florida to Mexico

Hello Hobie Island enthousiasts...

Considering a trip from Miami to Mexico. I'm looking at charts and google earth... Anyone done large sections of the coast or waterway?

Cheers

René Potvin
Miami2montreal.com

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Rene

http://miami2montreal.com
http://renepotvin.com

Go to the watertribe web site (www.watertribe.com) and read about their race around Florida every spring. There are tons of videos showing conditions and what to expect. I'm not sure you will want to be going through the Everglades in the summer though, most only do the Everglades in the winter.
Bob

Hi Rene,

I'm thinking of doing the Chokoloskee to Flamingo trip about Jan 15-18 and then a final day (32+ miles) of across the very shallow FL Bay, FLM to Key Largo. This will be a relative fast trip and the dates are not firm yet. You are welcome to join us, of course. For doing MIA to MEX, you would have to turn around at Key Largo, reverse course, and keep going.

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

Keith,
My buddy and I will probably be in the same neighborhood as you that weekend. As it gets closer maybe we can figure out how to catch up with each other and say hi. You are one of the "old salts" I've followed closely on this board and it would be neat to get a chance to shake your hand. We will either do our typical launch out of Goodland or put in at Flamingo and go to Islamorada.

Walter

Hi Walter,

I haven't talked to any of my friends who might do the Chok-FLM-Bay Cove, Islamorada trip. I've done the FLM to Chok trip solo the past 2 yrs. The dates, tentatively Jan 15-18 plus Jan 19 across FL Bay, will be adjusted if the winds are too low or non-existent. I hate doing these long trips when the wind is low. We've had good winds much of the season--so far. We will launch out of Chokoloskee.

Please contact me at kwellma at gmail dot com. I'll add your email to my list so you can be notified and kept up to date.

BTW, you should add your location to your profile, so that we can all see where you sail.

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

Great idea, I'll do that.

Thanks

Nice to hear from you Keith!

Crossing the shallows between Flamingo and Long Key is quite annoying as I lengthily described but I'd be in!

Information about Florida is plentiful, it's heading west that's a mystery. I suppose some of you guys have done the Alabama, Louisianan, Texas, coast. Or is it really not a good idea to go that way?

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Rene

http://miami2montreal.com
http://renepotvin.com

I am assuming that you will get a Coast Guard escort on the return trip!

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Tony Stott
2012 Tandem Island "SIC EM" with Hobie spinnaker

Crossing the Mexican Border was not in my plan but that would be tricky wouldn't it?

If it wasn't so darn dangerous in Mexico these days, I'd clearly want to continue to Yucatan.

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Rene

http://miami2montreal.com
http://renepotvin.com

Rene, we are tentatively moving our Chok-FLM-FL Bay/Islamorada trip to the 1st week in Feb. BTW, are you still using the AI that you used on our last trip?

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

Well yes, it's the same boat i finished the trip with. The hull was replaced midway when it started to leak. So I have a 2011 hull and 2010 everything else. The sail is badly worn but hey, that's to be expected.

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Rene

http://miami2montreal.com
http://renepotvin.com

Wow, I just realized--you have a 2011 hull--when Hobie replaced your hull, did they give you the new vertical rudder?

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

Yes they did, that was such an improvement in difficult seas and hard wind. boy did I need that.

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Rene

http://miami2montreal.com
http://renepotvin.com

Rene,

I have not personally done any point-to-point traveling along the coast, just messing about in the Aransas Bay and the Gulf of Mexico outside of Surfside, TX and Port Aransas, TX. There is a good community of Hobie Island people all along the Texas coast, so perhaps some of them have some more info to share or questions to answer.


For an idea of what it is like sailing a small boat along the Texas coast, look up the Texas 200. This person completed the event in an AI in a few years ago.

From another person's account on the Texas 200 web site,

The course and calendar are chosen for a reason. In June, on the Texas gulf coast, the wind typically blows steady and strong from the south to southeast. The course lies generally northward, within the barrier islands that buffer the Texas coast. The result is mostly downwind sailing, in mostly “protected” water. June is after the season of spring thunderstorms and before hurricane season, eliminating those extreme scenarios. The downside is that June in south Texas is hot and humid.

Best of luck to you! I look forward to following your adventures.

-Chris

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2015 TI
2009 AI (sold)
Lake Travis, Ladybird Lake, Rockport/Aransas/Padre Island
Texas, USA