[Rhodes22-list] Biscayne Bay Area Launch ramps
William E. Wickman
wewickman at duke-energy.com
Mon Dec 19 13:48:25 EST 2005
Thanks Bob. Your input is very much appreciated.
"Robert Quinn"
<rjquinn at bellsout
h.net> To
Sent by: "The Rhodes 22 mail list"
rhodes22-list-bou <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
nces at rhodes22.org cc
Subject
12/18/2005 12:00 Re: [Rhodes22-list] Biscayne Bay
PM Area Launch ramps
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odes22.org>
Bill: West Marine's "Florida Upper Keys (Miami to Key Largo) (Model
4415808) has a listing of marinas, which also indicates launch ramps. It
is
not a full listing of the ramps but gives you something to work with.
Homestead Bayfront Marina (305)230-3033 shows a ramp(s) and dinghy dock. I
believe this location also has places to park for a stay but you will have
to check with them to be sure. From this location you have great access to
Biscayne Bay.
People do sail one way (to Key West) then put the boat back on the trailer
for the ride home. Probably a great alternative. If you have friends in
the area, you can probably get a ride back to Homestead to pick up your
vehicle. Another alternative is to sail on down, find a place to leave the
boat (there is a city mooring field in Key West with a water-taxi to bring
you to land), and rent a car to get back up to Homestead. I believe there
is also a bus that makes the run. (Note: Getting a mooring buoy during
the
"season" can be a challenge owing to the number of "snow-birds" who spend
the winter in south Florida. Generally ease up after April 15th, which is
also a great time to be down this way.)
Unfortunately some of my guides are on the boat, which is off-limits to me
until after Christmas, to give you any more details.
Bob
----- Original Message -----
From: "William E. Wickman" <wewickman at duke-energy.com>
To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Sent: Saturday, December 17, 2005 8:48 PM
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Biscayne Bay Area Launch ramps
Bill, You HAVE to give us a travel log of your trip. My wif= is a
fair weather sailor too, and I would love to know how your trip turn s
out.
Bob, I also have the Frank Pappy guide bo=k and it looks like the
best guide book I have ever seen. I've read =t a couple of times
and haven't even been down there yet! But alas, = have never found
a guide book that provides information on launching plac=s. I will
be launching and plan to leave the car and trailer for 5-7=ays.
Maybe it is no big deal to leave vehicles for several days/nig=ts,
but I would hate to return to find my car and/or trailer gone or
vanda=ized.
And here is another question/idea. =t seems like it would be a
great idea to sail to Key West and then somehow=huttle the car and
trailer down to pull out in Key West instead of having=o pound your
way back into the wind. Anyone ever attempt those logi=tics?
Bill Wickman
<=R>
-----rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.or= wrote: -----
To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
F=om: Bill Effros <bill at effros.com>
Sent by: rhodes22-list-bounces@=hodes22.org
Date: 12/17/2005 06:11PM
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Bi=cayne Bay Area Launch ramps
Bob,
Thanks for spending so much time on this reply. It is exactly wh
at I need.
I've got charts, guide books, Frank Papy's guide, e=c. I think
you
recommended Papy years ago, and I went right out =nd bought it.
As a professional vacation taker, I like to settle in=o one or
two
places and really learn them, rather than trying to see h=w many
notches
I can carve into my GPS. If I like the area I can=lways come
back.
My wife likes the idea of sailing better than sai=ing. She has
very
thin blood, and gets cold when the sun's not o=t, even in the
middle of
the summer.
We have a very close, very=nteresting friend who lives in Coconut
Grove. We have many frie=ds in Miami, love the area, and come
back
repeatedly.
If my wif= enjoys this vacation, and enjoys having the boat in
Miami, we
will re=eat it. If not, my boat will probably never sail out of
the
Long=sland Sound area again.
OK. That's fair enough. Both m= wife and I are perfectly
comfortable
with my sailing and navigation s=ills.
There are islands off the Florida coast that are rentable. &n
bsp;There are
homes on canals with slips that we can rent. Their =re resorts
reachable only by boat, and others with marinas where you c=n
leave your
boat while you get a hot shower and sleep in a real bed. =All of
these
things are under consideration, and my wife is game. We have
stayed
in Marathon and Key Largo and Key West. We hav=
snorkeled in John Pennekamp. We have sailed in Key Biscayne wit=
friends. We have been on Fisher Island. All delightful. <=R>
I am going to study and review your remarks closely, and plot them
o=
charts, along with any other thoughts from anyone who wants to
sugges=
anything. I want to construct a knock-your-socks-off, can't mis
s,
first
time, winter boating experience, so my wife will want to come
back
again, and do more.
Your comments will help a lot, and I'm =oing to keep going over
them.
Thanks, again,
Bill Effros
Robert Quinn wrote:
> Bill: A lot depends on what you p=an to do (e.g., do you plan
to put
> in and sail off for a few days=r just day sail coming back to
the
> same location every night?).<=R>>
> I've read ahead so will try to consolidate responses in one
email.
> Sailing on Biscayne Bay when the weather is with you=as to be
one of
> the neatest experiences going. The Bay off=rs lots of fairly
open
> area and lots of islands to explore but yo= also have to have
good
> charts are there are lots of shallows to =ontend with. The R22
is a
> good boat for the area. The=ail to Key West is great. As
someone
> mentioned coming back=an be a challenge as from Key West to
Marathon
> in the Hawk Chann=l (Atlantic side) you are heading almost
directly
> east. Mos= days the wind comes from the east... need I say
more.
