Sailing options in Florida-Going to Key Largo

Planning a winter trip south, and I want to include lots of sailing. We can tow the TI down, or rent one.
I was thinking Tampa area or the Keys but am open to suggestions. What are the favorite spots and is there a place to rent a TI nearby?
TIA
OK we have picked a location. Sanibel/Ft Myers area. Target date is March, for a week. It is closer than the Keys, and where we had our honeymoon a million years ago. I would prefer to fly and rent a boat but accept the more likely path will be pulling our tandem down.
So any locals out there have suggestions for a place to stay and good sailing spots? I like gulf front housing for the sunsets.

Well we decided to rent instead of tow. So Key Largo the week of April 11 is the plan. We are booked and I cannot wait.
Hopefully we will run into some owners down there.

Fort Desoto park near st. Petersburg is great. On Tampa Bay. Florida in winter can still be pretty chilly and you will want wetsuit or dry suit for any extended sailing.... Maybe less of a concern if in the keys but still can make the difference in comfort! I've been wanting to check out the area north of Captiva and around Cayo Costa. You could sail to cabbage key and have a cheeseburger in paradise!

As far as renting a TI I would think it is a no-brainer to bring your own. Gives you the flexibility to go where you want when you want for as long as you want! Plus you know your own boat and can include your own gear and modifications that a rental boat won't have. I do think there is or was a place in the Key Largo area doing rentals. Tiki water sports?

We live in the area and there are lots of places to go. Right now in Sarasota the water is around 78f-80f down in Key West the water is around 83f. We can scuba dive and snorkel off key west all year round, but in the dead of winter (Jan) it's probably good to wear a weatsuit when in the water (a 3mm is fine usually). Up around Sarasota Jan-Feb we don't go diving or snorkeling during those two months typically.
One problem we have is it still gets in the high 70's and low 80's and very sunny in the winter during the day on nice days, this makes a wet or dry suit uncomfortable for long periods. I have a shorty wetsuit that I store behind my seat, that I can get on and off in the water if I have to.
In Jan-Feb we tend not to go too far out and typically stay either in Sarasota bay or around Ft Desoto ( I don't do any 50-60 milers that time a year).
The waters off Key West and the Keys are very dangerous, keep your trips small, and definitely plan your trips and if you are overdue, someone knows where to find you.
Sarasota bay and Tampa bay can also be very dangerous when the wind kicks up (just FYI)

The most popular launch places are the boat ramps at Ft Desoto (Tampa bay), and City Island park on Lido Key (Sarasota bay).
Down in Key West we typically launch just left of Higgs beach (there is a concrete boat ramp next to the Vietnam memorial), if you separate your trailer from the car you can park in the Vietnam memorial parking lot (the only free parking in Key West).
There is another ramp at the end of Simonton st (near Mallory square), but the current there is 5-6 mph north to south past mallory square, I would be very careful there it can get very dangerous on the west side where if you get south of the island, you might not be able to get back with just a stock TI (this is why I have a motor). Also north of there it's too shallow most everywhere and all the channels are very narrow (you can't tack), and we don't like going up there.
Up in Key Largo most of the cool stuff is on the Atlantic side, but most of the resorts are on the gulf side. There are only a couple places you can cross from one side to the other, unless you have a motor I would forget about Adams waterway without a motor (you have to lower the sails to go thru there (lots of low bridges), and it's a long ride thru the mangroves to get to open water near Pennecamp, however there are some nice areas around there near shore though on the Atlantic side.
Most of the resorts on the gulf side have launches and you can store the boat on the beach at many (many have docks as well). We don't have a house there so we usually stay at the resorts on the Gulf side, then motor over to the Atlantic side to dive (Florida bay on the gulf side is kind of boring, at least to us IMO) . Haven't found any good place to launch on the Atlantic side (but then again I haven't looked either). We like to stay at Fiesta Key down by Islamarada, we can moor our TI there for the week on mooring balls, and go out a couple times a day when we can.

