Shoal Draft Mecca

Charter Cruising in Florida Bay

December/January 1988

With only a 10-inch draft, the Black Skimmer is perfectly adapted to the 2- to 3-foot depths of Florida Bay

Are you looking for somthing different to do on your next winter vacation? Try cruising Florida Bay in a chartered Phil Bolger-designed Black Skimmer sharpie. You’ll have a chance to sail in waters so shallow they’re impassable to bigger boats, and so isolated you can sail a whole day without setting eyes on another living soul.

Florida Bay is a subtropical paradise, but not your typical travel brochure variety. I’m always a bit anxious when our charterers come down to this area with pre-conceived expectations of what it’s going to be like, says Bill Blatter, who with his wife Fran owns and manages Key largo Shoal Water Cruises (KLSWC). Some of our guests seem surprised that there aren’t long stretches of white sand beach, waving palm trees, and lots of other people.

Instead, as visitors climb onto their shoal-draft sharpies and sail away from the densely populated Keys along U.S. Route 1, they find a kind of saltwater desert, a flat expanse punctuated only by hundreds ot closely-spaced small islands "keys" to the southern Floridian formed by wild mangrove trees growing out of the clay and sand just beneath the surface. Unlike some deserts, however, this one is populated by an incredible array of fauna and flora, including alligators, eagles, humminghirds, dolphins, and gumbo limbo and lignum vitae trees. And, of course, unlike most deserts, this one is wet.

. charter sailor well protected from the sun guides Black Skimmer, over the jadegreen grass flats

The waters of Florida Bay, most of which are within the boundaries of the 1.5-million-acre Everglades National Park, average a mere 2 to 3 feet in depth and spread over a triangular expanse of more than 500 square miles. In its shallower parts, the Bay is crisscrossed by channels, variously called "haulovers," "dragovers," "passes," and "cuts." Some of the channels are navigable in a shoal-draft vessel, but others are not, as my wife Carol and I discovered when we ventured into this vast expanse of sun, sea, and sand aboard one of KLSWC’s Black Skimmers for a week in mid-April.

Blatter had warned us when we set out on our charter that the waters in the northeast part of the Bay were unusually low "perhaps a foot or so below normal" due to persistent southeasterly winds pushing the water out of that part of the Bay. The low water, he explained, might make navigation difficult or impossible in some spots. Sure enough, on our first day out, sailing merrily along on a close reach in 6 knots of air, we went aground in the middle of the Lake Key Pass channel. Peering over the side, we saw below us a mere 10 inches of water " the draft of the Black Skimmer’s flat-bottomed hull with leeboards and rudder retracted. Bill had told us that the bottom of the Bay is typically an oozy, semi-liquid mixture of sand, clay marl, and lime, into which you could sink up to your knees, or even your waist. With this in mind, we decided not to get out and push.

Instead, we lowered both boards to prevent slipping backward into still shallower water and used the sails to turn the boat around, an interesting and satisfying exercise in a cat yawl. Going aground in Florida Bay can be exciting and entertaining but is not likely to be dangerous. As Fran told us, "The Bay is like a big rubber room. It’s just sand and clay, and you don’t have to worry about damaging the boat, even if you run her hard up on the bank."

Exploring

Access to Florida Bay’s hundreds of keys and northern shoreline is controlled by the National Park Service. To protect wildlife and ensure continuity in the area’s ecological chain, landing on all but a few Keys and camping anywhere but at designated sites is prohibited. Conditions change from time to time, so check with the Ranger Station at Flamingo (305/253-2241,ext. 182) or on KeyLargo (305/852-5119). The last we heard, mariners can land and explore on Bradley Key (day use only), Carl Ross Key, Little Rabbit Key, and North Nest Key (see chart for locations). You can also go ashore at East Cape (part of Cape Sable), Clubhouse Beach (7 miles west of Flamingo), and a number of other mainland points. Most landing spots have at least small beaches, though we found only a dock and campsite at Little Rabbit Key. Overnight camping is limited and requires a pass, which is free for the asking.

If you go ashore, be careful about taking the footpaths into the interior. We tried this on Nest Key, and almost immediately collected 20 to 30 mosquitoes clinging to each of our legs. To escape the pesky critters, we simply retreated to the shoreline, brushing them away as we went. Even though the mosquitoes on Nest Key didn’t seem to be aggressive biters, we wouldn’t recommend camping overnight on any of the keys without a well-screened tent or plenty of insect repellent.