> Goin= down is a blast. (Must add that sometimes the wind can
be with
= you coming back. Mother Nature don'cha know.) You do have the
option
> of coming up on the Florida Bay side though which is in
teresting
for a
> couple of reasons. The channel is well marke= but does get
shallow
> and winders quite a bit out of Key West; ho=ever, it offers a
lot of
> protection when the wind is up on the At=antic side. Plus lots
of
> protected Bays that offer great swimming= fishing, islands to
explore,
> etc.
>
> Frank Papy's g=ide book "Cruising Guide to the Florida Keys" is
a
> must, in my hu=ble opinion, as he gives you some good guidance
all
> along the way=Fort Lauderdale to Key West and the Tortugas (now
with
> a West Co=st supplement) pointing out high points, places to
see, and
> place= to avoid, good navigation guidance, anchorages, hints to
make
> li=e in the Keys a great experience, etc.
>
> We have been to Hom=stead's Bayfront Park on many occasions but
for
> some reason I hav= never bothered to inquire about overnighting
the
> car and trailer=s we never had our R22 there. I do know that
there
> is a fe=low who sailed his R22 from there to the Bahamas so
would
> think h= left his trailer and vehicle there. I'd give them a
call as
>= this would be an ideal jump off point. There are slips, fuel,
&=t; bathrooms, parking, etc. available so it looks like leaving
the
>= trailer and car there would be a good bet. Crandon Park
Marina on K=y
> Biscayne is also something to check out. A bit more crowd=d
but a
> good jump off point as well.
>
> We sailed th= "NoKaOi" (Tartan 37 Version as opposed to the R22
> version) aroun= from Punta Gorda via Cayo Costa, Naples, Marco
Island,
> Shark Riv=r (winded in for four nights), Marathon, Key West
(Boca
> Chica act=ally for a month), then back to Marathon (wind on the
> nose). &nbs=;As the weather was quite stinky on the Hawk
Channel we ducked
> un=er the seven mile bridge up to Matacumbe Key, Pumpkin Key,
breaking
&g=; out into Biscayne Bay for one of the most memorable sails we
have ever <=R>> had. The weather was perfect: wind, sea
conditions, bright cl=ar blue
> sky day, dolphin escort, and gin clear water. We ducked i=to No
Name
> Harbor on Key Biscayne (near Cape Florida Park) for a =onderful
> night. We continued on up to Fort Lauderdale, Lake=orth (Palm
Beach)
> before getting back to Stuart via the St. Luci= Inlet. With
the
> exceptions as noted we only spent one nigh= at the named
locations as
> we were interested in spending time in=he Key West area, and
from
> there, getting home for a family reun=on.
>
> Now the questions is: Bob if you had it to do ov=r, what would
you
> have done differently? Took tons more tim=! Learn from our
> experience. I've read a lot about sa=ling the Keys area
(Biscayne Bay
> to Key West) and the best advice=s to spend at least a week in
each
> area: West Marine puts =ut three chart books: one for Miami
to Key
> Largo, one for K=y Largo to Marathon, and one for Marathon to
Key West
> and the Dry=ortugas. These chart books kind of make it easy to
break
> u= your visits with plenty to do in each area both on the
Florida Bay
&g=; side and on the Atlantic Side. (Note: There are several
places
> whereby you can cross over from the Hawk Channel to Florida Bay.
&nbs=;It
> is important that you know these cross over points as when th
ings kick
> up on the Atlantic side you want to know where you can d=ck
over to
> Florida Bay. This is especially important during=he winter
months
> when the 'nor'easters blast through.)
>> Oh, and in each of these segments, there are places to launch
and > recover from. For example in Key Largo, you have John
Pennekam= Coral
> Reef State Park which is a great jump off point to some fa
ntastic
> snorkeling just off shore on the Hawk Channel.
>
= Our "NoKaOi" got bashed in Frances and Jeanne last year so our
sailing > season was limited (we left the Florida heat and
hurricane
season=n
> July 20th in a small motorhome for Maine). After we got =he
boat
> recommissioned in April we were only able to get a few da=
sails in
> plus a three day trip to Lake Worth. Sure enough,=ilma, our
2005
> storm also beat the "NoKaOi" up a bit, fort=nately not nearly
as bad
> as Frances and Jeanne. We hope to =et sail again in January in
> preparation for a Bahamas run sometim= from mid April to June
1st.
> If for some reason the weathe= gods say no to the Bahamas, we
will be
> perfectly content sailing=rom Biscayne Bay to Key West in a
very
> leisurely pace. Ton= of great anchorages, swimming,
snorkeling,
> restaurants with ding=y docks when we don't want to cook
aboard, and
> did I mention, won=erful sailing?
>
> Come on down, you will love it!
>
= Bob and Kathy on the "NoKaOi"
>
> ----- Original Message -=--- From: "William E. Wickman"
>
>= To:
> Sent: Saturday, December 17, 200= 12:57 PM
> Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Biscayne Bay Area Launch ramps<=R>>
>
>
> Speaking of Biscayne Bay, I am think=ng about taking my boat
down
> there next summer for about a=eek. Can anyone recommend a
launch
> ra mp that will =llow you to store your trailer and vehicle
safely?
>
>
> > Bill Wickman
>
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