[Rhodes22-list] Fw: Florida Keys

[Bill Effros]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Robert J Quinn 
To: rhodes-list at sailnet.com 
Sent: Saturday, January 22, 2000 7:17 PM
Subject: Re: Florida Keys


The Keys are always popular and especially in the winter.  Marinas with
slips all along the chain.  Cost runs from reasonable to outrageous.  The
hot spots are generally outrageous - big party locations.  If you are
careful you can find affordable marinas who welcome overnighters.  Down in
the lower Keys there is even a State Park with slips.  Reservations go many
months - to a year - in advance.

Will have to review Papy's book to see if he talks about the State Park.  He
does, of course, identify marinas all along the chain.

Your statement about "months" to explore them properly is probably spot on.
Unfortunately, we have never had our Rhodes down yet.  We've rented other
boats (even power :>() to get around.  Kathy likes her sailboat to be like a
motel room with all of the conveniences so when we do get it down we will be
doing the marina bit I'm sure.  Time has been our killer, not the
capabilities of the boat.  Believe you have probably heard stories of one
owner who has sailed his R22 to the Bahamas.  I have not met him yet but I
do know that if you pick your weather window properly, it is no big deal.
Think that I would rather keep along the Keys and would probaly venture to
the Dry Tortugas if the weather looked favorable.

We are about three to four years from the "r" word.  That is probably when
we will go for it.  In the meantime we enjoy bareboating out in the British
Virgin Islands.  Last summer we were on a Hunter 410 for two weeks.  What a
trip!  Everything was near perfect.  The boat was about six months old so
everything was working.  We even won the race to Anegada after giving some
other boats (32's and 35's)  a good quarter of a mile or more  head start.

Sorry didn't mean to get long winded.  The Keys are wonderful.  Just don't
try to do it all in a day.

Bob.



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