Most landing sites are generally deserted or nearly so, except on weekends when the powerboats zoom in. When we visited Nest Key the first time, there were two other powerboats along a stretch of beach perhaps 200 yards long, leaving plenty of elbow room for everybody.  

 

FLORIDA BAY VISITOR INFORMATION The Key Largo Shoal Water Cruises (KLSWC) dock is approximately 65 miles south of Miami International Airport, a 1½ to 2-hour drive. Rental cars are available at the airport. Take the East-West Expressway west to Florida Turnpike, then go south to U.S. Route 1 to Key Largo. For those on a tight budget, Greyhound buses leave twice a day; limousine service is also available for $35 per couple, one way. Cost A weeks charter for a KLSWC 25-foot Black Skimmer cat yawl (three available, each with somewhat different accommodations) is $750 at peak season (mid-December to mid-April) and $600 at other times. (KLSWC closes from the end ofJune until the beginning of November.) Cost includes full cruising gear, gasoline for the outboard, stove fuel, and necessary charts. Other supplies, such as food, ice, and bottled water (recommended) must be purchased by the chatterer, although in 1988. KISWC may offer optional provisioningKl,SWC also charters a 34-foot Bolger designed Black Gauntlet, which draws 16 inches of water, for $50 perweek more than the Skimmers. Arrangements for lodging on land before and after the cruise is up to the charterer. One day’s lodging at a motel is recommended at the cruises conclusion, to get a hot shower and re-orient oneself to civilization, Howard Johnson’s, Holiday Inn, and several smaller motels are in the general area; most require a car to reach. Approximate rates are $75 to $125 per day per room, double occupancy. Reservations several months in advance are advisable, especially during holiday periods. Restaurants Most charterers prepare most or all meals on board. However, there is a good restaurant in Flamingo (open November 1 to April 30), and waterside restaurants dot the Keys along U.S. Route 1. At the Flamingo Inn, dinner is about $40 for two; reservations are essential. Ax a typical dining spot on the Route I side of the Bay, the Lore-lie Restaurant on Upper Matecumhe Key, dockage comes with the dinner; cost for two is around $45 with wine and tip-Dress is casual; shoes and shirts are required. What to Bring Pack a range of clothing for the Bay’s subtropical climate, Plan on layering garments to suit hot orcold days(temperatures can range from the SOs, or even colder on rare occasions, to the 90s; average in January is’70 degrees, inJuly84degrees).A foulweathersuit isohligatory,asareacoupie of bathing suits to live in ifthewearher is nice. Bring a snorkel and mask for observing sea creatures, and a pair of old sneakers to protect your feet while wading. For protection from too much sun, you’ll also need sunglasses, a widebrimmed hat, and SPF2O sunscreen, plus a long-sleeved shirt and long trousers or summer pajamas. If you have binoculars with a built-in compass, bring them, Its easy to get disoriented in the Bay, since all the mangrove islands tend to look alike. A handbearing compass is provided with each KLSWC charter boat, but not binoculars. Aboard Your Own Boat Launching ramps for small boats are available at Flamingo and at various points in the Florida Keys, including Rev [argo. Certain pans of Florida Bay may be cruised by vessels drawing up to 3 feet or more, hut a much wider cruising area is accessible to those with sailing drafts of 2 feet or less. Along the southern perimeter of the Bay, the lntracoastal Waterway is dredged to a controlling depth of 5 feet. Information Information on shoal-draft chartering is available by writing to Key Largo Shoal Water Cruises, P0 Box 1180, Key [argo Fl. 33037, or calling (305)451-0083, For information on the Everglades National Park portion of Florida Bay, write P0 Box 279,Homestead,FL33O3Oorcall (305) 247-6211. Charts covering the area include NOS Chart #11451 and NOS Chart #1 1452; a waterproof version combining both is available from International Sailing Supply, 320 Cross Street, Punta Gorda, FL 33950. Phone: (813) 639-7626. Two books we found especially helpful are Captain Frank Papy’s A Cruising Guide to The Florida Keys (Publication Arts, Inc.) and A Guide to Everglades National Park and the Nearly Florida Keyc (Golden Press). They are available in bookstores catering to southern travelers and yachtsmen.

