Welcome to sailing- one of the best things to do in life. Here are a few thoughts for you:
1. Most sailing is done in relatively sheltered waters rather than the open ocean, partly because of sea conditions, but also because it's a pleasantly slow business and you'll have more fun when there's somewhere you can sail to on a short day sail.
2. Even for a
small boat like a
Catalina 22, South
Florida waters are shallow and the bottom is hard. What look like wide open sailing areas in the Intracoastal are frequently just a few inches deep, so a swing
keel or dagger board is helpful.
3.The marked channels are quite narrow, so a good
engine that starts easily is essential. For a small sailboat, an
electric start
outboard or all-electric
outboard is best, as reaching over the transom to make a pull start or change
gear can be extremely annoying. You will be motoring a lot.
4. A 22' sailboat on a trailer is only convenient if you're simply pulling the boat out of the
water and leaving the trailer and boat in the marina or yacht-club yard. Actually raising and lowering the
mast single-handed is something that will take several maddening hours, and after a couple of times, you'll only want to do it when you've got to move the boat a long way by road. The one exception to that I've seen is Tony Smith's Tristar
trimaran, with its wind-up rig. I had a
MacGregor 25 for several years and just kept it in a marina slip, after a couple of near misses taking the mast down on my own.
5. I live in South
Florida and agree with the
advice to look for a marina or private slip giving access to Biscayne Bay, Card Sound or Florida Bay.
6. A large
dodger and
bimini are essential in Florida, even if you're not subject to instant skin damage in the sun (I am), it's very uncomfortable if you can't sit in the shade. Many Floridians who enjoy the outdoors have considerable familiarity with dermatological terminology.
The exception to most of those concerns (not #6) will be if you start small and get a
Hobie Cat or similar trampoline
catamaran. They are incredibly good fun, draw very little water and are light and easy to trailer. However, there's no bathroom, so when the time comes, you have to slide into the water to relieve yourself, and the more civilized members of the
family may not go along with that.
Good luck, have fun.
John Mardall
Vetus
Maxwell Group