Florida Daysailing ??

[Time2Go]

Originally Posted by s/v Moondancer

www.cgsc.org on Biscayne Bay is a great club to sail out of.

It has a 28 and a 30 ft Beneteau in a Club program that you can use for $75/month, 3 ensigns for member use, a race fleet and annual regattas that encourage members to crew.

It is 10 minutes out to one of the Country's premier sailing areas and 55 miles to Bimini.

Thanks Moondancer
Great info
Cheers
Neil

[Davy J]

Happy wife, happy life and all that..............

But if you have the opportunity, spend a week or two on the east coast, and then spend the same time on the west coast. There is a huge difference in locales.

I've lived in Florida 23 years, I hate the east coast. You have to pay to park everywhere you go, that's if you can find a parking space. Houses are built six inches apart, the traffic is horrible.

The west coast is laid back, I haven't paid to park anywhere except downtown Tampa or downtown St Pete. Yes we have some traffic but nothing like the east coast. Marinas are less expensive and you can actually find a slip.

Just for fun, look at the satellite google maps view of the entire state of Florida. The density on the east coast is unbelievable.

[swordds]

I believe my duty to the planet is to minimize the impacts of my temporary existence
Therefore I commit to these seven tenets of Envirominimalism:
• I will avoid trespassing in paradises
• I will leave nature as I find it
• I will respect and be considerate of other beings
• I will minimize my material possessions
• I will make conscientious consumption choices
• I will minimize my use of energy and my waste generation
• I will dispose of my waste and sewage properly

[tomfl]

I grew up in Miami and remember hearing the old joke 'what is the difference between New York and Miami?" and the answer "about a thousand miles". But I am not sure how true that is now. Miami does have lots of visitors and expats from the tri state area. But it has more residents from Cuba, Central and South America. Again there was an old joke about stores in Miami having signs in the windows saying "We Speak English".

One of my biggest gripes about sailing out of Miami is how many jet skis and center consoles blasting around at 30 knots (but only when they are slowing down as they pass). Some times it is a shock how many boats, and often boats with dangerous skippers, are out on the water. This is not just true of Miami but well North of there on the East Coast.

But keep in mind the number of boats speaks to how nice the area is for boating. It is just not everyone's idea of the best place to go sailing. I would also point out the huge price you pay in cost of living for locating on the East Coast.

While the West Coast can be cheaper there are expensive places there as well. But in general the wind comes from the East so on the West Coast you will be blown off shore; the opposite on the East Coast. There is also the panhandle which is definitely the low cost option with the best beaches and lots of nice day sailing. But it is often described as the "Redneck Riviera" and has more in tune with Alabama than Florida.

From what you have posted I would suggest Sarasota Bay as your best choice.

[swordds]

I thank everyone for this thread. I am retired, I live on my 30 ft. sailboat and I go daysailing almost every day. Other than a few coastal overnight trips I have no desire to cruise to distant places. From multiple forums it seems like most people either live on their boats and cruise or they live on their boats and rarely leave their slip. And yet most boat owners are apparently daysailers, but it is hard to find information on good daysailing areas. As an example, I have considered relocating to Granada (not likely) but can find no information on what the daysailing is like there. BTW: As an older singlehanded sailor I find my 30 ft. boat to be the perfect size. Large enough for one person to live on comfortably and to stand up to a blow without great athletic abilities, yet small enough to singhand and to maintain.
When reading cruising posts no one ever seems to mention what the daysailing is like in the places they cruise to. They talk about the beaches and the reefs and the diving and the anchorages and the people and the culture and the shopping but they never mention the local area sailing. Seems like sailing is just a means of transportation and their boat is just a place to live when they get where they are going.

[tomfl]

Originally Posted by swordds

SNIP

And yet most boat owners are apparently daysailers, but it is hard to find information on good daysailing areas.

SNIP

I am not sure the first part is true which may explain why the second part is true.

I have spent considerable time in marinas and was well known for taking my boat out for day sails more than anyone else in the marina; yet was only out a couple of times a month. Most boats were/are dockqueens that often did not leave their slip for months or even years; so how could they provide daysailing information.

When I was in BKH it took me maybe 15 minutes to go through Sisters Creek and reach the last red marker and open water. Thing is that same trip could be made in the inflatable in less time and effort and I could go diving on the reefs or picnic on Gilligan's Island more easily. In Ft. Myers it was a couple of hours to the last red marker and open water so day sailing was basically a no go.

Bottom line is most boats don't get used for much of anything.

[hscrugby]

Originally Posted by tomfl

Bottom line is most boats don't get used for much of anything.

Sadly that's very true. We're looking at boats, and the number we've boarded where people have either asked if it's ours or mentioned "We've been here X years, and never seen anyone on that boat"
A few showed that no one had ever been on it, and a few they'd paid the marina to clean the deck and check on the boat over the years...

To the OP the reason you don't hear as much about is a lot of these big boats just aren't really good for "easy day sailing"
Assuming we get the one we're surveying etc, where we will probably keep it won't lend itself to day sailing as it'll be about 1-1.5 hours of motoring in then 1-1.5 hours coming back before good open areas to sail. That said, I've got a little sailboat, and might add the sailing rig to the walker bay dinghy, and tooling around the harbor for a few hours on those by the marina would be AWESOME. So daysailing a heavy cruiser? terrible. Day sailing something little and nimble? real fun. How do you describe that? Your 30' would probably be somewhere in the middle, an you could easily sail out and around just past the marina, where my draft would mean I have to stay exactly in channels.

[MicHughV]

St. Augustine has marinas a stone's throw from the Atlantic Ocean, but the inlet there can be...er...moody at times.......

Trying to sail on the ICW is a non-starter...too much boat traffic....little wind...very hot....numerous shoals....etc...

The Florida Keys could be an option...both the Bay side and Ocean side...a bit of a haul to get there, but quite plausible for a trailerable boat...there are places there where you can "store" a trailerable boat, so you don't have to schlep it down there all the time.

Day sailing on the Florida east coast invariable involves a long trek to get there....and if you have wind against current, it can make some inlets downright difficult.

Don't see many options for you here....not "reasonable" options imo.