 

When we returned a few days later for a second look (on a peaceful Easter Sunday morning), there was only one boat, though, unfortunately, its occupant was a Hard Rock fan, with his boom box turned up to max power. We left the area muttering about noise pollution. Exploring doesn’t have to be confined to deserted keys. Alternatives include touring along the heavily populated keys along the south perimeter of the Bay, and sailing into the harbor at Flamingo, where you can just shove aside the pier-lounging pelicans and tie up for the night at the comfortable, uncrowded marina. If you’re a KLSWC charterer, you’ll welcome the hot showers and a chance for a renewed ice supply at the nearby store. If you want, you can splurge on dinner at the Flamingo Restaurant, a mere 100-yard walk away from the marina. Make a reservation as early as possible, as the restaurant is normally booked solid by Park visitors arriving by auto. The second floor location offers a spectacular view of bird life on a nearby mangrove island.

At Flamingo, we struck up a conversation with Park Ranger Vic Brown, who had spent several days with friends aboard one of the KLSWC Black Skimmers. "Cruising Florida Bay in a shallow draft sailboat is the way to go," he told us. "Unfortunately, I have to use a powerboat in my job, but I’d rather be sailing."

Brown went on to explain the ecological fragility of the area, and the problems caused by thoughtless powerboaters. Boats that prop-dredge (cut a channel through the shallow "flats" by skimming over the surface with only the prop and a few inches of hull immersed) wreck the balance of nature and destroy the food chain. It’s a sad story. Once a path is dredged by the prop, Brown explains, it may become a sluiceway for large volumes of water, all in one direction along the new cut. The water flow may carry with it detritus and leaf litter that gradually kills the bottom grass. Without the binding effect of the grass, the channel deepens and widens, increasing the water flow, killing more grass, and eliminating part of the feeding grounds for the shallow-water feeding birds like cranes, herons, ibis, egrets, roseated spoonbills, and (of course) black skimmers.

These birds also are frightened by the passing of loud powerboats, increasing what is already a stressful life. In fact, says Brown, disturbing the birds by approaching their rookeries in boats may do more harm than hunting. Existing channels are well-marked by stakes and are indicated on official charts of the area, thus eliminating any need for prop-dredging. Nevertheless, a few powerboaters prop-dredge anyway, out of ignorance or carelessness. We did our part by staying within designated channels, and except for our early failure to get through Lake Key Pass, we found them well marked and easy to navigate.

Mosquito Express

We took two nature tours, both conducted by Park Rangers who impressed us with their depth of knowledge on the ecology of Florida Bay and environs. We learned, for instance, that in the Florida Bay area, winter is the dry season, and summer is much wetter. But the winter of 1986-87 was the exception; it was wet all winter, bringing more mosquitoes than usual in the spring.

At Flamingo, we took a 2-hour bus or "tram" tour of the Everglades shoreline. Our guide referred to the tour as the "Mosquito Express to Snake Bight." These bits of evidence, together with the sticker on the bus windshield displaying a cartoon of a giant mosquito, a red cross, and the words "I gave at Flamingo," hinted at the possibility of a serious problem. And so it turned out to be. Maybe next winter will be drier, and the mosquitoes fewer. Or you can always use insect repellent.

The other tour we decided to take was at Lignumvitae Key, just north of Lower Matecumbe Key and U.S. Route 1. We dropped our hook in a beautiful deep water anchorage on the eastern side of the key, near a pier maintained by the Florida Department of Natural Resources. Later on, having received permission from the Park Rangers to do so, we moved the Black Skimmer in to tie up at the pier itself.

The $1.00-a-head tour, conducted by State Guide Jeannie Parks, introduced us to lignum vitae trees (one of which was 500 years old); black ironwood trees; red, white, and black mangrove trees; gumbo limbo trees; strangler figs; and poison wood trees, among others. We also were shown the Matheson vacation house, built of coral in 1919, which came through the big hurricane of 1935 intack except for its roof. Hurricanes, incidentally, are a big topic of conversation in the Keys, due to the vulnerability of low-lying islands. The highest point in the Keys is Lignumvitae, approximately 16 feet above sea level. But breathe easy. There hasn’t been a really severe hurricane since the big blast of 1935.

