LV

How are you going to pull both boats down next year?

laszlo01

Sydwayz is right on in his posting.

Spare parts impellors belts small parts fluids and so on as well as a decent set of tools you will need.

Sending the girls ahead is a great idea if you break because after a long idle back they would be much happier getting to the final destination and let the crew fix what is needed. Much less stress

Tow vehicle contingency is a good idea with a spare set of keys accessible if need be so you have a person that can bring it down to you if need be. Also keep in mind to have proper towing / insurance rider and trailer towing if need be covered as well. Otherwise it makes a super long day just getting where you need to be.

A fully stocked cooler/food as well as duffle bag of spair clothes in the boat is a good idea.

While underway waypoints and channel markers in the gps are great as well as watch out for those darn crab pots as they are right where you need to be.

Know all of the fuel stops and marinas so you know where to go if you break while underway.

Otherwise its the best run out there in my opinion and you will enjoy it for sure.

302Sport

If you have a good chartplotter it's pretty easy. Follow the ICW down all the way from Miami (should be a pretty straight line on your GPS running through the middle of biscayne bay). Once you're hooked on that, follow it all the way to the seven mile bridge or Bahia Honda, then cut out. Now you're in hawks channel on the outside and you can take that all the way to key west. But, after biscayne bay there are a lot of quick turns and the ICW gets very skinny, sometimes on a couple mile run you have to hit a set of markers that are only thirty feet wide or you're going to be stuck in 6 inches of water.

richanton

First things first, look at a chart. Not trying to be a wisea$$, but you shouldn't do a 160 mile (one way) poker run without knowing how to read a chart. Buy a chartbook for South FL and the lower keys and familiarize yourself with the route from Miami to Key West.

Got Cigs

I was thinking the more girls I have on board, the more paddlers I would have, this way I could just steer.
Tools and spare parts I think ill have pretty well covered, unless something major breaks, then ill refer back to sentence above.
Boat never leaves dock without a stocked cooler.
Back up plan for tow vehicle is good idea though.
Id imagine those narrow markers would make things interesting with a group of boats, good to know and be aware of. Thank you.

Got Cigs

Im smart a$$ myself, no worries. I 100% agree though.

HTRDLNCN

Dont forget the 55ft sportfishers going full plow speed thru those same tight channels,the lamebrain sailboats that anchor at either end of the same narrow channels and the idiot fishermen that will fish in the center of the same fuggin narrow channels. Makes the gulf side of the upper keys tons o fun on a busy weekend..Take the weekday run if at all possible

Sydwayz

iTrader: (1)

The heck with the sportfishers. At least they are predictable.

Let me tell you a story about a 43' Sunsation that had no idea WTF he was doing showboating outside of the markers, realized he was about to "blueprint" his hull on the featherbeds and cut directly in front of 3 boats at speed; forcing all of us to turn sideways in the channel to avoid each other (38 Cig, 37 AT, and 38PP). The PP (closest to Sunny) had to turn so violently to avoid collision that the driver was thrown far enough to pull the lanyard out.

Oh yeah, and he was a PR participant too.

tim mccray

I'm sure that you can down load some charts online. I just went to west marine and bought the nice mylar covered ones, that way if they get wet for some reason they're not ruined. And as someone mentioned above, have a back up plan if you break. Sometimes you don't have spare parts for things, like drives Depending on the size of your boat, not all marinas can get you out of the water because their launch ramp is too small or their travel lift doesn't have the capacity to lift your boat. So even if you have someone grab your tow vehicle and trailer, you still need to know where to get out. I hooked up with Lipship Performance when I first started boating in the Keys. He's my AAA of boat services. If anything breaks, I make a call, they come get the boat or drive down and fix it no matter where I am. I know not everyone has that luxury but even TNT does it for their customers. So check with the marina that you store your boat with, they may have a similar service. I also have phone numbers for car services in Miami and all through the Keys. You should do the same, that way if you break, you have a ride somewhere when you find a marina to pull into. Not many car rental places in the Keys and on big weekends like that one, they're usually booked up.