Tampa to Tortugas - No night sailing.

[jangann]

Durn. Boca grand, not that strange thing my idiot tablet said.


An Ocean Lover in Maine.

[jangann]

And cudjoe key. A beautiful spot. I kept yelling to hubby we were going to run aground, but we had 40 feet of crystal clear water.


An Ocean Lover in Maine.

[Ryan H]

Isn't Tampa to Dry Tortuga essentially what Black Oak did once upon a time? I'll have to go digging for the thread but I don't recall that he did any real overnighters.

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[Island Time O25]

No matter how you get there, Tampa to Dry Tortuga via Key West or straight through is one great sail trip. Done it twice and plan to do more in the future. Just watch out for the shoaling areas right near Ft. Jefferson. The groupers checking out the dinghy are quite a site. Practically same size as the dinghy.

[bensolomon]

May I suggest installing a vesper marine AIS. That way, she can see the "big boats" if they are near. Or at least give her the sense of security for a night passage.

Ben


Ben Solomon
S/V Dawn 1989 37.5 hunter legend

[RTB]

Originally Posted by bensolomon

May I suggest installing a vesper marine AIS. That way, she can see the "big boats" if they are near.

I don't think we saw any big boats on the west coast of Florida. Maybe a few trawlers and sportfish.

[bensolomon]

The AIS is more for show, than need. I have three teenage kids, so I know the op is coming from. If he had AIS, he can say, "see, honey....we will see the big boats, and they can see us." That's all.

Ben


Ben Solomon
S/V Dawn 1989 37.5 hunter legend

[seaturkey]

Oil tanker, container ship, shrimper, kracken. She's just afraid of sailing at night.

^ that was -


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[tbodine88]

Originally Posted by JTSmith

My daughter has a thing about overnight passages. As in she hates them. She's fine 40' below the surface surrounded by black-tipped reef sharks, but put her in a sailboat on the ocean at night and she's convinced we'll be crushed by an oil tanker. Irrational? Hell, yes. Do I cave to it? You bet. So here's the query:

What's the best route, with waypoints - let's say two - from Tampa to Key West (we'll head to the Tortugas from there)? At anchor or in a marina each day at cocktail hour.

I know this is stupid, since I didn't do it, but should have.
Motor east through the canals, and through the lake, then down the intercostal to Miami, then you can sail down the keys, stopping at convenient marinas or anchoring for the evening along the way.

I went the other way, but this was stupid since a cold front came through at the beginning of the trip, and the wind was against me the whole way, but if I had done the Tampa to Miami through the canal trip, I would have had the wind with me most of the way.

[bensolomon]

Originally Posted by seaturkey

Oil tanker, container ship, shrimper, kracken. She's just afraid of sailing at night.

^ that was -

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Well, regarding the Kracken, some fisherman just caught a 700 pound squid. It was New Zealamd though.

Ben

[Zydeco]

Originally Posted by brantleychuck

Tampa- Venice -Fort myers beach - Marco island- little shark river - marathon - key west


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This is really nice trip. Be sure to take bug screens and/or bug repellant for Little Shark River. If you have lots of time, there are many other nice places to stop along this route such as Pelican Bay (Caya Costa State Park), the Ten Thousand Islands, and several places between Marathon and Key West.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by RTB

I don't think we saw any big boats on the west coast of Florida. Maybe a few trawlers and sportfish.

Big traffic around Tampa Bay, but not much S of there until you get into Florida Straits.

Lots of trawlers offshore at night along parts of SW FL coast.

Also have (used to, I assume still do) gambling boats running out of Clearwater/Tampa area and Ft Meyers. Crusie ship traffic around KW.

[DanDanDan]

Originally Posted by HappyMdRSailor

JT

Just pick your weather man!

Take your daughter out pre-this trip on a bright lit moon nights with fairly calm conditions... Once she sees that it's like daylight out there, hopefully she'll fall in love with night sailing like many of us... Soon the dimmer nights will be OK.... I as well as most others STILL get the heebee jeebees in pitch black conditions relying on instruments, and avoid them when possible...

Planning trips to avoid nightfall is OK if things stay on schedule... Ooooops... There I said it.... The "S" word.... And you very well know how well oil and water... sailing and schedules mix thoroughly...

That's the answer. Teaching her to hide from her fears isn't helping her.


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[RTB]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

Also have (used to, I assume still do) gambling boats running out of Clearwater/Tampa area and Ft Meyers.

I forgot about those, and yes they are still in operation.

Ralph