Florida Bay is a birdwatcher’s paradise. On a guided tour at Flamingo, we saw great white herons, ibis, hawks, vultures, and egrets. We also saw a frigate bird, which the tour guide told us normally stays out over the Gulf of Mexico, and only comes inland when a storm is brewing. At that point there was no storm in sight. But 2 hours after the frigate bird appeared, we were soaked by a sudden heavy rain. KISWC has a library of bird-watchers’ guides, but you might want to bring your favorite field guides with you, along with suitable binoculars. Among other fauna, we spotted dolphins. And one night after dinner at Flamingo, we saw a 6-foot alligator swimming among the boats in the marina. We made a mental note to forget any urge to clean the Skimmer’s bottom while tied up there.

Just Relaxing

During our week of April cruising, we had a chance to watch gorgeous sunsets, enjoy a beautiful three quarter moon and star-filled sky, and relax on mostly sunny days with highs in the 70s or low 80s, and mostly crisp, cool but comfortable evenings, perhaps in the mid 60s. In seven days, we had only a couple of cloudy days and only a few hours of rain. And while the wind came to us in an interesting variety of velocities, from zero on the first and last day of our cruise, to 20 gusting to 30 at mid-cruise, it never seemed unpleasantly strong. That’s partly because the mangrove islands act like breakwaters, keeping the waves from building up. According to Fran, wave height in the relatively protected eastern end of the Bay is hardly ever more than 3 feet.

SAILING A BLACK SKIMMER Phil Bolger designed the original Black [Skimmer in 1974-75 for Mike O’Brien. then proprietor of Mike’s Boat Shop in Gloucester Point, Virginia, and now senior editor at WoodenBoat Mike wanted a cat yawl with very shoal draft, one that would he very easvto build and would have good performance. He liked some of Bolgers stack designs, but since there was nothing in the size he wanted "26 feet on deck" he asked Bolger to design a boat for him. What resulted was a happy synthesis of some of Bolger’s now-familiar trademarks: leehoards matched to a hard-chined shallow-draft sharpie hull; jauntily raked free-standing masts utilizing sprits and snotters ratherthan conventional booms; a fold-up rudder; and a bow "cockpit" for handling the anchor, hoisting the main, Or simply getting away from the crowd in the big cockpit aft. These individual features, seen separately on other less well-executed designs, sometimes come up short on practicalitx. But on Skimmer, they blend perfectly, helping make the boat a real pleasure to sail. The boat we chattered at KLSWC was originally built by Florida Bay Boat Company owner Reuben Trane, for his own use. Trane made a number of clever modifications to the original design, mostly, we think, for the better: The bowsprit and clipper bow were chopped off, and a straight stem substituted. The original rope pivot for the leeb~rds was replaced by cast bronze mounts. The interior was fltted out with a propane stove, cahinetnz, shel~ts, drawers, and other storage appropriate to a ct,mforta ble cruiser, Ventilation and interior lighting were improved by the addition of an opening forward port plus larger. oval side ports and an electrical lighting system. A solar panel keeps the batten charged. Extra cleats were installed at strategic points around the boat. One addition I particularly liked was at the how, where Bolger’s original plan called for a single belaying pin 1½ inches in diameter. Trane switched to twin ¼-inch bronze bars, installed side hy side, What a plea sure when trussing her up in a slip, with springs and doubled how lines going every which way! The boat we chartered sails beautifully, is self-steering on most courses if properly balanced, and is easy to handle. Her shal low draft makes it relatively easy to get on hoard and off to beaches via the chine log, which juts out from the hull far enough to accommodate the toe end of a human foot. Tier cockpit coamings are high enough to give good back support and a feeling of being protected. And, of course, her how cockpit offersa waist-high solidwall, giving the ultimate in "foredeck" security.

We can’t guarantee you will get the same weather in mid-April (or at any other time, for that matter), but we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend April as a good time to cruise the Bay. It’s less crowded, the weather is apt to be warmerthan earlier in the year, and when you get back to wherever you came from to get away from winter, it’ll be spring.

Of course, swimming, snorkelling, scuba diving, and fishing can be part of your cruise, too. The best snorkelling is near the inhabited southern keys, where the water is a bit deeper and clearer. Scuba divers tend to go outside the southern keys to John Pennekamp State Park or several other diving sites, all marked on government charts. And Florida Bay is an angler’s paradise, although there are restrictions on species you can keep. Chartering a shoal-draft cruising sailboat in Florida Bay was a unique experience for both Carol and me. For Carol, it was a chance to experience the visual delight of sub-tropical Bay life, and an introduction to more solitude on the water than she’s accustomed to.  

