking Florida because the airfare is more economical. I would appreciate any suggestions or comments about chartering in Florida.

Our primary interests are sailing, snorkeling and anchoring out, with an occasional stop in civilization for a shower and meal.

I''m wondering how the weather is there in mid to late February. Also, is the water temperature warm year-round? Is the shallow water around the keys a major concern? I would have my own GPS with BlueChart. Is it possible to do some serious sailing without constantly worrying about running aground, or is it mainly just shallow around the islands? Also, what about the bridges; do you just stay on one side, or are there high places to get under?

I have read some about the Charolette Harbor area and Tampa Bay, but it sounds pretty commercialized compared to what we''re used to. Are there any secluded anchorages or islands to explore in these areas? If not, what are some recommendations? Also - any recommendations for charter companies would be appreciated. We will need a two cabin boat in the 34 to 38'' range.

Thanks,
Tim

[slamont]

We chartered a few years ago out of Charlotte Harbor and had a positive experience ona short charter.
If you have a week or ten days you could reach the Keys and Fort Jefferson, and gunkhole the SW side of the Everglades.
Otherwise you could set up a shorter trip but aim for places where you can avoid the crowds, somewhat tricky in peak winter tourist season.
The folks at Burnt Store Marine (SW Fla Charters??) were reasonable, helpful and the boats were older Island Packets in prime condition.
There were just two of us so we opted for a 31 but they have other larger boats as well.
And yes, it does get shallow, but you can work offshore down toward the Keys and there are lots of places to anchor.
Check them out.

Sanders
s/vGood News

[sandeb2]

tim, if you find something let me know our interests and expericnce is quite similar. we are lookinf=g in fl. for fb. 18-23

[boydgatlin]

Tim,
My family and I have chartered several times out of Ft Lauderdale, then sailed outside down to Miami, where, depending on the weather, we either went inside and down through Biscayne Bay and Card Sound, or outside down Hawk Channel (protected by the reefs). We usually do some sailing both outside and inside the key chain. There are a few unihabited keys you can tuck in behind on both sides (e.g., Arsenicker inside and Rodriquez outside). Of course, the reefs off the key chain offer some of the best diving and snorkeling grounds in North America. Angelfish Creek on the north end of Key Largo offers a passage between the bay and the ocean, and sailing through Stiltsville farther north is not to be missed. We use Fun in the Sun Yachts ( www.funinthesunyachts.com )and have had few complaints.
Boyd

[Tim456]

Wow! Thanks for the replies. Nothing for two months, then 3 in a week! Since I originally posted, we have reserved a boat with Fun in the Sun out of Ft. Lauderdale. I was glad to see someone has had good experiences with them. Our plan right now is to take two weeks and sail across to the Bahamas. We are thinking about making a loop and seeing Grand Bahama, Abacos, the Berry Islands and Bimini, or some combination of those. I may make a contigency plan for the Keys, just in case of extended bad weather for crossing the gulf stream. I have a lot more reading to do before we settle on an exact plan, but now with the boat and flights reserved, I''m committed!

Sanders, we have read good things about Burnt Store marina, but decided to stay farther south, assuming it will be warmer there in February. Interestingly, our Catalina 30 was named Good News by the previous owner. Small world, huh?

Sandeb2, we are going Feb. 11-24, so I guess we will be there at the same time. If you haven''t found a boat yet, I would take a look at Fun In The Sun Yacht Charters. I searched every charter company I could find with a website, and they were among the most reasonable. So far, they have been very helpful and easy to deal with. They seem to have stricter criteria for who they will charter to than companies we have used in the past, but apparently we meet their standards.

Thanks again for the feedback,
Tim

[boydgatlin]

Tim,
Let us know how it went when you get back from your charter.
Boyd

[Kessi]

Hello,
Chartering late Feb is always a hit and miss and not too sure about swimming. I would be happy to give you all the details, I lived in the Tampa Bay Area and ran two large chartering companies.I am now in MA.
kelly@compasspointyacht.com