We flew into two airports, Miami & Fort Lauderdale. After picking up a Dodge Charger (thanks to National car rental’s Emerald Club), we zipped down to the Keys and arrived in Key Largo just as it was getting dark.
The staff at Key Lime Sailing Club sent instructions for a self check-in, which worked perfectly. The best part were the directions to pull into the cottages, because they’re in a secluded area down by the water. I love directions in the Keys, which in this case directed us to look for a uniquely decorated mailbox as one of the landmarks to know when to turn. That world could use more creative mailboxes.
The staff were very friendly and helpful. When we got into the cottage we realized the extra cot we’d asked for wasn’t there. Within 5 minutes two staff members showed up, apologized, and got right on it. They even brought in an extra bed instead of the cot. Very friendly and very helpful.
We had nothing on the schedule til 9 the next morning, so we went and grabbed some dinner at the Lazy Lobster and settled in for the night.
At 9 we walked down to the tiki hut on the beach, where we met the dock master to go through the sailboat checkout process. The paperwork was light. The main thing they wanted to know was if we’d sailed in the last 6 months, which was the primary criteria their insurance was interested in knowing.
The cottage included a dedicated-to-us catalina 22, and use of any of the kayaks, canoes, hobbies cats, snorkel gear, and paddle boards on the beach. All this is included with the cottage rental. There isn’t a better deal in the keys. Or probably the planet.
Next we walked onto the dock to the s/v Virginia, the Catalina 22 that would be ours for the week. A walk-through on a Catalina 22 doesn’t take all that long. The boats are not new (ours was probably an early 80’s boat), but everything worked, and that boat knew how to sail those waters. It had obviously been doing so for decades.
We did a chart briefing for the sailing grounds, which is primarily an area named Buttonwood Sound, extending over to Tarpon Basin and Blackwater Sound and as far up as Duck Key in the Everglades. it’s plenty of sailing area for day sails & adventures in a Catalina 22. A screenshot from Navionics follows, Key Lime Docks are where the blue/white thumbtack is in the lower right quadrant.
The sailing staff obviously enjoy what they do. The guidelines were pretty simple, all communication was by cell phone, please be back within sight of the sailing club by 4:30pm, and back to the docks by 5:30, and you can cast off as early as you want. The sun sets earlier here, so once back at the dock go enjoy dinner at nearby restaurants, cook out (each cottage has an outdoor bbq grill), or just relax in beach chairs on the waterfront and watch the long sunsets give way to the breathtaking night sky.
They also offer sailing lessons and sailing certifications for those interested. It would be a great place to learn to sail or refresh rusty skills. And for those of us sailing where snow flies in the winter, this is a great place to get some midwinter sail-therapy.
Before sailing, we ran over to a nearby Publix grocery store. The cottage includes a kitchenette which helps keeps cost down and lets you maximize time on the waterfront. We kept it simple, with yoghurt, berries, and granola for breakfasts, sandwich stuff for lunches, and lots of fruit. We planned to eat out for dinner each evening after sailing or other adventures.
After lunch we decided to fly a little canvas and try one of the suggested sailing destinations within the recommended reach of the sailing club: sail out and around Porjoe Key? Duck Key? Nest Key? Tow a kayak and sail over to tour the mangrove jungles?
We opted for the sail out to and around Porjoe Key at the far side of the bay. The Catalina 22 is a lively little boat and very fun to sail. Old Catalina 22’s bring you back to your sailing roots, even if you never actually sailed one. No frills or embellishments, just practical responsive simplicity.
The Dockmaster helped with our first launch from the dock, explaining the best way to pull out from the pilings and out past the moored boats. He also gave helpful tips for when we would return, and promised he’d be there to meet us at the docks if we’d give him a 10 minute heads up by cell as we came back to his side of the bay.
There’s a wind shadow a couple hundred feet out from shore which provides a breeze-free zone for easy maneuvering around the docks. Beyond this, the east winds blew a nice 15-20 mph most of the day which made for perfect sailing. We raised sails just past the moored boats and set out for Porjoe Key. Heading around the southern tip of Porjoe Key put the wind dead astern the entire trip out. Rounding to the north for the return would give us just enough wind angle that we would be able to close reach all the way back at the end of the day.
Once behind the key we anchored in 6 feet of beautiful blue sandy bottom and listened to the relaxing quiet. Not a boat in sight, we had the place to our selves. With no rush, we took our time eating lunch and catching up in a way that can only happen in a place like this.
The next few hours we dove off the boat, swam, snorkeled, and enjoyed the warm water. Very easy to lose track of time anchored in a place like this.
Eventually we started back, not sure how long it would take going into the wind, especially if we’d have to tack. Navigation in the sound is easy – a large radio tower marks the location of Key Lime so you’re free to focus 100% on the sailing. We went a couple hundred yards north of Porjoe Key before turning towards Key Lime, hoping our angle was right.
And right it was. With a 20 mph wind just off the port bow, we pulled full sails in close. That little boat took off like a rocket ship across Buttonwood Sound. We were heeled over so far we had to stand on the leeward combing and hang an arm over the toerail on the windward side. Water splashed continually over the boat keeping us refreshed and yelling back and forth to hear each other. That little boat loves sailing, probably even more than we do.
It was pointless to try and get a picture, we needed every free hand we owned on the sheets and tiller. The wind picked up a little as we crossed the intracoastal waterway and the rudder was starting to lose its bite so we spilled a little main and rolled up the jib, still flying along at a refreshing clip. About 10 minutes out we called the Dockmaster’s cell and he said he’d been watching our flight across the sound and would be ready for us.
I was a little worried about coming in to the pilings near the dock with the wind still fresh, but about 100 yards from shore we entered the wind shadow and everything slowed to an easy crawl. Docking was stress free. Took us about 10 minutes to tie dock lines, put on the sail cover, and put the boat to bed.
We went hiking over in the Botanical Gardens late that afternoon. The variety of plants was incredible.
After hiking (and getting chased off by mosquitos, the only ones we ran into in the Keys), we headed back to the car. Since it was sunset, we went to the Sunrise Cafe, a local Cuban food place for dinner.
On to Adventure Day 2…