 

Inside a Black Skimmer 1. Anchor rode in typical Florida Bay shallow water can be as short as 20 or 30 feet and still maintain 5:1 scope. 2. Twin belaying pins at bow give flexihilityof securing twoanchorrodes ordock lines without overlapping. 3. Fold-up step in wall of bow well makes for easy ingress and egress. 4. Malnmastpartners have closure on forward side to make rigging easier. 5. Storage shelf aaoss forward end ofbeith is good place to stow knick-knacks. 6. Bag for mainsail sits on deck. Loose-footed mainsail can be left laced to mast and simply stuffed into bag. 7. Stowage nets below keep gear off berths, make lounging without crowding easier. 8. Comfortable berths are long, wide, well-cushioned. Fitted sheets and thermal blanket make sleeping comfortable on warm or cold nights. 9. Galley sink is plastic dishpan. To empty, toss contents overboard. 10. Food storage behind sink, and opposite, behind stove, supplements icebox storage. 11. VHF tadlo hanging from overhead of fers convenience of NOAA weather forecasts and provides link to world ashore if needed in an emergency. 12. Fluorescent light over stove is low wattage, saves electricity. We cruised for a week without depleting 112-ampere-hour battery. Solar panel on deck helped. 13. Log book makes interesting reading during cruise, as it describes the cruising joys (and, occasionally, sorrows) of many charterers of "our" boat. 14. Propane stove is convenicnt, safe, puts out plenty of heat. 15. 60-quart Gott portable cooler serves as companionway step as well as for food storage. We supplemented ice only once during 7-day cruise, never ran out. 16, 17 & 18. DItty bags on bulkhead hookscontain hand-hearing compass, anchor light, small tools for minor repairs. (We needed none.) 19. Storage under cockpit holds bulk of clothes and other personal gear. 20. Leeboards when raised make it possible to slide the boat right up to shoreline. 21. flarken malnsbeet block on Is-landis modern touch, contributes to ease of handling. 22. Stelnerblnocularwlth built-In compass is handy item we brought along, helped keep us aware of our position when all Keys started to look alike. 23. "Cedar bucket" is actually made of heavy-duty plastic, serves as portable head, (Forprivacv, use it in bowwell.) Porta-Potti is available for those who prefer it. 24. 12-gallon gas tank holds plenty of fuel for typical weeks cruise. We used half tank in a week. 25. Mercury 7.5-horsepower outboard was quiet, easy to start, easy to use. 26. Mlzzen sail left hoisted at anchor keeps boat from swinging in wind, as shoal-draft vessels have a tendency to do. 27. Fold-up rudder is controlled by ‘A-inch line cleated to rudderhead. 28. Boomkin extends mizzen sheet aft for better sail control.

 

For me, it was an opportunity to try out the very out-of-the-ordinary Black Skimmer and find out whether all the good things I had heard about her were true (see sidebar, "Sailing a Black Skimmer"). It was also a chance to get about as far away as one can from the everyday hustle and bustle of life, and to experience close up the unique flora and fauna of unspoiled Florida Bay.

And there was something more as well. Compared to other cruises I’ve taken, this cruise was very different and very special. Maybe it was the great weather. Maybe it was the symbiosis of the Skimmer rollicking in her element. Or maybe it was the feeling that, for these few moments, Carol and I were members of a unique and wonderful cruising club composed exclusively of shallow-draft sailboat charterers the KISWC "family" of psychologists, doctors, students, physicists, teachers, writers, botanists, and weavers, among others all sharing this expe rience, together in spirit, if not in body.

This was especially brought home our last evening on the Bay. Another KLSWC charterer just starting a week of cruising sailed up beside us, anchored, and paddled over in his kayak to say hello. We chatted for a few moments, agreeing that this was a great spot to cruise, comparing notes on where we’d been and where he was planning on going, and together enjoying the late-day sun and the peaceful anchorage. Kindred spirits, passing in the night.

I can easily understand why our cruising predecessors writing in Black Skimmer’s log often express the hope that they will return later for more of the same.