I hear it's nice down around port Charlotte and around Naples, but I've never been out in either.
Hope this helps
FE

The water in Charlotte Harbor chills down to 60 degrees or less in winter. I like water at 80 or above if I'm getting it on me.

I sailed the harbor the other day to go observe the F-18 America's. Probably the last time this year that I will find getting wet on the harbor fun. The ride back in Alligator Bay was fast and fun. This video ends kind of abruptly because the boat was overpowered and I had to put the camera down to regain control.

https://vimeo.com/143325063

In winter, I sail in the creek behind my house, where I can stay dry. It looks like this:

https://vimeo.com/143126678

The AI is great for creek sailing because the Mirage Drive allows me to power through areas where the wind is blocked by trees or narrow areas that are dead upwind. It's also great because I have two low bridges and it's easy to step and unstep the mast on calm water.

Bump to the top, now that we have picked a location.

There is a nice ramp next to the Sanibel Causeway bridge, on Sanibel. I used it a couple times last week. See the write-up here: http://www.hobiecat.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=70&t=7276&start=810

The ramp is free, but parking costs $4/hr.

Keith

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2015 AI 2, 2014 Tandem

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." A. Einstein

"Less is more" Anon

Nice video, Tom. Thanks for posting that.

FWIW, I spent 2 hrs in the water last January (at Naples) with just a bathing suit on and it was cold. We're trying Kokatat paddling pants this year. Our local ramp is at Delnor Wiggins (North Naples) and this will be our first winter with the TI. I'll be looking for other ramps in the Ft Myers area through the winter - I noted that Cayo Costa has overnight camping - and will post what I find through time.

Several options come to mind. I live in Fort Myers and sail the Caloosahatchee River often. Last weekend in 10 to 15 knot winds with gusts to 20 wind from the east. Perfect conditions! The river is best sailed during the week to avoid boat traffic/wakes. Public boat ramps can be found at http://leewaterways.com/public-boat-launches/

I also like the Sanibel Causeway. There are plenty of places to launch on the bay side of the causeway island closest to Sanibel( look at google earth and this will make sense). Drawback!! Toll is $6.00/car + $3 per additional axle. Sailing on the bay side of causeway and check out Picnic Island and Tarpon Bay. You have to cross a sometimes busy channel to get to Tarpon Bay. Very good fishing in this area many times of the year. Stay on Sanibel and you only pay toll coming onto island.

Last recommendation is Estero Bay launching from Lovers Key State Park. Estero Bay has lots of marine wild life. Bird watching can be extraordinary. Not uncommon to see manatee and Dolphins. By Feb the water is "colder" relatively speaking and Manatees tend move up Caloosahatchee River seeking warmer water. I recommend stopping at Mound Key. Approachable with my TI but you may have to mirage drive it into island depending tides. Mound Key is a 30 foot tall hill of an island created
by the Calusa Indians.
If you decide to stay on Sanibel a visit to JN Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge is a must.

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Gatorjim
2015 Hobie Tandem Island
2012 Hobie Revolution 11

Thanks for posting that link, Jim.

Thanks for all the input. We are getting serious about this trip, bought a decent pickup to haul the boat and bikes and set a target date of late march to early april. It looks like Sanibel, but we are open to local knowledge of a nice place to stay for 4-7 days. If Charlotte harbor is that cold the wife will not be happy so we can head south a little more. I like the description of Estero Bay, and the local rivers sound a little warmer. Sailing in Barnegat Bay NJ I have no problem with motorboats or their wake.
How is the wind around Sanibel area at that time? I would love to sail around the island, but doubt I have the range. Also, what is Pine Island Sound like? Looks nice on the map but you never know.
Looking forward to the trip and getting together with any locals for some fun sailing.

Figured I would bump this to the top. Thanks to Florida Bay Outfitters we can rent a different boat every day and don't have to drive down. If all goes well we will do it again next year with our boat and a new camper.