RT930turbo

Now that winter has set in, it’s time to plan our spring vacation! We will be heading to Naples, FL April 22-30. I really would love to make the trip to Key West, but I have never done a trip like this before, and I am looking for some local input. We will be staying with family in Pelican Bay, but I will need a slip for the boat (30’ Formula), and trailer storage for the week. Who has nice transient facilities? I have looked at the Naples Municipal Dock, and that’s what I’m leaning towards right now. We don’t really need any amenities, since we won’t be staying on the boat, just a simple place to tie up (i.e. cost effective). I don’t mind leaving the trailer in a storage yard somewhere else in town.

We plan on doing a ton of boating while we are there including a trip to the Keys for a few days. I really wish we were going to be in town for a Ft. Myers Offshore fun run, but it looks like you guys will be pretty much done for the season, correct? Where are the local boating hangouts, beaches, sandbars, etc?

Planning the trip to Key West seems fairly straight forward, but I have a few questions… is it stupid to make this trip alone? I have done several other long distance trips in the past, and just recently made the run from Savannah, GA to Charleston, SC in the ocean. It was a piece of cake, but being 3-9 miles offshore is a lot different than being 40+ miles out, at least mentally. I’m planning on taking an EPIRB along and I have all the right charts, dual GPS’s, good dead reckoning skills, etc. the NAV doesn’t worry me much, but the unexpected emergency does. Does anyone take a raft along? What are my options for help if we do have a problem out in the Gulf, is USCG pretty much it, what about TowBoat US, etc? Sorry if these seem like really basic questions, I just want to cover all the bases and be prepared.

Thanks in advance for any input! If anybody local wants to meet up and do some boating, let me know! Cold beverages are on me Also, I would love to get a group together for the Keys run, but I don’t know if that will be feasible or not.

Come on spring…

MegaByte*3

Speak to BobtheBuilder about the trip to KW. He does it all the time and can give you a few pointers.

As for slips for the week you are in town; Naples city docks are fixed height and not all that convenient from Pelican Bay. I would look at a transient dock at Pelican Isle Yacht Club in north Naples; a one week rental at the Collier County park / ramp at Wiggins Pass; or, a wet or dry slip at Naples Harbor Yacth Club by the airport. Pelican Isle and Wiggins pass will be the most convenient to Pelican Bay.

There's certainly a wealth of places to go by boat from Sanibel and Captiva to Marco Island.

Tom

Big Time

You might want to change the dates on your trip to 3/12 to 3/20. U Miami is on spring break then and there are going to be a lot of little hotties making bad decisions down there (Key West) that week.....you can thank me later

RT930turbo

Thanks, Tom. I sent some emails, and will follow up with them after the holiday weekend. I hope Bob will chime in on this thread with some info, if not I'll shoot him a PM.

Sounds like a great plan to me! Unfortunately this is my only week to get away...

jayboat

iTrader: (1)

I like the way you think.

Bobthebuilder

Hello RT930

Tom has pretty well covered off your slip options so I will speak to your Key West trip ambitions.
My first comment is it is over 90 miles of open water if you straight shot it across from Marco to the outer marker ( Green 1 ) of the North West Channel that will take you another 8 miles into Key West Harbor. So if you have any kind of failure with one motor or drive you could have up to a 45 mile idle to or from. At 10 MPH that is a 4.5 hr idle. So that is your worst case scenario unless there is some sort of catastrophic failure. One thing you have going for you is the time of year. April boating here is one of the best months for having great conditions. Light winds etc. Once you clear the Cape Romano Shoal south of Marco, there are no hazards to worry about until you get to the NW Channel. In a 30 ft boat you will want extremely good conditions for the crossing but chances are you will get it in April. Check NOAA Marine Weather. Also is your boat in tip top mechanical condition and do you trust it for this kind of crossing? If not, don't do it. File a float plan. Make sure someone knows your routing and expected time of arrival and call them on arrival. Nearest Coast Guard stations are in Ft Myers and Key West. You should have cell phone service 20 miles from each end so that is 40 miles of coverage and 60 miles with no coverage. I carry a satellite phone, EPIRB and inflatable life raft on top of the normal safety gear such as lifejackets, flares etc. Many cross without the sat phone or life raft but that is just part of my gear. Sea Tow and Tow Boat US are stationed in both Marco and Key West. You seem to be pretty well equipped with an Epirb, dual GPS etc.
Good luck and let us know if you decide to do it and how it goes. Feel free to contact me if you think I can be any further help.
The buddy system is always a good idea and when you are getting close to going you might want to start a thread inviting others in the area with boats in the Ft Myers Offshore section found under Boat Clubs here on OSO.
Sorry you will not be here for our final FMO club run of the season on April 2nd.
All the best,
Bob

Note - Google Earth pic is NOT for navigation. Illustration purposes only.

RT930turbo

Bob, thank you. Hearing advice from someone who has done this trip first hand helps tremendously. The boat is in top shape, and I have no reservations trusting the equipment.

Do you know if anyone in the area rents life rafts for a reasonable fee? I did some Google searching and didn't find much. I feel like it would be nice piece of mind to have one on board.

I will start a thread as we get closer for sure, and hopefully we can round up another boat or two to make the trip with us.

Hopefully next year we will be able to time vacation so we can attend a FMO event.

Bobthebuilder

My raft is by Survival Products. They have rentals starting at $ 15 per day and up for a small 4 man raft. Im sure they could UPS one over to you. They are in Hollywood, FL near Ft Lauderdale. Here is a link to their website. http://www.survivalproductsinc.com/
Good luck,
Bob

RT930turbo

Perfect! Thanks!

GoFastScott

Couple of tips from some of my longer trips-
1-we all know the shortest distance between 2 points is a straight line, but sometimes the safest way may be a longer trip- can you run down closer to the coast so if something happens you have less distance to help?
2- how much range/reserve will you have on full tanks? Try to have 50% more range than the trip, weather or other contingencies can play a factor
3- didn't see you mention a VHF- do you have one in addition to the EPIRB? If you do, is it a handheld? Can you mount a temporary external antenna to boost the range? I have a handheld in addition to a PLB for minor issues that don't require the PLB, but range is generally only about 10 miles- no good if your 40 miles offshore
4- test everything before you leave, don't want dead batteries in the EPIRB if you need it
5- carry extra food and water, I normally take 2 gallons extra for each person
6- is there someone besides you who knows how to operate the boat and all the safety equipment in case something happens to you?
7- as Bob said, MAKE SURE YOU FILE A FLOAT PLAN INCLUDING ETA!! If everything in the world goes wrong, at least they have a place to start looking!

Last but not least, have fun, try to plan for anything that COULD come up, and make sure you keep us detailed how it works out!!

Scott